Chương 23: Thank you (NSFW)

Ch 23: Thank you (NSFW) Felix finally realized the look he was seeing in his fire tutor's eyes. He'd seen it a few times before. In temples. His father wasn't the sort of man to talk about religion. But he'd taken Felix to most every temple they'd ever passed, usually donating a few coins and taking the time to thank the priests.

"You never know which God might be useful," he'd said, completely serious.

"I always figured it best to hedge my bet. I'm still alive, and many other good men aren't. Take that how you will." It was fair to say the man wasn't a loyal worshiper. But when Felix had been in those temples, he'd sometimes seen people praying or staring up at some icon or holy artifact. It was the same look he now saw in this gorgeous woman's face as she looked at him. It wasn't fear. It was worship. He wanted to say he wasn't any kind of 'keeper' of anything.

But then these people had all kinds of things he didn't understand. And he'd promised himself that he'd stop just denying things, because they knew more than he did. And why fight someone's beliefs when those beliefs currently benefited him? He wouldn't be lying. He was just ignorant of this like he was of all the other amazing new things. He felt his conscience battling with practical reality. He needed people he could trust. People who could help him. Maybe this was the way to get Cici on his side.

"What did you call me?" Cici blinked, and looked suddenly embarrassed. She was also still on her knees in front of him, her clothes barely covering her. So he had his own struggle.

"I…I'm sorry. I know you don't understand. It's just that…your soul. My people have a legend. I can't believe…" she shook her head, wetness in her eyes. He flinched and helped her to her feet. She was literally trembling, like she was struggling to stand. He helped her to the bed and sat beside her, suddenly wanting to comfort her. How the hell had that happened?

"Why don't you explain it to me, and we can go from there. You're my tutor, after all." Cici smiled, looking far more shy and vulnerable than the bold woman he'd experienced so far. She took a deep breath and stared at the wall like she was searching for some childhood memory. She also took one of his hands in both of hers.

"My people have many legends. Of course we don't think they're all true." She glanced at him then away, as if still embarrassed.

"But our most important story is our founding—and we know many truths of this man and his family, whose name we still carry. He was a powerful wizard whose soul was described as a cyclone of fire in a fortress." She looked meaningfully at him again, squeezing his hand.

"My people have drawn images of this soul for hundreds of years. It's depicted in our temples, and in our halls. That depiction is a spiral of orange flame, locked behind stone walls the same as yours. My ancestors called him the Keeper of the Eternal Flame. And even now we keep a fire lit burning at all times in the Temple of Thay to honor his memory. Many of us have believe that power was always meant to return. That the Eternal Flame was really a soul that could live again. And I believe it has."

"But…" Felix shook his head.

"I'm not Thayan. I'm not an islander at all. And my soul…it didn't start like that. I built those walls because I was afraid of the fire. You understand? I never released it so it grew. I thought I couldn't, that's all." Cici smiled like whatever he was saying was just making her even more sure. She lifted his hand to her lips. They were so soft and warm as she kissed the back of his hand it made him shiver. He didn't fight it.

"Each clan has words—ancient sayings from our ancestors. Do you know what ours is?" He shook his head, and she smiled." Fear the flame. Outsiders think it's meant for our enemies, but it isn't. The Keeper was afraid of his own power. His message was always restraint, caution, vigilance. We don't often listen. But he was a very wise man." Felix had officially run out of objections. He had no idea what to make of all this. Cici was the first person he'd truly 'revealed' his soul to, though.

Isa had helped him release his magic but they'd never spoken like this. Cici also knew a hell of a lot more about fire magic than he did.

He decided he couldn't just pass her beliefs off as ridiculous, especially since this island was full of wonders he'd never have believed a month before. She was also apparently still rubbing his hand. And kissing it. Her lips were sending little bolts of lightning down his body, which were now hoisting the sail, so to speak.

"Cici…." he tried, no entirely sure what was happening, but also not exactly eager to move. The contact and closeness of this incredibly beautiful woman was fogging his mind. He winced, unable to look away from her bright, green eyes. She moved closer on the bed, pressing into his side, skirt riding up to show the barest slip of silk underwear. She was breathing hard, barely covered chest rising and falling with every breath.

"I'm always in control. Do you understand?" He shook his head.

"My life is…discipline. Restraint. You can't be doing this. I can't be doing this. You're too beautiful. I'm not strong enough. For whatever you're thinking." Cici smiled and didn't look surprised, or confused. Or scared. If anything his words seemed to be egging her on.

"I know." She planted another kiss on his hand.

"I sensed it. I saw it. You've suffered so long. Been alone so long. I want to help you. I was maybe born to help you, Keeper." The flame inside him was staring like a hungry wolf, sensing a meal it had long been denied. Cici's hands were moving up his arm, touching his face. She rose up and lifted a knee across his lap, then straddled him.

"Will you let me help you?" she whispered, kissing his cheek and ear and and neck. Every touch only made the lightning grow stronger.

"Please let me help you." Whatever concerns Felix had about danger, or Isa, or manipulation—it was all flying out the window. Or maybe stiffening in his pants. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. Battling his own lust and desire for women had been the most difficult thing since he was maybe fourteen years old. And Cici was like a fantasy come to life. Her lips moved down his face and neck, then up and around his chin, until they finally pressed against his.

He groaned and wrapped his arms around her exposed lower back, pressing his tongue against her lips until she opened and sucked him in. He was hard as a rock now. And there was just his pants and that tiny slip of silk between him and a thing he'd imagined for a thousand endless nights. His hands slid down Cici's body, gripping her ass as she kissed and slid against him.

"Careful," she said, pulling back.

"I like these clothes." He almost growled in frustration, then realized literal steam was coming off of them. Cici watched it and smiled with wonder, the sight of her perfect teeth and open mouth pulling him back to grope and bury his lips in her neck.

"I think we'll have to ease you into it," she said, still holding herself back and no longer writhing against his crotch.

"There's temples for this kind of thing on Thay. I don't want to burn down the building." Felix and his inferno both practically screamed. Little waves of heat were rippling in the air. He didn't want to ease into anything. Except Cici's body.

"Will you trust me?" She kissed his face and ran her hands through his hair. He groaned and nodded. She slid off his lap, opening his shirt and tracing kisses down his chest until she'd settled on her knees in front of him. She smiled and untied the string around his pants, then helped him pull them off entirely. He was only wearing the thin island underwear now. She ran her hands over his aching length through the fabric. He couldn't quite process it. There was a ridiculously beautiful woman stroking his manhood.

He just wished he could go back and tell teenage Felix to hold on. She was breathing hard, her chest rising and falling as she touched him.

"Control the flame," she told him.

"Separate it from your body. You're going to want to release it all—to give in totally. But you'll need to learn to hold back. Tell me to stop if you think you can't fight it. I'm in no hurry." His heart pounded. He met Cici's green eyes and ran a hand through her dark hair. She kissed his throbbing member through the silk underwear. Then she eased it down and freed him, hand curling around his shaft. For the first time in his life, a woman was physically touching him like a man. He felt overwhelmed.

This wasn't some youthful fumbling, either, or some dirty whore he paid in a brothel. Cici was beautiful even compared to an island full of beautiful women. She was his age and clearly not a virgin. She was erotic and clean and bold. And she was looking up at him with such care and concern, such lustful determination, he wasn't sure he could stand it.

"Oh," she said, like she'd forgotten something vital. She let go of him and sat up, taking down her top to free those incredible breasts. He stared as she grinned and leaned over to kiss him one last time, an almost chaste little peck before she dropped back down and took his dick in both hands.

"It's so much bigger than the phallus I practice on," she said, eyes locked in concentration. Felix didn't know what that meant. Alao he was pretty sure he couldn't use words so he didn't try. Cici stroked him up and down, the softness of her hands already incredible.

"It's not just you," she explained as she stroked him.

"Every fire wizard goes through this. I promise I can help you relax and find control. We train for this. It's all very natural on Thay." As he watched her work he was definitely not feeling anything like 'control'. Her hands felt amazing. Then she dipped down and opened her mouth, licking her way up his shaft. He shivered and stared, feeling like it was all a dream. But he got ready in his fortress, praying he had enough gates for whatever the hell that inferno was about to do.

Cici's eyes fluttered as she kissed and licked his tip. Every movement of her lips and tongue sent waves through him, a feeling so intense it was almost overwhelming. He wanted to grab her hand and thrust himself as deep as he could. Or possibly push her off and dip his dick in a bowl of ice… Instead, he sat still, and tried to relax. He tried to overcome the sensitive skin and let Cici lick. And apparently suck. He let himself touch her, too, running his hands down her chest to cup her firm yet soft breasts.

Her nipples were sticking out and hard. When he touched them she moaned and slid him a little further into her mouth. She pulled back and let him out with a wet pop, giving him a glare that made him think he was doing something wrong. Or maybe right. He curled a hand in her hair, filled with the urge to grip her, to control her. He pulled her forward and kissed her lips again, letting his hard length lay between her breasts.

Before he knew what was happening Cici was squeezing her tits together and squishing him between. She grinned as he sat back, sliding him up and down, her head lowered to lick his tip as he came up. He groaned as he watched, overcome at how incredible it all was. Eventually his 'tutor' went back to her sucking and licking, using one hand to stroke his base. She seemed to be moving faster now, plunging a good quarter of his cock into her mouth with increasing rhythm. He didn't think he could stand it much longer.

He felt a trembling force rippling through his body. It was like a shiver or a cough, some involuntary power he couldn't quite control. The inferno in his soul twisted and pulled at the edges of its cave, like it smelled dry wood and kindling. Cici moaned, and he snapped back to reality to watch her sucking him. She was only holding him with one hand now, the other buried between her own legs. He wanted desperately to touch her, to strip her naked and throw her on the bed.

He didn't even know what else except he wanted to claim all of her. But he held back. He trusted her to help him, to know what to do. He let the terrible, wonderful force build inside him until it seemed to tip over some invisible edge.

"I'm losing control," he said hoarsely, meeting Cici's big green eyes. Except she didn't slow down, and didn't stop. She just kept sucking and bobbing, his length vanishing at least halfway past her thick lips and into her mouth again and again. He wasn't sure if he should try to stop. To slam the gates of his fortress and push the girl away. But he trusted her. He let it happen. He 'separated' the fire as best he could, letting his body 'release' on its own. He felt it coming, but it still surprised him.

He groaned and tensed, the wave of force rippling up from his gut, all the way through him from toes to scalp and back down again, until it centered on his manhood. Cici was looking up at him, slowing down and easing off just as he reached the edge. He hit the cliff, and fell. Pressure burst like a damn. Heat sprayed from him and into Cici, and her eyes went wide. She clamped down on his shaft with her hand, his tip with her lips.

He convulsed at the intensity of the pleasure, the overwhelming sensation of his cock being milked into the tight, wet warmth of Cici's mouth. And she was moaning. Her eyes fluttered, body making little convulsing movements just like him. After what seemed like endless waves, she finally pulled back with a gasp of breath. He still hadn't finished though, and another wave made him spray seed on Cici's cheek. Literal steam rose from it.

Her skin went red where it touched her, though it seemed to cool quickly in the open air. He shivered with a last few pulses, then a flood of mind-shattering warmth consumed him. His body and mind felt drained. Absent. For a long, blissful moment he just stared at Cici's green eyes, unable to think of anything except how wonderful he felt. She seemed about as conscious, but she smiled and licked her lips, using a finger to clean off the rest and swallow that, too.

Then she took another few spasm-inducing sucks at his tip.

"I can still feel it." She shuddered.

"It's like hot cider down my throat. I feel so good, so warm." He wasn't capable of speech. He knew he'd held back, not only in his 'soul' but also physically—that whatever could have just happened could have been more intense than it was. The thought boggled his mind. Because he'd done it. He'd been with a woman, at least in some small way—had released without hurting her, or himself. The room hadn't exploded. He'd unlocked a piece of life he thought he could never have.

He ran his hand through Cici's dark hair as he looked down at her, so grateful and still turned on at the sight of her. Some of his seed and her spit had dripped onto her incredible chest, her mostly naked body red with heat and glistening with sweat.

"Thank you," he managed, "that was…incredible." His tutor grinned and leaned forward into his lap, still touching him and kissing his thighs as she lay her head down. He touched her hair, and ran his fingers lightly over her back, no intention of going anywhere.