One Hell of a Master

by Junjou-chan

One night, a boy is found on a doorstep. He remembers nothing of his past and is unwillingly thrown into a contract with a demon. Now, he must become the perfect servant and pet to the devil...or something close to it. Slightly AU and YAOI! SebaCiel

20. The Voice

J-C: *runs dashing into the room* HOLY SHIZZNIT! WHAT TIME IS IT?

Naruto: Time for you to get a watc-

~Sasuke~ It's almost 4:30...

J-C: GAAAAAAH! T_T Crap! *breathes deeply* Okay, I still have time. Sorry about that, readers... ^-^' It's just that I have to go to this dance thingie, and I need to be there by 5:15, so I'm kinda in a hurry...

~Sasuke~ Just like you were in a hurry to finish your homework?

Naruto: And to update your story?

J-C: -.- Shut up.

~Sasuke~ *smirks*

Naruto: *laughing evilly*

J-C: ANYWAY, I'm back, everybody... and SUPER UBER sorry! *sobs* T_T Not only am I updating nearly two months (school, personal issues... they really got to me this time... D':) after leaving you guys with a cliffhanger, but I also didn't respond to everyone's reviews... and you guys ended up getting me to one of my ALL-TIME GOALS! *cheers* THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU! ^0^ Seriously, you guys have made my wildest dreams come true! I swear, I NEVER thought my story would get all of the attention that it does. You guys are too kind, I swear... *sniffles with happiness and sadness* So that's why I feel bad about not responding to everybody's reviews... but I REALLY wanted to post this chapter since so many of you guys mentioned how badly you wanted another chapter. But not to fear! I will DEFINITELY make up for this error! Just you guys wait. ) AND I have a plan! ^0^

~Sasuke~ *rolls eyes* Oh boy...

J-C: *actively ignores* Instead of waiting until the day I want to update (I've been done with this chapter for nearly a month... -_-) to respond to everyone's reviews in one go, I have decided to INSTANTLY (or at least attempt to xD) respond to each review as soon as I get them! That way, I can update more often, and everybody will get a response! I profusely apologize for not responding to everybody this time (especially after you guys made one of my dreams a reality... THANK YOU! ^0^), but I think you guys want to know what happens to Ciel, right?

Naruto: Actually, they probably wanna know about the Disclaimer and Warnings first...

J-C: I highly doubt that... but okay then!

Disclaimer: If I owned Kuroshitsuji... I would probably die because that means I would own Sebastian... and Ciel... and make them do stuff... to each other... ;) So no, only in my head... and this story! xD

Warnings: GORE (Oh my god... if you guys thought the last chapter was bad, then this chapter is like Hell in writing. I'm serious... those who get squeamish easily, DO NOT read the gore part)! Violence (it's the sadistic kind too! ^-^'), language, sexual situations/themes, mini-lime (lolz, I still manage to be perverted... xD), and a little bit of fluff (Don't want to get too angsty here... ^-^').

J-C: Before you guys find out Ciel's fate, regular thoughts and dialogue in a flashback look like this (Dance... Ugh...), private thoughts look like this ([I hope the wait was worth it!]), conversational thoughts look like this ('Don't you guys just hate interrupted lemon scenes?'), regular dialogue and stuff looks like this (SAVE CIEL, SEBASTIAN!), scene/time changes look like this (XXX), memories look like this (I remember when school didn't give so much homework...), sound FX look like this (WHAM!), and emphasized stuff looks like... THIS! xD

~Sasuke~ It's 4:47...

J-C: *spazzes* I gotta go now, but before I do, I present everyone with the 20th chapter of One Hell of a Master! Enjoy! ^0^ *runs away*

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Chapter 20: The Voice

"Will you kill me or save your lover?" she said before bursting into a fit of maniacal laughter.

Sebastian could only poisonously glare in response. The female demon knew exactly what she was asking: would Sebastian choose his own death or Ciel's? Father Gregory's mate had put him in a lose-lose situation, which was why she taunted him using his dying butler's voice with a triumphant grin on her face. The tension in the room was palpable; it was nearly suffocating. Unspoken words, motives, threats, filled the room, creating an atmosphere of pure, demonic hatred. The two demons continued to stare each other down: one with smug satisfaction, the other with uncontainable rage. Neither one moved; they both waited to see what the other one would do.

It seems as if I have been put in quite the situation… if I were to try to kill her, she could possibly kill me first considering she is much more powerful than her mate. If she doesn't immediately kill me, she would play with me for a while… she would dodge my attacks until I wouldn't have enough time to attempt to rescue Ciel. On the other hand, if I attempt to save Ciel, who she keeps referring to as my lover for an odd reason, she could kill me while my guard was down or injure me severely so that I would have to heal myself before I could heal my butler. By that point, Ciel would have bled to death. She is a stereotypically angered demon; she attacked an innocent person, in this case, my butler, to gain a sense of satisfaction. It is a classic case of revenge, which means she is not in a stable emotional state. I must approach this situation with the utmost caution.

"C'mon, Se-bas-tian~!" the woman taunted in a sing-song tone, "Make a choice! Time is running out, and I'm dying~!" she continued, faking as if she was talking as Ciel, before laughing hysterically. Sebastian coolly analyzed the overconfident female before looking down at his blood-covered butler. His own contracted hand was burning like it was engulfed in scorching flames, and the blood was starting to run dry. The symbol was fading at a scarily fast rate. The immortal was running out of time; his mind worked furiously to try and come up with a solution where he could simultaneously kill the rogue demon and save his servant. The odds were definitely against him. The only plausible option was to allow for Ciel to die and to take his chances fighting Father Gregory's mate.

Or so it seemed.

Eyes blazing with fury and other vengeful emotions, the raven-haired male took a step towards his enemy. Intrigued, Father Gregory's mate raised an eyebrow before snickering. "Oh, so it seems as if you have finally decided. It took you long enough; you might not be able to save your lover if you chose to do so…" she said before wickedly smiling. Sebastian paused before cocking his head to the side. A smirk™ developed on the noble's face.

"Oh~?"

The female gasped when she was suddenly grabbed from behind.

What? How did he move so quickly? I didn't even detect his movement!

Sebastian chuckled darkly at the woman's surprise. He had one arm wrapped around the mate's waist and the other was holding the female's head so that the side of her neck was exposed. He pressed the rogue demon to his body as he moved to whisper into her ear.

"Have you forgotten? I am not just a normal Semihominis. I am a Hunter, employed by the most powerful demon in the universe," Sebastian whispered in a voice dripping with poison. The female demon growled before she began thrashing in Sebastian's hold. The raven-haired demon didn't even flinch.

"If you think you've won-"

"I wasn't aware we were playing a game," Sebastian cut in. A slow smile spread on Sebastian's face. "Although I do love to play games. Did you know that my favorite game is chess?" Sebastian asked in a conversational tone of voice. The woman froze when Sebastian's grip tightened on her head. His hot breath ghosted over her bare neck. He elongated his fangs and brushed them against it, as if suggesting he was going to bite into the tender flesh, causing her to shudder. Sebastian's smile widened before he positioned his lips by her ear again, "Do you know why?" he asked sweetly. The woman didn't say anything, causing Sebastian to lowly chuckle. The female winced as Sebastian's hold on her head tightened; it felt like he was going to tear it right off of her shoulders! He leaned in close, causing his lips to brush against the shell of her ear.

"Because I love to say…"

CRASH!

Sebastian smirked as the window to Ciel's bedroom was forcibly broken through, causing glass to spray in all directions. The woman gasped in unadulterated shock, not believing her eyes. Sebastian's eyes took on their demonic state as he whispered the word that sealed the mate of Father Gregory's fate.

"Checkmate."

With a wide grin and his own pair of demonically glowing eyes, Sly moved into a standing position and whipped his head to rid his hair of some glass pieces.

"Do it now, Sly," Sebastian ordered. Father Gregory's mate screeched in terror as she tried to remove herself from the trap the two demons had set. Sly's grin widened as his eyes gleamed with malicious intent and sadistic happiness.

"With pleasure," he purred sinisterly.

Without a moment's hesitation, the blue-haired immortal's eyes focused on the exposed part of the woman's neck. Sebastian calmly watched as the woman's face began to change color; it transitioned from normal, flawless porcelain, to dark bluish-purple. Sly smirked at the female's horrified eyes before raising a finger. Summoning his special demonic ability, he focused his power on the mate's neck.

Sebastian observed as the skin on her neck began to rise, almost as if a bone was attempting to force its way out. But that was not the case. Underneath the rising, black-colored skin, the blood vessels had exploded, causing blood to pool. The woman began to choke in pain as her body was covered in black and red spots. She could feel her body temperature rise sharply before a feeling of immense tiredness washed over her. The bump on her neck had now increased to the size of a cantaloupe, and she could feel as it filled with pus. Several more bumps were forming under her armpits and in her groin area, but none of them were as large as the one on her neck (which was now the size of an oversized watermelon). Her neck felt like it was going to break under the weight of the protrusion, but Sly was sure to add another bump on the opposite side of her neck to balance it out. Thrashing and crying out as she did so, the pain-filled female felt fear fill all of her senses. She had been foolish to think Sebastian didn't have back-up of some sort; the fact that his back-up was a Morbus only made her decision worse.

Sly smiled a demon-revealing smile when the woman began to vomit blood. He listened with sadistic glee as the immortal screeched in agony before choking from the two bumps that were internally pressing on her windpipe. The plague-causing demon had accelerated the course of his power; so, instead of it taking six to seven days to wipe this woman off the face of the mortal world…

…it only took a few seconds.

Slowly opening his hand, Father Gregory's mate felt the bumps all over her body begin to fill with pus at rapid speeds. Her skin was literally decomposing right before her eyes, and there was nothing she could do about it. The blue-haired demon slowly began to close his hand; as he did so, some of the bumps on her skin exploded. Sebastian quickly released the female when he saw the first one explode. Swiftly, he ran towards Ciel and carefully picked him up from the ground. He didn't want Ciel to accidentally become infected. Sebastian cradled the child in his arms, making sure not to put too much pressure on his neck, and ignored the blood that stained his once immaculate clothing as he backed up to the kicked down door.

The pureblood female was now howling in agony as Sly decided to drag out the torture. Giggling, the Morbus twirled one of his fingers, consequently causing the pus-filled bump that was used to balance the weight of the initial boil to twist before exploding in a pain-filled shower of pus. A gaping hole was now present in the side of her neck; blood and spinal-fluid from her destroyed vertebrae gushed out and coated the side of her deteriorating body before forming a puddle on the floor. She fell to the floor as she lost control of her legs.

Sebastian felt no sympathy for the woman as she unintelligibly cried out for mercy. Sly glanced over at Sebastian when the raven-haired male made a coughing noise before backing completely out of the room. Realizing that he was taking a tad too long, Sly pouted before focusing on the original bump on the woman's neck. He could never have fun anymore. With a nonchalant sigh, the Morbus demon closed his fist all the way. Instantaneously, the entire woman's body swelled; blood leaked out from her eye sockets as her eyes pushed against their restraints. The pressure of the deadly combination of blood and other bodily fluids surrounding her skull cracked it; the fluids rushed in and drowned her brain, nearly killing all brain functions in an instant. Her skin stretched to its limits as her internal organs were pressed into her skeletal system and crushed by the pressure of the pus-blood mixture filling her insides. With one final gurgle, she met her demise in an explosion of pus and blood (1).

The stench of pus and death enveloped the room; nearly every part of the room was covered in a mixture of rust-colored blood and sickly-yellow pus. A little had splattered on Sly; the blue-haired demon chuckled as he brought a thumb up to his cheek and gleefully licked off the contents on the end.

"You do realize that you will clean this room of the mess you created," Sebastian stated seriously as he carefully stepped back into the destroyed area, face wrinkled in disgust. All of the walls and the majority of the furniture were coated in grotesque fluids. An evil stench, stemming from the fact that the creature that died was a demon, mixed with the vomit-inducing odor of pus. Sly sighed as his eyes reverted back to their golden state.

Ah, well; it was fun while it lasted!

"Yeah, yeah, I get it. But you know, you could at least say thank you! I didn't have to help you," Sly pointed out with a pout. Sebastian ignored the Queen's servant; now that the rogue demon had been taken care of, the raven-haired immortal could focus on Ciel. The limp body held preciously in his arms barely contained body heat, and any breaths the butler took were brief, shaky, and infrequent.

The sound of several pairs of feet dashing down the hallway caught the attention of the two immortals. Sebastian turned to consult with Sly, but the blue-haired demon had disappeared from the room. The red-eyed male growled but fixed his face into an indifferent mask as Maylene, Bard, and Finny dashed into the room.

"WHAT HAPPENED?" they all cried out in unison. The sight of the fluid-covered room was horrifying enough as it was, but seeing a blood-covered and deathly pale Ciel being held in their master's arms shocked the living daylights out of the trio.

"That is unimportant at the moment. I am not sure where you three were, but I need for one of you to call for Madam Red immediately," Sebastian ordered in a no-nonsense tone of voice. He didn't have time for their superfluous questions; he wasn't sure how much longer Ciel had before he died, prematurely ending their contract.

I cannot allow for that to happen just yet. His soul is not at its prime.

"There is no need for that," a confident, feminine voice answered. Before Sebastian could even blink, Madam Red came marching into the room. Dressed in her normal, red-colored outfit (minus the large red hat), the death god's eyes raked over the room before focusing on the standing demon and the boy in his arms.

Well, I've certainly seen worse in this house before… I guess I shouldn't be shocked by what I see in here anymore…

The red-head grimaced at the sight of the mortally injured child before steeling her resolve. She couldn't allow for herself to mourn yet; she could still do something. Remembering her education from medical school, the death god ran over the items she needed to hopefully save Ciel's life. Turning to face Sebastian's other servants, she began to bark out orders.

"Finny, I need a basin of water and a few washcloths. Bard, bring me a bottle of carbolic acid and a lighter. Maylene, find a needle, thread, and a few strips of cloth. Make haste and go!" she commanded. Standing rigidly, the servants quickly responded with a serious, "Yes, ma'am!" before exiting the room to find the items Madam Red needed. Sebastian, impressed by the woman's demeanor, smirked when she turned to face him with fire in her eyes.

"As for you… I believe I told you to protect him," she growled. Reaching into the pocket of her red coat, she found a hair tie and proceeded to tie her hair up in a bun. Sebastian said nothing in response. Sighing, the noble woman motioned to the bed. "As soon as I remove that sheet that's covered in God-knows-what, lay him down on there and apply pressure to the wound. We can at least attempt to save what little blood he has left in his body," the death god remarked. The demon nodded; the noble woman quickly moved to the bed and ripped off the blood- and pus-covered sheet. Sebastian carefully laid Ciel down on the bed before pressing his fingers below the gaping hole while Madam Red applied pressure above it.

"How did you arrive here so quickly?" Sebastian inquired after a few moments of tense silence. The demon would not believe that he was trying to calm his anxiety by talking… or that he was anxious to begin with. The immortal could barely feel his servant's pulse, but it was still there; it was faint, fleeting, but there. For now, that would have to do.

"Your three servants were traveling the countryside, returning with a present for Ciel from London. I had just finished collecting a soul and happened to be passing through the area. I was walking along the road when they called out to me from their carriage. They asked if I wished to come to the surprise party they had planned for Ciel. I would've declined, but something told me to come anyway," she dryly chuckled before pressing down harder on Ciel's throat. "I guess my intuition was correct this time," she finished seriously. Sebastian nodded before focusing on feeling for his servant's consciousness. After much concentrated searching, Sebastian was able to find Ciel's conscious mind. The barrier between wakefulness and eternal sleep was as thin as a spider's thread. Regardless, there was still a chance. Sebastian would just have to make do with whatever Ciel had left in him for now.

Come now, Ciel. Show me that exquisite strength of yours one more time.

"Why haven't you healed him already, Sebastian? I'm sure you don't really need me to operate on him," Madam Red remarked after some time.

"Actually, I do. The power in the contract between me and Ciel is too weak at the moment; if I attempted to heal him using my regular demonic power, I would probably kill him. The power I have would be too much for him; the contract serves as a filter so that only the necessary amount actually works on him," Sebastian explained solemnly. The death god blinked; Sebastian was actually concerned about what his power could do to Ciel?

Well, this is new…

Smirking, the death god listened for the sounds of the approaching servants. The first to arrive was Maylene. Her glasses were perched on top of her head so that she wouldn't trip and fall with the things held in her hand. Finny followed close behind, awkwardly running and holding a basin full of water in both hands with several washcloths held in his mouth. Bard rushed in seconds later, holding the bottle of carbolic acid and the lighter as if they were the keys to life (which in this case, they were). The servants placed the items around the physician and waited for more orders.

"That is enough for now. I need for you three to stay back," Madam Red said as she removed her hands from Ciel's neck. Sebastian moved one of his hands to the top of the wound while the other stayed in place. Maintaining the right amount of pressure was crucial; Ciel's pulse hadn't weakened anymore, so there was a strong possibility that the boy could live.

The physician immediately set to work. Removing her blood-stained gloves and setting them on the nightstand, the redhead reached for a washcloth and soaked it in the basin of water. When the cloth was wet enough, she carefully but efficiently began to wash off the blood around the life-threatening wound. She did this so she would be able to see exactly what had been damaged and take the proper measures to operate on it. Also, it would help her be able to see where to burn and stitch when it came time to end the operation (2).

When the first washcloth was redder than her lipstick, the noblewoman replaced it with another one. After going through three more cloths, the death god could clearly see what had been damaged. Cursing lowly, the woman gritted her teeth. Sebastian coolly watched the woman, judging his butler's chances of survival by the physician's actions. The female looked up at the other supernatural being with a wry smirk.

"You wouldn't happen to have removed Ciel's voice box from that beast before killing her, would you?" she asked. The expressionless look on the pale man's face clearly answered her question. Sighing, she locked eyes with the demon. "Are you sure you do not wish for me to allow for him to die? You realize that if I save his life now, he will never be able to speak or utter a sound for the rest of his life; he will forever be mute. Based on his personality, I do not think he w-"

"As his master, I am the one who decides his destiny, regardless of his feelings. If I wish for him to live, he shall live. If I have no more use for him, I will easily erase him from existence." Lowering his voice, the demon leaned closer to the immortal, "Besides, his soul is not ready to consume just yet." The red-eyed female rolled her eyes before giving the man across from her a stern glare.

"That's your only reasoning for going through all of this trouble…just to get a high-quality meal," she stated tiredly. Sebastian smiled brightly, confusing the servants who didn't hear the majority of their conversation.

"Why would I settle for anything less?" he stated matter-of-factly. Madam Red looked deep into the other male's eyes before a small smile formed on her face.

You are easier to read than you may think, Sebastian.

"Alright then," she responded. Removing her overcoat, the physician rolled up the sleeves of her dress. Turning to face the three worried servants, she said, "I ask that you leave the room. I will fetch you when the operation is complete." Tears welling in Finny and Maylene's eyes, the trio begrudgingly exited the room. The red-haired woman's face slipped from reassuring to focus. "Sebastian, you may release the pressure you have on Ciel's neck. From what I can see, that woman made a clean break when she ripped out his voice box, so there shouldn't be any risk of internal hemorrhaging," the physician commented calmly. The raven-haired male nodded in affirmation.

"I agree; she was most definitely specialized for this type of attack," he replied. Sebastian pushed the images of the rogue demon taunting him with Ciel's voice to the back of his mind; right now, he needed to focus on saving his pet's life. Madam Red peered into the jagged opening in her patient's body before making a clucking sound.

"It seems that her emotions slightly affected her work. She just missed rupturing Ciel's aorta, a mistake most of her kind would not make. But she did move Ciel's windpipe a tad off center. This could create problems in the future, such as difficulty breathing. I will attempt to force it back into place before cleaning the wound and stitching it." Shaking her head, the death god affectionately ran the back of her hand against Ciel's breathtakingly-cold cheek. "You seem to have quite the lucky streak, Ciel," she whispered in an almost loving tone of voice.

Whether that is a good or bad thing is up to you to decide.

Removing her hand from the child's face, Madam Red moved from her position beside the bed to go into the bathroom. Sebastian watched his servant like a hawk, looking for any signs that his condition was worsening. The death god returned a few minutes later; she had been washing her hands and running through the steps of the operation. It was very important that she didn't mess up; one slip and Ciel was done for.

Since she didn't have any surgical tools on her, she was going to have to use her hands; more specifically, the very tips of her fingers. Judging by the rest of Ciel's windpipe, only the part that had been directly connected to his voice box had been bent. She was going to have to stick the tip of her finger into the beginning of the windpipe and gently move that part back into position. If all went well, she would hear a faint popping sound as it moved back into place.

Breathing deeply, the physician went to work. Maneuvering her index finger and thumb skillfully, but quickly, around Ciel's neck tendons and arteries, Madam Red placed her index finger inside the top of the windpipe while pressing the pad of her thumb against the outside of the pipe. Concentrating, the red-haired death god began to apply pressure with her thumb while keeping her index finger in place. Sebastian continued to feel for Ciel's consciousness in case it was starting to slip away. The physician silently elated as she felt more air hitting the tip of her index finger. Technically, she was cutting off Ciel's air supply because she was blocking his trachea; she had to move quickly, but not too quickly because she could cause the area to rupture, or else he would die of oxygen deprivation. Applying even more pressure, Madam Red's eyes flitted to Ciel's face to look for any signs of discomfort. She silently cursed when Ciel's brow slightly furrowed.

Sebastian's head jerked up when he felt Ciel's consciousness start to fade again. "Madam, we are losing him…" Sebastian warned. The woman grunted in response, twisting her hand so that she had more control over the pressure of her thumb.

"I understand, Sebastian. I just need to apply a little more force, and it should snap back on its own," she responded hastily. The tip of her tongue poked through her lipstick-covered lips as sweat began to form on her brow. Using her free hand, she wiped away the sweat and focused on controlling her thumb. Applying even more pressure, she could feel as Ciel's windpipe began to resist her motions. Sebastian watched as his pet's face began to change color.

"Madam, you must hurry. He is having trouble breathing," Sebastian pointed out. Madam Red growled.

C'mon, Ciel… don't give up on me now.

The boy's body was beginning to seize from being denied air, causing more blood to flow from the wound. Sebastian winced as his hand flared with pain. Glancing at it, the demon cursed; the contract symbol was barely present. He could hardly make out the outline of the outer circle. Everything else had faded to nothing.

Refusing to panic, the physician pressed even harder. She had to still be careful because now her fingers were shaking; if they shook too much, she could accidentally cut something inside of the boy's neck. Muttering under her breath, Madam Red continued applying more force. Her eyes darted between Ciel's blue-tinted face and his neck.

Sebastian cursed; Ciel's consciousness was no longer traceable. That could only mean one thing.

He was currently in Limbo (3).

Sebastian gritted his teeth at the thought. If Ciel is in Limbo, my contract no longer has any control over him. Any supernatural being can snatch him up for their uses and desires. Or he can choose to die with no repercussions. Growling at the thought, Sebastian opened his mouth to speak.

"I know… I felt his soul enter Limbo… I just need to… nnn, a little more…"

POP!

"Got it!" the red-haired woman exclaimed as Ciel's windpipe snapped back into place (4). Quickly, but carefully, removing her fingers from the boy's windpipe, the surgeon watched the area for signs of hemorrhaging. Breathing a brief sigh of relief, Madam Red watched as no blood pooled around the area. Sebastian looked at his butler's face and was pleased to see it was returning to its deathly pale state.

However, they couldn't celebrate just yet.

Wiping her hands on the edge of the sheet, Madam Red reached for the bottle of carbolic acid. She tossed a washcloth to Sebastian before reaching for another and drenching it in the substance. "I need for you to use your fangs to tear that into little pieces so I can stick it in carbolic acid and place it between the openings of the stitches," she explained calmly. Sebastian nodded and elongated his fangs. Biting into the cloth, the demon easily cut through the flimsy material. Meanwhile, Madam Red carefully washed the outside rim of Ciel's wound with the acid-covered washcloth. It was important that she cleaned the area before she began stitching it closed. If she didn't do so, the risk of infection was dangerously high (5).

Once that was done, the red-haired noblewoman reached for the spool of thread. Cutting four equal pieces of thread, the physician tied the ends of them together before looping the other end through the small hole of the needle. Dipping the needle and thread into the bottle of carbolic acid, Madam Red reached for the lighter and tossed it to the demon. Sebastian caught it and looked at the woman across from him for his instructions.

"You are going to have to physically move Ciel's skin as close as possible and burn it closed. Once it has cooled down enough, I will stitch it so that the skin stays in place. Then, you will dip those washcloth pieces in carbolic acid, place them between the stitches to prevent further infection, and I will wrap his neck in a cloth covered in carbolic acid." Pausing to look at her assistant, the woman slyly smiled. "Do you think he can live through all of that?"

Smirking in response, Sebastian glanced at Ciel's deathly pale face. "He is a servant of Michaelis; where would we be if he couldn't do such a thing?" With those words, Sebastian flicked the lighting end of the lighter, watching as the flame instantly flared to life (6). With one hand, the demon pinched one end of the wound together and placed the lighter as close to the skin as possible without burning it completely off. The smell of burning flesh quickly filled the room, but neither of the two supernatural beings was bothered by the stench. Sebastian meticulously continued pinching together and burning Ciel's neck wound closed while Madam Red watched for signs of the nearly blackened skin cooling off.

When Sebastian reached the opposite end of the hole, Madam Red began working on stitching the beginning end firmly closed. Working skillfully and efficiently, the death god made sure to pull the thread as taut as possible so that it wouldn't loosen, causing Ciel's wound to easily reopen. By the time ten minutes had passed, the physician had finished stitching half of Ciel's neck wound. Sebastian, meanwhile, had been dipping the pieces of washcloth into the bottle of carbolic acid and gingerly placing them between the newly-made stitches.

Only when the final cloth piece was placed into position, and a cloth covered in carbolic acid was wrapped around Ciel's neck and clipped shut, did the two immortals breathe a sigh of relief.

XXX

Ciel's eyes sleepily fluttered open. Surrounded by a sparkling white mist, the butler blinked in confusion. He was no longer in his room. The boy looked around, trying to see through the impenetrable fog. Even though he knew he should've felt fear or at least a vague sense of panic, Ciel felt nothing but an unshakable peace. Ciel looked down to see that he was floating in midair. Some of the mist ruffled his hair while the rest continued to swirl around him. It was cold, but not unpleasantly so. It caused Ciel to shiver as his body chilled slightly. Truly confused but still feeling calm, Ciel began to think.

Where… am I? Why… don't I feel any pain? Am I… dead? I must be… because the… last thing I remember was that… woman taking out my voice box.

Wincing at the memory, Ciel brought up a hand to his throat. He paused before bringing his hand away from his neck. Ciel was surprised to find that it wasn't covered in blood like he thought it would've been. In fact, there was no hole whatsoever.

I can't be dead… if I was, I would be in Hell by now because Sebastian would've taken my soul. But if that is the case, then where exactly am I right now? What happened to the mansion… that woman… to Sebastian?

"Do you wish to escape?" a gentle, melodious, and soothing voice suddenly asked. Ciel flinched when he was suddenly bathed in light. Ciel put a hand over his eyes and attempted to look at the speaker. He had to squint to see, and even then, all he was able to make out was the blurred outline of a person. Confused, but still feeling at peace, Ciel nodded slowly. He wasn't even exactly sure what this mysterious person was asking about to begin with.

"Do not fret, my child. I am only here to help you," the calming voice said. Ciel was slightly shocked when he felt something he couldn't see gently stroking his cheek, but instead of flinching away from the phantom touch, the dark-haired teen leaned into it. "You have experienced too much pain, little one. It is time for you to depart from this world, don't you think?" the voice asked sweetly. Ciel froze at the statement.

So, I am not dead yet… But if I do choose to die, then I will have to go to Hell because of the contract between me and Sebastian.

"Come, young one. We mustn't dawdle over these sorts of things," the voice urged. "You do not wish to be placed back into a life filled with pain, hatred, and fear, do you?" the speaker pressed. Ciel opened his mouth to respond, but the voice cut him off.

"I can save you from that monster," the phantom being finished with hatred. Ciel jerked at the hate-filled word.

Monster? Could this being be referring to Sebastian? What does this supernatural entity have against my master? And how can it save me from him? His contract is absolute… I cannot escape it, no matter how much I want to…

A weight on Ciel's thumb caused the troubled child to look down at the finger. Blinking at the sight of the blue ring, a flood of memories of his time spent with Sebastian flashed through his mind.

Sebastian throwing him into the wall.

Sebastian torturing him with the contract when Ciel disobeyed him.

Sebastian smirking gleefully when Ciel broke his ankle.

Sebastian setting up an impossible challenge.

Sebastian having a premature taste of his soul.

Sebastian talking about his soul, trying to instill fear into Ciel's heart.

Sebastian molesting him on a daily basis.

Sebastian pouring ice-cold water on him to make him wake up in the middle of the night.

Sebastian forcing Ciel down on the bed and telling him what it meant to be his pet.

Sebastian pushing Ciel down the stairs.

Sebastian mocking Ciel.

Sebastian taking Ciel's virginity and leaving him behind the morning after.

Sebastian forcing Ciel to be a hunter.

Sebastian humiliating Ciel during his sex pet time.

Sebastian lying to him about having a fiancée.

Sebastian slapping him.

Sebastian nearly raping him in the carriage.

Sebastian abandoning him on the night of his birthday.

Those memories pushed Ciel closer to agreeing with the mysterious being. What kind of life would he continue to live if he chose life with Sebastian? All the demon did was fuck him, mock him, and hurt him… again… and again… and again. An endless cycle of physical, emotional, and mental pain would be what Ciel would submit himself to all over again until the day of his death if he chose to continue living. Ciel wasn't sure if any person would want to return to such a life. Ciel looked up with a determined look at his potential savior and opened his mouth to say his answer. But then, a different set of memories invaded the boy's mind.

Sebastian saving him from the bandits.

Sebastian carrying him in his arms after Ciel had broken his ankle.

Sebastian fixing his broken ankle without the boy knowing.

Sebastian kissing him for the first time.

Sebastian saving and protecting him from the intruders.

Sebastian healing him when he was injured from being pushed down the stairs by Sebastian.

Sebastian catching him when he was thrown off the horse.

Sebastian investigating with him as they tried to solve the Jack the Ripper case.

Sebastian offering him his shirt as temporary night clothing.

Sebastian fixing Ciel's hair and dressing him for their investigation of the church.

Sebastian giving him a portrait of Ciel as a gift.

Sebastian gently taking his virginity.

Sebastian holding him on the night his virginity was taken and any other night that Ciel would allow him to.

Sebastian kissing him goodbye and doing his best to reassure Ciel that he would be alright against Father Gregory.

Sebastian rescuing him from Father Gregory.

Sebastian fighting to the death to protect Ciel from being killed by Father Gregory.

Sebastian healing him from the wounds Father Gregory had inflicted, despite being injured himself.

Sebastian sweetly talking, holding, and kissing him.

Sebastian nursing him to health when he was sick from not eating, drinking, and sleeping properly.

Sebastian not raping him, even though he could've.

Sebastian saving him from the Viscount.

Sebastian apologizing for lying to him about Grell and then tenderly kissing him for the first time in a while.

Sebastian making love to him for the first time.

Sebastian saving him from the demon in Hell.

Sebastian holding him close after having sex in Hell.

Sebastian giving him the ring after preparing his room for his birthday.

Sebastian wishing him a happy birthday.

Ciel blinked as the reel of memories suddenly stopped. He was left breathless; had Sebastian really had such an impact on his life in a short amount of time?

"N-No…" Ciel shakily whispered. The mist froze around him and a feeling of uneasiness settled in the pit of Ciel's stomach. The peaceful atmosphere was gone, now being replaced with a tense one.

"What? My child, I do not understand-"

"I do not wish for you to save me. What isn't there to understand?" Ciel responded strongly, his mind firmly made up. He couldn't die yet; regardless of Sebastian's impact on his life, he still didn't know anything about his past. He couldn't die until he at least knew who he used to be. Wincing as a sharp pain originating from his neck shot through his body, Ciel gasped as blood began to stain his clothing. The mist around him began to swirl angrily as the voice suddenly boomed.

"ARE YOU DENYING ME? NO, I WILL NOT ALLOW FOR THIS TO HAPPEN!" the voice roared viciously.

Ciel opened his mouth to speak but found he couldn't say a word. It was as if his voice had suddenly been ripped away by the stormy mist surrounding him. Suddenly, a strong force began to pull him out of the mist. The stronger the force pulled, the louder the being roared, and the more pain Ciel felt in his throat. It was madness; Ciel didn't know where to place his hands: over his bleeding throat or over his ears to drown out the ear-blasting shrieks.

"YOU CAN'T ESCAPE ME, CIEL PHANTOMHIVE! I WILL SAVE YOU, WHETHER YOU WANT TO BE OR NOT!" the voice screamed, all kindness and gentleness completely gone.

Another strong tug, and Ciel was staring at the ceiling of his bedroom.

XXX

Sebastian's eyes snapped open as he was suddenly bombarded with Ciel's consciousness. Tanaka gave his master a quizzical look. The two males were currently in the lounge, trying to piece together how the rogue demon had entered Sebastian's residence without anyone detecting her. After three days of running through ideas, neither of the two males could come up with a plausible reason.

During a lull in their conversation, Sebastian had decided to try and reach for Ciel's consciousness again. For the past three days, his butler had been in Limbo, untouchable and untraceable. But tonight, the supernatural being had been able to locate the thread of his conscious mind, even in the complexities of Limbo. He wasn't sure why tonight had been different than the past three nights, but Sebastian certainly wasn't complaining. He had latched on and refused to let go, sending silent orders for the boy to come back to him, to wake up.

His orders had worked.

"He is awake," Sebastian responded simply. Nodding, the senior butler looked at his demon master with a small smile.

"Then go to him. I am sure he has many questions to ask the Master. I will fetch Miss Sutcliffe," Tanaka said reasonably. The demon nodded before swiftly moving from the lounge chair. Sebastian walked leisurely to his pet's room, preparing himself for the worst. It was clear that he was going to have to be the one to tell the boy the bad news. Sebastian wasn't anxious about doing Madam Red's dirty work; as the master, it was his duty to tell his servants about the things that were happening in their lives anyway. No, he was more curious about what Ciel's reaction would be.

I am expecting for him to surprise me, just like he always does. I am quite amazed that he is already conscious after such a traumatic experience. Madam Red said he probably wouldn't be awake for at least a week and a half.

Sebastian was jerked out of his thoughts by the sound of someone quietly crying. He coolly looked at the softly sobbing maid as she came hurriedly around the corner. Sensing a presence, the purple-haired woman looked up to see her master analyzing her. Paling slightly, Maylene quickly wiped under her glasses, trying to hide her tears from Sebastian.

"Maylene, what happened?" Sebastian asked tonelessly. The crying woman could only shake her head before looking sadly down the hall she had just come from. "Tell me, Maylene," Sebastian pressed, not necessarily ordering her, but suggesting that he would if he had to. Flinching slightly, Maylene held back a sob as she tried to calm herself down.

"It's… Ciel, my lord. I was… starting the fire in his room… when I suddenly heard… a creaking sound. I turned… around and saw… that he was sitting up. He looked… confused and really… tired. He gave me… a quizzical look before… opening his… mouth, as if… he was going to ask… me something," the woman sniffled loudly at this point, about to melt into mournful tears at the memory of Ciel's shocked face. Sebastian said nothing as he reached in the pocket of his coat and produced a handkerchief. He gently placed the cloth in the woman's hands, and Maylene smiled gratefully before wiping at her eyes and nose. Inhaling shakily, Maylene continued to relay what had happened. "But… he couldn't… say anything! He kept… opening and closing his mouth… forming words, but no… sound was being emitted. He looked so… so shocked. Then… his face just… turned expressionless. It was as… if he shut down all… emotion or something… I couldn't say… I couldn't say anything… to comfort him!" Maylene finally wailed before dissolving into tears.

Sebastian blinked at the strong display of emotion in front of him before he inaudibly sighed. Leaning down so he was face to face with the sobbing woman, he brightly smiled. "Do not worry, Maylene. I will handle this. Ciel will be perfectly fine. Just rest and allow for me to take care of him, alright?" Sebastian said in a soothing tone of voice. Maylene blinked at her master's sudden display of kindness before dumbly nodding, slightly dazzled by the demon's smile. Sebastian straightened himself out and walked around the sniffling maid, making his way towards Ciel's bedroom.

Well, at least I know what to expect, Sebastian thought. Standing directly outside of Ciel's room, the man listened for any sounds. Stopping himself, the demon chuckled humorlessly at the thought of sound coming from Ciel's room. Sebastian gently knocked on the door and announced his presence before he entered.

The atmosphere in the room was dead.

Sebastian's eyes instantly adjusted to the dim lighting of his butler's bedroom. The only light was coming from the crackling fire in the fireplace. The glow from the orange-red flames slightly illuminated Ciel's marble-like face; no trace of emotion could be found. The young teen was sitting rigidly on his bed, gazing at absolutely nothing. All the butler's thought processes had stopped; Sebastian wasn't sure if it was because Ciel had made all of his thoughts private or because he had just completely stopped thinking. The curtains were still drawn closed since Maylene had felt too guilty to finish setting Ciel's room for the night. Taking it upon himself to do his maid's job, the demon gently closed the door behind him and smoothly made his way over to the curtains.

"Honestly, what will I do about that maid? Leaving her work to the master of the manor," Sebastian shook his head in mock sadness and made a clucking sound before moving to open the curtains.

'I cannot speak,' Ciel stated tonelessly. Sebastian's hands barely flinched as he continued to draw back the curtains.

"I see," Sebastian responded smoothly, not giving away any of his emotions or thoughts. "Well, that is certainly an inconvenience, but I am sure we will find a way to work around that problem," the demon continued, doing his best not to draw out any extreme emotional reactions from his servant. The supernatural being moved to sit on the opposite side of the bed, allowing for Ciel to look out the now-opened window if he chose to. A silence developed between the two males.

'I knew I couldn't speak before Maylene talked to me… I was just foolish enough to attempt to try anyway,' Ciel continued monotonously. Sebastian opened his mouth to say something before slowly closing it.

'You are wondering how I knew, aren't you?' Ciel asked, eyes flitting in Sebastian's direction before focusing on something that Sebastian could not see. The demon did not say anything, patiently waiting for his butler to "speak". Sebastian's eyes followed the movement of one of Ciel's hands as it came to rest lightly over his bandaged neck. 'My throat feels empty… like something is missing… something… important,' Ciel explained before swallowing as if to accentuate his point. Sebastian nodded before gently placing his hand over where Ciel's voice box used to be; the boy didn't so much as flinch as the older male's hand rested over his own.

"You are correct. You no longer have a voice box; consequently, you will be mute for the rest of your mortal life," Sebastian stated, deciding not to beat around the bush. The demon gently rubbed the area before pulling his hand away. Ciel blinked slowly before a small, emotionless smirk formed on his otherwise passive face. His hand slowly dropped back onto the bed, almost like it had died.

'I figured such. That woman was intent on making me suffer for the rest of my life. She wanted for me to experience the same pain as she had after we killed her mate. It seems her plan has failed though…' Ciel remarked, before finishing with a snort. The boy finally turned to look out the window, not trusting himself to look at his master in the eye. Ciel didn't understand why he didn't choose death. If he had known that this would be the consequence: a life without the ability to speak… Ciel swallowed, feeling his eyes sting. He tried to shove down his emotions, but the unfairness of the situation was getting to him. Why did he choose to come back to the world of the living? Why? Did he make the wrong choice after all?

Sebastian blinked when he suddenly felt a warm pressure on top of his hand. Looking down, the demon was shocked to see Ciel's trembling hand resting on top of his own. Releasing an inaudible chuckle, Sebastian didn't make any movements. He just looked up at Ciel's beautiful face, illuminated by the moonlight.

"Yes, her initial plan to inflict a comparable pain on someone like you has failed miserably. If she was alive, I'm sure she would be highly disappointed," Sebastian remarked good-naturedly. The smirk on Ciel's face widened slightly at his master's words. Pleased that his butler was showing some emotion, Sebastian moved his hand so that he was limply holding his servant's own.

'She's dead? Heh, I hope she was wiped out in an… appropriate manner,' he stated satirically.

"Yes, Sly killed her using his special demonic power. I believed it was appropriate… although highly messy," Sebastian cringed at the memory before continuing. "I was able to come up with a plan to simultaneously fulfill my duty to Satan and to save your life," Sebastian explained. Ciel nodded slightly, wincing at the sharp pain from his stitched neck.

[He's always saving me… even though he hurts me the most… he always protects me in the best way he can…]

'It hurts…' Ciel complained before bringing his other hand up to touch the wounded area. 'She purposely did this in a way to where I would feel much physical pain as well… It's a wonder that she didn't kill me…' Ciel commented before slightly gripping onto Sebastian's hand. Sebastian smiled, knowing that the small gesture was Ciel's silent way of thanking him. Sebastian returned the tiny gesture with an equal amount of pressure.

"Apparently, her emotions affected her work. Normally, her kind of demon would've killed you with little to no problem…" Sebastian responded. Ciel blinked before biting his bottom lip in thought.

'So her special demonic ability was to remove voice boxes and use them as her own?' Ciel inferred.

"Yes, she was a Vox Congero (6)," Sebastian replied before his eyes drifted to the boy's heavily bandaged neck. It was unbelievable that Ciel had survived such an ordeal. Then again, he was Ciel. This child never ceased to amaze him, no matter the circumstance. When Sebastian squeezed his hand first, Ciel felt his heart jump. Doing his best to hide the flush on his cheeks, Ciel turned a little more towards the window, causing the stitches in his neck to slightly move. Ciel inhaled sharply from the pain, and Sebastian flinched a little at the pain that flowed between their contract to him.

"Your neck should heal in time. Madam Red has advised that you do not move until you regain your strength and the stitches are removed. You lost a fair amount of blood, so you won't be able to physically move for quite some time anyway," Sebastian beamed suddenly. "It looks as if I will have to nurse my cute pet back to health again." Ciel mentally groaned at the thought, causing Sebastian to chuckle with humor.

'I would rather have my voice box cut out all over again…' Ciel said sarcastically. The boy clutched more tightly onto his master's hand, still refusing to meet Sebastian's gaze. Sebastian knew that Ciel didn't want to relive such a horrific experience again. Ciel was silently asking for Sebastian not to allow for something like that to happen to him again.

Sebastian's response was to thread his fingers through the boy's. He continued to gently hold Ciel's hand until the child drifted back into a peaceful sleep.

XXX

Four days later

Ciel looked at the object in his lap with immense confusion. He had never seen such a thing before.

'Is this a weapon of some sort?' he asked, perplexed by the object, before looking up at his demon master. Sebastian tried to hide his mirth at his servant's obvious ignorance.

"No, it is not a weapon. It is a board," Sebastian responded vaguely, purposely trying to elongate his servant's bafflement.

'A bored? I thought that was an emotion…' Ciel pointed out. He was starting to get a headache, and the fact that his master was now smirking clearly showed that the demon was purposely messing with him.

"No, not bored, as in the emotion. It is a game board, used for playing games on. It is a noun, for your grammatical information," Sebastian added smugly. Ciel shot his master a venomous glare before looking back down at the board resting on his lap. The board had a black outline around the outside perimeter; inside of the outline were evenly sized squares that alternated colors. Some of the squares were the color of the white-colored board while the rest were black. All in all, it was a simply-designed object.

Deciding to take a jab at his master for his previous statement, Ciel smirked before looking directly in his master's amused orbs.

'Games, you say? Aren't you a tad… old for such endeavors, my lord?' Ciel asked in a falsely innocent tone. The boy watched with slight confusion as his master's eyes transitioned from gleaming amusement to dull acceptance.

FLASHBACK

Madam Red was finishing up her examination of an unconscious Ciel. Sebastian was sitting stiffly in the chair by his servant's bedside. He was still searching for Ciel's consciousness, but he was having no luck again. The death-god-turned-physician checked something off on her sheet of paper before sighing. The woman's sigh broke Sebastian's intense concentration. Frustrated but skillfully hiding that emotion, the demon opened his eyes to focus on the red-haired death god.

"Well?" Sebastian urged politely. Madam Red wryly smiled.

"He is recovering much faster than expected… but it will still take a fair amount of time for his body to completely heal from the damage that woman caused," the physician relayed before focusing on her examination notes to decide on the best treatment for her patient. Sebastian nodded before glancing at Ciel's angelic face. A little bit of color had returned to the child's cheeks, but the boy was still unnaturally pale. If the demon didn't know any better, he would've thought his butler was peacefully sleeping.

It was quite a tempting sight.

"Do you have an estimation of how long his recovery period will last?" Sebastian asked. The redhead paused before looking at the expressionless male.

"Absolutely not," she coldly stated. Sebastian blinked, doing his best to feign innocence.

"Excuse me?"

"There will be absolutely no sex during Ciel's recovery time. Honestly, is that all you demons think about?" Madam Red finished with a slightly disgusted tone. Sebastian smirked before gazing at the child butler.

"Well, we do need some sort of outlet for our demonic emotions and instincts. Sex is just a natural way-"

"Then you are just going to have to find another outlet for your demonic nature. Ciel's body cannot be put through such… physical exertion. It needs to focus on recovering from the loss of massive amounts of blood and the wound inflicted by his attacker," Madam Red cut in seriously. Sebastian's eyebrow faintly twitched at the death god's rebuttal.

"I believe, Madam Red, that you are underestimating my servant's physical capabilities. Besides, our contract explicitly states that he must be my sex pet between the hours of-"

"I am quite aware of your contract, but you will just have to temporarily rescind that part of your contract until Ciel is completely healed," the death god reported sharply before focusing on the sheet of paper held in her hand. The atmosphere in the room shifted to a challenging one as the two immortals silently stood their ground. Sebastian put on his most charming smile.

"Surely a little… exercise could do no harm to Ciel's physical c-"

"Sebastian," Madam Red interjected before locking eyes with her brother's fiancé, "I am Ciel's doctor. I know what is best for him. Doctor's orders: Ciel is not to engage in any sexual conduct with you until I deem him physically fit for such activity," the death god stated with finality.

Sebastian was inches away from killing the woman glaring at him from the other side of Ciel's bed.

"But I believe-"

"No."

"You need to understand; Ciel-"

"Absolutely not."

"However-"

"No!"

"Madam…"

"Sebastian! No means no!"

"Then, what does the doctor suggest in place of sex?" Sebastian asked in a barely hidden tone of hostility. Frustrated by the demon's persistence, the woman threw her hands up in the air.

"I don't know! Play a game with him!" she yelled out. Sebastian blinked at the odd suggestion before an ingenious idea popped into his head. Noticing the male's small smirk, the woman narrowed her eyes before a sly smirk formed on her own face.

"Just make sure the game does not encompass any inappropriate touching… or sex, in general," the woman added smugly.

Sebastian was totally going to smother the smirking woman in her sleep tonight.

END OF FLASHBACK

Sebastian grinned brightly, deciding to ignore his servant's attempt to get back at him for his earlier statement. "One is never too old to play games, Ciel. Besides, this is not a children's game; many adult nobles, and adults in general, actively participate in and even join competitions to prove their skills in this game of strategy and intelligence," Sebastian stated with a hint of excitement. Curiosity piqued, Ciel looked down at the small, felt-covered box in his master's lap.

'How exactly does playing with a box and a board encompass strategy and intelligence?'

It's official: All nobles are idiots who have way too much time on their hands...

Sebastian couldn't hide his amusement at his servant's lack of knowledge about this subject any longer. Chuckling softly, Sebastian pushed a button on the box and unlatched the cover. Ciel blinked at the contents of the container. Separated by little wooden dividers, there were pairs of oddly-shaped and differently colored wooden pieces lined up in rows. Ciel noted that the colors of the objects matched the squares on the board in his lap. The pieces of wood had a glossy appearance, showing that they were well taken care of. Some of the pieces looked similar to objects in real life. One of them looked like the tower of a medieval castle, while another closely resembled a horse, minus everything below the neck. His demon master reached for one of the black horse-like pieces and placed it on the third square in the last row on the side farthest from Ciel.

"We are not playing with a box and a board, my pet. Today, I am going to teach you chess. It is one of my favorite games, and I believe you will enjoy it once you understand the movements of each of these chess pieces and the premises of the game," Sebastian stated calmly.

[It also is a rather time-consuming game that will hopefully take up enough time to where sex is no longer an option…]

Ciel watched as his demon master reached into the box and lined up each game piece on certain squares on the board. When his master was finished, the two rows farthest from Ciel had chess pieces proudly occupying each square. The boy noticed that the exact same-colored pieces were lined up in front of the row where the differently-shaped pieces were arranged. Ciel also noticed that they were all one color: black. With his uncovered eye, the child butler watched as one of Sebastian's elegant fingers pointed to the piece that resembled a castle tower that was located on the far right of the row farthest from Ciel.

"Pay attention, for I will only say this once," Sebastian said seriously. Ciel carefully nodded, showing that he was listening, but the child couldn't resist mentally rolling his eyes at how serious his master was being over a game. "This piece is called a rook. It moves any number of spaces horizontally and vertically. It can move backwards as well, just as long as it is in a horizontal or vertical fashion." Sebastian's hand migrated to the piece next to the rook; it looked like a horse. "The name of this chess piece is the knight. The knight is an interesting game piece because it moves in an 'L'-like way. It can either move three spaces vertically and one space horizontally, or one space vertically and three spaces horizontally, depending on the chess player's decision. This piece also has the ability to 'jump' over other pieces, meaning that if one of my own pieces is in the way, the knight does not have the incapability to move; it can simply move right over it and into its newly assigned space," Sebastian paused to allow for the boy to take in the capabilities of the newly-learned piece.

Ciel was slightly fascinated by the knight's movements. It was definitely a powerful piece, that was for sure. Sebastian moved on to the piece next to his black knight. "This is called a bishop. Bishops are similar to rooks; the only difference between the two is that bishops move an unlimited number of spaces diagonally. They, of course, can move backward as well, as long as it is in a diagonal pattern. There is one limitation with this piece, however," Sebastian pointed at the other bishop that was two spaces away from the original one. "It can only move diagonally on the color square it was originally on. Therefore, the bishop whose original starting place was on a white square can only move diagonally on white squares. The same goes for the bishop that starts on a black square," Sebastian explained. Ciel, still fascinated by the knight, moved his line of sight to the piece next to the bishop Sebastian had first pointed to. The demon followed his servant's eyes and smirked. Ciel was catching on pretty fast, just like he had expected him to.

"The piece you are currently focusing on is known as the queen. The queen is the most powerful piece because it can move any number of spaces in any direction, no matter the color. The only thing it cannot do is 'jump' its own pieces. But, my pet, the most important piece in the game of chess is the king," Sebastian emphasized before moving on to the last differently-shaped game piece in the row farthest from Ciel. The teen was a tad confused as to why the queen wasn't the most important piece, considering how powerful it was, but he decided to hear his master out. "The king can only move one space in any direction, no matter the color. But the only way to win the game is to get it into 'checkmate'. The whole goal of chess is to utilize your own pieces so that you can make it so that your opponent's king can no longer move anywhere without being taken; in other words, into checkmate. But you must also prevent your opponent from placing your own king into checkmate as well. Now, there is another term that has a similar meaning to checkmate, but it does not equate to a win or loss. If one of my pieces were to be placed in a position where it could take your king, but there was still an area the king could move to or another piece could take or block the attacking piece, then the king is only in 'check'. Once your king is in check, you must do something when it is your turn to prevent it from being taken; you cannot make any unrelated moves. Now, when I use the word 'take', you are probably a tad confused by what it exactly means. To take your opponent's piece means to simply move your own piece in a way that forces the other piece to move from the square it is occupying. Once that is done, the piece is 'captured' and cannot be used for the duration of the game. Although helpful because it helps remove aggressors to your own king, it is not something that should be the focus of your moves. The only way these pieces can be regained is if," here, Sebastian took a pause to focus on the row in front of the other one.

"You move one of these pieces, called pawns, to the opposite side of the board. You can then exchange that pawn for one of the pieces you lost during the game. That is the only special ability that pawns possess. They can only move one space at a time, and it has to be in a straight movement, unless it is attempting to take another piece. In that case, it moves one space diagonally, no matter the color. While it is in its initial position, it can also move two spaces forward instead of just one; of course, that is up to the player's discretion. Once a pawn is moved from its starting square, it can only move one space at a time, no matter what. Do you understand, Ciel?" Sebastian finally finished with a smile.

Ciel cautiously nodded, not wanting to disturb the stitching in his neck. The butler could easily see where the strategy and intelligence came in when playing chess. The players not only had to think about how to take their opponents' king, but they also had to make sure that their own king wasn't in danger as well. Along the way, they had to organize their pieces' movements so that they could take the challengers' pieces and put the opponents' king in checkmate while making sure their own pieces could not be taken by the opponents or their own king was not threatened. All of these things had to be remembered and applied to every move, every thought, everything.

Ciel was going to like this game.

XXX

A few hours later

'Checkmate,' Ciel said triumphantly before moving his white knight into place, ending the game and sealing Sebastian's fate. Sebastian resisted the urge to knock the board across the room in a show of childish anger. Instead, the demon blinked before looking up at the slightly smirking boy.

"I see…. that makes this three wins for you, correct?"

'Actually, it's four,' Ciel haughtily replied. His smirk widened. 'You won three times,' he corrected.

Sebastian really wanted to throw something right now.

Ciel's bedroom was quickly darkening, showing that evening was fast approaching. The two males were playing chess for hours, but to them, it felt like only a few minutes. In the beginning, Sebastian easily beat the boy; the first game only lasted for exactly nine minutes and 45 seconds (not that Sebastian had been counting or anything). It was slightly hard for Sebastian to contain his amusement from Ciel's reaction (which was poorly hidden frustration… Sebastian had sworn that Ciel was going to pout from his loss). Sebastian felt confident going into the second game, which only lasted five minutes and 23 seconds longer. The demon was surprised when Ciel proposed going for a third round.

That's when the real competition began.

After playing for over three hours, Ciel ended up winning. This shocked Sebastian to the point where he was actually frozen in place for a good 56 seconds. He, of course, smoothly proposed a rematch, which Ciel promptly agreed to. The fourth game lasted for a little under two hours, and Sebastian emerged victorious. Ciel silently set up the board for a fifth round, and it all went downhill from there for Sebastian. The butler ended up winning the subsequent three games, bringing the boy's total wins to four and the demon's to three.

Ciel was now moving all of the pieces back into their original places. Watching the child, Sebastian couldn't resist pointing out something he had seen while they had been playing.

"Why do you use the knight so much?" he asked. Ciel blinked before looking up at the stone-faced male. Slightly tilting his head to the side, the butler shrugged his shoulders.

'I didn't really notice…' he replied nonchalantly before moving all of Sebastian's pawns back into their spots. Sebastian's eyes narrowed slightly. People didn't make certain moves or use specific pieces without thinking about it. Chess just didn't work that way. Ciel gingerly picked up a white knight and twirled the piece between his fingers. A contemplative look formed on the child's face before he allowed for the horse to rest in the palm of his hand. 'I guess it is because I feel a certain affinity to it…' Sebastian blinked at the boy's thought.

"An affinity?"

Ciel nodded slightly before he silently yawned. 'It is my favorite piece because it is the most useful. Unlike the other pieces, including the queen, the knight's moves are almost always unpredictable.' To accentuate his point, Ciel arranged the pieces on the board until he was satisfied with their arrangement. Sebastian watched intently as the dark-haired boy pointed at the bishop and the rook. 'How can these two pieces move, my lord?' he asked. Sebastian blinked, slightly thrown off by the question before his eyes began roaming the board for possible moves.

"The rook can move to take the queen or shift a couple of spaces to the right to put the king in check. The bishop can take the opponent's rook that is about to take a crucial pawn… or it can move back to keep the king from being put into check…" Sebastian verbally strategized. A small smirk formed on the boy's face before he moved a knight.

'Checkmate.' Sebastian looked truly surprised by the move. He had mentally calculated every other piece on the board, but he had somehow missed the exact way the knight was going to move because there were so many possibilities. The smirk on the child butler's face widened at his master's facial expression. 'You see, Master, the knight is the most powerful piece on the board because of its unpredictability. Every other piece has straightforward moves that can easily be predicted and seen. I could probably win an entire game using just the knights,' the smirk fell from the boy's face before he looked down at the knight again, 'If life was a game of chess, I believe I would be the knight… because even though its ultimate purpose is to protect the king, it can do so in a way where it can maintain its power of surprise… it is the one piece that actually has dignity…' Ciel stated before his thoughts drifted off. Sebastian chuckled before he picked up the black king.

"I must say, although the knight does have extraordinary capabilities, the king is my favorite piece. Without the king, the game is over… how much more power does one need to possess? It controls all of the pieces, and all of the other pieces work to protect the king and to eliminate the other one. It is the absolute power in this game; no other piece can surpass it," he added with a smile.

'You must relate yourself to the king… considering your narcissistic personality…' Ciel added. Sebastian only smirked in response before glancing towards the clock.

"Ah, it appears as if our game will have to end for now…" Sebastian said dutifully. Ciel looked at the clock and visibly stiffened. It was 7:30. The last time this had happened was late this morning. Sebastian smiled in an almost apologetic way before moving off of the bed. "As your caretaker, it is my responsibility to make sure this is completed at least thrice a day. There is nothing I can do about the discomfort," Sebastian stated as he went into the bathroom. Ciel said nothing, opting to focus his attention on the abandoned game board on his lap. He hated having this done to him, but what choice did he have?

Sebastian returned a few minutes later with a wet washcloth in one hand; several pieces of gauze cloth were held in the other. Ciel sighed before placing a hand over his heavily bandaged neck. He moved to remove the clip holding the bandages together, but Sebastian stopped him. Ciel looked up at him with a glare, pride evidently taking a severe hit from this whole process. Sebastian smiled brightly before completely removing Ciel's hand from the wounded area.

'I am not completely incapable of changing my own bandages…'

"That may be true, but Madam Red gave specific instructions: she only wants for me to do this, so allow for me to fulfill my duty. Just relax, my pet," Sebastian ended in a reassuring tone, causing the boy to cross his arms in frustration. The demon carefully removed the board from Ciel's lap and set it on the nightstand before moving onto the bed. Gingerly, the raven-haired male unhooked the clip holding the bandages together and gently unwound the material. Ciel looked away from his master, angry at Madam Red for instructing Sebastian to do this… and angry at the whole situation.

[I hate this…it just serves as a reminder of my weakness. I couldn't protect myself from that woman's attack, even though I had been trained by Sebastian on how to deal with demons. If I had just listened to my instincts, none of this would have happened. This is my problem, so I should be the one to fix it.]

The demon was pleased to see that it was taking longer to see bandages with blood on them; even those that had blood on them only had a minimal amount. This could only mean that his pet's neck was slowly healing. Soon, Madam Red would be able to remove the stitches. All that would remain in its place would be a scar.

[A reminder of my failure as a master… how could I not have been able to detect this woman before she attacked Ciel? Regardless of her power, as a hunter, this is an unacceptable error.]

Completely removing the dirtied gauze cloths from the area, Sebastian set them off to the side and took a moment to look at Ciel's neck. The area was gooey from the gauze on the bandages that had been wrapped earlier in the day, and it was an angry red. The burned skin was beginning to form scabs, and Sebastian cringed at the thought of removing the deeply embedded stitches. He was probably going to have to order Ciel to go to sleep while Madam Red took them out…

'Don't stare like that… just do it already…' Ciel ordered tonelessly. Sebastian glanced up to see Ciel looking down at him with an almost ashamed look on his face. The demon knew how much this incident affected Ciel; the boy hated to feel weak, so depending on his master for every little thing was probably killing him inside. The thought that the boy was still suffering from the woman's attack angered Sebastian. The sheer amount of anger that coursed through the man as he gently wiped down the area with the wet washcloth surprised him. Sebastian was not one to feel such passionate emotions so easily. But just the mere memory of Ciel… lying helpless in a pool of his own blood… completely at the mercy of a stranger… made him livid.

Sebastian felt the boy jump slightly when he was wiping down the area. Feeling an odd twinge in his heart, Sebastian pressed a gentle kiss to the center of the wound, causing Ciel to softly gasp and a furious blush to spread on his cheeks (7). The demon had felt the entire boy's body stiffen as one of the older male's hands rested on his sheet-covered thigh.

'Master? What are you doing?' Ciel asked, completely shocked by his master's actions. Sebastian, whose original intent was to merely apologize for the boy's pain, smirked up at the smaller male seductively. Ciel looked down at his master with an expression that the demon deemed utterly adorable. His eyes were widened in naïve incredulity, his mouth was parted from the shock of what had just happened, and the red flush on his cheeks was quickly spreading to the tips of his ears the longer Sebastian continued to stare at him.

Doctor's orders be damned.

Sebastian chuckled before he quickly, but carefully, wrapped the boy's neck in the gauze wrap. He didn't want for Ciel's wound to open from the "activity" he was about to put him through. Sebastian placed another kiss over the bandaged area before he moved to the boy's jaw line. Ciel's hands went up to grip at his master's shoulders, attempting to push the older man away. He wasn't sure what had caused for his master's libido to suddenly switch back on, but Ciel wasn't going to allow for himself to be swept up in it.

'St-Stop it, M-Master! What's gotten into you?' Ciel demanded to know. He bit his lip hard, temporarily forgetting that he couldn't moan anymore, as the other man nipped at a sensitive earlobe. Since they hadn't engaged in any acts pertaining to sex since the attack, Ciel was much more sensitive than usual.

Bad for Ciel… good for Sebastian.

"Oooh? How cute… you stutter in your thoughts. I wonder if I can make you moan, too…" Sebastian stated sinisterly before he began to suckle on Ciel's ear. Ciel released another gasp as shockwaves of pleasure traveled throughout his healing body.

'Stop this in-instant, my lord! My body… is still h-healing!' Ciel pointed out. Sebastian found Ciel's shaking form completely alluring; the boy wasn't going to be able to resist him for long. Already, Ciel's grip on Sebastian's shoulders was beginning to slip as his trembles increased. Ciel jumped when he suddenly felt one of his master's hands move the covers down to reveal his legs. The child was only dressed in his nightshirt, so everything from his lower thigh down was revealed. Ciel moved to cover himself but his master wrapped an arm around the child's back and pressed him to his chest, preventing Ciel from moving. Ciel squirmed in Sebastian's hold, refusing to allow for the man to do this.

'Release me at once, y-you demon! Don't you have a-a-any self-control?' Ciel exclaimed with fury. Sebastian paused at his butler's words. Ciel, thinking his master would stop, relaxed slightly in the immortal's hold. Sebastian tilted the boy's face up so that Ciel could look into his eyes.

"When it comes to you, the answer is no," Sebastian responded seriously before passionately kissing his servant. Ciel's eyes widened and his heart raced at dangerous speeds; he wasn't sure if it was because of the kiss he was currently engaged in or because of his master's words.

[What did he possibly mean? Am I… the only one to cause him to lose control? Is that a good or a bad thing? Should I be happy or disturbed? I feel… happy… which confuses me…]

Ciel hesitantly kissed his master back in the hopes that the man would leave him alone after this kiss. Of course, the boy's plans were dashed when Sebastian gently pushed him down onto the bed. Ciel's face burned as the man continued to devour his lips. He squeezed his eyes shut, embarrassed by his master's boldness. Sebastian had missed this, being able to kiss and touch his butler. Having to hold back for a week was killing the male; now that he was finally able to have a taste, he couldn't stop himself from enjoying the entire meal.

Ciel squirmed under the bigger male, feeling heat course through his entire body and pool in his lower belly. The boy silently screamed when his hands slipped to rest on Sebastian's broad chest. He moved to push the demon away, but he found himself clutching onto the material of his master's shirt. The hand that had been resting on Ciel's thigh left a burning trail as it slowly moved up, up, up, until it disappeared under the fabric of his nightgown. The boy's eyes popped open when he felt his master rub his most intimate secret through his underwear. Sebastian smirked as he pressed the pad of his finger against the area, causing Ciel to break the kiss and pull away with a gasp.

'No! M-My lord… Don't t-t-touch me there! It's… It's…'

"Sensitive?" Sebastian completed, causing Ciel's entire face to redden even more. The boy glared at the man, but he couldn't hold that facial expression for long as Sebastian shifted his hand to massage one of his buttocks. The boy's face twitched in pleasure as his slightly swollen mouth opened and closed in silent moans and whimpers. The demon was pleased by the child's reaction; Ciel wasn't fighting back as much as he would've if he hadn't been recovering.

Good for Sebastian… bad for Ciel.

'Stop th-this immediately! Master… I don't want to… do it…' Sebastian chuckled at the embarrassed tone Ciel's mind had taken on.

"So there are times when you want to do it?" Sebastian asked coyly, causing the boy below him to scowl.

'No, there aren't,' Ciel answered with firm conviction. Sebastian's smirk widened before he placed a kiss on Ciel's flushed cheek. His sinful hand danced around on Ciel's abdomen before moving under the hemline of the boy's underwear. The demon couldn't resist slipping a finger into the child's hole and pushing it in as far as he could. Ciel gasped loudly at the unexpected intrusion. It burned slightly because of the lack of lubrication, but his master quickly made up for that error by prodding his prostate. Ciel's face darkened even more before he turned his head to the side and shamefully spread his legs so his master could touch him more. His hands were clutching onto the man above him as Sebastian continued to finger him while hotly whispering into his ear. The boy's eyelids twitched frantically as overwhelming pleasure began to course through his body. But it wasn't enough; to sate his need for pleasure, Ciel began to slightly rock his hips into Sebastian's hand, pushing the finger even deeper inside of him. But even though his body was more than eager, he didn't want to do this now! He was so tired… and yet, that damn hand felt so good…

"No matter… you will become honest once I-"

"Once you do what, Earl Michaelis?" a falsely sweet voice asked. Both Ciel and Sebastian froze in their actions. The duo turned to see a brightly smiling Madam Red standing in the doorway. Ciel, mortified by the woman seeing him act so shamefully, pushed at the unmoving man above him. Sebastian didn't budge as he coolly stared down the death god. A charming smile spread on the demon's face as he cleverly came up with an alternative statement.

"Once I finish wrapping his bandages, of course," the immortal smoothly replied.

After that night, Sebastian was forbidden from changing Ciel's bandages.

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(1): So... what I described in that highly gorey scene was all the symptoms of the bubonic plague, only accelerated! xD Remember, Sly is a Morbi, and the sickness he causes is the plague. As you can clearly see, the plague was definitely not a laughing matter... it was really horrible and a terrible way to die in my opinion. Poor people who got the plague... :( But I think that's a fitting end to Father Gregory's mate, don't you? *smirks sadistically*

(2): Yes, you guys read that correctly. During the Victorian Era, stitches were closed up by burning the wound closed. *shudders* God, that had to hurt! T_T Good thing Ciel was unconscious, huh?

(3): Okay, so from a religious perspective (being a Catholic), Limbo is a mix of Heaven and Hell combined. But for the purposes of my story, Limbo is nothing like that. Limbo is just a place souls go right before they die. In Limbo, there are no worldly attachments (hence why Ciel is no longer under contract), so many souls are tempted by the beings who float there into choosing whether to live or die, and whether to go to Heaven or Hell. Sounds simple, but Limbo is much more complicated then that... because it's not really a place, but it's also not in one's mind or anything... *begins rambling* xD

(4): The windpipe is made up of cartilige and other bendible body components, so it is actually possible to bend it back into place (or out of place like Father Gregory's mate did).

(5): Carbolic acid was used during this time period to prevent infection after surgery or just from cuts in general. It is still in use today, but it is not as commonly used as other medicines used for this purpose. Still, you would think acid would burn skin... guess not! xD

(6): Hooray for more Latin! So, this one is kinda simple to break down. Vox means "voice", and Congero means "thief". Basically, Father Gregory's mate was 10x more creepier than Father Gregory himself... seriously, stealing voice boxes and using them as your own? *shudders* But no, the reason those type of demons do that is because they are born without a voice of their own... kinda sad, but still... creepy. O.o

(7): Just to cover myself, mute people actually can gasp and make little sounds. The voice box just allows for pitches and other tones to be produced... as long as the sound doesn't need to vibrate the vocal chords to be heard, then a mute person can still make it. Looks like there is going to be a lot of gasping, huh? ;)

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J-C: *runs back*

~Sasuke~ J-C... you do realize you are late, right?

J-C: *shrugs* I know... I always am. xD But I have to do one more thing... besides thanking everybody for reading my latest chapter! Guys, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, R-

Naruto: Review! ^-^

J-C: Um... yeah... what Naruto said. xD But seriously, please review! I swear, I will respond ASAP instead of procrastinating and waiting till the last minute. But I better go now, my ma is practically glaring holes in the back of my head... O.o Thanks for reading, and I can't wait to hear your thoughts and feelings about this chapter! Thanks again! ^0^ *runs away for real this time*

Ja ne!