Seven Devils and a Rose

Felix must have caught on, too, because he smiled in amusement. Suddenly, he leaned even closer until our noses were nearly touching while his hand was now cupping my face and his thumb lightly brushing against my lips. His intimate touch made my face flush hotly.

He said softly, "What if I offer to help you get home? You want to return home, don't you? Back to your loving parents?"

I stared at him for a moment, gazing deeply into those mauve eyes of his. I asked nervously, "Will… will you really help me?"

He nodded. "Hm."

"No matter how hard or how long it takes, you'll help me?"

Again, he nodded. "As one of the lords who rules the Kingdom of Acaedien, I, Felix Worthington, never go back on my words."

Oh God! He made it sound so tempting, didn't he, this Lord Felix dude? Of course, my desire to return home safe and sound and reunite with my beloved parents was much more important than the thought of me having to give this man a simple peck on the cheek every morning. I mean, it wouldn't be that hard, after all. Just a peck on that porcelain mask that sat ever so perfectly on his face. My lips wouldn't even be touching his skin.

I paused my thoughts. Wait. Did both Felix and Caleb wear their masks all the time or just when they were out and about doing this sort of thing, whatever they were doing here in the woods, which was something to do with the bandits and raids?

I licked my lower lip and then asked, "Do you and Caleb wear the masks all the time?"

"Not all the time."

I frowned. "What do you mean by that? Do you mean that you wear the mask only when you're out, err, and about like you are now?"

I was surprised he didn't seem suspicious at the fact that I was asking him about his mask instead of discussing our negotiation of morning kisses.

He said, "We only take our masks off when we need to, which is rare."

I frowned. "Not even when you sleep?" I asked. After all, when I had woken up this morning, Caleb still had his mask on, which had surprised me.

Felix nodded.

I was more than a little perplexed. How the hell would one sleep with such a mask on? Wouldn't it be uncomfortable? And more importantly, what kind of a tradition would demand that one wear one's mask all the time unless one needed to take it off? And under what circumstances would qualify the need to condition that Felix was implying?

"I see," I said. "So you wear your mask on a daily basis? As in all the time? Even while sleeping? And you only take it off when you need to? Can you give me an example of when you need to take your mask off?"

He said firmly, "Yes, I wear my mask all the time. As for when I take it off, an example is when I'm at a severe disadvantage and am desperate during a battle." He chuckled arrogantly. "But of course, I'm never desperate during battles, even if I'm at a severe disadvantage."

Boy, did he sound confident and full of himself with his strength and abilities. Then again, with the way he was perfectly built like those Marvel superheroes, I wouldn't have any doubt in him beating a hoard of enemies coming his way on a battlefield.

Back to my current dilemma. I thought about it for a moment and then nodded.

Decision made, I said, "Then I'll call you Felix and kiss you every morning. In return, you'll help me find a way to get home, no matter how hard or how long it takes, and of course, you'll also call me by my name, which is Alfie."

Felix smiled, and I didn't miss that his eyes were twinkling sinfully. He said, "You're thorough with your words, aren't you?"

I nodded my head in the positive. "I have to be since it's like a contract, isn't it? The clause must be clear."

He smirked. "Aren't you a cunning one?"

I was about to give him a clever reply when, suddenly, he took me by surprise by pulling me close and claiming my lips with his. I gasped in shock as he kissed me hard out.

"Ngh…" I groaned in his arms.

His lips were warm and wet against mine, and when he demandingly urged my mouth to open for him, I mindlessly obliged. He, of course, plunged his tongue in immediately and proceeded to wildly kiss me like he had last night, with a feral sort of passion that both scared me and awakened something deep inside me at the same time.

By the time he finally terminated the kiss and pulled back, I found that I was dazed and weak. I didn't have the strength to even stand straight and collapsed against him.

What is wrong with me? Am I that weak that I should collapse after a kiss?

Felix brushed his firm, warm lips against my cheek. Then he said softly into my ear, "A kiss to seal our contract. Hmm… Looks like I went a little overboard. You still haven't cultivated a strong enough qi to satisfy a beast like me. We'll have to work on that, darling."

He lifted me and carried me across the clearing.