Chapter Nine

In Which They Burn

"Are you sure this is going to work?" Sebastian asked Liz, looking down at the small fire and the sticks. They were standing in their human forms, Ciel, Will, Grell, Ronald, Lizzy, and the Undertaker gathered around. Everyone but the Undertaker had come to help—Undertaker was simply watching with glee.

"I've done it once before. Claude's extreme fear is one of fire—if we want to draw him out, fire is what we need to use." Liz gently stoked the fire, making it a little bigger. "On my count, we all light our sticks. Then, light the area all around the boarder. Undertaker and I have already dug out trenches, so the fire will go only to the trenches and no farther."

Beside Ciel, Lizzy was shaking with excitement and fear. "I can't believe it! I'm actually helping in an attack! Aren't I so amazing, Ciel?"

Ciel sighed slightly, looking over at Lizzy. "Yes. For helping us, you'll probably go down as a hero." She squealed in excitement, and Ciel looked over at Sebastian, standing on his right.

"Take him out," he whispered, and Sebastian nodded. Looking around, Sebastian noticed that Will was standing rigid beside Grell, watching the fire. Fire seemed to be his weakness too, but he was overcoming it to fight Claude. Grell was watching the fire with interest, revenge sparkling in his eyes.

"Now," Liz said, grabbing her stick. "Light them, and go forth and burn!" she howled, yells of joy coming up from the group. Sebastian watched as the sticks turned red with flames, and the people bounded away. Lighting his, he took off towards the boarder, watching as the dry, parched grass was quickly engulfed with flames. It only took a few minutes for the boarder to be filled with searing heat and in a glow of red. It was now time for Sebastian to begin his search.

He searched most of the Black Lands territory, until he came to a secluded space. There was a large rock overhanging one of the trenches that Liz and Undertaker had dug, and it was filled with flames. In fact, the entire place was in the middle of a trench. Flames engulfed the area around it, and he could hear hissing and roaring from up in a tree. Claude. Going to the tree, Sebastian smiled up at him.

"Not so tough now, are we?" Sebastian grinned wider as Claude answered with a roar, jumping down.

"So that tiger told you my weakness, did she?" Claude growled, turning into his human form.
"And I'm guessing you're here to kill me?"

"Why yes, I am."

"Well, perhaps you should re-think that."

Sebastian raised an eyebrow. "And why would I do that?"

"Because right now, my most elite warriors and Alois are surrounding your dear Ciel, and he doesn't even know it. If Alois hears my signal, he and my warriors will kill him, and you know what happens when someone else kills a demon's master."

"They'll be stuck in the demon world forever, where they will eventually go insane from their hunger."

Claude chuckled. "What a smart kitty! However, you can save Ciel from this fate. Do you want to know how?"

Sebastian swallowed. "Anything for my bocchan."

"To save him, all you have to do is let me kill you. Watching you burn in those flames will be fun."

Sebastian's eyes widened. That's right…Ronald, Grell, and Will helped start those flames. They're Shinigami, so if I get burned in those flames…it all comes down to this. "Spare my bocchan, Claude Faustus. Take me instead."

Claude laughed. "Hah! It looks like I've truly won, huh?" He backed Sebastian up to the end of the rock, where Sebastian's feet slipped and he grabbed hold of the rock. Fear was swimming in his reddish eyes as he looked up at Claude, eyes wide. "Now, you get to burn, nice and long and painfully." Claude placed his foot on Sebastian's left hand, pushing down and smiling as Sebastian yelped in pain.

"Not so fast!" A voice called. That voice…it can't be! Sebastian thought, as a blur of red and cream slammed into Claude's side. The sound reminded him of two boulders slamming into each other.

"Grell!" Sebastian called, struggling to get up on the rock. The husky was at Claude's throat, sharp teeth digging in deep. Growling, Claude kicked Grell hard in the stomach, sending the dog flying. He hit the ground hard, and whimpered, lying still in pain.

Laughing, Claude walked over to Grell. "A valiant effort you put up, little dog." Just as he went to put his foot on Grell's side, the husky suddenly jumped up and sunk his sharp teeth into Claude's leg. Blood splattered onto his cream-colored muzzle and chest, and Claude yelled in pain, quickly switching to his panther form. He raked his claws down Grell's forehead, chest, and part of his side, but the husky only slammed him over and over into the ground, then threw him into a tree. Claude yowled in pain, slumping down, helpless as Grell walked over to him, panting heavily.

"You disgust me, Claude Faustus. I am going to kill you, and make it slow and painful," Grell sneered, leaning down to deliver the killing blow.

"Grell stop. It was my assignment to kill Claude, not yours. You are done." Sebastian said, walking over. Grell nodded, backing off. However, Sebastian made no move to kill the panther, and simply watched as he stood.

"Y-you're going to regret this," Claude snarled, quickly jumping away into the flame-illuminated night. Turning, Grell started to walk off, but his legs crumpled and he fell.

"Grell!" Sebastian ran to the husky, looking at his wounds. They were deep, and blood still flowed from them. The warm air around them didn't help to stop the bleeding. "Hold on, I'll take you to Liz."

"No, don't worry about it," Grell told him, wincing. "I was supposed to die a long time ago. My usefulness is over," he whispered, coughing and wheezing. "Just leave me here."

"Your usefulness is not over, and I refuse to leave you here to die. Just because I don't like you doesn't mean I'm going to abandon you." Sebastian crouched down to face Grell. "Just hold on, you hear me?"

Grell smiled slightly. "Claude was right. You are persistent." With that, the husky passed out, eyes closing as his body went limp and he changed forms.

Sighing, Sebastian heaved Grell into his arms. "While your heart is still beating, Sutcliff, it is still my responsibility to save you."