Disclaimer: I do not own Black Butler, or anything affiliated with it. Black Butler belongs to Yana Toboso. Original characters are mine.

Follow my Instagram account for this story to stay updated on the writing process! hisdemoness

Chapter 16

The crowd within the ballroom erupted into delighted cheers as the three triplet servants of the Trancy household managed to prevent several disasters… caused by the three Phantomhive servants.

Baldroy, Mey-Rin, and Finny had somehow come to the conclusion that they should be doing work as well and caused a series of catastrophes which ended up in a table being cut in half, a big wine spill in the hallway, and a near pile of broken plates, courtesy of Mey-Rin.

The three identical brothers were impressive in their movements, though. One quickly removed the broken table, swept up the spilt food, and replaced the furniture with an assortment of sweet desserts and succulent fruits. Another brother dashed into the hallway where Finny was sobbing over his mess, and swept up the broken wine bottles, rolled up the soiled carpet, and placed down a brand new one in a matter of seconds.

Mey-Rin was saved from shards of glass scattering around her ankles when the final brother swooped in and caught the towering pile of plates before setting them down on a side table. The triplets then went about their business as if nothing had happened, completely unperturbed.

Ciel grimaced in embarrassment as he watched his three servants apologize to the triplets. Something needed to be done before his household caused any further ruckus. "Sera, can you go and prevent them from doing anything more foolish?" He looked to his housekeeper and saw a look of amusing disbelief upon her face.

"I'm honestly surprised you take them anywhere with you. Your confidence in them is astounding."

Ciel rolled his eyes in response, doing his best to ignore Sera's giggling. "It's not without some trepidation. Now will you just go and calm them down before they decide to further embarrass me?"

Sera sighed and grabbed handfuls of her dress, preparing to walk across the ballroom. "Don't go anywhere out of my sight. Sebastian told me I only had to baby sit you; I didn't know I'd be babysitting the rest of the household too."

Ciel watched her glide across the crowded floor, people unconsciously clearing a path for her, like they know they shouldn't be in her way. Feeling a bit peckish, Ciel was just about to move towards the hors d'oeurves when he felt someone bump into him. A cup of wine fell from a tray and splashed all over the sleeve of his blue coat, leaving a purple stain upon the material.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," a gentle voice muttered in apology.

Not really caring for his costume in the first place, Ciel immediately went to calm the persons fears. "Oh, it's nothing. Don't worry about it." Ciel looked up from the stain on his arm to see a maid with pale blonde hair.

Ciel's uncovered eye looked critically upon the girl, not having seen her at all in his time at the Trancy mansion. She was wearing what looked to be a standard maid uniform. Her dress was purple, buttoned all the way up to her neck, a lavender bow tied around her throat. A matching purple and white striped apron covered the dress. It looked nothing like a costume.

"Oh, I'd hate it if I left a stain."

Ciel's eyes widened and he took a couple steps back as the girl came towards him, her hand reaching out towards his sleeve. Her eyes caught his and a shock went through his pulse at the sight. The maid's eyes were the palest blue he'd ever seen, almost like ice. There was something behind their frosty glaze that he didn't trust. Despite that feeling, he would need to follow his gut in this situation.

The maid gave him a gentle smile and grabbed his sleeve. "Please, follow me."

Ciel looked over his shoulder as the girl led him out of the ballroom. He could just barely see Sera through the intermingling crowd, gently scolding the other three Phantomhive servants, their heads bowed in remorse from the ruckus they had made before.

He almost stopped and called out for Sera, but something stopped him. This maid seemed a bit suspicious and he had to figure out why. With that last thought, he followed the maid into the darkened hallway.

Sera sighed as she dismissed Baldroy, Mey-Rin, and Finny to the festivities, only letting them go after Agni kindly promised to watch over them.

Those three, Sera shook her head as she watched them immerse themselves back into the party. Their chaotic tendencies were only really fun when it put Sebastian in a bad spot. Sera didn't enjoy having to step up and take responsibility; it wasn't her forte.

Speaking of responsibility, Sera turned and made her way back across the ballroom to rejoin Ciel. A couple stepped in her way and she merely raised her brow in annoyance until they noticed their mistake, backing away from her while giving their apologies. Sera ignored them and continued on to where the little earl was.

Only… he wasn't there. She knew she left him in this exact spot, standing next to one of the pillars, but he was nowhere to be found. Sera looked over her shoulder, her eyes quickly scanning the room. He should have been easy to spot with that ridiculous pirate's hat, but she didn't see him.

Knowing Ciel couldn't have been on the other side of the ballroom with her and the other servants without Sera seeing him, Sera did a quick walk around the other half of the room, but to no avail. The Earl of Phantomhive had disappeared.

She felt her gloves strain as she tightened her hands into fists.

"That little shit", Sera growled under her breath. "I told him not to go anywhere!"

She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply to calm herself before she opened up her senses to her surroundings. When she opened her eyes, trails of color visible only to Sera appeared. These colors formed like whisps of smoke, surrounding each person within the ballroom. Each person had their own unique aroma, a fragrance their soul left behind. Within seconds, Sera caught Ciel's scent, at trail of royal blue smoke that started where she had initially left him.

What caught Sera's interest was another peculiar scent, one that intermingled with Ciel's own. Whoever this person was, they had not been in the ballroom the entire night and seemed to have focused on Ciel right from their initial entrance. Sera furrowed her brows as she followed Ciel's trail.

She left the ballroom, going down a side corridor and continuing on down a series of hallways, the light getting dimmer the further she went. She was far away from the party now.

Well, this is an absolutely fantastic situation to find myself in, Sera sarcastically thought.

She was only guaranteed safety within the public eye, and now the brat earl had to go and get himself lost, which further put Sera at risk.

The demoness grit her teeth in annoyance and narrowed her eyes as she turned one last corner, finally finding the end to Ciel and the mystery person's aromatic trail. Sera's hearing picked up the sound of a person humming. Kind of terrible too; a bit off key.

Slowly and quietly, Sera crept to the door, pressing her back against the wall and carefully peering inside.

She spotted Ciel casually leaned against a bed, arms crossed, tapping his fingers against his arm impatiently. He looked put together and unharmed, except his pirate's hat and coat were missing.

A quick perusal of the room found his coat in the hands of what appeared to be a maid. The blonde girl was the source of the horrid humming, and she was dabbing at a large stain on Ciel's coat. The scent that Sera picked up from the maid was completely off though. It seemed more male than female.

"All finished," the maid suddenly proclaimed, standing up in order to give Ciel his coat.

Sera raised her brow, noting the girl, or rather boy dressed up as a girl, did a shit job. The stain was still present on the piece of clothing, still damp and smelling of wine.

Ciel narrowed his eye at the maid. "Finished?" He looked up to berate the maid but staggered back in surprise as the girl suddenly invaded his space.

Sera held herself back as she watched the blonde reach down and grab the earl's hand, bringing it up between their faces.

"Lovely blue ring," the maid commented, studying the Phantomhive family ring that was placed around Ciel's thumb. "I wonder, does your soul turn this color when you die?"

Ciel looked at the girl, confused. "What now?" His eye widened as the maid reached up and cupped his cheeks, her eyes looking deeply into his own orb.

"That same blue," the maid said in a gentle voice. "The same lovely color as your ring." Her thumbs gently stroked over Ciel's cheeks, almost like she was trying to comfort him.

Ciel started to get angry at the girl's actions. "What are you on about?"

The girl simply smirked. "I wonder, Lord Phantomhive. If we were one, could I have that same elusive blue for my soul?" The girl reached her hand around to bury her fingers in Ciel's hair, her hands gliding through the dark blue strands.

Without preamble, the maid leaned forward and licked a line up Ciel's ear. The shocked earl had no time to react before he felt the blonde being ripped away, his eye patch tearing from his face. Ciel blinked in surprise, a pair of white angel wings before him. He was extremely confused before he realized it was Sera. She was holding the girl up in the air by the wrist, her feet dangling toward the floor. Ciel noticed his eye patch was clutched in the maid's other hand.

"Are you completely mad?" Sera questioned the blonde urchin.

"Sera!" Ciel yelled, relief escaping his tone. "What are you doing here?"

"What am I doing here? Teaching this rat a lesson it looks like." Sera slammed the blonde's wrist against the wall behind him, the boy wincing as his body crashed against the wood paneling. "Who blatantly licks other people's faces?"

The blonde coughed several times from the unexpected blow, his light blue eyes widening in fear of the dark angel before him.

"Another one? I wasn't told anything about you!"

Sera narrowed her eyes, her canines coming out as she sneered. "Is someone spying on the Phantomhive household? That's a pity. By the way, you're not doing a very good job at keeping up appearances." Sera glanced over her shoulder at Ciel. "Honestly I'm extremely disappointed that you didn't notice that this maid is a boy."

Ciel clenched his fists in annoyance at her tone. "I had my suspicions."

"Yeah, well, your suspicions were taking too long." She turned back towards the boy she had pinned against the wall. Her red eyes widened as she dodged a sudden kick the boy aimed at her body, releasing his wrist in order to back away.

The boy took off running as fast as he could, Ciel's eyepatch still clutched in his hand.

Ciel went to run after him when he felt a hand clutch at his shoulder, bringing him to a sudden halt.

"What are you doing?" Sera asked incredulously, her eyes wide at the earl's audacity.

"I'm going after him!" Ciel tried to shake his housekeeper off, but she quickly snatched his wrist in a gentle but firm hold.

"You most certainly are not. We're not going to chase some random person around a house that we don't know the layout of, while at the same time being horribly outnumbered. How daft are you?"

Ciel glared at Sera but she wasn't budging. She couldn't believe this kid. His sense of self-preservation was incredibly off.

"What we need to do is find Sebastian and let him know that the head of the Trancy household is playing games and we need to devise a plan."

Ciel let out a huff in frustration; he didn't like the condescending look the demoness was giving him. He tugged his arm. "Fine, but will you let me go now?"

Sera released his wrist from her hold, watching him carefully in case he made any sudden movements towards the door. "I don't know why you have to run into every situation head on by yourself when you know you're outmatched. Why don't you do the smart thing and summon Sebastian for help?"

"I have you, don't I?" Ciel quipped, his mismatched eyes giving her an expectant look.

Sera huffed a short and largely sarcastic laugh. She bent down so they were at eye level, wanting to make sure she nailed her words securely into his head. "Just so you understand, I'm not actively trying to protect your pathetic life." She stood up and crossed her arms. "I have myself to worry about, and by extension, Sebastian."

Ciel felt a strike of annoyance crawl up his spine. "Then why did you help me just now? With the boy, who I'm assuming is Alois Trancy."

"To keep Sebastian's meal intact, of course," Sera replied with a shrug of her shoulders. Her eyes narrowed in on him, the light from the fireplace casting shadows over her person. The white angel wings seemed to turn black in the dim light. "You need to remember that at the end of the day, that's all you are. A meal. Stop putting your life in jeopardy. If anything, that could be considered a breach of contract."

Ciel looked away and clenched his fist. He knew her words were true, that didn't mean he appreciated hearing them. He wiped away the debilitating thoughts from his head; this wasn't the time. He needed to go after Alois. "So, what do you suggest we do?"

"Call Sebastian," Sera said slowly but seriously.

"I will, but first I want to find Alois. I need to talk with him without the interference of our butlers." Sera went to interrupt, but Ciel continued on. "I'll call Sebastian and tell him to track us, but I don't want him showing up until need be. He'll be close by but hidden. Agreed?"

Sera gave him a calculating look, measuring the pros and cons of his plan before she let out an annoyed sigh. "Fine, but things better not go south because of your asinine ideas."

Ciel gave a grimace and turned to exit the room. "Which way did he go?"

"Left."

Following Sera's senses, the earl and demoness went down a series of hallways. Sera made sure to cast out her defensive aura even more, just to make sure there was no one of consequence within their vicinity. They didn't run but walked leisurely and apprehensively. They would not be blindsided by the Trancy butler, the triplet demons, or any other servant under the control of Alois.

"How does Alois have control of so many demons?" Ciel asked.

Sera looked around her warily as she answered. "A lot of the time it's not the human that has control. Humans can only make one contract with one demon at a time, so given that he's contracted to Claude, the triplet's loyalty lies with someone else. Similar to how Sebastian is contracted to you, but I'm not; yet out of my loyalty to Sebastian, I help in his protection of you."

"So, the triplets could be loyal to Claude?"

"As far as we know." Sera had a feeling that Claude had more up his sleeve than what they had seen so far.

The final hallway they came upon led to a door going outside. The windows on either side showed the forest that was bracketing the side of the manor.

"Well, this is the end," Sera said unenthusiastically.

Ciel quietly went forward in determination. They exited the house and went into the forest, the thick branches of the trees slicing the moonlight into pieces. Ciel would have some trouble seeing, but the darkness was no bother to Sera. That is until Sera sensed there was more lurking in the darkness than just her and Ciel.

Immediately the demoness was on edge, her head turned towards the blackness in front of them. Ciel noticed her tension and went on alert. He narrowed his eyes as the blonde maid came out of the shadows of the forest, a cocky look upon their face.

"Did you two enjoy the party? I hope it was a lot of fun. I made sure there were lots of tasty food to try." The boy started walking closer to Ciel and Sera. "I must admit though, my favorite treat was you, Ciel. You're so damaged and wounded. Let me lick your wounds; I'll make them all better."

"I've had enough," Ciel said forcefully, the blonde coming to a halt. "Stop this farce, Alois Trancy."

Alois closed his eyes and chuckled, though there was no amusement in his tone. "So, you figured it out. What a bore." He pulled off his wig and shook his hair out, his actual pale locks framing his face and ears, the ends just resting against his neck.

"I figured if you got me alone you'd find the courage to make a move," Ciel replied.

Alois sent a small glare Sera's way, the demoness standing casually next to the Phantomhive earl, her arms crossed over her chest. "Obviously that didn't work out well. I'm surprised you have more than one demon in your employ. Claude must have left that tidbit out; I'll have to punish him for it later." Alois looked Ciel up and down. "But you still followed me, demonic servant in tow. Are you afraid to be alone with me?"

At that moment, Claude made his appearance, having been hidden in the shadows of the trees. His golden gaze immediately locked onto Sera's form, his eyes making unwanted chills run up her spine as he made his perusal of her dress and body. Sera's arms uncrossed from her chest, her body tensing, preparing for a fight.

Rustling came from up above and the demon triplets dropped from the trees in synchrony.

Great, Sera thought. I'm officially outnumbered. She was raging internally at the fact that Claude managed to get this close before she could sense him. The triplets weren't hard to discover, but Sera had a feeling something like this would happen. If anything, Sera could bolt and leave Ciel to fend for himself; she was a fast runner after all.

Out of the corner of her eye, she glared at the child standing next to her. A part of her wanted to escape as quickly as she could, but another part couldn't let Sebastian's hard work go to waste. He was starving after all, and Ciel's perfectly cultivated soul could sustain him for years.

Sera kept her focus on her surroundings as well as the demons surrounding them.Surprisingly, Claude didn't say anything to her in front of his master. No quips, or declarations of his possessing her. His silence was kind of refreshing if she was being honest to herself. In the back of her mind, though, Sera pondered if Claude's agenda veered away from Alois's own.

"I'm not the one who appears to be afraid," Ciel smirked at Claude's appearance. "And I can't allow you to underestimate me."

Sera felt a sudden pull in her chest towards the forest directly behind her and Ciel.

Oh, thank Lucifer.

Sebastian strolled casually from behind the trees, walking over in order to stand close Sera and the Phantomhive earl. "My young master is quite right. Claude, I do believe I gave you a warning earlier. Do you recall?"

Sera gave a curious look towards her mate at his words, noticing the flash of anger burn through his eyes as he glared at the Trancy butler.

Claude simply stared back in mild boredom, while Alois dismissed the curious tension between the two demons. "Now, now, we only wanted to chat someplace quieter."

"Must be important to do all this," Ciel criticized, "you're dressed up like a woman; what could you possibly want so badly?"

"Simple, I want you."

Ciel narrowed his eyes at the blonde. "What's that mean, you want me?"

"More specifically, I want you out of the way." Alois smirked, his demeanor giving off the vibe as if he had already won. "Your cursed family has been in power for far too long, and I think it's about time the queen got a new guard dog, or better yet, a spider."

Sera furrowed her brows at the blonde earl's words. Seriously? This was all because the blonde brat was jealous of the blue-haired brat? Sera looked over and gave a credulous look towards her mate, his eyes quickly finding hers and shaking his head in reproach. She rolled her eyes in reply, knowing he was silently telling her to keep her thoughts to herself.

"You have two choices before you," Alois continued. "Resign your title as the head of the Aristocrats of Evil and submit to your impending death or refuse and everyone in there will be killed."

Sera and Ciel's eyes homed in on the mansion which Alois had gestured to. The lights from inside were gleaming out from the windows, a beacon from within the dark forest. And though Ciel's and Alois's human ears were unable to detect it, Sera could distinctly hear the sounds of joy, laughter, and merrymaking. She could hear Mey-Rin and Finny's shrieks of laughter, Baldroy's chuckles, and Lizzy's angelic giggles.

While there was no loss personally for Sera when it came to this ultimatum, Ciel had to be struggling at this very moment. His servants were like family, and Elizabeth was his childhood friend and betrothed. How must he be feeling at this very moment knowing they were at the cusp of death?

Sera and Sebastian watched the Phantomhive earl from the corner of their eyes, the boy showing nothing but his proud stoicism.

"I've arranged a small performance," Alois continued to explain, a sadistic glint in his eye. "If that performance begins, then they will die. Every last one of them. So, what will it be?"

At that moment a breeze swept through the forest, the leaves shaking on their branches and rustling on the ground. Ciel's bangs swept over his multicolored eyes, but his fierce stare did not waver as he stood his ground against the Earl of Trancy. "You may do as you wish."

Sera's eyes widened in shock as she looked down towards Ciel. Did he really just say that? Looking up towards Sebastian for answers, she was perplexed to see the subtle grin upon his lips, pure satisfaction gracing his face.

Alois's brows rose in surprise at Ciel's answer, and Sera was pleased to see Claude tense in frustration. Ciel's uncaring attitude and strict frame of mind when it came to his goals was exactly what a demon hoped for in his master. Sera could feel the envy dripping from Claude's pores at everything Sebastian had. Ciel and herself.

"You're sure about that?" Alois asked, hoping Ciel would take the bait.

Ciel gave a near devilish grin in reply. "Yes, you can try of course. Now there's something that I would like to ask of you."

"Is there? I would be happy to oblige! Right after you bend down and kiss my ass, that is."

Sera gave as sneer of disdain as Alois turned around and stuck out his behind. She knew it was aimed towards Ciel, but the complete lack of disregard and respect to her presence was an insult she would not overlook.

"I don't think it's your ass that will be kissed." Ciel stated, ignoring Alois's actions better than Sera did.

"Very confident, aren't we." The blonde youth chuckled, a smirk on his face. "Getting cocky because your butler has a little talent? That's a mistake." Alois roughly grabbed at the bow tie wrapped around his butler's neck, his weak, human motion not budging the demon one inch. "I have my Claude here. You're not alone."

Sera shifted as Alois slyly slipped his tongue from between his lips, Claude's own Faustian contract gleaming golden on the surface. The demoness had assumed the boy was contracted to the golden-eyed demon, and this all but confirmed it; not only Alois's motives, but how serious Claude was as well.

"Yes, I expected as much," Ciel said calmly.

Sera stepped closer to Sebastian, knowing that the situation was about to take a turn for the worse, and how they reacted would make all the difference. She turned her head towards Sebastian, silently asking what he would have her do. She saw the frustration in his eyes, hating that she was in this situation with them, and knowing that his first priority would be Ciel.

It was a quick movement of his eyes towards the mansion and back to her, but Sera received her mate's message loud and clear. She was to return to the mansion and eliminate the threat to the guests. Hopefully Claude would not follow her, but if she did, she would fight till she won.

The wind swirled hauntingly through the grove once more as Ciel gave his orders, the Faustian contract within his eye glowing a vivid violet pink. "You will abide by our contract, Sebastian. You will serve me, you will protect me, you will see that I stay alive until I have achieved my ultimate goal."

Sebastian's voice swept through Sera's veins, a sweet cadence to her ears in direct contrast to his wicked words. "Of course, I have been your loyal servant since the day our pact was made, Master. I will do anything you ask; grant any wish you make until the day our contract is fulfilled and I take your soul."

"An excellent answer."

Sera was slightly perplexed at Ciel's pleased tone; she'd never met a human so happy to lose his soul. Her attention was turned from the bizarre boy to her right, to the equally disturbed child across the way.

"Hoheo taralna rondero tarel," Alois chanted, his icy blue eyes showing nothing but disdain for the Phantomhive earl. "Now Claude, you will get Ciel for me, so I can execute him and destroy his soul."

"Yes, Your Highness."

Sera's entire body tensed, ready for action.

"Sebastian, this is an order," Ciel asserted, his voice oozing authority. "You must do whatever it takes to protect me. Do not fail."

"Yes, My Lord."

I know I promised this chapter a bit earlier, and I'm so sorry. School started up again, but I've been really trying my best to write a little every day, so I can get more content out. I don't want to leave ya'll hanging for months.

I always enjoy writing every chapter, and though there wasn't much action in this one, I hope you enjoyed reading it!

I beg you please to take some time to leave a review! I would love your thoughts on the chapter, or characters, or maybe a particular scene, or your predictions, etc. Anything really!

Until next time! Stay safe!

XOXO,

Alyssa