A/N: We're nearly at the end of this plot! But that doesn't mean it's the end of these stories! :3 I have a vague plot idea for how to continue, so we shall see what happens. I'll be hinting at it in this chapter... which I hope you enjoy! Sorry it took a while to get out o.o

"You are limping." Ciel's words had stopped her in her tracks. "I thought nothing could harm a devil, and yet both of you have been… affected by something today. What is it?"

Eleanora paused and turned back to Ciel… and she sighed in defeat. "My master was not all he seemed to be."

A frown appeared on the young Earl's face. "And what do you mean by that?"

"He didn't exactly find out about demons on pure chance."

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An Hour Earlier

Sebastian moved through the manor on order of his master. He was to fetch Eleanora before the arrest of Mr Thompson but he could not quite sense Eleanora's presence, as though she was hidden somehow. All he knew was that she was still there but without an exact location.

These were his hunting grounds. Sebastian never lost sight of someone.

He wasn't too sure of what had possessed him to find Eleanora and tell her of their plans a while back… he wasn't too sure what had been possessing him around her presence at all as of late. It was odd being near another devil like him again. Especially one so human, so different.

That was not important now though. He needed to find her.

But Eleanora was not in her normal nooks and crannies of the manor. She was not even around Rose, whom Eleanora would always keep an eye on when no longer entranced with the new-born human. Of course, these were his grounds. He knew there was nothing more dangerous on the premise than Mr Thompson. Yet, he felt something within himself.

Something he wasn't too proud of but something that made him hurry in his search... was that... worry?

It took him minutes – minutes – to find her. He had never had to search for someone for that long before, and he hated it. But he had eventually found her in Mr Thompson's room. The plump man had already left for breakfast, and had left Eleanora alone, apparently. Though she wasn't in her usual state.

Sebastian couldn't help the little intake of breath he did when he saw Eleanora tied up in chains, hanging from her wrists with blood pouring down from a wound in her stomach.

A leather-bound book was placed in front of her feet, lying there closed. Sebastian dismissed it, too occupied with Eleanora to think of the book, and simply stepped over it, grasping her wrists. His touch stirred Eleanora, who glanced up at him.

"I tried… I'm so sorry…"

"Tried what?"

"To help."

Sebastian and Eleanora shared a glance until the former looked away to focus on her bonds. Breaking her chains would normally not have been a problem, but he found that when he touched them, he couldn't even make them shift a bit. It didn't matter how much power he used, they wouldn't budge, and they wouldn't break. "The key…"

Sebastian's eyes roamed over the chains once more before shifting over to where Eleanora had nodded. "Where did he get these?"

"He made them apparently…" she breathed. Talking was a struggle evidently, seeing as she frowned in pain. "I wasn't the only demon… He'd had several. And he hasn't lost his soul even once…" She let out a dry laugh. "I suppose I know why now."

Once Sebastian unlocked the chains, he caught her easily and without a struggle as she simply fell limply against him. Gently, he held her up, pressed up against his chest with his arm around her waist. His free hand he shifted over to the wound, glancing down at it.

"Salt." Hearing her word, Sebastian quickly retrieved his hand as he had gone to press against it to stop the blood. Eleanora chuckled at him. "Yeah, I don't blame you. It's not a nice feeling to touch it… It will stop us from healing though, hm?"

"We will get you cleaned up," promised Sebastian. Eleanora looked up at him in surprise at those words. All she had done was promise to help get information out of Mr Thompson, which she had failed at horribly, only ending up in chains. And Sebastian was the one who wanted her off his property and away from his master… Why was he being kind to her suddenly?

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Present Time

"And that's what Mr Thompson did to you too, Sebastian?"

The three had shifted to a different room as the Phantomhive servants were cleaning up the forgotten and cold breakfast in the dining room. Eleanora was sat on a chair, Ciel leaned down next to her as he dotted a wet cloth at her wound. Sebastian was standing beside the two of them, holding a bowl of water and staring almost annoyedly down at the wound – as though it bothered him that his master had to do such a thing. But he had been too uncomfortable around the salt to help.

"He put something in his cup, most likely some solution of sodium chloride that vaporized when I poured the hot liquid onto it." Eleanora glanced up at Sebastian when she heard him speak through clenched teeth.

"Not used to being vulnerable?" she teased.

Ciel glanced up as well, and smirked. "Well, if I had known you didn't like salt, I would have asked for salty food, not sweet things."

"Ah, but that's not how it works," smirked Sebastian. "Unless it is a pure solution, salt will simply be unpleasant, but durable to the degree that I may touch and even consume it."

Frowning, Ciel glanced at Eleanora quizzicly. "Where did he learn such things?"

"Some church he likes to go to. That's where all us demons were pulled to when he conjured us," she explained. "I only was there once when he'd summoned me."

"What of the other demons?" asked Sebastian, eyes narrowed whilst he took in this information.

"He killed them... They wouldn't serve his purpose."

"Did he not go into a covenant with them?" the young earl asked. If Sebastian wouldn't do what Ciel said, he could use the covenant to his advantage, after all.

"If a demon thinks you are no longer on the path to fulfilling what your part of the contract is, they may leave or refuse. It is rare though. And it was also not what happened." Ciel cocked an eyebrow at her as she spoke. "They weren't in covenants. They were lesser demons he attempted to control, but couldn't."

"Until you arrived," finished Sebastian. Eleanora nodded her head.

Finishing cleaning her wound, Ciel put the cloth away. "I would ask you to investigate, Sebastian, but I think we should approach this carefully if they have such powers over devils." Sebastian remained quiet, but bowed his head at the concern from his master.

"You two are cute." This, however, made Sebastian frown. Eleanora just chuckled. Ciel, in response, grabbed the cloth again just to press against her wound harshly. She hissed, glaring at the boy.

"I am no such thing…" scowled Ciel. He stood up straightened before her, chin held high and his gaze staring down at her dominantly. "I am Earl Ciel Phantomhive, sole heir to the Phantomhive estate. I am not cute nor am I a child. I am above such things, and beneath the almighty light of heaven."

Eleanora blinked before cooing at him, "Awwww, such a cute little boy! I just wanna squeeze those cheeks, lemme-" She reached out her hands toward him, and he swatted at them. Eleanora clearly couldn't get to him though, her wound still bothering her, and she did nothing but laugh and shake her head.

"I am not cute!"

Sebastian stifled a chuckle.

Calming down, Eleanora placed her hands over her wound again, and smiled at Ciel. "Thank you, lord Phantomhive. For everything."

Clearing his throat and straightening up, rolling his shoulders back, Ciel simply nodded his head. "And… What are you going to do now?"

She glanced between the two of them and let out a sigh. "I'll finish things."