AN: Moving to Japan in two weeks. Thought I should put out another chapter before I leave.

Thank you to everyone who continues to read! I love writing this story.

Warnings: None.

Chapter XIV

Hell Hath No Bounds

She tasted the sweet metallic flavour of blood. She coughed, feeling a weight of gravity push on her chest with every breath. As she tried to compose herself more, the small amount of light from the candles stung her eyes and sent a stab of lightening through her brain. She peeked through her lids, just enough to see the outline of strangers. Everything was a blended orange and black blur, and when they adjusted she noticed the red lines painted on the floor around her. They crisscrossed each other, thick ruby colour staining the marble floor, circling around her. Then she recognized it as the same brand tattooed on her back.

The mark of the Faustian circle.

Her family's curse and the mark hunters feared.

Lotte moved her head towards the six figures standing before her. There were five smiling men dressed in black, showing off deteriorating yellow and grey teeth, each one's yellow eyes wide and wild with lust and thirst. Black smoke shed off their melting, grey skin. Their desiccating smell made Lotte mentally gag, filling her nose with oil and death. Their hosts' body were falling apart, but they still moved to the demon's will. Demons didn't care; all they cared about was hunting. Lotte had to remind herself they were figures eyeing their next prey. They were hungry; Lotte could sense their lust for the kill.

My soul.

She noticed Lilith standing in front of her. The tall blonde now wore a long white dress as if disguising as an angelic being. Lotte watched confused at Lilith's calm expression and tall stature. Something was different. Before she could notice no motion of humanity. But now, there was a change. Her floral smell, her pure looks, and her audacious attitude were that of a human's, yes. A pure disguise like before. If it weren't for the still cold death of her ruby-red eyes, her physical appearance would be mistaken as a human's. But it was something now about Lilith's emotion that radiated towards Lotte. Something inside had increased the darkness in the beast. Before she could see a true demon, but now…there was nothing Lotte could sense that would consider her a demon.

But she was no demon.

At least not any demon I've encountered.

Lotte's research about Lilith never stretched far. Apart from a few stories from hunters and a few paragraphs in supernatural books Raphael gave her, Lilith was a complete predator in the shadows. Not even Raphael knew much of her. All he had said when Lotte asked of Lilith's name was: 'I don't know much of her except she has been here since the beginning.'

She blinked at the thought, looking up at Lilith's form outside of the circle.

"Ah, there she is." Lilith's voice crept into her ears. The words felt fuzzy on her mind like unreadable print in a book. "Come on back to us now, little star. We have much to discuss."

"What the hell…do you want from me?" Lotte breathed out, feeling groggy still from her head injury.

"Exactly that. We want Hell here." Lilith said shortly, not explaining anymore. She squatted down, smiling. "And you are the only one who can help us."

"So then…what are you…waiting for?" Lotte cringed at her pounding head, shutting her eyes and eloping herself in darkness for a moment. "Take your best shot…bitch."

"You're giving up so fast! I never thought a demon hunter such as yourself would give up so easily. Even after all you've been through. And here I thought the Phantomhive family were fighters."

"I'm not…giving up."

"Good." Lotte heard her shuffling. "Because I would hate for you to miss the show."

Lotte opened her eyes as doors opened and pair of footsteps echoed through the room. Lotte stared into the darkness at the direction of the noise. As her eyes adjusted once again, she made out two large figures holding a limp figure between them. And when they appeared into the candle light, her breath caught.

"Sebastian?" she whispered under her breath.

He was barely conscious. His face covered with blood of his own and perhaps other he fought before. His clothing was ruined, torn and stained with war. His right hand was gloveless, revealing the Faustian mark that tied them both. But although his body was exhausted, Lotte couldn't make out any major injuries. They had healed.

At least she hoped they had.

He was still in a state of extreme fatigue and weakness. Lotte knew he had fought until his last ounce of energy was gone. It reminded her of her days of hunting. The demons she hunted and collapsed after wars against each other, against her. She would barely be awake enough to end their waking existence. But those were mostly the weakest and the rats of the demon underworld. Lowest in the hierarchy and nothing compared to what was in front of her. Still everyone had a limit.

Meaning…

Lilith…

Lotte clenched her sore, raw hands. She twisted her wrists, trying to remove the silver shackles. Her skin tore slightly against the metal as she struggled to free herself and attack the disgusting creatures in front of her. Her heart and chest felt heavy as she kept staring at her butler's broken form. Her teeth clenched together, feeling slight tears surface in anger.

"You…you vile pieces of filth," she hissed low. "Let him go. What…did you do to him?"

"Oh would you look at that, men," Lilith grinned. "Our little star is angry at the state of her precious butler."

"You fucking bitch," Lotte muttered, feeling the adrenaline rush. "I will kill you…."

"Oh I already know that, honey," she laughed, walking over to Sebastian's hanging form. "But I do wonder…" she grasped his hair, pulling it up and hummed. "Again, how much he has told you."

"About what?"

"Everything." She dropped his head and walked back over. "How much has he really said about your family, about the mark, about…" Lilith leaned down as Lotte felt her breath on her ear, "your father?"

"Enough to know my father was killed by you," Lotte spat.

She huffed. "Is that so? Interesting. And is that all he has said?"

Lotte shook her head, wondering why the creature in front of her was asking such questions. "Why are you asking this when you yourself already know the answer?"

"Because, little star, I am curious to know how much your butler knows. How messed up his mind has become over the last century. What words he has told you about…everything really."

"His mind isn't messed up," she argued. "He's just been trapped here for the last twenty years thanks to you! Anyone would go a little stir crazy if they couldn't leave."

She laughed, showing a dead stare at Sebastian's groaning form. "It's true I did trap him here, but only as a favour. Besides," Lilith's voice grew dark, "he was growing powerful again."

Lotte shook her head. "What are you talking about? What favour?"

Lilith breathed. "A favour for your father."

"My…my father? You're lying. Why would you do a favour for my father when you killed him?"

"Here you go again saying that I killed him." Lilith shook her head. "Dear me, it seems as though he has really told you lies and placed stories in your head to make you believe something that isn't true."

"No, you're the one telling lies. My father would never-"

"Yet he did," Lilith interrupted, stepping forward, red eyes blazing. "And then some."

Lotte shook her head. "No."

"You want to know who really killed your father?"

Lotte continued to shake her head.

"Look in front of you at the one you thought was protecting you."

Lotte breathing came out in shudders. She bit her lip, feeling Lilith's word creep into her mind. Her eyes shut, scared to see the possible truth.

"Look at the one who served you lies on a silver platter."

"Shut up," she muttered.

"Look at the one who you thought owned the mark on your back."

And Lotte's eyes flashed open, watching Sebastian's head rise slightly and muttering, "Lotte…."

Lotte felt the prickle behind her eyes. She felt a burning rise beneath her cheeks. Her hands clenched the wood on the chair. She could feel her veins pop in her hands. Blood sunk in her tongue from one bite - a taste of Hell slowly poisoning her mind.

"Get out of my head." Lotte hissed low at the female creature, "You can't fool me with your vile words… you wicked creature. You think…I would believe your poison? I will believe him more than anything you have to say. Always."

Lilith's red eyes narrowed. Her mouth drawn straight. "Is that so? Then let us dwell deep into forgotten memories and witness the truth."

xXx

Lotte breathed in cold darkness. When she thought her eyes were open, the darkness still lingered. Everywhere she looked – darkness. The only difference now was she was standing, mobile.

Free.

But where? Her heart leaped from a blank memory of what happened the last few minutes. All she remembered was Lilith's dark voice and…

Nothing.

Then here…back again in that darkness.

A brisk breeze nipped at her skin suddenly, making small bumps rise at the surface. She shivered slightly, trying to look around to see if she could spot the source. Anything to escape the unknown horror.

And yet she was calm. Although her heart raced, her mind felt clear. For the first time in months, it was like looking through clear glass. There was no haze besides the loss of a few minutes. Her mind felt as if a weight was being lifted off her world. As if a false truth was falling away and reality was coming into view.

This feeling of revelation pushed her to walk farther into the unknown darkness. She didn't know where she was going, all she could do was sense it was the right direction. Her mind guided her towards something even though her eyes couldn't see.

Then a slight sliver of vertical light.

It was growing was every step. Coming closer and closer to her.

She stopped before it, finally seeing the small misty clouds escaping her mouth with every breath. Someone's cool breath appeared in her ear moments later. A female voice so alluring, so capturing, she felt as if she was being lifted into the high heavens. A voice of comfort but also deceiving and cunning in the tone captured in her words.

"Open them," she whispered in Lotte's ears. "Open the door to reveal what has been lost. You know you want to."

A pause and a hand rested on Lotte's shoulder.

"Go and see what you've been missing in your memories. What lies you were given. The truth you should know."

A possession fell to Lotte's hands as she pushed the double doors open and into a familiar great foyer. Right away cold, red pillars met her eyes, lining like soldiers. A winter breeze nipped fiercely at her pale arms. She held her arm in front of her as white light stained her vision. But slowly it cleared into a pure, white view. Her blue eyes saw the image in front of her. An image so familiar and true it was the reason for the years of hunting, bloodshed, and hatred. Truly it was her reason for forthcoming to the Phantomhive manor in the first place. A forgotten memory she locked away as a child but slowly returned. A memory she knew existed and hunted for the one who created it.

It was the memory which made her into who she was and made it her life's wish to end. The white beast drove her life into the horror story it was. And now she stood witnessing another film.

A different memory from what she thought of.

A possible truth in her forgotten thoughts.

The revenge she sought for.

The world around her slowed. Soft snowflakes fell like feathers around her, sticking to the marble floor below. The brightness did not disappear. It blurred her vision as if looking through a white lens. She breathed out a puff of fresh vapor, watching the man in front of her face the outside world.

She called out to him, knowing who he was. But her voice felt distant. It echoed through disappearing before reaching the ears of the one before her. She blinked in confusion. Then Her voice appeared again.

"You cannot reach him," she softly said. "You are nothing but a ghost."

And she was right. Lotte turned as she heard another voice. A smaller, distant voice of a child. Standing behind her was a mirrored memory of her own self. Dressed in a white nightgown and staring straight ahead at the scene before them. Lotte breathed, slowing blinking, feeling the world grow even slower. She felt like she was in another dimension, witnessing events from the other side.

She wondered for a moment if this was what it was like to be a ghost.

The child of five called out the name of her father again, running forwards. Lotte reached her hand out, trying to stop her but the child merely went through Lotte like a ghost.

Lotte's eyes followed the child and gasped at what she saw. The child had stopped only a few feet in front of her, sharing the same expression as Lotte.

Wide eyed and jaw dropped.

This time her father stood facing them both, with a smile painted on his face and a blood, red hole on his chest.

He stepped forward, hand reached out. Blood dripped from mouth and wound, red footsteps following his path. Then he collapsed as the white snowflakes turned crimson.

The child didn't scream, nor did Lotte. This was a memory that was shot from her mind moments after it happened. It was a memory she didn't want to remember. Lotte began to breathe heavily.

"Witness," the voice said again.

The little girl crouched down, covering her ears, and screamed. Lotte wanted to as well but her voice had failed. But her mind was still clear, and she screamed as loud as she could.

"See who really created the pain you suffered."

Lotte held her head, shaking it.

"Look to the one who killed your father."

And so she did.

In front of her, her breathing caught. Standing at the door of the manor, in trail of the storm was a figure dressed in black. His eyes glowed red as blood pooled from his hands. And it was in his hands Lotte saw a heart, no longer beating and pure black as coal. And when the figure came out of the brightness of the snowy sky, she saw clearly the familiarity of the demon butler who served her.

Then he looked at her.

"No," she mouth.

"Now you know," Lilith appeared, breathing in her ear, "the truth."

She closed her eyes, shaking her head violently, and screamed. This time it erupted into sound as the scene before her shattered.

xXx

Lotte tried to capture air in her lungs again. She felt as if her world had been pressed on, her mind muddled. Her memory tampered. She clenched her teeth, realizing what she was just showed. Her eyes opened slightly, tiredly, and looked up at the smiling, deceiving creature before her.

"I told you…get the hell out of my head… you bitch," she mumbled.

"Well that's not very nice. I did just show you the truth you know. You should at least be thanking me for clearing things up," Lilith replied.

Lotte gave a slight huff of laughter. "Like…what you showed me…was the truth. I don't believe any…of that crap you showed."

"Really?"

"Really. You think…I'd believe your little mind games?" Lotte attempted to raise an eyebrow. "I'm not stupid. I know…you have the ability to get into people's minds and mess around. I'm not falling for it."

Lilith crouched, red eyes locking with blue. "I'm glad to know the Phantomhive family does have strong minds. However, I have to ask then, did you have a fun time reliving those hidden memories I planted earlier?"

"Earlier?"

"My little additions, did you like them?" She sighed and stood up. "Seems as though your mind has a long ways to go to understand my abilities. You see, little star, I am able to put anything in your mind based on your own desires." She tapped her head with a finger. "Whatever you want, you shall see. But only in memories. I can put in a lovely rose that didn't exist before or the person you love the most.

"However, I am also able to give you the truth. You were told a lie; therefore I can show you what memory was tampered with and show you what was really hidden. Your memory was clouded by power, a strong power, and that's why you couldn't remember it. It wasn't the trauma, it was a spell."

Lilith walked over to Sebastian's form, running her long fingers through his hair.

"A spell placed by him."

Lotte shook her head. "No…you're the one who's lying."

Lilith's head shot towards her. "I do not lie!" she snapped, red eyes blazing.

Lotte blinked at the forceful tone. The first fire set after meeting Lilith. It was a bit frightening to see the white creature show anger.

But Lilith composed herself quickly, breathing in. "I merely show the truth."

Lotte licked her dry, cracked lips, tasting the blood. "I know Sebastian…and the fact he has served my family for generations. I know under his contract he cannot harm us. He cannot lie."

"You still believe the contract belongs to him. That's cute."

"What…?"

"Little star, the one you call Sebastian does not own the mark branded on your back, nor did he ever own it. He only did what he was told by the real owner." She leaned forward.

"And that would be?"

"The one who runs the underworld, of course. Lucifer himself."

"Lucifer?" Lotte smiled, laughing a bit. "Like I should believe you."

Lilith frowned, standing straight and intimidating. "Again, I do not lie. The mark on your back, this contract is older than you realize." She smirked. "I bet you barely even know your family history."

Lotte smirked back. "And why should I? I've always…lived without knowing."

"Precisely. You've been living under a rock. Poor, little star. Doesn't even realize the one you've been calling 'Sebastian' really is."

A low groan interrupted their conversation. Lotte looked behind Lilith at the demon butler slowly awakening from his semi-conscious state. Lotte began to try and shimmy through the chains holding her body, but it was useless.

She didn't care about Lilith's words. They were all lies! The only thing was to make sure the man in front of her was alright.

"Sebastian?" Lotte called out. "Sebastian!"

Another groan, then his head began to lift up slightly, opening his maroon eyes to her. Lotte breathed out a sigh of relief, not seeing any distinct wounds on his face.

"Lot..te," he muttered weakly.

Lotte leaned forward, smiling slightly at the demon. Then she paused when she saw Lilith's smile grow, watching them both.

Lotte swallowed, smile gone, and sat back against the chair. Since Sebastian was awake, he would soon begin to fight again if she saw her condition, and Lotte wasn't sure if he would be able to make it through another round. Lotte would have to convince him she was alright.

"I'm…okay," she muttered back, her eyes not leaving Lilith's.

"How sweet," Lilith commented. "How you care for him. It's interesting. A hunter caring for something not of this world."

"You wouldn't understand," Lotte hissed.

"Maybe I do," Lilith narrowed her eyes, and then she nodded her head towards the two demons holding Sebastian's body.

The two dragged him into a chair behind them, sitting him down, wrapping chains around his body. Immediately, Lotte gasped out in what they were going to sit him in. A chair made of pure iron.

"No…" she breathed out before she heard a low cry of pain coming from the butler. She struggled in her own prison. "..Sebastian!"

And he was out before her voice could reach him.

"Please…what do you want? Just take my soul…let him go," she struggled to say, tears forming, head low. "…Please."

"Lot..te,"a rasping voice spoke.

Lotte watched the butler's head rise slowly towards her.

"So you are still conscious," Lilith said, cocking her head to one side. "A little surprising after that fight. Even after all these years you still have power. However, you'd be pure mush otherwise from sitting in that chair."

"Lilith…" Sebastian spat out. "…If you lay another hand on my mistress, I will kill you."

"I've heard that one already. Tell me something else," she grinned, walking over to him and leaning beside him. "Actually, why don't you do me a favour and tell her everything."

She grabbed his chin with her long nailed fingers, motioning his head towards her. Even in his weaken state he attempted to move away from her grasp. And all the while Lotte watched helplessly and weak herself as Lilith's crimson eyes locked with her own and spoke in an intimate fashion in the butler's ear.

"It's time to wake up, Michael."

Questions are slowly being answered. But there are still so many unanswered. We still have a long ways to go!

Reviews are always loved!