Zoran walked toward the columned arches that were tall enough for Uther to fit through. I shuffled to the railing and looked over the side. We were at least forty feet from the ground. The lava lake sat below me, surrounded by green plants. The tree trunks seemed to glow as the veins in them shone red. All the different streams led to the lake, which fed one wide river that carved its way down the ravine until it disappeared around a bend.

“Fin,” called Zoran.

I staggered back before jogging toward the archways. I pulled back the thin fabric hanging down from the ceiling and peeked inside. Zoran was sitting on a bed big enough for Uther. The room could have fit hundreds of those bed if it hadn’t already been filled with different devices, stacks of wooden crates, pieces of furniture, and even a few statues.

“When I call, I expect you to come.” Zoran didn’t look up from the scroll he was reading. “And I don’t mean just standing there in the doorway, either.”

I walked to the side of the bed. “Your home is really nice. I wasn’t expecting anything like this.”

“Hmmm…” He rubbed his forehead with his index finger. “So, you were expecting a god to live in a cramped hut cluttered with useless things?” He glanced up at me.

“No,” I said softly, bowing my head. “I guess not.”

But he did seem to have slight hoarding tendencies.

Zoran put down the scroll. “Everything in this room has significance. There are objects in here that would do more than burn a couple buildings down. So don’t touch anything.”

I nodded.

He looked me in the eyes. “I only keep things that are of use. Remember that, Fin. You’re a rare breed, but you’re not one of a kind.” He returned to studying the scroll.

I sat down by his feet. “So there are others like me?”

Zoran sighed and tossed the paper to the side. “I’m a busy man, Fin. Even gods have work to do. I don’t have time to inform you about things that I have already made clear.”

“I was just wondering,” I muttered.

“Yes, Fin,” he stated sternly. “There are three others.”

I swallowed the lump in my throat. “Can I meet them?”

Zoran scoffed. “The horrible little vixens. My brothers’ demon messengers who have been left to roam and do as they please for centuries. They’re conniving and deceitful.” He leaned back and closed his eyes, pinching the bridge of his nose. “And yet, I still wanted one.”

My eyes grew wide, and I quickly looked away. “So that’s my purpose? To be a messenger?”

Zoran smiled and took a deep breath. “Being a god has some drawbacks. Being one of fire has even more. Options are limited when it comes to certain things.” He stood on the bed and walked to one of the corners. Grabbing one of the ropes used to tie back the curtains, he sent a wave of heat through it. It shone a bright red but didn’t burn.

“Everything around you can resist extreme temperatures. The plants and animals outside live off the heat, so I don’t need to worry about burning anything.”

He stepped off the bed and grabbed an apple from a bowl sitting on a long table. A fireplace stretching from the floor to the ceiling stood behind him.

Taking a bite, he looked me over. “Do you want to know why little sparrows like yourself were created?”

I nodded.

“My brothers worked with numerous mages to take a weak, fragile mortal and make them withstand fire. Took centuries. Went a lot quicker once I got involved.” He took another bite of the apple. “Then Fiona was born.”

“That’s one of their names?”

He laughed and shook his head. “Well, eighteen years of mortality didn’t fare well for her. My brother accidentally incinerated her when she was sixteen. Honest mistake, really. Trial and error.”

“It took a few more accidents like that before we realized that eighteen was the magic number with Amber.” He bit his upper lip in disgust. “That horrid woman became my eldest brother’s first firebird. She’s a hellfire creature of her very own.”

He tossed the remains of the apple at the fireplace. It erupted on contact.

“Before becoming an adult, she had two children. A few of the others also had children before their accidents. But that’s what happened when they’re given access to everything they desire. The little parasites enjoyed themselves a little too much while in the realm of mortality.” He unbuttoned his shirt and tossed it onto the back of a chair.

“But the mistakes worked to our benefit. Those children passed along the mutation, and if everything mixes just right, a firebird will be born. It’s very rare, and the majority die. Hence, there are only four of you that have made it to adulthood.”

“Because they all had accidents?”

A smirk spread across the man’s face. “Now back to your original question.” He walked over to me. “The whole reason I didn’t let Edgar kill you.”

He grabbed my chin and lifted it until I stood. The heat entered my body, and I fell against his chest.

“You crave this, don’t you?”

I bit my lip to stop from answering.

“The fire, you’re always be searching for it. Males need it for”—he laughed—“certain things.” He hit me with a blast, and my lower body started to react. “I’m pleased you never tried anything because similar to me…” He pushed me onto the bed and loomed over me.

I just laid there and stared up at him as he undid the coat and exposed my reaction to his fire.

With a smile, he leaned down. “Well, similar to me, when caught in the moment of ecstasy, you lose all control.”

“What do you mean?” I breathed.

“Fire, Fin,” he whispered, leaning close to my ear. “We combust when our bodies are consumed with passion.” He kissed my neck.

My heart was beating against my ribs as another blast of heat burrowed into my core.

“I finally have my little sparrow,” he whispered. “The only shapeshifter that can withstand the heat of a fire god’s lust.” His flickering red eyes met mine. “That is your purpose, Fin: to do nothing more than satisfy my sexual desires.”