A/N: Hey guys, long time no see. I know, it's been years since I last wrote anything for you. I'm sorry. I'm gonna shoot for updating at least once a week, that way you guys aren't left waiting forever for an update. As always, reviews are welcome, flames ignored. Enjoy my latest creation. ;-)

Disclaimer: I do not own Black Butler, or Supernatural. I know, it kills me too. T_T

Prologue

Everything was suddenly calm. She wasn't exactly sure why. The last thing she remembered before blacking out was reading a spell in an old book while her body was being burned in her house. Maybe she was dead. Looking around it seemed like the most logical conclusion, unless she was comatose and dreaming this whole thing. Her surroundings were grey with black feathers falling from the sky, and off to her left, maybe twenty feet away, was a raven perched on a dead yew tree.

"Am I dead?"

"That depends."

She jumped. Of all the voices she'd have expected from a raven - had she ever expected a raven to talk - it certainly wasn't a soft, deep voice. The raven eyed her amusedly, and she was distinctly aware of an undercurrent of terror. Whatever that bird was, it certainly wasn't wholesome.

"You talk."

It snorted, "Of course I speak. How rude."

Nikki frowned at it. "Why am I here?"

"You tell me. You're the one who summoned me. To do so successfully means you must want something rather desperately."

She turned her head away, staring up at what should have been a burning roof. What did she want? Clearly that weird spell had worked, and if she survived she resolved to do some research on it, but what contract? She could hear the bird chuckling as she thought about it.

"Who are you?"

It cocked its head to the side. "Didn't you read the passage before the spell? I can give you whatever you want. For a price, of course."

Everything clicked into place, then. She had read the passage, albeit rather hurriedly. Her family had been murdered, burned alive in their home after a precious relic was stolen from her father's study. She'd been asleep when the heat got to her, prompting her to go find her parents and escape, but the thief had been thorough. Whoever it was had ensured that anyone on the second floor would be trapped, and doomed to die. It was when she'd found her parents in the library that she'd found the book, and while the fire tore at her skin, she'd read the spell. Now she remembered why she'd attempted this gambit.

"My family was murdered. I want to find out who, why they did it, and I want to destroy them."

The raven tutted. "Revenge is so cliché. Surely there is more to your wish?"

Nikki turned her brown eyes to the raven, her frown deepening. She didn't want to overplay her hand. The relic that was stolen was not only priceless, but, according to her father, it was incredibly dangerous. He wouldn't tell her everything, but she remembered that he said it would be catastrophic if it fell into the wrong hands.

"Oh dear, you don't trust me. Well, that's actually smart of you. However, if you intend to make a contract with me, Nicole Tryst, you've got to give me a better reason than revenge."

Her eyes narrowed. "A key. The killer, or killers, stole some kind of key from my father's study. I've got to get it back and destroy it."

The bird was regarding her closely, as if weighing the risk verses the reward. If the book were correct, the reward would be her soul. Every moment seemed like eternity, and Nikki was getting antsy. The longer they waited, the further the killer got, and the colder the trail went.

"I'll do…I'll give anything. I've got to get this key back. My father said it could be bad in the wrong hands."

"Bad?"

"End of the world bad, which would mean no more contracts, and no more souls."

"Well, that would be depressing. I'd go hungry, now wouldn't I?" The raven, which she now recognized as the demon from the book, sighed. "Very well. I will help you get revenge and retrieve this key. All we need to do is finalize the price of the contract."

This was the part that Nikki dreaded. Her father wasn't kidding when he'd said she was agonizingly bad at negotiating. Her inability to do so often resulted in longer than necessary punishments, purely because she couldn't control her mouth. Now she was negotiating something far more dire, and with higher stakes.

"I do remember you saying you'd give anything to get this key, yes?"

"I did…but I thought you wanted my soul?"

The demon laughed. "Well, that's the usual price, yes. However, I've been bored lately, and there's something I've been wanting to try."

Her father was right. Her mouth got her in monumental trouble, and this was the crowning instance. She was negotiating the possible end of the world with a demon, and she said she'd give anything to prevent it. It was true, but throwing all of one's cards on the table was never a wise thing to do. Now she was stuck.

Nikki took a deep breath, having a sinking feeling that she knew what he would say. "What do you want, then, if not my soul?"

Without answering, the raven took off, and the scenery changed. Suddenly, it was pitch black, and the only thing she could see were two crimson eyes staring at her hungrily. Despite the tremors running along her body, Nikki lifted her chin defiantly, her eyes locked with his. In another second, the eyes were gone, and an arm had slipped around her waist and pulled her back.

"Simple," he purred. "I want you."

"What? What do you mean?"

His voice was dark against her skin. "In exchange for my service, Nicole, you will give yourself to me. For eternity."

Well this took a drastic turn.

"You want me? As a slave?"

"More of a pet, of sorts. It's up to you, Nicole. Either you accept the terms of the contract and prevent the end of the world, or you walk away, and presumably wake up on life support in a hospital. Regardless of what happens, I still get something interesting. I either get you, or I get to watch the world burn. You might want to make your choice quickly. I'm not well known for patience."

So that was it. If she didn't agree to the terms of the contract, then the world could very well end up like a rotisserie chicken. Slightly off topic, she realized that she had to be hungry to liken the end of the world to something being slow roasted, and shook her head. There really was no choice that she could see. It was either save the world and avenge her parents, or die as the world falls apart. Fuck.

"I don't have much of a choice, do I? Fine. Let's make the contract."

The demon spun her around and pulled her close, his eyes boring down into her. She got the vague sense that he was smirking down at her, and it was all she could do to not step on his foot out of sheer irritation. Long nails lightly scraped against her cheek as he lifted her chin, forcing her to keep looking him in the eyes.

"You are a bold one…this will most definitely be fun," he chuckled, his breath warm on her face. "Before we finalize the deal, I do have to warn you - part of the job. If you do this, the Gates to Heaven will forever be closed to you."

Nikki scoffed. "That's fairly obvious since I'm agreeing to being with you for eternity."

"Sassy. That mouth could get you into trouble, Nicole."

"Probably not the last time I'll hear that…it's certainly not the first."

He laughed again, his lips dangerously close to hers. Of all the possible futures she could have seen her self having, being a demon's pet was not one of them.

"One last thing…"

She arched an eyebrow. "Just one?"

He growled slightly. "Where shall we put the contract mark? The more visible it is, the more powerful it is."

"Um…"

"How do you feel about eye patches?"

"Eye patches? Why? We aren't being pirates."

The eyes narrowed at her, and she had to admit that this was really the mouthiest she'd ever been. Part of her wondered if it might not be a defense mechanism.

"I could put it on your right eye. It would look rather lovely there, I think."

"On my eye? Could you put it on the left? My right eye is my dominant eye."

He rolled his eyes. "I could, but that would make you a tad less reliant on me, and where's the fun in that."

She just blinked. "Yeah…put it on the left eye."

"Is that an order?"

"I order you to put the contract mark on my left eye."

Before she could register what happened, he bent down and kissed her. His lips were soft and warm, which was something else she hadn't expected. They should have been cold and cruel, and they certainly shouldn't have been so sensual. As the kiss continued, he put his hand on her eye, and a sudden white hot pain exploded in her head. A scream tore from her throat, and the crimson eyes watched her with sadistic pleasure as she collapsed in his arms.