Page 74 of Seth
“Why? There’s no need to be.” Seth smiled and picked up the flogger. He stepped over the fire approaching the pillory, stopping between the grooves. “Don’t you trust me?”
Ignaz didn’t reply. With a flick of his wrist, Seth struck. The place on the stomach where leather licked skin paled, then reddened.
Muscles bulged beneath Ignaz’s skin. He swallowed, and the familiar thirst returned to his gaze. His fists clenched as he shifted. His chest rose, chasing a shuddered breath. Seth struck again, hitting his thigh.
A part of Seth wavered. He wasn’t sure the show he’d prepared for Ignaz would be enough to satisfy him, hence he kept running the flogger over the mottled skin, warming it up, sharpening the sensitivity. Ignaz licked his lips, and color crawled up his chest and flooded his face. His skin glistened as microscopic droplets of sweat beaded all over him.
Seth stopped breathing, watching him glow with pure, untainted light. The light demanded Seth kneel and kiss every inch of his body, satisfy his every desire, and lift his every trouble.
How come I’ve never noticed how bright you are?
“Seth…” A weak voice hauled his attention up.
“Hm?”
Ignaz’s eyes flickered between his. “Don’t look at me like this. You make me feel weird.”
Seth glanced down. In the trembling reflection in the water bucket, he read thirst; the same thirst splashing in the depth of Ignaz’s soul, desperate and needy.
Shaking his head, he looked away. He shuffled to the workbench and soaked the flogger’s tails in the mix of rubbing alcohol and water. When he faced Ignaz again, the boy stood still, watching him with feverish curiosity. The flames danced around his feet, but he no longer paid them any attention.
His Adam’s apple bobbed, and his gaze chained to the heavy tails as he licked his lips, probably anticipating the strength of the impact.
Filling his lungs with the dry air, Seth pulled back. The wet tails slapped against Ignaz’s hip with a loud smack, splatters of water flying around. Low and hollow, the echo rolled through the basement.
“More,” Ignaz begged, voice ringing like icy glass. His gaze drifted and clouded as his focus shifted inward. Seth gnashed his teeth.
“No, Ignaz, look at me.” With a downward strike, Seth licked Ignaz’s chest, right over his left nipple, then soaked the flogger again. He hit the same places, with a decent distance between them, hoping that the more water Ignaz’s skin absorbed, the less likely he would receive any damage.
When flames danced in the patches of wet skin, Seth brought the flogger to the fire. The air sparked. Blue flames crawled up.
“No-o-o… Seth.” Ignaz shook his head and lifted to his toes, flattening himself against the pillory.
“Yes. Just like I promised, I’ll kiss you with fire.” Seth’s wrist flicked, and burning tails licked Ignaz’s hip. The mixture of rubbing alcohol and water caught on fire, burning blue.
“Whaaa!” Ignaz tensed, freezing. His eyes rounded; gaze chained to his burning skin. Sharp, hoarse breaths broke out of his chest as his fingers clawed at the wood of the pillory.
Seth approached, kneeled before him, and patted down the flame with the back of his injured palm. As he withdrew his hand, he leaned closer and blew on the slightly reddened patch. He looked up to catch Ignaz’s gaze, brimming with terror.
A sharp exhale broke out from Ignaz’s chest, and a droplet of sweat skated down his temple. Catching air with his open mouth, Ignaz bent forward and closed his eyes. His fists unclenched, then clenched again. “It doesn’t hurt.”
Seth grinned. “No, it doesn’t.”
“Do it again,” Ignaz finally looked him in the eye, gaze full of resolve.
Seth got up, swirled the flogger. The fire sang in the air as he drew back, and the flogger lashed across Ignaz’s ribs. Wet skin ignited. Ignaz tensed, fire reflecting in his dilated pupils.
After waiting for a few seconds, Seth patted the flames out. Ignaz’s chest pulsed beneath his palm, and at that moment, Seth realized that he’d broken one of Ignaz’s rules. He lifted his gaze to see an expression of shocked realization.
Hands dropping, he retreated a step.
“I got carried away. Won’t happen again,” he said quietly, but the echo, as if playing a prank on him, dragged his voice around, distorting it into a snake hissing. He cringed, fetched the wet towel from the bucket, and squeezed it in his hand, water rushing to the floor.
“No…” Ignaz paled as if he didn’t realize yet what was happening. “It’s fine. No need for the towel.”
Seth squeezed his eyesshut,then opened them again, not sure if he heard Ignaz right. “What did you say?”
“I don’t want the towel…” The boy repeated with his lips only.
