Page 25 of Inferno

“If I’m going to show you, then we’re going to do this my way,” Eir says from behind me.

I slowly turn to face her. “And what’s your way?” I ask skeptically.

“Out here, there are no witnesses and nothing to stop you from your emotions.” She smiles sadly. “I’ll show you your death, Inferno, but then I want you to let yourself go and work through your shit.”

I smirk. “You want me to let myself burn?”

“Yes. Something tells me it’s the only way to bring an end to your self-torture.”

I don’t know that anything can do that, but I’m willing to agree if it means she’ll do what I want.

“Okay.”

Without warning, Eir projects into my mind. I’m back in that school, having saved two kids so far. I watch the scene unfold like a movie as I rush back into the building. But the school, its occupants… it’s all too far gone.

My body shakes, and my flesh ignites as fear claws at me. Rage intensifies the flames. I’m aware of Eir standing a few feet away, but for once, she doesn’t try to stop the blaze. She lets it incinerate me from the inside out until my emotions are nothing but charred remains.

“Stop!”

Water sloshes over my head, dousing the flames until my flesh is nothing but bright embers.

“What the fuck?” I snarl as I glare at Viking.

He’s standing several feet in front of me, his arms wet. Demo, Reaper, and Acid flank him, and all four of them are staring at me like I’ve lost my mind.

Maybe I have.

Viking slowly glances at Eir, and she squares her shoulders. “What is going on?” he demands of my Valkyrie.

“He needed to be able to let everything out,” she says, not backing down from him.

“And you thought letting him set fire to this field was a good way to do that?”

Eir turns in a circle to take in our surroundings. “I don’t see any fire. I had it under control.”

“Did you?”

“Viking, I made sure to bring him to a field close to a river,” she explains. “I knew you’d sense him and come running so I gave you the necessary tool to keep him safe.”

“And if I hadn’t come?”

“You did,” she retorts. “What ifs don’t matter.”

“She’s right,” I bark, annoyed that he’s going after her when I’m the one who insisted on her showing me my past. “Leave her out of this.”

Viking faces me and arches a brow. “This entire trip to the land of the living might be your dog and pony show, but don’t you dare forget who I am.”

“I haven’t.”

“Rather than argue,” Reaper interjects. “Why don’t we take advantage of this place and work through all of our frustrations at being stuck here?”

“Are you suggesting what I think you’re suggesting?” Eir asks.

“If you think he’s suggesting that we purposely use our powers, then yes, he is,” Demo replies dryly.

“I don’t know if th?—”

“Go home, Eir,” Viking commands.

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