Chapter 7
Hi guys. I'm really sorry for not updating last Friday but I was surprised by a family camping trip. But here I am with your new chapter~
Nobody guessed the movie quote Q.Q It was from The Chronicles of Riddick.
Anyways, enjoy and thanks for your continued support.
I own nothing.
Chao
Majix
As the carriage sped down the streets of London, Earl Phantomhive stared out the window. His eyes were glazed with confusion and fierce determination. The Undertaker's answers only spawned more and more questions. What was the killer doing with the organs? Why didn't he just slit their throats? And what was the purpose of the mysterious clue that the mortician had given him right before he left?
"Sebastian."
The demon looked up at his young Master, their gazes locking, "My Lord?"
The boy seemed to organize his scattered mind carefully for a moment, "What're your thoughts?"
The butler remained quiet for a few seconds, "I have no doubt that whoever is murdering these women is an anatomical expert. There's little chance that somebody inexperienced could know exactly where to cut, not to mention the penetration site near the spine."
Ciel nodded in agreement, "I thought that also. I assume that the culprit knows where the police are located."
"My thoughts exactly, my Lord."
They both looked at each other, as if telepathically asking who was going to address the biggest and most important lead that was introduced. However, Lau surprised both of them by speaking up before either could come to a decision, "What about the organs, hmm?"
Sebastian glanced over at him, "My best guess would be for Cult purposes. Many underground societies believe that with certain ingredients you could summon special powers or unlock hidden knowledge. The womb of a sinner would go for extremely high amounts in the right circles, my Lord."
Madame Red groaned, "So we're looking for a doctor that's part of an underground society. During the Season. At least the killer made it easy for us."
Ciel mirrored her sarcasm. Yes, the killer had made it quite difficult.
London had a very short warm streak and it was casually known all over England as "The Season". It was practically tradition for citizens from all over to flock to the city and enjoy the fleeting warm weather. All the Nobles that had small town houses or summer homes within the boundaries of London brought their own doctors along with them. Technically the killer didn't have to be a doctor either. He could be a medical student or even a butcher. However the underground society would be able to narrow down their search a bit, but not by much.
The boy sighed, "It seems pointless to search while London is brimming with tourists, but at the same time the killer may be among the many doctors that now roam the city."
The butler pondered this for a moment and shook his head, "Very unlikely, my Lord. The Undertaker implied that he's seen at least five victims come into his shop to be fitted for a coffin."
As the landscape flew past them in a blur, the young Earl considered this. If they tried to search for the killer now, their progress would only be hung up by the swarm of people that had momentarily taken residence in London. The Season would be finished by the end of the week, but if they failed to find the perpetrator before the city was once again returned to the locals, there was a high possibility that another woman would end up dead. The Queen would not be pleased if more women died due to his failure to act.
What to do.
The very least that could be done was to compose a list of all suspects who matched the conditions of their killer and Ciel was more than sure that Sebastian would be able to accomplish such an easy task, especially since the boy had demanded much more impossible feats before.
"I think we should draw up a list." Ciel nodded as his aunt spoke his own thoughts with eased simplicity. She groaned, "It's going to be a lot of work. More than a fair amount of doctors live in London, and of course, the medical university lies just outside the boundaries of the city. It could take weeks."
The boy smirked and cast the butler a silent look of knowing and amusement. As the demon caught his Master's eye, he bowed his head, "Nonsense, my Lady. Such is a task meant for a servant, like myself. If I couldn't accomplish such a small task, then what kind of butler would I be? A Phantomhive butler at that."
"I shall compile a list of suspects and their recent activities immediately."
Madame Red looked slightly startled and Ciel calmly contained a smirk as the tall male stood within the carriage as it sped down the lengthy cobblestone streets, "Don't take to long, Sebastian."
"I wouldn't dream of it, my young Master."
He bowed politely and took delight in the shocked look on Angelina and Lau's faces as he opened the door and leaned out to look at the equally startled Durless butler, "Grell Sutcliff, is it? I have an errand to attend to, please drive the horse carriage back to the house safely."
Sebastian leaned towards the horse driver and lowered his voice significantly, his tone dripping with danger, "If anything should happen to my master along the way, I shall be most unpleased and I assure you, it won't bode well for you."
Crimson met emerald in a moment of silent tension before the man in black smiled warmly and turned back to the cabin, "If you will kindly pardon my exit, I shall attend to the errands and meet you back at the summer home." He gazed down at the boy, their eyes meeting for the briefest moment before he dropped out of the carriage, effectively closing the door behind him with practiced ease.
A chorus of shrieks filled the small interior of the carriage as Madame Red jerked around to look behind them, obviously surprised as she was unable to spot the confident butler bruised and bleeding on the uneven street behind them as the carriage continued on towards their destination, "Ciel?!"
He smirked at his aunt's bewilderment and raised an eyebrow, "Madame?"
"Y-your butler!" The humor of her shocked appearance only amused the bluenette further and he leaned back against his seat, calmly crossing his legs, "Yes, what about him?" Angelina glanced out the back window, still mildly alarmed, "He just.. he jumped out of the carriage without waiting for it to stop!"
Ciel couldn't help but to provoke the situation further, letting his eyebrow cock a single notch higher, "Of course. It would have been counterproductive if we'd stopped to let him out. He had errands to run, and I'm sure he'll be at the manor to greet us upon our arrival,"
He cast Grell an annoyed look through the small window as the Durless butler failed to turn down the right street, "That is, if your butler ever figures out how to get us back to the summer home."
The redhead's amazement at Sebastian's disappearance was quickly forgotten as she ranted and raved at the incompetent butler through the window, the sound of her overly annoyed shrill voice carrying through the streets as they sped on. Ciel watched the pair with mild amusement as Angelina continued to screech and Grell tried not only to listen and respond, but also to direct the horses in the right direction and avoid hitting anybody or anything in their path.
Tedious.
Lau quietly shifted spots, sliding over to occupy the seat across from the Earl that had once belonged to Sebastian, "Quite a sight, are they not?"
The boy ignored him and returned his gaze to the window, but the opium trader didn't seem to noticed, "However, they're not nearly as entertaining as yourself and your butler."
Ciel let his focus lazily drift back to the Asian man, though he remained silent, waiting for the man to state his point, "When you move, he's right there behind you. Like gravity."
He leaned forward, his eyes boring into the Earl's, "Tell me Earl, is it an unyielding loyalty that binds him to you, or something all the more scandalous."
His statement grazed a nerve and the boy bristled in irritation as Lau tried his patience, "Neither. He remains because he is my butler and that is his place."
Ciel ignored the man's stare as they continued. The familiar surroundings reminded him once again that his aunt's butler was more than useless. They were at least a mile from the house in the wrong direction. He could have told Angelina, but he figured it to be a waste of time. They would arrive, eventually, but as the carriage directed him further and further away from Sebastian, he grew uneasy. The bluenette didn't like being away from his butler, it left the board open and the King exposed.
But it was something deeper than even that. If Sebastian had been present for Lau's insinuating question, he would have smiled and said something pleasantly horrifying, and Lau would have dropped the subject. The demon was a shield, and he protected the Earl.
He instantly thought back to the brief moment in the Undertakers sanctuary when Madame Red had been dropping the details to what was, no doubt considered juicy gossip. He idly recalled the beautiful silence that had greeted his senses as the butler clasped both hands over his ears. His icy heart softened a bit and he sighed. Ciel wanted to believe that Sebastian stayed true to him out of loyalty and devotion but he knew the man only protected him for the prize at the end.
But is it really a prize?
He'd never thought much about his soul before making the contract with the demon, but as time went on, his doubt over whether or not he'd made the right choice grew. Death loomed over his every move, darkening his focus like merciless gray storm clouds upon the horizon; but the true fear was etched between the lines. Death had marked him for his own, but after his last breath.. he would burn. Ciel's soul was damned and he would never know the bliss of heaven; but even with the promise of hell, and the fires that awaited him, the boy still felt as though he was living in the past, and his quest for revenge drove all thoughts of fear from him.
Ciel Phantomhive could still feel the unforgiving stone slab against his back as he laid bound and helpless in front of the crowd of spectators. He could still see the silver gleam of the blade as it pierced his flesh and made a home within his heart, he felt the warmth of his own blood wash over his skin as he screamed for mercy; but most of all, the Earl of Phantomhive could feel the burst of hope as Sebastian appeared and promised him vengeance in exchange for his immortal soul.
Time seemed to have slowed to a crawl as Sebastian paced the floor, glancing at his pocket watch every couple of seconds. They were late, very late and with each passing minute, the butler grew more and more agitated. He knew without a doubt that the boy was safe, for the moment, and he knew that they were in the general area, but that did little to quell his growing irritation.
That fool of a butler.
As if he didn't know their secrets. The lingering scent of blood and violence, it caressed his senses and reminded him of home, but not where the young master was concerned. He hadn't wanted to leave the Earl in their possession but anything else would have rose suspicions and made the Master look bad.
That just wouldn't due.
So, against his better judgement, he'd went about his errand and left the Earl in the hands of a drug trader, and two fiends harboring a secret.
Sebastian had expected them back much sooner, and by the laws of the universe they should have beat him here, but it was not so. Since his departure, the butler had been able to find and document all of the suspects along with their whereabouts, as well as arrive home and finish afternoon tea and a dessert that was sure to please the bluenette.
The demon finally stopped pacing as he heard the telltale clip clop of hooves meeting the drive. He sighed contently and snapped his pocket watch shut, dropping it in his breast pocket as he stood casually behind the door and waited for the Master to approach.
The elder could hear the trio's bickering all the way to the front step and as the Earl neared the entrance, the butler swept the door open with a slight bow, "Welcome home, my Lord. I've been eagerly awaiting your arrival."
Ciel barely spared him a glance as he passed through the arch, "Grell got lost." His voice dropped down below a whisper and gained an unhidden sarcastic undertone, "No surprise there."
Sebastian swiftly closed the door behind Madame Red and Lau, purposefully ignoring Grell as he came up the drive, and he easily matched his Master's pace, staying a mere step behind him, "I've prepared tea in the drawing room and I took the liberty of making a European pear and blackberry buckle."
As the walked away from the befuddled trio, Madame Red finally found her voice, "Wait a minute! How did you get here Sebastian?!"
The butler stopped and looked questioningly at her, "Didn't I say that I had an errand to run? I recall saying I'd meet you back at the house."
She gaped like a fish out of water, "You mean the list of suspects? You've already compiled a list of suspects?!"
Sebastian raised an eyebrow in question, "No?"
"I've gathered a list of suspects that fit all of our conditions and found their locations at the time of the known murders. Talking to each physician took quite a lot of time -"
"Hold on Sebastian, how could you have possibly interviewed so many people in such a short about of time?"
A telltale smirk etched itself onto the demon's face as Angelina responded just as he thought she would. With a practiced flick of his fingers the wax seal on the neatly bound scroll cracked and the parchment rapidly unfolded, the butler's voice carrying through the manor before the paper could even hit the floor, "The Grayhaven's physician, doctor Samuel Potter, was tending to the Grayhaven's seven year old daughter Melissa, the maid of the household as well as Mrs. Grayhaven saw him. Doctor Amillia Jackson was in America where she remains with her family. Duke Bailey's Physician, George Lexington, accompanied both the Duke and his wife to a ball on the east side of town,"
The butler went on and on, and with each new name Madame Red's amazement grew. Her eyes were wide and glazed with confusion and bewilderment as the man in black continued to spout names and locations without even looking at the elegant script marking the expensive parchment. The sound of the butler's voice rang through the small vista and Ciel smiled at his aunt, his smugness lost on her through her shock.
Oh yes, the demon was definitely something, but what that "something" was, the Earl could never tell. He was exceedingly talented, but with that talent came a massive ego that had to be fed on a regular basis. The man thrived like a flower in May when the people around him noticed the impossible nature of his work as well as his skills. The boy briefly wondered if the butler was really as confident as he seemed but he quickly cast the thought away with a sly smile. Of course he was that confident, that's what made him Sebastian.
Ciel wiped the pride from his features and dragged his focus over to his aunt, "Of course he was able to accomplish such a small task. He's a Phantomhive butler."
His focus switched over to Sebastian and he offered the man an unexpected smile and a tiny nod. Surprise was evident as the elder caught the smile as well as the tip of the bluenette's head. The Phantomhive butler silently filed that away to think about later was he rolled the parchment back up.
As the dazed redhead finally gathered her thoughts, she accentuated one of her hips and struck a feminine pose, smiling curiously, "Are you sure you're just a butler? You aren't part of the Queen's secret service are you? Don't lie, Sebastian." She wagged her finger at him jokingly with another smile.
"No, I'm just one devil of a butler."
Sebastian grinned as he turned and walked towards the drawing room, the innocent smirk adorned with intricate secrets and hidden knowledge deepening as he considered just how true the statement was and as they walked, the demon caught Ciel's smile at the inside joke as well.
Seconds slowly ticked by as the Earl of Phantomhive sat within the drawing room along side both Madame Red and Lau. He sipped his tea quietly as his patience counted the passing of each minute. With a whisper of a smile and a slight bow, Sebastian had disappeared to retrieve the promised treat for the noble bluenette. His nerves were on edge, to many questions and not enough answers, along with the previous irritation of his unexpected guests; guests that insisted upon lingering.
As the sound of a rolling trolly caught his attention, he sighed. Ciel knew that the sugar would calm his grating nerves and sooth his mind, but the look on the butler's face as he appeared promised that his sense of calm would be fleeting. With all his arrogance, there was no way that Sebastian didn't know who the killer was and the young Phantomhive was more than willing to bet that he wasn't going to like what the elder had found, nor the circumstances surrounding it.
As the head of the house, Sebastian served him first and the moment he'd grasped the plate and gazed at the sweet cake and the drizzle on top, his stomach settled and momentarily stopped doing cart wheels, "So, what do you have to tell us Sebastian."
The butler glanced at him, serving their guests, as well as Mr. Sutcliff, a slice of cake before standing at the boy's side, "A medical expert with no alibi for the nights of the murders that also dabbles in the art of black magic. Most interesting conditions."
The ravenette looked down at the Earl, "However unlikely, there is one single person that meets all of these specifications."
His blood red eyes swept over the faces of everyone in the room, pausing more for dramatic effect than necessity before continuing, "The Viscount Druitt, Lord Alabaster Chambers."
Silence rang throughout the room as Sebastian's declaration worked its way through the room. Madame Red was the first to break the brief trance when she nodded her head slightly, "I had heard rumors that the Viscount Druitt was experimenting with Black magic, but I assumed that it was merely for curiosity sake."
Sebastian and Ciel both gave her a drawn out look before the butler turned his attention back to the young Earl, "Lord Chambers attended medical school and graduated rather high in his class. However, he never secured a position in the work place as a doctor of any kind."
"He has thrown many parties during the course of The Season, but there are also rumors that during each party, there's a secret gathering of only those closest to the Viscount."
"Alter sacrifices?"
All heads turned to look at the quiet Asian man as he spoke up and Ciel nodded absentmindedly as he slid the first bite of the pear and blackberry treat into his mouth, letting out a content sigh as the sugar touched his tongue and a wave of calm washed through his body. He laid the sparkling silver fork gently against the decorated plate, "If I recall, the Viscount will be hosting his final party in celebration of the Season's end tonight."
Angelina raised an eyebrow in obvious surprise that her nephew was informed but said nothing as he continued to speak, "I was aware of the party but I had no intention of going, therefore I didn't receive an invitation."
Ciel brought his focus back to his aunt, "That could prove to be a problem. Can you take care of it?"
She seemed to brighten when he asked for her help and a cocky smile graced her bright red lips, "Of course! I AM rather popular. Give it no thought at all Ciel. A word here and there and all will be arranged."
Her smile didn't falter as she stood, "I shall arrange for myself, my lover Lau, my lovely niece and her acclaimed tutor to attend the Viscount Druitt's Season ending ball."
She gave him an evil once over and the bluenette suddenly felt as though his stomach had dropped like a bomb.
Her niece?!
That meant that he'd have to be in a dress. He would be expected to dance and men would try to put their hands all over him. Dresses, manners, dancing, makeup and worst of all, a submissive personality. He would be subjected to all kinds of tortures, and he would have no authority if anything happened.
His eyes flashed over to Sebastian's face and he was embarrassed to find that the butler was already looking at him, silently gauging his reaction to her claim. A small flicker of something unnamed passed through him and he remembered that Sebastian wouldn't let anything happen to him. The demon would protect him until Ciel's last dying breath, and as his gaze hardened, he could almost feel the demon's silent promise to do just that.
"Make it happen."
