The City in Glass

He wipes his mouth and stands. You look back, expectantly wiggling your hips, ready for his satisfaction but he is reaching for your restraints.

"Aren't you going to take your turn?" You ask, startled by your own politeness. He gives you a relieved smile.

"I already did." You look back and see his pants undone, his limp cock leaking. "Giving you pleasure allowed me to finish." You don't even remember him touching himself.

"You better turn me around, or Lord Douglas will suspect something." You offer helpfully. He nods, buttoning up his pants and unlatching your wrist. You let your arm fall to your side. He unlatches your other arm.

You push off the wall and crash into him, knocking his slender frame to the ground. You run towards the wine goblet Douglas left on the table by his chair.

You snatch it up just as Horatio regains his footing. He moves towards you and lash out, bringing the glass crashing down on his forehead. He staggers back, clutching his head, his hand coming away bloody. You charge him, adrenaline pumping through your system, and shoulder him into the wall, knocking the wind from lungs. He slumps wheezing on the floor.

You stand over him, the jagged bloody piece of glass in your hands.

"I'm afraid I'm going to need your pants."

###

The hallways are dark, narrow and confusing but thankfully, frequently carpeted, allowing you to eventually fumble your way to the stairs without making too much noise. Horatio's pants were loosely tied at the top, and with some creative folding, you were able to cuff them at ankle height. As for Horatio, he seemed less enthusiastic about losing his pants than he was about getting tied up in the restraints - you have the impression it was not his first time in those cuffs.

The stairs were brightly lit but you quickly slipped into a side door - no, a servant's door, you realize, towards the back of the house. A small window showed the sparkling London skyline had just begun to turn muted grey as the first inklings of dawn threatened to visit the horizon. How long had it been? And what of Mary? Or Kayla for that matter? You must retrieve your iron key necklace.

And you needed answers. In this case, all roads lead to Douglas. Moving swiftly but keeping your head down, you certainly looked like an out of sorts servant in your white shirt and tight trousers. You made peaked in on the ballroom but it looks like the guests had long since departed.

Easier to find Lord Douglas - after all, you know where he sleeps.

You retrace your steps to his bedroom, the large door at the end of the upstairs hall. It is dark, the curtains drawn, the lamps turned down low.

As slowly as a soft breeze, you ease the door open, crouching, and move softly towards the bed. In your hands, a reasonably sharp carving knife you had swapped for the broken remains of the wine goblet.

There, you can see his jumble of dark curls, face down on the pillow, the blanket thrown haphazardly across his body, another empty bottle on the bedside table.

The table - yes, there's your necklace. Slowly, carefully, you retrieve it, retying it around your neck. 31 hours. Time is running short. But an opportunity like this?

You leap on his back. He jerks awake as you grasp a fist full of his unruly hair in your hand and yank his head up, your knife at his exposed throat.

"What did you mean - 'Quilp hunts people in the street'? Talk." You snarl in his ear.

"Oh bloody hell, how did you get free? Not that I mind being pinned by such a beautiful woman..." he slurs.

"Quilp." You repeat, kneeing his ribs for good measure.

"Right, right. Look if you are here, he certainly won't bother you. He likes to feast in the streets. That's his thing really. Haven't you heard? The Whitechapel district. The dockside slasher. Of course, that's just sensationalist garbage in the papers, right?"

He gives a wheeze that almost be a laugh.

"Of course he doesn't cut them all up to bits, heavens no, not a precious glowing visitor. Bad for business to start offin' the customers, don't you think? No, no, he just steals a bit of their soul. Their essence. Their spark. And then whispers in their ear and poof, their heads are full of clouds and they carry on their merry way." Lord Douglas' voice is barely a whisper, but is deafening in your ears.

"He eats his fill and let's them toddle on. And they keep coming back, blissfully unaware until the next time the shadows grow long and deep in this city and he is around every corner. Waiting." He shifts beneath you, turning enough so that you can see one beautifully clear ice blue eye.

"Face it love, you're on holiday inside Jack the Ripper's backyard."

A cry of alarm jolts both of you back to the present. Distantly you here shouts of "Fire! Fire!" and frantic feet running and bells being rung. Lord Douglas shifts to stand but you hold him fast.

"What have you done?" He demands.

"Not sure, let's just stay right where we are." You lean back on your heels on the bed, ready to jump and run.

Crash. A fist knocks through a pane of glass on the window of the bedroom. You see a gloved hand reach in and unlatch the window.

Mary hauls herself in and swiftly moves to the bedroom door, latching it.

"Ahem?" You cough. She jumps in alarm and catches sight of you straddling Douglas.

"Brenna?" She whispers.

"Were you coming to rescue me or get your letters?" You whisper accusedly.

"The ones to my sister? All this for that?" Douglas says. You shove his head down into the pillow.

"Both!" She says guiltily. "Although I was going to start here. Look, it won't take them long to put out the fire I started."

"Thank god." a muffled Douglas moans.

"Shut up and stay put." You give him one more kick and spring out of bed, following Mary towards the study.

"Are you okay?" She asks, concerned. You nod. The key is still in the lock of the cabinet by the desk. You open it up. Mary swoops in and quickly locates her letters, stuffing them in her pocket. The two of you return to the window - glance over at Douglas. He is sitting up in the bed, propped up against the headboard. He salutes you with his walking stick as the two of you scramble out onto the leg and take the short drop down to the cold snow below.

###

The two of you scramble across the icy grounds of the mansion, the bright flames illuminating the grey early light of dawn. The whole tower on the right side of the building is engulfed in flames.

"Oh my god." you remark. "I hope they put it out soon!" Mary pulls at your arm.

"Let's not stick around to find out!" The two of you slip through the gate and with hurried steps, shuffle down the streets towards the Thames.

After the adrenaline slowly seeped from your system, you find a moment to catch your breath in an alley. The lamplighters were out, extinguishing the flickering flames as the dawn brings the streets, snow and buildings into sharp relief.

Mary peeks out, looking for police officers. "Okay, we need to find a place to lay low. Did they recognize you? How much do they know about us?"

You draw a slow breath, still processing your experience with Douglas. "They know I'm not supposed to be here." Mary nods.

"Then they will probably search the Inn where you are staying to find you."

"Oh no! Kayla!"

"Your... partner?" Mary asks, suddenly insecure. You give her a warm smile.

"My friend. Can we check on her?" Mary chews the inside of her cheek.

"If we are quick about it - hopefully they will not be interested in her." The two of you set off a brisk pace towards the Beard and Thistle. With Mary's help, you climb up on the adjoining building and after a sickening leap to the roof, are able to gain access through an attic grate.

Grimy, dishevelled although, thanks to Mary, able to return to your normal clothes, you creep through the hallways of the inn towards your bedroom.

Peeking in, you see Kayla's distinctive tumble of hair pouring out from underneath a mound of blankets - her heavy breathing filling the room.

Oh thank god. She's safe. Going to the desk, you find paper, a quill and an inkwell. After a few blotchy tries, you are able to scrawl out a note.

"Hello Kayla,

I'm visiting with a friend, Mary, we met briefly on the docks our first night. I hope you are doing well and staying safe - this world has a few dangers. I may have escaped one last night. Keep your ticket home safe. I hope to catch up with you soon. If all else fails, meet me where we met Henry at Sunset.

-Brenna"

As you scribble out your name, you hear footsteps downstairs and the front door being opened. Low grumbling voices, men, talking with Susan. You snatch your bra, and remaining personal items from the room and flee back down the hallway, scrambling up the narrow ladder to the attic and the roof where Mary awaits.

"Did you see the men arrive?" She asks in a hurried whisper. You shake your head.

"No but I heard them."

"Two wealthy looking gentlemen with an officer. It's time we left."

And with that, the two of you make your way from rooftop to rooftop, towards the poor district of town.

###

After the long walk, leap, walk of traveling through the cityscape, you are grateful when you finally arrive at an apartment complex, made of heavily worn stone and warped wooden windows. The two of you wearily descend the fire escape and thanks to a hidden latch, slide in through a window to a small studio apartment. She quickly starts the wood stove in the corner, putting on a kettle of water, before peeling off her coat and fingerless gloves.

"We should be safe here - this isn't even in my name. My aunt signed all the papers and she lives elsewhere in the city. Sorry it's a mess."

"It's cozy!" you note, shrugging off your coat and setting it on a pile of newspapers and clothing.

The exhaustion of the night flows through you. Absent-mindedly, you start to undress, when you catch Mary's eyes, wide with horror.

She looks at your shredded shirt.

"Did they hurt you? Did they... take you? I'm so sorry, I should have been there." Her voice trembles.

"Oh no, no no." You are at her side, with a comforting arm on her shoulder. "You did what you could. They were rough with me but it was not terrible." A sly smile creeps across your face. "In fact, there were times I quite liked it."

She looks at you in confusion. "Have you ever been with a man?" You ask. She shakes her head curtly.

"I haven't...been with... anyone." She admits, blushing furiously. She turns and pours the hot water into the bathtub, refilling the kettle and returning it to the fire.

"Hey, hey, that's okay." You cup her face in your hand. "It can be a scary thing."

"I would...really like to." She says, eyes on the floor, cheeks burning.

The steam from the bath has already filled the room with a warm glow. You peel out of the last of your clothes, amused by Mary's discrete attempts to sneak a peek, and slip into the hot tub, the warm water suffusing your body. You open your eyes to see the long slender legs of Mary slip into the tub. She swiftly sits down, sending waves splashing.

You float towards her, as she awkwardly arranges her arms and legs, trying to keep from elbowing you in the face. You come in close, her lips trembling in nervousness as you capture your first kiss. Soft and pliant, you snake an arm around her waist and pull her slender body towards you, planting kisses on her lips and throat. She tentatively reaches out and caresses your breast, you moan encouragingly. She straddles your thigh underwater, rubbing her sex against you as you become lost in each other's lips.

Her hands entangle in your hair as her breath is hot on your ear. She grinds against you, frantic and passionate.

"Please..." she moans, unsure of what she needs but full of passion. You ease her back against the tub and kiss your way across her chest to her small breasts topped with dark, plum nipples. You suck on them greedily, she arches her back as the sensation sweeps through her.

"Are you ready?" You ask breathlessly. She nods. Your fingers find her clit and start stroking it, gently at first and then faster. She locks eyes with you in alarm and then the sensation is too much - she turns away and cries out, her body thrashing this way and that, as you go faster and faster. She clenches around you and moans loudly, her orgasm sweeping through her.

Like a puppet with its strings cut, she slumps back into the tub. Her eyes flutter open.

"So.. that's what it is like." You nod. "That's incredible!" You smile and kiss her sweetly on the lips.

She moves to stroke you but you shake your head. "Too tired, sorry Mary." She nods and the two of you clamber out of the tub, dry off and fall asleep entangled in each other within minutes.

###

The sunlight from the grimy window flicks at your eyes, dragging your groggily from your slumber. You gently untangle yourself from Mary, her long leg wrapped around your frame showing off her toned butt in the evening sun. You gather your things and check your key - 22 hours left. You gather your items and glance back at the naked Mary, still sleeping. As soundlessly as possible, you slip out the window and into the snowy city.

You retrace your steps through the city, the sun lighting up the piles of snow like a thousand twinkling lights all over the ground. You move swiftly, keeping your head head down and trying your best to avoid interactions but you cannot shake the feeling that someone is still watching you, following you.

The sun is getting low by the time you reach the circus, but there is still time. You push your way past the barker at the front and into the alley of tents, still mostly closed. Ignoring a rueful side eye from Svette, you make your way into Danny's tent and knock on the door.

"Yes?" He opens the door and gives you a surprised look. "Oh, it's you!"

You push your way inside to his library. "Excuse me!" he protests. You glance around and quickly identify the ornate box on the shelf with the blue garnet. You snatch a tea towel off a table and throw it over the box.

"What the hell are you doing?!" He says in alarm. Without a word, you push past him, through the kitchen and up the stairs.

"Wait! Wait!" But you are already in his greenhouse, the steamy air cloying at your clothes. He quickly follows.

"Am I right to assume that we cannot be heard or seen here?" Danny looks frantically over his shoulder and swallows hard.

"You... yes, you are correct."

"And your creator, the real Dr. Quilp, uses this City as his own personal hunting grounds?"

"Well, the visitors are essentially unharmed." Danny's eyes remain glued to his shuffling feet.

"Essentially?"

"I mean, they have no memory of the event."

"Of the assault?"

"Yes, well, that. And the energy borrowed is so infinitesimally small, barely worth noting."

"And then what happens?" You ask. "After your creator has taken them and stolen this little bit of their soul?"

"Then they are free to go, having visited this marvelous city with only their good memories intact! It's essentially harmless. That is, provided they don't burn down a mansion or encourage the residents to reflect too much upon their existence." The thinnest of smiles dances on his lips.

"You knew! You knew I was in danger here and you let me walk out in that city!" Danny's face contorted into an expression of guilt.

"What could I do? I am but a shadow of my creator, a cardboard cutout to fill out the crowd."

"Bullshit, you have feelings and wants and needs. You have free will. You make your own choices."

He looks down at his hands, clasping and unclasping in front of him.

"You are right." He says softly. "I am sorry I didn't warn you, especially... after what we shared." Your anger cools. You reach out, caressing his crestfallen face.

"Will you protect me? Will you keep me safe?" He nods. "There is a way." He confirms.

You tilt your head up and pull his lips to yours, soft and yielding. Your arm snakes around his slender hips, pulling him to you. You can feel his cock, hard and insistent, pressing against you through his pants.

He cups your face with his hands, his fingers hot on your cheeks as he plants soft kisses on your lips, closed eyes and throat. The moist air of the greenhouse feels hot and sticky, as you fumble with his pant buttons and fish out his cock, stroking it idly. He moans into your kiss, a deep longing noise as he jumps in your hands. He's almost ready to finish from just kissing you.

You shimmy out of your pants and put your hands on the glass of his greenhouse, your bare bottom enticing him forward. With one hand on your hip, he lines his cock up with your slit. You finger yourself quickly, as he pushes himself inside you, slowly, carefully, giving you time to adjust.

"Oh, god." He moans softly in your ear, reaching up and putting his other hand on your shoulder to steady himself. He pulls himself out of you, his long cock rubbing just the right spot, before slowly thrusting back inside. You can see in the reflection of the glass, his eyes closed tight, his face a mask of pleasure. You push back, urging him onwards.

"Yes, fuck, yes, Danny!" His thrusts become more and more frantic.

"Oh Brenna, oh you feel divine!" He moans behind you, pulling at your hips with a desperate need, his cock swelling inside you, the wet slapping of your bodies filling the space.

"Oh god!" He cries out, his body giving a quick shudder as he pushes one leg forward, lifting your hips slightly and burying himself deep inside your twat. You feel the familiar gush, and then again, and once more, as he empties load after load of hot, sticky cum into your throbbing sex.

He slides out of you, a wet mess. You quickly turn around and pull him in for a kiss, hot and demanding, pressing your body against his as your own passion sweeps through you. Not quite an orgasm but certainly an adrenaline rush.

The moment passes and you both return to your bodies in the hot greenhouse.

"Can you keep me safe, Danny?" He nods and buttons up his trousers before heading into his bedroom. He returns with a silver bracelet, made of the familiar muted grey metal of the meteorite. He hands it to you.

You turn it over in your hands. It is a slender silver band with a simple clasp and small engraving on the inside. You hold it up to the light to read the letters.

"Dr. Quilp gave this to me when I needed to make changes to this world." Danny continued.

"Admin access." You sound out from the faint engraving. Danny nods.

"It allows me to... well... break the rules. It should allow you to pass unmolested for the remainder of your visit." Danny takes you hand.

"Please, you must return that to me before you leave this place. If Dr. Quilp finds that I have helped you..." You fold his hand in yours.

"I promise." You reach up and give him a lingering kiss, of longing and of thanks.

You glance outside through the glass. The sun is getting low, time to get down to the docks.

"Thank you Danny. I will see you before I leave." and with that, you take your leave of his place.

###

You slip out into the alleyway with the circus and immediately spot Svette waiting for you at the edge of Danny's tent. She's nervously glancing over her shoulder and then back at your door. As soon as you come out, she rushes up.

"Brenna. There's men out there, they are looking for you and they look angry. I know that things between us... well, I was a bit selfish but please, believe me. You are in danger!"

You slide the bracelet onto your wrist, it thrums faintly on your arm. You click it shut and there is a subtle chime somewhere in the air. You look up and see a transparent menu hovering above Svette's head. HEAD - BODY - HEART. Svette has frozen in place, with a glazed look over her eyes.