Devil's Fire

by Melissa MacNeal

  The three women and two men greeted me with warm smiles, and I was introduced around the room. They were dressed in cloister brown tunics, too, so I relaxed: no one here appeared driven to enlighten me, or to overwhelm me with pithy remarks. They acknowledged Sybil as their leader, and because she kept a hand on my shoulder they accepted me as someone who deserved to be here.

  The first two women were arranging sheets of parchment on rectangular trays. ‘Mary Grace, I’d like you to meet Violet and her sister Zerelda, whom we call Vee and Zee. They’re preparing trays where the chocolate-covered cherries will dry.’

  They bade me a cheery hello, each of them offering a hand. ‘How nice of you to help us,’ Vee said. She stood taller than her sibling, and a spattering of freckles made her appear girlish, although I suspected she was near thirty. ‘I understand you sew the most beautiful quilts.’

  ‘I can’t wait to see them!’ Zee chimed in. ‘When Mr Fortune brought us here, we had no particular skills or talents, so I envy your ability to earn your keep from the start.’

  ‘And if either of you ladies were working at something else, how would we ever make our tins full of temptation?’ Sybil asked kindly. Then she smiled at me. ‘These two lost the rest of their family in a tragic fire several years ago, and have made their home here.’

  ‘Sybil was a saint for taking us under her wing,’ Vee explained.

  ‘And we’d have been stuck at the Home for the Friendless, had Hyde not taken pity on us,’ her sister added with a wide-eyed grin. ‘You’re so lucky he found you, too, Mary Grace. There’s no sweeter, dearer man to be found on the face of this earth.’

  Had these sisters been in the crowd that caught me with him when that carriage door flew open? As Sybil guided me on, I smiled at them, wondering just how sweet and dear Hyde had been. We paused so that two robust men carrying a large cauldron between them could set their chocolate-filled burden on wooden slats in the centre of the floor.

  ‘And these fine fellows are Brother Paul,’ Sybil said, nodding towards the muscular blond, ‘and Brother Quentin — the only two men capable of pleasing me in the kitchen.’

  ‘The only two who could put up with her day after day,’ Quentin teased. Built like a lumberjack, tall and broad, with his sorrel hair pulled back at his nape, he was the last man I’d imagine as a kitchen assistant.

  Brother Paul adjusted the steaming cauldron on the slats, and then focused his full attention on me. ‘We’re glad to have you,’ he said with a playful grin. ‘You’ll find our cooking methods a bit unorthodox, but we make the best chocolate you’ll ever put in your mouth —’

  ‘Or anywhere else,’ Brother Quentin added slyly.

  ‘— and thanks to Sybil, the work here is more like play. Yet we produce the cakes and candies that support the entire monastery. The finest desserts to be found anywhere.’

  ‘And we do it with such modesty, too.’ Brother Quentin clapped his companion on the shoulder, letting his hand drift down to the other man’s backside. ‘If we make a tasty show of it, perhaps Mary Grace will join us often.’

  Something about the two of them struck me as different from the other men I’d met there, yet I liked them immensely. And when I was presented to the last of Sybil’s aides, I was even more aware that her crew consisted of individuals who probably wouldn’t work with Ahmad or Mrs Goodin — or anyone else — because Sister Sybil alone gave them the same outspoken yet unconditional acceptance she’d shown me.

  ‘And this is Elvira, a talented kitchen wench unlike anyone else you’ve ever met.’ My room-mate spoke with pride, yet her word choice alerted me to qualities that didn’t show on the surface. ‘Elvira helps me devise new recipes, and also designs the distinctive tins that set Heaven’s Gate products apart from others.’

  Elvira sat on a stool, inspecting a shallow pan filled with plump cherries that swam in brandy, and when she stood to greet me I was astounded at her height. Her blue-black hair was caught up in curls that would do a debutante proud, yet she was anything but delicate or simpering. Like Sybil, she edged her eyes in kohl and wore daring earrings; her bosom put everyone else’s to shame. Elvira was thicker and broader than was fashionable, yet her proportions allowed for an undeniably feminine allure to shine through. Her smile radiated warmth, but I knew immediately not to put myself at odds with her.

  ‘Hello, Elvira,’ I said shyly, and for want of more intelligent conversation, I glanced at her pan of brandied cherries. ‘You seem to have the most intoxicating job of all.’

  She offered her hand, perusing my every move with great interest. ‘Not every cherry we start with will be worthy of the Heaven’s Gate label,’ she replied in a husky voice. ‘Only the plumpest and ripest and sweetest will go into tins today, Miss Mary. Those not succulent enough to be chosen shall meet a different end.’

  Her tone made me feel sorry for those little fruits that didn’t measure up to her exacting standards. I eased my hand from her larger one, aware of mixed sensations: Elvira was the most stunning woman I’d ever met, yet something in her demeanour whispered of dark, provocative secrets. I sensed my innocent eyes would be opened some day, and I hoped I could take in this new reality without making a fool of myself, or inspiring Elvira’s wrath.

  ‘Shall we begin?’ Sybil called out. ‘Our chocolate won’t wait forever. And of course, the sooner we finish the morning’s work, the sooner we can play.’

  Like cogs in a well-designed clock, the assistants assumed their places. Elvira kept sorting, while Vee held a pan of acceptable cherries for Zee and Brother Paul to dip into the chocolate, which Brother Quentin kept stirring. Sybil handed me one of the trays lined with parchment. ‘If you’ll position this so the dippers can place their cherries on the paper, and then set the full trays over on the tables, it would help us immensely.’

  I grinned, glad to be useful while I could observe their precision operation. Sybil acted as go-between, fetching more cherries for Elvira and more parchment-lined trays for me, as well as standing in my place until I returned from the table.

  Zee and Brother Paul stood facing each other across the pan of brandied cherries, plucking two in each hand, shaking them once, and then dipping them in the chocolate coating, which magically adhered to the fruit. With practised motions, they rotated the stems so the rich brown liquid stopped dripping and sealed itself, with uniform shape and thickness, before placing the finished sweets on my tray. I was so fascinated I had to remind myself to rotate the tray for them and then carry it off when it was full.

  The kitchen hummed with the silent concentration of friends who worked well together, anticipating each other’s moves. When an occasional cherry fell off its stem into the chocolate, Brother Quentin deftly picked it out with his spoon and dropped it into a pan beside him. ‘That one just couldn’t stand the strain of becoming such an exceptional treat!’ he explained with a wink. ‘But she’ll find her place, sooner or later. We only dip cherries a few times a year, so we save some of the fallen fruit for our seasons’ ceremonials.’

  ‘Or for when we’d like something sweet and juicy to play with,’ Brother Paul added coyly. ‘We have to be careful, though. If those assigned to the vineyards or gardens found out how much we enjoy ourselves, they’d all want to work here, too.’

  ‘And that would spoil everything,’ Vee said with a grin. Then she turned towards Elvira. ‘How many left, oh Amazon Queen?’

  ‘Just the one pan,’ came the throaty reply. ‘I’m guessing we’ve done a record number this morning — perhaps fifty dozen — with damn few rejected ones.’

  ‘We’ll have to use those wisely, then,’ Zee remarked. Her smile looked unusually sultry for a young woman with such an unassuming face.

  ‘And we’ve very few saved back for this spring’s ritual,’ Sybil informed them, ‘so we should set some aside before we get carried away.’

  Their laughter spoke of a secret too delicious to share with those outside this close-knit circle, so I felt honoured to be standin
g among them. When Elvira rose from her stool, exclaiming, ‘Done!’ the excitement mounted. Brother Paul and Zee moved faster, in a contest to see who would coat the last cherry. Brother Quentin stirred carefully, as the chocolate at the bottom of the pot had thickened. I gripped my tray, trying to guess how the race would end.

  ‘Mine!’ Paul cried as he snatched the last two stems from the pan.

  Quentin wagged his eyebrows at me. ‘This means Brother Paul will decide the fate of our remaining cherries, and who gets them, and in what order.’

  ‘Sort of a master of ceremonies,’ I ventured.

  ‘Precisely. And he always makes a fine one. There!’ the bullish man beside me crowed. ‘You may now carry these safely into the dining room, dear Mary, while we prepare for the festivities. Sybil’s chosen one of our favourite days for you to join us, and we hope you’ll come again. And again.’

  Something in his words called up an image I couldn’t pinpoint, yet its association sent a tingle through my insides. Even a novice like myself couldn’t miss the insinuation that bawdy, provocative games were about to be played, by people who loved to outdo each other. I sensed these activities would be much more palatable than watching a dozen men pee on a tree.

  ‘Let us practise wild abandon!’ Brother Paul proclaimed, lifting a ceremonious hand. ‘Our first event will be dipping dildoes, and creating a bust of Miss Sybil. Vee and Zee, if you ladies will do the anointing and assist us with the chocolate, I’ll ask Elvira to hold our Kitchen Queen in position while her likeness is being cast.’

  He paused, challenging the raven-haired woman with a look I didn’t comprehend. ‘You’re welcome to compete with Quentin and myself, Elvira dear. If you’re up to it.’

  Elvira rolled her eyes. ‘I always win, you know.’

  ‘That’s why I’m having you balance Sybil on your lap. It gives the rest of us half a chance.’

  As this playful banter was exchanged, the others were slipping out of their tunics. I watched warily as Brother Paul, Brother Quentin and the two blonde sisters bared themselves and hung their clothing on pegs along the wall. ‘Mustn’t get our clothes dirty,’ Sybil explained as she sidled up to me, ‘or everyone’s favourite laundress will wonder what goes on here.’

  ‘And investigate, so she can tattle to the abbot,’ Zee chimed in. She smiled warmly, and then assisted as Sybil peeled off her dark shirt and trousers. She and her sister had beautifully smooth skin, and breasts that peaked in nipples resembling raspberries, and identical blonde bushes. They seemed completely at ease as they fetched a jar of golden liquid and slathered it all over Sybil’s globular breasts.

  ‘That’s good…quite nice,’ my room-mate murmured as their caress continued. ‘Anoint Paul and Quentin now, ladies. We’d better be dipping before our chocolate thickens any more. Are you ready for our instructions, Elvira?’

  The statuesque woman was moving more deliberately than the others — and, like me, she still wore her tunic. Her smile betrayed a shyness I wouldn’t have imagined in one so physically outstanding. Elvira seemed to notice my hesitation, and stepped closer.

  ‘You see, Mary Grace, how Brother Paul and Brother Quentin are preparing for our first event? The object of this game is to make the most shells of this chocolate coating before climaxing, which requires great control. We then fill the hollow, cock-shaped containers with nougat or other candy filling — or use the last of the thickened chocolate inside, which creates a most delicious dildo.’

  I blinked with sudden understanding. Brother Quentin, the beefier of the two, now sported an impressive erection as Zerelda oiled it lovingly. Her sister worked on Paul, who eyed his opponent’s pecker as though using it for inspiration.

  ‘So you cover these, uh, body parts with the chocolate, until it hardens?’

  ‘That’s right. Takes a good double dipping to produce a shell that will hold up to filling — and then, of course, there’s the challenge of deflating carefully, so as not to break one’s shell, before rising to the challenge of making as many more as each contestant can manage.’

  My face must’ve registered my surprise, because Elvira laughed until her bosom shook. ‘I’m going to hold Sybil suspended on my lap at whatever angle Brother Paul dictates, which will create a casting we’ll probably fill with wine, for a sipping contest some time in the future.’

  This image, too, made my eyes widen — and they grew bigger still when the giant of a woman beside me ran a finger along my face. ‘This must feel foreign to you, as a newcomer,’ she continued in that throaty voice. ‘So if you simply want to watch, that’s your privilege, Mary Grace. If you care to join in, however, you’re invited to lend a hand…or a tongue, or whatever you care to contribute. And you do find this rather enticing, don’t you?’

  My glance had wandered to where Brothers Quentin and Paul sat across from each other, ready to compete. Sybil came up beside us, her expression teasing. ‘Don’t let Little Miss Innocent here fool you, Elvira. She’s a wildcat once she gets warmed up. If she appeals to you, you ought to give our other boys a run for their money. No doubt in my mind you can do that while you’re holding me.’

  Elvira shifted, looking as affected by the aroused bodies as I was. ‘Does she know?’

  Sybil shook her head. ‘I always let people disclose their own secrets, my dear. Once Mary Grace grasps yours — in whatever way she will — she’ll be fine with it. She’s a quick study.’

  The two of them exchanged a purposeful look. Then Brother Paul glanced our way, resuming his role as director of the activities. ‘Elvira! Sybil! Get into your positions. Quentin and I are ready!’

  Sybil went to fetch the stool, leaving me quite curious about the tall, onyx-eyed woman towering above me. Holding my gaze, Elvira slipped out of her tunic, to reveal the most prodigious cock I had ever seen! She then unfastened the short, artfully stuffed camisole that provided her with such remarkable cleavage, and handed her clothing to me. ‘Will you please hang these on a peg?’ she asked.

  I now realised why her voice sounded gravelly; I couldn’t stop staring at a smooth, hairless body of magnificent proportion — but a male body with the face and hairstyle of an alluring woman. ‘Does…does the abbot know?’ I squeaked.

  ‘Absolutely not. But Sybil’s bringing you here tells me you can be trusted, Mary Grace.’

  I nodded rapidly. What would I say, after all? I wasn’t sure Mrs Goodin or Father Luc would believe me if I told them Elvira’s secret, anyway.

  ‘If you don’t mind, we’ll save my explanations for later,’ Elvira said. ‘Right now, I’m going to show Brother Paul and Brother Quentin that two men can’t outdo a woman, once she puts her mind to something.’

  My thoughts skittered when Elvira took my hand. ‘Anoint me, Mary Grace. You can assist with Sybil’s dipping, and then with mine. I have a feeling we’ll be an unbeatable trio before it’s all over. And feel free to make yourself more comfortable, whenever you wish.’

  Without further ado, Elvira perched on the tall stool, her legs spread slightly. A couple of playful pats invited Sybil to balance atop those muscled thighs, facing out in a kneeling position as two strong arms held her suspended. ‘Let’s do Sybil’s first dip,’ the raven-haired contestant suggested, ‘and then I’ll give you gents a challenge like you haven’t seen in weeks. Miss Mary has agreed to be my inspiration.’

  Vee came over with a deep pan of the chocolate, offering one end to me. We stepped around Elvira’s extended legs and then raised the pan between us so Sybil could lower her firm, rounded breasts into the coating.

  ‘Mmmm…nice and warm,’ she breathed, and then she raised herself up to let the excess drip off. ‘All right, Paul. Put me where you want me — but quickly.’

  Vee took the chocolate away, and all eyes were on Sybil. She leaned out over Elvira’s sturdy arm to display her fudge-covered front, looking like an erotic statue on a ship’s bow.

  ‘A bit lower,’ Brother Paul crooned. ‘Perfect! Balanced, with the nipples at the
most advantageous angle. Are you ready, Elvira? Quentin and I can’t wait forever, you know!’

  I found myself intrigued. With oiled hands, I grasped the cock jutting up towards Sybil’s stomach, and produced an immediate low moan and two inches of additional length. There was still so much I didn’t understand about Elvira, yet no one seemed to consider this man in woman’s clothing freakish or abnormal. So I laid aside my doubts. The long, pink shaft quivered in my fingers, until its owner whispered, ‘Stop, dear heart — the object is for me to outlast Paul and Quentin! You’re doing a lovely job, by the way.’

  I glanced up into kohl-lined eyes that held praise and admiration. Elvira was trusting me, so I took one of the smaller pots of chocolate Zee had poured for our contestants and knelt beneath Sybil.

  ‘On your marks — get set —’ the sisters chanted, pausing for an unbearable moment, ‘go!’

  The three dippers thrust into their individual chocolate pots. I could see where I’d have to assist Elvira, who bore the added burden of balancing Sybil — who must be kept still as her casting dried, so it wouldn’t crack. I scooted closer, shoving the narrow pot up over the stiff, pink erection facing me, then lowering it to catch the drips.

  ‘Splendid,’ Elvira breathed. ‘Both you, and this warm, luxurious chocolate, Mary Grace.’

  ‘It’s not too hot?’

  ‘Feels absolutely divine.’

  ‘What…what keeps it rigid, once it’s cooled? I asked.

  ‘We stir in beeswax as we melt it, which adds flavour and hardens quickly — as you saw with the cherries.’

  I nodded, unable to stop staring at Elvira’s chocolate rod. Sybil was looking down at me, giggling as much as her cast would allow. ‘Dip me again, Mary, and then tend to Elvira. Mind you, don’t do anything suggestive while she’s shrinking herself. Licking me wouldn’t be a good idea until she’s ready for a second casting.’

  Indeed, Sybil’s neatly-trimmed slit was positioned right in front of my face. I dodged her hint by doing as I was told, holding the pan of liquid chocolate so she could re-coat her breasts. I was setting the pan aside when I heard Elvira letting out her breath with a victorious little gasp.