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The second circle of hell is revered for those who have committed lustful sins. The souls are blown about in a violent storm, with no hope for rest.
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My hair is still wet, but I've done my best to cover it. Scratching at the uncomfortable hat I had to wear, I hold back a groan. Our client is not leaving. The local commissioner is buying an old townhouse at a liberally reduced price. He's getting it for a steal, and he should be grateful, rather than even more cheap and increasingly bargaining and greedy. I do't want to deal with this. I'm too excited for Felix and I to leave to go...I'm not sure where.
"What we're giving you is final. It's down almost sixty percent. If you don't take this offer we will surely find another buyer."
"Brenna, easy." Felix speaks turning to the man before us. "We will give you five percent more. That's all."
"Mr. Wolfe, are you certain?" The commissioner asks. "That's kind. Very kind." He doesn't make eye contact with me anymore.
"Yes. I expect that will be enough for you."
"Yes, I believe that will suffice."
Within the hour, the documentation of ownership has been signed, and we're on our way out. As I step into the streets, I start to laugh. "What a crude gentleman. How unabashedly sexist of him. He had to speak to you, the man, to be happy with the purchase. Five percent is nothing! He just didn't want me to be the one to sell him the house."
"I'm glad you find humour in it. Most women seem to be able to only silently dissent when it comes to overt misoginy." He holds out his hand.
"I'm kind of in a special category." I playfully sneer as I get into the waiting carriage.
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"Do you have everything?" Felix checks his watch. The servants have taken care of our luggage, and we're all set to leave the manor in their hands. I'm still not entirely used to having such specified assistants, from a maid who just handles silverware to a footman who just announces other servants - it's quite extravagant. "I know you'll want to check."
I nod. "Yes, I have everything I need." I press my hands together. "Now, where are we going?" I blink, expectantly, theatrically. I thought he was going to let me choose our destination. "You said, if I recall we would be going "anywhere I want." He ignores me.
"We're heading somewhere warm." He gives my hand a squeeze, donning a dazzling smile. The sun-specks on the bridge of his nose give him an innocent, youthful appearance.
I give in, excited for a surprise. Felix knows I like the cold, but somehow I feel like I'm going to want to be somewhere decently warm for our 'holiday' of sorts. If we follow the traditional decent into Hell via Dante's works, The first sin to face is lust, which I am both eager and excited and terrified and anxious to go through. I have an incredibly low sex-drive. It's quite sad, actually.
Snow falls in small quantities, billowing around us as we depart. I clutch my scarlet coat around me, and Felix grasps my waist. He has a carriage called already. The horses react somewhat weirdly to him, but it's obvious why. I'm always surprised no one ever notices or comments on it. It happens a lot. As we step inside, we're off. Evergreens shoot by us as we head west. In less than fifteen minutes we're at the port- the shipyards. Felix opens the carriage door. I step down and see a large, enticing vessel ready to set sail.
"Gonna tell me?"
"Not yet."
We board the ship and settle down into our cabin. It's refreshing to be at sea. I've always loved it. The salty air, the gulls, the way the stars seem endless and the nights when the moon shines brighter than the sun itself makes me think, had I been born an Englishman, that I'd make a wonderful captain, or admiral even, in the Royal Navy.
"Let's go up to the main deck, shall we?"
After a few hours, we are out on the Atlantic, sailing- somewhere- and I feel elated. The sunset casts russet shadows across Felix's face. He glances out across the expanse of the sea. The horizon is darkening. Unexpectedly, in plain view of the other passengers, he pulls me towards him. I'm surprised, but I like it. I wrap my hands through his hair as he snakes his and around my waist. I kiss him with a newfound sense of hope, trust and admiration.
He breaks it to mumble something at me. I don't pick it up so I ask.
"What?"
"We'll be in New York in about a week."
"America?" I beam. "I've always wanted to go there!"
It feels as though someone else has taken control of my body. I leap up, into his arms, and Felix takes the chance to kiss me again. Then, he starts to slink my coat off my shoulders. His mouth meets my face, my neck, my shoulders and my chest. He stops. I let out a sound I literally did not know I was capable of making. I regain normal posture. "Why'd you stop?"
"Well what did you expect? We do it right here?" He huffs, acting at once the part of the prudent Victorian snob. "There are people about, Brenna. It would be un-Christian of us to do such a sinful thing."
"Oh?" I fold my arms. "Well then let's go somewhere where only Christ can see us."
Felix's eyes light up. He smiles in a way I've never seen him do before. It seems true to his nature, demonic, passionate, fiendish. It really, well, arouses me. I really want him, right now. I've never felt this way before.
Though the skies were slowly darkening and it seemed like it would rain on our way to the port, the waves have suddenly picked up significantly. A storm has rolled in. My hair has come down out of its braid as the wind rips it left and right. I tug Felix along as he follows me to our cabin. He's happy, that's for sure. When we get there, I have to stop for a moment. I'm surprised.
The bed we're supposed to share is covered in rose petals, and there are vases containing beautiful starfish, little fish and shimmering gemstones. I excitedly trek over to the chest of drawers and there's so many beautiful, short night dresses. They're definitely not like anything I've seen women wear in this century. They seem fit for a far-off, more liberating future.
"Felix." I breathe. "This is beautiful. How'd you do this?"
"Brenna." He takes my hands in his. "I want you to know that I'm saying this with the utmost honesty." He leans his forehead against mine. "I know what I am. I'm dealing with a lot of mixed feelings, but I want you to know that whatever happens on our little expedition that you are the most pure, kind and loving person I've ever had the pleasure of making a deal with."
"Felix I don't care what you are."
"Really?" He steps back and smiles, but it's completely, totally different from before. This looks innocent, kind.
"No. Right now, I care about what you did for me." I hold my hand up, and interlock my fingers with his. "You saved me. You protected me. You gave me a home and let me live a vibrant life. I wanted to believe you were lying, but I never should have." I step closer. "Thank you." I hug him. It's the last innocent, sweet, conventional form of affection we share.
"I have never ever felt this before. I don't know what it is, but I just want to-" I kiss him suddenly, all but yanking him towards me, and he wraps his hands around my hips, and pulls my midsection against his. He slides my skirts up, and begins to work at my stockings, tearing them off with his teeth. Already, I can see my almost non-existent interest in sexual intercourse is no longer an issue. I throw my head back, my hair falling down across my face, wavy from the braid it was in. "God damn it! This is going to be the best night of my life!" He pushes me down on the bed and thrusts my skirt up around my torso.
"Are we gonna use the nightdresses?" I pause. "I want to look as unfit for polite society as humanly possible, with continually visible ankles." I stick my leg up. "Eh?"
"We're going to be sailing" Felix grabs my foot in his hand, then kisses my leg, before breaking away, moving closer with each comment. "For seven days." I begin to feel even more excited, if that was even possible. "We'll" he begins to unbutton his pants. "Make use of" I grapple at Felix's hair and pull him against me. I forgot that it took that long. I'm elated.
"Wait." I pant. "Can you have a baby?"
"What?" I can't stand how he looks as he stops moving forward. His hair tousled, his expression shaken. I didn't know it was possible to feel this way.
"Can you have a baby? Like can you, a demon, produce some apostate of satan antichrist baby which will kill me in an effort to bring its cursed existence to fruition?"
"Obviously not." He starts back up.
"Wait. wait. wait. wait!"
"Oh come on!"
"What about Incubi?" He drops my leg, and I lay down. "They exist."
"I didn't know you knew more about demons than me."
"Do they exist?"
"Not in the way you think." He smiles. "Now, can we continue?"
"I thought I had to do everything you say. Why do you need permission?"
"You'll always resist. It's in your nature."
"So, make me not want to fight back."
He beams. I do the same. "Please, Brenna, throughout this round, just be everything you've always been." I groan.
"Weak." I laugh.
"What?"
"That was too nice."
"Too nice?!" He laughs now, but gets on top of me. He pushes me down as I try to raise back up. "Are you serious?"
I slide my hand dow his chest, and press my lips to his ear. Wrapping my legs around him, I grab the back of his neck, digging my nails into him. "Fucking destroy me."
With the most enrapturing expression yet, he agrees. He stands back up, and pushes my legs apart, he starts to kiss me, closer and closer and then he pulls what remains of my underwear down and I kick them off. He doesn't ask for permission before he begins licking me. I arc my back as he digs his nails into my lower back and his tongue moves quickly, swirling around me, bringing me closer to-
"Wait!!!" I pant. I don't want be done yet. "Let me-"
He pulls back. "Wow. That fast?"
"Shut the hell up." I gesture downwards. "Just ease up, alright? This is new to me."
"I'm sure we've done elements of this befor-" I pull him back down.
"Just take it easy, okay?"
He puts his hands on my knees. "Okay, listen up, darling." I roll my eyes. "If you want me to as you say, "destroy you" you must allow yourself to be destroyed. Taking it slow doesn't really do the trick."
"Well, I was already going to...finish..."
"Okay, so, you can come again."
"What?"
"Do...you...not know that?" He snickers.
"Know what?" He keeps doing it. I get angry. "Know WHAT, Felix?!?"
"Women can finish an innumerable amount of times. You can have multiple orgasms. It's not just one."
"Ew! That's highly improper!"
He laughs, running a hand through his hair. "So, you're telling me one minute something incredibly improper, then when I use actual terminology you get all uppity with me?"
"I'm new to this, as I've said. How many human women have you done this with?"
"Are you jealous?"
"No. Of course not." I huff. "You're like a million years old. It'd be weird for you to not have done it."
"Thank you for the vote of confidence, my lady." He stands fully up, places a hand to his chest, and bows." Can I offer you a yellow rose of friendship during this time of courtship?" He holds out a flower.
"Nevermind. Just do your thing. I totally obviously knew that about....organisms..."
"You know the word." He kneels back down. "Don't play dumb." He grabs my thighs, picking back up where he left off, and continues to lick me. I close my eyes and decide to make the most of it. I feel the sides of his mouth curl up against me, which means he must me grinning, and my eyes snap open almost at once. His expression, hungry, lurid, like something from a dream, inhumanly tempting makes what I wanted to delay happen almost immediately. I moan and even wince a little as Felix's nails draw a bit of blood from my back as he pulls his tongue out of me. A trail of saliva hangs on his mouth.
"You're a brute." I laugh. I roll over. "So that was what, one out of, how many times?"
"Let's find out." I look down. He's still wearing his clothes.
I want to tear them off so badly, I almost pounce on him. Finding some sort of sexuality within myself I never knew I was capable of, I force myself on top of Felix and press my hand inside of his underclothes. My fingers fumble for a second before I get what I want. He flips me over. Then, I do the same.
"What are you doing?"
"You."
"I know that!" I force him back down. "So stay there!"
"I am the dominant partner. I am to be on top of you."
"No, I already came. Now its your turn. I get to be on top."
"That's not how it has to be." He flips me over again. "You know that. I know you know that." I struggle, but manage to gain supremacy again. "Brenna!"
"I want to be on top, Felix!"
He gabs me and slams me back down. "No. Not this time. " His breathing is shaky. Is he serious?Doesn't he have unlimited stamina? Am I somehow weakening him? "In order for me to do what you asked" he moves his hand to my throat. I shudder. Again, I get even more excited. I thought I was at my limit.
"Okay, fine." I relent. "I have a question though."
"I'll allow one final inquiry." He exhales. "What is it?"
"Can men come an innumerable amount of times? Can you keep doing this as long as me?"
"Most men can't." He closes his eyes and wraps his hand around the back of my neck. I look up at him, lost in a completely new sensation, something I wished I would have known earlier in my life. Though, without Felix, I doubt it would have ever been possible. He leans down. "I guarantee you I can."
I pull him down, and we don't talk again. A flash of lightning rips the sky and the ship seems to rise up. Waves lap at the porthole window. I've never felt earthly pleasure like this. It's some sort of hellish heaven. Lightning. Thunder. Water. Then, wind rocks the ship. The gemstones tinkle against their glass cages. Over and over again, ceaselessly, it continues, as the rest of the passengers sleep, the first stage is set. We've started something I'd never have expected from him. Hours go by, and I finally get a break. I almost fall asleep, but before I do, right after another wave of indescribable pleasure, I hear something I didn't expect to. I must have imagined it. I'm sure I did.
"Brenna, I love you."