Disclaimer: I do not own Black Butler, or anything affiliated with it. Black Butler belongs to Yana Toboso. Original characters are mine.
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Chapter 17
The moment Sebastian moved to gather Ciel into his arms to defend him from the Trancy triplets, Sera started to fly.
Before she put too much distance between them, she couldn't help the urge to finish the Trancy Earl off herself. In one smooth motion, she gathered a few spikes from her ornamental hair halo, and sent two of the sharp, deadly sticks flying in Alois's direction. As the golden points drew closer to his face, she saw the shock of fear spread through his cold blue eyes, not having the reflexes quick enough to dodge her attack.
Unfortunately for Sera, but fortunately for Alois, Claude caught the spears right before they pierced through the blonde's brain. Alois stumbled back in surprise, and Sera couldn't' stop the grin as she caught Claude's eye, relishing the grimace upon his face.
Claude moved to go after the demoness as she ran for the mansion before his master's voice caught his attention.
"No, Claude! I want you right here with me! Our focus is Ciel Phantomhive, not the female bitch."
Claude growled under his breath, making sure his master wouldn't be able to see the scowl upon his face. This would have been a prime opportunity to capture her now that Sebastian was distracted. He watched as Seraphine's raven locks and white gown disappeared into the darkness of the forest, taking a second to compose himself before turning to fulfill his master's wishes.
"Right then," Claude muttered, pushing his glasses up his nose. "Triplets! It's time for our group attack! Welcome to the Fierce Raking from Hell!"
As one, the three demon siblings leapt into the air towards Ciel, each pulling out their own weapon. Humorously, they were not the standard arsenal one would think to carry. In each of their hands were some sorts of garden tools. One brother was holding a large pair of pincers, another a hammer and chisel, and the last one a ladder.
As Sebastian moved back to dodge their attack, Ciel clutched against his chest, he was eternally grateful that Sera wasn't here to witness this spectacle. She'd be nothing but a nuisance, most likely laughing instead of helping.
The demon triplets nearly managed to trap him at one point, but they were no match for him. As Sebastian broke away from their hold, destroying their weapons in the process, he thought of Sera, hoping she would make it to the manor in time.
As she ran through the forest at a supernatural speed, Sera grit her teeth in annoyance. This night was turning out to be a complete disaster. Why did she have to be mated to the one demon in the world with a contract so difficult? She just wanted to get dressed up, go to a party, and have a splendid time. At this point her costume was just shy of perfect, having to use her head piece as a weapon of sorts. Well, she didn't have to use it, but she really couldn't pass up the opportunity to maim the Trancy boy while she had the chance.
She was doing everything she could to keep her gown together as well. Her wings were still stuck to her back, truly giving her the appearance of an angel in flight as she flew through the branches of the trees, bouncing from limb to limb as she raced towards the manor.
It was just as she landed on the outskirts of the property that she nearly lost her footing. All around, the air was pierced with a deadly, harmonious melody she never imagined she would hear on earth. Her brow furrowed in confusion as she continued her flight. Wanting a strategic advantage, Sera scaled the mansion, slipping through a second story window.
The music was coming from the ballroom and through the noise, Sera picked up the sound of agonized groans and whimpers of fear. Staying vigilant, but in a hurry to prevent Alois' threat, Sera continued her run. As she stealthily appeared in the shadows of the high balcony, the site of the spectacle below made so much more sense.
Three things went through Sera's mind as she assessed the situation. The first was the object of catastrophe. Sitting in the center of the ballroom was a glass armonica. The structure was similar to that of an upright piano, but instead of black and white keys, there was a row of glass bowls. These bowls were descending largest to smallest, from left to right. The only place she had ever seen one was in Hell itself. It was a staple to have such an instrument in a demonic household. Parents often had their children take lessons to better round out their character.
Though ethereal in its sound to the ears of demons, it was deadly for humans, which brought Sera to her second assessment. The soundwaves of the armonica had infiltrated the subconscious of the humans, and taken over their minds. The noise emitted from the hellish instrument took every negative human emotion and multiplied it 100-fold. Hatred, frustration, shame, fear, grief, guilt, envy, and doubt were mixed together until it ruptured throughout the body, turning the humans into immoral, wicked beings. At this point in time, the humans below were attacking one another, clawing, scratching, punching, and maiming whomever they came in contact with. Those who were once friends, were now prey to one another.
A quick scan of the ballroom showed the Phantomhive servants fighting off the other guests of the party. Sera wondered about their immunity, intrigued by how they were able to withstand the effects of the music. Similarly, Agni was having no trouble as he fought off attackers himself, his divine power most likely providing his own natural immunity. He fought very closely beside Prince Soma, the flaps of his detective's hat covering his ears. Ran-Mao was fighting close by, champagne bottle stoppers in her ears. All three were keeping a close radius to a random table, which was curious to Sera until she saw the head of Lau poke out from beneath the tablecloth, Lady Elizabeth and her maid Paula lying unconscious beside him.
Confirming the well-being of Ciel's friends, Sera's eyes landed on the culprit of such madness.
Sera had to hand it to the brat; Alois was good at collecting demons. For down below in the center of the chaos, sat a beautiful demoness, her wet fingers gliding over the bowls of the armonica with a professional grace. Her voluptuous body was encased in a skintight black gown, her breasts nearly pouring from the neckline. Her arms were covered in black lace, and her long, white hair glowed with a lavender tint, the strands so long, they tumbled to the floor. Her entire ensemble would have been devilishly flawless had it not been for the white bandage that covered her left eye. The demoness also had an air of crumbling despair that surrounded her being. It almost made Sera feel bad.
Almost.
But not really.
With a grin, Sera leapt onto the banister with grace and looked down upon the massacre below her. Figuring she should bring an end to the panic, she spread out her arms, her limbs straight. Simultaneously she swung her right arm up, and her left arm down, creating a half-circle arch, The motion caused a small, green sphere, just the size of a marble to form from the energy around her. Her arms came together from the circle motion to create an X over her chest. With her full focus on the green orb, Sera took a deep breath and uncrossed her arms, spreading them wide once more, before she pulled them back in. Using all her strength, the orb producing a deflective energy, Sera brought her hands together to smash the orb between her palms, an explosion of the energy unleashing throughout the room.
The area flashed a bright green as it scattered over the ballroom, the light trailing the floor, furniture, and structure of the entire mansion. Sera watched as the spell did its purpose, encasing the humans as well. As the light touched their feet, it traveled up their limbs, bringing halt to any motion they made. Once covered, they were completely frozen, like they were suspended in time.
Immediately the fighting stopped, the screaming ceased, and the chaos came to a standstill. Objects that had been thrown, hung in the air; the stream of wine spilt on a table froze before it could hit the floor; a man falling backwards, his arms stretched like they had been flailing, lay still, his body suspended in the moment before his eventual tumble.
Time had officially come to a stop in the Trancy mansion. As the green light faded away, Sera sent a quick "thank you" to her mom below for teaching her this amazing spell.
Immediately, the music stopped, the white-haired demoness looking around in shock, then confusion. Before she had a chance to scan the entire room, Sera thought it prudent to take away the source of such strife.
Flinging her arm down and out, a long sword with jagged edges, emerged from a pocket of darkness, the blade sliding parallel to her arm before it was stopped in its motion as Sera clutched the hilt within her palm. Quick as lighting Sera brought the sword over her opposite shoulder, and with great strength and precision, threw the sword with no hesitation. The blade flew like an arrow, and just as the other demoness became aware of the threat, Sera watched her eyes widen as the sword hit its target.
Well, it didn't so much as hit as it did demolish. As the crackling black energy from the sword came in contact with the demonic energy of the armonica, the instrument exploded, the force of the blast throwing the demoness across the room. While some shards hit nearby humans, it didn't cause any fatal harm, not that Sera would really care.
The other demoness landed in a heap on her back, the air getting knocked from her body. She flinched as she tried to push herself up with her arms, her hair getting caught beneath her hands. As she sat on the floor, she looked on in surprise at what was once a beautiful instrument, but was now a burning bile of wood and glass, a fierce and deadly broadsword sticking out from the wreckage, the black metal flashing against the fire. She blinked through the smoke, her mind muddled in confusion, when a voice from above caught her attention.
"You know, I'm kind of disappointed. That was a lot more underwhelming than I thought it was going to be."
The white-haired demoness turned her eyes above and froze.
It was an angel.
At least that's what the beautiful woman appeared to be dressed as, in her feather-white gown, broad wings on her back, and golden halo formed around her dark head. The demoness on the floor would have no doubt believed that she was in an angel's midst had it not been for the glowing, red eyes. Those were the eyes of a demon.
Sera watched the other demoness in amused silence as she went from a state of shock, to wonder, to realization. Keeping her advantage from above on the rail of the balcony, Sera took a casual stance and crossed her arms, leaning against a pillar.
"With how much of a little shit Alois is, I'm surprised he's managed to put so many demons under his boot. From the look of your face, you've been there recently." Sera nodded towards the demoness's eye.
The white-haired demoness lowered her head in shame, her fists curling against the ground. "What happened to me was my fault; his Highness had every right to do what he did. I shamed the house of Trancy."
"What's your name?"
"Hannah," the demoness replied.
"Do you regret what you did to your master?"
"I do."
Sera straightened her back, a look of contempt for the female below her. "Well then, Hannah, let me put you out of your misery." With a flick of her arm, another black sword slid into her palm, and before the other demoness had a chance to run, Sera let the blade fly.
"STOP!"
Before the blade could pierce Hannah's chest, it froze in its directive. The end of the blade hovered less than an inch from Hannah's heart. Sera stood with grit teeth and a clenched fist, annoyed by the unwelcome interruption. Looking down towards the ballroom's grand entrance, was non-another than the blue-haired thorn in Sera's side. Ciel and Sebastian's eyes flicked from Sera, to the deadly blade still floating in the air.
"Get rid of it," Ciel ordered in a stern tone.
With a roll of her eyes, Sera released her clenched fist, and gave a wave of her hand. Immediately, both the sword meant for Hannah, and the sword that destroyed the armonica faded away like black ashes in the wind.
Sera leapt from her perch on the second floor railing, and landed soundlessly on the ballroom floor. She gracefully made her way over to her mate, and unwilling master. Her eyes looked Ciel up and down. "Looks like you made it in one piece."
Ciel returned her look with a dry one of his own. "It appears so."
Sebastian raised his gloved hand to Sera's cheek, his thumb brushing her skin. "Are you alright?" His own red orbs were doing an appraisal of her own body.
Sera reached up to grasp at Sebastian's hand, pressing it against her face. "I'm fine. Just disappointed that my fun was ruined," she gave a pointed look at Ciel. "You seem to be in the habit of doing that."
"It's not my fault that the way you think is best to solve problems is by maiming every person you come in contact with."
"When has murder ever failed in getting rid of a problem?" Sera shot back.
Ciel stood with his arms crossed, a concessive look upon his face. "You know, you have a point, but in this instance, I'm trying to stop a premature war."
Sera scoffed and turned her head, Sebastian's hand falling from her face to her waist. "I very well could have taken out one of the enemy's soldiers had you not stopped me."
"We are in no position for an all out war at the moment, so if you could be so kind as to stop arguing with me, I would greatly appreciate it." Ciel growled, his uncovered blue eye flashing.
Sera gave a mocking pout. "What? No faith in your own pawns, Ciel? How must that make Sebastian feel?"
"Enough, you two," Sebastian interjected, putting himself between the lighting that was flashing between his master and mate's eyes. "So what happened here?"
Sera heaved a sigh as she looked out over the ballroom. The place was still frozen in time, a bonfire in the center of the room, Hannah sat pathetically on the floor. "It was an armonica. The white-haired bitch over there was playing it; had the whole place up in shambles. All of the guests were at each other's throats until I got here and put a stop to it."
Ciel grew panicked. "Lizzie! Is she okay?"
Before he could run into the crowd, Sera spoke. "She's fine. Along with Paula and the Phantomhive servants. It appears that Agni had everything under control when it came to protecting them."
Ciel heaved a sigh. "That's good." Getting back on track, he walked a few steps away from his butler and housekeeper. His eye was focused on some desserts. This normally wouldn't be unusual at a party, but in this case, unusual was all Ciel could think of. The desserts had been knocked from a tray on a table. While they should have all hit the floor by now, they were frozen in the air, caught by nothing in their descent to the floor. "How did this happen?"
"That was me," Sera confessed, a cocky note in her voice. "I placed a time spell over the mansion in order to put an end to the chaos. While the clocks outside the radius of the mansion are still ticking, time has completely stopped on the inside. It's easily reversable. Once undone, time inside the radius will skip ahead to match the true time. For everyone frozen, they will have lost maybe 10 minutes of their lives."
"Impressive," Sebastian replied. He kept a smile to himself as he watched Sera unwittingly preen under his praise.
"And that contraption?" Ciel nodded towards the burning pile of glass and wood.
"The armonica, my lord," Sebastian replied. "It was popular in the 18th century. Some called it the voice of the angels. Others feared that it disturbed the minds of those who heard it, thus it fell into the dark corners of history as a demon's instrument."
"Made by humans and called a demon's instrument," Ciel smirked knowingly. "Yet it's negative effects didn't seem to reach you or Sera."
Sebastian smiled, "Yes, as a matter of fact, I found it pleasant."
"Speak for yourself," Sera replied, a scowl on her face as she glared at Hannah. "I've heard better performances by back-alley street urchins with their rusted pots and pans."
"Do you know her?" Ciel asked, his eye examining the white-haired demoness.
Sera scoffed. "The only thing I know about her is that she's a disgrace to the females of my kind. I swear, it's that kind of pathetic weakness that keeps us demonesses under the boot of our patriarchy."
Sebastian gave Sera an amused look but gave her waist a brief squeeze in support.
"Well, enough of this then," Ciel ordered. "Time to clean up the Trancy mess. Sebastian, how would you proceed?"
The butler put a hand to his chin in thought. "The effects of the armonica, while pleasing to demon kind, is devastating in its effects on humans. As we can see from what's in front of us, the guests have gone into a mindless rage, nothing else on their mind but to destroy and maim. The only way we can reverse the effects is to fill the human's souls with a more heavenly sound."
"Do what you must," Ciel ordered. "Just get it done quickly."
"Yes, my Lord."
Sera barely blinked before Sebastian was standing on the second floor balcony, the entire rail covered in low bowl champagne glasses, each filled with a different amount of water.
"Sera, on my mark, I want you to release the humans from your spell"
With that, Sebastian began to play the pieces of dinnerware like he was stroking the keys of a piano. His ungloved, bare fingers stroked the rims like he would a lover; or rather, Sera herself. She was nearly distracted by the heavenly hum of music that came from Sebastian's talented fingers when he gave her a nod. With a snap of her fingers, time returned. All throughout the mansion, clocks sped through their missed minutes. More dramatically, objects of food, tableware, and people alike, fell to the ground. The humans grasped at their heads as they came from their stupor, shaking their heads to clear away the fog.
As the guests came to, they were immediately enraptured by Sebastian's playing, their eyes and ears drawn to the demon butler above them. Finding the Phantomhive servants, Sera nudged at Ciel, who watched as Lady Elizabeth and her maid, Paula, were helped to their feet by Agni and Prince Soma. Ciel sighed in relief.
Sebastian was quite a good distraction from the chaos, for out of the shadows, came the Trancy demon Triplets. In a flash, they had cleared the room of food, and debris, pulling the charred wood and glass that was the armonica from the room. In no time, the space was clean and pristine once more.
A roar of applause lit the room as Sebastian rounded out his final note, giving a smirk and a bow to the naïve crowd.
"Ciel! Sera!" Prince Soma came dodging through the mass of guests, a worried look upon his face and Agni right on his heels. "Are you both alright? This place was a madhouse, and now suddenly it's like nothing happened at all."
Ciel gave his companions a once over, more calm than Prince Soma was expecting. "We're both perfectly fine. I'm pleased to see you both made it out as well."
Agni gave a bow of his head. "Indeed, my Lord. Once I was aware of the attack, I took precautions to keep both the prince and your lady safe."
Ciel gave a grateful bow of his head, reaching out to shake Agni's hand. "I appreciate your help in this matter. And for keeping Lady Elizabeth safe."
"But what was all that?" Soma asked anxiously. "One moment we were listening to that white haired woman play a song, and the next every guest was out of his mind!"
"That is a fair question."
Sera looked over her shoulder to see her mate had appeared at her side.
"It seems our guests decided to treat us to an otherworldly form of entertainment. One that wasn't made for human ears."
Soma gaped in disbelief. "Why would someone play such a thing at a costume ball?"
"As a diversion for my guests," a small, and annoyingly high voice answered. Sera had really been hoping that he had perished in the woods.
Through the ballroom doors came the Trancy brat, bedecked in a dazzling purple suit with black fluffy fringe lining the hem of his coat, sleeves, and collar. His top hat was small and tilted, two small bat wings extending from each side. At the back of his coat sprouted similar, but bigger wings to match. At his side stood Claude, and the demon triplets, done with their quick clean up.
"Ladies and gentlemen, please accept my sincere apologies for being late," Alois announced as he traipsed his way into the crowd of people he nearly slaughtered for his own amusement. "I'm Alois Trancy, and I'm so honored that you came."
The whispers of the crowd were nothing but disbelief and admiration for the newest young member of London's high society.
Alois glared at Hannah who still knelt upon the floor, her hair a puddle to disguise her shame. "I see that you enjoyed the entertainment while I was away, and I'm relieved it was to your liking." One of the triplets hurried to Hannah's side and escorted her from the room.
Sera blinked in disbelief; her brows raised incredibly high. The audacity of this kid. Unfortunately, it seemed Alois wasn't done with the Phantomhive household for the night.
"That performance was outstanding," The blonde praised Sebastian as he approached the group, Claude shadowing his master's movements. "I must say, you have a true talent for music Sebastian."
Sebastian gave a faux smile, holding his hand over his heart. "I cannot accept such praise. I am simply one hell of a butler."
"Though it is a tragedy that poor Hannah couldn't finish her performance." Alois smirked, his eyes finding Sera's own.
Sera returned his look with one of false benevolence. "I actually found it fortunate that her attempts to sway the crowd were interrupted. Not only was her talent lacking but the music was rather dull and dated." Sera slipped her arm through her mate's giving him a doting grin. "Thankfully Sebastian was here to add some class and flare."
The glare Alois gave her tickled Sera's spine in enjoyment.
"Yes he is quite the musician and servant. You're lucky, Lord Phantomhive, to have such talent surround you."
"He's just a butler," Ciel replied, suspicion covering his features.
With a step forward and a short bow, Claude pulled two golden spikes from his inner coat pocket. "By the way, Mrs. Michaelis, you seem to have misplaced this piece from your headset."
As he held out the gleaming sticks, his golden eyes stared into her own, the intensity bringing a curdle of disgust within her belly. With the utmost indifference, Sera reached out and took the two pieces. After giving Claude a seemingly grateful smile, with zero pretense, she turned and tossed the two pieces into the roaring fire behind her.
"Thank you, Mr. Faustus. Your concern is appreciated."
As the Trancy butler stepped back, a harsh glint in his sharp eyes, Sebastian spoke up.
"Master, I would like to have a word with Claude. If it wouldn't trouble you, it shouldn't take terribly long."
Sera tightened her grip around Sebastian's arm, looking up at him in curiosity.
"He can do that, right Claude?" Alois agreed amicably.
The blonde brat whispered harshly to his butler as Ciel gave his permission. "Fine, but do it swiftly, understood?"
Sebastian gave a nod and short bow before he turned to follow the other butler, but before he could take a step, Sera pulled at him for attention. "What's going on?" She asked worriedly.
Sebastian smiled and traced the apple of her cheek with his gloved thumb. "No need to worry, pet. I just need to set some rules for the game we are about to play." He placed a kiss to the back of her hand and left without another word.
The moon glinted off the glass reflection of the lake, the darkness of the sky making the depths of the water unfathomable. Sebastian stood at the start of the lake's dock, his red eyes burning deep and desperate hatred for the demon who stood at the other end. Claude faced the water, his back to his foe as the wind pushed small waves against the dock's wooden legs.
"You're nothing if not persistent," Sebastian started. His eyes glaring a hole into the demon's back. "You've been hunting my mate most relentlessly."
"I'm only doing what any spurned demon would do. She was supposed to be mine in the first place. I'm just doing what I can to take her back."
"And you created this farce of coming after my master in order to get close to us." Sebastian deduced.
"I was only lucky to find a master with such a hatred for the Phantomhive legacy. While I don't particularly care about his goals, it definitely helps to further mine."
"Nevertheless, she is my mate," Sebastian growled, "and you will not have her, no matter what you attempt. The laws of our kind are clearly on my side."
Claude appeared to be in his own world as he ignored Sebastian's fury. "Just the feel of her…" his fingers trembled as he stared at his hand, remembering how perfectly the curves of her body conformed to his grip. "One rarely handles something so fine."
"I cannot abide the thought that someone else has touched her." Sebastian seethed. The fury that ran through his veins was enough to bring the fires of hell bursting through the earth's crust. "It's enough to make me sick. The sticky, clinging touch of your vile spider web has defiled her, my mate."
"Seraphine," Claude breathed in ecstasy, his head tilted towards the full moon. "I will have you."
As he prepared to launch an attack, the toes of his shoes making cracks within the ground, Sebastian had only one response. "The only thing you will have, is my wrath."
I have so many excuses, but I'm not going to bother you with them. It has been over a got damn year, and I am so ashamed. If you're still around, I commend you for your patience and your loyalty to this story. I'm like halfway done with this story, and there's no way I'm stopping now, no matter how long it takes.
I've gotten the scattered review here and there over the past year from people who have found this story in the dark depths of fanfic . net and AO3, which always brought me so much joy. The kindness in your words and support really keep my love for this story alive. Though I may get insanely busy, you all are never forgotten. Thank you so much to everyone who has left their thoughts, predictions, questions, and constructive critics! I love you all so much! I'll do my best to keep everyone updated on my Instagram!
XOXO,
Alyssa