Author's Note: (Insert Author's evil laugh here) Now, bring on the Shinigami!
Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroshitsuji or any of it's characters. I only claim Serena, as well as the demons and descendants that I introduce.
Chapter Eight
"I won't say it again, let the girl go." William T. Spears set the log book from his recent assignment aside as he faced the demon before him.
"What does a reaper want with my meal? I'm not going to kill her." Marcus stared down at the red head hungrily. "She would even enjoy it, if she would just stop fighting."
"If she had bargained with you than I would do nothing, however, she has not. I will not allow you to taint such a soul." The reaper adjusted his glasses.
Serena cried out against the hand over her mouth as the demon tightened his hold around her ribcage, making it harder to breathe.
"She has a purpose, unlike you." Will started to walk closer. With every step, Marcus pulled his prey further into the alley's shadows.
"Hey boss," Ronald Knox jumped down from a rooftop. "What are you doing? We're not supposed to interfere."
"That soul does not belong here. There must be some reason, and it's not to be some demon's dinner." He pushed the younger Shinigami aside "Besides, I'm sick of losing souls to these vermin."
"Why are you reapers so protective of these humans anyway? They are the real vermin, destroying everything they touch before speeding toward their own demise."
"I would never expect something like you to understand."
While the two bantered back and forth, Serena had forced her body to relax. As she hoped, Marcus relaxed his grip as time went on and she didn't struggle.
'Don't the reapers always get their asses handed to them when they fight demons? Or is that just when they fight Sebastian?' Her eyes widened with the thought. 'Of course, I'm such an idiot. If I could get a scream out, he'll hear me. We can't be that far away. Maybe a couple of streets.'
Serena felt Marcus move his fingers against her lips and sighed. 'Well, here goes nothing.'
Opening her mouth, she grabbed the nearest finger and bit down as hard as she could. The demon pulled his hand back for a second. That was all she needed to voice the scream that had been trapped in her throat since Marcus had grabbed her. Unfortunately, the act of defiance was cut short. Ribs gave way under the beast's strength and the hand across her mouth was replaced. He laughed evilly.
"I think I'm going to keep you for a while. Such spirit."
"You're wrong." Shadows elongated in the space between buildings. Power crackled and snapped along the air as everyone looked to the mouth of the alley to see Sebastian.
"Wonderful, another one." Will used his scythe to readjust his glasses again.
"Elder," Marcus pulled Serena even further back as she started to struggle again. The red head moved with more urgency, seeking any weakness to get to the black haired demon and the safety he represented.
Sebastian barely glanced at the reapers, keeping his swirling eyes trained on the lower demon. "You will take your hands from my mate, before I feed them to you."
'What?!' Serena stopped for a moment convinced she had heard the demon wrong.
The shadows stretched and twisted until they took over all the available space. Darkness filled the alley with eternal night as Sebastian's eyes glowed with the power radiating from his body. His demonic aura crackled along the skin of everyone in the alley. The reapers shivered in disgust at the twisted power. Black feathers fell gently around Serena, caressing her skin and protecting her from the power rising all around her.
"Mate? I thought I only smelled one beast's stench around her." Will thought for a moment. "You haven't claimed her yet."
"While I appreciate your interference, this matter has nothing to do with reapers." Sebastian didn't take his eyes from the other demon and his mate as he addressed Spears and his underling.
"I don't suppose you could be persuaded to let the girl go? A pure soul should not have to suffer the touch of a corrupt being."
"Never." The butler started to walk forward. "There must be something wrong with your hearing. I believe that I had already told you," The aura around them all turned harder, colder with his voice. "Hands off my mate."
Marcus immediately released the red head. She ran straight at the butler, hiding behind him. Will and Ronald scoffed.
"So quick to run toward the darkness." Will shook his head.
"Who got the demon to let me go?" Serena stuck her tongue out at the reaper but quickly went back to hiding.
"Of course. Demons are always protective of what belongs to them." Sebastian's voice slid like silk over her skin.
"We'll talk about that later!" Her hands tugged at the back of his tailcoat. "Now is the time to kill things."
"Really?" The demon's gaze shifted to the reapers.
"Not them!"
"Well, you did say things. You need to be more specific."
"Whatever." She rolled her eyes. "You're just looking for a better fight."
Marcus decided to take this moment to run. He tried to jump to the nearest rooftop, but Sebastian's feathers drove him back to the cobblestones, imbedding in his body and pinning him to the ground.
"We'll bow out this time. Her decision is made, for the time being." Will bowed to Serena before picking up his book and nodding to Ronald. "Should you change your mind…" The two disappeared into a black hole that had formed in the brick of a nearby building.
"Okay, now that was a kind of cool." Serena stared at the now complete brick front. Letting go of the butler's tailcoat, she started to walk over to the wall. Marcus shifted on the ground and she raced back to Sebastian's side.
"Now, now. There is nothing to be afraid of." The older demon walked over to stare down at the other. "You are normally based in Edinburgh. What are you doing in my territory?"
"Elder, forgive me. I didn't know that you were in London. I was told to report to Andromalius."
Marcus pleaded as he tried to free himself from the feather trap around him.
"You were told wrong. I suppose that offense I can overlook." Sebastian smiled sadistically down at the weaker demon. "However, you are far too troublesome to remain in my territory. Add to that, you attacked my mate. You caused harm to my mate."
"You haven't claimed her yet! How is anyone to know?"
"I did tell you and you still didn't let her go." He turned back to Serena, his smile warming a bit. "I'm afraid that this is something that you should not see."
She looked confused at his raised hand. As it passed before her face, green eyes fell closed. Serena felt Sebastian catch her as her legs gave out. Pain exploded from her ribs at his touch. She saw anger pass over his face before darkness took over her vision and the pain vanished into velvet black. He took off his coat and placed it beneath his mate's head as a makeshift pillow.
"Now, for you." The demon walked forward with a vicious smirk and another dropped from the rooftop above.
"Found you."
The other demon was tall when standing to his full height. His blonde hair and blue eyes added to the Nordic heritage evident in his bone structure. A young Viking before his death as a human, the man's looks hadn't changed much when he was awoken as a demon and made it easy for him to find food at any time.
"Lucien." Sebastian raised an eyebrow. "I did not know that you were in London either."
The blond turned to face the other demon surprised.
"Elder." He bowed with a smile. "You're so good at hiding yourself that I didn't even feel another demon. It's good to see you."
"Why are you in London, without informing me?"
Lucien rubbed the back of his head with a sheepish smile. "I came up to feed and my first stop was your current residence. Then I heard about this little flea and figured I could take care of it for you on the way. He gave me a little more trouble than I had planned on."
Sebastian waved the other closer, a dangerous look in his eye. He came slowly, knowing what was coming but not following orders was never an option. A smack and cry was heard through several streets in the area. "Always go to the Elder first. I don't know how many times I have to tell you this. Being a member of my family will not save you if you anger another Elder."
The younger demon stepped back, his head still bowed. "Please forgive me, Elder."
"Have you fed while in my territory?"
"Of course not."
Sebastian sighed, obviously not happy but willing to let it go. Lucien smiled, his normal pleasant attitude coming back despite the pain still in his head. The younger demon finally noticed the woman lying behind his family's head.
"And who's this?" He started forward, his smile turning hungry. "She looks delicious. Do you think she likes blonds?"
A growl made him stop in his tracks. He looked to his Elder and shank back. Sebastian's eyes glowed in warning, his shadow taking on a life of it's own and showing a bit of the reality behind his human guise. Sebastian stepped to the side, effectively hiding Serena from the younger's gaze. Lucien quickly backed away.
"Forgive me again, Elder. I did not sense your contract with her."
"She is not my contract."
Lucien looked confused for a minute, before understanding dawned.
"Have you found your mate, Elder?" The younger's smile was brilliant, putting Finny's innocent sparkles in the shade. "This is wonderous news! Congratulations Elder, and Emily will be so happy to have another woman around. Are you going to wait until the conclusion of your current contract to bring her home?"
"Yes." Sebastian rubbed his temple and shades his eyes from Lucien's childlike enthusiasm. "My master is constantly in trouble. I cannot leave long enough to take her to the tower."
"I will prepare everyone, leave it to me. When you return, it will the greatest homecoming our family has ever seen. And Lord Haagenti will be just as happy as the rest of us."
A groan came from the ground and interrupted their conversation. Both of their eyes went back to Marcus. The brunette demon had still been trying to get away as the Elder had been disciplining his underling.
"It's useless, you know? No one can escape the scope of the Elder's wings." Lucien smiled evilly at the demon on the ground. "What I don't understand is, why do you abduct and rape the women you feed on? You get a much more filling meal from a willing human."
"It's their fear. The fight adds such a delicious spice to their essence."
"As I said, you are far too troublesome to remain in my territory. You've drawn the notice of human law enforcement as well as the attention of my master. That alone is enough of a reason to be rid of you. When you add to these facts that you attacked an Elder's mate, there is no other sentence for you but a final death." Sebastian smirked at the fear coming from the younger demon.
Lucien giggled, his eyes glowing. "Can we play with him a little, Elder? He has been most difficult."
"Those were my thoughts exactly." His canines lengthened, giving a glimpse of the corrupt being that lurked beneath the elegant facade.
Author's Note: I'm not sure what it would take to kill a demon, so I couldn't write it. But whatever it would take, I am sure that Sebastian could handle it. Besides, I am a fan of the Hitchcock school of horror. What your imagination would come up with will always be better than what is shown to you.