Hello my lovlies!
I must say, this is one of my favorite chapters. Thanks to all of you for sticking so faithfully beside this story.
I would also just like to say, this story will eventually contain slash, so don't worry guys! I wouldn't give you this awesome story without also giving you slashy goodness! It'll just take a while.
Much love to all of you and I would like to personally thank my two best reviewers, you know who you are(:
Enjoy~!
Majix
Sebastian's glove clad palm felt warmer than he remembered and Ciel looked up at the elder, a brief flicker of trust glazed his eyes only to be replaced by his signature perseverance as he stepped forward and they made their way out onto the dance floor.
The nobles surrounding them whirrled and dipped with a practiced elegance that the Earl could never hope to mirror. That alone made his stomach knot almost painfully as he glanced towards the Viscount.
Nobody paid them any mind as Sebastian pulled the disguised Earl close, laying a gentle hand against his lower back and stretching a pair of their hands out to the side. The tutor frowned softly as he felt Ciel flinch below his touch and he looked down at the boy. The warm and patient smile that they'd practiced earlier held firm, but beneath the pink layers of silk and the false smile, fear radiated from Ciel without pause. Normally, the demon was happy to sample the boy's negativity, but not here.
Deep within the dark and withered part of Sebastian's soul that lived on, he felt a faint echo of worry. A frown settled on the demon's lips and pondered the Master's mystery issue. There was always a chance that the young Lord was simply worried and overly tense about having to dance, as well as the upcoming task, but the butler highly doubted it. Sebastian was one of the few people who could touch the boy without making him recoil in disgust. There was nobody he trusted more, to the demon's knowledge, to handle him but there was something different about the way the boy held himself this time. There was an edge beneath the bluenette's exterior. A sense of unsettlement and an almost unnoticable sliver of distance.
Sebastian drummed his fingers against the side of the boy's spine and Ciel instantly startled before shooting him a sharp glare, "Let's just get this over with, Sebastian."
Ciel always seemed to find his comfort in the impossible. It was intoxicating to succeed where all others had failed, yet, all he felt was panic. The urge to flee was overwhelming and the only thing that held him anchored was Sebastian's grip on his body. He wasn't afraid of the Viscount, Elizabeth or the other nobles discovering his investigations, no, Ciel was deathly mortified of himself. He didn't know what was happening to him as of late and he had no answer for some of his recent behaviors. There seemed to be no solid ground where there previously had been and each step felt like a major choice. Whether that choice was an advantage of a setback he had yet to discover, but as he looked back up at his ever faithful butler, his worry ebbed once again.
It was just one dance.
The crowd swept them up like a grain of sand against the ocean and Sebastian tightened his hold slightly to keep from losing him as they threw themselves wholeheartedly into the center of the storm. Sound and movement dulled the Earl's perception and as Sebastian led him from step to step, his heart slammed in his chest.
Every step the butler took seemed full of purpose and direction, and Ciel was only along for the ride. That final thought struck a chord within him and he suddenly felt a small swell of sadness. Sebastian made all of this possible. It wasn't due to his own investigations of sharp wit on his own side, it was because of Sebastian's ability to think on his feet and discover a path through the land of doubt. The Phantomhive always held an air of superiority and even a tad bit of arrogance around him, however, beneath the surface, he felt less than he appeared. He could fence and even fight to an extent but if not for Sebastian, he would have died long ago.
You would have died on that cold slab that you love to think about so much. The boy winced at that particular thought and he swallowed heavily.
"Stop worrying so much, my Lord."
Ciel pushed his thoughts aside and glanced up at his bulter's soft spoken voice, "I'll protect you, my Lady."
His gaze narrowed and he puffed out his chest indignantly, "Of course you'll protect me," He lower his voice until he knew that only Sebastian would be able to hear him, "That's part of the deal. If you fail to protect me, you don't get the soul you so desperately desire."
Despite what he'd said and how he acted, Ciel was overly glad for Sebastian's reassurances. He was sure that the butler was more than confused by his demenor and though he longed to tell somebody the nature of his thoughts and frustrations, he dared not tell the demon any more than he already had. How would be react if Ciel told him about his brief moment of tranquillity and how the only place he'd found it was in the company of a sadistic demon that wanted to consume his soul and leave him within the void to burn in agonizing torture for the remainder of eternity? But then, if not Sebastian, who?
There was nobody else in his life that he could afford to show even a scrap of weakness too. He'd rather not show signs of frailty to Sebastian either, but really, what else could he do?
The rushed speed of his thoughts slowly began to match the beat and tempo of the music. His feet moved without having to think and he danced along side Sebastian with what appeared to be practiced ease. His body was no longer tense and ready to crack without reason. Instead, his body felt rather proficiant and the notes slowly started to blend together, leaving his thoughts in a temporary pause.
He'd been so afraid of what he might learn, of what his peacefulness could mean that he hadn't bothered to think about how he felt. Ciel didn't like to admit it, but he had a rather frustrating tendency of developing tunnel vision, and it was a habit he couldn't seem to kick.
With a final thought, the bluenette cast aside his worried thoughts. He locked away all of his worries over Elizabeth, the Viscount Druitt, Jack the Ripper, and his debt to Sebastian. It flowed from him like water and as he closed his eyes, he concentrated solely on the way it felt when Sebastian guided him.
For the first time since the death of his parents, Ciel allowed himself to feel whatever it was that he felt. The warm brush of Sebastian's coat against his bare skin, the heat from the elder's hand on his lower back, and the faint aroma of kitchen spices, shoe polish and something spicy that he couldn't name. He let go of his obligation to be a leader and let himself follow, to be guided blindly by the hand of another, and suddenly, it felt as though the shackles had fallen.
Serenity enveloped him and the layer of ice carefully guarding his heart started to drip. There was so much hurt in his life, so many excruciating moments that he couldn't even bare to face yet, and they'd all taken him over. His pain ruled his life and it drained him slowly, intent to leave him as a living, breathing shell until his revenge was finally complete.
Until Sebastian..
The Earl couldn't even finish the thought. So often within his every day life, Ciel was able to be indifferent to the fact that one day, perhaps one day soon, Sebastian was going to kill him. No, he was going to do worse than that. The demon was going to consume his soul as a five course meal, and condemn him to the inferno. But that isn't true, was it? Ciel had condemned himself to that fate. Even with that logic, the bluenette couldn't deny the overall sense of betrayal that he felt.
His conscious rejected the thought, but here, in this moment of blissful peace, the Earl couldn't hide from the truth. Everyone in his life had left him to the mercy of the Underworld. While he suffered day by day, in that cage, all those he loved were gone. There was no hope, save for death, in his future. But Sebastian had saved him, whether by his accidental call or not. Sebastian had slaughtered those men without a word and life was once again his to experience. But eventually, be it a week, a year, or ten years, the demon he had come to trust, would take that from him.
And worse than anything else, was that he had chosen that fate for himself.
As Ciel lost himself within the avalanche of his own emotions, Sebastian watched him intently with seemingly indifferent eyes. The moment the teen slipped into his trance, the butler felt it. The tightly strung muscles beneath his touch had relaxed slightly before, without warning, all the tension left the boy's body. The lines of worry disappeared from the bluenette's face and Sebastian felt the Earl lean closer against his body.
His steps matched the sway if the music without a hitch and as they neared the Viscount, Sebastian began to worry. The boy was unresponsive and though the butler was sure he could rouse him, a large portion of his conscious didn't want to. Ciel looked so calm and collected, but not in the way he tried to appear when he was at his breaking point. His unperturbed demenor was real, and the demon was hesitant to take that from him; but as they neared the Viscount, he realized he had no choice.
In a very unbutlerish fashion, Sebastian promptly stepped on the young Master's foot.
As the echoes of his emotions suddenly disappeared, Ciel snapped back to reality and he quickly took in their surroundings. Sebastian had successfully led him across the dance floor and the Viscount Druitt was less than fifteen feet away. As his tranquillity faded to the recess of his mind, Ciel stumbled sharply, the flow of their dance long forgotten.
Sebastian immediately took the window of opportunity and pulled the Earl off the dance floor, standing just a few feet from the Viscount, "I'm truly sorry, my Lady. I didn't mean to step on your foot. Please accept my deepest apologies."
Ciel nodded his head a fraction of an inch and he smiled softly before letting a deep frown grace his lips and he let the flow of accent run thick, "I was having such a good time. That was very rude of you."
"I can't blame him. Any man dancing with a woman as beautiful as yourself is sure to trip."
Both sets of eyes snapped to the warm voice of the Viscount. He offered them both a smile but his focus was intently on Ciel.
Sebastian bowed slightly, "I shall fetch you something drink, my Lady."
As the demon became a ghost within the crowd, the bluenette turned his attention back to the Viscount, "You were as beautiful as a robin taking flight."
He bowed slightly lower than Sebastian had and gently captured the pale fingers of Ciel's hand in his own as he brushed his lips over the top of the milky skin, delicately letting his hold on the teen's fingers linger before letting go and straightening, "I trust you're having a good time. Who did you come with?"
A shutter went down Ciel's spine. His voice was as thick and sweet as warm honey. The way he dropped his voice to a whisper and drew out his words made the Earl shiver. The women he'd killed never stood a chance of denying him whatever he'd asked for.
"I came with my Aunty Angelina."
He raised an eyebrow and cast his aunt a glance, "Madame Red?"
The boy in the pink dress nodded excitedly and smiled innocently, "I've been having such a fun time, but all I've wanted to do all night was meet the Viscount Druitt in person."
"Is that so?"
Ciel let soft blush color his cheeks, "Yes, of course. I've begun to tire of dancing and socializing. I was hoping perhaps the Viscount would have something more interesting in mind." He looked up at the blonde with his glittering sapphire eyes through thick dark lashes.
"My, quite the princess aren't we?"
The tall and powerful elder slid up behind the bluenette and gently laid his palms on either side of the Earl's waist, "And what did you have in mind, my lovely little robin?"
He dipped his head and boldly glided his warm lips across the bluenette's exposed shoulder before lightly nuzzling his neck just above the pulse.
Ciel resisted the urge to rip himself from the elder's grasp. His skin crawled where the Viscount touched him and all he wanted to do was shove him away, but he couldn't. This was their one and only chance, and he couldn't fuck it up by refusing to do his part. Despite the lure of his voice and the delicate and seductive nature of his touches, Ciel was disgusted. It brought him right back to his months in captivity. It never felt this way when Sebastian touched him and Ciel closed his eyes, imagining Sebastian in the Viscount's place, a soothing sort of calm coming over him.
"Don't you know, dearest Viscount?"
Without warning, the orchestra led the song to a close and the couples who had been previously dancing began to drift apart. His eyes snapped open and panic immediately made his pulse thunder as he glanced up and caught sight of Elizabeth hurrying through the thinning crowd. He could feel the Viscount smile against the sensitive skin of his neck, no doubt thinking that he was the cause for the sudden increase in the boy's pulse.
"Hmm, I can think of many things." He lifted his head and gently pinches the bluenette's chin, making the boy look up at him. Deep blue eyes met stormy gray ones as the Viscount looked him over, "You're but just a budding rose, my robin."
The Earl smiled, "Now I'm not a little girl anymore. Surely that much is obvious."
Ciel cast a discreet glance towards Elizabeth and his heart started to really hammer. She was closing in on him and there was no way he could escape. He was unbelievibly close to cracking this case wide open and she was about to ruin the entire thing, as well as exposing him for what he really was.
A drop of sweat rolled down the back of his neck and he swallowed heavily. It was all about to be over. All their hard work.
At the very pinnacle of his dispair, a loud crash echoed through out the room. The Earl's attention snapped towards the source of the sound and his jaw dropped.
Sitting in the middle of the floor, not even twenty feet from Elizabeth, was Sebastian. He was kneeling next to a large cabinet and he glanced back at the bluenette, smiling coyly. He'd put on a thin masquerade mask and acquired a knee length black coat to help hide his previous attire.
"Now that we've reached the very height of the party, allow me to present to the ladies and gentlemen in attendance an illusion unlike any other, with the use of this cabinet."
Ciel glanced back at the Viscount and the man looked slightly puzzled for a moment before carelessly shrugging it off.
Sebastian once again commanded the attention of the audience, "Now, I need but one single volunteer!"
He feigned indecision for a moment before pointing out Lau, "Would you be so kind as to assist me?"
The quiet opium trader looked almost surprised before smiling and walking forward to meet the demon in the middle of the room, "I'd love to be of assistance."
Sebastian opened the cabinet and took out a neat stack of razor sharp swords as well as two piles of chains, "I'm going to step inside this cabinet," he laid his palm on the wood for effect, "and I want you to secure it with these chains, and then pierce it with each one of these swords. Can you do that for me?"
The crowd gasped in astonishment but the Asian man looked genuinely amused, "Of course."
Sebastian bowed to the crowd with a smile, "I shall emerge from the closet unharmed. I assure you, there are no tricks involved."
The mystery illusionist straightened and made his move to step into the closet, "I hope you all enjoy the illusion." The elder stepped inside and closed the door securely.
Ciel watched with mild amusement as Lau raced around the cabinet, wrapping the chains around it until he ran out of the clinking metal links. He paused a moment and picked up the largest and heaviest sword in the bunch, testing the weight in his palm for a moment before stabbing it all the way into the top of the closet, directly in the middle.
A woman in the crowd gasped and the mens' eyes went wide, "He went right for the head first!"
Lau no longer hesitated. He grabbed sword after sword and slammed them into various parts of the cabinet with all his force, skewering every angle until he finally ran out of blades. He breathed heavily, gasping slightly before unclasping the chains, letting them all around the outside of the closet with a loud clank.
The crowd waited breathlessly for the impossible before Sebastian suddenly opened the door and stepped out, completely unharmed. The guests burst into a deafening chorus of applause and they all crowded around Sebastian, gazing at him, as well as the cabinet.
In the height of the chaos, Ciel turned back to the Viscount and put on his very best pout, "I've had enough magic. Isn't there anything else we could do?"
The Viscount returned his attention to the Earl and he smiled seductively, "Quite persistent aren't we? Well, if you insist."
The blonde slipped back into the soft shadows and easily swept one of the curtains aside, revealing a hidden door behind the thick velvet.
He turned the knob and held the door open for the young lady, "After you, my lovely robin."
Ciel clenched his fists but grabbed the hem of his dress, lifting it elegantly before sliding past the thick wood frame and into the darkness. The Viscount was right behind him and as the door closed, he caught the scent of something sickly sweet.
It burned the inside of his nose and he could feel his eyes start to water as the room began to lose focus. Everything was swaying and doubled and though he couldn't see much, he was vaguely aware that his senses were failing him and that he was starting to feel overly sleepy. His eyes drooped until finally closing. The moment his pale lids met, the world was lost to him and Ciel slid deep into the dark and comforting world of unconsciousness.
