It was the spring of 1938 when Giles showed me the bordello. It was, he assured me, no ordinary place of sex. Having lived in Paris all my life, I didn't think there was anything I hadn't already seen or done. But, with conviction, he told me that what I'd find there was unlike anything I could or would expect. Cleverly, he never told me exactly what it was, so not a week later the power of curiosity found me returning to that very spot.
From the outside it looked like just another downtown middle-class brownstone, well hidden by virtue of it's anonymity. At the door I was greeted by a humourless woman who, wrapped in an Oriental kimono, welcomed me while seeming very wary of my presence. The interior lobby did feel much like the bordellos I'd visited in the past, the air strongly hinting of alcohol and perfume. I awkwardly explained that I was looking for something 'different', and that I'd been told this was where I should come. The nameless Madame nodded in understanding, and after settling the financial terms, led me to the uppermost floor of the building.
"No regrets, sir," she said enigmatically before leaving me in front of the bare wooden door.
I knocked uncertainly, but getting no response, I finally decided to let myself in. The small room beyond was fairly dark, the only real light coming in from the unclean windows. The scent of something vaguely stale pervaded the air, and I noticed a pile of loose material bunched in the far corner. There was virtually no furniture apart from the low bed and a narrow backed wooden chair next to that. Here she sat, one leg stretched out while her chin rested on the opposite knee. She appeared to be enveloped in some sort of all-encompassing woolen shawl. With my eyes still adjusting to the relative darkness, it was hard to pick out any more detail than this.
"Do come in," she said softly, her voice strangely accented yet quite melodious.
Closing the door behind me, I approached with some trepidation. This was all rather different than my previous experiences at these places.
"Um, hello," I said gamely, "nice to meet you. My name is Gregory. May I ask yours?"
She lifted her head, revealing her bright eyes, her sandy blonde hair short and unkempt.
"My name is Anachiel," she said. "Why don't you undress. You can put your clothes on the bed."
It was then I noticed that it wasn't a shawl she was wrapped in, it was the folded length of long, grey-feathered wings.
"But, you're..." I stammered, genuinely shocked.
Anachiel, as if to further confirm the point, drew back her wings, exposing her lean naked body.
"Please, do undress," she offered, "unless it is your intention to simply gawk."
"Oh, right, sorry."
Incredible as it may sound, I did indeed step out of my clothes while Anachiel watched me with an impassive expression. When I was finished, she stood up, revealing herself to be half a foot taller than myself. Her body was slender, feminine in shape but strangely lacking in breasts. I also had the impression of something unusual between her legs, but I didn't feel right in staring.