Hi there. Thanks for your messages. I'm afraid, I couldn't save the hog-goblins. But I could give some extra lines to Goolie. :) I'm growing fond of this little block of granite, and I'm happy to know that some of you feel the same. :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Sebastian, Ciel, Grell and/or any other characters of the series. I hold no rights whatsoever to Kuroshitsuji/"Black Butler", and I do not make money from this.

+++Chapter 4: Playful Moods (or 'Rely on me to leave a pistachio for you. Anytime.')

Bard was checking the mansion for more hairy intruders, and there was something moving in the basement.

Bard stood at the top of the stairs, holding up the candles and thought about how Sebastian was never around when there was real work to do. Cook for dinner, was all, he'd ever care about and say. Stir the stew. Cut the onions. Mash the potatoes. Set the table. Clean the -

Floor?

In the light of his candles, Bard saw Tanaka and Sebastian. The old butler sat on a bench and enjoyed a cup of tea. Sebastian leaned on a mop, poised as if he were waiting to see, who was coming down the steps. The floor glistened wet.

'What are you doing?' asked Bard.

'Wiping the floor. It was filthy.'

'But it's pitch black dark in here!' Bard looked around. 'Or it was, before I brought the candles.'

'Why would one want to see filth?' Before Bard could make up his mind on the logic of this explanation, Sebastian thrust the mop in his hand. 'Here, you can finish. But don't open the closet over there.'

'Might contain skeletons, hm?' Bard tried to nudge Sebastian with his elbow.

'More like: the pulp that's left after the bones are mashed.' Sebastian shrugged. 'It was Tanaka's idea. I'm getting rid of it later.'

When he had left, Bard stood and looked at the closet, thinking. What did one store in a cellar? Wine, of course. Champagne. Whiskey. High quality liqueurs and beverages. Whatever it was, Sebastian should share it with his fellow servants. They all worked hard to maintain the young master's estate. And after the fight with the strange hairy burglar, Bard could really use some refreshment. He reached for the closet and pulled open the -

'Ho ho ho,' said Tanaka and snuffed out the candles.

'Aargh! Are you crazy?' A loud bang. 'I've bumped my head! Put the lights back on! Argh! The floor's slippery! Tanaka!'

Feeling his way in the dark, Bard suddenly saw a small rectangle of light open some meters ahead and above. Gratefully, he groped for it, stumbling upwards, tripping, hurting his knees.

He was caught by a white gloved hand and embraced by warm, golden light. Saved. At last.

Sebastian's auburn eyes looked down at him with an expression that was rather amazed than angry.

'You could at least have waited, until I had made it all the way up the stairs,' he said, then smiled. 'But you may call me ‚Light Bringer' any time again. I could take to the sound of it.'

Blushing with embarrassment, Bard got up and mumbled something unintelligible. Then he hurried off towards the kitchen.

Sebastian looked after him.

'I think, I'd better lock this door,' he told Tanaka. 'May I ask you a favour?'

'Ho ho ho,' agreed Tanaka.

'Thank you. Listen - ' Sebastian whispered in the old man's ear.

Thirty seconds later, he was rushing towards Ciel's bedroom and changing his appearance, as he hurried along the corridor. He threw open the door and -

'What are you doing up there?' asked Sebastian, perplexed.

Goolie was perched on the wooden frame of Ciel's canopy bed like an oversized grey cat. Stone claws and feet were all clasped around the same fifteen or so inches of wood. It looked dangerous for both, the gargoyle and the bed.

'Oh, mylord,' said Goolie. 'Your ward - the human, who named me, he told me to find a roof and settle on it to wait for rain. The roof of this mansion is perfect for attaching oneself. But I thought, I could wait for the rain in here.' Goolie shifted its weight. The wood creaked. 'The window was open and there's something about this room that makes me wish its owner was fond of gargoyles. I hope he allows me to stay a little longer.'

Of course, Sebastian knew exactly, what the little creature was talking about.

But he was not prepared to serve his master's cup of morning tea from now on under the eyes of a grey stone guardian.

'Did it occur to you that the structure was not built for gargoyles to sit on? That it will break?'

'That's fine,' said Goolie, starting to crawl. 'I'll just move over to the corner, where the two beams meet, and - '

'NO!' yelled Sebastian over the cracking of wood and then added, 'Don't move. I'm going to get you down.' He looked around. 'Somehow...'

'You could catch me,' Goolie suggested, hopefully.

'Right. I could.' Sebastian continued his search for a tool.

'Please? I've always wanted to know so badly, how it feels.'

Sebastian looked up, cocking his eyebrows. 'You've only been alive since two weeks.'

'If you're waiting for someone to catch you, two weeks is an awfully long time,' said Goolie with great earnest.

Sebastian stared, then sighed. 'Alright. But you'll come with me back to the assembly, afterwards.'

'I will,' promised Goolie. 'I can take us both there. Once I'm airborne, I can carry a lot of weight.'

'So can I - I hope.' Sebastian opened his arms and the gargoyle jumped. Sebastian caught it effortlessly, but Goolie's wing brushed a valuable china vase from a table. Sebastian dashed forward to catch it on his toes – and remembered that that would leave him balancing the weight of a small elephant on about seven square-inches, the toes and the stiletto heel of his left foot.

He could do it. But could the floor take the - oh dear! Too late!

The china vase hung in front of his nose, undamaged.

Goolie smiled up at him and winked its eye. That thing had claws at the end of its wings, and it had hooked one into the opening of the vase as it fell.

Reluctant, then with increasing sympathy, the demon returned the smile.

'Feels good.' Goolie snuggled against him. 'Can we do it again?'

'Maybe next week. When I've recovered from the joy of the first time.' Sebastian carried the gargoyle to the window and, after giving it time to prepare, dropped it. Then he jumped off the sill and landed on Goolie's back, standing leg and free leg, dangerously poised between sky and earth.

'I'm afraid, I'm too small for you to sit on my back,' said Goolie. 'Is it very uncomfortable, having to stand up all the time?'

'Too small?,' asked the demon. 'I could do a handstand up here.' And, being in a playful mood, he did.

Ciel had wondered, how Sebastian would bring about the second swapping of roles. Was he supposed to prepare the scene? Enter the shrubbery, maybe, or find some pretense to inspect one of the tents? Should he look out for strangely trusting animals, a black dog or a cat or maybe, a crow?

He found out that none of it was necessary. Sitting on the throne, Ciel suddenly felt lifted up by two hands, and another body slid between him and the seat. A well-known voice whispered in his ear, 'What the hell is going on here?'

'A card-playing contest.' Ciel turned and glared at Sebastian. 'I will hear no flippant remarks. After all, I had to come up with something to keep them entertained.'

'I see,' said Sebastian, stunned.

'Also, the Viscount Druitt got turned into a frog, the bogeyman was taken by a green ghost light, and I only barely rescued May-Rin from becoming a sacrifice. Oh, and if you come across the Kelpie, stay clear of her hooves. She might bear a little grudge. I guess I know, what you two did, but she thinks you forgot, and she seemed... sort of upset.' Ciel moved to sit on the armrest. 'How was your evening?'

'Your mansion is safe.' Sebastian smiled enigmatically. 'Who chose May-Rin for becoming my sacrifice?'

'Lidia thought you had an interest in May-Rin, so she – what's so funny?'

'Lidia, yes?' Sebastian had spotted the fairy waiting in the background and beckoned her to come over. 'You caused quite a commotion, young master. You truly have demonic potential. But there's one thing, you need to learn about offerings.'

'That is?' asked Ciel, boiling inside. Sebastian took the chalice from Lidia's hand.

'You can accept them,' he said, taking a swig. 'Or reject,' he continued and splashed the drink in Lidia's face. 'The choice is yours.' He flicked his hand and the fairy's clothes came off, as if the seams had been cut.

Well, though Ciel, stunned by the speed of the actions, that was probably one way to do it.

Lidia stopped rubbing her eyes, as she needed her arms to cross them over her bosom.

'So, choose.' Sebastian concluded. He stood up and placed his hands on Lidia's bare shoulders. Turning her around, he presented her to the court. 'Behold - the Hawthorn Lady.'

The crowds cheered.

'And put down your cards!'

Hundreds of cards were torn out of the player's hands by a gust of wind and fluttered through the air. Some got too close to the camp fires and went up in flames like so many giant fire flies.

The fairy placed her hand in the crook of the demon's arm. 'You honour me greatly, mylord,' she whispered.

'I like your style,' the demon informed her, as he started to descend the steps. 'You did everything to draw my attention.'

'Including drawing your blood,' she agreed, walking on bare feet by his side. 'I flogged you as hard as I could.'

Lidia could see the reflections of tumbling, blazing cards in his eyes, as he turned to her.

'Guess what? I noticed,' he said.

'Guess what? I wanted you to notice.' She raised her chin and the demon descended on her like a black bird on a wounded doe.

Ciel made a face. Gathering his cards, he gestured at the next best creatures to join him. Goolie and Willow the Wisp followed his invitation. Ciel was surprised to see the gargoyle, but he was happy for the company.

Four rounds of 'Old Maid' later, he glimpsed Sebastian and Lidia dancing with the crowd. Lidia was moving gracefully, turning and posing. She seemed to strive to evade the demon, who was, in turn, trying to outmaneuver her and get a look in her eyes. Thus they pivoted and piouretted, they writhed and wreathed, attacked and feigned, from left and right, from above and below. But they were not touching. Lidia set the pace, and whatever she did, the demon timed his own movements so that there was a small distance, no wider than a finger, but carefully kept at all times. Ciel marvelled at the speed and grace of their dance. Had he ever thought the Viennese waltz was a challenge?

Well, the difficulty comes with the closeness, he thought stubbornly. Anyone could weave around another, if there was a distance to observe... Distance was the key to many things, mentally and physically...

When Ciel looked again, however, the distance was gone. The beat or drums and flutes was hammering now, and the Hawthorn Lord and Lady had linked arms with each other and were skipping wildly in narrow circles. Someone passed them a dish, and Sebastian picked a morsel of something and fed it to the fairy. Lidia's glossy red lips sucked the crumbs from Sebastian's fingers...

Ciel found it increasingly hard to concentrate on his game. He wasn't sure whether he wanted to welcome the feelings that stirred within him, so he used them to fuel his anger and refusal. Those things, he at least knew how to deal with...

And then, as if alerted by his master's blackening mood, Sebastian was beside him.

From the corner of his eye, Ciel saw the dark shape slide up to him and knew him by the way his fellow players edged away reverently.

Ciel took his time, reorganizing the cards in his hand. The silence stretched. The dark shape waited.

Then –

'Pistachios,' said Ciel.

'Pistachios?' echoed the demon.

'That's what you wanted to know, isn't it? You wanted to know what was on my mind. One penny for my thoughts. Well, keep your money. The answer's: pistachios.'

'I'm sure it's a rewarding subject to contemplate,' said Sebastian, deadly serious.

'I was thinking of that day in October,' Ciel explained. 'When Funtom's latest selection of fine chocolates was released, remember? I received the first box, and Liz- my fiancée decided to feed toffees to me. She enjoyed it, and I'd have tasted them anyway, so I left her her way. But she ate the pistachio off every toffee. I told her to stop. But she just kept eating them.'

'The loss obviously runs deep,' stated the demon. He still kept a straight face.

'You simply don't do that to people,' Ciel insisted. 'Eating which they love most, even when they asked you not to.'

Sebastian smiled. 'Is that supposed to tell me something?'

'No,' said Ciel. 'It's just something that came to my mind when I watched you and Lidia enjoying yourselves. Maybe I'm going crazy like the rest of you people. Maybe, I'd really make a good demon. I don't know.' He waved his hand, impatiently. 'I'm in the middle of a game. Leave me alone.'

The demon watched him with an almost gentle expression in his red eyes. 'Young master, please understand that of all the toffees in the world, you'd be the only one with a pistachio on top.'

Now, it was Ciel's turn to stare.

'If I was fond of chocolate,' Sebastian hurried to specify. 'I mean, I'd leave the pistachio for you.' He reconsidered. 'Of course, I'd do that anyway. Yes. Rely on me to leave a pistachio for you. Anytime.'

More mystified staring on Ciel's part.

Gravely, the demon nodded his head, 'Mm-hmm!'

'Gosh, Sebastian,' said Ciel, astonished. 'Stop drinking that stuff.'

'I probably should,' Sebastian agreed, pointing. 'I imagine seeing a frog peeping out of your pocket.'

'The Viscount Druitt.' Ciel took the sad youth on his hand. 'How am I going to find a maiden who's willing to kiss him and break the spell?'

'Where's the problem?' asked Goolie timidly, inching closer.

'The problem is that the Kelpie wasn't a maiden, and no one else seems prepared to touch him.' By now, Ciel was so used to his strange company that he didn't even notice he was explaining things to a gargoyle. 'I thought about ordering May-Rin, but after our last - conversation, I find it too embarrassing...'

'I think he looks cute.' Goolie cocked its head and put a finger to its mouth. 'He reminds me of my fellow gargoyle, left hand side, when I was still attached to that roof.'

Ciel looked up in surprise and even the frog's bulbing eyes seemed to grow larger. They nearly popped out of his head, when the gargoyle took him on its stony hand. Goolie tried its best to purse its lips and –

Smack!

The frog was gone and the Viscount Druitt sat on the ground, with the gargoyle's hard, stone cold lips on his mouth. He made a muffled sound, struggled to break free, and stumbled to his feet, already at a run. Goolie clung to his leg.

'Oh, you're pretty,' the gargoyle sang happily, 'soft, soft golden hair, let me sit on your roof and wait for rain, can I, please?'

'Myloooord!' the viscount called, hobbling straight into the night. 'Do help me!'

'Don't go there,' murmured Ciel. 'There's something lurking at the heart of every darkness.'

'Frog-forming fairies,' said Sebastian, snickering.

'Girlie-Goolie gargoyles,' said Ciel, shrugging. 'Did you know, he was really a girl?'

'Wasn't that obvious?'

'No, it wasn't, and you're not fooling me one bit! It was news for you, too.'

The educated werewolf approached the dais at a quick trot. 'Mylord! You must come and restore order. The Hawthorn Lady seems to have put warts in the face of the maid, whose sacrifice you refused. And now the May-Rin is throwing things at the Hawthorn Lady and the shinigami is somehow involved, too...'

In the distance, Ciel saw Lidia flying through the air. He had to look twice to see that she was sitting on the ram-skulled staff - the Hawthorn Lord's scepter. She was circling and power diving and apparently bickering with someone among the earth-bound crowds. From below came a viscious barrage of stones and other missiles: May-Rin must've taken off her glasses, for she scored an amazing number of hits.

Sebastian sighed. 'Well, I'd better go and take a look.'

'It's your night off,' said Ciel, dispassionately. 'Enjoy yourself.'

Sebastian climbed to his feet without the early evening's playful attitude, standing leg and free leg. He seemed happy to stay balanced, and now he actually, unconsciously put a hand to his head.

'Gosh, Sebastian...,' whispered Ciel, unable to decide whether to gloat or to start feeling alarmed. He watched the demon pass through the crowd, when someone shuffled and blew his nose close by. Ciel turned and saw Goolie. The little gargoyle's face was as unhappy as it could possibly express.

'Goolie? Good gracious! What happened?'

'The sun-haired human is with the Kelpie,' the gargoyle sniffed. 'And I'm going to see the basilisks. I want to be turned into stone. I never hurt this much, when I was made of stone.'

'But Goolie, you are made of stone.'

But Goolie just limped on, trailing heartfelt and unhappiness.

Do I understand any of the things that drive these people tonight, Ciel wondered. No. Do I want to learn about them? I don't think so.

I want to go home.

He was being dealt cards. He looked up.

Willow the Wisp flickered his light at him. So did two smaller ghost lights.

'Meet my Wisps,' Willow said.

Smiling, Ciel took up his cards.

Bard looked up, when someone entered his kitchen. It was a bespectacled, tall man in an immaculate suit, who carried something like a gardener's tool in his hand.

'I am William T. Spears, Dispatch Management Division,' the stranger said. 'I have come for the tail suit.'

'Bardroy. Flambée Manager and Head of Dinner Squad,' Bard said. 'Tail suits are in the Butler's Division. I can see, if he's - '

'Ho ho ho,' said Tanaka, handing Spears a neatly folded bundle of black cloth.

'Thank you,' said the stranger. 'That was pleasantly easy. All the more, since I am doing overtime here. But, of course, that is something, his kind of parasites will never understand - or be grateful for.'

And he left.

'He was probably a chef, too,' sighed Bard. 'The things I have to put up with.'

One hour later, Ciel was still engaged in a game of ‚Old Maid' with Willow and the Wisps. Around them, things had taken their predictable course. The fires had burnt down. Most of the humans and the better part of the supernatural creatures were out cold. Ciel had even successfully coaxed Sebastian into laying down, when moving about no longer seemed a recommendable option. Sebastian had argued that he was only having problems with his balance, because he didn't feel the floor under his feet as a side-effect to the ritual painkilling drink.

His teeth kept getting in the way of his 'f' sounds. Another side-effect, obviously.

Whatever the definition, the result was pretty much the same. For the last half hour Ciel had been sitting comfortably on the demon's stomach. Sebastian's eyes were half open and he kept peeping into Ciel's cards. However, he seemed not interested in partaking in the game; he was perfectly satisfied being near to his master, even if Ciel's weight was interfering with his ability to breathe. Ciel, on the other hand, felt that things were finally back under his control, even if they were not exactly buzzing with their usual activity.

Thus, they were sharing a rare moment of togetherness, feeling both quite contented with their current position and the world in general.

'Dawn is breaking,' said Willow. 'I can feel it. My light is waning.'

'Then maybe we should notify the Hawthorn Lord?' suggested one of the Wisps.

Ciel reached down and shook Sebastian. 'Hey? Mylord? Are you awake?'

Instead of opening all the way, the demon's eyes closed completely.

'Go on and tell me again, you're not smashed, just dizzy,' muttered Ciel. "Come on. Look at me."

'The Hawthorn Lady is coming,' muttered Willow.

Ciel turned and found a small procession, led by Lidia, crossing the clearing. She was wearing a coat now, that looked like one of the white, dewy spider webs one can find on late summer mornings. It even had tiny, glistening stars in it. She held it closed in front of her, as she ascended the dais and stooped over Sebastian.

'Mylord,' she said softly. 'It's time.'

Sebastian seemed not too inclined to jump to his feet and take the scepter. 'Eleven minutes...,' he mumbled.

'Yes,' said Lidia, patiently. 'But we still have to get you ready.'

'Listen,' Ciel said. 'I respect your heathen ritual. But, as you can see, your Hawthorn Lord is in no condition to devise a speech for anyone. Let's call it a night.'

'We can't.' Lidia shook her head. 'The ritual must be concluded.'

'Alright then,' said Ciel, who had seen this coming and made his decision. 'This has taken enough of my time. Let me take his place.'

'You? But - are you up to the task?'

'I bear his mark, after all. And I guess, I can find some praising words for the sun anytime.' Ciel looked down at the demon. But Sebastian lay unresponsive, listening or asleep, there was no way of telling. 'Come on. Let's go.'

Followed by the small procession, Ciel accompanied Lidia to a man-sized wooden frame. It consisted of a wickerwork of hawthorn and and bramble and withies. Like May-Rin's altar, it was draped and loaden with flowers. Unlike the sacrificial altar, it was tilted slightly, making it comfortable for Ciel to lean back and watch the horizon for the first light of the rising daystar.

'Is there anything I should know? Special words? Or gestures?'

'Know?' Lidia looked surprised. 'What's there to know? You simply wait. And then the sun rises. In about...seven minutes.'

When the procession left, two lonely figures lingered, confused and uncertain of what to do.

It took Finny some courage to approach the sprawled demon. He lifted up one limp wrist. 'Seba- this scary toothy-thingie is not really well.'

'And the young master, who looks like our young master, is with that fairy-woman,' said May-Rin. 'That's not good.'

'It was his choice, so let him have his way,' said Sebastian from below. 'Eight minutes now.'

Finny hurried to help him get to his feet.

'Thanks, Finny. Can you help me get to my ward's side?'

'Why bother?' asked Finny, as he supported his burden across the littered clearing. 'You said, it was his choice.'

The demon smiled. 'Yes. But it's my job.'

Just at that moment and twenty meters away, Ciel realized that the wickerwork frame was not only some kind of picturesque background. The worked-in brambles developed a creepy life of their own, winding around his wrists and ankles. He started to shout orders, 'Take that off!' and 'Let me go!' and 'I swear, you'll pay dearly, if you don't release me this instant!'

'See,' said the demon, tripping over an unconscious piper and hanging on to Finny for balance. 'He's already changing his mind.'

Ciel searched for his demon, and he was relieved, when his gaze was met.

Sebastian smiled and held up one finger. 'Young master? You persuade how to know me.'

'What?' asked Finny and May-Rin.

'Yes, I know,' said Ciel, softly. 'But I won't call out for you in front of all these people. Come here.'

Sebastian let go of Finny's shoulder and staggered over to Ciel's side. He clutched the wooden frame as soon as it came within reach, needing the support.

'I hope you agree that this is a desaster,' snarled Ciel. 'And I refer to both, my present state and your sorry condition, as well as all the correlations between.'

'You're mistaken, young master. The real desaster is yet about to happen.' Sebastian pointed and Ciel followed the hint.

Almost too thin to see, a little wisp of smoke rose from the hawthorn at Ciel's feet. As he stared at it, transfixed with sudden concern, he smelled a trace of burning hay and realized that the brambles next to his head were starting to smoulder.

'Sebastian,' breathed Ciel. 'The wood is catching fire.'

Sebastian faked a worried expression. 'My, my. What a mess. - I told you not to act the earl around here.'

'Shut up,' hissed Ciel. 'Stop making that face. It's not funny!'

'No. Actually, it's rather agonizing, if you step into it unprepared.' Sebastian sighed and shook his head and squinted at the horizon.

Ciel suddenly saw another kind of light: 'So that's the pain you meant to kill? I thought, you talked about the initial flogging!'

'Oh that. No, that was simply a warm-up ritual.' Sebastian folded his arms and conveniently leaned on the frame. 'Drawing the demon's blood makes the humans feel more at ease. They like the idea of being in control of things. But it's the vows that really matter. Body and blood. Life and soul.' Sebastian smiled. 'Pure symbolism. But one, you should have listened to. Before you started acting the earl.'

'Thank you so very much for enlightening me,' Ciel all but yelled. 'You could've told me, this would happen! You could've told me, while there was still time!'

'Why, you didn't ask.' The demon's smirk screamed for a brick to smash it.

Unfortunately, there was no brick sufficiently endurable to survive being smashed in those fangs. Not on this world, anyway.

'I did.'

'No, you didn't. Well, not for the specifics, at any rate.'

'Why would I?' Ciel said, angily. 'No questions on the night of May the first, remember?'

'You lot are always so motivated, trying to talk your way out of damnation.' Unfazed, Sebastian tried to employ a casual posture, standing leg and free leg, and almost toppled over. Gravity really wasn't his friend, today. 'But I like that spirit in tiny, bound humans. I'll ask you one last time: Do you - '

'We! Already! Have a contract! Good gracious, what cloud are you on?' Terrified, Ciel saw the sun rise over the horizon. It was only the first glimpse of the rim of the radiant disc, but it seemed so much brighter than any light he'd ever seen before. Whiter than the glow of a newly forged horseshoe.

'Oh dear.' Sebastian straightened up. 'I guess this means, my night off is over...'

Ciel had never before noticed, but the demon was also slurring his ‚f' sounds, only in an different way, when he was using his teeth for pulling tight a white glove.

Then he felt the wooden frame receive a hard jerk, just as the dry wood around him ignited with a series of cackling explosions. The frame tilted, giving Ciel a precious half second before the wickerwork around his head burst into flames. In that half second, Ciel was busy trashing, struggling, frantic to scream out Sebastian's name and choking on the searing hot air that filled his lungs.

Next, he was out of the furnace, sent stumbling forward by a powerful push. He was caught by human hands.

'Finny! May-Rin!' But the person, he really wanted to shout out for, was Sebastian.

Sebastian, who was but a darker shape in the blinding radiance of the flames. He seemed to stand very straight and face the horizon.

Ciel wanted to order him to get out of there. But his voice caught in his throat, as memories threatened to overwhelm him.

I don't want to see another burnt corpse, I don't -

He noticed a red shape sliding up to them and whipped around.

'Now, you're mine,' said Grell Sutcliff in a funereal voice to the blazing fire. He turned, beamed down at Ciel and wiggled excitedly, his voice rising to its usual pitch. 'Oooh, how I've been waiting to say that!'

'So that's what you're really here for,' said Ciel.

The shinigami ignored him. He watched the inferno and licked his lips.

Ciel persisted, 'You've been here for him all along. And he knew.'

'Of course. Everyone here knows,' said Lidia. 'Light burns away the dark. The reign of the Sun ends the terror of Winter. That's what this celebration is about. That's what the Hawthorn Lord stands for.'

Ciel stared at her with bloodshot eyes. 'He can't die. He's a demon. I won't believe that he's dead.'

'Ah sorry. It's not a question of what you believe,' said the graduated werewolf.

The stake collapsed, burying Sebastian under a heap of blazing wood. Sparks whirled up and filled the air.

'My call. Outta my way!' Grell jumped into the blaze. His red hair and crimson coat seemed to become one with the dying fire. The light reflected on his scissors, as they clicked.

'No,' screamed Ciel. 'Don't use your death scythe on – ow!' Surprised, he put his hand to the eye that bore the mark.

'Oh,' he heard Grell Sutcliff's surprised voice. 'Oh no! Not again! Listen, you can't just – there are rules!'

Ciel stared at the crimson on his fingers: Body and blood. Life and -

'Sebastian,' he whispered, stunned, as the full impact and significance of events finally started to register.

'I'll go on strike,' yelled Grell, dancing on the smouldering ashes like a crazed Rumpelstiltkin and waving his fist at the thin air. 'You – you demon! I want to see it all! Show me the juicy stuff!'

+++ End of Chapter 4 +++