Sorry for taking forever to update. Please tell me what you think and enjoy :)

L.L.A.P

~Laces

Chpt.9

I was at my wits end and was willing to try anything.

It was a dark and painful time that I was going through in my life. I watched as my friends, family, and loved ones died and I could hardly bare it anymore.

I just wanted to put an end to it. Maybe a demon eating my soul would be the answer. Pouring over books of pagan rituals and magic, I went through with summoning the demon.

Now, doing this wasn't my first attempt at killing myself. I had tried countless times before. I was set on fire several times, I shot myself, hung myself, jumped off of buildings, drowned myself, I even managed to get my head chopped off! Each attempt at death only left behind a scar and a memory of pain. Summoning a demon to eat my soul would be my last hope.

I chanted and waited for whatever I was summoning to show itself.

Suddenly, a rain of black feathers obscured my vision and I heard a voice that would soon become incredibly familiar to me.

"You summoned me?" the demon's voice sounded like it was right in front of me, but all I could see was dark feathers.

"I want to make a contract with you." I stated.

"A contract, hm? Your soul in exchange for what?" the demon inquired, his voice smooth. He sounded like someone I could trust but at the same time, someone who would lie to me to get his way.

Despite the bad feeling I had in the pit of my stomach, I said,

"My soul in exchange for your services for finding the people who murdered my husband." I knew the people who killed my husband. I knew who they were, where they were, and even how to easily kill them. I just needed a task that could be completed quickly in order for the demon to finish it, then kill me.

"Ah, so revenge then, but I sense that you want something else as well." I was shocked that the demon was able to guess that, and it unnerved me how each time he spoke, his voice seemed to come from different directions. It was disorienting and frightening to me, however, I wasn't going to be scared away.

"Yes… you see, demon, I am immortal. If you eat my soul, that means I die, yes?"

"Correct."

"Then please take my soul. I'm sick of living. I'm tired of watching those around me die." I informed honestly.

"An immortal's soul. Sounds delicious." I heard the demon chuckle, which further managed to terrify me. However, I forced myself to stand my ground. I wanted to die and this demon was my only hope. "Well then, let us get started. You realize that after this, there is no turning back."

"Yes." I nodded.

"Alright. Now I have to mark you with a Faustian symbol. Where would you like it to be?" he questioned. I had read that the more noticeable the mark, the stronger the connection would be. However, I did not wish to have a strong connection, I only wished for this to be over and for him to kill me. I decided to go for a place more poetic.

"Does over my heart work?" I questioned, tugging my tunic down a bit to reveal the skin.

"Yes. Yes it will."

A dark clawed hand shot towards me through the feathers, and rested over my heart. The hand was cold, but his touch was far from painful.

"I ask once more, are you sure about this?" the demon questioned.

"Y-yes." I nodded with a stutter. I hadn't realized that I had been shaking.

"Fear? I always assumed that that immortals were fearless. Perhaps you haven't been an immortal for very long." The demon stated, his hand still over my heart yet he wasn't going through with marking me.

"Please stop taunting me and get on with it." I growled, then squeezed my eyes shut, my body tense, waiting for the mark to be placed.

"Calm yourself and relax." The demon whispered. "No need to be afraid of me. I am going to help you, after all."

I let out a long breath as I tried to relax. Yes, he was helping me. He was helping me trying to kill myself.

Next thing I knew, a sharp pain shot through the skin over my heart.

I let out a scream of pain, but I expected the pain. I knew that these kinds of contracts weren't simple and gentle. No, contracts like these could get complex and it would be painful.

However, I heard the demon let out a pained groan, which struck me as odd. This was supposed to hurt me, but not him.

The demon tore his hand away from over my heart and disappeared behind the rain of black feathers.

The pain lingered and I looked at the spot where the demon's hand was. It was bleeding and blistering, however it was not healing as usual.

"It didn't work." I whispered sadly.

"My apologies, immortal. We won't be forming a contract." The demon stated. He sounded shaken, which surprised me. The demon's voice was so smooth before, I didn't know a demon was capable of surprise or shock.

"My own apologies for summoning you." I said with a sigh.

"May I suggest something before I leave, then?" the demon inquired. Now that surprised me.

"A suggestion?"

"Yes, immortal. Something to benefit yourself."

"What is the catch?" I questioned suspiciously. From what I read, almost everything was a catch, and unless this demon was planning to barter something so I could die, I wasn't very interested.

"No catch, just words that you can listen to, if you wish." The demon was back to talking smoothly with a voice that was full of deceit and trust.

"Alright." I nodded slowly, hoping that I wasn't making a mistake.

"Set goals for yourself. Experience and go different places. Take advantage of your long life." With that, the shroud of feathers disappeared and I was alone.

~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~O~

"We have arrived, my lord." Sebastian stated as the carriage came to a stop, breaking me out of my memory. Honestly I didn't know why I was thinking back to the first time I came in contact with Sebastian. The demon seemed to be on my mind a lot since I started working for the Phantomhives.

I would much rather have Mey-rin in my thoughts than that damned demon. I thought with frustration.

Sebastian opened the door for Ciel, and I took my place at Sebastian's side as he closed the door. If I was expected to appear to be a butler in training, then I was to stick close to him.

I looked up to notice a sparkling white mansion with a lavished water fountain and bushes filled with flowers.

Well, he is a viscount so it's not surprising how wealthy he is. I thought as we made our way to the door.

However, before we were even able to knock, the door was flung open. Standing on the other side of the door was a tall hansom man with long blonde hair and violet colored eyes. his entire suit was white and he flashed a smile at us.

"It's such an honor that you have graced me with your presence, Ciel Phantomhive." The man smiled.

"It is a pleasure to see you as well, Viscount of Druitt." Ciel grinned, but I could tell that it was fake. Ciel was trying to put on a pleasant front, but it wasn't working too well.

However, the Viscount didn't seem to pick up on Ciel's demeanor and was ushering us into the mansion.

"Ah, I see your fine butler is following you around as always… Oh!" his eyes widened when they landed on me. "Who might this strapping young man be?"

"That is Azar Ravensdale. He is following Sebastian around to train to be a Butler." Ciel stated.

"He has such exquisite skin. He is clearly foreign." The Viscount then murmured to himself, "He would go for quite a bit on the market."

Sebastian cleared his throat, breaking the man away from his thoughts.

"You called in my master for business, good sir?" Sebastian questioned, and the Viscount nodded.

"Ah, yes." The man smiled.

I could see why Ciel was so uneasy about the man. After years of experience, I was a good judge of character and this man? Well, this man reminded me of a prettier version of Jacob Richworth. This man had probably watched countless gruesome acts take place and was most likely behind them as well. Not to mention that he gave off an air of perverseness. The type of perverseness that led to sadism and other things not meant for polite conversation.

Yes, I had already made up my mind about the Viscount of Druitt. I could see why Ciel and Sabastian wanted someone with them. This man was not meant to be trusted or taken lightly despite his appearances.

We followed the man deeper into the vast house where he and Ciel stated talking about business. It seemed like normal things, so normal to the point where I started to wonder why I was even needed to come along in the first place.

However, after they were done chatting about business, the subject then turned to me, which I wasn't expecting.

"He really is an attractive young man."

"Yes, he is. However I find him a bit of a crowd. I cannot wait until his training is done and he can go to another family." Ciel stated. "I like it better when it is just Sebastian and I."

Exactly what role am I playing? I thought. I looked over at Sebastian who just smirked and handed over a piece of paper to me while Ciel and the Viscount were talking.

"Why don't you let me take him off of your hands. He seems well mannered enough and I could use a Butler."

Looking over the paper Sebastian gave me, my eyes widened. He wrote it to me in Latin, obviously not wanting anyone else to read it, and it explained how this was part of a plan. Basically, I was the bait that would lead to some unsavory business the Viscount was in. Why didn't they tell me this until now? Because they wanted to get me into a position where it'd be nearly impossible to say no.

"He's all yours then." Ciel shrugged, and I stared at him and Sebastian.

Bastards. I thought angrily. Did I understand the plan? Yes. Would I have agreed to it if they would have told me before we got there? Yes, I would have. I was livid that they just didn't tell me about it prior to coming here.

The Viscount smiled and started prattling off something about beauty and metaphors but all the while I was trying to keep calm and not strangle Sebastian.

Sure, it probably was Ciel's idea, but I still felt the route of all of it went back to Sebastian.

Damn Demon. I thought with a frown.

The matter was settled and Ciel and Sebastian strode toward the door.

"Et ne laederentur." Sebastian whispered in my ear as he left.

You will not be harmed is what he told me.

Once alone with the Viscount, I looked over at him. He was leering at me, looking innocent with something devious in his eyes.

"Well, Azar, it seems that you are my new butler." He stated and then wrapped an arm around me. "Why don't you tell me about yourself."