Dance With The Devil
By: Lara Winner
~~~~ Present ~~~~
It all lead up to tonight. Clasping her hands together in her lap she again raised her eyes to the sky fighting her impatience. It was almost midnight. She didn?t have much longer to wait.
With a sigh she glanced at the hourglass again only pause and jerk her eyes back to the empty spot on the small wooden table. A soft chuckle from behind her broke the silence. She didn?t turn around, instead her eyes narrowed and her lips pursed in a pout. Dryly she sated, "You?re early."
"More like impatient." Duo grinned, dropping to his knees behind her and slipping his arms around her tiny waist. He pressed a quick peck just below her ear as he reasoned, "Why do I have to wait till midnight? I knew the minute you came out here. Besides, there is nothing that special about the witching hour."
Sighing patiently Hilde shook her head. "I wouldn?t expect you to understand. It?s a woman thing."
"Ah. You creatures are so complex. I never understood the lot of you and I don?t imagine I ever will." He complained. As he spoke his arms tightened around her preventing her from pulling away. He chuckled again, his mischievous glee evident in his voice.
She slapped at his hands scolding, "I guess some things never change."
The moment his grip slackened she wiggled out of his arms scooting away. Quickly she scrambled to her feet. Hiking up the burgundy material of her skirt she laughed enchantingly as he reached for her. She didn?t notice the way he paused as she gave him clear view of her long shapely legs. She didn?t notice the way his eyes flashed with an unholy light as his gaze followed her every innocent yet teasing movement.
When she gained a safe distance he threw up his hands in mock frustration. With a dramatic sigh he fell back upon the grass watching her through the corner of his eye. She giggled at his actions but more from the nervous butterflies fluttering in her stomach. Biting her lip she took hesitant steps toward him not sure how to initiate what she wanted to take place tonight.
Unable to help herself her eyes hungrily took in his appearance. The black shirt hugged his slim muscular chest and his black britches showed the contours of his narrow waist and long legs. He looked so comfortably relaxed lounging in the grass, the flickering candlelight dancing across his features giving him an even more striking devilish expression. Watching his grin widen she sashayed closer raising her skirts and petticoats even higher.
He moved fast. Faster than her eyes could follow, faster that she thought physically possible. One second she was standing before him the next she was astride his waist with his iron grip holding her firmly in place. She stared at him wide eyed, her chest rising and falling rapidly as her heart slammed around her ribs. His face was so close she could feel his soft breaths brushing her lips as she panted in surprise, "What did you do that for?"
One brow arched as he grinned, "Such a silly question." To emphasize his words one hand slipped under her bunched skirts sliding up along the side of her thigh.
Looking into his dark fathomless eyes her heart was no longer beating frantically with surprise but with something else, not quite excitement and not quite fear, a feeling stronger than both yet just as intense. Pressing closer against him she settled herself on his lap draping her arms around his neck. Giving into the wicked images parading themselves across her mind she pressed her lips to his with undisguised urgency.
His touch was getting bolder. He ran his hand up to her hip then his fingers bit into her skin as he pulled her waist closer. She gasped into his kiss, her lips parting slightly. With deliberate slowness he slipped his tongue past her lips, exploring her mouth, tasting her. Whimpering, she didn?t resist him. Apprehensively she rubbed her tongue on his, following his lead. Her body flushed, a hot burning sensation settling in her abdomen as she entwined her fingers in his silky hair.
Finally, he pulled away breathing deeply. Her eyes blinked open dazed and heavy lidded with passion. Licking her red swollen lips she leaned back and started tugging at his shirt. She was impatient and she didn?t care. This was a feeling she?d never felt before and she couldn?t deny it. The need to be closer, to touch him, to feel him was just too strong.
After a moment, he pulled the shirt over his head tossing it away. The soft candlelight played over his bronze skin making her fingers itch to touch him. A sudden bout of modesty struck her and she blushed furiously at the sensual smirk that curved his tempting lips. Still her own inexperience didn?t dampen the desire that was radiating within her.
Unable to tear her eyes away from his smoldering gaze, she barely felt him pulling at the laces of her gown. She finally looked down as he slipped the restrictive material off her shoulders and down her arms. She barely had time to relish the fact that she could breathe easily without being bound by the gown?s tight bodice when he was already undoing the ties to her skirt. The in one impatient movement he swept the gown and all its lacy petticoats over her head heaping them on the ground.
She shivered as the cool night air flowed through her thin chemise. The delicate gauzy material left almost nothing to his imagination and she couldn?t help but smile slightly as he eyes darkened even more. Then his lips were on hers, moving from her mouth to her throat and back again. She kissed him back heatedly, her hands running over his warm skin marking him here and there with her nails.
She moaned as his lips made their way down her throat. She arched against his arms as his mouth moved lower, trailing a hot wet path between her breasts. His fingers were teasing her mercilessly, kneading and pinching her stiff nipples through her shift. She felt the last of her reason vanish as he suddenly hissed low in his throat and in one violent motion tore the thin undergarment just past her waist.
Gently he laid her down on the grass lavishing her exposed skin with wet biting kisses. She closed her eyes reveling in the wicked feelings he was arousing in the pit of her stomach. She gasped breathlessly as his teeth scraped and teased her slick skin. She trembled from the intense pleasure he seemed to know how to master over her body.
He teased her slowly, pecking and nipping. After a moment he stopped resting his head on her tummy. She could feel his warm breath tickling her as he watched her. To her surprise she didn?t flush under his scorching gaze.
Hoarsely she asked, "Why did you stop?"
He shrugged his shoulders lightly placing another lazy kiss just above her navel. "I?m taking my time. " He replied, idly tracing his fingers up and down her sides.
His movements made her thin shift rub against her skin deliciously. She sighed softly feeling the hem move up to her waist as he continued to bunch it up at her sides. With his body positioned between her legs she could feel the heat radiating from his skin and she couldn?t get close enough. She shifted her hips restlessly and grinned when his eyes narrowed.
"I want to remember the way you look right now." Leaning up on his forearms he dipped his head dropping kisses higher, "Down right sinful." He whispered tugging at one nipple through the gauzy cotton and rolling the other between his fingers.
She gasped arching off the ground causing the tattered remains of her chemise to slip off her shoulders. Her head rolled to the side as he mouthed her pale skin, moving up her throat till he again claimed her mouth in a demanding kiss. The fire inside her roared and she wrapped her arms around his neck holding him to her.
She?d never felt like this before, wanting and burning for something so much that she could barely breathe. It was frightening yet exhilarating. Still part of her felt as if this was dream. But he was real and he was here making love to her and it was better than any fantasy her mind had ever conjured.
He nibbled on her lips gently before pulling away. Breathing raggedly he rested his brow against hers, his eyes shut tight trying to gain control of himself. She could feel the proof of his desire, hard and erect, through his pants. It was distracting, wickedly so.
"Duo." She breathed.
He opened his eyes slowly, drowning her in their brilliant violet depths. In a tender gesture he brushed his fingers along her cheek, his expression turning hard and serious. "I have no right to take you like this."
"You?re not taking anything I don?t want to give." She whispered, breathless.
"You have too much faith in me." He accused, the slight undertone of anger in his voice aimed not at her but at himself. For once his eyes hid nothing as he looked down at her, his fear, confusion and longing evident in them. "For all my power I can?t even protect you from myself."
His words cut her like a knife. She knew that she was just as much a danger to him as he was to her. Yet even now he was still trying to justify why he needed this. Why the risk they were taking just wasn?t enough to keep them apart. But the feel of their bodies pressed together, their arms holding each other so tightly, the way their hearts were pounding with mutual desire?. Did the consequences really matter? She was giving herself to him because it was the only control she had over this relationship. Maybe she was giving up more than she ever bargained for by doing this but it was worth it to be here with him for just one night.
She smiled, passion and determination shining in her eyes. "I love you. Nothing else matters."
"I was afraid you would say tha-"
Silencing him with a kiss she didn?t let him refuse or object. He didn?t resist or hold back. He kissed her like there was no tomorrow, and for them, maybe they didn?t have tomorrow. But they had tonight and tonight would have to be enough.
With that last thought she gave up on thinking and rational behavior and everything else that involved reason and reality. Following the primal instinct that filled her she raked her nails down his back making him hiss against her lips. Her hips arched of their own accord rubbing against his hardness. She didn?t think she could stand it anymore.
It took him a moment of fumbling till finally he managed to tug down his pants. The feel of him against her, skin to skin, made her breath catch. Then he was nudging her, seeking entrance. She lifted her hips slightly giving him leverage and she shivered as he started to slowly slip inside her.
He was trying to be gentle. He was trying not to hurt her. Breathlessly she whispered, "Please."
With a groan he slammed into her. She stiffened, her body going rigid beneath his. Yet almost instantly the pain lessened little by little. When he finally started moving inside her she could only whimper, moving with him restlessly.
She ?d never felt anything like it before. The little tiny burst of pleasure seemed to grow stronger with each movement he made. It was incredible. She didn?t want it to end. But she could only take so much. It was teasing her, pushing her to reach for more. She could feel it building as he thrust into her, his kisses making it even stronger. And it kept building until the feeling felt so good, it hurt. She was breathless, her skin hot and slick, as she pushed against him meeting his body in perfect rhythm.
Then it hit her hard.
It was like a wave crashing over her. Everything was drowned out as pure ecstasy set every nerve in her body into a tizzy. It felt like she was coming apart in a million pieces. She didn?t even hear her own cry as her body stiffened from the overload of sensation. Then just as it came, it passed and her body went limp against the ground.
She couldn?t help the satisfied smirk that curved her lips as he leaned up a little shifting his body so he wasn?t lying completely on top of her. His warm breath tickled as he nuzzled her neck. She let herself wallow in the afterglow of their passion not thinking of tomorrow or the repercussions of their actions. This was their moment and she wasn?t going to let reason steal it away from her.
*********
Hours later, Hilde made her way home by the last rays of moonlight feeling slightly unease. Every nerve in her body was on end and she couldn?t shake the feeling that she was being watched. She glanced around her seeing no one with in the shadows of the trees. Reaching the village she kept her pace quick as she eagerly sought the refuge of her home. Everyone was still asleep as she entered the little cottage silently. Praying that she wouldn?t be discovered she shed her garments quickly and slipped under the blankets that adorned her bed. Closing her eyes, feigning sleep, her thoughts then began to run wild. With visions of Duo filling her head and the lingering feel his lips and hands still tingling over her body she eventually succumbed to sleep.
She felt she had only been asleep mere moments when a loud pounding jerked her awake. Struggling for coherency she blinked her eyes open, her heart pounding in fright. Voices, loud and angry reached her ears through the closed door and she sat up abruptly as one voice in particular caught her attention. There was only one person who possessed that nasal tone and she cringed.
What was William Moseley doing in her home?
Even as the thought screamed it?s way across her mind the door burst open and she pulled the covers up to her neck, trying to hide her nightgown clad body from the five men that burst into the room. William was at the front followed by Mr. Timble the town?s physician, and Mr. Lowery the town?s magistrate, and Father Maxwell the town?s priest. Then her father, Joseph came in last looking worried, his pale face flushed with anger and fear.
"William," Father Maxwell began, "The child has been asleep in her bed-"
Anger contorted the portly man?s round face as he snarled, "Ask her where she was last night. Ask her who she met in the woods. I saw her with my own eyes. She?s a witch I tell you. She?s the devils? mistress and she?ll be the death of us all if something is not done."
"My daughter is a pure and virtuous girl William." Joseph hissed, fury evident in his voice. "I will not bear this insult any longer, I demand you leave my house at once."
"I will Sir, once she has been examined by Mr. Timble. If she is indeed a virtuous girl," William stressed mockingly, "Then the good doctor should find nothing." He smiled smugly, "However, I am sure you will soon see your daughter?s wicked ways for yourself."
Hilde could do nothing but stare, wide-eyed and terrified, as the doctor approached her bed almost cautiously. His stiff voice seemed to echo in the tense silence. "I must ask everyone to leave the room if I?m to examine the girl."
"I would stay to witness your findings." Father Maxwell declared softly.
Hilde gave her father a pleading look, yet could say nothing. Her fear had her paralyzed, her tongue felt heavy as led in her mouth. The pressure of tears rose behind her eyes and she bit her lip as Joseph tried to give her a small smile, then was pulled from the room. As the door closed Dr. Timble opened his black satchel and began taking out the necessary implements to begin his inspection.
Her body trembled as the doctor tore the blanket from her white-knuckled grip. His cold brown eyes seemed to scald her flesh as he unceremoniously forced her down on her back. Taking a pair of heavy sheers he cut the cotton material of her nightgown, seeming to have no concern of her modesty. Her stomach turned and fear seemed to wash over her, slowly yet steadily running through her veins, as the eyes of both men landed on the light bruises that marred her pale throat.
She flinched as the Dr. Timble traced his fingers along the markings. Neither man said anything as he then lifted the amulet she still wore for closer inspection. He studied it for a moment then abruptly dropped it, as if the black metal burned his fingers.
"What do you make of this Father?" He asked wearily.
The Priest stepped closer, staring at the red stone with fear clearly etched on his features. Making the sign of the cross he stepped back, shaking his head. "I?ve never seen the like before. A demonic talisman, certainly a symbol of Lucifer."
Timble?s smile turned cruel as he stated, "I suppose I should now see if her maidenhead is still in tact, though I think we both know the answer to that Father."
"No, please." Hilde gasped as she curled up, worming away from both men. Strong hands gripped her legs in a punishing grip pulling back down the bed.
"Hold her." Timble snapped.
Frantically, she tried to fight off their hold but both men were too strong. Pinned against the bed she squeezed her eyes closed, tears slipping down her bloodless cheeks. Their touch was making her sick. A scream welled up in her throat as Dr. Timble?s fingers wormed their way inside her, roughly prodding into the depths of her being. It hurt, almost more than she could bear, as she continued to struggle against them.
"She is not a maiden." Timble said as he finally removed his hands from her body. "This whore is in your hands now Father."
"Call forth Mr. Lowery, tell him there is no need for a trial," the older man sighed tiredly, "We have ample proof of her transgressions. All that is left is to decide her punishment on the grounds of adultery, blasphemy against the church and fornication with the devil."
She continued to cry silently as the Doctor stalked from the room letting the heavy door slam shut behind him. Father Maxwell pulled the blanket up over her nude body and placed his hand on her shoulder giving it a gentle squeeze. "May God have mercy on your soul child, for mankind can not." He stepped away for a moment then handed her another white cotton gown.
"Dress yourself and stop your crying. You knew you would meet the wrath of God when you consorted with the evil one. Tears will not save you now."
Numbly, Hilde followed his orders as the voices outside the room once again grew loud. She heard her mother?s muffled sobs and her tears fell even harder. Duo, please help me?
Hilde had remained silent as they determined her fate. Despite the accusations thrown at her she held her tongue. Anything she said would have been used against her without hesitation, so she had stood there in front of her beloved parents, before Magistrate Lowery and Father Maxwell, as William told lie after lie about what he saw in the woods. The fool claimed she danced around the fire naked, drank the blood of dead animals, had sex with big horned beasts and burned a wooden crucifix for good measure. He promised he saw all this with his own eyes and he even vowed it in God?s name.
She was a dead woman.
The idea was not as terrifying as she would have thought. She?d walked through the gates of underworld and returned with Shinigami?s blessing. And now she was to die because of it. Had their precious Jesus not done the same? Why is he revered for his spirituality while others are condemned and persecuted? The only real devil was in the corrupt hearts of men. Love in any form is still love, whether it be between gods and mortals is irrelevant. Yet even that was too much for closed-minded men to understand. The only concepts they accepted were fear and hate.
Feeling heartsick at her thoughts, Hilde pulled her knees to her chest hoping to keep the chill away. The sky was now gray, turning lighter with the rising sun. The bars that lined the cell windows cast shadowed stripes along the dirt floor. In the darkness she watched the spiders crawling along the stone wall, their intricate webs reminding her of the tangle her life had become. Within the hour she would be taken to meet her punishment.
Standing, she walked to the nearest window, the cool air flowing against her already chilled skin. Her hair ruffled in the breeze as her eyes wandered over the dark landscape. The crude jail cells were at the edge of the town, giving an open view to the fields to the right and the woods to the left. If only she could disappear into the think brush. She could flee till she reached some safe place, someplace they would never find her.
"You will taste the fires of hell!"
William?s voice played in her head. Dragging in a ragged breath she rested her brow against the bars closing her eyes. Day was approaching rapidly. They said she would die come dawn. They were going to burn her alive. According to Father Maxwell it would be the only way to purge the demons from her soul and God?s good justice could not be wrong.
The snapping of a twig broke the dead stillness jerking her from her unwanted thoughts. Opening her eyes she met her mothers teary blue ones. "Mama." She choked.
Trembling finger reached through the bars gently stroking Hilde?s tangled black locks. Hilde looked in to her mother?s face and felt the last little piece of her heart break. It seemed as if in the last day Gillian had aged. Her eyes bore dark circles and her lips were drawn together tightly as she fought the urge to cry. "I should be here." She whispered.
Shaking her head, Hilde cried, "No Mama, don?t say that please."
"Oh Gods, my sweet baby." Gillian gasped as her voice broke. Sobs shook her slim frame as she gripped her daughter?s hand tightly through the bars. "They are murderers."
"I know Mama." Wiping at her eyes she tried to compose herself. "But it?s not so bad to die."
"You don?t know that Hilde." Gillian said softly.
Looking away from her mother searching eyes, Hilde tried to find what she had left of her faith. "Yes I do." Her words seemed to calm her mother for the moment.
They both heard the approaching footsteps at the same time. Low voices seemed to carry across the air and Hilde swallowed hard realizing the sun was beginning to peek over the horizon. "You better go. I love you and Papa, tell him for me okay." Yet Gillian didn?t move, she remained in her spot crying all the harder. "Go Mama. Now!" She hissed, knowing her mother could not be discovered there.
"May the Goddess be with you." Gillian whispered and then she was gone, the sound of her hurried footsteps and fading sobs echoing in Hilde?s ears.
Loosing the last her of strength and will she collapsed to the floor never feeling more alone in her life. Where was Duo? She needed him now; she needed to feel him. They had taken her necklace, she had watched as they tried to crush it between stones and then they tossed it into the fire but it remained ice cold to the touch. She had hoped their actions would bring Duo to her. He didn?t come. She had even called to him and he didn?t come. He was deserting her now, of all times. She was dying for him and that didn?t mean anything. Maybe he really was the devil.
Even as she thought it she wished she could take it back. He loved her. He had to. Drying her tears she steeled her spine rising to her feet. She faced the window, her eyes widening as they landed on the frightening sight in the distance. Against the sun?s bright light a tall wooden beam was being put into place. At it's base was scattered firewood soaking in kerosene. After a moment she could smell the horrid fumes drift to her on the breeze. No one seemed aware of her as the men continued at their task under the watchful eyes of Magistrate Lowery and Father Maxwell. They were almost done.
She couldn?t tear her eyes away from the haunting structure. Even as she heard footsteps and the lock on her cell being removed, she still couldn?t turn away. Horrified fascination, sickened revulsion and mind numbing fear all warred inside of her as angry tears filled her vision. What gave them the right to judge her? They were mortals, not the God they preach so highly of. Her judgment and punishment was not theirs to decide. Yet she said nothing as strong hands clamped around her arms dragging her from the cell.
The sun stung her eyes as the two men tied her wrists around the post behind her. She squinted her eyes, seeing the faces of people she had known her whole life, all watching her with barely masked hatred on their faces. They screamed curses at her, calling her every horrible title they could think of. She couldn?t move as two children began throwing pebbles at her from where they stood next to their fathers at the base of her pyre. The small rocks stung her skin, and she bit her lip to keep from crying out. The children laughed gleefully as their fathers smiled cruelly. Hatred feeding Hatred. And they called themselves people of God. It made her sick.
"Quiet everyone!" As Father Maxwell?s voice boomed over the crowd a hush ascended upon the people, calming them. He turned to her, his black robes reminding her of the evil wizard in the stories her mother used to tell her as child. A villain hiding behind a mask of righteousness. "Upon the charges laid against you do you have anything to say that might clear your soul?"
Did she dare?
"I curse everyone of you murdering bastards! If my soul is damned than yours is stained with the blood of innocents. I answer to no one but my God and you should fear the day you answer to yo-"
A hand clamped over her mouth as her words started the crowd screaming again, shouting for her to die. "You shouldn?t have done that Witch." The Priest hissed.
Hilde?s eyes widened as two men stepped up behind him; each carrying lit torches that they lowered to the firewood. In horror she watched as the flames eagerly caught the kerosene alight. She pressed as close as she could against the stake at her back but after a moment she began to feel the blazing heat against her legs. She struggled against the leather restraints binding her ankles and her wrists, feeling it cut into her skin. Yet she couldn?t get them to give even as they became slick with her own blood.
The breeze fanned the fire, moving the flames in her direction. The crackling noises of the wood and roar of the fire drowned out the sound of the cheering townspeople. Then the fire was on her, burning the thin cotton gown she wore, then moving on to her skin. She screamed in pain, the sound ripping from her throat as her body jerked against the post. It hurt so bad; worse than anything she?d ever felt in her short life. Her gaze, blurred from tears of pain and the black smoke billowing around her, fell onto the fire watching it consume her flesh with its blistering heat. Dancing red and yellow?
That was when she felt him.
Cold air swirled around her in a mighty gust, she felt it against her skin, but it didn?t disturb the flames. Slowly all the pain she was feeling began to seep from her body, a blissful numbness taking over her. She raised her barely open eyes trying to see through the smoke. She could barely make out his black form but she felt him place his hand press against her heart. "Duo?"
She couldn?t even hear her own voice she was so weak. Her mind was slowing, her body failing. Still she was aware of Duo, his life force pulsing around her, getting darker and more violent. It was then that she realized why she wasn?t feeling the pain anymore. He was drawing it out of her body and into himself. He was feeling it for her.
Her heart swelled with love for Duo. She would be all right because he was here. She wasn?t afraid to die now. Closing her eyes she focused on the peaceful feeling filling her. It was tugging her out of her body, pulling her away from everything weighing her down. Letting it carry her away she gave up all conscious thought and expanded her consciousness feeling everything around her. The feeling intensified to the point of almost physical pleasure. Then it faded and with it her surroundings came back with startling clarity.
She opened her eyes taking a step back from the flames that were lapping around her. However, they didn?t burn her, instead they passed right through her. She knew with out even thinking it that she was no longer one with her physical body. The freedom was indescribable, invigorating. But even so something was still not right.
Turning to Duo she froze, her heart jumping in her throat. There was a red energy force glowing around him. The very ground trembled with the power he was calling forth. She could feel his rage, cold and filled with hate, as he faced the unknowing crowd. His eyes, so dark they looked black, burned with an unholy light she?d never seen in their warm depths before. His mouth twisted in a snarl as a chilling laugh escaped his lips. He was going to kill everyone.
For a split second her vision blurred and the cheering crowd was replaced by rivers of blood flowing over the emerald green grass, dismembered corpses lying heaped on the ground, skin melting off of muscle and bone, sightless eyes staring up at the sky, faces twisted in expressions of agony-
Hilde forced the vision away and reacted without thinking. Grasping Duo?s shoulders she winced as the energy rushed through her like an electric current. Gritting her teeth she pushed the sensation aside knowing she couldn?t let him slaughter the people. Even her own anger wasn?t that great.
"Duo don?t do this." She pleaded, but her words seemed to have no effect. Gripping his shoulders tighter she shook him. "Duo listen to me, don?t do this."
"No Hilde. They deserve this." He replied coldly. "They have no respect for life. They need to die."
"No." She whispered sadly. Sliding her arms around his neck she hugged him hard. "They will die one day Duo, then they will see how wrong they were. Then they will have eternity with nothing but their guilt to keep them company. It is not our place to judge them." She reasoned, sensing some of his anger was directed at himself.
After a moment Duo began to relax, his anger slowly draining as he held her back tightly. "Do you remember the first time we met?"
"Yes."
"You were supposed to die that day." He replied quietly.
"I was." Hilde gasped as she leaned back in Duo?s arms.
"I thought I could protect you this time too." Duo muttered, looking down unable to meet her eyes. "I spared your life once but even I?m not strong enough to alter fate twice. I tried, I really did but?"
Knowing he meant every word she smiled. "We?ll be together now right?"
"Of course."
Her grin widened. "Then what is the problem?"
"I wanted you to have a longer life. I wanted you to be happy." He sighed.
"But I am love," She whispered, stopping his response with a kiss. "I?m very, very happy."
A.N.- If any one was offended by the content of this fic, I?m sorry. The Burning Times was a very dark period in American and European history. Many innocent people died for no reason. This is just my little way of speaking out against predjudice in any form.
Okay, with all that said, I hope you like the fic and thanks for reading! Luv ya bunches!!!!
