Author's Note: Last chapter was a little rushed but I just needed to get back into the swing of Sebastian and Serena. Or Malphas and Serena. Anyway, let's get on with it.

P.S. Thank you everyone for your welcome backs and your reviews. They always make me feel like I've come home.

Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroshitsuji or any of it's characters. I only claim Serena and Asta, as well as the demons and descendants that I introduce.

Chapter Ten

Serena stretched as she woke and felt a cool hand slide up her naked side. She smiled as she looked up into crimson eyes.

"Good morning, my mate."

"Morning."

She ran a hand over her demon's lean arm, tracing a path from bicep to shoulder to throat.

"As much as I would love to continue this," Malphas began. "I have some business to attend to in the human world."

And just like that, the small part of her that still thought they were home slid back into the realization that she was still in Hell.

"Is that why Aelius was here?"

"Aelius?"

"Undertaker."

"Ah." Sebastian rolled over and slipped out of the sheets. "Yes, it has to do with his visit."

Serena could hear the slight heat of anger in his voice and sat up with the sheets covering her.

"I'm sorry that I didn't tell you. I was told not to."

"Just how close did you get to Lucifer in London? I also saw him at your school during that disasterous display."

"We only talked a couple times. And I thought that the human paintings were great."

"You should never have been featured in it." Malphas turned around as a lovely dark suit covered his skin.

"I was asked."

"You should never have said yes."

"And you're such an authority on art."

"Many believe so. I have watched art evolve through centuries." He smoothed out his jacket. "And I do have rather excellent taste."

"Sebastian…"

"Malphas."

"What?"

"My name is Malphas. Not Sebastian." He put a knee on the bed and leaned down. "I agreed to keep this form while you grow comfortable, but I will not answer to that name any longer."

"I'm trying."

"Try harder." He kissed her forehead. "Ciel will be here with you while I am away. Zachary has also extended an invitation for you to dine with him this evening. From what I understand it will just be the two of you. Perhaps, he can help."

Malphas stood from the bed and walked to the shallow set of steps that led out of their room.

"I have already warned Ciel not to touch you while I am gone."

****HWY****

Dressed in a pretty white sundress that she found in the back of the closet, Serena picked a pair of heeled sandals and wished for flip flops. The dress was halter style so she didn't have to worry with buttons and she loved how it floated around her knees.

The door to the main room opened and she stepped away from the mirror.

"Serena?"

Ciel's voice pulled her from the closet.

"Hey."

He didn't want to look her in the eye as he bowed and straightened.

"Was there anything that you wanted to do today?"

"I'd like for you to actually look at me. That's not the Earl that I know there."

"I'm not an Earl anymore," He looked up and straightened his spine in pricked pride.

"There he is."

"I'm sorry I hurt you. It was never my intention."

"I know that, silly." She smiled.

"Was there anything else special that you wished? I do believe that the Elder left breakfast for you."

"I already ate it." She waved to a tray sitting on the end of the bed.

Ciel snapped his fingers and the tray disappeared.

"I would like to go talk with Zachary. I'm not sure if I have to call first, or how that whole thing works."

"I'll send someone over to make sure that he's at home today. I know that you were supposed to have dinner with him later."

****HWY****

Lizzy blocked out Paula's happy chatter as the carriage swayed on it's way back to the Midford Estate. She couldn't help but notice where they were currently. Night was closing around them, but she could recognize the lands of the Phantomhive Estate in her sleep. The lands had been dead since Ciel's passing. The servants were gone. The field workers were gone as well. Moved on to other estates that paid.

Until the Crown decided what to do with the property, it would sit vacant and rot.

Ciel would've been devastated.

They never did find Sebastian, although the servants had been convinced it was him that had prepped the house for new owners.

As they passed by the gates, Lizzy couldn't stop herself from looking up the drive. The trees had been cut back in preparation for the winter and she could see the corner of the house set back on a hill.

There was a light moving through the top floor she could see.

"Stop!"

"Milady!" Paula grabbed Lizzy as the carriage rocked to a halt. "What's wrong."

"Turn around!"

"What?"

"Tell the driver to turn around. I saw a light at the house. It must be Sebastian." Lizzy stretched across the seat so she could see the faint line of the house in the distance. "Go! Turn around now!"

The horses protested the driver's efforts to turn the large, bulky carriage on the small road. Paula tried to get her lady to sit while the driver worked, but the blonde kept trying to see out the windows.

They had to hurry. If it really was Sebastian, he probably wouldn't be there for long. He was the only one that had answers. The butler had always known everything that was happening with Ciel. Why would he have come back to the house at all?

Where had he gone after Ciel's death?

After what felt like forever, the carriage was finally swaying down the drive. Lizzy could still see the light and even Paula admitted it was strange that someone was moving around the house. They could see a single lamp moving through the rooms.

As soon as the carriage stopped, Lizzy shoved the door open and fell out, just keeping her balance enough to stay on her feet. The driver leapt down from his post and stopped her from going up the stairs.

"Milady!" He whispered urgently. "It may be vagrants."

Paula grabbed her arm and held on tightly. The driver pulled a rifle down from the box.

"I'll go in first. Just wait here for a moment."

****HWY****

Zachary waited at the open doors to Haagenti's home and smiled as Serena and Ciel walked up the drive. An Asian woman waited just behind him, dressed in black from head to toe. It took Serena a moment to register that she was carry a sword peeking up over her right shoulder.

"Serena," Zachary said as he came down the stairs. "I'm so glad that you wanted to meet earlier than arranged. Sometimes those demons forget that we can make our own plans. What did Haagenti really think I was going to do with the day to myself?"

"Haagenti isn't here either?"

"No, something happening in London and he had to go. Left me all alone again."

He pouted slightly, but it drifted away as he took Serena's arm and led her up the stairs. "Come. I'll show you around the library. It's one of the few places where we can get some peace from the wardens."

Zachary looked over his shoulder at the woman and Ciel.

Serena laughed. "I wouldn't exactly call Ciel my warden."

"True. From what I understand, he would be more likely to help you get into trouble than trying to corral you."

Ciel bowed his head with a smirk but that didn't stop Zachary from shutting the door in both the demon's faces once they reached the library.

Serena stared the room stretching out before her. She hadn't been able to see the library properly when Sebastian had been pushing her along before. There was no way she could read this many books, in two lifetimes. The room was three stories high with ladders everywhere. Everything was covered in books. The center of the room was sunken into the floor two steps and carried an arrangement of furniture, tables and pillows.

"Do you like books as well?"

Serena could hear the excitement in his voice and was sorry to disappoint him.

"Not particularly."

"Ah," he sighed. "Oh, well. How are you settling in?"

"Like a rock that's been thrown in the middle of a raging river."

"Drowning."

Zachary waved her to follow him around the first floor. Around the numerous bookshelves there was a wall of windows and a set were open to the large balcony they had talked at before.

"I remember I had no clue what I was supposed to do when Haagenti brought me here." Zachary held out one of the chairs for her. "If I'm remembering correctly, your mate wasn't exactly welcoming."

"That's a little surprising."

"I think he felt like Haagenti was his, only now he was mine."

"If Haagenti had trained him, then I'm sure that they spent a lot of time together."

Zachary nodded as he took his own chair. "It didn't help that Haagenti pushed him out not long after I arrived. Your mate has incredible drive. Haagenti has told me more than once that he was relieved when Malphas left peacefully. Half of the house was already attached to Malphas. A little longer and he may have taken them with him."

"He always talks about Haagenti with… affection, I guess."

"My mate speaks of Malphas the same." He sat forward and rested his hands on the table. "What's your biggest problem?"

"You mean besides feeling like I'm screwing everything up?" Serena looked down at her hands in her lap. "I already pushed one of his most trusted demons out. I've barely seen Lucien, and that's probably a good thing. Now, I know that there is something wrong and he won't talk to me about it. It has to have something to do with why Aelius was here yesterday. Which reminds me, he's mad at me for keeping that a secret and it wasn't my secret to tell him in the first place."

"Hold on. There's a whole lot in that. Who's Aelius?"

"Undertaker."

"Haagenti has told me about him. As well as the fact that you were friends with him."

Serena shrugged. "I'm not sure what we are. I thought we were friends, but he came to my college graduation and shot that idea down. I thought when he showed up here, but he only talked to Sebastian."

"Malphas."

"What?"

"Malphas. Your mate's name is Malphas."

Serena huffed and flopped back in her seat.

"You know, why don't we got for a walk instead. We have a lovely orchard and the good thing about living here is there are no bugs to worry about."

The redhead laughed as she stood up and followed Zachary off the balcony.

"And, if we're quiet enough, the wardens won't notice that we've left."

****HWY****

Lizzy had waited long enough. Shoving Paula off her, she went up the steps with a single-minded determination. If it was someone trying to steal from the estate, they had better hope her driver got to them before she did. No one was going to steal Ciel's things.

She pushed the heavy door open without listening to her maid's complaints. Paula was always too scared.

In the large entryway her driver was talking with a man. He was decently dressed in a suit and gloves. There were also two other men with him. One was very familiar.

"Tanaka?"

"Lady Elizabeth. You should be heading home, should you not?"

"I saw a light as we passed." She came forward and hugged the old man. Was it just her imagination or was he thinner than she remembered. "What's going on?"

Tanaka sighed and stepped away from her. He waved to the younger man in the center. His sandy blonde hair and soft smile put her at ease for a moment.

"This is Arthur Carthrage. He will taking over the Phantomhive Estate and title."

The man stepped forward and bowed. Why was everything getting darker around her?

"She's fainting."

****HWY****

"I think your largest problem is that you feel overwhelmed."

Serena stared at the strange flowers and trees around them as they walked through the orchard Haagenti had added before Zachary's arrival.

"I guess."

"You should remember that you were not chosen for Malphas on a whim. There was no chance in your mating. Each soul is chosen specifically for a demon. You have everything that you need to be Malphas's mate. The only person that doubts that is you."

"Easier said than done."

He shrugged. "Is it? Or are you simply rejecting the new?"

"It just feels like everything is happening too fast."

"I believe that is more you liked how things were in the past. From what you've said, you would've been quite happy there."

"Well, yeah."

"But, that time is gone. You cannot have it. Are you now being stubborn because you can't have what you want?"

Serena looked over at him. Was he calling her a spoiled brat? Maybe a nicer way of saying it, but…

"There's someone here."

Zachary turned to the way they had come and searched the rows of trees.

"There is nothing to be afraid of."

"Edwin," Serena smiled as he stepped out from behind one of the trees.

"I was attempting to give you two space to speak."

"No," Zachary closed his eyes. "There's something else here."

Edwin ran forward in a blur, pulling them both to the ground as an explosion ripped through the orchard.