The Inferno

Chapter 38 Kacey

L ike Sai, Ezekial is an excellent tour guide.

I wonder if having his power physically engraved into the very walls provided him with some type of mental map.

He gracefully leads the way, sometimes walking backwards to maintain eye contact and still managing to turn a corner just when I think he’s about to miss it.

The first thing he showed me was the room outside his office, a long foyer with a small, mahogany desk and a plush, grey sofa at the other end. He explained he had an assistant but that it was too early for most staff yet.

Due to our earliness, the majority of the building was still. Those we did pass always offered Ezekial a polite greeting. Choruses of “Good morning, Lord” and “Morning, Lord Ezekial” echoed in my mind. Each one accompanied by a slight bow, little eye contact, except the brief inquisitive flickers my way, and a quick retreat.

No one speaks to me.

During the tour, he’d shown me an extremely large canteen, a beautiful courtyard in the very heart of the building, one filled with cherry blossoms and a small creek, and corridors which led to numerous offices—lots and lots of corridors. The place was a maze and yet Ezekial knew it all.

He’d just been greeted by another staff member, at the end of another long, winding corridor, when we reach two large, glass doors. Although glass, the material was frosted, making what was ever behind them hidden.

Beside the glass doors was a handprint scanner. It was like the one I’d tried to use when I’d ripped the guard’s hand off… I close my eyes and force myself to block that image away. If Ezekial noticed, he didn’t say.

“This is where you’ll be,” he explains, nodding towards the closed glass doors before placing his hand onto the scanner. After that, he inputs some type of code, I try not to watch but find myself doing just that. “There’s very few people who have access to this room.” He types a few more things and then the handprint reappears. “Put your hand there. ”

I copy his movements, placing it entirely flat. I watch the red bar slide down beneath my palm but feel nothing. Then the doors click and slowly open.

“Now, you’re one of them,” he says, glancing at me before pushing the doors open the rest of the way and entering. I eagerly follow.

If I had to gamble on what would be behind those doors, I would have lost everything.

Before me is a building within a building. A towering structure made completely of glass. We begin to make our way over the onyx marble floor, until we reach a second pair of glass doors, the entrance to this building.

But these doors are connected to a gigantic archway which is already open and allows me to see the inside.

Green. Everything is so green and bright and airy. Which is when I realise that half of this building is outside, the breeze ruffles my hair and sounds of birds catch in the wind.

It’s another world. One I feel hesitant to enter. Something holding me upon the threshold. Until I see a small figure appearing from the corner of the room, holding a huge plant in her gloved hands, her eyes peering over the large, purple leaves as she makes her way towards us.

Her soft blue eyes appear cautious, nervous, as they skitter from Ezekial to me.

“Jasmine, you remember—”

“Kacey,” I say her name like a sigh.

The girl who nursed me back to health. The nervous, skittish, strange woman who I instantly liked and felt the urge to protect.

She pauses when I say her name, wide eyes like a doe deer skirting all over me from my shoes, up to my hair and back again.

“You look much better,” she says. I laugh and it makes her tense shoulders drop slightly, the blooming plant lowering until I can see her entire face.

She’s beautiful. Long, dark lashes; soft, pink lips, a peachy blush over her blue tinged skin, so subtle her complexion almost appears translucent. Her hair is swiped back into a high tight ponytail. It’s straight and soft with inky blue strands blowing in the breeze. She’s wearing light blue denim overalls, covered in dirt, and black wellingtons .

I scan my own outfit: the skirt, the heels, the silk blouse, and immediately feel overdressed. Yet Kacey is the one creating the anxious, self-conscious emotions around us, ones which twist into the air and make it sharper. I take them in, soothe them into ease and calm.

“Does she know what I am?” Kacey quietly asks, her busy eyes flitting back and forth between Ezekial and I. She can’t decide who to settle on, who is the lesser of two evils, until they rest back on Ezekial.

My coils seem to dislike that, nipping me, urging me to do something. I grit my teeth and push it down.

“We discussed this, Kacey. If you’re not comfortable, you just have to say,” Ezekial coaxes, his voice soft and gentle, like speaking to a lost child. Part of me enjoys seeing this side of Ezekial, the other is simmering with unjustified annoyance.

“I want to do it. I want to help,” she softly answers, almost speaking to herself, as her eyes scan the plant still in her hands. “After everything you’ve all done for me, I want to do this.”

I watch her thin, dark brows scrunch together before she quickly nods and her eyes flicker to mine. Pause. Then drop again.

“Is she OK?” I mentally ask Ezekial. We both watch as she begins muttering incoherently to herself, frowning a few times as though she doesn’t like the reply someone gave even though we’re completely silent.

“Kacey has… a complicated story. She struggles with people, struggles to be near them. She hasn’t had the best experiences.”

This snippet of information helps to ease the burning of my coils, they settle again at his words seeming to understand now.

“Kacey,” I begin, keeping my voice low and soft, copying Ezekial’s tone. Her big eyes shoot to mine and my heart aches. Pain, fear, aguish—they all swim in those baby blues. “I’m so happy to see you again.” I smile, and I hope she can see the genuine emotion there.

I remembered feeling how scared she was when she entered that room, filled with enforcers and a bleeding, half dead girl. But I also remembered the determination on her face, how she gave orders, took control, healed me almost completely by just the hover of her hands.

My words seem to have some effect, her wide eyes soften, water, the fear fracturing some.

“I remember the last time we spoke. You told me you healed animals and I remember you mentioned a dragon? I’d love to see what you do here.” The moment the word ‘dragon’ is out, I watch this nervous, broken girl switch.

There’s more colour in her cheeks, a blue glow outlining her form, her eyes seem to gleam and her lips curl into a smile.

“Yes, the dragon!” she excitedly repeats, placing the large pot onto one of the many planting tables which fill the majority of this room. “I’ll show you the agricultural section first, then the creatures and then the dragon.” She smacks her forehead with the palm of her gloved hand, leaving a smudge of dirt there. “Wait, I’m such an idiot! You’ll want to see the creatures first, right? You’re an empath! Empaths love animals! An empath…” she whispers my race and my eyebrows arch in question. “I think we’ll skip the plants for now… Have you much experience with dragons? Because I need help with—”

“Kacey,” Ezekial interrupts and she immediately stops talking.

I glare at him, my power pulses into his. His brow narrows in question and I widen my eyes, flicking them to Kacey in silent communication. “She’s finally not choking on fear and actually talking to me, why are you interrupting her?”

A glimpse of a smile traces his face, but he continues talking as though I hadn’t said a word. “I need to get back.”

“Right, yes.” She nods. “Of course, Lord Ezekial, sir.” She bows. It’s a low, long bow during which Ezekial looks at me with a ‘yes, she always does this’ expression. I almost laugh but I don’t want Kacey to think it’s at her.

“Kacey, is this OK?” he asks again. “Because, like we discussed, you don’t have to do this. This is your choice. If you want to keep working on your own, that’s fine, this is your space.”

“But the others…” she murmurs, eyes tracing her gloved hands.

“The others will be fine, they won’t be upset, neither will I. But you must tell me now, Kacey. It’s your choice,” Ezekial states again, very clearly, and I watch Kacey digest his every word.

She gently mouths the phrase ‘your choice’, a phrase I’d noticed all the men enjoyed using, one they’d repeated to me on numerous occasions. I watch her fingers interlocking as she worries her lip and my heart stings again at the nervous energy she emits. What happened to this woman ?

“I won’t be upset either, Kacey,” I say earnestly, eager to step closer but somehow knowing to remain where I am. “I’m just happy to see you again.”

“But you have to see the animals,” she says, her quiet voice filled with determination.

She repeats this phrase a few more times, in different tones, then she nods once, firmly, and her eyes peer up, fixing solidly with mine, a deep crease between her brows.

“I’m a necromancer,” she states.

She holds that expression, brows furrowed, eyes narrowed, body tense, whilst waiting for my response.

I’m uncertain as to what to say exactly. I’d never met a necromancer before, hardly knew about them except what was in films and videos games. Raising the dead was my basic understanding.

“Cool,” I reply, pulling my lips together into a thin smile.

Her entire face drops. Blanks. Her wide eyes sway to Ezekial as though she wants him to say something. When he doesn’t, she finally speaks again.

“That doesn’t bother you?” she asks, her nervous gaze has returned, flitting all over the place before landing back onto her plant.

“No, Kacey, it doesn’t. But if I’m being honest, I don’t know much about them,” I explain, casually casting my gaze over the gigantic room once more in attempt to redirect the topic. “But I’d like to know more about you. Like how you’re able to work on your own when this place is… massive.”

Her eyes peer up to me, even though she’s taller than me, she hunches so much she appears smaller. Then her eyes move to Ezekial. “I want to show her but I don’t want her to be scared,” she whispers, as though she doesn’t want me to hear, even though I’m right there.

“I won’t be scared, Kacey,” I assure her, I almost step closer but decide that would be a mistake. Instead, I thread feelings of certainty and confidence into the atmosphere and watch her shoulders square.

Kacey nods, biting her lower lip and pulling it in as she nods a few more times. Then she closes her eyes and inhales deeply. I watch her body slowly unfold from her hunched position, feel the air become something wilder. My power begins to flicker in response, uncoiling and lying in wait just beneath my skin .

Kacey opens her eyes, no longer a pale blue but a neon violet that causes my power to wrap around me. Ezekial senses it, I feel him move closer, his skin almost touching mine as the breeze turns into wind and the trees sway a little harder.

My power senses it before I do, a figure to our left. I turn and I’m met with a being I’ve never seen before.

Beady, intense, purple eyes peer down into mine, an enormous human frame accompanied by a large, fluffy… bear head. A bear man? It stares down at me and I stare back, utterly perplexed, then it opens its mouth.

“Friend?” it asks, it’s voice haunting, like a whisper and an echo combined. But its eyes aren’t seeking mine any more, they’re looking over me at Kacey. Kacey who’s nervously chewing her lip.

“Erm… well, we’re not really—”

“I’d like to be,” I reply to the bear… man, whatever this thing is. Its eyes slowly move back to me. “So, yes?” I answer. Glancing back to Kacey who is staring at me, wide eyed, until she finally smiles.

“Yes, Mr Bear, we’re friends,” she confirms, thankfully.

The bear man nods, begins slowly making his way towards a planting table and starts potting some small, green sprouts. That’s when I notice other movement, movement everywhere.

In the room, there are dozens of humanoid creatures, some with more human features than others, all slightly translucent, all with brilliant purple eyes, and they busily work away. Planting, cleaning, fixing. I had no doubt there was more beyond this room.

“This is all you, Kacey?” I ask in quiet awe, watching the creatures work.

She nods, watching me cautiously, her violet gaze has faded to a lilac which compliments the blue hue of her skin. She looks more beautiful than ever in this natural form.

“Can we see more?” I wonder if I’m pushing it, if this was too much too fast and she was about to shut down again. But my excitement seems to be catching, she’s smiling again as she tugs her hair sharply to secure her ponytail.

“See you later, Zeek—sorry, I mean, Lord Ezekial.” She gives him a quick smile, another short bow, then heads straight over to me. “It’s nearly breakfast time for the animals, so let’s go!”

She rushes ahead of me, darting between the planting tables as all her ghostly creatures turn to watch her go by, they slowly return to their work when she passes them fully.

I turn to Ezekial, his eyes studying the necromancer in a mixture of relief and concern.

“We’ll be fine,” I say mentally, making his eyes meet mine.

Stormy greys study my face as I feel his power wash over me in a soft touch. “If anything happens, if you need me, just—”

“I know, I know.” I start following Kacey, turning so I face Ezekial as I walk backwards. “Go on, haven’t you got some control to assert? Some priorities to set?”

The corner of his mouth flickers, he tries to hold it back but soon a full grin fills his face and I’m glad we’re not closer because the sight makes my body hum in delight.

My second tour of the day isn’t as successful as the first.

Kacey loses track of her thoughts easily, interrupting herself multiple times until she ends up repeating something she already said. I do my best not to interrupt, deciding I much prefer this version of Kacey, the excited, bubbling, energetic version compared to the quiet, nervous, skittish one.

As I follow Kacey through the maze of planting tables, studying the strange spirit-beings, I soon realise exactly what this giant, glass structure is: an atrium.

The humidity of the first section is needed to ensure the variety of plants there could thrive and Kacey explains how the temperature is adjusted within each section. She also explained the medicinal properties of some plants, some which were used to soothe certain creatures whilst the rest were used to create the necessary food and environments needed to ensure the creatures could thrive and grow.

Now, we entered what I believed to be the ‘outside area’, the glass ceiling is much higher here and there is a large, open skylight which allows bird-like creatures to freely enter.

There’s also a makeshift river and a waterfall which sprays us faintly as we pass. I watch the stream trickle down into the agricultural area, providing a boggy area for specific plants.

“Got another one of these scanny thingies here, y’know, to keep the creatures safe,” Kacey explains as we reach another pair of glass doors. She places her hand against the scanner and the doors click open .

When we enter, the energy in the room sinks into me. Powers mixing and swirling, filling the air with a range of emotions difficult to decipher. It was always the same when meeting animals. Their emotions were tricky things.

“We’ve got quite a full house right now,” she murmurs as we walk down a short corridor. This part is more building than atrium, but the ceiling is still unbelievably high. Soon, the room opens up again and I instantly spot two fox-like creatures.

Within this area, there are glass cages all with varying habitats to suit the inhabitants. The fox’s cage replicates a lush forest, oak trees which go through the skylight gap, birds resting in their thick branches. They also have their own small river which they’re studying as I catch glimpses of orange scales flashing beneath the surface.

“Cute, right?” Kacey’s gleaming gaze catches mine before watching the foxes, their vibrant copper coats glittering under the sunlight.

“I’m hoping to release them soon, when they were brought in only the female was injured, poor girl’s paw was practically hanging off!”

Kacey’s emotions are like butter, slipping into me with no guard, no hesitation, it’s honestly refreshing. Empaths were always treated with scepticism but Kacey’s anger is raw and real, my power hungrily devours it.

“If only the female was injured, why is the male here?” I ask, watching the two now chasing each other.

“They’re mated,” Kacey answers, and her happiness warms my skin. “He wouldn’t leave her. He tried to fight off the people who found them, luckily, they were earth elementals and managed to ease him.”

Before I’m allowed to consider that, or provide any respond, Kacey suddenly announces, “The tour continues!”

Raising a hand in the air like an actual tour guide as she begins moving towards the next creature. I chuckle.

When we move away, I note another ghostly creature entering the fox’s forest. The foxes instantly scatter, hiding beneath a berry bush, as the ghostly creature places down food the male fox exits, his snout low to the ground until he snatches the meat and runs back to his mate.

“We’ve got a venture of baby phoenixes over there. Poor mother was killed by poachers but we got the eggs just in time.” Hatred spikes the air as she calls out and gestures towards a cage to the left. “They’re lunar phoenixes so they only come out at night,” she adds, moving a little quicker meaning I have to pick up the pace. “There’s a large stable at the back too, unicorns, fire mules and a gryphon in there at the moment.”

Kacey continues to list the variety of creatures here, barely stopping, seemingly eager to reach a certain goal.

I spend a moment perusing the smaller cages, the ones containing creatures with either serious injuries or ones that could fit in your hands, a variety of reptile and fluffy things residing there. I barely get to see the tiny, white fluffy creature sleeping in its burrow as Kacey calls me over to yet another door.

Just before I reach it, my power pulses and causes me to halt. Kacey has her back towards me when she speaks again, “Finally, we’re here.”

She doesn’t need to clarify, the amount of pure power radiating from behind this barrier is enough to indicate what creature resides here.

“Is this another room?” I query, scaling the partition walls and noting they go even higher than the current room.

“Oh yeah, he has a room just for himself.”

Kacey places her hand against the scanner and once it registers her, she then has to enter a code.

“The other creatures are terrified of him, we had to bring in a specialist warlock crafter just to create an atrium completely secluded from the rest.”

The door clicks and slowly begins to open. Hot, humid air rushes through the gap and instantly envelopes us.

I watch Kacey’s ponytail sway in the wind created by the pressure change, I also see her body unfold, stand taller, straighter, the way I remembered when she saw me bloody and dying, and realised what she had to do. This was the ‘I mean business’ Kacey.

I follow her through and hear the doors click in place behind us. Immediately, a ghostly creature approaches Kacey, the most humanoid yet except for its short grey horns.

“No eat. Try three times,” it says, purple eyes staring intently into Kacey’s.

“Again?” she sounds exasperated, I watch her sweep back her stray hairs behind her ears.

The ghostly being nods, standing still, awaiting further orders.

“Has he moved?”

“No.”

Concern plunges into me, so much I have to close my eyes to ensure I take it in slowly, bit by bit. When the concern only builds, the thick worrying clogging the already heavy air, I move towards Kacey .

“Maybe I can help?” I suggest, peering into her eyes which are busily scanning the floor for answers.

She sucks on her lower lip, her head bobbing to my words before her gaze snaps to mine.

“I hope so... Can I be honest? One of the reasons I don’t mind you being here is because you’re an empath and I know they’re skilled with animals and I’m just so desperate. He’s been here since we went into lockdown which means he hasn’t eaten in nearly five days. Five days! And I know he’s a dragon, and they can probably last a lot longer than that, but he’s clearly in pain and every time I see him I…” Her words trail out.

Her worry drowns me and makes me take a deep breath.

“Kacey, you helped me so it would be my pleasure to help you,” I say, searching her gaze which has become fixated by the floor again. “Show me the dragon.”

Her head bobs again, her poor lip swollen from her incessant chewing but she listens, her worry easing slightly now a flicker of hope is there.

“He’s just round here.” She moves past her ghostly friend, around a corner and I follow close to her side.

My coils slither out and around my skin the instant I see it. Solidifying in thick, black vines and pulsing with warning as his form comes completely into view.

He’s a mammoth, magnificent creature. Kacey and I are barely flickers of a flame in comparison to this inferno of a being. Flashes of golden scales clad the gigantic dragon, yellow and amber horns erupting from his spine, spiking at the end of his thick, trunk-like tail. His wings are closely tucked around his body as he breathes deeply.

If the dragon’s appearance wasn’t impressive enough, his power was in another realm. An aura of crimson surrounds the dragon which radiates at only a glimpse, my skin heats with just the thought of getting closer, certain the glow would be enough to burn me.

“Isn’t he beautiful?” Kacey sighs in awe as she stares at him.

“He is,” I agree, cautiously, not knowing if I’d use that adjective exactly.

I follow Kacey as she moves closer to the cage wall. All nervous energy eradicated even though this would be a very appropriate time for it.

The dragon seems to be asleep, tail wrapped around his body, thick eyelids fluttering slightly as though in a dream .

“What happened?” I ask as we both stand and stare.

“He fell.” Her voice is quiet, sad and it makes my stomach ache.

“I think poachers were chasing him because it’s so unusual for dragons to fly alone, especially this far from their territory. I think they tricked it, separated him from his flight, and then they chased him.”

Rage slices my skin.

“He has superficial wounds to his tail and wings; I think they tried to hook him.” Kacey shivers. “He tried to outfly them but, in his panic, he didn’t even avoid the district’s barrier; he crashed right into it and the impact must have knocked him out cold. The barrier guards saw it all, thankfully, they got to him before those vile poachers did.”

I watch Kacey as her gloved hands rub together, her purple eyes full of sorrow as they study the dragon.

“He’s lucky he fell here, he’s lucky to have you taking care of him.”

She sighs. “But that’s the problem, I’m not. I’ve healed him. Several times. But he hasn’t woken up since we first placed him here, even though I know he can. It’s like he’s choosing to be dormant.”

I move closer to the cage but, immediately, Kacey steps before me. “You can’t go in there,” she states, then her eyes widen as they follow my vines of power, the thick lines slithering over my skin and protecting me.

“I wasn’t planning to,” I say, slowly raising a hand. “I’m just going to touch the glass to try and get a better read of his emotions.”

Her mouth forms a little ‘O’, violet eyes flashing over me for a moment before she steps to the side.

“Why is your power doing that?” she asks, I feel her eyes studying me from the side.

“It can sense the dragon’s power.”

I’m not ready to go into detail about my power, not after Ezekial’s questioning about it too and the balance he claimed it needed.

“I’m going to need you to stand a bit further away, Kacey. It’ll help me block your emotions out so I focus on him,” I explain and I already feel her doing just that, it enables me to breathe in the air and clear my head a little.

When I’m happy her worry is just a slight brush and nothing more, I rest my fingertips against the hot glass.

Silence. Stillness.

I close my eyes and urge my power to listen, to feel. It uncoils from my skin and begins to expand around me, creating my own aura as I wait.

“Oh, my sweet , dead grandpa,” Kacey utters .

I have no time to see her because when I open my eyes, I’m met with two flickering amber irises.

I try not to move, my power keeping me grounded as the once sleeping creature remains still, in the same curled position, but eyes now wide open. It blinks and the slit of black in its iris expands.

Heat begins to build behind the glass, more than heat, emotions, feelings, strong and intense as they desperately try to enter my skin.

Pain. Fear. Anger. Longing. Need. Hunger.

I focus upon the latter. I amplify it, build it, make the hunger deeper, a ravenous sensation needing to be filled.

“Try feeding him again!” I shout, unwilling to take my eyes away.

“You heard her, feed him!”

I blink and Kacey’s ghostly being is inside, a large carcass in its hand which it flings towards the dragon’s snout. Orange eyes stare at it, then the ghost, then they flicker away again.

There’s a growl but it’s not the dragon, this growl is soft and feminine.

I jump when Kacey’s gloved hand slams onto the glass beside me. “Hey, big guy! You need to eat something or you’ll never fully heal! Don’t you want to get out of here?”

The dragon’s eyes flash scarlet, then amber, before returning back to a pale yellow. They fixate upon Kacey completely, the intensity there terrifying yet transfixing. I watch as Kacey’s chest rises and falls in a quicker tempo, her own eyes narrowing as though she’s trying to see something more.

Longing.

I glance at the dragon again, its eyes focused solely on Kacey.

“Kacey... I think he wants you to feed him.” We slowly turn to face each other, her violet eyes wide with fear, uncertainty and a flicker of something else.

“You’re joking.”

“It wouldn’t be a very funny joke.”

She blinks several times, then swallows. “Why would he want me to feed him?”

I purse my lips together. “When he first opened his eyes, who was here?”

She doesn’t need to answer, she begins piecing the puzzle together and her lips part when the answer is fully formed.

“Ezekial won’t let me go in there,” she mumbles, her eyes tracing the dragon again. “I already tried once and he made me swear I wouldn’t.”

I forcibly tense my fingers at the insinuation of her words. He cares for her. Ezekial cares about this girl and for some reason that very thought makes my eyes darken.

I fist my hand, dig the nails deep into my palm and chastise myself, forcing my eyes to return as I take several calming breaths. Thankfully, Kacey has been watching the dragon the entire time and her sad eyes help me to re-focus.

“I could speak with him.” Her eyes flash to mine, a flicker of hope gleaming within her purple irises. “Maybe if he understands this is what the dragon wants, that without it he won’t survive, he’ll let you. I would come in with you too.”

“You would?” She sounds utterly shocked but her appreciation smoothers me until she blinks it away, turning towards the dragon again. “Who are we kidding, there’s no way he’ll let us in there.”

“We could just go in now.” Kacey slowly turns to face me, her mouth has parted, her eyes are large as they stare at me in disbelief. “What he doesn’t know can’t—”

“No, we can’t do that,” she urges, the panic in her voice elevated by her tensed body. “I made a promise, he made me promise. I can’t—”

“It’s OK, we won’t,” I quickly assure her, watching as her expression softens again. “But at least let me try and convince him.” I smile softly, looking at the dragon and Kacey one more time. “Is that OK?”

Kacey barely glances my way, she’s transfixed by the amber irises locked upon her. “OK,” she whispers.

I leave Kacey staring sorrowfully at the dragon which seems to be watching her just as intently. Both of her hands and her face are pushed up right against the glass wall as she murmurs something to the creature. I have no idea what she’s saying but it seems to keep her content, even her ghost friend has brought her a chair to sit on.

Grabbing my phone I note the time, 12:30pm, before I see the unread message icon flashing. My skin crackles as I remember the conversation with Sai this morning.

I tap it open.