STORY SUMMARY: Things were going fine for me until I blacked out one night and woke to a demon butler serving tea and scones. He's convinced I've made a contract with him—I'm convinced he's lying.

Rating: T (Subject to change)

GENERAL DISCLAIMER: It's not my sandbox. I'm just playing in it.

Sweetness

Part Seven

Zella, who had apparently dozed off at some point before the commotion, mumbled inaudible words against his ear; tightening her hold on his neck when he smoothed the flat of his palm down her spine in a mockery of affection; his eyes searched for a place to take his late-night meal. Spotting a deserted ally, he strode inside and pressed the human girl against one of the conjoining brick walls. And because some primal part of himself preferred his prey to struggle, the demon used his thumb and forefinger to pinch her arm.

"Arghh." She grumbled into his shoulder.

He did it again.

"Stop. Ithertss."

'Stop. It hurts,' he mentally translated.

"Miss Zella, please do try to cooperate. I really would prefer if you were awake for this."

"Tired."

"Miss Zella—" the girl began snoring softly.

Sebastian sighed. "Very well."

Propping her more firmly against the brick purchase, Sebastian used one hand to unbutton the top of her jacket and pull the lapel along with several strands of hair aside. With that accomplished, he angled her chin sideways, taking his time to appreciate the creamy paleness of her naked throat—sparing another minute to lick long, leisurely stripes along her vein—and then when the temptation grew to be to much, he bit down.

Sebastian knew the very instant she shot to awareness, or rather semi-awareness, as her heartbeat promptly accelerated. He spared this detail little courtesy, concentrating instead on the glorious flavor assaulting his senses. Though the tang of chemicals was still palpable in her blood stream, even with that mild imperfection, Zella tasted magnificent. Her red nectar seeped into his waiting mouth, lavishing each tooth and nerve ending with pleasure. Still not nearly as delicious her soul would've been, but mind-numbingly delectable all the same. The butler knew his current actions were the equivalent of victimizing a lame animal, but mercy was not in a demon's nature. Especially when it encumbered access to such an exquisite morsel.

He'd expected her to fight—but perhaps she couldn't. Perhaps the substance was more powerfully than he'd assumed.

After the initial gorge, Sebastian gradually slowed his pulls, lapping up the free flowing blood rather than aggressively sucking it from her wound. This was when he noticed two things. Firstly, Zella, whom was silently weeping against his clavicle, had yet to loosen her hold on him; and second, his left hand, which was burning in the place where his contract with Ciel resided. As if afire—it burned. And the more blood he suckled from Zella the fiercer that fire raged. Gasping, Sebastian tore his mouth from the girl's neck, causing her to yelp. With one arm he hoisting the girl, simultaneously using his bloodied teeth to remove his left glove. He stared wide eyed at his contract mark. Within seconds it had faded to almost nothing, and as he watched, it continued doing so. It was being absorbed by his skin, like ink upon parchment, leaving only a clean and smooth surface in it's wake.

Stunned, his hold on the girl named Zella slipped and despite her valiant efforts, she slid to the ground in a crumpled heap. Fresh tears streaming from her eyes and fingers bloodied from cupping her injury.

Very few things in life could truly astonish a demon—fewer still could astonish Sebastian—but then…with the contract nullified, he was no longer 'Sebastian', now was he? He was once again a nameless demon, free to do as he wished—to claim what he wished—and to devour whom he wished. He nearly salivated at the mere thought of reintroducing human souls into his diet. But the circumstances still begged the question—how? How as this possible? The obvious conclusion was that Ciel had died; but that was unlikely and therefore dismissed since he'd detected no distress over their link.

The less obvious explanation was that Zella and her immaculate blood were somehow to blame—or rather to thank. Jilted, the demon flexed his arms only to realize she was no longer in them. She wasn't hard to locate, sitting in ball barely two feet away, trembling like a leaf on the brink of autumn. Yes, his demonic instincts whispered, this is her doing. He was now in debt to a human—this knowledge was both foreign and slightly uncomfortable to acknowledge.

But then, perhaps he could tip the scale in his own favor. Granting her a wish would certainly balance the cosmic scale—though demons couldn't do so without first forming a binding contract. Which played nicely into his agenda. He rather enjoyed that idea of claiming Zella's soul after abstaining for nearly two-centuries. If fact, the very notion had him practically purring with satisfaction.

Mind made up, the demon knelt and leveled the girl with a persuasive grin.

Zella looked up at him with betrayed eyes. "You bit me."

AN: ...