Aurora lay in bed later that night asleep. Even though demons didn't need sleep whatsoever, Aurora still had some of her human tendencies and went to sleep every night. This night though was different; though it should've been expected considering the Phantomhive was extremely hungry. Aurora's eyes opened, as if in a daze, and she pushed off her covers and stood to her feet. Her body moved of its own accord as she turned the knob on her door and exited the room. She made it just down the hall before she ran into a hard figure and fell backwards, thumping her head against the floor.
The female Phantomhive groaned and came out of the daze. She rubbed her head as a painful headache erupted inside of her noggin. She saw stars for a few seconds as whomever she had run into helped her slowly to her feet. Once her vision was finally back to normal, Aurora looked up and met the dark red eyes of Sebastian.
"Are you alright, young mistress?" he asked her. His hands were still on her shoulders. Aurora nodded, only to shake her head a second later as she fell forward into Sebastian's body. The Phantomhive butler caught and held her at his chest. He stared down at her with furrowed eyebrows. "My lady?"
"Please help me," she murmured against his chest. Her hands clenched at his shirt and she looked up at him with pink demon eyes. "I'm starving."
Sebastian smirked. "I see. Though why is it you need my assistance? You must've fed before coming to the Phantomhive Manor, correct?"
The female Phantomhive whimpered and tightened her grip on him. "I think so. Usually I eat once I fall asleep, almost as if I'm sleepwalking. I'll remember going to bed that night only to find myself covered in blood in the morning. I'm so hungry but I've never fed before while awake. Please help me, Sebastian. I can't take this hunger any longer."
Sebastian chuckled and lowered his head beside her ear. "I guess we'll just have to fix that, now won't we?" Aurora wasn't sure why, but she shivered at how sadistic he just sounded.
"Where are we going?" Aurora asked, glancing around at her surroundings. Sebastian held the Phantomhive in his arms as he ran to their destination. When he had first picked Aurora up, he had to explain to her that, more than likely, since she was much younger than him, she wouldn't have been able to run nearly as fast as him, so Sebastian was just going to run with her in his arms to make their trip much faster.
"London. There should be enough souls for you. It shouldn't be too hard to pick one out of the many there."
"Won't people see us though?"
"My lady, it is around two in the morning. Not many humans are even awake at this hour," the older demon explained to the Phantomhive.
Sebastian didn't stop running until he was in the very middle of London. He let Aurora down onto the ground and allowed her to silently search her surroundings with her blue eyes. No one was in sight luckily and hadn't seen the two appear out of nowhere. Aurora turned back to the Phantomhive butler and said, "I will say this once and only once, Sebastian. If I can help it, I will never take the soul of a respectable man or woman. Criminals, rapists, thieves, etc. are fine, but anyone else I will not. Am I clear?"
The demon butler grinned. "Crystal, my lady."
"Now, where shall we start? I don't quite see anyone around here."
"Well," he said with a thoughtful expression. "We can either wait here for someone worthy enough for you to appear or we search around. Might I suggest a local tavern?"
"I say we head towards the tavern then. Besides, it may be easier to find a criminal who is drunk then one who is sober." Aurora took a deep breath and held her skull as another wave of dizziness ran through her head. Sebastian quickly grabbed hold of the Phantomhive before she collapsed to the ground. He carefully observed the girl he held in his arms as he waited for her to return to normal. Finally Aurora gasped and released her head a few minutes later. She glanced up over her shoulder at Sebastian, not even caring that he held her so close. "Let's hurry, Sebastian. I'm not sure how much more of this I can take."
"Yes, my lady," Sebastian replied back, lifting up the Phantomhive into his arms in a bridal like fashion. Aurora frowned at being once again lifted and carried by Sebastian like a young child as the demon butler ran towards the closet tavern. To top everything off, it had just begun to rain, drenching both demons.
Aurora placed both of her hands over her head to help block out some of the rain. "Sebastian, I know that you said that you can run much faster than me, and I do believe you, but I think you can put me down now and allow me to walk! I'm hungry, not terminally ill!"
Sebastian just chuckled at her angry remark and didn't place the younger female demon down until he was outside the door of one of the taverns in London. Aurora glared up at the Phantomhive butler and brushed herself off before raising a hand to push open the tavern's door. Her fingers barely brushed against the wood of the door when a gloved hand gripped her wrist and stopped her from proceeding. Aurora scowled up at the demon butler and raised a slender eyebrow.
Slowly a mocking smile appeared on her face as she pulled her wrist from his grasp. "My mistake, Sebastian. I almost forgot my manners there for a moment." Aurora bowed low towards the ground and raised an arm, indicating for Sebastian to enter before her. "Please. Ladies first. It is but only proper."
Sebastian's eyes flashed pink and narrowed dangerously down at the Phantomhive. Aurora snickered at the expression on his face. She came back up from her bow just as Sebastian re-grabbed her wrist and pulled her inside the tavern with him. His original plan had been to enter the tavern first to make sure the place was safe for the Phantomhive mistress, but of course she had to go and complicate the matter for him.
Sebastian directed Aurora towards an empty booth as his eyes darted around the room and took in all of their surroundings. A bartender stood behind the counter cleaning out glasses with a dirtied rag; across from the bartender at the counter sat two men who were chatting amongst themselves quietly under their breaths, the one even had a cigarette in his mouth; a man and a woman were snogging at a booth near the door, not caring who saw; and another man with a liquor bottle sat at the counter as well with coins piled in front of him as he tried to count each one.
Sebastian pulled Aurora into a booth secluded from the other people before sliding in beside her. Aurora frowned when she noticed that she was trapped in the booth until Sebastian decided to let her back out. The demon butler wrapped an arm around Aurora's shoulders, who instantly froze at the contact, and lowered his face beside her ear.
"Do not be alarmed as to what I am doing," he warned her quietly. "I am only making it convincing that we are a couple as to not attract attention."
"Can't we just chat instead as old acquaintances?" the Phantomhive asked just as soft.
Sebastian chuckled. "Unfortunately not, my lady. Most women do not venture into inns unless accompanied by a man, or are looking for ways to earn money. Don't tell me you would rather us act like those humans over there?" and he nodded slightly in the direction of where the couple were still at it by the door.
Aurora shuddered. "No thank you. I prefer this position to that one."
"I thought as much. I also chose this position though because I knew that it was the only way I could keep a hold on you and make sure you didn't attack any random human when around them. When you feed, my lady, you want to try and find a secluded area to feast without attracting any attention whatsoever. It makes it easier when authorities are brought into the picture."
At the word feast Aurora swore Sebastian's eyes changed colors causing shivers to run up and down her spine. Immediately afterwards though her stomach began to ferociously growl at her, causing the Phantomhive to clench her own eyes and lean her head against Sebastian's shoulder as pain erupted through her body, starting at her stomach. Aurora clasped Sebastian's black coat and willed for the pain to disappear. Finally after a few minutes, Aurora relaxed her grip on Sebastian's coat, though the female demon didn't let go.
"That was the worst yet," she murmured under her breath. She pulled her face away from Sebastian's shoulder and glanced up at the older demon. Her eyes were their bright pink demonic color and lasted that way longer than usual. "I'm not sure how much longer I'll last, Sebastian. Is there anyone here who may happen to be a criminal of some sort?"
Sebastian nodded and glanced up in the direction of the man sitting by himself with the liquor bottle and money. "See that human over there, my lady? The state of his clothes certainly does not match the amount of gold he certainly possesses. I believe he may've stolen that money."
"Good eye," Aurora tiredly told him with a small smile. "Now what?"
"We wait."
"Wait? Why ever for?"
"We wait for that human to leave the tavern so we can ambush him somewhere outside, preferably take him into an alleyway."
"And then? Like I mentioned earlier, I've never fed upon a human's soul while awake so I'm not quite sure how to."
"I'll tell you once we've come to that part."
"That just makes me want to run," Aurora muttered. "Will it be as bloody as it usually is for me? Better yet. Can you make sure it isn't as bloody as usual for me?"
"Why, my lady, I am simply one hell of a butler. What kind of butler would I be if I couldn't do a task as simple as that?" he asked back with a smile, slightly tightening his grip on her when he saw her tense up slightly as another growl came from her stomach area.
"Yes, well, I'm one hell of a Phantomhive and yet I haven't been able to do something so, as you put it, 'simple as that'," she said back through clenched teeth. "I'm not sure if I'll last long enough for that man to leave the tavern!"
Sebastian tightened his grip on her even more. "I am right by your side and will hold you back if necessary." Aurora glanced up at Sebastian and the older demon pushed her head back into his shoulder. "My apologies, my lady, but your eyes seem to be stuck flashing pink. I'm afraid that this time they may stay like this until you feed."
"Fantastic," Aurora said into his coat. Though her words were mostly muffled by the black material, the demon butler got the gist of what she was trying to say to him and smirked slightly. "Inform me when he is ready to pay then, Sebastian."
"Yes, my lady," he murmured, just loud enough for Aurora to hear.
The two sat in silence for at least five minutes, yet still the man hadn't left yet. At some moments, the people in the tavern would curiously glance back at them, but would then immediately turn away when Sebastian narrowed his eyes at them.
"What is it?" Aurora asked when she felt Sebastian shift his position slightly again. "Has he moved yet?"
"I'm afraid not, young mistress."
"Then stop moving! You're not helping."
"My apologies."
"What is the matter anyway?" she demanded of him. She moved back slightly from his coat and glared up at him. This time her eyes were a blood red, a step up from the pink.
Sebastian quickly pushed her head back against his shoulder. "The filthy human hasn't moved from his spot yet and the others have begun to stare at us."
"At us? Why us? We aren't even doing anything!"
"Precisely. We've been sitting in this same position for about five minutes now. I feel that the others may think that we may be planning something, which we are."
"Great," Aurora groaned, tightening the fist she still had on Sebastian's coat. "Just what we needed. Attention. It's going to look really suspicious now if when we get up to follow that man once he leaves. What do we do?"
"What we need to do," he told her calmly.
"What are you – EEP!" Aurora squealed as Sebastian picked her up by the waist and placed her onto his lap. The female Phantomhive stared with wide eyes into Sebastian's dark ones. Her skin had turned a shade paler and the fists she had on his jacket were clenching as tightly as possible, causing all the blood to leave her hands making them even whiter. "How dare you, Sebastian!" she snarled at him. Unfortunately her demeanor didn't quite match the venom in her words.
With one hand still wrapped around her waist, the demon butler said, "Once again, my apologies, my lady." His other hand pushed Aurora into his chest and started to play with her long bluish grey hair. "I am only trying to make this as realistic as possible. Do not fret. I will not take this position a step farther, unless you wish it of course."
"You are a sick, demented, sadistic demon!" she hissed at him.
Sebastian tightened his hold gently on Aurora's hair and pulled, causing her head to move upwards and for her eyes to stare into the demon's. He smirked. "I try my best, my lady."
Aurora narrowed her red eyes up at him and tried to force her head back down, but to no prevail. "Bastard! Let me go!" Sebastian chuckled and released her hair. Aurora instantly pulled back from the Phantomhive butler and glared daggers at him. "Honestly, how does Ciel even deal with someone like you?"
Sebastian smirked. "'Someone like me?' Mistress, it seems that you have already forgotten that you are exactly like me." Aurora snarled at him, showing off the small fangs in her mouth, and turned her direction to stare at something else. Sebastian instantly placed a hand under her chin and turned her face, returning her attention back to him. "Please keep your eyes on me so you don't attract the attention of others. We do not need any of these pathetic human beings running out here say that there is a demon in there mist, even if they are correct."
"Stop calling them all filthy humans, Sebastian! I once was a human too, you know, so I take great offence to that. Not everyone in the world is filthy!"
Sebastian's eyes narrowed slightly as well, but only in mere amusement. "Yes, but now you are a demon. All these emotions you still feel are making you weak. It will be a relief when you rid yourself of these human emotions and tendencies and start acting like a real demoness. It will be easier for both of us."
"Both of us? Why would my feelings affect you?"
"Well, you will be living under the Phantomhive Manor roof for some time if I'm correct. Until I finally eat the soul of the young master, you and I will be living with one another for some time."
"Yay," Aurora muttered with sarcasm, crossing her arms over her chest. "Oh. And, Sebastian?"
"Yes, my lady?"
"We never speak of tonight ever again. Understood?"
Sebastian just smiled in reply and directed his eyes around the female Phantomhive until they were once again upon the poor, filthy human in the corner. From the distance that Sebastian was att, he was able to tell that the man's bottle was close to being empty while the man himself was hurriedly pushing all his money back into a brown pouch. The human's eyes kept glancing around him as if he was expecting someone or something to ambush him for the money. Not quite a bullseye, but the man almost hit the mark.
Aurora sighed. "Why can't that man just hurry up?"
"Maybe if you ask him politely he'll leave just for you, my lady."
"Did you just give me sarcasm?"
"The human is paying. It appears he is ready to leave," Sebastian observed, ignoring what Aurora had said to him.
Aurora quickly glanced back. When she brought her red eyes back over to Sebastian she wore a small smirk on her face. "It appears as if it is our time to leave as well then, Sebastian."
Sebastian rose instantly to his feet, barely giving Aurora enough time to wrap her arms around his neck to keep herself from falling off. The female Phantomhive glared up at him and tightened her hold. Without a word of explanation for his actions, the demon butler constricted his own hold he had around Aurora's waist and walked towards the direction of the door.
Aurora narrowed her eyes even more at Sebastian once the two were out of the tavern and back once again in the pouring rain. "Why did you place me on your lap in there if you were only going to change your course of action and have us leave before that man instead of after?"
"I placed you upon my lap so we wouldn't attract too much attention back there and I altered the plan slightly for the same exact reason."
"What is it with you anyway? My brother ordered you to treat me like a Phantomhive mistress and be my butler as much as you are his, yet you go and do this to me! What game are you playing at, Sebastian? The only time you ever treat me correctly is when we are around Ciel. Any other moment the only respect you give me is calling me 'my lady' or 'mistress'. I don't even think you came with me to help me feed because you were obeying me. What was the real reason for helping me?"
Sebastian moved backwards into the shadows. He pressed himself against a wall and covered Aurora's mouth as the man exited the tavern and began to walk in the northern direction. The demon butler leaned into Aurora's ear and quietly said, "I'll explain anything you wish to know after you have been fed," and followed after the man.
Aurora's eyes widened slightly as she stared into his dark reddish ones. So she wasn't mistaken. Sebastian was hiding a secret from her. But what was it he exactly had to explain to her?
Sebastian's lips curved up on the side into a smirk. "That hopeless fool. He just brought himself into a dead end. He must be sensing that we are following him so he's allowing his fear to overcloud his train of thought."
"Dead end?"
"The human ran himself into an alleyway in hopes of escape, though that particular alley has none for him to use. Now then. Let us follow, my lady."
"You did it again, Sebastian."
The demon butler quickly followed stealthily after their victim. Once he was at the mouth of the alley, he grinned at the scene before them. Aurora scrambled out of Sebastian's arms and looked as well at whatever was amusing Sebastian. At least she thought he was amused since his eyes were pink and cat-like. The man was staring at them with wide eyes with his back pushed up against the wall behind him. His body was shaking in fear which grew considerably worse when Sebastian walked closer towards him. To make the situation even better, lightning crashed somewhere behind us all in the distance causing the Phantomhive butler to light up for a moment in the rain before becoming dark once again.
Aurora watched Sebastian move closer and closer to the poor man, but froze when another surge of dizziness exploded in her head causing everything to grow blurry. The female Phantomhive groaned and grabbed at her head, leaning against the alley wall as she did so. When Aurora looked back up, she grinned like a psycho and followed Sebastian towards the man's direction.
"Let's make this quick," Aurora muttered. She stopped beside the demon butler who was staring down at the prey. "I'm beginning to tire of the game 'Cat and Mouse'."
Sebastian placed a hand over his heart. "Certainly, young mistress." The next second he stood an inch in front of the man. The human yelped but was cut off when Sebastian reached out with blinding speed and grabbed the man around the neck.
As Sebastian turned the man around so Aurora could reach him, said Phantomhive stepped forward towards him and grabbed at the man's face. She still wore a creepy smile on her face but her red eyes were a mixture of hunger and slight sadness. "I apologize, sir, for what is about to happen for I have never done such a thing before while awake. My only regret is that this may hurt…a lot, but on the bright side it will, hopefully, not last too long. Oh, and please do not go and try to call for help. It's much too early in the morning and I doubt others wish to be disturbed."
The man tried to speak but his words instead came out as nothing more than gurgles and attempts at coughing. His hands tried to claw at Sebastian's grip around his neck but everything he tried was useless. The demon butler that held him chuckled sadistically at the attempts.
"Please hold still, sir. I told you that I'll make this quick, but it'll be much easier to keep to my word if you would stop squirming in my butler's grip." The man tried to speak again but could not. Aurora sighed. "Sebastian, please lessen your hold on him for a moment so we may hear what his final words are."
Sebastian did as what was asked of him making the man cough harshly in his grip as he forced air back into his lungs. When the man was able to speak, he looked into Aurora's red eyes with his own frightened ones. "Y-You don't d-d-dress like a no-no-noble, and yet you s-s-s-speak like you. W-W-What are y-y-you?"
Aurora chuckled and brushed some of her hair away from her face. "For the sins you have committed, sir, I am here to end your dreadful life. My name is Aurora. What I am is a demoness…and I am your worst nightmare." The man went to scream, but Sebastian tightened his grip on the man's neck again. Aurora leaned in with a partly opened mouth towards the man's face as Sebastian's grip grew even tighter, yet not enough to kill. The next thing the poor human knew was that everything had gone black.
Sebastian watched the younger demon with observing eyes as she began to devour the man's soul. Oh dear, what a mess, he thought to himself as he saw blood begin to seep from the man's mouth along with his soul. She had warned him that there was going to be blood, but he hadn't been expecting this much. This young Demoness is even less experienced than anticipated. To pull the blood out along with the soul is an error one would expect from a 2 month old demon. The girl has obviously been reluctant in both her feedings and in accepting her new nature. It appears I must play the part of mentor if I'm to prevent these activities from troubling my master or me. Fortunately the rain should wash away the blood. In hopes of preventing any more blood from coming out though, the demon butler tightened his hold.
When Aurora finally pulled away, she fell to her knees. Her upper body fell backwards and landed against the cobbled stone ground as what she had just done went through her head. Knowing the human was now dead, Sebastian snapped the man's neck and dropped his limp body to the ground. He knew how suspicious it would look to see a dead body with absolutely no wounds whatsoever. Yes there was blood everywhere, but with the rain that was still pouring overhead, much of the blood would be gone when authorities finally discovered the body.
"Now that I can think clearly once again, I feel horrible for what I've just done, even if he might've deserved it, but I also feel as if my hunger has been soothed for the time being. I thank you, Sebastian, for helping me. It would've been much worse without you," Aurora said to him, licking her lips. Her head then glanced around at her surroundings. "You know, there actually isn't as much blood as there normally is. It seems as if you are 'one hell of a butler', Sebastian."
"Why thank you, my lady." Sebastian took his black trench coat off, helped Aurora stumble back to her feet, and then placed the coat around her shoulders. The Phantomhive stared up at him as he lifted her up in his arms and began to walk out of the alley. She pulled the coat tightly around her and furrowed her eyebrows. The demon butler looked down at her and smiled. "It's for the blood, my lady," he told her, answering her unasked question. "Your attire is covered in it and we can't have you appearing back at the Manor looking like that. What would the young master think?"
"Well that's good Ciel's asleep, isn't it, Sebastian?" Aurora asked sarcastically, rolling her eyes. She then sighed. "I am going to need a new change of clothes though. I'm afraid that this outfit and the other I wore yesterday is all I brought with me."
"I guess I can hurry and make something when we get back."
"Or you can allow me to borrow something of yours just for the night. I see no need for you to go through the trouble of making me a nightgown just for me to sleep in for one night only. Besides, I prefer trousers and tunics anyway." Sebastian opened his mouth to say something but Aurora quickly cut him off. "And yes I know that as a young lady I shouldn't be thinking like that and as a noble I should dress more proper. I once did dress like all the other ladies when I was much younger, but things happened which soon forced me to change the way I dressed. The only times I wear dresses anymore is when times are desperate and I have absolutely no other choice. Now, if it isn't too much trouble, Sebastian, let us go home."
"Yes, my lady."
"So, Sebastian, what exactly did you have to tell me?" Aurora asked. She was leaning against his bedroom doorway after just changing into a pair of Sebastian's pants and a white shirt of his. Luckily she was close to his height, around 5'10 to his 6'1, so the clothes weren't too big on her. She had her arms crossed over her chest as she stared at the demon butler who sat behind a desk in his room writing things down for who knows what. "I've fed now and everyone in the household is asleep, except for the two of us, so there's no need to worry of being overheard by another."
"Are you sure you wish to know?"
"Just say it already! My patience is growing thin with you."
Sebastian grinned and stood to his feet, running his gloved hands through his hair as he did so. "I will try and make what I am about to say as simple as can be, my lady. Even though the young master has ordered me to treat you like a Phantomhive mistress, I will obey his order when around him and while in this household. Unfortunately I am sorry to say that when the two of us aren't anywhere near him or in the Manor, I am free to treat you as you are. Since you are only a year old, you technically have absolutely no authority over me, whereas I do have some over you."
Aurora's eyebrows furrowed together slightly in confusion as she tried to comprehend what he had just told her. "Let me see if I understand. So when it is only us two, your demon instincts take over and you wish to gain control of the situation. In your eyes, you have authority to do whatever you please since you are the older demon. That's why you were willing to grab and touch me like that in the tavern, because with lesser demons like me you are allowed to. That doesn't explain as to why you helped me with my feeding though. You didn't have to listen to my order once we were out of the Manor."
"I stayed there with you to make sure you didn't attract too much attention, but also to help. Since I am the older demon, think of it as if I almost took you under my wing. You have been a demoness for merely a year, but you were not born one but instead made one which means that you have no idea as to what you are doing. I will stay by your side and teach you what it takes to be a demon for as long as I can."
"How long is 'long'?"
"Until you have gotten the gist of things or until I have eaten the young master's soul."
"Joy."
Man, oh, man. This was one of those chapters that I had all planned out in my head of what I wanted to happen but had no clue as to how to put the scene into words. In other words, I am sorry if this chapter confuses anyone. If you have any questions as to what just happened, like the ending for example, message me or ask in a review. Don't worry; I don't bite and I'll be happy to explain where my train of thought was going during writing this chapter.
HEADS UP! MAY BE CONSIDERED A SPOILER CONCERNING AURORA PHANTOMHIVE!:
I will say this about Aurora now though. I'm not sure how many people will wonder this, but for those people out there who are definitely wondering why Aurora is acting...differently compared to the last chapter, especially considering how she was calling herself a monster before and now is all cool when it comes to eating, just remember that she is tired and starving since she hasn't had a meal in a while. What I'm going for is Aurora still tries to think of herself slightly as human, since she really can't accept the fact that she is a demon, but when she is hungry her demon instincts tend to take control of her actions, the main reason for why she sounds pretty creepy when she about to feast on the poor man. As this story progresses though, I'm hoping to have these instincts of hers start to come out more and more until you begin to see a whole different side of Aurora. Slowly the demon side of her is taking over until there is nothing left of her human side.
EDIT!:
Added an extra paragraph to clean up any questions as to why Aurora gained blood on her clothes and why it was all over the ground. Thank you to Paxloria for asking her question and for helping me be able to fix the problem. For anyone who wishes to go back and read it, since it is important, the paragraph is right after the man blacks out when Aurora is about to eat his soul.
