The Burn Read Online Free Page A

for a moment, then downed the rest of the scotch, feeling it burn its way through his chest.
    * * *
    Miranda glanced around the chamber they insisted was hers, the gold metalwork of its walls forming intricate patterns, shining arcs and glittering swirls, a gilded cage. She'd been brought by several of them, a cult of mincing followers, believing her to be…something. How long was I out? She couldn't remember.
    "You are so beautiful," the woman behind her commented, removing her dark cloak and smiling broadly. She was young, with a sincere face, bright blue eyes and a shower of tight blonde curls swept back against her neck.
    "It's my honor to serve you," she continued. "My name is Julie. I'll attend to you for the time that you remain with us. The Necromancer has instructed me on what to do and the things that you'll need."
    "The Necromancer?"
    "He was there, guiding you as you awoke. I‘m one of his most devoted followers. It‘s my reward to be close to you. I’ll do anything for you, and for him."
    Miranda shook her head, keeping her voice low. "Tell me what you know about me." She watched the raw emotion surface in the younger woman's face, the eagerness to please.
    "You're the Goddess of War, an Angel of the Divine Gate."
    "The Divine what?"
    "The Divine Gate," the girl gestured at the walls, her voice acquiring a hushed tone of wonder. "It's the greatest gift ever given to mankind. When it opens, it will call forth the enlightenment of humanity."
    "I don't understand."
    "It has seven locks. Each of them has to be opened by a goddess like you, a goddess representing a singular facet of humanity. There’s Passion, Empathy, Creation, War, Tyranny, Impermanence and Excess. Once all the locks have been opened, the Divine Gate will achieve its full power, the power to bridge worlds. We‘ll open the door into Heaven. That’s the Enlightenment."
    "The Enlightenment," Miranda repeated.
    "Of course, you know this already," Julie said. "You're the exalted one. Of all the goddesses, you're the strongest. That's why the Necromancer chose you to walk in human form among us."
    "That makes no sense."
    Julie smiled. "You're a goddess, but you've taken human form. Most of what you know can't be contained in a human vessel. You'll experience confusion, disorientation, moments when you think you are human, maybe one human in particular. The Necromancer told me to expect this."
    "What else did he tell you?"
    She looked confused.
    "Who is this guy, Julie? Who is the Necromancer?"
    The younger woman blushed, dropping her gaze. "We aren't supposed to discuss our personal experiences with him. The Necromancer is not someone who can be explained, described or defined by someone like me."
    "That's convenient."
    Julie shook her head. "I get it now. You're testing me, aren't you? That's good. You'll see. There's no way to make me doubt him, or you."
    "I want to leave."
    "You can't," Julie replied, looking vaguely distressed. "No one here would let you. We'd rather suffer your wrath and die than lose you now. You would not survive in this world without us, without the Divine Gate. You have to rest now. Tomorrow, your lover is going to come for you and you have to be ready."
    "What lover?"
    "Seth, He looks amazing, perfect, everything I thought he would be. You should have seen his face when he first saw you. There were a lot of guys who tried to wake you, but he was the one. He was the one who knew what to do."
    Miranda grimaced, trying not to think of the reassuring press of his body against hers. The effort proved impossible, the memory of that warmth far too alluring now that she was alone. Who are you, Seth? How did you get dragged into this?
    "I don't want to involve him," Miranda insisted.
    "He’s involved. I can’t do anything about that. He wants you and you want him. It's been proven. We all witnessed it. It happened just the way the Necromancer said that it would. You can deny it now, because you're not quite yourself yet, but