CHAPTER 17

"To think someone would interfere…"

I opened my eyes and looked around to see a familiar hazy darkness and I cursed under my breath. Great…here I am again.

"Hello again."

I swivelled around to see the being sitting on an armchair made of smoke and shadow wearing a cruel and toothy grin.

"Great just the person I wanted to see."

I marched right over, earning a surprised look from the being and threw a punch at the being who vanished in a cloud of smoke and reappeared behind me.

"Woah…is that any way to greet a friend?"

"A friend? A FRIEND?! You must be out of your goddamned mind. Now come back here and let me punch you at least once."

"HA HA HA! You're so funny. I'm very glad to see you again. How about a hug instead?"

It had been resting its chin on its hand, but was now sitting upright with its shadowy arms outstretched and gave me a taunting smile. I threw both of my middle fingers at it and snarled.

"Fuck off."

"Alright, I'll stop teasing you. Come on, take a seat and let's chat."

It waved a hand in the air and another chair of smoke and shadow appeared behind me. When it saw that I was still death glaring it and refused to sit down, it tilted its head in amusement and flicked a finger in my direction, a powerful force shoved me back onto the chair and suddenly, the chair rocketed forward so that I was sitting about a meter or two away. I tried to get up, but it was like I had been strapped down. I noticed that there was a slight change in its tone and overall body language, the playfulness was starting to disappear.

"So…let's talk. Who have you been talking to?"

"Uhh, you'll need to be more specific than that. I have been talking to a lot of people."

"Alright, that was my fault. Have you been talking to anyone like me?"

"No? Why would I want to talk to others like you? One of you is enough. I'd go insane if I had to talk to two of you."

The amused expression on its face was gone, instead there was a dangerous grin on its face as if it was trying to hide its anger and true feelings behind a mask. I say face, but really, it was just a pair of red floating orbs and a sharp and toothy mouth and I was surprised that it could even make facial expressions.

"It seems like someone has interfered with my fun and I don't appreciate that at all. But regardless, because of our contract…I can't physically interject or else, there will be consequences…Don't seem too pleased. This is hardly fair."

I must have been smiling widely because the being looked at me with irritation and rolled its eyes.

"Well, it wasn't like it was fair before. You can't be the only one having fun. Besides, I wondered how I had survived this far as a normal human being with no gifts or abilities amongst super humans and supernatural beings. So I think this balances it out."

"Oh come now, you were having fun before."

My only response to that comment was a glare and it raised its hands up in mock defeat.

"*Tsk* well, judging from your behaviour and your thoughts, it doesn't seem like you know anything about this, so I won't bother asking you anymore about it. I'll let it slide just this once. On to topic number two. What did I tell you about getting too close to that demon?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about."

I shrugged and gave him look of exaggerated confusion and in the blink of an eye, I felt myself falling backwards as the being grabbed the top of the chair and tilted it back so that I was practically parallel to the ground but the back two legs of the chair were still touching the ground. It was leaning over me and I could feel the cold chill from the shadows tickling my cheeks and my neck.

"You let it taste you. I don't appreciate others touching what isn't theirs."

"Uh first of all, I didn't LET him taste me and SECOND, I'm not yours either. So back the fjuck up! I can't exactly control what happens in this story anyway and that demon has a mind of his own. One that so happens to be just as sadistic as yours. You only have yourself to blame."

"Hm… That may be so, since I may have underestimated you and that deal we struck. Nevertheless, I'm warning you though. Stay away from it."

"You say that as if I could actually stay away from Sebastian. You and I both know that he knows a bit too much now and it has peaked his interest. I doubt me running away would stop him, though I also doubt I'd be able to run away in the first place, even with these new 'abilities'. And another thing, why is it that you sound like you're afraid of what might happen if I let Sebastian get too close? What? You afraid he'll take my soul before you do? That's it isn't it!?"

I barked, laughing at the revelation but I instantly regretted it when it grabbed my face with a shadowy hand, squeezing my face in a tight grip and I grunted in pain as it bared its teeth at me. I was able to get a close look and all of its teeth were razor sharp, like a shark's and if any of those teeth grazed me skin, they would instantly draw blood.

"Don't TEST me! You…are…mine! You understand that? I won't let some demon get in the way."

"Why are you so afraid? This world was created by you, if you wanted to, you could just erase everything."

"You're right…I could erase everything…but because of our deal, I can't interfere. But let me remind you, if you do something reckless again, I will consider it a breach of our contract and your soul will be forfeit, regardless of the conditions of our deal."

"WHAT? No, I don't think so. You would only get my soul if I died due to my own decisions and the natural course of the story. So what I am doing at the moment is not a breach of our contract. Don't go pulling this bullshit on me!"

Suddenly, a bright light started to pour into the world and the being growled in fury, the walls of this dimension shuddering as things around me started to warp and disappear.

"Looks like our time is up. Remember what I have told you. I'll see you next time."

I jolted upwards as I glanced around, sweat stained my brow and body and I groaned in disgust, crawling out of bed and drying myself off with a towel. Something was off about that interaction. The first time I had met "Az", it was very composed, very calm but for some reason, this time, it seemed a little uncertain and agitated. This was very apparent when we got to talking about Sebastian. It acted as if it couldn't control Sebastian or stop him from doing these things despite "creating" him and this world. I had a feeling the terms of our contract actually had very little to do with it. I glanced over at the small bedside table where a small clock was sitting. It was still the early hours of the morning and I decided that I didn't want to sleep, not after that dream. It was interesting to see that an immortal being such as itself could get so flustered and panicked by my decisions and the events of this story. I suppose it didn't imagine that Sebastian was such a glutton or that this story would get so out of hand. Me:1, immortal being:0. I got myself dressed and ready, leaving the room and decided to go for a walk when I heard frantic shouting and thundering steps. What the? At this time? Wait…that voice…Sebastian? I rushed towards the sound of the yelling and found myself following Sebastian back towards Ciel's room. I saw that he was holding a large bowl of cold water and was rushing about in a frantic manner.

"Sebastian what is going on?"

"Jessie? What are you doing up?"

"I heard yelling. What's going on? Wait a minute! You! Turn around!"

It almost looked like Sebastian had flinched in surprise at the tone in my voice but the demon turned around and I saw the bandages and the redness surrounding it. I looked at his face and saw that he was covered in raw and patchy skin, blistering boils and sores and I felt the dread seep in. Before I could yell at him, he placed a finger to my lips.

"Come with me."

I frowned, tempted to bite his finger but nodded reluctantly and followed the demon. We hurried into the room and I gasped when I saw the young boy was covered in bandages and his skin was covered in red and purple patches, he was wheezing and his face was furrowed, like he was having a nightmare.

"You didn't?! You brought him with you?!"

"Yes, we decided to investigate the woods and we…I was careless."

"Oh my god…how? I-You…Unbelievable! You're an idiot. A big dumb idiot."

Sebastian gave me an unimpressed and almost threatening stare, his eyes glinted crimson but he must have decided to give me a pass as he turned away and ran his hand through his silky ebony hair. He seemed just as annoyed and frustrated as I was but for a different reason.

"We ran into a Werewolf in the woods and managed to get back safely, I decided to head back out to find the werewolf until I started to throw up blood and realised that the Young Master was in trouble. Thankfully, Lady Sieglinde managed to save the Young Master."

"Wait? A werewolf? Like an actual werewolf?"

"I didn't get to properly investigate, but it did appear to be a werewolf."

"Well, shit! Is-is he okay? Oh god this is bad! And you…I-I suppose this didn't really affect you?"

"I have to appear injured still."

I went over to Ciel and placed a hand on his forehead, and almost pulled my hand away when I felt how hot he was. The boy groaned in pain but when I placed my cold hand against his face, he seemed to relax a little, likely from the cool relief. I took a small cloth and dipped it into the cold water that Sebastian had brought with him, squeezed out all of the water and gently placed it on his forehead. The room was filled with the smell of herbs and chemicals which I assumed were what Sieglinde had used to treat the boils and swelling. I felt absolutely heartbroken seeing Ciel so ill and I couldn't contain the anger that I had felt for both of them being so damned reckless. It had been close to half a year since I had been living and working for the Phantomhive family and I had to admit that I had gotten extremely attached to them, mostly Ciel because he was like the younger brother I never had…even if he was an ill-tempered brat some of the time. But seriously, what could have caused this?

"Did you and the Young Master come into contact with anything? Like any specific plants or pollen or something that could have caused these boils and sores?""

Sebastian placed a hand onto his chin in his usual thinking posture but shook his head after a moment of thought.

"Nothing in particular. The only thing the Young Master came into physical contact with was myself. And there was nothing suspicious in the woods. The onset of symptoms appeared around 10-15 minutes after seeing the werewolf."

"That's still not enough information to confirm anything…It could have been something in the air like the mist or fog, but if that was the case, then these villagers and us servants would have likely been affected too. So for now, let's say that it was something to do with the werewolf."

"Indeed…"

For the next two or so hours, Sebastian and I kept an eye on Ciel who would occasionally grunt and groan in pain, murmuring things in his sleep. I continued to change the cloth on his forehead in order to regulate his body temperature and prevent him from overheating. Shortly after, the other servants came rushing into the room, likely hearing about Ciel from Wolfram or Sieglinde. We stayed by Ciel's side all morning, including when Sieglinde came into the room to change Ciel's bandages and apply more ointment. She had changed Sebastian's bandages too, although she had a look of suspicion when she saw that Sebastian only had a few small patches on his face and that he was walking around perfectly fine. At a time like this, I would have prayed for his recovery but after hearing what Az had said about being abandoned by our creator because he was bored, I decided that praying would be pointless. Instead, I held onto his hand and kept him company. I was beginning to nod off, my eyes felt like lead so I decided to swap out with Finny who was more than happy to look after Ciel while I rested. I only got to close my eyes for a few moments when Finny shouted out in surprise and Ciel jolted awake and gasped in shock. When I had opened my eyes, I noticed that day had broken and small streams of sunlight were pouring into the room.

"Young Master! You're awake!"

The servants rushed over and huddled around the bed, sighing and smiling with relief as the boy opened his eyes and tried to sit up. But I noticed that something was wrong when Ciel didn't respond to any of our comments, even when Sebastian approached and addressed him. Ciel had an arm raised as if he was trying to grab onto something and Sebastian grabbed his wrist. Suddenly the boy let out a frightened shout, his eyes widening with horror and slapped Sebastian's hand away.

"N-NNOOO! Don't touch me! No more pain! It's-It's so dark! W-Where am I? I-I'm scared!"

Ciel clung onto Finny like a baby clinging to its mother, shivering and trembling with tears in his eyes. He kept trying to move away from Sebastian who tried to approach, confused about why Ciel was acting strangely. Each time Sebastian spoke, the young boy cowered and inched closer to Finny. Mr Tanaka must have noticed what was going on because he approached the demon and stopped him from getting any closer.

"W-Who's there? I-I can't see a thing! Someone…please…turn on the lights."

Mr Tanaka suggested that we went outside to speak about what was going on, so the servants went to leave the room, but Ciel wouldn't let go of Finny and ultimately, he had to stay behind. Mey Rin was in tears again and I hugged her tightly, trying to calm her down but she was distraught that Ciel had lost his eyesight. Honestly, it was horrible to see the boy be so frightened and miserable. Whatever he was experiencing made me feel sick.

"How are we going to take care of him if he is like that? says Keats."

"Yeah, he even rejected Sebastian. Just what happened to him? Though, it's beyond me why Finny was fine though."

"What shall we do Sebastian?"

Sebastian pulled out his pocket watch, a hopeless expression on his face as he let out a long and tired sigh. He turned to face us, with a tired look on his face which he morphed back into his usual stoic and calm expression but I could see that there was a flicker of irritation behind his eyes.

"If the Young Master order me to not touch him, I cannot go near him. In any case, let's wait until Master Sullivan wakes up again and we can talk things over. For now, you should all get some rest."

"What about you Mr Sebastian?"

"I have some things to take care of."

The other servants turned to leave and head back to their rooms, but I ran after Sebastian. I didn't feel like sleeping and I had this uneasy feeling that would have prevented me from sleeping anyway.

"Hey wait up."

Sebastian stopped his brisk walk and slowed down to let me catch up and from that distance, I could definitely see the irritation and tightness in his face. At this point, we had gotten close enough that he didn't even bother to hide his emotions behind his mask.

"Aren't you going to rest?"

"Can't…and I'd rather not. Besides, you look like you want to burn the place to the ground. So I'll be the little angel on your shoulder telling you not to. What are you going to do now? More investigating?"

"I'm going back into the woods to check on things. It would be safer for you to not follow me. Here, my plans for Master Sullivan's breakfast. You can make a start while I'm gone."

"Sure…And Wolfram would be fine with me using his kitchen? Wouldn't mind me gawking?"

I teased but today, Sebastian was not in the mood. I received a mean looking side eye as response which was my cue to shut up.

"Alright, I'll stop. But seriously, be careful. You may be an immortal demon but you don't know what is out there. And, honestly, we wouldn't know what to do without you…so don't die and more importantly, don't do something stupid!"

There was a hint of a grin on his face before he turned and walked down the cold and dark corridor. I gave him a sloppy salute and headed into the kitchen which was empty and cold. I rolled up my sleeves and got to work. Thankfully, since Sieglinde was a late riser, it meant that breakfast was more like a morning tea and Sebastian had planned to make platter of soft and moist scones with a tart raspberry jam and light whipped cream. I decided to throw in a crepe cake dusted with powdered sugar and freshly cut strawberries and whipped cream between each layer. I was about half way through the crepe cake when Sebastian returned and nodded with acknowledgement at my scones.

"Not bad..."

"Well, with your Spartan teaching style, it was almost impossible to keep getting things wrong."

The demon flashed me a toothy grin, a slight look of relief and softness flashed in his eyes. We continued to work in silence, Wolfram not even showing up once as we completed morning tea and Sebastian instructed me to rest. Ever since this morning, I had noticed that Sebastian was very irritated…more so than usual, so I tried my best to resist the urge to annoy him like I usually did.

"So…find anything?"

"No. Nothing out of the ordinary."

"Nothing about this place is ordinary Sebastian. This place gives me the chills."

Aside from odd jobs here and there, the servants and I were instructed to stay in our rooms when we weren't needed except for Finny who stayed by Ciel's side basically 24/7. He and Sieglinde were the only two people Ciel would let touch him and the rest of us had to basically sneak into the room just to bring food or change bed sheets. Honestly, it really made me feel pain to see Ciel like this. Sure it made him seem more human and more like his age, but his skin was still covered in boils and rashes and I knew he was in a lot of pain. I left a warm meal for Finny on the bedside table, whispering in his ear to eat when Ciel goes to sleep.

Another morning came as all servants were ordered to meet in the kitchen where we sat around waiting for orders. It seemed like Sebastian had been "hired" as Lady Sullivans temporary butler as payment for allowing us to stay until Ciel got better and for his treatment as well.

"Where's that demon butler? Making us wait like this…gah I'm bored!"

"We've only been here for 10 minutes Mr Bard."

"How are you always so chipper in the morning Finny? Probably cause you're young. Can't say the same for you Jessie. You look like you rose up from the grave."

"Shut up Bard. Oh apologies, I shouldn't use such strong words on the elderly…your wee dusty heart might just collapse in shock."

This earned me a kick to the shin as Bard sat down on the kitchen bench, swung his leg up and rested one leg on the other, staring at me with a smug grin. I hissed in pain, rubbing my shin and hopping around as I shot him a fiery glare. We stopped messing around as Wolfram and three village women strolled into the kitchen and gave us inquisitive stares. I had recognised one of the women as her furious scowl burned a hole into my skull. Oh great, it's the scary lady. Why does she look like she wants to stab me through the eye? I shivered at the thought as I glanced over to the other two women flanking her. One was a short and busty woman with a very kind and doe like face. She wore a cream dress with long flowy sleeves that split at the upper arm to reveal another pair of tight sleeves. And the other woman was about half a head taller than scary face and she had sleek black hair that was parted sideways, a large section of hair covering one side of her face and the rest of the hair was fixed back in a braided bun. She wore a dress that wasn't exactly similar to the dresses of the other two and it was a dusty brown colour. The other two had opted to wear more of an apron styled dress with corsets but the dark haired woman seemed to opt for more of a straight cut style that honestly looked like a really long tunic. All three women wore those huge clunky amulets and all three seemed to look at us with disdain and suspicion.

"Good morning!"

I waved, offering a smile to release some of the tension in the kitchen. The shorter woman shot me a gently smile that quickly vanished, but the other two just continued to stare and the awkward tension seemed to increase instead.

"Geh, don't bother Jessie. They hate us being here and nothing is going to change that."

"Meh…worth a shot Bard."

"I wish they'd be a bit more welcoming…it's awkward."

Mey Rin said with a sigh as Finny nodded, but we all knew why they were so guarded. And they had every right to be since they didn't even know that they were housing a beast of an old man, an ex soldier, an assassin, a freakishly strong kid, a snake whisperer with a tons of venomous snakes, a girl from another dimension and a literal demon. Oh and Sebastian. Speaking of Sebastian, the demon strolls into the kitchen just as I was about to crack under the silence.

"Good morning everyone."

As he walked in, I noticed that Sebastian's face was completely flawless again, free of those boils and redness and I gave him a raised eyebrow. He shot me knowing smile and then turned his attention to the three women. Wolfram and Sebastian exchanged a few words and he nodded in acknowledgement. Sebastian politely bowed to them, probably introducing himself and the women responded and I was able to catch their names. The scowling women was Hilde, the dark haired woman was Grete and the kind looking lady was Anne.

"Alright, well then. Let's get onto today's duties. Bard, you'll make preparations for lunch. Snake will polish all of the silverware, Mey Rin and Jessie will change the linen and Finny will look after the Young Master."

"YA- EH? What? Me?!"

"You're the only one who the Young Master will allow to take care of him. If he wants to eat breakfast, make him breakfast."

"b-But…he doesn't w-want to eat?"

"Then, make him some warm milk with honey. It used to be the best thing to lift his spirits. And while you do that, I will take care of Master Sullivan. Now please, get to it."

The day went by ever so slowly as Mey Rin and I spent most of the morning changing the linen and doing the washing. All the while, I kept my eyes and ears open to any signs of suspicious activity but nothing seemed to be out of place. I plonked myself onto the kitchen bench once the morning duties were done as Mey Rin sat herself down next to me. Across the table, Mr Tanaka was sipping on his green tea and I noticed that he didn't really do much around the place but then again, he was the head butler while Ciel's father, Vincent Phantomhive was still alive. Mans deserved the break. Later that afternoon, we were called into the dining room where Sieglinde was having her afternoon tea.

"Ciel's wounds are healing well. Emotionally and mentally, he is terribly unstable but he doesn't seem to be experiencing any memory loss."

"And his eyes? Is that due to his physical injuries?"

I also wanted to ask how she was able to speak English so well despite not being able to speak a word of it the night before, but figured that now was not the time.

"His eyes are unhurt…I believe that him not being able to see is due to a psychological effect from the shock. He will be fine as long as his mind and body heal."

All of the servants let out a collective sigh of relief.

"In that case, once the Young Master can move around, we should head back to the manor. He'd be more at ease at home. And when we get home, I'll make him a Chef's special stamina max dinner!"

"Great idea Mr Bard!"

"I-I'll bring him snacks!"

"Let's bake him some scones, says Emily."

"Ho Ho Ho!"

"Don't increase the workload please…"

I chuckled to myself as Sebastian let out a tired sigh and I could see what was going on in his head. The extra work just cleaning after us always got him to make that face.

Wolfram said something to Sebastian who looked back down to Sieglinde and she replied in German, holding up her book and smiling. And so once again, the servants and Wolfram returned to the kitchen to prepare for dinner.

"Jessie, can you bring the tea up to the Young Master's room?"

"Sure thing."

I lifted the tray up and walked back up to Ciel's room where I knew Finny was likely trying to get Ciel to eat. I arrived at the door and gave it a quick succession of knocks and opened the door.

"Who's there?"

"It's just me Young Master. I'm here with some warm tea and honey."

"Jessie?"

"Yep, that's me."

I carefully walked over to wear Finny had placed a stool with the tray of scones and various jams that Sebastian had prepared. I lifted the teapot up to pour some tea into one of the cups when I heard a creak and both Finny and I whipped our heads around to see a looming shadow and glowing eyes peering in from the window. Before I could react, the beast smashed through the window, sending glass and bits of wood flying everywhere as I leapt back. The beast swung at me with its claws and I narrowly managed to dodge but it managed to catch Finny who was defending Ciel. I watched as Finny struck the beast with a round house kick that sent it flying into the wall.

"Finny! Are you alright?!

"I'm okay!"

"Protect the Young Master!"

"Got it!"

I turned my attention back to the werewolf and lunged with my sai. Despite being really big, it was very nimble and managed to avoid my first strike. I also managed to avoid its claws as it tried to take a swipe at my face.

"You're going to regret attacking us."

It growled at me and I found myself sneering back at it. There was a loud knock on the door as Sebastian's voice called out, momentarily distracting the beast and I took this opportunity to strike. I slashed at its throat with my first strike and then leapt into the air, using my weight and gravity to increase the strength of my attack. I plunged the sais into its shoulder, both blades protruding from its back. However, before I could yank them out, it took the chance to leap outside the window as the door swung open and I found myself looking up into the night sky as the werewolf fled into the forest with me still attached to its back.

"oh shit. AAAAAHHH!"

My voice echoed into the night as we landed on the ground with a thud and the werewolf took off. I noticed that Bard had attempted to leap out of the balcony after us, but stopped, turning his head as if listening to someone. The world became a blur as we whizzed passed trees and shrubbery. I tried to yank the sais out of its back but strangely enough, the sais wouldn't budge. I debated just letting go and leaving the sai, but I had gotten too attached to them. My sais had been sharpened before coming here so there was no way flesh and muscle would be able to prevent me from removing them. As I tried to wiggle the blade free, I felt something hard that didn't seem like bone or cartilage. I glanced up to see where it was running to, only to get hit in the face with a low hanging branch. Fuck! That hurt! I shook my head, shaking off the pain and spat out a few leaves from my mouth and quickly changed into my feline eyes as the fog began to swirl around me and the werewolf which was still plowing through the trees. Come on Jessie! Come on! I gripped the sais tightly and planted my feet against the back of the creature and with all of my strength, I pulled. The sais finally dislodged from the creature's back and I fell on my ass onto the dewing moss covered forest floor. The werewolf whipped around at the sound of me groaning in pain and I leapt up, sais ready in a defensive position.

"Back up beasty."

The werewolf growled and hunched low, growling at me but I noticed that its face remained unmoving. It lunged and I jumped to the side, thrusting my sai into his bare side and managed to stab into it but again, it didn't react as the blade sank into its body.

"What the?"

The werewolf swung a claw at me and I attempted to jump back but it was quicker than me, managing to strike my arm and I felt flesh tear. I shouted in pain as warm red liquid trickled down my arm and I hissed.

"Mother fucker…That's it."

My body began to shake with anticipation as adrenaline began to pump through my body and I leapt at the werewolf. I parried its other claw and swung up, jamming my sai into its jaw and I heard a CLINK, like the sound of metal against metal. The werewolf pulled back with enough force to rip the sai out of my hand and I had to jump back to avoid a kick. It reached up and pulled the sai out of its jaw and hunched over, looking like it was ready to lunge when suddenly, it looked up into the air and then vanished into the woods, the fog obscuring my eye sight and I couldn't see where it disappeared to.

"Ow that really hurt…"

My legs trembled beneath me and I fell onto my bruised ass, clutching my bleeding arm and I almost cried from the pain of cold air against my bare nerves beneath my skin. I took a moment to catch my breath and I stood up. However, as I got up onto my feet, I smelt something in the air…something very familiar and it was getting stronger the more I sniffed the air.

"Hang on…why does the air smell like…spice? No… Garlic? Nah… Oh! Mustard! Wait mustard? Why would it smell like mustard out here?"

I was almost tempted to investigate some more but knowing that I'd probably end up mauled to death or bleed out or die in agony from the "curse", I decided against that. I shrugged, starting to brush off the leaves from my uniform and looked down, expecting to be covered in werewolf blood but nothing, except dirt and leaves and my own blood. My sais was completely clean and I frowned in confusion. Oh but when I stabbed it, it didn't even react…that's strange…something's not right here.

"Welp…time for me to find my way back I guess."

I tried my best to climb up the tallest tree I could find, scaling up it like a monkey, wincing in pain as my arm began to throb with pain and perched myself on top of the highest branch. I looked up and found that the werewolf had managed to run quite a ways away from the manor but it wasn't as far as I expected it to be. It would have been a good maybe 20 minute walk or a 10 minute sprint. So I walked my way back to the manor, keeping both sais in my hands just in case another werewolf decided to sneak up on me. I glanced down at my bare hands for any signs of rashes or blisters but even after 15 minutes, there was nothing. No pain or redness and I let out a sigh of relief. Finally, the familiar green brick of the manor started to appear in the distance and I sped up my walk. I wandered over to the front door, and shoved it open, my ass still sore from the fall. I made my way up to Ciel's room and could hear loud chattering and arguing.

"But Jessie could be in trouble! We have to help her!"

"Why did that idiot not let go?"

"Well, excuse you!"

I swung the door open as all eyes turned to me.

"Jessie! You're alright!"

"Thank you for being the only one concerned about me Mey."

I shot Bard a stink eye as I knew he was the one who had called me an idiot.

"What happened?"

"Took a ride with a werewolf who didn't even notice me on its back. Would have kept going except I didn't want to end up "cursed" in the middle of the woods without Lady Sullivan's anti miasma treatment."

Mey Rin raced over and began to inspect me from head to toe, looking for any signs of rashes or boils but from the look of relief from her face, until she saw my bleeding arm.

"JESSIE! You're hurt!"

"Yeah, the werewolf attacked me. I sent it running for the hills though!"

I turned to see that everyone aside from Finny and Sebastian were trying to calm down a crying and whining Ciel who was wrapped up in a blanket like a child throwing a tantrum. I strolled over to Sebastian and Finny.

"Are you alright Finny?"

"I'm okay…What about you? Oh! Your arm! But…you're not affected by the curse?"

"Hmmm seems like it. Which is strange seeing as the Young Master and Sebastian only saw the werewolf from a distance but was affected while I was touching the thing and I'm perfectly fine…well, aside from this."

I lifted my arm which was still bleeding and I saw Finny's eyes flash with concern.

"But this is fine. Really, I'm okay."

I watched as Sebastian was wrapping up the three huge claw marks on Finny's back and I winced. That would have been me if I hadn't dodged. I glanced over to Sebastian and I didn't fail to notice the annoyed scowl on Sebastian's face as he glanced over to Ciel. I swore that his eyes flashed red with irritation. Oh boy that can't be good.

"Jessie, come here and let me take a look."

"Oh okay, thanks."

Finny got up from the stool and pulled on his shirt and I took the seat in front of Sebastian. Sebastian pulled up the sleeve and I hissed in pain, clenching my fist and jaw to stop from letting out a scream of pain. I glared up at Sebastian who shot me an amused smile.

"Prick."

Sebastian pulled out a small vial of what seemed like an antiseptic solution and poured some onto a small piece of gauze before dabbing my wound with it. I groaned with pain, almost pulling my arm away from his hold but Sebastian held strong and I grabbed onto his arm, clenching onto it.

"Apologies Jessie…"

"It's fine…It's fine. Just, please…"

I looked up to see a fiercely intense gaze from the demon. I felt myself shiver beneath the gaze and his crimson eyes flashed with hunger. My face immediately flushed red and I glanced away with embarrassment. Oh fuck…that's dangerous. Oh my god. I bit my lip and refused to make eye contact with him as I felt him bandage my arm.

"There we are."

"Thanks…"

Sebastian clicked the latch on the first aid box and raised an eyebrow at me, the annoyance and irritation was still very much evident in his eyes but I could see a flash of amusement and almost relief in his expression. I clutched my arm and we turned around to face the crying child in the room. The whole group spent the next hour or so trying to calm Ciel down and get him to fall asleep. It was a real challenge as the boy would scream and shout and throw things at us when we tried to approach. I had a pillow and some insults thrown at my face and boy, was I tempted to punt a kid across the room but with some comforting words from Finny and Mr Tanaka, Ciel fell asleep and the room was quiet once more. We all left Finny and Ciel alone as we gathered in the hallway.

"Urgh…finally…remind me never to have kids…"

"How are we going to get him back to normal?"

"An eye for an eye…isn't that what they say? Should we shock him some more?"

"Please don't."

Mr Tanaka spoke up with a very grieved and upset expression. The elderly butler had looked after Ciel when he was a baby and had watched him grow up to be the teenager he is today…probably felt like the boy was his own grandson. Everyone was sent to do their business and I didn't feel right with the whole situation and by situation, I meant Sebastian. I mean he has always been grouchy but the air around him had changed…like he was getting fed up and I feeling of dread and impending doom filled my body. So I stuck by Sebastian's side like glue and we stood guard outside of Ciel's room.

"Hey Sebastian…don't you want to hear about what I learnt while attached to the werewolf?"

"What is it?"

"Well, the werewolf didn't react when I stabbed it multiple times. Like if I was to stab you, you'd feel the pain right? But when I stabbed the werewolf, it didn't even flinch or anything. Then I stabbed it in the jaw, but something was weird. I think, I heard the sound of metal? And then! When I finally detached myself from the werewolf, the forest around me smelled like mustard."

"Mustard?"

"Yeah…weird isn't it?"

Before Sebastian could reply, Snake came running down the corridor towards us.

"Mr Sebastian! Oscar has returned and he's got an absolute scoop! Says Goethe."

Sebastian and I looked at each other and we headed into a more private area to speak. So we gathered the servants in the kitchen and Oscar told us that Sieglinde had werewolves hidden in the castle basement and she was doing something strange with them.

"Well, she was definitely shaken up when the Young Master was attacked, so maybe she isn't working with them?"

Sebastian nodded at me, agreeing with my comment.

"That's a fair point."

Bard pulled a cigarette from his pocket and popped it into his mouth, a bored expression plastered on his face.

"So…shouldn't we go into the basement to check it out ourselves?"

"When Snake and I opened the hidden door, there was some kind of charm attached to it that seemed to act like an alarm because Wolfram appeared out of nowhere when we opened it."

"Hm…so…what if we found another way in, now that we know where the basement is."

"I was just thinking that Jessie."

I smiled smugly at Sebastian.

"So I will leave distracting Wolfram to you lot, and Jessie and I will have a look."

"But…how will the both of you sneak in?"

"Hm…we'll find a way."

So we decided to go straight ahead and investigate since Wolfram and the village ladies had left the castle to gather some food from the village, so I assumed we didn't have much time. Sebastian and I crept into a room next to the wall that lead to the hidden door and I watched as Sebastian began to pull out bricks from the wall like he was playing Jenga, revealing a dark corridor.

"Let's go."

I nodded in response as I followed him into the darkness. I was a bit hesitant at first to step into the dark, still a bit shaken from the earlier events, but with a stern command from Sebastian, I pulled myself together and took a step through the hole. We continued to walk down the corridor which eventually lead to a huge and beautiful domed room. The room was illuminated by faint candle light and the roof was held up by several columns with moss and ivy sneaking up. There was a bridge that lead to a cage, except the cage was actually an elevator that lead down into the darkness.

"Woah…this is really pretty."

"Indeed. So shall we?"

"Hm?"

I didn't get time to ask what he meant as he grabbed me by the waist and threw me over his shoulder, leaping off of the bridge and I stifled a scream as we plunged into the abyss. I could feel my organs shift around, threatening to escape from my body if I opened my mouth. I clung onto Sebastian tightly and felt him chuckle in response before I saw the ground approaching rapidly and Sebastian landed gracefully with a thud. I slid off of his shoulder and glared at him.

"You could have warned me! I thought we were taking the elevator!"

"I did ask."

"I didn't even give an answer!"

"You were too slow."

I clicked my tongue and fixed my hair which was dishevelled from the fall and we turned our attention to the pedestal in the centre of the room which was surrounded by glowing runes and symbols.

"Woah…what is this?"

"This is the Theban Script of witches. My, my it's been a long time since I last saw it."

"Theban Script of witches? That's pretty cool. Never heard of it, but I assume you know what it says?"

"Of course. What kind of a butler would I be if-"

"…If you couldn't read an ancient script of witches. Yeah, look I think that is a skill unique to only you and Lady Sullivan and not to butlers in general."

I watched as the edge of his lip curled up into a mischievous grin and his eyes twinkled with a dangerous intent.

"So! What does it say?"

Sebastian began to read it out loud and then his eyes widen.

"Interesting."

"What? What does it say?"

There was a slight pause as his head turned and tilted upwards back to where we had jumped down from.

"I'll explain later, we should head back before Wolfram returns."

"Hey-b-but…urgh fine! Can we take the elevator back up?"

The grin on his face widened as he strolled right towards me.

"Oh no! No you don't. Hands off!"

I attempted to run away but the demon was too quick and swept me off my feet and leapt into the air. If I was a cat, my claws would have protracted and clung onto his vest and my hairs would have stood on end, but instead I just wrapped my arms around his neck and hung on for dear life as we soared into the air and he grabbed onto the railing of the cage and scaled up. When we landed on the bridge, I punched him in the shoulder and sneered at him.

"You're a real jackass you know that!"

"We were short on time Jessie. Now let's go."

I rolled my eyes and followed after him. We arrived back at the hole that Sebastian had made and began to head back to the kitchen. Suddenly, we heard a high pitched scream and I stared up at Sebastian who nodded and he vanished. As I appeared around the corner into the kitchen, I saw Sebastian grab a snake from under Anne's skirt and the poor girl was flustered from the experience.

"Oscar needs to cool his head outside. Come Snake."

Snake put his coat back on and raced after Sebastian who was holding the green mamba by the back of the head. Oscar was calm, kind of innocently staring up at the demon and I decided to follow after them.

"Wow Oscar, you're the worst, says Emily. I didn't coil on her to feel her up! I just wanted to smell her! Says Oscar. That woman! She smells like a werewolf! Says Oscar."

"I see…so does that mean-"

"I'm sorry to disturb your conversation."

The three of us whipped around in surprise at the sound of a male voice, only to see a horse staring back at us. Uhhh, what? Did that horse just talk? Fortunately, my question was answered when the Queen's butler John Brown, appeared from the bushes with a letter from the Queen.

"Thank you for coming all this way. Did you come by horse? I'm glad you weren't affected by the werewolves' miasma."

"Thank you, by the way….where is the Earl?"

"I am very sorry but my Master is not feeling well at the moment. I will deliver the letter to him."

"That's troubling. This is urgent, so read it immediately…was the messaged attached. I suppose I have no choice. Just this once, can I ask you to read the contents?"

"Me?"

"It is an urgent matter."

"Well, excuse me then."

Sebastian opened the letter and his face twisted into one of shock as he reached the end of the letter. I couldn't hold back my curiosity as I tried to subtly peek over Sebastian's shoulder but he folded the letter back up and placed it back into the envelope.

"Well then, I have delivered. I'll be taking my leave now."

"Watch out for werewolves."

"Thank you. Tell the Earl to take care."

And with that John Brown and his horse vanished into the woods and I wondered where the Queen managed to find such eccentric but extremely capable people. But then again, Ciel also had a strange bunch serving him too.

"So…? What did the letter say?"

"It's time for us to make a move. Let's go back inside."

I was going to protest and ask for more but there was a dangerous glint in Sebastian's eye and I felt my hairs stand on end. Snake and I made eye contact and he shrugged, so we ended up heading back inside in silence. I was starting to get frustrated with being out of the loop as Sebastian refused to answer any of my questions and literally drag me around everywhere.

"I'm going to check up on Finny and the Young Master."

Before Sebastian could say anything, I briskly walked up to Ciel's room and knocked on the door. That glint in Sebastian's eyes troubled me, like I felt that he was slightly…unhinged? And I realised that it was any time Ciel's condition was brought up that caused him to get irritated and a bit…upset. So I decided to stay by Ciel's side, just in case. Though…I wouldn't be able to do much against Sebastian anyway, especially if he could hold his own against three Grim reapers on a sinking ship whilst surrounded by undead corpses.

"Finny?"

The door creaked open as the blonde boy smiled at the sight of me, allowing me to step into the room. I glanced over to see that Ciel was still cowering in fear, shivering and swaddling himself in the sheets. He looked like a cornered mouse.

"Jessie! What are you doing here?"

"Just making sure you and the Young Master are alright."

"We're alright."

"Good…that's good."

"Finny? Who is it?"

"It's Jessie, Young Master."

The boy seemed to relax a little hearing that it was me.

"How are you feeling Young Master?"

"I'm scared…I want to go home. I don't want to be here anymore."

"Ditto. We'll be going home tomorrow. So, just one more night."

"No…I want to go now!"

There was another knock on the door and I felt a shiver run down my spine. Even without hearing the voice, I could tell Sebastian was outside the door. Finny hurried to the door and opened it slightly and there, standing in the door frame, was the demon.

"Mr Sebas - oops"

The demon didn't even wait for the door to open wider as he walked right passed Finny and approached the bed.

"Finny and Jessie, would the both of you leave for a while?"

At the sound of Sebastian's voice, Ciel began to whimper and cry out as if he was terrified of Sebastian…and I didn't blame him.

"I have something very important to discuss with the Young Master."

"N-no! No! Go away! Stay away!"

Finny jumped in between Ciel and Sebastian with arms out in a protective stance, a worried but terrified expression appearing on his face.

"Did you hear what I said? Please leave."

"Bu-Please wait! The young Master is still-"

Sebastian grabbed Finny by the wrist and began to drag the boy out. Even with all of the boy's superhuman strength, he wasn't strong enough to resist Sebastian's power as the boy was literally tossed out of the room.

"Thank you for taking care of the Young Master. It won't be necessary anymore."

The door slammed shut, leaving me, the demon and Ciel inside.

"Ah, Jessie. You're still here. I'll need you to leave too."

"Nuh uh. No way. You're going to do something stupid."

"I won't ask again Jessie. Please leave."

"Nope. Not going to happen. Not unless you promise that you're not going to hurt Ciel."

He lunged for me, but I threw a shuriken at him, using that opportunity to scoot out of the way. Ciel had managed to curl up into a ball underneath the blanket, his tiny form shivering.

"Please help…"

"I'm here Ciel. It's okay. The big bad demon isn't going to hurt you. Seriously Sebastian, don't do it."

I had my sais out and ready, standing in between the approaching demon and the young quivering boy.

"Very well. We have received a letter from the Queen. It seems like we'll be thrown out of the village tomorrow morning. Brooding over your fears and regrets, curled up in your blanket is not what you should be doing right now. Come, get out of bed."

"N-No!"

"Oh? Well…will you be abandoning your position as the Queen's Watchdog then?"

The boy didn't reply and I felt a hand grab my skirt and I turned around to see Ciel's hand clutching onto my skirt and trembling. I felt so bad for him and I didn't like that Sebastian was being such a dick.

"Look, we can work something else out-"

I looked up away from Ciel only to see that the room was suddenly cloaked in darkness. I gasped in shock as the darkness seemed to lick at my feet and curl around the room, like it was alive. The walls and ceiling vanished beneath the flickering darkness that seemed to feast on any source of light in the room.

"What the actual hell?"

I felt a cold sensation on my arm as I was suddenly thrown across the room and pinned to the wall by tendrils of darkness that wrapped themselves around my arms and legs. I yelped with pain as the tendril grabbed at my wounded arm and felt tears roll down my cheeks. The impact of my back against the wall sent pain rippling across my body and my mind went blank for a brief moment before I shook myself out of the shock and growled at the demon who was losing his shit.

"Ow! OW! Hey! Sebastian you asshole! That was uncalled for! You better get me out before I fuc-"

I was silenced as another tendril wrapped itself around my mouth. Sebastian glanced up at me, placing a finger over his mouth in a shushing motion. I felt my body grow hot with anger as I lurched forward, pulling my arm out from the shadowy mass attempted to grab onto something but I was met with empty air before I was sucked back into the mass, watching as he towered over the cowering form on the bed, the darkness seemed to be coming from Sebastian, pouring out from beneath his feet. I struggled with all my might to come free from the darkness but to no avail. I was like a fly in a fly trap and the more I struggled, the tighter the tendrils squeezed. The room was plunged into pitch black and the only thing I could see was the glowing red of Sebastian's eyes. Suddenly, there was a scream of terror and I switched to my feline vision. I could see the darkness and shadows had grabbed Ciel and flung him up from beneath the blankets, binding him as the boy screamed and cried out with shock and fear. I tried to scream at Sebastian to stop and struggling and trying to pull my arms away from the shadows but I wasn't strong enough but I kept trying. Oh god…Sebastian is going to eat Ciel right here and now. Got to get free! COME ON! COME ON! The tendrils became thicker and denser as more shadow exploded from beneath Sebastian's feet and I could feel Sebastian's anger and disappointment through the shadows binding me to the wall. It was suffocating and the cold chill clung to my body, wrapping around my body and the rush of fear and desperation was deafening. I tried reaching for the sais tucked next to my thighs but all I managed to grasp was cold writhing darkness that slipped between my fingers like smoke. I felt the smoke curl around my face, licking at my neck and cheeks and I shivered at the contact. I felt my heart begin to pound against chest and the throbbing THUD THUD, THUD THUD blasting in my ears in an endless hypnotic loop. I watched helplessly as the shadows covered Ciel's body, wrapping him in a cloak of pitch black as the light began to fade and I realised that I was being swallowed up by the shadows as well. It's cold…I'm scared…I felt myself think as I was immediately thrusted back to the dark and cold depths of the Campania's boiler room. All I could see was the vast empty abyss that pulled me further and further into the dark, strangling and suffocating me as I drew my final breath and violently drowned. I'm not on that ship right now. I'm alive. I'm not drowning…not again…I gasped, trying to draw in air as my chest felt constricted and tight and I was beginning to feel lightheaded.

"SEBASTIAN! YOU BASTARD! LET ME GO RIGHT NOW! THAT'S AN ORDER!"

Ciel's angered shout pulled me out of my thoughts as I watched as the shadows retreated back to the source and I fell to the ground with a loud THUMP. Pain vibrated up my arm to my shoulder and I groaned. Urghhh shit… My heart was still pounding, threatening to burst out of my chest like a Chest Burster from Alien. I felt a wave of nausea rush up into my throat and I bit down the urge to throw up. I hadn't realised how much of an impact the events of the Campania had on me as I took a minute to compose myself, breathing in deeply to calm the soul. Once I was stable, I looked up, ready to launch myself at Sebastian and wipe that smug grin off of his face. But Ciel beat me to it as he stomped on Sebastian's shoulder with a disgusted and annoyed sneer on his face.

"You really tried to eat me right now, didn't you?"

"Oh no. I was only 90% sure. Mr Tanaka told me not to take drastic measures so I kept it off for a while but…you were just carrying on like a baby and I may have unconsciously-"

"Unconsciously my foot!"

Sebastian and Ciel turned around to see me stalk over with the meanest glare I could muster.

"What are you doing here?"

"Oh, me? Just stayed here for the show! Not like I was trying to stop the ravenous demon from eating your soul and then being thrown across the room like a fucking sack of potatoes!"

Ciel glared at me, likely bothered by the tone of my voice, but in this moment, I didn't care if he was mad. I got right up in Sebastian's face and pulled on his tie with all of my might, bringing him down to my eye level.

"You try that shit again and I will kill you."

My whole body was still shaking from the experience of being trapped in never-ending darkness, being overwhelmed by my fear and memories of death and I could tell that Sebastian knew what had been racing through my mind. There was a knowing glint in his crimson eyes and a flicker of amusement flashed before I could see my own red and fuming face reflected in his eyes.

"Apologies Jessie. I had no intentions of-"

"Don't apologise for something you're not actually sorry for. I don't need your pity. Are you alright Young Master?"

I turned to face Ciel who was now back to his usual self. I could see in his relaxed posture and the haughty expression on his face that he was back to being his bright and chipper self again. But there was a flash of almost like sympathy or acknowledgement in his face and I realised that he must have seen me shaking and likely knew that I had also been ensnared in Sebastian's darkness.

"Fine. Let them in."

"Let who in?"

Suddenly there was a collective ARGH! As Bard, Finny, Mey Rin and Snake collapsed onto the cold floor in a pile as soon as Sebastian pried open the door.

"What kind of servants would listen in on their Master?"

"No, but- we-we couldn't hear- Uhh, I mean Finny said you were acting weird so…"

"We just wanted to make sure everything was alright!"

"WAHH Don't be angry Mr Sebastian!"

"What a short temper…says Bronte."

"What a loud bunch you are."

Finny immediately leapt up from the bottom of the pile, throwing the other servants off into different directions as he raced towards the bed, ready to leap onto Ciel but was stopped by Sebastian who lifted the boy up into the air by the scruff of his collar.

"Stop right there Finny. The Young Master has finally recovered. Are you trying to put him out again?"

"Wahhh I'm sorry!"

Ciel called Finny over and thanked him for staying by his side and caring for him while Ciel was in a less than optimal state. Finny clasped Ciel's hand and brought it to his face, crying with relief and happiness that Ciel was okay again. I couldn't help but smile at how wholesome Finny was but when I saw the scowl on Sebastian's face, it ruined my mood again and I felt my face sink back into a neutral expression that hid my bubbling anger.

"All of you come over too."

So all of us lined up along the side of the bed as Ciel positioned himself to sit in front of us and then bowed his head.

"I'm sorry."

"Wha?"

All of the servants, including myself gaped in shock as we had never expected Ciel to apologise. He never apologised. Oh shit…that was not expected at all. Is this the calm before the storm?

"Through my carelessness, I have caused you all to suffer and worry. Please forgive me."

"Ahh n-no! Young Master!"

"Please raise your head!"

"You can't help being cursed, says Emily."

"T-That's right! It's nothing to apologise for!"

Well, I actually don't mind this apology. It's probably going to be the first and last time he apologises. Let's enjoy this.

"No, even that me up until yesterday was still me. As your Master, I swear that I will never have you see me in such a sorry state again. That's why I must ask…Please serve me again from today on."

"Yes My Lord!"

I watched as everyone saluted Ciel with a grin while Sebastian bowed. I quickly threw up a sloppy salute as well.

"As your Master, I also have another order…Please forget about how I was up till yesterday!"

The boy squirmed and lowered his head, his face flushed with embarrassment as he recalled how he had been acting whilst unwell. I watched as all the servants burst into laughter with Bard and Finny teasing Ciel while the boy covered his face with his hands and looked down bashfully. I glanced over to see that Sebastian was trying his best to hold back his laughter but the pursed lips and wide eyes were enough to show that he was having too much fun.

"Well I didn't do those things because I wanted to though. I couldn't control how I felt. I feared even the littlest thing and completely lost control of myself."

"That happens on the battlefield quite a bit. Even a well trained soldier will panic when they get badly wounded. So it's only natural that you would react that way."

"Well, that's trauma for you."

"Perhaps they were aiming for a psychological attack as well?"

"What do you mean Sebastian?"

Sebastian pulled out an envelope, the same envelope that he had received from the Queen's butler. Ciel opened it and looked at its content, reading it out loud.

"C4 H8 Cl2 S NaOCl? What does that mean?"

"It was an emergency so I had to make a decision myself. I had the Royal Family do a component analysis of the plants from the werewolf forest as well as the magical cure."

"Heh…I see. Fine, everyone make preparations to leave immediately."

The servants gave an enthusiastic salute before rushing out of the room, preparing to gather all of our belongings. I was about to leave the room too when Ciel called me over.

"Yes Young Master?"

"You looked like you know something…tell me."

Ciel looked at me expectantly and I glanced over to Sebastian who shot me a cheeky grin before leaving to prepare some tea and snacks for the boy and I shot him a glare as he walked passed before answering.

"Well, regarding what the Queen sent to you, I can tell it's some kind of chemical component, what it is to be exact? I don't know but I think I figured out what made you and Sebastian break out into rashes and boils. While I was taking a walk through the woods with Mr or Mrs werewolf, I caught the smell of mustard which is strange to find in the middle of the woods but putting the information sent by her Majesty together with this…I think you guys were exposed to a type of poisonous gas. I believe it's called Mustard Gas and like it's name suggests, it's a poisonous gas that smells like mustard. I-I've heard of what it does to people upon contact and if it wasn't for Lady Sullivan, you would have died…violently."

"Hmmm so why weren't you affected?"

"Because I don't think I was exposed to it. I smelt it but that doesn't mean I made contact with the gas. Which leads to my next speculation which is that the werewolves are not werewolves but a bunch of clever albeit dickheads that know how to use poisonous gas. I can assume this because I'm pretty sure I hit metal when I stabbed the werewolf in the face. But again, we won't know for sure unless we investigate."

The corners of Ciel's lips curled into a sinister grin as he gathered all of the information I had given him and it looked like a lightbulb had suddenly switched on inside his head, a bright twinkle returned to his eyes. Sebastian returned with the tea and biscuits a few moments later, informing Ciel that the servants were all packed and ready to go.

"Good. Let's get onto it, shall we?"

I felt a shudder run through my body as I saw both Sebastian and Ciel grin mischievously and I knew we had just entered the final stages of our plan and investigation. These guys are going to be the death of me…again. I guess it's time for operation Green Witch Rescue.

END OF CHAPTER