I am honestly surprised at the love this story has gotten since the first post! But I am far from complaining :D I only hope that I can keep up with the praise from those who were awesome enough to leave a review. Reviews make my day. Even negative ones but I was seriously blushing at the love left for me to read. Thank you! But if this chapter sucks then I am sorry :P Haha.
Oh yeah, before I forget. This story is rated M for a reason so don't forget that. I wouldn't label it high but eh, it's enough. Honestly, it's not even that bad but just in case, here is your warning. Blood, there is some of that here.
...
It was impulsive, adrenaline fueled by shock, yes, that's what it was. Even as tingles of excitement nipped at my skin, I still kept in mind that this was nothing but a simple embrace. Nothing more, and in all honesty I was surprised that he had even managed to return it. This elementary act of comfort to a human, a mortal girl of which was nothing more than either entertainment or nourishment for his kind, but he chose to humor me.
I was a girl from another world, a liar in some aspects, keeping my little secret from those that have come to trust me. But it was necessary, I kept telling myself, they do not need to know. At least not yet. Telling them could send this already tragic tale into an even darker abyss and surely the demon standing here now, arms wrapped around my waist would kill me for revealing certain details. It simply was not my place.
Even still, I could allow myself to enjoy this little exchange for the moment, even if it was one-sided. And if just by chance I was still dreaming, cruelty would be the word I would use should someone come to disturb my peace.
I sighed softly, please don't wake me up.
My heart beat against my ribcage brutally, sounding loud in my ears as the blood rushed to my head. I was dizzy, filled with a euphoria I had never experienced in my 22 years of life. Amazing what a simple embrace could do, so simple with plenty of barriers between what could make this moment more intimate. However, that much I was not bold enough for, but the images were exceedingly tempting and very near enough to put thoughts into actions. Though, I was content enough with this.
Plus, if the fact that there was a certain crazed reaper within these same walls, one with an unhealthy infatuation with the demon my arms were currently wrapped around wasn't enough to stall me…then I guess I was just asking for death.
Sebastian shifted his hold loosening his arms to rest his hands on my hips. I felt his chest rise and fall with a sigh before his voice rumbled to life, his chest vibrating the slightest as his voice reached my ears. "Amelia."
Another long sigh left my lips as I finally pulled myself from him enough to peer up. "Yes, Sebastian?"
His eyes fell to my shoulder, "Might I ask," I felt his hand leave my hip to find my collar, grasping the cloth he pulled it to the side gently. A shiver trailed down my spine as cool air rushed over my skin, embarrassment heating my face. His eyes lingered a moment before returning to meet my gaze, a seriousness now held in his as a shadow darkened them. "What were you dreaming? Do you remember?"
My eyes dropped to his chest eyebrows furrowing as I thought back, my dream was hazy but I remembered it. It wasn't as clear as a picture, bits and pieces were distorted and the images were somewhat fuzzy now but it was there.
Letting my arms slip slowly from him, I raised a hand sliding it gently over the area the pain had seared with an intensity I was positive I could never forget. Paying no mind that Sebastian's hand pressed over my own, I squeezed gently, the muscle was sore but the horrible discomfort was gone. As if I had strained a muscle while working out, only a dull throb remained. As an afterthought, I considered a possible fact that for all I knew the pain could have been used as interference. If it was intense enough then maybe the one responsible could have hoped that it would have wiped my memory of questionable details.
But there was one refined component of the dream that my memory refused to let go…gold. Eyes as piercing and menacing as a blade held at point, cold and ruthless, boring into my very soul with a sinister amusement. Hands as hard as stone wrapping around me, relentless and harsh, violence defined by a palm.
The sting of tears pricked at the corners of my eyes, filling along my lower lid to capacity before one finally escaped rolling down my cheek. I had felt frustrated and frightened, but also a tinge of ecstasy. Each touch was rough yet stimulating in a way and I remember feeling betrayed by my own body for reacting to it. Disgusted so, that my body would react to such a vile man.
"I can smell him on you." His voice whispered in my head.
I squeezed my shoulder, the memory swarmed in my mind; the sound of his voice filled my ears.
"He is getting too close." I could hear him say again.
"What was that?"
Snapping my head up I met Sebastian's questioning stare, his eyebrow raised and his head slightly tilted. "Huh?"
His eyes narrowed darting across my face. "You were mumbling something."
"I was?" Both eyebrows rose, I didn't realize I had even said anything at all. I huffed looking down while taking a small step from him, feeling and watching as his hands fell from me to his sides. Clearing my throat, I nervously bit my lip and looked up turning away from Sebastian's gaze. Dragging my teeth across my bottom lip, I ignored the low grumble and spoke though my attention stayed elsewhere. "I don't remember much, but what he said, it puzzles me. I'm not exactly sure what was meant by it."
I waited for him to say something but when he made no conscious effort to do so I continued. "He said-" My face contorted in confusion, "Said 'I can smell him on you' and then 'He is getting too close' whatever that is supposed to mean." Shaking my head I let it tilt down but stopped short, Sebastian's fingers moving beneath my chin raising my focus back up to him. Studying his face, he kept it blank but serious, his eyes closed slowly letting a long tired sigh leave his lips.
Sucking in a sharp breath, I whispered harshly. "And he fucking bit me!" Shrieking lightly towards the end feeling the anger build, I let myself slip, growling lowly as I gripped my shoulder tightly.
Sebastian's eyes had shot wide open, his head jerking back. If I had to describe it I would have to say he looked shocked, undeniably due to my horrible choice of vocabulary rather than the case of my being bitten. That of which I was positive he was very much aware of as most of his attention had been drawn towards my shoulder. If I had to make another conclusion, I would say that he knew more than he let on. Like I had much to say on that particular matter to start, it was bound to come back on me at some point.
It would have been comical had it been a different situation. "Sorry." I groaned as he pulled his hand away.
"I'll let it slide this time." He sighed in exasperation.
I turned my attention from him then, my eyes traveling over the room to land on the pile of rubble that was once the chair. Awe, I liked that one, it was so comfortable. I pouted before I stopped, realizing something I had not addressed beforehand I turned back to Sebastian. "Um, Sebastian?" His eyes locked with mine, "Not that I am complaining, but…why are you in my room?" Internally I winced, my increased boldness was starting to breed confusion and worry for my already frail sanity.
"I was retrieving you for assistance with the guests; the young master and I are going to be out for a time. I wanted to brief you before our departure." He looked down to me, "I thought that appropriate enough reason to enter your room."
"Oh." Looking sheepish, I shifted my feet looking to the floor. I looked back over to the disaster of a chair lying in a heap of broken wood and torn fabric. I knew he was fine but that was mainly due to me knowing what he was. And he did not know that I knew, so to keep up with my suspected ignorance of his true nature I questioned, "Are you okay?"
He smirked down to me, "Quite, though if I had been any other man I feel my pride might have taken as much."
Surprising, "Hmm, good then?"
"And how are you fairing now?" His eyes found my shoulder again.
Finally letting my hand drop from its place I sighed, "I'm fine now." Should I thank him for…what exactly did he do? Furrowing my brows I made to speak when the creak of the door drew my attention away.
Standing in the doorway looking hesitant, his green eyes flashing behind those dull framed glasses, Grell peered into the room. His eyes landed on Sebastian immediately, "U-um, the young master has asked that I come find the two of you." His eyes moved to me and I did not miss the little glint that passed over their glassy surface.
"Of course." Sebastian nodded.
Grell stepped into the room with a little more confidence and walked the distance towards us. Without missing a thing his eyes snapped to my neck, the collar still pulled to expose my shoulder. "Oh my, that is a nasty bruise." Voice laced with a pinch of venom of which I did not miss as his aura slithered around me. His body radiated anger and hate in small waves building even more uncomfortable tension in the room.
My hand immediately slapped over the spot he was staring so intently at. I knew how this must have looked and my eyes widened just a fraction. Our uniforms slightly crinkled, nowhere close to the standard of tidy that was expected of the little Lord's servants. Even Sebastian's clothing was not to his usual standard at the moment. And Grell was the last person that I needed getting an idea like that in his head. I would have taken Madam Red in all her inappropriate enthusiasm over him.
"Oh, i-it's no-" I tried stuttering out.
Sebastian waved it off, "We were just finishing up." He pulled the little watch from his pocket ignoring the look I shot him. "Amelia, please make sure to change into another uniform. I will need to repair the damage to that one, my apologies again." He turned to leave the room.
A-ARE YOU SERIOUS?! My wide eyes darted to Grell, I could tell he was silently fuming and I could just hear my life ending, slowly, painfully. He did that on purpose! He knew how it looked and he just made it worse!
Laughing nervously, I waved my hand about, "It's not-"
One sharp glance from the reaper in disguise and my mouth snapped shut. Letting his calm façade drop a moment he scowled down at me before turning and following Sebastian out of the room. My hand dropped to my side and I groaned dropping my head into my chest. "Oh, I am so dead."
It was getting late. Sebastian and Ciel had left several hours ago and most of the guests of the house had already gone to their rooms turning in for the night. None the wiser to the young boy's intentions for going out into this cold night, but if it stayed true then he would meet with two of his initial guests soon enough.
Blowing out the last candle in the kitchen, I wiped my hands on my apron walking out to find my own room and hopefully gain a few hours of sleep myself. The night had been silent, no one spoke much once the host had gone and I did everything in my power to avoid Grell before he and Madam Red had taken their leave just prior to Ciel's. His constant glares were enough to chill me to the bone and I found myself looking over my shoulder several times throughout the evening, keeping close to Sebastian which was probably a stupid idea on my part. Funny, I had found him quite likeable after the incident with Madam Red; his ridiculous acclamations for Sebastian always seemed to brighten my day. But this side of him, I could easily say that I did not like being any sort of focus for his jealousy.
I crept to my room, trying not to disturb the others as they slept and slipped inside closing the door with a soft click. Resting my forehead against the door, I let my eyes flutter shut, a long weary sigh passed through my lips. "What a day." I hummed, fatigue had slowly edged its way in and I could feel it weighing heavily on my shoulders.
"And it isn't over yet, sweetheart." I felt fingers weave into my hair yanking hard. My head snapped back, mouth covered with a cloth before I could even scream. The sweet-smelling chemical filled my nose. My eyes rolled back as the darkness spread, not…again.
Consciousness slowly came back to me as my head lolled to the side. "W-what…" Not quite there yet, my voice not even audible to my own ears, I groaned lowly letting my head roll to rest my chin on my chest.
"Ah, so she has finally awakened." A muffled female voice echoed in my ears, amusement danced with her tongue as she clicked it loudly. Clacking of heals followed and then a hand, grabbing a fist full of my hair jerked my head up roughly. "Well, almost." My head dropped back down as she let it go, sharp pain ran up my neck from the abrupt stop and my scalp burned from the abuse.
"We should hurry up with that one."
Low whimpers reverberated through the room, the sounds of metal ringing against metal followed and the whimpers turned to muffled sobs. Soon enough the sobs morphed to smothered screams.
I did not want to open my eyes, the sounds of flesh being ripped and torn, along with the steady ring of the woman's screaming assaulted me. She was close, possibly in the same room as I. For a selfish moment I wished I was still unconscious, the sounds of wet thunks and liquid splattering heavily made my stomach lurch. Her screams of agony drowned with the cloth used to keep her silent slowly, so slowly, dissipated into nothing. I knew at that moment she was dead, but the sounds of slicing continued. Mary-Kelly, another victim, slaughtered and I had to bear witness to it. The sounds were enough to haunt me without the images.
A whimper rumbled low in my throat when something wet and warm splashed against my face. Following, my clothes began to feel moist in some places. Her blood, it was her blood! Instantly, my eyes snapped open. Even in the dimly lit room I could see it…and smell the metallic tang thickly permeating the air around me. The once white apron I wore stained with so much of another's blood. A sight I had not seen in a long time, a sight I never wanted to see again. And without thought, I lifted my head to find the mutilated corpse of the woman that had only a short time ago been alive and whole. Blood, there was so much blood. It covered nearly every inch of the space between us and her body was no longer recognizable, I couldn't take my eyes from it.
My breaths quickened, old memories I had forced to the darkest recesses of my mind years ago flashed before my eyes. Times I did not want to remember, faces…their eyes. "No." I cried softly, still caught in my minds barrage of a gruesome pastime.
Shrill screams flooded the room, loud and piercing the silence. It took only a moment to realize that as my lungs cried for air, my throat becoming raw and scratchy, the screams were my own. I had cracked. That strong foundation I had laid some time ago had finally crumbled and I was a sobbing heaving mess bound and sitting helplessly in this chair.
"Grell, shut her up!" Madam Red stormed from the room; her heals slapped hard against the floor in her rush.
The screams had stopped momentarily as I heaved a deep strangled breath. Grell took the lapse in my outburst to yank a cloth between my teeth, a gag to quiet me and tied it tightly. He moved around to stand before me, staring down his nose at me with a sinister grin. Sobs racked my shoulders as I let my head fall.
My chin was grabbed in a harsh grip, my head forced up to look into his bright green eyes filled with mirth. He smiled, sharp white teeth filled his mouth and he leaned in close. "You know, you do look rather stunning covered in red."
The door to the little hovel suddenly burst open; my eyes left his shadowed face looking over his shoulder to find, Ciel! Grell let go of my chin standing to his full height and turned to face the doorway just as Sebastian had appeared and pulled the young boy away. But it had been a few seconds too late, Ciel had seen the woman's mutilated body and I could hear him gagging loudly outside. It had been too dark for Ciel to see beyond that, the single candle lit within the room had been snuffed out by the sudden breeze filling the room.
Grell stepped away from me and I watched, my sobs of torment having calmed though my body quivered with the need. Tears fell from my eyes silently as I watched him walk to the doorway. Sebastian's voice echoed from beyond him, Grell trying his best to play the innocent card only to fail as Sebastian had already figured him out.
"Come on." I was suddenly grabbed and forced to stand from the chair. The rope binding my ankles slit quickly and I was shoved forward. Madam Red gripped a handful of my clothing pushing me towards the doorway.
As I stepped into the rainy night, I found Ciel's gaze first. His visible eye widened once recognition dawned on his face. "Amelia?!"
I knew I looked of chaos and reeked of death, covered in so much of the other woman's blood. I stood in the doorway partially slumped as fresh tears rolled down my face to mix with the steady rain. Looking to Sebastian, his steely red eyes having widened as surprise shaped his face. Of course they had not been expecting me to be here, I had not been expecting me to be here and if I made it out of this one alive I was going to kill that butler.
Ciel turned his glare on the duo, "Let her go!" Madam Red chuckled behind me, her grip tightening as she slid a dagger to my neck. A silent challenge directed to the boy.
I could get out of this…maybe? I'd gotten out of worse in the past but for some reason I paused, I just couldn't bring myself to strike this woman. Even as she held a blade to my throat and with all capabilities to slice it I was sure, I just couldn't. Ciel's focus trailed back to mine; his eye widened just a bit as I shook my head ever so slightly.
It was in that moment that I came to realize that Grell had made his little transformation. Long red hair flowed around his shoulders, not at all dampened in its voluptuous nature by the rain. He had become that Grell that I would giggle over while watching him taunt Sebastian with his confessions of desire and growing passion. However, right now I wanted nothing more than to break these bindings and wring his thin neck for the hell he had just put me through!
Madam Red shifted the blade higher and with one quick flick of her wrist the gag around my mouth fell loose. "Fine then, take her back. She isn't worth my troubles."
"What?!" Grell protested to Madam Red, "But I wasn't done with her." He glared at me before huffing, crossing his arms over his chest and turning his nose away. "Fine!"
I was pushed forward; surprised that she would just release me without a quarrel. In time, I spat the cloth from my mouth and with rage boiling to its max I used the momentum to spin. One attempt, that was all I needed to feel even a minute amount of retribution towards the crimson reaper and his idiocy. Fabric ripped as my leg swept up, the skirt rising and my only thought was I hoped I wouldn't slip doing this. Hands still bound, my balance wasn't great but I was able to build enough power into my leg and the element of surprise just so happened to be on my side for that split second. With satisfaction, Grell had realized my intentions just a second too late. My booted foot connected with his jaw sending him flying against the stone wall. An audible crack resounded, some of the stone fragmenting and falling to the wet ground.
I watched as Grell slid to the ground in a daze and I let a broad smile spread across my face. Arms wrapped around me and the distance between me and the stunned reaper grew quickly. A chin landed on my shoulder, a huff ruffling my hair loosened by the rough touch of the woman in red. "You do realize that was quite foolish?"
Narrowing my eyes at Grell, I gritted my teeth, a low growl rumbled in my throat. "He deserved it."
"Ture enough," Sebastian agreed lightly, "But do let me handle it from here." He removed his chin as his arms slipped away and the bindings on my wrists snapped freeing me completely.
"Have fun." Bringing my wrist around to rub the soreness from them I gave him one glance over my shoulder before moving towards Ciel.
...
Is it just me or has Amelia been just a beacon for trouble so far? Poor girl. And this time, Sebastian was partially to blame.