The warm sun fell over my face, basking me in its glow. I could feel the familiar comfort of my bed as I nestled deeper into the inviting cocoon of sheets. I wasn't really all that tired, in fact, I'm not really sure that I slept. I just lay here, trying to relax my mind from all of the thoughts that wore themselves out by racing around inside me.

"Good morning master, it's time to wake up." He calls over to me, "For breakfast we have milk poached salmon with steamed asparagus topped with a hollandaise sauce." I open my eyes to see him stood at the head of the bed with an ornate silver service trolley. He opens the small mauve cylinder tin and sifts out a few spoonfuls of the loose dried leaves into the teapot, fills it with hot water and flips over a small hourglass timer. I recognize the scent, pungent and strong; it was a Ceylon tea with the perfumed citrus scent of bergamot – Earl Grey. The smell was so vivid I start to feel nauseated with each overbearing whiff.

Sebastian walks over to me and draws the layers of my self made cocoon off of me. I whine, not wanting to leave the sanctuary of my bed and I spy Sebastian from narrowed eyes as he set about to prepare me for my day. I've never observed him before - he is very interesting to watch. I never noticed how well he had adapted to being my butler, how much he had to learn and how much he had actually achieved. It was amazing how we slipped back into our routine as though nothing had changed but it was blatantly obvious to the both of us that everything had.

I sit up in the bed, stretch and allow him to undress me, just as he always has. He unbuttons and slips off my nightshirt, he then swiftly and with absolute ease pulls a pair of black wool breeches up around my waist. He then slips my arms into the sleeves of a black dress shirt and buttons it at the front. Tucking the tails into the waistband, he fastens the top of my breeches together; the coarse fabric grates against my skin.

Sebastian does everything at such speed and with such grace, I wonder why I've never noticed this before – I didn't even have to move an inch and I'm dressed. I couldn't even feel the cool morning breeze on my skin, it happened that quickly. I lean back slightly on my elbows as I watch him prepare my tea – the smell is still slightly sickening but I try to ignore it. Placing a small tea strainer onto the rim of a porcelain cup, Sebastian pours the freshly brewed liquid into it.

He puts it onto a saucer and hands it to me. I sit up, moving off of my elbows and accept the tea. I go through my usual motions of smelling the fragrant vapors – over powering and repugnant, I scrunch my nose up at the stench. I take a sip – it was horrible!

"This tastes revolting!" I hand the cup back to Sebastian as he smiled wryly at me.

"Well, we have no taste for human things after all."

"Then why make it?"

He places the cup and saucer down on the trolley and grabs a long thin black ribbon from the side of the bed.

"I would say force of habit but actually, it is necessary for your current well being."

"What do you mean?"

"I do this to help you adjust you from your former life into your new one."

"I think I'm adjusting well." Sebastian smirks at my comment as slips the ribbon around my neck. "What?"

"You haven't even begun to understand what it means to be a demon Ciel. Everything inside you has changed or is changing. All of your senses will start to heighten, you'll see things brighter, you'll hear things louder and everything will become illuminated."

"You make it sound so nice." I smile sardonically at him as he straightens out the ruffled material around my neck for the tie.

"It can be nice. We are faster and stronger than we would have ever been if we were human." He loops the fabric together to tie a bow.

"Would you prefer to make it even tighter?" I jest dryly; he looks down at me and into my eyes.

"No." he sighs bluntly. "We'll have to each you how to control that." He pulls the ribbon into a bow.

"Control what?"

"Your eyes."

My eyes? I leap off of the bed and sprint to the mirror on my dressing table; I lean over it and stare at myself hard in the reflection, my black nailed fingers pulling at my eyelids as I examine them. My eyes were like his from the other day - carmine retinas with thin horizontally narrowed black pupils.

"Have they always been like this?" I was nervous to hear the answer. I can't hide these eyes, it was already bad enough that I could see out of both eyes now but I had to keep up the charade of using my eye patch.

Placing both of his hands on my shoulders, Sebastian leans over, watching our reflections in the mirror. His own eyes kept changing from ruddy to carmine, showing off I would suspect.

"Take a deep breath and focus on changing them back to blue." He advised me calmly, his voice vibrated through me as he held my gaze in the reflection.

I close my eyes and take in a deep breath. I think about my eyes, focusing on them and actively think about changing them back to blue. Opening them again, I see that it's worked – my eyes have changed back to their normal hue and I sigh out in relief.

Wiggling out of Sebastians' grip, I stroll back over to my bed and sit down. He follows after me and finishes readying me for the day, grabbing a pair of black under knee socks and my thin leather calf suspenders. He slides the stocks over my feet and up my legs as I prop them on his upper thigh. I cannot image what he must be thinking at this moment in time, I don't recall a time I ever cared – but for some reason, I do seem to care now.

"Sebastian," I began, I knew what I was going to say to him but the words felt jumbled in my mouth. He looks up at me as he starts to hook the small round buttons of my ankle boots. He doesn't skip a beat in between the buttons and looking at me. "I am sorry you couldn't, uh -" I still can't get the words out but being the ever dutiful butler, he seemed to understand what I was trying to say.

"It doesn't matter anymore, my lord, what's done is done," is all he says.

It has been one month since I turned.

Sebastian had thought it would be best to keep up the appearance of being 'alive' for the time being so we stayed at the manor. It would allow me to learn from him and it would allow him to get things in order for my eventual human demise. I was happy to do so, after all, it was my home and I was comfortable in it.

I chose not to engage in any social activities until I could control myself. The desire to devour my servants alone was incredibly strong, Sebastian had to run regular interference between them and myself, especially as I was starving and human food had the taste and texture of gritty sand. I'm not really sure how I am meant to live the rest of my existence like this.

Sebastian brings me what he can but I'm horrible at it – the slaughter, the kill, the taking of a living beings life, their essence and their soul. It has become overwhelming and hard to bear – I decided that, for the time being, to just not eat - which has its problems all of its own. I'm tired, I'm weak and I feel useless and destitute.

Was this guilt? A residue left over from my own deleted human existence? I can occasionally hear their screams in my head, their pleas to be spared, their prayers to God. God, I don't believe in God anymore – what good was he if he couldn't protect these innocent creatures from being snuffed out by a grotesque being like me?

I think of this often, especially now as I lay face down on my desk in my office. No one dares come into this room, as this is where I do my work and I hate to be disturbed. These days, it was the only place that I could have a moment of solace and quiet reflection on the things that weigh heavily on my mind. There was a soft knock on the door, interrupting my contemplative thought.

Sebastian enters the room with a tray of tea and cakes – oh, cakes, how I miss the sweet sugary taste of cakes. He sits the tray next to my head and I roll over to see it and sniff the fragrant chocolate emanating from the spongy mass – this is torture for me.

"Sebastian why do you keep taunting me with tea? Especially as you know I cannot drink it." I hiss, still face down on the cool wooden surface.

Sebastian grins at me; I can see a faint glimmer of amusement in his eyes. This has become a habit. As loyal as he still was to me, bound by our contract of course, I could see him starting to gain amusement by torturing me. He would make all of my favorite dishes and bake all of my favorite cakes knowing that I can't taste them – they hold no flavor in my mouth.

"My, what would the servants think if you didn't take your afternoon tea?" He asked as he pours the hot liquid into a teacup and places it down in front of my nose.

"And the cakes?" I huff.

"Well, what would the servants think if you didn't have your favorite cakes with your tea?" He chides me with a wry smile as he passes the chocolate cake over to me.

"This is hell – I cannot bear it. You're a sadist." I groan. I understand keeping up the false pretense in front of everyone but we are currently alone and I'm starving.

"Well master, considering that I was acquainted with the Marquis de Sade, I'll take that as a compliment." He smirks, sometimes; I wish I could slap that smug look from off of his face. "I suppose it's time I teach you to hunt." He concludes.

To hunt? I haven't thought about this – I need to learn how to take a soul. I sit up and straighten myself out, staring ahead; this wasn't something I actually thought about doing.

"Why would I need to do that when you bring me what I need?" I don't look at him; I know what he's going to say before he opens his mouth.

"My lord, your orders were clear – I have to teach you how to successfully live in this world. If you want to survive, you'll need to learn how to hunt – on your own." He moved to stand right in front of me; I can see his torso and his hands as they sit at his sides. I know that when he teaches me to hunt and I become good at it – I will need to uphold our end of the bargain and release him from his contract. I knew this time would come but I was hoping that it wouldn't have happened so suddenly.

It wasn't as though Sebastian and I had formed a bond – probably the opposite of that really. He seemed to live to punish me, putting me in challenging positions that I cannot fight my way out of. One of the meals he fetched for me was a prostitute – vicious little thing and a biter at that – but he knew that it would bring up memories of my Aunt that I had managed to suppress for such a long time now. Although he didn't say it, I knew with every waking moment that Sebastian Michaelis hated my existence. Still, at this moment in time, I would much rather be hated than to be alone and I will be alone for eternity.

However, it was a part of our current deal so I must honor that in exactly the same way as he had honored ours when the original deal was struck.

"All right." I sigh, "Teach me how to hunt."

He hovers over me, tightening his grip on my throat. I feebly struggle underneath the strength of his arms.

"Se-Sebastian!" I choke out, I have no air in my lungs and yet I feel like I'm suffocating, his face remains stoic and focused on mine.

"Get off me!" I yell.

"No." He replies flatly.

"Sebastian, get the hell off of me!" I struggle to get out of his vice like grip.

"No." He squeezes tightly around my throat, I can feel the tears welling up and burning my eyes.

"You're h-hurting me!" I cry. He only looks down at me unsympathetically as I struggle. Is he really going to kill me? I know that he must want to but...

"My lord, you'll have to learn how to defend yourself. I'm only attacking you with half my strength. Now, push me off." His voice is cold and detached.

We've begun hunting practice and by that I mean he attacked me. Catching me off guard and throwing me to the ground. He had already hurled many punches that had landed fiercely onto my face and I buck violently beneath him, I can't escape, I... can't...

"I-" I'm starting to lose consciousness as I can hear the bones in my neck give way and crack under the strain.

"There will be those that wish to do you great harm, you'll have to protect yourself from them."

Crack.

"I-I can't."

Crack.

"Yes you can - try, try to concentrate, focus your strength and push me off of you."

I squeeze my eyes shut even tighter, hot tears roll from my lashes, down my cheeks and into my ears as I struggle to bring my attention from the searing pain in my throat to my arms. I can feel energy pulsing through me, taking the place of the blood that once flowed through my veins. It courses and it surges and I can feel myself getting stronger.

Lifting my right leg up, I maneuver my foot onto Sebastians' chest. I take a moment to concentrate my thoughts and I visualize pushing him off of me. Within that second and with all the power I can muster, I thrust my foot into his chest and he goes flying. I struggle to my feet as I watch him collide into the nearest elm tree, causing it bow and break. I roll my shoulders, cracking the swiftly healing bones back into shape. I feel powerful and it feels magnificent.

With my newly acquired speed, I appear before him and watch as he tries to stand. I leap on top of him, tackling him back onto the ground and I pin his shoulders down. I can feel my eyes changing to the demonic ones as I hold his gaze.

"How's this?" I inquire as I bash his head repeatedly into the shattered trunk of the tree. With one fell swoop, he takes his arm and swipes me off of him with the same ease of a kitten batting a fly. Instead of colliding with another tree, I position myself midair to bounce off of it, using my legs to absorb the landing and propel myself.

Sebastian is already back on his feet, waiting for me to attack. Lunging forward, I hug my arms around him and we both crash into another tree, causing it to fall. I squeeze his waist tightly as I can feel him kneeing me in the chest. Bending backwards, I swing him up and over me, his head collides into the ground and I let him go.

"You fight dirty." He growls as he rolls over onto his side and pushes himself up to his knees.

I can sense that this lesson hasn't yet finished and I sprint over to one of the fallen trees – I wrap my arms it and hold it over my shoulder. I can't help but smile, this is amazing – I have never felt so strong in all of my life. I was a sick child, an asthmatic sheltered from the outside world, sheltered from harm and I had no ability to physically fight back. Something that Sebastian would always point out whenever he had to come to my rescue. Now, now – I feel like I can take on anyone, take on anything and I'm going to prove it.

Running towards Sebastian, who was just starting to get back to his feet, I take the tree and hurl it around like I was swinging a cricket bat. The motion swept him up and sent him flying – I throw the tree down and delight in my efforts – but – I'm tired. With as swift a motion as I had over taken him, I feel all of my energy is leaving me, causing me to drop to my knees. I feel light headed, dizzy and strained as I fall forward onto my hands.

"Young master?"

I smirk; of course he came back so quickly. As much as I boast, I could never be as powerful as Sebastian is. In my mind, he is a pure demon, one who had ever experienced the life of a human. He doesn't realize that at times our bodies can be weak or rather he does realize it but never points that fact out to me.

I can feel his large arms engulf me as he lifts me to my feet. I would struggle and try to do this on my own but I feel that it would be futile; I am much too tired and much too hungry to try. Sebastian picks me up, cradling me in his arms and pulling me close to his chest. I rest my head on his shoulder as he takes me back home. I know I shouldn't but I do find great comfort in the familiarity of this motion. How many times have you held me like this, I wonder? More times than I could possibly imagine at this point but still, you won't have to for long. I will learn how to stand on my own, how not to be weak and I will learn how to defeat you.

"My lord, you're smiling." His tone was soft and sweet.

"Am I?" I guess I was, I think it was that last thought that tickled me - I will learn to defeat you.

I feel sated.

I rest my aching back against the warm porcelain of my sunken bathtub. I rest my arms along the edge and drum my fingers against the sides. I close my eyes but still see the warm golden glow of the candlelight flickering throughout the room. Fluttering them open again, I look at my chest, legs and arms – not a bruise or scratch from this afternoon's dalliance, not that I thought there would be but as my body ached a little I thought there might be a sign that there was a least something a little human about me left.

I close my eyes again and relax into warmth of the water. I hear Sebastian padding around outside of the bathroom and the chortle of the other servants down the hall. Things have started to settle down for the evening and everyone was getting ready for bed. There is a knock on the door and I hear light footsteps come in – judging by the smell, I can tell it is Sebastian – demons give off a particular smell that differs from humans, it's sweet but oddly spicy.

"I was able to get the blood out of your waistcoat, my lord." I hear him pull a small wooden stool behind my head. It was my dinner – a farm girl this time. Her soul tasted sticky and tainted, it was bitter but satisfying nonetheless.

"Well that's good. I wouldn't like to explain to Nina why I go through so many clothes these days – especially as I'm not growing." I hear him hum in agreement as he gently takes a washcloth, dampens it in the water and lathers a bar of soap onto it. I can smell the overpowering floral smell, which nauseates me – another thing he does to torment me. I've told him time and time again that he no longer has to bathe me but he insists as it's in keeping with his duty as my butler. I think that it's another way he can punish me by using the sickliest sweet things he could find, knowing that I haven't been able to control my sense of smell.

"This won't do my lord." He sighs.

"What won't?"

"The way you killed that girl, it was incredibly sloppy."

I snort, "I got the job done didn't I?"

"That may be but in order to dispose of the body a little more easily and without arousing suspicions – you'll need to learn how to do a cleaner kill."

"Why when I have you to take care of it for me?" I goad, as I know what his reaction will be.

"My lord, have you forgotten our deal?" Knew it.

"No, of course not." I open my eyes and tilt my head back, looking up at him. "A deal is a deal Sebastian, I haven't forgotten." I bring my head back the front and sit up as he washes my back with that fowl smelling rag. "Although, if you keep trying to test my temper with smells like this, I may be forced to change my mind." I growl.

"I think your next lesson will have to be how to seduce your prey." He purred into my ear, I whip around to face him.

"What are you talking about?"

He raised his eyebrow and looked at me incredulously, "Seducing your prey." He states again, flatly.

"Why would I need to learn how to do that? I'm a child!" I interject.

"You are no more a child than I am a butler." He smiles playfully as he dips the cloth back into the water and draws the warm liquid over my chest. He used my own rhetoric against me. I am no longer a child - I am no longer anything. I have never even had my first kiss, let alone the ability to charm someone – I can feel my skin burning.

"You're blushing my lord." Sebastian grins – I want to smack that look from off of his face. "Surely you've kissed a lady before?" He continues to poke at me, I quickly turn my back to him but I can feel him lean over me. "Not even lady Elizabeth?"

"Oh God!" I groan as I put my head in my hands – I don't know what has just come over me but I feel horribly embarrassed, which I know is amusing Sebastian to no bloody end.

"Come on my lord, not even a peck?"

"Stop it!"

"Hm, well I guess that makes sense then. I'll have to teach you from scratch."

"What if I don't want to learn?" I mutter through my hands.

"You don't have much of a choice here Ciel." Even though I asked him to address me as such, it is still strange to hear my name uttered by him, he rarely calls me that but when he does I know he's serious.

"Why don't I have a choice?"

"It's obvious you're hungry, especially by the way you devour your prey – it's a mess. By seducing them and enticing them, you can remove their souls in the quickest, easiest and most elegant way possible, through their mouths." His voice was honeyed and kind. I sit up straight, taking my hands from my face.

"Is that how you do it?" I whisper solemnly.

"My lord?"

"Is that how you get these woman to come home with you, to come here – you seduce them?" I look over my shoulder to see him; he seems to have stopped dead. His eyes were empty and vacant.

"Well yes, I suppose it is. It comes so naturally I forget that I'm doing it." He shrugs and I turn back around.

"Was that how you got me?" I asked honestly.

I was trapped in a room, caged, desperate and alone. I never called on him but he appeared to me.

He denied the others, the predators, and the ones who beat me, enslaved me, and killed my parents. The ones who took my future and my life from me. Those seeking eternal life – using me as sacrifice but he declined them, ignored them and came only to me. His appearance was muddled, his hazy dark figure incomplete but his smile was broad as he set his sights on me.

When he spoke to me, his voice was calm, cool and collected and emitting a low growl but not a threatening one. He could see what I had been through, he could see my bloodied clothes and my anguish and he knew I was not afraid of him. It was at that moment, he chose me – I accepted – I shouted my revenge and he heard me and acquiesced - branding me - and then he freed me.

"I did not seduce you Ciel." He was firm but gentle; "I knew what kind of soul you would be from the moment they summoned me. I wasn't looking for them – I was seeking you."

I shudder at the thought – my fate was sealed the moment they took me and it was sealed again the moment I met you. Bound together, forever, until the grave.

I feel a warm towel wrap around my shoulders as Sebastian covered me securely. I start to stand on my own but Sebastian helps me, allowing me to use his arm to brace myself as I exit the tub. I stand there motionless as he dries me off; I think I may miss you when you're gone.

You understand me fully, the hatred in my heart and my desire for revenge. I am not so childish, not so naïve not to know that you were only with me to take my soul and you're only with me now because of our contract but…

"Young master, are you all right?" He spoke so gently, it sounded almost like concern.

"I'm fine, just tired that's all."

"That's only natural – after our lesson and your feeding, it's bound to take a lot out of you."

Sebastian drapes my nightshirt over my scrawny frame and kneels down in front of me to button it. I suppose this is just one more thing I'm going to have to learn how to do on my own.

"My lord, if you'll permit me, I think after I teach you the art of seduction, I think we should trial you out."

"Excuse me?"

He now stands, walking over to the candelabra by the countertop and escorts me out.

The hallway was dark and silent; I couldn't hear a thing stirring in the manor. Entering my bedroom, I crawl into pre turned down sheets and draw them over me.

"The Viscount Druitt is hosting a Masquerade Ball and I think it might be the perfect opportunity for you to hunt and capture your own prey. Especially as no one will recognize you."

I nod; I suppose it is time that I learn how to fend for myself.

"Will you be there?" I don't look at him; I just sit and stare forward.

"If you wish, I will be with my Master every step of the way. From a respectable distance, of course." I can hear the amused smile in his voice.

"Fine. I'll go." I said resolutely as I tuck myself into bed.

"I'll make the preparations tomorrow. Good night my lord, pleasant dreams."

Still, he taunts me – he knows that I'll never be able to sleep again.

Authors' Note: Well this concludes the nice shiny bit of the story; it's dark from here on out. I really wish there was a genre for Psychological on this site because that's what this story is and hopefully a massive mind f**** until the end. Enjoy the ride.