Chapter 11
The Place Where Angels Weep
Hey guys, hope you enjoy please review. And I'm SO sorry about the wait...honestly I didn't realize this has been up for a year! It turns out the quizzes stopped uploading and I doubt ever will finish soooo I'm going to have to make it up as I go and since I'm kind of tired of this story hopefully I can tie it up soon. Please enjoy!
Once I stepped out onto the cobblestone I realized how late it was, the world cast in a pale light from the moon as it hung gently in the sky, outshined only by its neighboring stars.
It's beautiful. I thought as I stepped up to their carriage, taking a moment to absorb it's beauty before stepping into the carriage, taking my seat across from the earl.
"So what were you doing out so late?" the boy asked as Sebastian sat in the front, taking the reins.
"Out for an evening stroll, you?" I said almost sarcastically, my night had been far too long for simple questions. The boy's brows furrowed in annoyance continuing as if I hadn't spoken.
"We saw you disappeared from the party...we assumed the Count had taken you."
"Wait," I cut him off. "You knew about Druitt's...sales and you didn't save me?" I asked, my voice dripping with disgust.
"I saw the Undertaker there." he informed me, "You were in good hands..." he trailed off, knowing I knew that the term good was up for debate.
"And still you didn't stop him." I snapped, crossing my arms.
"I am the Queen's guard dog." the boy said simply. "My job is to control the crime underground...not stop it."
"Uh." I groaned in disgust, my hair flipping sharply as I turned to look out the window, so frustrated I wanted to be done with him for the night.
"Young master." Sebastian called back to us, his demon hearing having been eavesdropping. "What is our destination?" Ciel's gaze turned to me, and I hesitated.
"Have you ever heard of the place where angel's weep?" I sighed, knowing that without their help I would have no chance of completing my mission.
"I can't say that I have." Ciel answered, propping his chin on his hand. "Care to elaborate?"
"Well...it's more or a legend than anything." I told him. "A long time ago it was used as sacrificial grounds, the most horrible people would gather up innocents and slit their throats, torture them and stain the ground with their blood, some of the murderer's even committed suicide there once they realized they wouldn't escape after what they'd done."
"So it was just a place of homicide?" the boy clarified, as if to ask why didn't you just say so.
"Somewhat...hundreds of people died there."
"So not homicide...mass homicide." Rolling my eyes I continued, ignoring the boy's seemingly indifferent opinion of the garden of souls.
"The man behind the idea was determined to capture an angel. It was said that the tears of an angel could grant immortality and tranquility if drinken...but that's just a legend, angels don't cry." I stated, almost as if to point out useless the whole endeavor was. Now the place is stained with the blood of the innocent and the spirits of the wicked."
"And where exactly is this tainted land?"
"High gate cemetery." I said weakly, watching the boy's interest suddenly peek. The graveyard was certainly the largest in the world, serving as both a cemetery and a nature preserve. "It's very demonic land...very dangerous at night...especially to somebody like, me or Sebastian."
"Speak for yourself madam." Sebastian called from the front, having already set us on a speeded path. "Places of unrest can cause disturbances to that of a lesser demon yes, but I am more than capable of handling myself...after all what kind of a butler would I be if I couldn't protect my master from some spirits?"
"Right." I mumbled, resting my head on my arm against the window. "Of course you can."
It wasn't long before we arrived at the cemetery, the moon still rising high into the now cloudy sky, as if reflecting the wicked places unease.
"I've taken care of the night watch." Sebastian reported, appearing to me and Ciel with a friendly smile. "Allow me, my lord." The demon picked up the boy before he could reply, leaping over the large gate and into the grassy field before returning, lifting me bridal style over the fence.
"There is supposed to be a large angel statue at the center of the graves." I announced, dusting off my dress. "It's a grave marker yes, but it serves another purpose, a reminder of the dark beginnings of this land. I suppose we should start there."
"And just why do you suppose that is?" Sebastian asked, stepping forward, barely more than a shadow against the dark gate behind him. "The last time I checked you said the sword was with the count."
"Y-yes..." I stuttered, the eerie calm in his voice sending chills down my spine. A sudden wind rustling the graves and trees as an unease washed over me the dark omens of this wicked place proving too much for my nerves. "But the Undertaker said-"
"Because the undertaker said so..." Sebastian grumbled, obviously displeased. "Or perhaps you've been lying to us?" I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Was this...was this a mutiny!?
"N-no not at all." I choked out to surprise really to react. Honestly I was just as in the dark about this as they were. I took a few steps back, placing some protective space between myself and the demon. His smile had faded, replaced by pure indifference boring anger, his red eyes seemed to glow in the night, piercing mine like water. I couldn't fight him, not a demon of his class, in my state.
"Of course." he grumbled, before stepping past me, leading myself and his young master further down the wooded path. His sharp eyes flickering through the trees for threats. But all I could do was watch him wearily, my eyes glued to the demon's back. Mere moments before he seemed ready to fight...ready to kill me. And here I was, still following him into the night. But I was no longer sure that I would make it out alive.
"Sebastian." Ciel barked, the young boy having come to a stop. "What's that?" ahead of us there was a figure, a dark silhouette of a man standing in the dead of the road, unable to make out his features under the soft moonlight. The demon's eyes sharpened, examining the creature as it began to limp towards us. None of us moved for a moment, not until he drew closer, lifting his head to reveal a sunken ghost like face. A rasping groan escaping his nonexistent lips before flinging his corpse at us. I let out a short cry of shock as Ciel barked his orders.
"Sebastian!" without any hesitation the raven haired butler met the ghost, his silverware sparkling in the moonlight, a single knife slicing through the ghost like fog, leaving nothing behind. "What was that?" Neither of us had time to answer as the bushes around us began to rustle, white figments emerging with banshee like shrieks. Sebastian hopped into action, sliding gracefully around us, cutting though the spirits as if they were nothing more than mist.
"Sebastian! What's going on!?"
"I think somebody is using the soul sword to raise the spirits of the cemetery." I answered, yelling over the sound of the screaming spirits, covering my ears to their moans and cries. It was awful, truly souls dragged from the pit of hell yet Sebastian seemed unphased as my vision almost blurred, my mind dazed. There were too many, too loud, too much. Too much! I turned fleeing into the forest.
"Crystal come back!" Ciel shouted, gritting his teeth as I ran off, leaving Sebastian to merely glare at my shrinking figure before returning his attention to protecting his master. I couldn't help it, something inside me was rising, an uncontrollable terror. It was as if the distant screams were meant for me, not from the spirits but an order from the sword itself. I'd slowed nearly to a stop when a hand grabbed me roughly by the shoulder and in an instant I found myself slammed against a tree, my back and shoulder aching from the force.
"Well, well, I told you I'd find you." I glanced up, finding myself inches away from a familiar blonde.
"Alois!" I choked, oh I so did not have time for this! My head and heart were pounding, my stomach flipping as my heart sunk from my chest. I didn't even feel like myself.
"Show me your wings." he ordered roughly, his tight grip bruising my shoulders with his fingerprints. "NOW!" he snapped, his hand coming down hard against my cheek. What was this kid's problem!? I couldn't even imagine what must have been going on in his mind but he didn't wait for a reaction, instead he snapped his fingers. He was done waiting and Claude approached, appearing from the shaded trees behind the boy. I didn't wait to see what he had in mind. Ripping myself from his grasp I hurried through the woods.
"Claude, after her." the butler's figure never seemed to vanish, no matter how fast I ran he was faster, appearing almost as if he wasn't running at all.
"Leave me alone!" I cried, sliding to a halt an instant later as Claude landed mere inches in front of me.
"I would advise against moving." he said, his voice an eerie calm, his cold golden eyes shimmering with delight behind his glasses. The corner of his lips twisting up into a cruel smirk. It only took me a moment to realize what he meant. Metal twine covered the trees around me, surrounding me like a fly in a web. I was trapped. "One. Single. Step. Could be your undoing." Claude said, taking three defiant steps forward. "Now please...your wings... before I cut them out of your body."
Alois appeared somewhere behind me with a laugh, clapping his hands slowly, congratulating Claude on a job well done.
"You're crazy." I hissed, "Both of you. Let me go!"
"Aw, aren't you having fun?" Alois teased, circling around in front of me, guided carefully by Claude for protection from his own twine. Taking a strand of my raven hair and twirling it playfully between his fingers. I had to get out of this. "Now why don't you show me those pretty little wings of yours?"
"Over my dead body." I hissed, earning a disapproving glare, an animalistic defense snapping in my mind. He was to close, he was frustrating and uncomfortable. I couldn't do this anymore. I couldn't let him kill me, not here. I was so close, I'd come so far! I was desperate. That's when I heard it again, the incredible high ear piercing shriek not for mortal's ears. My skin crawled, my teeth and eyes clenching tight. It felt like I was going insane. What the hell was it?!
"Now...That wasn't very nice." Alois pouted, snapping his fingers nonchalantly. "Claude!" There was an instance hesitation as the boy looked at the demon over his shoulder, one hand pressed painfully to his right temple. "Claude? What's wrong? Destroy her Claude. Make her show me her wings! That's an order!"
"Uh, yes your highness..." Claude said disoriented as he stumbled forward, obviously distracted by the same soul clenching noise I heard.
I let out a high pitched scream, agony ripping me apart from the inside, startling Alois into stumbling back. What was this hellish noise? Claude raised his arm groggily, his attack sloppy and instead hitting the web and setting me free. Even in my dizzied state I dashed, running away from the boys as fast as I could my feet carrying me quickly away from the webs.
"Claude you idiot!" Alois began to shriek. "Look what you did!" the sound of a hand on skin pierced through the night. "After her!"
The rest was a bit of a blur for a while. Dazed and disoriented as spirits appeared, chasing me, attacking me, guiding me. Until I came to a large mausoleum at the center of the cemetery. Above it a statue of a beautiful angel silhouetted in moonlight. the screaming in my head came to a dead silence, ghosts and spirits around me seemed to vanish leaving me with nothing but the rustling wind as the angel danced against the moonlight, her wings and dress moving gracefully across the roof of the tomb. It was no statute. I stared in awe for a moment, as the woman danced with the wind to some invisible music box, it's not carried on the wind, the figure twirling before coming to a sudden stop to face me. A kind and loving smile curving her lips.
"Angela." I whispered my awe, a relieved smile touching my lips. "You're here to save me." I bit my lip. My heart filling with gratitude, the kind gesture alone was enough to make me want to cry with joy.
"My darling." she whispered, her voice drifting musically to me. "My dear...sweet...Crystal." my heart sunk from my chest as her voice faded, darkening in both pitch and tone as I realized I was staring up at none other than Ash. I couldn't believe my eyes anymore. My mind was playing tricks on me in its own mutiny. The forest around me seemed to gain creepiness yet again. The wind rustling the bushes and trees. The shadows danced, mocking me and my failure. I could have sworn I'd seen a woman in the moonlight. Could have sworn I'd heard my dear friend's voice, but it was all in my mind.