Page 48 of Seth
“Do you live here alone?” Ignaz’s asked in a small voice. He shrunk as if he was intimidated by the space or the possibility of meeting anyone else, or maybe the idea of them being alone finally hit him. The mirrored walls creating corridors reflected his pale face. “This is such a huge place.”
Is it?Seth tilted his head. This place had always felt ideal to him. Not too big or too small, just what he needed not to feel cramped or lonely. Seth shook his head, throwing the unnecessary thoughts out of his mind. To break the heavy atmosphere, he entered the kitchen and clicked the switch. Light blazed through the space and glinted off the white stone, glass, and mirrors.
“This is pretty.” Ignaz whispered. Automatically, Seth traced his gaze. Standing in the middle of the kitchen, he looked up at a flock of glass butterflies mixed with dandelion seeds that hung above the kitchen island. Seth had created this work when he was sixteen, in love for the first time. He couldn’t say why he still kept it. The piece was flawed; it had millions of air bubbles inside and hindered light. It didn’t resonate with his soul anymore. He wasn’t the same person who created this glasswork. Still, for some reason, he couldn’t bring himself to throw it away. Maybe because it reminded him of his lost purity, he couldn’t say.
Seth’s gaze darted to the boy. The light reflecting against the dangling glass illuminated Ignaz’s face; his eyes sparkled like shallow water.
You are pretty.He didn’t know where the thought came from, but it worked like a sobering slap. His smartwatch buzzing saved him from the awkward staring and gave him a second to think. He checked the rectangular display to find four missed notifications.What am I doing? Why did I bring him home?Why can’t I walk away from him?
He gave Ignaz a fresh, reevaluating look. The boy still wore his straitjacket and tiny shorts smudged with blood. With his hands wrapped around his middle and his traveling gaze, he looked lost.
Ignaz’s legs prickled with goosebumps. Seth glanced at the air conditioner. It showed 18°C1. He approached the smart home control panel on the wall and turned the conditioner off. “Hungry?”
Ignaz shook his head, swallowed. A puzzled look crossed his face. “In the club, did you hold back?”
Seth wasn’t sure how to reply, so he tilted his head to the side.
“Do you want to continue?” Ignaz’s voice sounded small, uncertain, yet at the same time needy as it carried around the kitchen. “You don’t have to hold back. I can take more. A lot more.”
Seth’s vision narrowed on the dilated pupils, pale but determinate lips, bobbing Adam’s apple, and a tiny vein furiously beating on the side of his neck. Ignaz looked desperate. Once again, his eyes glinted with feverish madness.
Seth had never seen a submissive frenzy before, but he instantly thought this must be it. A fire of curiosity flooded his chest. He wondered how far Ignaz would go in his chase for satisfaction.
Any other day, with anyone else, Seth would have said “yes”. Today, he said, “Maybe next time. You should rest.”
“Why not? I can see you want it too.” Teeth chattered, Ignaz surged to him, his fingers wrapped around Seth’s forearm.
Seth’s stared at the bluish nails contrasting with his black button-up. As if realizing what he had done, Ignaz stumbled back. A deep shudder ran down his body, and his knees gave up.
Reaching after him, Seth grabbed his forearm, steadying him on his feet. Drawing closer, he examined the yellowish outline around Ignaz’s eye, then his sharp cheekbones. Seth’s heart drummed, as up-close Ignaz’s eyes were bottomless. His predatory instincts stirred.
This isn’t even seduction; this is a provocation. If this is how he always behaves…A part of him was tempted to accept the invitation, to watch Ignaz’s naked body shake with pain, with pleasure, to color his back in red. …no wonder he is always getting hurt.
Before he changed his mind again, Seth bent forward and threw Ignaz over his shoulder.
“No, no, please, put me down.” A panicking voice reached Seth from behind, light punches bombarding his back.
Seth’s breathing caught, then hastened before settling into a shallow, uneven rate, reminding him of his cracked ribs. Shifting Ignaz’s weight away from his assaulted ribs, he ordered, “Be quiet. I’m not going to do anything.”
He went upstairs, opened a spare bedroom, then stomped into the bathroom. Putting Ignaz onto the tan tile floor, he lifted his chin toward the shower cubical. “Warm up and get in bed. I’ll bring you some herbal tea.”
His blood calmed;his mind cleared. Carrying a cup of tea in one hand and two gel ice packs in the other, he cruised into the room.
The window stood open, and a gentle breeze caressed his cheek. Through the darkness, he saw the silhouette of the small body lying on his stomach under the duvet.
He placed the cup on the nightstand and examined the pale face. Ignaz’s lashes trembled, betraying his alert state. He reached to the duvet. When he lifted the corner, the boy tensed.
Not paying attention, Seth scrutinized the damage he’d caused. Even in the dark, the puffy, disturbed flesh around the welts stood out against the milky skin of his thighs. Without a word, he placed ice packs on Ignaz’s ass, then tossed the duvet over.
“If you need anything, my bedroom is down the corridor.” Seth turned around and walked away.
Gustavo’s stomach flipped;his nerves sparked. Staring at the pictures taken in the night, he couldn’t help noticing the painful resemblance of Seth’s night guest to the previous victim—Justin. Delicate features, slender limbs and waist, light hair—Gustavo didn’t need to think twice to realize this was Seth’s next victim.
Though Diego couldn’t determine how Seth left his house, he managed to retrace the movements of his car back to the BDSM club NoLimits. A quick visit resulted in Diego obtaining the name of a twenty-three-year-old, Ignaz Vogl, and filled his hands with priceless footage of Seth’s sessions.
During the last two months, Seth showed up in the club three times, and he had never picked the same partner twice. The first footage didn’t bother Gustavo. The scene he witnessed wasn’t intimate but rather brutal. Seth’s eyes glowed with emotion; he looked disturbed and lost, and every flick of his whip left a bleeding stripe behind. Gustavo instantly understood that the tiny submissive Seth had chosen served as a mere outlet for his raging emotions.
The second footage surprised Gustavo with the date and choice of a man. It was the same day Gustavo had introduced himself, had gifted Seth the sand.
