A/N: Shorter chapter this time, because it's mostly a filler. I got too caught up in ideas for the next chapter that I even started writing it before I'd finished this one. =P But rest assured, this chappie is important, too. XP
Warnings: None that I can remember. =P
I wonder what it is about the idea of revenge that has me so completely absorbed.
It's the next morning and I'm outside, sitting in the snow. I've bundled myself up as warmly as I can stand and it still isn't enough, but the temperature is the last thing on my mind. I've created five roughly human shaped piles of snow, using pebbles for eyes and bits of cold grass for the mouths. Already I've crushed two of the crude dolls with a grim smile, signifying Driar and England's deaths. It doesn't feel as satisfying as the real thing, but it will suffice.
"My Lady, I have prepared tea and a warm bowl of minestrone for you," Sebastian's voice makes me jump. I turn my body and see him just inches away, standing with his hand over his breast as usual. "Would you care to come inside? I fear the snow will pick up very soon."
I stand and brush the snow dusting the back of my legs, following Sebastian wordlessly inside. The fire in the sitting room is strong and impossibly warm, and while Sebastian helps me out of my heavy, cold clothes I stare into the flames in thought. I wonder if Sebastian wants me to say something to him – this marks the second time I've been almost wordless about the night before. I want to mention it, but I have no idea how to bring it up in conversation.
I doubt that he does – why would a demon be interested in a human woman's body?
Especially when her soul must be so much more appealing.
Sebastian ladles me a bowl of soup and pours my cup of tea, standing a casual distance behind me in silence. The quiet between us is almost awkward and I want to try and start a conversation, but I'm at a loss for words. The crackling flames fill the silence, but it isn't enough. Thankfully, Sebastian speaks first.
"My Lady?"
I turn my upper body to look at him. "Hm?"
"If I may be so bold, but there seems to be something on your mind. Mistress is not usually so absorbed."
I can't help but smile – Sebastian can't read minds, can he?
"You're right, but if it's all the same I would prefer not to talk about it."
Unruffled, Sebastian bows his head slightly and smiles. "Understood, my Lady. But rest assured that if anything on your mind bothers you I will be here to ease it."
I turn back around so he can't see the way my eyebrows rise in surprise. I don't quite understand the reason behind his words so I choose not to question it. It'll only pile up yet another question into my already crowded mind.
When I finish with lunch, Sebastian clears it all away without a single word. It makes me wonder if things truly have become weird or strained between us since last night; and I want to know if I should say something at all. I shake my head to clear my thoughts, frustrated now.
Sebastian returns to the sitting room, meeting my eyes.
"Today I have arranged for you a day out, to treat yourself to any of the luxuries you've been denied these past years. Everything is taken care of, Mistress, and all that is required of you is to show up."
"Luxuries? How do you mean?" I lean back in my chair and see the smile in Sebastian's eyes.
"Shopping, my Lady. Today is when you can buy whatever it is you decide you want." He folds his arms behind his back and waits for my response.
"I think that sounds like a good time," I say to him, smiling. The idea of getting some new dresses tailored to fit me is very appealing. I wouldn't say no to a new piece of jewelry, either… "When can we go?"
Sebastian chuckles. "Whenever you are ready, my Lady."
I jump to my feet, looking down quickly. "I'm ready now," I say, grabbing my mother's fur coat from near the fireplace. It's completely dry now, and as I stick my arms through the sleeves I feel the warmth it's absorbed.
It's probably just my imagination, but I also smell my mother's perfume.
Sebastian readies the single-horse carriage while I wait impatiently, too excited to be annoyed with the slow pace. It isn't really slow, but it feels like it. Soon enough Sebastian helps me into the carriage and we set off, but it's slow going thanks to the snow. The horse is shoeless for the winter to keep him from slipping on the ice, but he still stumbles a few times. It's only thanks to Sebastian shoveling the snow off the path that we can even make this trip. Although, it looks like there's been no progress made whatsoever – the snow has continued to fall from the sky almost as if it has a personal mission to blanket freshly-cleaned streets.
It takes nearly two hours to reach the first streets of London, and by then I'm very cold, even in the carriage. Sebastian reins the horse in along the sidewalk and I'm surprised to see we aren't the only ones out and about today – the weather isn't as serious here as it is at home, so quite a few people stroll around with packages heavy in their arms. It's nearly Christmastime, after all, but I stopped caring for holidays years ago.
The streets and sidewalks are essentially clean, but I still take Sebastian's offered arm to ensure I don't slip. I don't want to wind up on the ground and covered in dirty, slushy snow. Being out today makes me feel like a true member of nobility, especially when elegantly dressed woman on the arms of their husbands offer me small, polite smiles when Sebastian and I walk by. The absurd thought that some of the women think Sebastian is my husband crosses my mind, due to the fact that he isn't exactly dressed like the butler he likes to portray.
There is a dress shop close to the Thames that my mother always used to go to, and that's where I steer Sebastian first. The dressmaker is a beautiful woman from France named Madam Rouge, and when I walk in she recognizes me in an instant.
"Ah, ma petit valentine!" Madam Rouge exclaims, rushing forward to grasp my hands and kiss my cheeks warmly. She is all smiles and dressed in fine clothing as usual, and when she glances to Sebastian I see a gleam in her eye.
"Valentina, have you wed?" Her French accent is still strong, despite years of living in England. Automatically I lift my hand to cover my mouth and stifle a laugh, but Sebastian doesn't bother. His quiet laughter attracts Madam Rouge's attention and the woman's eyes sparkle, looking him up and down.
"Sebastian is not my husband," I manage to say. It is the idea of having the demon for a husband that has my laughter so difficult to contain, as well as Madam Rouge's reaction to my words.
"Not wed? Then he is a free man…" The French woman fans herself, batting her eyelashes coyly.
"My Lady Valentina is mine, though, rest assured."
Sebastian's answer discourages Madam Rouge and sets my heart pattering – but I've got to tell myself his words only apply to our contract and his possession of my soul.
"Tch," she waves her hand with a smile. "Well, cher, what can I do for you today? A dress, perhaps?"
I pull my coin purse from my pocket and wave it, grinning. "Three, actually," I say, seeing Madam Rouge's eyes light up. "I've reason to celebrate as of late, and that requires a little spending."
"Quelle merveille! I will see to it that you do not leave here disappointed!"
One of the greatest things about Madam Rouge is her ability to focus completely on dressmaking – and not to inquire of my "reason to celebrate". I'm sure if she found out she would have Scotland Yard on me as quick as possible.
The dressmaker ushers me through the parlor and into the back, where a raised platform, wall of surrounding mirrors and plenty of light awaits me. Sebastian follows, settling down on the divan Madam Rouge points to. The Frenchwoman wastes no time, pulling my jacket off my shoulders and hanging it up, undressing me swiftly until I'm standing on the platform in nothing more than my corset and bloomers.
"The man must go," Madam Rouge tells me, shooing her hands at Sebastian with a slight frown. Sebastian glances questioningly at me and I shrug my shoulders.
"Do as she says, Sebastian," I say, watching him through the mirror. The demon stands and leaves the room, most likely to settle himself in the parlor.
Madam Rouge sets to work once more, releasing me from my corset and finishing the job of undressing me until I'm completely naked, standing in front of the mirrors. I'm not embarrassed to be naked in front of her; this is all part of her job. She needs to have as little in the way of her measuring tape, and when she pulls that out and begins to wind it around certain parts of my body, scribbling down the results on a pad of paper.
"Valentina, you have grown into a beautiful woman! The last time I saw you, you were still a small girl," Madam Rouge curls the measuring tape around her neck and cocks her hip, placing her hand on it and looking at me.
"Thank you," I say with a smile. I don't want to insult Madam Rouge by rolling my eyes, although it's exactly what I want to do. Even if the compliment is apparent, it's still getting a little old to hear the same thing from her as from Detective Chaucer. I wind my arms around my body, feeling a slight chill, and Madam Rouge helps me dress. I ask Sebastian to return, for the parts he needs to be absent for are over and the fun can really begin – choosing fabrics, colors and styles for my new dresses.
The demon's eyes are bright red here in the dressmaker's studio, and I almost think Madam Rouge will point them out with the way she's staring. But then I realize how the lighting makes his pale skin glow and darkens his already-black hair to a shade so inky it's like the night has settled in his strands, and it makes me grin.
Sebastian meets my eyes and his expression is wanly amused.
"Come, come, into the back. We will choose fabrics to use!" The Frenchwoman claps her hands and bustles off, trusting us to follow. Sebastian drifts mutely to my side with an expression that is a mixture of uncertainty and amusement and it makes me smirk.
"Will this errand be finished soon, my Lady? I'm not sure how many more longing looks I can receive."
I break into laughter – Madam Rouge must be making Sebastian feel quite uncomfortable if the demon is voicing himself so easily.
"You can make yourself comfortable back out in the parlor," I tell him, leading the way after Madam Rouge. "I doubt we'll be finished soon."
A pained look crosses the demon's pale face, but he stays quiet and remains at my side, intending to stick with me. I reason that it's merely because of the contract, yet knowing he must want to stay with me to some degree is nice. Even if we are only at a dressmakers.
The back room is stacked with shelf upon shelf of long cylindrical wraps of fabric in every color imaginable. Despite the high-volume of stuff in the room, the dressmaker keeps herself very well organized. I see hand-written signs fastened to the walls above the shelves, indicating the different types of fabrics. There are foreign names I've never heard of before, as well as shades of specific colors I've never dreamed possible. It's all a little overwhelming, but Madam Rouge seems in her element.
Sebastian is mute at my side, but his wine-red eyes take in everything with a sort of horrified fascination.
"Tell me the fabrics you favor, ma chérie, and we will begin there,"
She sits herself at a table in the middle of the room, pushing papers and pens aside in what I think is an attempt to organize herself. I join her at the table and Sebastian takes a stance behind me, neatly clasping his hands behind his back.
"I do like chiffon," I tell her. "Silk, too, and velvet is fine in some instances." Being in the room of fabrics has my brain fuzzy – it's like a dream come true. I'm particularly drawn to the royal blue silks closest to us, and Madam Rouge sees my distraction. She grins and rises, pulling down the oversized spool and setting it on the table.
"I see you eyeing the Persian silk," she says to me, gesturing to the fabric. "Go on and feel it, see if you like it."
I let my fingers trail over the silk, worried the oils on my hand might stain the beautiful blue. But when I see how exquisitely soft it is, I can't help but lay my palm flat on it with a gentle gasp of delight. The dressmaker laughs at my reaction and her eyes crinkle.
"We will have to make you a dress with this!" Madam Rouge quickly pulls the spool off the table and ushers me to stand, gesturing to the whole room. "Come, walk with me. Tell me what catches your eye and I will pull it down for you to feel. But you must let me have a little freedom with the decisions! I will make you three dresses you can only dream of."
I grin with excitement, forgetting everything that's happened the past week and letting Madam Rouge lead me around. Several hours pass and I know all of this has to be boring Sebastian to tears, but the red-eyed demon does not make a sound. He follows us, even when we make countless trips around the room, moving in circles to ensure I've thoroughly seen every available fabric type and color the dressmaker has, even offering his opinion when asked.
At the end of our visit, I've decided on three starter colors – the cerulean blue Persian silk, a delicate mint-green taffeta and an impossibly blood-red crimson silk that is Sebastian's choice; of course. I wonder just what it is the color red offers to the demon. 'The color of passion' he'd said to me at the masquerade, upon commenting on my lip color. I'll admit the color is beginning to grow on me now. Before I'd used red as merely a means of attracting a man – something about the color screams passion to them. Is it the same way with him?
Red only reminds me of blood.
I give Madam Rouge full permission to design my dresses as she pleases. It's already been hours since we've arrived, and I'm eager to move on and I'm sure Sebastian appreciates the break from dresses in favor of the slushy sidewalks. The dressmaker tells me she will be finished in four days time – explaining she's planned to devote herself entirely to my dresses and mine alone. The temperature outside has dropped, but I'm not ready to return home quite yet. I need to take Sebastian's arm once more to keep from slipping – the cold in the air is freezing large portions of the sidewalk and making it difficult to walk. Several times my feet slide out from underneath me and pulls a shriek from my lungs, resulting in my clinging to Sebastian like a spider monkey – and that only makes the demon laugh.
It's after one particularly nasty fall, where I'd lost hold of Sebastian's arm, that I think maybe we ought to return home. A stranger in a long coat helps me to my feet, smiling at me with familiar lavender eyes and white peeking out from underneath the lapels of his jacket.
"Ash," I say his name in surprise. Everything Sebastian told me of him comes flashing to my mind, exceptionally quick when I sense Sebastian move closely to my side.
"Ah, Valentina and Sebastian. Good day to the both of you,"
My eyebrow lifts of its own accord. Where are these manners of his coming from? It's only then that I notice a petite woman standing next to him, dressed in impressive finery.
"Do you know these people, Ash?" Her voice is like the tinkling of bells. Ash sends her a glance that's difficult to interpret; something like tenderness and annoyance, if such an expression exists.
"Sebastian is an old accomplice of mine," he tells the woman. "This is his friend, Valentina." The woman nods in acceptance and offers me a tiny smile, turning her head away with disinterest. "It's funny bumping into the two of you here," the lavender-eyed demon muses. "Especially when Valentina lives so far away from the city."
My blood runs cold at his words, and thankfully Sebastian steps in. "I find it just as funny that you can speak so confidently about the address of my Lady, Ash." There is no hiding the malice dripping from his tone, and it surprises me.
The blonde demon chuckles. "I meant no harm in my comment, Sebastian. I merely intended to say that London should be pleased such an exquisite soul has graced the city with her presence, especially taking the weather into account."
The petite woman at Ash's side snaps her head to me and studies me in a new light. I wonder if it's possible something in Ash's sentence has alerted her to Sebastian's nature, and therefore my reason for being at his side. It's impossible for the woman not to know Ash is a demon, and when she pulls a bandage-wrapped hand from her pocket to brush her blonde hair back I get the distinct feeling that it's where her mark is concealed.
Sebastian laughs politely, and I glance at his face. The red irises are flashing ultraviolet, matching Ash's. "I should think you have no need to wonder of Valentina, Ash. Not when you have your own mistress to tend to."
Ash gives his 'Mistress' a cursory glance, and returns his gaze to the other demon. The hostile banter going on between these two is beginning to tire me, so I shift my weight impatiently. I know Sebastian gets the hint. The red-eyed demon turns toward me and the harsh lines etched out on his face vanish.
"Please excuse me, my Lady. It must be cold – let us depart and find somewhere for you to warm up." Sebastian's hand flutters over his breast and it makes Ash snort with amusement. I raise my eyebrow and glance at Ash, who looks incredibly amused at the display.
"How delightful," the blonde demon grins. "Such tender care for your Lady."
"I do not presume to know the relationship you share with your mistress, but I know that if you were any type of consort you would ensure her comfort and health are at the forefront of your attention."
A sour look crosses Ash's face and it makes me grin – the insult in Sebastian's words is only barely concealed, and I think even his companion picks up on it. A look of confusion flicks onto her face and she tilts her head to look at Ash with a question in her eyes.
I take a step back and loop my arm through Sebastian's. "So nice to see you again, Ash. Too bad none of us could spend more time catching up." Sebastian and I turn, intending to walk away, but Ash deems the moment appropriate for another comment.
"Indeed, Valentina, but I wouldn't be surprised if this is the last you see of me. Until next time."
I stop in my tracks, hearing clearly the threat in his voice, but when I turn my head he and his companion have already put a good amount of distance between themselves and us.
Sebastian looks down to me. His eyes have returned to normal and I can read the confusion in them at my nonexistent pace.
"Things like that make me think I should be worried," I tell him. The demon shakes his head, glancing over his shoulder.
"Let us wait to speak of this until we are home, Mistress. A demon's hearing is second to none."
I frown, turning promptly forward. Sebastian chuckles at my reaction and asks me if there are any restaurants that catch my eye, but I just want to get home now. I've got a lovely list of names waiting for me, and the excitement to act upon the next man is overwhelming me.
"My Lady is finished her shopping for the day?" Sebastian asks, leading me back to where our carriage waits. A small boy has been paid to watch over the horse, and as we appear he pulls heavy blankets off the horse and climbs on top of the carriage to dust all the fresh snow off it.
"Yes and no," I say, using Sebastian's offered hand to climb inside. The boy has kept it warm inside, somehow, and I don't question it. Sebastian hears my answer and waits to close the door behind me, quirking his eyebrow.
"Is there something you would like to purchase before we return home?"
I shake my head, drawing my coat closer around my body. "I would have liked to get a new piece of jewelry, but the appeal is lost now. I feel like I'm being watched and I'd like to get home before we run into Ash again."
Sebastian surprises me – he climbs into the carriage and closes the door behind him, sitting across from me and catching my eyes.
"Rest assured, Mistress, that I can handle any threat that comes your way. You are never in any danger whilst I am with you." Sebastian takes my hands and brings them close to his face, shocking me with what he does next. The now violet-eyed demon kisses the insides of both wrists, locking his eyes with mine.
Heat floods my cheeks – why is Sebastian so very fond of eye-contact?
"Get me home," I manage to say, swallowing the hard lump that has lodged in my throat. Sebastian chuckles and releases my hands.
"Yes, my Lady."
As he exits the carriage and checks the horse to ensure he is ready for travel, I sink down into my seat with a blush. Sebastian can't know exactly how my heart pounds and the feeling of his lips lingers on my wrists, tingling like the after effects of a sharp smack. Of course, this is much more pleasurable than a smack.
The carriage rolls forward, and since the windows are frosted over and keeping me from seeing outside, I entertain myself with my thoughts. It had been all-too easy to forget the three remaining men still alive, but now that my shopping day has wrapped up into an impromptu close, I can revisit the earlier anticipation. And it has my stomach curling with excitement -I want to leave tonight, and I think I'll tell Sebastian we're going to. I wonder what the next man will look like, and if he'll be as complacent as Driar had been before his death at my hand.
Thinking these last five words has a glow of pride flushing over my skin. I'm so very proud of myself that I've been able to end two lives singlehandedly, and the thought of three more kills prickles my skin with delight.
Once home and warmed by the fire, Sebastian brings me one of Driar's annals upon my request, taken from his study. I've forsaken the chair to lie on the floor with my legs up in the air behind me, flipping through the pages. Sebastian watches me with an intrigued expression – perhaps it's seeing a lady lounging on her stomach in a fine dress that has his mouth twitching with amusement, or maybe it's something else. At any rate, the eyes that I can feel on me are unnerving to say the least, but I try to shrug it off and focus.
"Our next target is Carter Dennings," I say aloud, underlining his name with my finger. "And he lives in Ashford."
"Ashford?" Sebastian echoes. "That's quite the distance, Mistress. When do you intend to launch your attack on Dennings?"
"Tonight," I say quickly, with no hesitation. "I want to finish this as soon as possible."
"Then perhaps you will entertain the idea of leaving as soon as possible, my Lady," the demon suggests. "With the weather picking up, I have no doubt it will take us several hours to reach Dennings – and that is even moving at my speed."
I toss that idea around in my head, finally nodding and getting to my feet. "I think that sounds like a good idea."
I waste no time – I gather everything I will need, including several hot water bottles to stuff inside my fur coat to keep me warm from the cold. English winters are brutal, and I'm not particularly looking forward to the trip tonight. Sebastian brings several blankets out into the sitting room where we've piled out gear, and it sparks my curiosity.
"So my Lady does not freeze," he tells me, folding the blankets neatly. "I will wrap you in these before we leave, therefore no part of your body will be harmed by cold."
"That's very thoughtful," I tell him, smiling to myself.
"I am loathe to let anything affect my Lady's wellbeing," Sebastian tells me, acting as though that much should be painfully obvious. I want to roll my eyes, but I hold back. Once the trunk is loaded and I am bundled in all of my clothes and wrapped in blankets, Sebastian lifts me into his arms and ducks out the front door.
"Are you sure we won't be seen? It's still daylight,"
"I will ensure we are not seen, Mistress. The falling snow should help, too." Sebastian is right – even though he leaps from tree to tree like a monkey, no faces turn in our direction and no one points us out. I'm thankful Sebastian thought to wrap me in blankets; it's absolutely freezing. I bury my face in my blankets, wishing my feet were a little better wrapped but settling for what I have going. Sebastian's body is warm, so I press myself as tightly to his chest as I can and feel his arm tighten around me. The other one is holding the trunk, and I'm amazed he can handle my weight, even if it isn't much.
Another thing that amazes me is just how I'm able to fall asleep.
Sebastian is walking down an empty street when I open my eyes and look about wildly, unsure of my surroundings.
"I'm glad you are awake, my Lady, because we are nearly there."
I make Sebastian stop walking to set me down, keeping my blankets around me as best I can. Ashford is a tiny, quaint town; empty, due to the weather, but cute nonetheless. It isn't too late; probably around dinner time, but the streets are abandoned. Unlike London, Ashford's cobblestone roads aren't shoveled to make travel easier. Countless footprints dot the snow and there are no tracks from carriage wheels to be seen, making me wonder if anyone in Ashford even has a carriage.
"How long were we traveling?"
"Nearly four hours," he says, dusting his shoulders from snow. Ice is crystalling on the edges of my blankets and my breath rises above my head like a cloud, but my mind is on the imminent kill. Sebastian walks close to me and I feel his arms brushing against my shoulders, but there is no warmth despite the closeness. I'm shivering from cold, so when Sebastian steers us down a narrow lane lined with small houses and stops us in front of one, I grin with happiness.
"How would you like to approach Dennings, Mistress? Would you like to use the 'stranded' excuse?"
"Yes," I say. "I think that's the most believable." I peel my blankets off, shivering more and more with every shed layer. Sebastian tucks the blankets under his arm and gestures for me to lead the way.
Denning's house is alive with activity. Lights shine from inside and I can see a fireplace through the largest window, but that isn't the only thing I notice. I hold out my arm and stop Sebastian, stilling in my own tracks uncertainly and staring through the window with wide eyes.
Carter Dennings has a family – and I know I can't kill them, too.