Page 26 of Inferno

Normally, a Valkyrie doesn’t do a warrior’s bidding, but she must sense that he’s serious because she shimmers and disappears. As soon as she’s gone, my brothers all stare at me.

“Well, Inferno, you ready to do this?” Acid asks.

“What exactly are we doing?” I already know the answer, but I need to hear Viking spell it out so there aren’t consequences from him later.

“We’re going to spend a few hours unleashing hell on this field,” Viking says, a wicked grin on his face. “We’re going to use our powers and do our worst. And then we’re going to forget it ever happened.”

“Got it.”

And we do exactly that. For the next four hours, we go nuts. By the time we’re done, the field is destroyed, and I’m… exhausted.

I’m also invigorated in a way I haven’t been in a very long time.

13

Emmy

“You can’t ride two horses with one ass, sugar bean.”

I laugh at my favorite line in Sweet Home Alabama. It’s been a while since I’ve watched the movie, but it never gets old. And when I’m feeling off, it’s my go-to.

Before I know it, the credits start to roll, and I turn the TV off. I make it to the stairs but stop in my tracks when there’s a pounding at my front door.

Who the hell is here this late?

A sliver of apprehension creeps in, but I ignore it as I backtrack to the door.

“Who is it?” I call out.

“It’s me.”

I quickly unlock the deadbolt and yank open the door. Inferno is standing on my porch, and he looks?—

“Are you drunk?” I snap, annoyed.

“What? No.” He shakes his head, but I’m not convinced. “I’m tired though.”

“You’re tired?”

“Yep. I’m not used to being tired, so I came here… to you.”

“To me?”

I feel like a broken record repeating everything he says, but I’m tired too and not firing on all cylinders.

“Can I come in?”

I should tell him no. I should insist that he leave so I can go to bed. But I do neither of those things.

“Sure,” I respond, stepping to the side so he can come in.

After locking the door, I turn to face him. Inferno is now pacing the length of my living room, and his lips are moving, but no words are coming out.

“Is everything okay?” I ask.

He freezes and lifts his eyes to mine. “What?”

“Is everything okay?”

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