Chapter 11: Danny POV

I hesitated. I had hesitated and wanted to be in Sebastian's arms, ringing in the new day, celebrating the first few moments of March 14, with him, as if the celebration of 2 years of Human marriage could be a milestone in eternity. And in all that, my focus had been clouded - the children were now gone. I sank to the floor, my back to the Earl and Lady's bedroom door, the Lady Phantomhive now medicated and in her bedroom. My sobs shook me and I felt myself loosen, spread, burn. I brought my left hand to my mouth and stifled the moan of pain as it crashed against me. I also felt a searing heat coming up to me, and I got up, shaking my formal dress out and started back down the hall, the windows of the second floor were now shattered and half cracked, and the cold air was a pleasant contrast to the heat that spread over my body. The ones that were still intact splintered as I walked past, my feet heavy, my hands feeling like lead even.

"Danny."

I turned into the dark alcove and Sebastian stepped out and held his hands out, letting me grasp them, melt into them, melt into him. I once more sobbed and could almost hear my heart breaking into pieces. "I left -"

"And we will find them. I have… leads." He paused and I pulled back, looking at his red eyes, the fire burning and swirling in them. He looked out the window and I heard the squawking of crows soon answering as if there was a silent command he had given. I turned my head into his shoulder and brought my burning left hand, my Mark, to cover his chest, the wedding ring, the beautiful diamonds, glinting in the after-midnight moon. I gasped as I looked at my hand and winced.

"Sebastian… my Mark!"

He seemed to blink and come out of his thoughts, his gloveless hands gently cradling my left hand and brushed over the Mark. "I think, no matter what happens, you will be taking a Contract soon," he finally said. He looked at me as I lifted my eyes and he nodded. "This could assist us in finding the young Master and Mistress. Come, the Master is sealing the house and we are going to hunt these… animals," he growled, his Demonic nature flooding around us, forcing me to do the same.

I pulled him with me, and we now stood outside, clad in black, our standard uniforms of our respective Human stations. Sebastian's tailcoat was snug and fluttered in the back as the great front doors opened and the Earl stepped out, his own station very reflected in the leather pants and tall boots. His sharp blue eyes were reflected in the blue coat he wore, his hair falling as always over his right side, hiding his patch, but not dimming the light I saw in the Marked eye. I myself was dressed in black skirts, an emerald green vest from my Reaper days, and a long black jacket, mirroring Sebastian's swallow-tails, only with a shorter waist and tails. I looked at the men and saw the Earl turn to Sebastian and tug on a pair of gloves. He slowly looked at him and then me.

"I trust you both to know how to find my children. And destroy those who did this." He looked at me for a moment longer and his gaze shifted to beyond me, where the front wall had been mildly destroyed. "They will not mark their bodies like they did mine. I will not have my son… my daughter…" he snarled and shifted his hard eyes back to me. "Tutor… Daniella." He paused and shifted. "Your… lessons with Vincent, is… is he ready if he calls?"

I swallowed and looked at him and then to Sebastian, the cool air swirling the questions. "Yes, my Lord, he is."

"And you… you will..." I nodded and his eyes turned hard again. "Right. Sebastian, since time is of the essence, perhaps an easy mode of transport?"

The Earl looked odd sitting in the crook of Sebastian's arm, a grown man, in an equally grown man's embrace, but they seemed at peace, as if this was as serious as the task ahead.

"Find the bastards, and destroy them."

Sebastian smiled and I felt the wave of heat from the command and settled beside Sebastian's left side, my hand finding his and gripping his hand.

"Yes, my Lord."

I felt the wind on my face and the ease of my silk skirts float around me as we ran, ran as fast as we could, the blood of the young Master, his mere Soul opened, sent me into a furry and I surged ahead, leading the other two. I found myself on the outskirts of the city and wondering toward some of the last Manors that had yet to be fixed up. I slowed and stopped at one.

"Lau," the Earl hissed. He pushed at the rusted gate and walked up the walk, his Soul bright and sweet, and dripping with anger. My fingers grasped air as Sebastian's fingers wrapped around my wrist and pulled me back. His eyes flashed and I knew he had figured the Spell from the Warlock had faded. I felt the Hunger rise and didn't know if it was because of the Spell fading or because the young Master and Mistress had been taken on my watch. I didn't care which it was, I craved, and that was consuming me.

The Earl was pounding on the door and yelling. Thankfully the rundown Manor was set aways from others, but the lights soon flickered on the home next door. I heard a gun being readied from behind the door and Sebastian slid in front of the Earl, even as the door opened.

"Do you not know what time it is!"

The Earl shoved Sebastian's arm away and launched himself at the older man, who was holding a rifle in his right hand. We walked after him and I snatched the gun from the startled man's hand and turned, training it on the Human named Lau.

"Where are my children?" the Earl yelled, his fists gathering the fabric of the silk dressing gown of the other man. He yanked the man closer and snarled. "Where are they?"

The man looked shocked and his eyes darted from me to the Earl, to Sebastian and back to the gun barrel pointed at his face. "Your children? I don't know what you are talking about. I… I swear!"

"Lau... " the Earl growled and slammed him up against the wall. "We traced them to here."

I lowered the gun and looked at Lau for a moment. "You are the merchant that was threatened on the docks a few weeks ago."

He looked at me and nodded, and shrugged. "There are a lot of us businessmen who get threatened," he said, trying to point a finger at the Earl. "Even the Watchdog likes to rouse me at 2 in the morning and demand something." He struggled again and found himself pushed into the wall harder. Sebastian narrowed his eyes and placed a hand on the Earl's shoulder.

"My Lord… they were here - briefly. But they are not. It's as if…" he paused and looked at me, a sudden wave of realization hitting me. A memory of a long ago case involving kidnapping - several human children under the age of 12 - of Humans using Portals controlling the summoning of Demons. The case took the whole department to clean up, and I was on the other cases involving tracking the Demons. I looked at the man and something came back to me; this was eerily familiar.

"Do you have children?" I asked. Lau turned to me, as did the Earl and looked like I had asked an absurd question. "I… I think there were children here."

"Mae, Linnie, and Jung," the businessman said. He pushed the Earl away and turned to the stairs and quickly walked up them.

"What is going on?" the Earl said, striding toward me. For an instant I saw why the man commanded the Underbelly so efficiently. "What does it matter if Lau has children? It is my children who were kidnapped."

"I don't believe it is only yours," I said. I looked up, hearing a scream from above. "I remember something happening like this many years ago - Nobles and influential businessmen were killed or severely injured while their children - or grandchildren - were kidnapped, sold and used." I looked at the Earl and frowned. "You were one of them."

He looked at me and I saw the fire in his eyes flare. He took a step closer to me, a low growl in his voice, his jaw clenched. A dog ready to attack. "You… knew about that?"

I shook my head and backed up a step. "No, I heard about it. I was working a different case at the time but knew of some Reapers who had found the Portals being used…."

Lau came running back in and looked panicked. "They are gone… my grandchildren - they are gone."

"We shall take care this," Sebastian said swiftly, pulling both the Earl and myself out of the house. "My Lord, perhaps we should let Danny use her… connections."

I placed a hand on Sebastian and shook my head. We were now back on the road, Lau in the yard, his rifle in his hands, pacing, as if those who kidnapped the Earl's children and his own grandchildren would come back and if so, he was ready. "If I use the Portals, it would be as a Demon."

"I felt a Reaper," Sebastian muttered as he turned. "Can you use the Portals as an ex-Reaper?"

"Sebastian…" I warned, not even sure why we were talking about this. "I don't have any control of that any more."

"What if you had your Scythe?"

The Earl looked at him and me. "Your… Reaper tool? I thought it was taken."

I looked at Sebastian. "It was. It was traded to let me have time to honor your request to train Vincent so he would be ready, accepting of me, my Lord." Sebastian didn't move and I felt a cold dread seep into my body. "It was our agreement we would pay the businessman - you told me afterwards it was the payment."

"The Undertaker took it back and I have it," Sebastian said.

"I see we have a disagreement, however," the Earl said, shoving himself between us for a moment. "My children. Do what you must."

I snatched the object now in Sebastian's hand and I could see that there was sorrow in his eyes; good. If this wasn't truly given as payment, had I really been suppressing my Hunger for two years? I shook my head and took the pen in my hand. The weight was familiar and I felt the surge of energy behind it.

"Earl, if you would please let Sebastian hold you," I said, as I twirled the silver pen and once more my Reaper's Scythe was activated. I sighed and trailed my fingers over the engraved symbols and muttered a bit, feeling both the Reaper and the Demon powers surge and rise. I held the Scythe before me and tapped into the nothingness. "Phantomhive Souls, two. Vincent and Rachel."

A Portal of a simple door materialized and I wondered if the Earl saw the arched door or not. I pulled the Scythe back and rested it on my shoulder and opened the door. A flowing of energy washed over me, as if a ocean wave was breaking on me, and I held my hand out to Sebastian. His hand was cooler in mine as we walked through the door and arrived in a brightly lit courtyard, music and chatter coming further down the long walkway, the flames of lanterns flickering and guiding me forward. I twirled my Scythe and placed the now pen-looking object into my pocket, dropping my lover's hand as soon as I could.

"They are here," Sebastian hissed as he placed the Earl on his feet. "And more. Several other children."