My god, each chapter is getting longer and longer! And it's taking me longer to write them out... -_- Still, I love it.

Warning: There is a small lemon in the beginning of this chapter (hurr, hurr, another one? Yes, 'cause I'm bad) Feel free to skip or skim if uncomfortable. Other than that, hope ya like! :)

Disclaimer: Kuroshitsuji belongs to Yana Toboso. I only own my OCs and ideas not seen in the anime/manga.

With the contact of the hardwood floor against my feet, a small creak still emitted no matter how gently I walked. I grimaced a bit at the annoying sound but continued on, casually letting the bed sheets slip off my body, thus leaving me completely naked.

A small hint of remaining moonlight shined through the window of his room and illuminated my pale skin, making me look like a stray ghost haunting in the shadows. I silently crept towards my dress he had graciously folded for me before he left, the article of clothing resting on an arm chair near his closet.

I bent over to pick it up, long, fuchsia tresses slipping over my shoulders as I did so and effectively covering up my breasts as I stood straight. A dull ache in the areas around my hips came to my attention once my legs started moving again, but I didn't mind it at all. For once, I actually enjoyed this type of pain.

The other side of me laughed at those absurd thoughts, but now that I was beginning to indulge more and more with my vampire instinct, my innate masochism was rearing its ugly head. The teasing laughter in my head increased in volume, knowing full well that a sadistic demon was the cause of it... What a joke.

A soft and gentle sound suddenly met my ears before I stepped away from Sebastian's wardrobe. I halted in my movement and furrowed my eyebrows, wondering if I had just imagined that. Looking over my shoulder, I replayed what I had heard mere seconds ago and found that somehow, as strange as it was, it had seemed to have come from inside the closet.

It's those voices in my head again, I tried to convince myself. But something inside me urged to go forward and open up the wardrobe anyway, just for curiosity's sake.

"This is absurd…all that's in there are his clothes, I assume…" I muttered to myself quietly and proceeded to take hold of the handles.

With one quick motion, I swung open both sides of the wardrobe, not expecting much at all. The first thing I saw were several spare tailcoats and suits that basically composed most of his standard uniform. I couldn't help but scoff at myself, already ridiculing my own silly thoughts.

But then, I felt something unbelievably soft rub against my ankle and I froze in slight shock. I immediately looked down and saw, to my pleasant surprise, the adorable brown kitten Pluto had terrorized a while ago. I watched the tiny feline purring in content and then curling up against my leg, returning back to sleep.

A small smile broke across my face at seeing him again. I kneeled down, picking up the tired kitten and promptly returning it back into the closet where…I guess…it belonged. In doing so, my eyes widened when my fingers brushed against what felt like more fur. I quickly pushed the hanging black trousers aside and found find that there were, in fact, more cats hiding in the back.

A look of disbelief remained for a few seconds, before a soft chuckled escaped me. "Why on earth is he keeping all of these cats in here, of all places…? He's crazy…"

I stood up, shaking my head with a smile still on my face, and then gently closed the wardrobe on the sleeping animals.

My hand reached for the door knob and this time, it opened all the way for me without another disturbance. Pressing the button-down dress against my bare body, I leaned my head out and scanned both ends of the hallway. Finding that the humans were still fast asleep at this hour, and a certain demon was nowhere in sight, I slipped my body in between the door and wasted no time to dash down the hall, towards one of the distant bathrooms of the servant quarters.

A sigh of relief escaped me once I entered the spacious and empty room. I made my way towards the large, porcelain bath tub residing in the corner. Setting my clothes on the nearby countertop, I grabbed the bucket, gradually filling it up with hot water and then pouring it into the tub. Once it was nearly full, I placed the bucket aside and slowly climbed into the steaming water.

My tense muscles relaxed almost instantly as soon as my body was submerged in the tub. The hot temperature of the water was soothing to me and I didn't hesitate to sink all the way under, my head hidden below. I opened my eyes, the vision underwater distorting what I could see. The heat overwhelmed my senses and my mind drifted elsewhere, like it always did. I could stay under forever if I wanted to. Drowning wouldn't work in killing me; at least that was what I figured.

Alone again, I thought that he'd torment my mind. I thought those voices would come back and convince me with soulless words, dragging me further back to him.

But instead, all I could think about was not that vampire, but the demon. At the moment, he had gone to complete his routine preparations before daybreak, and I could only assume that it was about three in the morning when he left, now four. My hands moved slowly underwater to graze against my knees, reminiscing all that had happened, my thoughts lingering on what had occurred between us just moments ago.

Contentment washed over me at my mind being set to peace. I suppose there were some perks to being a sleepless creature after all. No one had to know. The night held all the dark secrets and hid away the evidence.

Unbeknownst to me, the sudden opening of the bathroom door seemed to have not caught my attention. But the contact of a familiar gloved hand touching my arm managed to do so, effectively snapping me out of my daydream.

Speaking of the devil? No, thinking of the devil and he was already here.

I finally raised my head out of the water, moving my soaked hair back and allowing it to slide over my shoulder and onto my right. My hands gripped the edge of the tub and I looked up to see the demon butler before me, with a stern yet concerned look on his face.

"Janelle…what were you doing?" his smooth voice asked me with suspicion, his crimson eyes narrowed.

I blinked out the water droplets that crawled into my eye, rubbing the tip of my nose with the back of my hand. "Nothing, Sebastian. What did you think?"

Noticing that his expression still held seriousness, I quickly diverted the subject to something else. I shifted my body around, the water sloshing with my movements and allowed my left foot to emerge.

"See? Look how clean my feet are now. I just thought that I could use some cleansing since you said I was dirty…" I replied indifferently, my eyes wandering elsewhere once I turned away.

He sighed, placing a hand on his forehead. "I did not say you were filthy from head to toe. Just your feet, dearest," he reminded me, his warm smile returning.

He saw that I refused to make eye contact with him, my hands brushing through my wet hair clinging over my chest. His smile grew sly when he realized that I was probably embarrassed by his sudden intrusion, and widened further at his next few thoughts. The malicious demon intended to make me feel more flustered, and he knew exactly how to do it.

My ears caught on to the sound of rustling and I hesitantly peered to my left to see that he was shedding off his clothes. My mouth dropped and I unconsciously backed up against the other side of the tub, no words coming out at first. Seeing his pale abs and chest coming into view, I couldn't help the heat that was quickly rising to my cheeks.

"S-Sebastian, w-what do you think you're doing?!" I blurted out once he had his ungloved hands on his trousers.

He chuckled at me, not hesitating at all as his pants slipped down in the next second, allowing me to see his fully naked form for the first time. "Don't act like such a virgin, my dear. You should get used to me like this, as I intend to have you several times in the near future."

I gulped, holding back my violent urges as he walked over, getting himself into the tub beside me. "Y-You're joking right? Being the vulgar demon that you are…"

His smirk only grew larger and he moved closer to me, his wet, strong arms reeling me to him by my waist. "Why would I joke about something as important as that? Besides, you cannot lie to me and say that you are not as naughty as I may be…"

His crimson eyes were piercing through my ocean blue ones, his warm breath hitting my burning face. I briefly broke eye contact and looked down, finding that my hands were attached to his well-defined chest. My cold fingers began sliding over his upper body, tracing and caressing his flawless skin. I noticed his smooth muscles contracting slightly under my touch and felt his hand slide over my right shoulder, teasingly rubbing over my scapula. With his body so close to me, and not to mention that he was almost as soaked as I was, my core began to ache with pure want. I couldn't deny that I craved for him again, even though we had already done the deed not too long ago.

"You're…beautiful…" I found myself whispering, my hands crawling back up to his chest and my eyes rose to meet his once again.

He smiled at me, moving a hindering lock of hair away from my face. "You think so? I don't believe you would feel the same if you ever saw my true form."

I shook my head, biting my lip. "No…I don't think I would feel any differently…"

He raised an eyebrow at me, his lips curling as he stared at me curiously. "Oh? And what makes you so sure you won't be deterred?"

I hesitated for a moment on what I would say next, and then decided to just spill it. "I don't blame you if you think I'm insane-"

"You are insane," he cut me off, grinning at me in a playful manner.

I laughed and rolled my eyes before continuing on. "As I was saying, back when I was captured by those other vampires…"

His grip on my shoulder tightened at hearing what I began to tell him and his expression darkened a bit. My hand reached up to his and he returned my grasp, intertwining our fingers. He waited patiently while I paused in abrupt concentration.

"Well…I'm not exactly sure what happened to me back then…did I die? I don't know, but whether or not I died, for perhaps a split second, I saw something strange…"

He rubbed his thumb over the back of my hand. "And what was this 'strange' thing you saw?"

I furrowed my eyes, trying to recall everything. "At first I saw all white, and then what looked like blood. Soon, everything turned pitch black. It was the oddest thing. But…what was most interesting was…"

I paused once more, shaking my head at the stupidity I was about to admit to him next. "I think I saw you. And not how you look now, but…you were like a dark shadow…surrounded by these green flames. I saw your eyes and I heard your voice…"

I laughed half-heartedly, my fingers loosening in his hold. "I told you, Sebastian, I think I've really gone mad. Think nothing of what I just said…"

He didn't say anything to me at first, but instead, a chuckle broke from him and I looked up to see his face was filled with amusement. "Ahh, you see? I'm always on your mind, aren't I?"

He enjoyed the pink that appeared on my cheeks, as well as the feeble punch I threw against his arm. "Don't tease me, Sebastian. I'm already embarrassed that I had to tell you all that nonsense."

"Come now, my dear, don't be like that. And what you just told me was not nonsense. In fact, it's quite believable," he assured me with his close-eyed smile.

"Are you being sarcastic?" I asked suspiciously, my eyes narrowing at him.

He shook his head, letting his fingers glide through my hair. "Not in the slightest." His eyes opened and revealed a mischievous look. "Perhaps you'll be lucky enough to see how I really look for yourself someday."

My eyes widened at what he said. "Really? You mean that?"

His smirk returned. "Do not count on me showing you any time soon though. It may be decades, or even centuries from now."

I blinked a few times at his statement and gave a sad smile. "You really think I'll be with you for that long? Because…I don't think…"

He frowned at me. "Why ever not? Vampires are immortal beings, if I'm not mistaken."

I pulled away from him and brought my knees to my chest, staring solemnly into the water. "You're a demon, Sebastian. You'll be off on other adventures in order to find more souls. You'll grow bored of me, I know it. Percival did after all…"

There was no response from him and I merely rested my chin on my knees, knowing full well it was probably the hard truth despite me not wanting that to happen.

Sebastian, however, did not believe in my words. Anger and annoyance grew inside him when I had mentioned that cursed man again. He just couldn't understand why he was still on my mind. Trying to shake off those raging thoughts, his fingers got caught in the multiple knots that plagued my hair. He saw that the damp strands were terribly tangled and swiftly looked to his side to find that a brush was set on a ledge near the tub.

"You should take better care of yourself, Janelle. Your hair is certainly quite a mess. Allow me to fix it for you," he stated in a soft tone, pulling my arm and bringing me closer to him again regardless of my defensive position.

I grew slightly surprised at his sudden forcefulness, but not that it bothered me. I obediently turned to my side and made sure all my hair was gathered on my right before letting him do as he pleased.

He proceeded to combing my long hair in a calming silence. I expected to feel hard yanks or pulls from forcing the brush through the tangles, but it never came. His hands smoothed out my hair and he brushed it through as if I was a tender doll that could easily be broken.

I didn't know how he was able to be so gentle yet effective in getting rid of the knots of my wild tresses. He was impressive, as always. I closed my eyes in rest, inhaling and exhaling deeply and relaxing into the pleasant feeling of the brush running against my scalp.

Meanwhile, he was watching me as he did his work, and grew content at seeing me look calm and at peace once again. Yet when I opened my eyes, he noticed there was water glazed over my ocean blue orbs and his hand reached over to touch the side of my face.

"What's on your mind, dear? Are you upset?" he asked with concern.

I quickly willed my eyes to stop welling up, rubbing them with the back of my hand. "Maybe a little. It's nothing you need to worry about though."

"Just tell me, Janelle." His voice was stern.

I shook my head. "I was just thinking about my father, as random and strange as it is…" I turned to Sebastian with the same sad smile. "He used to comb my hair too when I was a little girl, though it was a lot shorter back then…" I gave a small laugh and waved it off. "I'm being silly…thinking about him at a time like this…"

As soon as the butler saw that my hair was nice and silky after his treatment, he moved the fuchsia locks aside and moved even closer against me, his chest pressing against my shoulder.

I gasped at the extremely close proximity and was tempted to turn to him. "…Sebastian?"

He didn't answer me and instead, pressed his soft lips against my neck, trailing open mouth kisses down to my clavicle, with his tongue poking out every so often to taste my wet skin. I leaned my head back, confused at his sudden actions but enjoying the tingling sensations that began running up my nerves.

In the next moment, I felt something claw against my left collarbone and then realized that his fingers were digging into my skin, leaving long gashes down towards my chest with blood seeping out in its wake. I hissed in slight pain, yet at the same time, the new sensation felt familiar. Thinking back to the vision I had just explained to him, the pain he was inflicting on me felt like those burning fires that caused me no agony. It only left me feeling numb.

Drops of cold blood began seeping down my breasts and tainted the bath water with spirals of red. He continued clawing his way down my chest, going all the way until he stopped at my left breast, right over where my dormant heart resided.

His black fingernails released themselves from being embedded in my skin and his fingers flexed out, his palm resting over the left side of my chest. I lowered my head to look at him, only to find that his crimson eyes were glowing fiery magenta as he focused on his demonic energy. Before I knew what was coming, a sharp pain shot right through me and I gasped at this new feeling. It literally felt like his hand was clutching at my heart, despite it merely resting on my chest. I winced, but noticed that the pentacle on his hand was pulsing from dark red to bright magenta, just like his eyes.

The pain was increasing in intensity and it almost felt as if my frozen arteries and veins would combust inside my body. It reminded me of the time my humanity was stolen from me and I fought the dire urge to scream. Sebastian was quite aware that I was enduring great pain, but he willed himself to continue on with his task, hoping that I could hold on just a bit longer.

To his relief, I had been able to do so and the ominous glowing of the symbol on his left hand began to stop. The pain washed away in an instant, as if it had never been administered. All I felt now were the numbing aftershocks, like the pain of having run so hard, one's lungs would burn, only to have it disappear after the inhalation of oxygen.

He then allowed his hand to glide gently over my chest. No marking of any kind marred my skin, where his hand had resided, like nothing had happened at all. The only evidence of his unexplained actions was the claw marks and blood that still remained on my body. Taking notice of the blood that stained my self-healed skin, he grabbed both of my arms and leaned his head down to the juncture below my neck, allowing his moist, hot tongue to lap up the red droplets, his slender hands massaging my upper limbs as he did so.

I noticed my eyes were watered from holding back the screams that had begged to be released. As I closed them, a slight sting burned behind the lids, and a stray tear managed to slip through the ducts, sliding down my cool cheek.

His hold on my arms then wandered down to my waist, digging his fingers into the tender skin there as he licked the blood off of my left breasts, teasingly rolling his wet muscle around the pale pink nub. He felt me flinching in response and grew pleased at seeing the nub harden from his intimate ministrations.

"Sebastian…" I muttered unconsciously, my fingers clawing into his shoulders. At hearing me call his name, he continued onto my right breast and served the exact treatment, all the while cupping the other in his hand and squeezing it lightly. Whimpers of pleasure escaped me and excited him, he wanted to hear more.

Before I knew it, he grabbed my body into his grasp, lifting my legs and wrapping them around his waist. I gasped in surprise and clung on to him for dear life as he got out of the bath tub, streams of lukewarm water following his form and mine. I winced as he forcibly placed me onto the bathroom counter, the cold surface meeting my bottom. He had me pinned with his strong hands and before I could even look at his face, he had lifted my thighs over his shoulders, his slim and dripping body standing before me. He spread my legs open before I could even react, and lowered his mouth to my soaked warmth, immediately diving his tongue in between the folds and moving my hips up and down with his invading plunges. I let out a louder moan than I had wanted, and felt his delicious lips form into a smirk against my private area. I hadn't expected his sexual actions at all, and the fact that he was moving so fast escalated the hidden pleasure I had held back.

"Seb-ahh…Sebastian…" I managed to utter, but he ignored me, drinking up all the fluids that escaped my warmth, water droplets flowing down my pale legs resting on his shoulders.

I arched my back when I felt my climax coming so rapidly. He knew it as well, feeling my clitoris beginning to tingle against his hot tongue. But instead of going through to the end, he pulled his mouth away, licking his lips and watching my flushed face and hazy eyes staring up at him.

My mouth was slightly open and I attempted to say something but he pulled my hips closer to his, allowing me to feel his erection burrowing against the surface of my folds. I breathed heavily, clutching onto his muscled shoulders and he merely gazed down at my body, watching the water droplets dribble teasingly between the valleys of my breasts. Without warning, he penetrated hard into my lubricated, soft warmth, immediately thrusting deep into my folds and slamming against my throbbing clit.

My moans began increasing in volume and I tried to muffle them, burying my open mouth against his wet shoulder. He began grunting in pleasure from the feel of my walls clenching and unclenching around his thick length. My fingers clawed into his back and his dug into my hips, going harder and faster and quickly sending us over the edge. I could barely feel the blood that began seeping down my hips as I reached climax, throwing my head back and seeing flashes of white due to the pure ecstasy coursing through my body. He let out a low groan in response and his muscles contracted, sending tremors through his entire body before he soon released himself. Hot cum spread between our connected lower regions and he panted against my chest, leaning his head on the base of my neck. In the next few minutes, he pulled all the way out of me, semen dripping over my open warmth and leaving tingling sensations on my cold skin.

I was still getting over the unexpected high that I had just experienced for the umpteenth time, trying to retrace my thoughts and remember what I had been meaning to ask before he had taken me again. My legs were still wrapped around his waist and I was still sitting on the countertop. His hands moved up over my arms before his left reached over to my clavicle, burying his fingers into me again.

"Sebastian…what…" I began to ask but he lifted his head, piercing my deep blue orbs with his crimson ones.

"Janelle, you know perfectly well that you belong to me, correct?" he inquired in a quiet but serious tone.

My cheeks were tinted a slight pink at his words and I nodded slowly. "Yes…that's…what we are now…right?"

A small smirk broke across his lips. "You sound so unsure. Of course we are." He then rested a hand against my cheek, rubbing his nimble thumb over my skin. "Promise me something, dear."

I furrowed my eyebrows softly and grasped his hand. "What is it?"

"Refrain from doing anything incredibly stupid from now on and…look after yourself," he told me, resting his forehead against mine.

I was stunned by his sudden request, and saw that his eyes were closed in thought. Unknown to me, Sebastian replayed all my moments of weakness and insecurity in his head, as well as the moment when he thought I had tried to kill myself again in the water. Whether or not it was a suicide attempt, he hated that it was all because of the scars he left behind. The pest, whose name still slipped from my mouth. He wanted to eliminate him from my mind, no matter what it took. That was why…he did what he did. He claimed me, but I didn't know it just yet.

When he felt my fingers running through his silky black fringes, he caught my eyes and saw the joy residing in them.

"I promise, Sebastian."

His blood red eyes brightened at my response and he grabbed onto my legs, carrying me and setting me down to my feet. He then turned around to grab a towel, coming over once he caught hold of one and dried my body off. When most of the moisture was gone, I reached for the towel and returned the favor, soaking up the remaining traces of water off of his body.

As soon as we were both completely dry and clean, he took the towel back and began gathering his clothes, immediately slipping his pants on. I couldn't help my eyes from lingering on his back, his muscles moved in enticing ripples as he buttoned on his white dress shirt, vest, and then his tail coat.

He was now fully clothed before me, white gloves and all, and he took my waiting dress, placing it into my grasp and leaning closer.

"I'm afraid our time alone has come to a close, my dear. It is time to get back to business," he whispered to me, holding my head against his lips.

I nodded in response, ready to take on the new day. He smiled at me once more before placing a warm kiss on my forehead. I closed my eyes from his comforting action and then he pulled away completely, gripping my hand before leaving the room.

Silence befell on me once more, but it didn't leave me feeling alone. I let out a deep exhale and unfolded my dress, ready to put it back on.

But before I made another move, I froze in place and my eyes widened when I discovered something. Shaking the article of clothing, what I hoped would slip out did not appear before me. Panic began to rise, but I instantly tried to calm myself down, remembering the words that Sebastian had just told me.

Don't do anything stupid, I told myself. Just think, where could it have gone too?

I stood there for a few moments, concentrating until an obvious thought struck me. I gritted my teeth in realization and clenched my hands.

I was such an idiot…

I couldn't find the demon butler anywhere, and I bet he was trying to avoid me on purpose so I wouldn't question him. Damn, I should have known he would pull something like that.

For now though, I decided to exit the manor and search the grounds outside. I wondered if perhaps it had dropped somewhere without me knowing during the nightly rabble. Maybe my prior assumptions were a bit too rash, and hopefully, he hadn't done what I thought he did.

I searched the area around the manor high and low, using my vampire speed to my advantage to quicken the process. Nothing, I couldn't find it anywhere. Even with my increased vision, I couldn't see it anywhere at all.

"Maybe, I wasn't meant to see her…" I muttered to myself, holding my chin in thought as I stood alone in the forest.

Out of nowhere, I heard the familiar voice of Finny yelling in the distance and I quickly turned my head. Without another thought, I raced back to the manor and toward the direction of the scream I just heard.

"Finny?" I called, whipping my head left and right.

"Ahh! Janelle! Watch out!" I heard his alarmed voice and before I could react, the strawberry blond crashed his body into my side, both of us falling to the ground.

I winched from the harsh collision but recovered immediately, placing my hand on the gardener's back and pulling him up to his knees. "Finny, are you okay? What's wrong?"

The blond panted heavily before answering, his gloved hand resting over his pounding heart. "P-Plu-Plu's…gone berserk! He's changed into his dog form and now he's breathing fire!"

I sighed heavily at the already horrific catastrophe, but was relieved to see he was unharmed. "You didn't do anything to provoke him unnecessarily, did you?"

The gardener's face bloomed in embarrassment and he sheepishly pressed the tips of his fingers together. "W-Well…I-I didn't meant for him to get so angry! I was just attempting to train him to obey and learn some new tricks! S-Sebastian thought I could do it after all!"

I chuckled at his nervous state and placed both of my hands on his shoulders. "It's all right, Finny, no need to be frantic." I then got to my feet, taking Finny's hand in mine and bringing him up with me. "Let's just track down Pluto and set him straight again."

Coincidentally, Pluto's howl shook the entire courtyard after I spoke. Finny rubbed the back of his neck and laughed uneasily. "I don't think that'll be too hard, considering he's coming this way!"

The ground below us began to shake and I stood protectively in front of the gardener. But instead, he abruptly pushed me behind him and spread his arms.

"No, Janelle, stay back! I won't allow you to get hurt!" he stated with determination.

I shook my head in protest. "Don't be silly. We have to stop him together."

His forehead creased in worry as he looked back at me, but before he could say anything more, the demon hound appeared right before us. Pluto's back was hunched in a menacing way and drool dribbled from his mouth, his sharp teeth bared at us.

"Oh dear, someone's an irritated mutt…" I commented nonchalantly.

Finny shushed me and took a few steps back. "Don't insult him, Janelle! He's already in a bad enough mood!"

Just then, Pluto charged towards us in a blind rage. Finny pushed me aside and bravely ran forward without holding back. I gasped in alarm but saw that the gardener took hold of one of Pluto's front legs, latching onto the hound as tightly as possible.

"Pluto! Snap out of it! It was just a game! You needn't have taken it so seriously!" Finny cried, trying to push Pluto back.

"Finny!" I shouted, and the gardener was flung into the air. I took a step forward, intending to intervene but saw the blond getting back on his feet. His clothes were slightly torn, yet he was perfectly fine.

The gardener then approached a partially scorched tree, uprooting it with ease, and ran towards the Devil Dog again.

"Behave, Pluto! That's enough!" he shouted and slammed the tree down in front of the hound.

Pluto roared in protest, stepping back from the powerful attack before gaining aggression. The Devil Dog merely stepped onto the brittle tree with his large paws, crushing it to smithereens and aiming at Finny again.

I growled and felt the heat rise to my eyes. I wasn't just going to stand around and let Finny take on all the abuse.

Before the hound could approach any closer to Finny, I grabbed a large rock near my side and hauled it towards Pluto's head. The projectile met the bull's eye and the hound flinched from the hit. Finny's turquoise eyes widened and caught sight of the stern expression on my face.

"Over here, Pluto! Why don't you take your anger out on me?" I suggested to the mutt, crouching down and readying myself to dodge.

The Devil Dog immediately turned on me, much to Finny's horror. I braced myself, seeing that Pluto's paw began descending down over my body.

Finny shouted to me but I was able to dodge his attack, jumping high into the air and landing roughly a few feet away. My footing wasn't as graceful as I wanted and I stumbled a bit, quickly steadying myself for any more of Pluto's advances.

The gardener watched in increasing anxiety as I managed to dodge most of Pluto's attacks. Some of his strikes managed to graze me, but not enough to get me down to the ground. Finny continued watching me closely, until he saw that my footing had miscalculated and I was open to one of his strikes.

"Janelle! Behind you!" the gardener warned me, reaching his hand out.

My legs froze and I slowly turned, seeing that Pluto's leg was hovering over my head. Finny began to run towards us and I raised my arm in a meager attempt to shield myself.

Out of nowhere, I heard Pluto howl in agony. I opened one eye and Finny's awestruck exclamation came soon after.

"Whoa! He's changing back!"

Pluto's whines began to grow weaker and sounded more like a human's. I cautiously opened both of my eyes and gasped when I noticed wisps of a strange, black aura surrounding my raised arm.

"Pluto!" Finny exclaimed and raced towards his naked form. The Devil Dog was now curled up on the floor, whimpering like a baby as the blond kneeled beside him.

I stared down at my right hand in utter shock, not knowing what to make of the bizarre occurrence. This had never happened to me before. It was strong enough to repel Pluto and return him back to his human form.

Impossible, I was never as strong compared to other vampires. That couldn't have come from my capabilities…

"Janelle?" I faintly heard Finny's voice but I didn't answer him. I kept wondering over how that aura had abruptly come about.

It was black, the strange 'power', or whatever it was, looked like something I had seen before…

Then it hit me like a lightening bolt, and I found my thoughts running all the way back to the demon butler.

"It must have something to do with him…" I found myself saying out loud.

"Eh? What are you saying, Janelle? Who are you talking about?" Finny asked me innocently, tilting his head and standing straight.

I snapped out of my reverie and smiled at him. "It's nothing important. Are you all right?"

He nodded with a cheerful grin. "Yup! I'm perfectly fine! And Pluto's strangely calm now." He then looked a bit concerned. "And you, Janelle? You didn't get hurt did you?" His hand began reaching for my arm, but I quickly retracted myself from his grasp. He looked at me with a confused expression and I held onto my wrist, still unsure of the black aura.

"What's wrong?"

I forced another smile on my face and shook my head. "I'm okay, Finny. Don't worry." I then looked down at Pluto's cowering form and narrowed my eyes in disdain. "We should get this troublesome dog back to his place. Maybe give him something to eat to calm his nerves…"

Finny nodded in agreement, though in the back of his mind, he was still wary of my dazed behavior. But despite his hidden thoughts, he took Pluto into his arms and together, we made our way towards the shed.

It was not until the late afternoon when I had finally caught sight of the butler again. I was carrying a stack of textbooks in my arms in preparation for teaching Ciel new lessons. When approaching the young Earl's study, however, I overheard Sebastian speaking with his lord.

"We'll be starting the investigation concerning the 'Noah's Ark' circus tomorrow. I expect that you be prepared Sebastian," I heard Ciel declare.

My eyes widened at hearing him mention the circus. I had wanted to visit there as well, even though I never figured out how I would be able to do so. If the Young Master had an assignment from the Queen to attend the outing, it just made me even more curious.

"Of course, master. I am always as ready as you are," Sebastian replied, and the sound of tea being prepared came after.

"Though while we're in London, I suppose I'll have to put my faith in the servants to watch over the manor…but then again, Janelle seems fairly adequate in keeping them in line…" Ciel muttered, taking the tea cup placed before him.

I pressed my ear closer to the door to decipher what the butler was saying next. "Speaking of Janelle, master, I believe I have found something quite interesting."

Ciel raised an eyebrow at his butler, who was smiling in a mischievous way. "Oh? And what could that possibly be?"

I stared down at the carpeted floor intensely, realizing that what I had assumed was correct after all.

Without saying a word, Sebastian pulled out the ticket I had received from Carlene from underneath his coat, holding it between his fingers with the close-eyed beam ever present on his face.

Ciel set down his porcelain cup with a small clatter, his eye narrowing in slight disbelief. "You have a third ticket?" Recalling his butler mentioning my name, however, he was quick to figure out where, or in this case, who he had gotten it from.

"Why did Janelle have that with her?" he questioned, but in a voice that sounded less harsh than I had thought.

The young noble then noticed his butler stepping away from his desk and striding toward the double doors in a calm manner. With his gloved hand set on the sturdy wood, he turned to his master with a glint of playfulness in his eyes. "If you want to know why, my lord, what better way to find out than to hear it from the lovely lady herself?"

Before I could step away from the doors, Sebastian opened them with quick force, causing me to stumble forward into the room like a clumsy Mey-Rin, nearly losing the books in my arms.

I hastily regained balance and shot a glare at the butler, who merely smirked at me with a knowing glance. I cleared my throat, gaining composure and silently approached Ciel, setting the books on a nearby chair.

Ciel had his hands clasped before him, his unpatched eye following my every move. "Janelle, would you do the honor of explaining yourself?"

I held my hands in front of me and bowed my head. "I wanted to tell you where I had gotten it myself in the first place." I looked up and met his dark blue stare. "When I was captured, my lord, one of the kidnappers gave that to me."

The Earl furrowed his eyebrows, pressing his lips against his folded hands. "Do you so happen to know these kidnappers, Janelle? I'm trying to understand why they would give something like that to you, of all people."

I hesitated over what I would tell him next. It probably wouldn't be a wise thing to hide anything from him, since he was a rather inquisitive young boy. He'd find me out in no time.

"No, not exactly. I never knew them, but somehow, they were people, vampires like me, who were strangely connected with my past," I started awkwardly but he nodded, urging me to continue. "One of them gave me that ticket because…she knew that I've been meaning to find someone. And she knew that the person I wanted to see is at that circus, as surprising as it is."

Ciel nodded again. "And you say you want to find this 'someone'? Is this person related to you? Why are you set on finding this person?"

I let out a nervous laugh and rubbed my hands together. "I'd be happy to tell you why, my lord, but it comes with a rather long story that you probably wouldn't want to be bothered with…"

Ciel sighed and leaned back in his chair. "Yes, you're right. I have no time for long stories."

The butler chose this time to cut in, stepping forward and standing beside me. "Master, are there any other thoughts concerning what she just told you?"

The young Earl scoffed at him, a small smirk setting on his face. "What, Sebastian? You intend that I grant her permission to come along on our quest?"

Sebastian merely chuckled at Ciel's curt remark and smiled innocently. "I don't see why not, my lord. We can't have the extra ticket going to waste now, can we? The circus only comes around once a year after all."

Ciel let out another depleted sigh, sinking in the logical reasoning the demon provided. Looking from his smug butler to my uneasy expression, he shook his head, not believing he was giving in. "Fine, all right then. Janelle, you may come along with me and Sebastian to the circus."

He immediately saw the spark of delight forming in my eyes and took on a serious gaze. "But know this, Janelle. I can't have you meddling around during our investigation. You are to do as you are told, while at the same time, you may look for whoever you are looking for. As long as you stay under the radar and refrain from causing unneeded sticky situations."

I bowed to him in gratitude and then nodded in agreement. "Of course, Young Master. I swear that I won't cause a single hindrance to your business."

Ciel gave a slight smile, knowing that I probably wouldn't make a mess of things. Glancing to his butler, he waved him off. "You may leave, Sebastian. Janelle needs to start her lessons now, am I correct?"

Seeing that the butler wasted no time to leave, I turned to the Earl as soon as he left. "May I ask that you excuse me for just a few minutes?" I asked, clasping my hands together with a pleading smile.

He simply took his tea cup back in hand, taking a sip. "Make it quick, Janelle," he said and allowed me to go.

I muttered a quick thank you, opened the doors and readied myself to move fast, only to find that I had bumped into Sebastian, who was waiting for me directly outside, having known I would come after him.

"Well, my dear, is there something you want to say?" He merely smirked at me, placing his hands behind his back.

I growled quietly and grabbed his arm, taking him further away from the door. Once we were in a relatively secluded area in the hallway, I turned to face him. "Yes, there is something I'd like to say. How could you do that to me? I appreciate that you were able to convince him to let me go, but I was going to tell him myself. You made me look like I was hiding things from him!"

Sebastian chuckled at my outburst and then abruptly took my face in one hand, causing my lips to pucker unintentionally in his hold and my cheeks to look a bit smashed.

"Don't be a hypocrite, my dear. The fact that you can't even speak to me in front of him proves that you are hiding something..." He then leaned closer and whispered in my ear. "Our relationship."

I gasped in realization and immediately felt a bit ashamed. But when he pulled back to look at my face, he placed a finger to his lips, winking at me. "You may be capable of hiding things from him, but you can never hide anything from me."

His blood red eyes flashed with a hint of malice and gazed intently into my ocean blue irises.

"There are no secrets between us…"

My eyebrows knotted together and I spoke up. "What about you? I bet you have loads of secrets you haven't bothered telling me." I cursed at my voice sounding muffled and ridiculous, like a child. I held back the urge to wrench his unwavering hand off me.

His sly smile grew wide at my comeback and he gently shook my face in his hand. "In due time, dear, you will know."

"That means never," I replied plainly and he laughed again.

His smiling expression dampened a bit when he noticed my blue eyes grow darker and downcast. I was avoiding his gaze again and he knew immediately that something was off.

"Janelle, what are you thinking?" he said in a playful tone, trying to get me out of my slump.

In the morbidity of my mind, I pondered on whether or not to bring up what had occurred between Pluto and me. Yet knowing that Ciel was waiting patiently, I chose to ignore it for now.

"I'll tell you…soon enough…" I answered quietly, assuring him I was fine through my eyes. "Now, may I ask that you please let go of my face?"

Sebastian narrowed his eyes at me for a minute longer, before reluctantly letting it slide. His attention was then diverted when he caught sight of my soft lips. With a sly smile, he closed the tiny gap between us, enjoying the feel of the tender skin against his mouth. His grip on my face loosened, allowing my lips to move.

This kiss was short and sweet, unlike his normal roughness. Just when I thought I had jinxed myself at feeling his swift tongue running along my reddened lips, he pulled away, leaving me surprised and duped.

At seeing a frown beginning to form, he felt pride swell up inside him as he began walking away, still facing me.

"I'll trust you in telling me soon then," he said with a grin and began turning from me. "If you don't, I will force it out of you."

With one last foxy glance from him, he sauntered down the hall and disappeared from my sight. Fixing my slightly disheveled state, I slapped my forehead, hating and cursing myself.

I was so deeply wrapped around this bewitching devil's finger. Honestly, I never learned.