I still can't believe how much interest this story has sparked, and I really can't thank you all enough for showing your support. This past week has been hell with extra overtime, my manager catching COVID-19, and then me having to self-isolate as a result. I took a test, which says I'm negative, but I'm still having to quarantine for ten days. Thankfully this gives me more to write yay! Anyway, on with the next chapter…


2: Mysterious Mirror


The further away she got, the more relieved yet pained Flora began to feel. It truly was one of the strangest sensations she had ever experienced. She was probably just being extra jumpy due to her near encounter with the cholera epidemic. That had to be it. She just needed to push the whole encounter out of her mind and just concentrate on going about her day. It was hard to judge when exactly the landlord would be showing up, so Flora likely wouldn't be able to head back home until the evening. Until then, she had a lot of time to kill.

Feeling like she was now far enough away from Tower Bridge, Flora sat down on some stone steps in a more quiet area of the city centre. She found herself in one of the many back alleys, sitting at the back end of what looked like an abandoned pub. Everything was relatively quiet, only occasionally hearing the laughter and shouting of drunk folk as they walked by, oblivious to her existence. The yard was dark and covered in filth. Tables and chairs lay broken, and the majority of the windows had been smashed, leaving the pub looking more intimidating and empty. The smog seemed to have gotten thicker, and Flora heard a whistle from a distant factory that startled her, however, she remained where she sat, trying to catch her breath.

While she sat there, her stomach began to churn, and Flora was beginning to think it would have been best to let herself go hungry than eat that bread. It sat like a rock within her tummy. Getting sick from some dodgy food was the last thing that she needed right now. There were only a few bakeries that she trusted for this very reason.

Sighing to herself, Flora shifted her weight in order to get more comfortable when she felt something hard stick into her side. She gasped and glanced down at her side pocket before reaching inside and pulling out the strange box she had found on the side of the river. She had almost completely forgotten about this thing. Now that it was a bit lighter outside, Flora could see the item in more detail. The box was relatively plain apart from the dirt and muck that stained it. She brought it closer to her face and realised that some of the metal that had been used to seal it had chipped off.

Curious to find out what was inside, the young girl began digging her nails into the seal, trying to pry the box open. Maybe whatever was inside would help feed both her and John for a year? Perhaps it was a golden necklace or maybe even a diamond? As she fought with the box, Flora couldn't help but think back to the strange exchange between the earl and the detective. They had been looking for something; something that had most likely either fallen or had been tossed into the river. Was this said item? Then again, what were the chances?

If it was the valuable stolen item they had been talking about, should Flora hand it back to them? There was an unspoken 'finders keepers' rule within the slums, but… a man had been murdered over this. Could Flora, in good conscience, keep it? Maybe it would be best to look and see what was inside before jumping to any conclusions. For all she knew, it could just be empty. She was probably looking way too much into this.

Flora growled to herself as she continued to fight with the box. The stupid thing refused to budge, even with some of the metal seal being chipped off. She sighed in annoyance, wiping a thin layer of sweat that had formed on her brow from the exertion. One of her nails had almost been snapped clean off, and her fingers were being to ache from both the strain and the cold air. She looked around, hoping to find something of use. Finally, her eyes landed on a sharp piece of splintered wood and figured that it was worth a try. She grabbed hold of it as a church bell began ringing in the distance, signalling the new hour of the day. Flora could only hold her breath as she dug the sharpest end into the seal and pushed with all her might. She wiggled and jiggled the wood, a smile forming on her face as even more of the rusted metal chipped off. Her hands were red and sore, but she pushed onward.

Snap.

At last, most of the metal had broken off, allowing Flora to finally open the box. She dropped the piece of wood, and her light blue eyes sparkled in excitement as she held her breath. Butterflies swarmed in her stomach, so once again, Flora had to remind herself not to get her hopes up and expect too much. So with a deep, calming breath, she opened the box, and her eyes widened with interest when she found that the box did indeed contain something. Whatever it was, it was wrapped in a silk cloth as its shapeless form sat in the thick velvet interior.

Confused, Flora set the box on her lap before reaching inside to grab hold of the item and unwrap the silk to fully reveal its contents.

"Ah!" Flora cried out as a sharp pain sliced through her finger. She pulled her hand away, only to gasp when she saw a large cut on the side of her index finger. It was a clean slice and was now oozing a generous amount of blood. It travelled from the tip to almost down to the base of her finger. What on earth?

Bringing her cut finger to her mouth, Flora sucked on the wound in an attempt to stop the bleeding. To distract her from the pain, she focused on more carefully unwrapping the sharp item. As she peeled the silk away, she frowned when all she saw was a jagged piece of glass. The piece was about the size of the palm of her hand, and was triangular in shape. One edge was much sharper and pointier than the other two, and Flora could see some of her blood coating the right side of the glass. It dripped into the silk, staining it.

A piece of glass? Seriously? It must have been some kind of a joke. Flora furrowed her eyebrows in disappointment. She had gotten her finger sliced open for nothing. Why would someone go through all of that effort to seal a piece of glass within this box? At least this meant that it couldn't have been the valuable item that the earl had been looking for. That thought eased her guilt, thankfully. As for the annoyance, well that only grew stronger as she pulled her finger from her mouth to examine the damage. It wasn't bleeding as bad as it had been, but due to the depth, Flora knew that it was going to take a good few weeks to heal. Her whole finger throbbed in pain and she rolled her eyes as she managed to rip a small piece of her apron off before tying it around the gaping gash. That would have to do for now.

She gazed back down at the piece of glass and tried to get a closer look. However, when the reflection of the pub behind her stared back at her, Flora realised that this wasn't just a simple piece of glass – it was a piece of a mirror. Now Flora was even more confused. She moved further over it, expecting to see her own reflection, however, what she saw caused her to yelp before throwing the box to the other side of the yard.

Panting and gasping for air, Flora backed further up the stairs, her eyes locked on the box with the piece of mirror inside as it came to rest under one of the rotten wooden tables. Her heart thudded loudly in her chest, and her stomach suddenly felt like it was made of lead.

What was…?

No!

She didn't even want to think about it!

But those glowing red eyes had been burned into her mind for all eternity. Flora felt sick. Her whole body shivered with a fear that paralysed her to the spot. However, she managed to grasp her face self-consciously, running her fingers over her features to check that everything was in one piece. There were no horns protruding from her head, there were no sharp fangs where normal human teeth should have been, and there was no leather attached to her skin, or black flames surrounding her. The creature that had stared back at her didn't even look human. How had that happened?! What was going on?! Why was… was… that in the mirror instead of her own reflection?

No, this had to be some sort of trick. Perhaps it was a funhouse mirror or something to that same effect. What she had seen was a mere illusion. She had seen street performers partake in more impressive feats of 'magic' than whatever that was. Or perhaps it was even just her mind playing tricks on her? She was having a rather stressful time right now. That would certainly be the most logical explanation.

Slowly, Flora rose from her sitting position, again, never once taking her eyes off the mysterious box. It remained where she had thrown it, though she wasn't sure why she expected any different. Had she expected it to grow legs and attack her or something? With a gulp, the young girl crept cautiously towards the box again, this time, bracing herself for the sight of the creature in the reflection. After mustering up the courage, she peaked back down at it, and let out a huge sigh of relief when her own normal reflection gazed back at her.

That still didn't solve her confusion though, Flora thought to herself as she picked the box back up. She turned it this way and that way, waiting to see if the strange experience would repeat itself. But nothing happened. Maybe it had just all been in her head. But it had looked so real! So frightening! Truly a creature of nightmares! How could her brain have conjured up such a thing?

That settled it. She was going to throw this creepy thing back in the river. There was something about the object that unsettled her. Even more so than the two strangers by the bridge. She didn't know why, but she developed an almost irrational hatred of the thing. Yes, it had spooked her, but there was more to it than that. Whatever it was, it was a wrong, vile thing. Something that caused great harm, and something that had hurt her. She needed to be rid of it. That damn mirror.

So Flora followed her instincts and pocketed the object once again. This stupid object could be someone else's problem now. She wanted nothing more to do with it. And luckily, it didn't take Flora long to reach another part of the river, far from the crime scene that was still taking place in the distance. She found a nice secluded spot, and hurriedly rummaged through her pocket, grabbing hold of the box and pulling it out. She was about to hold it over the water, when –

"Hey! You!"

Flora gasped and turned her head to see two unfamiliar men running towards her. She barely had time to register their appearance before she panicked and turned to run. However, she was soon easily overpowered and picked up by the two men, whose eyes were locked on the box in Flora's hand. There was nothing remarkable about their appearance. They just looked like average working men.

One of them had grabbed hold of her by her upper arms, lifting her up off the ground. Her breathing became panicked pants as she stared into the angry brown eyes of her captor. What did they want with her? Were they robbers? Surely they could see that she had nothing of value! Or even worse, were they going to rape her?! Flora began struggling even more at the thought. She thrashed around as much as she could, causing the men to chuckle.

"You have no idea what you're dealing with, do you?" the man holding her asked with a smirk. "You see, you have something that belongs to our boss, and he would very much like it back."

Flora continued struggling.

"What's wrong?" the other man asked, taunting her. "You got nothing to say?" He then reached towards the box within Flora's grasp, making her panic even more. Without thinking, she pulled her leg back before kicking the man holding her between the legs. He yelped in pain, dropping her to the ground. She stumbled backwards, the other man too stunned to register what was going on.

Adrenaline kicked in, and Flora soon found her footing again. She dropped the box into her pocket without thinking and fled as fast as her legs could carry her. She didn't even know or care where she was going; she just knew that she needed to get away.

"You little bitch!" she heard one of the men yell from behind her.

Flora didn't dare look back. She forced herself into the large crowd of people in the city centre, hoping that she would quickly lose them. People gasped and cried out as she barged past them, decorum being the last thing on her mind right now. The sound of their shouting disappeared, but still, Flora didn't dare chance a glance backwards. Her lungs burned, but she ignored them. Her energy was rapidly fading, but still she forced herself to keep running, scarpering about like a frightened animal. She finally caught her bearings as Nelson's Column came into view surrounded by crowds of people going about their day. Her body grew even more tired, and she knew that she couldn't keep this up any longer.

So, Flora risked a glance backwards.

Smack!

"Gah!" a young boy's voice gasped out, and Flora felt herself collide with something soft, knocking both her and the object to the ground. Her eyes closed as her forehead began to throb, and she brought her hand up to rub the spot she had bumped. A wave of dizziness engulfed her, and that strange feeling in her chest returned, making the situation even more disorientating. She was vaguely aware that she was now on the ground and that she had crashed into something – someone.

"What in blazes do you think you are doing, girl?!" the same boy's voice snapped, and Flora opened her eyes with a sharp gasp. Ice blue eyes met a royal blue eye, and she cursed her rotten luck at having bumped into the earl of all people. There was now a red mark on his forehead where she had collided with him, and he looked beyond angry and humiliated. His cheeks were flushed as he hastily used his cane to pull himself to his feet, looking down at her with absolute disgust.

"Well, you filthy girl?! Aren't you going to apologise?!" he demanded.

Feeling tears stinging behind her eyes, Flora crawled backwards in fear before her back collided with something else. Her heart leapt into her mouth, causing her to almost choke. A pressure on her chest was tugging her so hard that she felt like she was about to have a heart attack. Her breathing was laboured, and she wheezed as she remained collapsed on the ground as a heaving mess.

"Is everything alright, young master?" a soft, velvety voice from behind her inquired.

The earl continued to glare at her. "No! This stupid girl barged into me and now she refuses to apologise!"

Flora whimpered and shrank back even further, pressing herself further against the surface behind her. However, she was soon gasping again as the surface behind her began to vibrate slightly and a dark chuckle filled the air around her.

"Well, we can't have that, my young lord," that same voice from behind her purred, and Flora let out an involuntary squeak as someone grabbed hold of her upper arm tightly, preparing to drag her back onto her feet. That's when Flora realised that the surface she had been pressed against had been somebody's legs, and not just anybody, but the strange scary man who shadowed the earl's every move earlier. She knew who it was, yet she stupidly looked up to look him in the eye anyway.

Her wide icy eyes met hard and amused red ones, causing Flora to once again freeze in fear. He was even more terrifying – and handsome – up close. She quickly shook her head at those thoughts, barely registering that his own eyes had widened upon meeting her own, before she looked away, desperate for escape. Something had clearly caught the dark man off guard, as his grip on her arm loosened enough for Flora to shake herself free. She nearly fell backwards again, but managed to right herself, not even turning to give the two one last glance before she fled again.

"Wait!" she vaguely heard the dark man gasp from behind her, but she couldn't be too sure. She highly doubted it. Why would he call her back? He had likely been about to hit her after all for her disrespect towards him and the earl. It wouldn't be the first time a noble had slapped her for insubordination.

Her feet pounded against the ground as she continued to run, once again not risking turning around to see if there were any signs of her pursuers. That had nearly just gotten her into huge trouble. She couldn't believe she had run into those two – quite literally – twice in one day. London was so big and populated. What were the chances?

Shaking her head and fighting back tears, Flora continued to run, leaping clumsily over a fence so she could navigate the tight, dark alleys of London's slums. She climbed and hopped over walls, winding and driving herself deeper into the dark and dirty labyrinth. She slipped and fell over a few times, but she just forced herself to get back up and keep fleeing. But when she started coughing up more blood like she had done earlier, she knew that she had to slow down. The metallic taste in her mouth made her feel even sicker, and her body collided with a stone wall as she attempted to force herself to stop. That was certainly going to leave a painful bruise on top of the many other injuries she had received today. Both her finger and forehead throbbed as a reminder.

With a whimper, Flora turned around to see that the alley behind her was empty. There was no sign of any pursuit and she was all alone. She had lost them… hopefully. In her moment of respite, Flora pressed her back against the wall and slowly slid down, tucking her legs against her chest as she allowed herself to pant and gasp, the reality of her previous situation finally hitting her. How could she have been so stupid? She should have just given those men what they wanted, but her stupid brain had panicked. She should have been paying more attention to where she was going and not looked back. Now she had angered an earl! Could today get any more worse?

Flora was unsure how long she had sat there like that. Minutes. Hours. Time became meaningless to her as she struggling to process the events she had just experienced. She just wanted to go home. Dealing with the landlord would be nothing compared to what she had been through today. She couldn't fight back the tears any longer as they finally spilled over her cheeks. They felt hot against her frozen cheeks, and she buried her face in her knees, just wishing that she could fall asleep and never wake up.

"Flora?" a croaky female voice spoke from the other end of the alley.

Flora looked up slightly to see a short, stout woman making her way towards her. She looked vaguely familiar, but Flora was too exhausted to care right now. She had used up the last of her energy fleeing from the earl and his terrifying servant. Perhaps Flora had seen her around the brothels or something. She certainly carried the air of a prostitute with her loose fitting clothing that hung off her shoulders, looking like it was ready to fall off at any second. Her shoulders were exposed, despite the cold weather, and her lips were painted a bright ruby red. It looked like she had painted her face white with lead paint, and her dark brown hair was pulled up into a loose bun. A cigarette hung from her mouth as she approached, the glow now providing one of the few sources of light in the otherwise dark alleyway.

"What are you doing here? Surely you can't be desperate enough to be working the street corners now?" the woman asked, half-joking, but also with a hint of concern. "Take it from me, it ain't all it's cracked up to be, my love."

Flora sighed and looked away, wishing that the ground would just swallow her up already.

"You probably don't recognise me since you were just a little nipper the last time I saw you, but I'd recognise your mother's eyes anywhere." She chuckled, taking a deep drag of her cigarette before dropping it and stomping it out with her foot. "I thought you were back living with John?"

Flora nodded her head.

The prostitute's eyes softened. "Well good. Let's get you back there, shall we? This is no place for a sweet little thing like you."

As Flora shakily stood up, the woman became even more familiar to her. She saw her around occasionally working the street corners, but Flora also now had the feeling that she used to be a close acquaintance of her mother. She had been too young to understand at the time, but her mother would often spend a lot of time with these women, and they even took turns looking after her as her mother would wander off in the arms of a strange man, each one different from the last. This woman was probably one of her mother's 'colleagues'. Flora didn't doubt that this was likely how she came to be in this world. She was an unexpected tip from a customer, as the ladies of the night often used to describe her and the other bastard children that came along as a result of their occupation. Many opted for abortion, but her mother was strictly against such an idea. How she wished her mother didn't have to go through such a thing though. Things probably would have been much easier for her mother if Flora had never existed. At least then she wouldn't have had to worry about an extra mouth to feed.

The familiar woman hooked her arm around Flora's and began leading her back towards the higher end of Whitechapel. It was then that Flora noticed the darkening sky; she had been curled up in that spot a lot longer than she thought. A few tiny snowflakes began to dance and swirl through the air, and Flora used them to distract herself from all her troubles. She had always loved snow, even when she was freezing to death in it on the streets.

"Do you remember my name?" the woman asked, interrupting Flora's daydreaming.

She shook her head.

"I thought as much." She chuckled again. "It's Mary."

Flora did her best to smile politely.

"I see you out and about every now and again. It's always good to see that you're doing okay. I'm glad that John takes good care of you. That man carried such a candle for your mother that he's probably always seen you as his own flesh and blood," Mary continued as they passed some small boys with lanterns escorting some nobles through the darkening streets.

The mention of John made Flora yearn to be back home right this very second. When she had a bad day, he was always there to cheer her up and look after her. He was all that she had. Flora didn't care about blood; that man was her father. He had looked after her and taken her in. He had fed her and clothed her. He didn't have to do all of that, especially with his own poor income, but he did. And Flora would always be eternally grateful for that.

"Well, here we are," Mary announced as they reached the edge of Somerford Street.

Flora couldn't help but smile at the sight of the small shop. A light was still on in the lower level of the shop, and no doubt John was hard at work creating something fun and amazing. She could kill for a cup of hot coffee right now, but annoyingly, they had run out of acorns weeks ago. Winter was always the toughest time for scavenging and foraging.

Before heading towards home, Flora shot Mary a grateful smile before heading towards the shop. The tiny bell dinged upon her entrance, and she took in a deep breath now that she was out of the cold air of the evening. The air of the shop wasn't much better, but at least it provided some form of shelter. She loosened her cloak a little bit, and her smile widened even more when John poked his head around the corner.

"Ah, there you are," he said before he caught sight of Flora's bruised forehead and bandaged finger. "What happened this time?"

Flora laughed awkwardly. "Oh… you know… the usual." Her grin was strained.

John regarded her suspiciously. "That's what worries me," he replied before pointing his hammer at her with narrowed eyes. "You get yourself into too much trouble, you do. You're going to end up being the death of me."

Flora rolled her eyes. "As always, I was just minding my own business."

John chuckled, lowering the hammer. "That's all it takes."

"Has the landlord been?" She quickly changed the subject.

John nodded. "Aye, and he wasn't best pleased with the state of the place, but I think we're good. He was acting quite strange today, I must say."

Flora sat down on a work stool before picking up a charcoal pencil from the desk. A few large pieces of blank paper had been left there, and she figured that maybe some mindless drawing would help her forget about her horrid day. That seemed to be when she designed her best ideas anyway. She put the tip of the pencil to the paper and began to doodle, resting her cheek on her other free hand. The candlelight danced across the paper, creating patterns that Flora began to trace.

"Strange how?" she finally asked, settling down and relaxing further.

"He just seemed on edge. Perhaps his wife caught him with another prostitute?" John chuckled slightly to himself as he continued on with his own work. He was busy sawing some wood, no doubt making one of the doll designs she had given to him.

Flora didn't say anything as she continued to doodle. She smudged some of the charcoal with her fingers, staining them black in the process, but she didn't care. She then rested her cheek on her hand again, unknowingly smudging some of the charcoal across her face. Her hands were still stinging slightly from the cold, but her fingers remained unshaking as they worked. Without thinking, Flora had started drawing a modest looking house. It had three floors and everything needed to keep the occupants comfortable. Outside the house, she drew a family, including a mother, a father, and two young children. Flora sighed longingly at her creation, wishing that she was the girl in the sketch. She wanted a house to feel safe in; a warm bed to sleep in at night; a kitchen full of food; clean clothes to look pretty in.

Or perhaps, maybe she could even be the mother in the picture. She could have a husband who loved her and took care of her, and two children she was raise and adore. But it was nothing more than a fantasy. She had long since been scared off the idea of marrying and having children. She had seen too many of her female acquaintances over the years dying gruesomely in childbirth. The babies often weren't much luckier. Most parents didn't even bother to name their children until they reached the age of five – if they reached the age of five. The death of children always hung more permanently and crushingly in the air than the London smog did. Every day, little coffins were driven down the streets behind horses. Every day, the cries of parents would fill the streets. Even being born into such a life, you never got used to it.

Thus, Flora had decided that she was better off staying away from the idea of marriage and children. The idea of being in love was even more farfetched. What man would want her anyway? She had nothing to offer. She was a sickly, frail thing that was always a burden.

"A dollhouse! What a wonderful idea!" John's voice from behind her snapped Flora out of her thoughts.

Flora blinked and looked down at her drawing again. That hadn't exactly been her intent with her drawing, but her design could certainly work as a dollhouse.

"It will be a challenge, but I am certain I can build it," John continued. "Plus, this will be an excellent money maker. You could design all of the furniture and the little dolls to go with it."

Flora smiled at John's excitement.

However, before they could discuss the idea any further, there was a loud knock on the door. They both froze and looked at each other, wondering who could be visiting them at this hour. Did someone perhaps see the light on and believe the shop to be still open? Or worse, had the landlord decided to come back and visit them again? At that thought, Flora immediately stood from her seat and darted behind the wall next to an empty doorframe that lead to the stairs. She peaked around the corner to watch as John made his way to the front door, opening it only slightly to address the people outside.

There was a few seconds of silence before John spoke. "I'm sorry, young man, but the shop is closed for the rest of the day."

"We have not come here to shop," a familiar young, posh voice came from the other side of the door.

Oh no. How had he found her?! Had he come to punish her?! Have her arrested?!

The boy cleared his throat before continuing. "We're investigating a case that we believe your apprentice may have some information on. She was sighted by the river early this morning, and appears to have been lingering around the crime scene for most of the day."

That little brat! Was he accusing her of what she thought he was? Her fingers gripped the doorframe in anger. Who had ratted her out? She knew that in these parts everybody knew everybody's business, but to actually hint to the earl that she had been up to no good really stung. Then again, she guessed that she shouldn't have been surprised. Money talks.

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I have no idea what you're talking about." John was beginning to sound even more confused, but there was also a hint of anger as he too sensed the accusing manner of the young boy.

There was a scoff. "Well, aren't you going to allow a lord into your shop and out of the cold?"

"What my lord means to say –" Flora's heart dropped at the unmistakable sound of the scary dark man. "– is that perhaps it would be better if we discussed the matter inside."

"Oh… ummm… of course." John still sounded confused. "Please, do come in."

Flora frowned and hid herself further behind the wall. She wished that John had told them to go away, but then again, when a noble requested something of you, you could hardly say no. She just hoped that they didn't stick around long. Three times in one day was beginning to feel less and less like a coincidence. Why couldn't she shake these two off? It was becoming very tiresome.

There was the sound of footsteps and a door closing.

"Allow me to introduce myself," the earl began. "I am Ciel Phantomhive, earl of the Phantomhive estate. This is my butler, Sebastian Michaelis. We are currently investigating a theft and a murder case, and are in need of information. This is St Bartholomew's Toy Shop, correct?"

"Yes, my lord," John replied. "Though we don't make just toys. That's more of a passion project to make an extra bob or two."

"Oh?"

"I am mainly a carpenter by trade."

"I see…" Flora could hear the sound of the earl walking around, no doubt taking everything in. "I suppose while I am here, it doesn't hurt to check out a potential rival of the Funtom Corporation."

"My lord," John gasped out worriedly. "It is not my desire to drive you out of business –"

"HA! As if I have any need to worry over that. But as far as I understand it, you are not the designer of these… adequate… looking items, are you not?" Ciel continued to question.

"No, my lord."

"And would I be correct that they are designed by your apprentice, Flora Byrne?"

Flora cowered away even more. How did he know all of this? How did he know her name?!

John seemed equally as shocked and suspicious. "How do you know all of this?"

She could practically hear the smirk on the earl's face. "As I explained, I am investigating a special case, and your apprentice's name kept being mentioned. She was sighted by multiple different people scavenging by the river, and then I caught her running in quite the panic barely a few hours ago. I merely wish to question her as I believe it is possible she may be in possession of some useful information."

John sighed. "I'm afraid, my lord, that will not be possible."

"You would willingly hinder a royal investigation?" Ciel sounded outraged, but otherwise remained rather calm and collected – on the outside at least. Flora could just imagine the boy with the same flustered look he had gotten when she had enraged him earlier in the day. He definitely sounded like a child that nobody had ever said 'no' to. Flora rolled her eyes at the thought, but continued to listen, hoping that the two would take John's advice and back off.

"It's not that, my lord…"

Flora backed further away from the doorframe and into the tiny dining area that she and John shared. She really didn't like where this was going. She looked towards the back door, prepared to flee at any second. She wasn't sure how much more running her body could take today, but anything beat having to deal with being interrogated by this bratty earl and his scary as hell butler. That weird feeling in her chest had returned, and Flora almost wondered if the two of them had something to do with making her feel that way. It seemed silly, but she only got this feeling when the two of them were near. It had become unbearable when the butler had grabbed hold of her. Perhaps it was her gut instincts screaming at her to get away.

"My lord! What are you doing, where are you going?" John shrieked as Flora heard footsteps stomping towards her.

Without thinking, Flora stupidly hid herself under the table. Oh yeah, great hiding spot, she chastised herself. She could feel her face growing red at her own stupid actions. However, fear was currently ruling her body, and she prayed that maybe this stupid idea of hers would work. Perhaps the earl would only glance into the room, see that she wasn't there and continue on his way. But then again, Flora never had that much luck…

"There you are!" Ciel snapped as his posh looking black shoes came into view. "Come out and face me this instant!"

Two other pairs of shoes entered Flora's vision as she remained frozen in place. She could hear that the earl was growing more and more frustrated with her, but she just couldn't bring herself to move. Her chest tightened, and her heart started beating even faster. Her whole body trembled with fear, terrified of what would happen to her if she came out of her hiding spot. Would the earl accuse her? Would he hurt her? Even worse, would he set his even more terrifying butler on her? At that thought, Flora clung to one of the table legs, squeezing her eyes tightly shut.

"What in the devil are you playing at, girl?" The earl continued to huff.

"My lord –" John kept trying to plead, but was brushed off once again.

"I've had enough of this," Ciel snapped again. "Sebastian, do something."

"Yes, my young master," the velvety voice of the butler finally spoke up again, sending a shiver down Flora's spine. This was exactly what she had feared! There was no way she was coming out now.

Flora whimpered as she felt a hand grab hold of her ankle in a firm hold. Tears poured down her cheeks as she clung onto the table leg for dear life. She pulled her leg back, curling them both under her, which caused the butler to let out a sigh. Flora was shocked that he hadn't dragged her out like she thought he was going to do, but that still didn't mean that she trusted him.

She heard Sebastian shift, but didn't dare open her eyes to see what was going on.

"Perhaps it would be best if the rest of you vacated the room? All of us being here is possibly overwhelming her," Sebastian explained.

Ciel sighed in annoyance.

"I'll try and talk to her –" John was once again cut off.

"With all due respect, sir, perhaps it would be better if I stayed and spoke with her so that she can see that I pose no threat to her," the butler practically purred.

No! Don't send John away!

There were a few seconds of silence before John sighed. "Very well."

No!

"I'll be right outside the door," John then added, his tone an obvious warning.

Ciel said nothing as he followed John out of the room, leaving Flora alone with the menacing butler. She kept her eyes shut, and her hands ached as she continued to cling to the leg of the table, the rough wood digging into her skin. The room was filled with a heavy silence, and Flora fought back the sobs that were threatening to burst free from her chest. The tears had broken free, but she refused to further show how hysterical she was feeling.

"Really now, my dear, the floor is no place for a lady," the butler began speaking to her, his tone teasing.

Flora didn't budge.

"Won't you at least look at me, my dear?" His voice was so soothing and comforting, but Flora refused to let herself be fooled. His eyes were red, she could swear that they were. He had carried himself in such a cold and calculating manner that Flora knew there was no way that she could trust him. There was no doubt her arm was bruised from the hold he had had on it earlier. It throbbed in response to the memory. Yet now, he sounded so kind and caring. It had to be an act. His voice was too sickly sweet right now. This was the voice of a well-practiced seducer who always got his own way. Seeing past the sweetness, Flora could detect the patronising undertones, and a rough edge that hinted at a hidden excitement and insanity. No. She would not budge for this man.

"Quite the perceptive little creature, aren't you?" Sebastian chuckled.

Where on earth had that come from? Was he trying to catch her off guard by confusing her?

"Then again, I should have expected nothing less," he continued to talk, mainly to himself. "Won't you please join me? It's really rather lonely out here on my own."

She heard him shift again before she flinched as something touched her elbow. Her eyes snapped open, meeting the burgundy ones of the butler, who had now gotten closer to her. He was crouched down and leaning forward as he reached one had under the table to gently place it on her elbow. Flora shivered again upon the contact as her heart squeezed itself into a tight knot.

"There we are," the butler practically purred again. "It's so lovely to see those beautiful eyes again."

Flora cringed and pressed her face against the table leg, looking away from him.

"My master only wishes to speak with you," Sebastian explained, attempting to sound reassuring. "I promise that his bark is worse than his bite. You are not in any trouble, my dear. I won't allow anybody to harm you."

Flora tried to tune out his soft voice, panicking as she could feel her body becoming more relaxed. His voice was almost like a lullaby. His eyes were that of a snake charmer, and Flora knew that if she looked back, she would not be able to look away again. As if knowing this himself, his large hand slowly trailed up her arm. She involuntarily gasped when his skin finally met her own as he reached her neck, and it felt like his own hand had shivered slightly at the contact. His hand continued upwards, his thumb cupping her cheek while his other fingers cupped the back of her head behind her ear. His thumb caressed her cheek while Flora didn't move, acting as if she was surrounded by snakes that could strike her at any sudden movement.

Then, she could feel him turning her head towards him. At his soothing caress, Flora found herself unable to disobey his silent orders, despite her spiking fear. Slowly, her eyes were brought to meet with his once again, and, just as she feared, Flora was unable to look away again. It was like he had trapped her in a trance. Her whole body was no longer under her own control as he smirked at her. He was so handsome, yet so frightening. Darkly beautiful like the demons of hell.

Sebastian chuckled again as Flora felt herself being gently pulled out from under the table, her eyes still locked with the butler's. He never once let go of her face or broke eye contact with her, even when he began to slowly raise them both to their feet. Flora's neck craned up to look at him, and that's when she realised just how tall this strange man was. Her tiny stature only came up to his chest, and this only served to make him look even more imposing as he practically bared down on her.

"There we are, my little flower." Sebastian's smirk widened. "That wasn't so difficult was it?"


This chapter originally wasn't supposed to end here, but it was going on for far too long. It was already at nearly 8000 words and I wasn't anyway near the end I had actually planned for this chapter. But I still hope that you enjoyed the chapter! Thank you so much for reading and I'll see you all again soon. Stay safe out there!