Greetings everyone! One more week ends, one more chapter begins! Sebastian had his head bashed and Selina was drugged, so... let us see who did it and what happens next! I hope it's as exciting for you as it was for me trying to figure out the series of events that follows! Please, enjoy! :D

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Kuroshitsuji or its characters. I entirely own only my OCs, arcs and ideas/themes not mentioned in any form of the franchise (manga, anime, games, movies or musicals).

Chapter 22: The Tutor, Ghostly

Sebastian slowly opened his eyes and lifted his head in the same manner, leaving a hurt grunt in the process, as any human would do after getting hit by a metal rod on the head. His hands were stretched at his sides, chained to the wall, while his body heavily slumped forward and his knees buckled a little, his vest and shirt open exposing his chest. Now he pulled himself upwards and straightened his body. He could sense other presences around and some movement; he blinked a few times to clear his vision from blood and then focused on the moving figure. Even he was not prepared for what he saw.

If he found disgusting and vulgar the way Grell declared her perversion and distorted femininity, then he should think again. Bates was walking around the candlelight basement of the cabin – as Sebastian realized with a quick look at the windowless, earthly walls supported by wooden beams – but not wearing his usual male clothes. A long floral dress embraced his podgy figure in a most graceless way, reminding Sebastian a sack filled with potatoes, a curly ashen blonde wig on his head, his face smudged with the most hideous make up that no woman or even crazy, effeminate reaper would choose. A necklace and bracelet of pearls along with heavy, big rings completed the horrendous ensemble.

"Oh, how nice! Our little beastie is back with us… or actually just stopped pretending he was unconscious." The man said in a shrieking voice, trying to mimic a woman's and giggled. "Excellent, so we can proceed!" He obviously was excited for something and Sebastian could smell his disgusting arousal heavy in the air.

Bates moved and revealed a metal table on a small circular platform, which turned as he was walking so that it would be horizontal to Sebastian's eyes, giving him a clear view of what was on it. Selina was chained on its surface, her wrists next to her head and her ankles at the two ends of the table spreading her legs open, her body covered only by her drawers and chemise. Sebastian felt a hot anger filling him and the heart of his human form beating furiously. He growled threateningly towards the man and pulled his bonds ready to break them, but… found he could not, no matter the strength and effort he put. At that moment Selina sighed, waking up from her drugged slumber, her head turned to Sebastian as she was opening her eyes.

"Sebastian?!" Was the first word that escaped her lips and instantly her eyes took a worried look as she saw the demon struggling against the chains, eyes fully demonic and teeth sharp.

Bates clapped pleased. "Now our little demon's whore is also awake. We will have so much fun, my dear!" He said in the woman's voice. "Yes, mother. We will get to play with both of them." He also responded in his usual male voice.

That was more than enough for both demon and witch to fully realize the situation. Herman Bates was not just an insane voyeur, preying on his customers to satisfy his utterly perverted sexual desires; he was a really distorted man, who felt at a loss when his mother died and in an effort to protect himself, as he thought, created a second personality in his damaged mind, that of his obviously despotic mother. Selina was looking at him with eyes wide open, not daring to think how much worse the case would be if the man had managed to keep his mother's soul in his own body, like he did to his victims, both brides and elder women.

"You have got to be kidding me!" She whispered only to receive a hysterical laugh from Bates.

"Surprised, little witch? What did you expect? Would I ever let my poor boy alone among all these disgusting couples, fornicating like animals while speaking falsely of love that would last forever?" He laughed again.

"What? That was your criterion for choosing your victims? That they were actually in love?" Selina asked not believing her ears.

"Wrong! The men were fooling the women, making them think they loved them, only to satisfy their sinful desires on their bodies, whereas my dear boy is such a tender lover, looking after them, keeping them close to him… always."

"You brutally murdered the men and manipulated the women's souls so that they would not go away and leave your son alone?" Sebastian's dark voice was heard followed by a malicious chuckle. "This is quite twisted even for my tastes."

Bates giggled. "No, I just punished the men, showed the women how unreliable they were… even if they did not believe me… and then gave them a second chance to be loved by my son… Simple." He smiled in a sick way.

"Look, I don't know what happened in your life that made you think like that or what kind of a mother you were – although I can guess – to drive your son crazy like that, but you cannot keep killing people in love because you think they lie, maybe because someone lied to you and left you. It's insane and monstrous!" Selina made a final hopeless effort to reason with the man.

The rage drawn on Bates' face showed how true Selina's words were. A heavy slap landed on her cheek making her head turn violently to the other side and one big ring tore her lip open. Bates ignored Sebastian's angry roar clearly warning him not to touch her and then caressed her slapped cheek.

"No dear, monstrous is what men do to women… what he will do to you. Do you really think he gave his body to you because he loves you and will stay with you? At first chance he will break your heart and abandon you. Physically making love means nothing to him, only a moment's pleasure." Bates had fully turned to his mother and was shaking with anger.

Selina closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath, then allowed a chuckle, dark like Sebastian's, escape her throat. "And what makes you believe that we did it because I am in love with him? We did what we had to in order to expose you and your sick son… plus we took pleasure from each other and that's all." Bates remained frozen for a moment, probably not believing his ears. Selina smiled devilishly. "What's wrong? You can't believe women too can be driven by lust?"

Sebastian was looking at the woman surprised… but also proud watching her keeping her cool façade so easily. He could hear her heart beating fast and smell a slight fear in her, but she was masking it perfectly for the mortal senses of the crazy man.

After a while, Bates gently caressed her other cheek smiling with understanding. "You are trying to fool me and let you both go, right? You are hiding your feelings for his sake… But do not worry. Soon there will be no need to do that, since he will not exist any more!"

"You are more stupid than I thought. You cannot kill a demon as strong as he. If you could, you would have done so from the beginning, since you knew our true nature." She kept provoking the female in the man's mind.

Bates sighed a little exasperated. "What could I do? I tried to make Herman understand but he was not convinced, not until he felt both of your strong auras the first night of your animalistic activities. My poor boy, his preternatural senses are weaker than mine, although I tried to teach him so hard. As for being able to kill the demon…" He leaned closer, his sweaty lips almost touching her ear. "If we combine our powers, we can finish him in a minute, soon we will be one and he shall become past. But first, my son wants to play with you, and I cannot deny him." The hand on her cheek glided to her chemise. The other hand came up with a knife and with slow movements he started to cut open the cloth. "Do not worry, I will be gentle, I will not hurt you like he did." His voice turned to male trembling by a sick lust.

Sebastian gritted his teeth listening to all these and sensing Selina's fear flare up, as the non-natural born witch confirmed her suspicion and prepared to violate her body. Sebastian had to release himself and rescue Selina… he would never allow any vile creature do something like that to the marvellous body or soul of his witch, of his Selina. He could sense the chains were enhanced with spells that could keep demons as prisoners, but he was confident enough they would not be strong enough for him if he shifted to his true, demonic form. He focused and black tendrils of smoke started circling him, his hands already slipping from his manacles.

Bates lifted his eyes from where they were feasting on Selina's bare breasts and looked at the semi-transformed demon. "Oh, sorry, Mr. Michaelis. I forgot to call those who will entertain you." He closed his eyes, murmured something for a moment and then smiled. "My girls are coming."

True to his words, female screams were heard and four figures started shaping out of thin air. Soon enough the figures turned out to be four transparent women with faces that spoke of pain, torture, despair and insanity. Their eyes were empty of any light and logic, but were still looking around in a frantic search of something or someone really important.

"Rose, Jane, Margaret and Annabel, my dears? Your beloved husbands are back." Bates said maliciously and the four ghostly women turned to him. "Here they are, waiting for your embraces." He pointed to the chained Sebastian and the women followed his finger.

A collective screech of happiness escaped their phantasmal mouths and instantly they sprang forward embracing Sebastian. Their sharp claw-like broken nails raked the demon's naked torso and stopped his shifting, turning him back to his human form. Gushes appeared on his chest and blood sprouted going through the women, while one of them attempted to kiss his lips. Sebastian felt like having mud shoved in his mouth and the pain became more intense as new wounds appeared on his sides.

He clenched his teeth not to cry out as he began feeling trapped. Not able to take his demonic form, forced to retain his human one and thus becoming more vulnerable to these creatures; trapped between the physical and spiritual plane, just like the demon. Able to hurt both his fleshly body and demonic essence enough to weaken him against the enhanced bonds, not allowing him to escape and help Selina.

The witch saw the deranged ghosts trying to embrace the demon, but actually clawing his alabaster skin making it bloody and started fighting against her bonds having instantly forgotten her nakedness. "Let him go! Pull your ghosts away from him! It's me you want! Let him go!" She almost screamed; her voice breaking as she saw a new grimace of pain distorting his beautiful features.

Bates' trembling hand grabbed violently her breast and started pulling at her nipple in a way that made her cry in pain. "Do not be afraid. Even if he leaves you, even if you lose him, I will always be by your side. You will not have to subject yourself to his sick desires." The man was talking, not paying any attention to anything around him; he was in another world, a world of his own making.

Tears of pain and agony streamed from her eyes, as Bates continued pillaging her breast almost making it bleed, and then saw a transparent hand trying to dig in Sebastian's chest where his heart should be.

"And what makes you think I would subject to your sick desires? I actually prefer his. I actually prefer giving my soul to him to devour, than give it to you and make you stronger. And who told you I have any intention of losing him or anyone else? Not any more!" She finally roared having successfully turned her pain, agony, fear and despair to her well known fury that fuelled her whenever needed.

This time there was no need for her to hold back and not have her magic interfere; therefore, she let herself free to act.

Sebastian saw something through his half-closed eyes that made him open them wide and momentarily forget his pain. All of a sudden, Selina's body burst into flames, blue flames, and with a swift movement she freed her wrists from the chains. Bates jumped back leaving a terrified scream, instantly started shaking and stinking from fear, intensifying as he came face to face with Selina who sat up and freed her ankles. Her eyes had also turned to blue flames with a cold, murderous and unyielding look. She stood up almost floating in the air, and it was then that Sebastian realized the flames licking every inch of her body without burning her, were actually making her as transparent as the ghosts in front of him.

"I said pull your ghosts away from him!" She repeated to Bates with a loud, furious voice that showed her intention of harming him if not complying with her request.

The man did not move, but seemed to quickly collect himself, or give the stage to his mother, as he started chanting and weaving a new magic. Selina's eyes flew open wide; she instantly dashed to him and made an attempt to sink her phantasmal hand into his chest. Instead, she had to stop as her knees started shaking, her breath hitched, and her other hand flew to rub her chest easing a sudden pain. Sebastian did not need anything else to realize the male witch tried to extract Selina's soul from her body, having obviously already broken the protection spells she had cast on herself. Ignoring his pain and the danger, he managed to partly shift in his demonic form and slip his right hand out of the chain.

The noise he made, and the gasps of the dead women were enough for Bates to lose focus on his chanting and for Selina to complete her movement. Her right hand plunged in the man's chest and he screamed when her hand stopped right in the middle of it. Sebastian was certain Selina had found the place where a human soul is housed and that her phantasmal hand had actually grabbed this soul.

At that moment, a roar escaped the demon's throat as an excruciating pain tore his chest, when the hand of one of the ghosts passed through his corporeal body, found the centre of his own existence and started clawing and squeezing. Objects and creatures that existed in the spiritual realm but mostly were on the physical one, like a reaper's death scythe, could significantly wound a demon when in physical form; but ones of the spiritual dimension mostly, that were not utterly and purely evil, could very much kill a demon. Things could get even worse when a creature was imprisoned in both dimensions since it could harm the demon by hurting the corporeal body and then finding his spiritual core.

Selina repeated her order only to receive a negative response from Bates, who was now reeking of urine. "To do that… I have to… set another target… and I do not have any!" He said amongst cries for mercy and tears that washed away his make up making him look like a failed clown.

"Oh, is that so? Then maybe I can do something about it." Selina said.

She withdrew her hand from Bates chest, leaving him collapse like a heap of rags, gasping to find his breath. She started chanting the spell Bates had recited before, while standing over the man and then walked to the ghosts. With determination she grasped the hand in Sebastian's chest, forcing it to release him. Her transparent free hand landed on the equally transparent face covering the eyes of the ghost and with a steely voice talked to her.

"This is my husband, not yours. Yours is standing right behind you." She pulled the ghost away from the demon and repeated the same process with the other three ghosts giving them the same explanation and direction. When all four ghosts were standing in line still facing Sebastian and very much confused, Selina pointed towards Bates. "There are your husbands, turn around and look at them calling you!"

The dead, insane women turned and looked at Bates. Sebastian did not know what exactly Selina made them see projected on the podgy human, but they all left a scream of delight, jumped on him and immediately started kissing him, tearing through his body in an effort to reach his soul and practically destroy it, rendering it unable to be reaped or consumed by a demon, literally throwing it to oblivion.

"You wanted others to feel the pain of abandonment, like you did. You wanted to give your son a woman in his life after making him unable to find one on his own. And you broke other women in a worse and more twisted way than the one you were broken by someone else. Please, take a taste of the 'lovely wives' you created and their 'love' for your son." Selina's voice was harsh, cold and lethal with a hint of pleasure; the killer inside her had resurfaced once again and she did not care.

Bates kept screaming as Selina pulled her flames inside her body, turning back to her normal, corporeal self and turned with a worried look to Sebastian running to support him from the right. She hugged his waist and threw his hand on her shoulder as the demon was back in his human form and was trying to steady his knees. Selina's hand reached for the second manacle which opened with just one word from the witch. But then, both froze as instead of Bates' screams they heard a low maniacal laugh followed by a loud order throwing the four ghosts off his body and sending them almost through the earthly walls; the women stayed there and started crying scared, while trying to cover their heads to protect it from some beating that obviously had happened when they were still alive and tortured.

Bates was still leaning on some shelves he had crashed on, although he made some feeble attempts to move; his clothes ripped apart revealing a body filled with bloody gashes, a body that could not hold for long. However, the sick and twisted hate burning in his eyes showed that the soul would not give up that easily. His words, or rather his mother's words, proved exactly that.

"Do you really think… that this is over?" He laughed and chocked on his blood for a moment but then started a new chant in an unknown language; a chant that confused Selina, but Sebastian fully understood and made him goggle his eyes with surprise and perhaps a slight fear.

He instantly found all the strength he needed to fully release his left hand, grab Selina's shoulder, straighten his body and pull the woman to the stairs. "Come on! He is not done, there are more souls he manipulates and is calling them here, now, to stop us; souls that are older, stronger and crazier!"

Selina looked at him questioningly but did not make a sound as she saw a clearly ordering look in his eyes. She tightened her hold on him and, as fast as they could, climbed up the stairs of the basement, passed through the cabin that was Bates' butcher house - since obviously it was there where he ended his victims in the most painful way - and finally got out of it.

Rain and wind welcomed them as soon as they exited the wooden building. Deafening screams and screeches came from somewhere in the forest that reached close to the cabin. Picking up their speed, they reached a tree to which Sebastian leaned on quite breathless and releasing the woman from his weight. It was just at the right time since three new ghosts appeared flowing in the air with their hands and broken nails ready to claw at the couple.

Selina determined stood right in front of Sebastian and allowed her blue fires to engulf her hands as the ghosts reached them; Selina started releasing tongues of flames at them in an effort to keep them at some distance. Sebastian was watching her and he could not deny the sight was quite glorious, even though he was certain he still did not see the full extent of her powers, it was like she was holding herself back for some reason. But still he could not take his eyes off her. She was performing a lethal dance twirling around to avoid the ghosts' launches and at the same time managing to keep her footing steady and in place, right in front of him.

Sebastian thought she could be more effective if allowed herself to move in a greater range, he was ready to ask about it, but with a more careful look got his answer. He saw the letters forming his given name inked on her forearm glowing with a deep purple light, and then caught a glimpse of a deep purple shield surrounding him, not allowing the ghosts reach him even when they managed to slip too far away from Selina's flames. At the realisation that she was determined to protect him no matter what, the demon felt… Well, he did not know what exactly was that fluttering in his chest and stomach or that sensation of warmth spreading through his body, but brought a smile on his lips and a soft look in his eyes as he was watching the fighting woman clenching her teeth and actually growling threateningly to the ghosts.

After some time, it had started to become evident she was getting tired and would not hold for long, dividing her energy in shielding him and fighting off the maddened ghosts. Sebastian clenched his teeth angry at himself that he could not help her in any way; being able to fight only on the material plane when in human form was proving to be a serious setback for demons.

"Selina, can you destroy them completely?" He asked and received a nod as answer. "Then why do you not do it? You are getting tired and they will take advantage of it… and Bates with the other four women are coming closer."

Selina shook her head. "I would if they were evil by default, but they are confused and bound to follow orders; it is not their fault or choice so that I would send them to oblivion destroying them for eternity."

"Are you insane? Saving the souls of some random human women is more important to you than your life? At this moment?" His eyes were burning at the absurdity the woman was expressing. He really could not understand that fool righteousness some humans had at the expense of themselves.

"Some reapers will come… they have to come." Selina said in an almost pleading tone, showing she really wanted them to come, she really hoped it.

Right at that moment, a familiar snickering sound reached their ears. Demon and witch lifted their eyes and saw young Ronald Knox with his lawn mower landing a little further away, a bored expression on his face that turned to a charming smile as soon as he saw Selina, and beside him Grell Sutcliff standing straight, swinging her chainsaw on the shoulder; red mane and coat flowing in the wind.

"Ah! Sebastian darling, for you I can even endure this blasted rain damaging my sensitive white skin and perfect make up!" She sighed in her usual tone.

Sebastian looked at the reaper with a blank face as he moved forward and reached for Selina, pulling her in the shield she was still holding up even if her small fires showed she was quite drained. "I vaguely remember the shade you had on, back when you were playing Jack the Ripper… That is after the treatment my fists gave your pale face… it was such an improvement. I would gladly repeat it, but I am somehow preoccupied at the moment. Some other time, perhaps?" He said bluntly, only to make Grell laugh utterly excited for a second.

Grell's face turned to white for a minute obviously remembering the said shade… and the pain. But then got excited again. "Oh, Sebastian, always so charmingly cruel that makes me shiver. Your so wonderfully strong hands can caress so many parts of my body." She started wiggling and shaking her body with excitement; paused for a moment and looked at Selina. "Hmm… I will ignore the creature you use to lean on… although you can lean your adonic body on me anytime you want!" And then continued getting excited on her own.

"Hello cutie! Beautiful even when drenched in rain." Ronald said winking at the blond woman; her chest was almost covered by Sebastian's arm hiding it from view. Ronald's attention suddenly shifted elsewhere. "Uhm… Mr. Sutcliff, perhaps we should focus on some very angry, desperate and… lunatic souls flying around? I think they really need to be reaped at some point." He said looking around him at the three ghosts – which kept their distance while examining the new faces quite confused – and then checking two notebooks holding in his hands, one seemed quite old.

"All right, all right. Stop whining like you did all the way here. You are becoming more like Will, day by day, not allowing a maiden to become beautiful for her date with her dear love." Grell was saying in an overdramatic tone.

"Grell!" Sebastian's and Selina's voice rose in unison and really serious, demanding from the reaper to get serious about her job.

"All right, since you ask it of me, Sebastian darling. Which one of you ugly dead faces did that to my Sebby? Mm?" Grell asked serious all of a sudden while making her saw roar louder.

As a respond, more cries came from the cabin as the other four shadows appeared along with Bates, who was crawling to get out constantly chanting to control the ghosts as long as he could.

Knox whistled. "Wow! It could be one of these ugly dead faces… or that ugly living but perfectly insane face. Ugh… totally disgusting." His grimace agreed to his words.

"Right… I will lose my mind if that pathetic, disgusting creature laid even a finger on my poor Sebby. I am the only one who will wrap him in crimson!" Grell shrieked a little.

"Guys, honestly! If you can reap these souls do it and leave chatting aside, because, that pathetic creature is also a crazy non-natural born witch controlling them… in case you didn't notice!" Selina finally urged them as she got bored of their little chit chat while the ghosts were getting closer.

Selina shivered at that moment as the rain kept falling heavily on her chilled skin. In an instant, a strong hand had ripped off the rest of her chemise, used it to wipe away some of the rain and immediately wrapped her in new, thankfully little drier and warmer clothes. Selina was surprised watching Sebastian do all that with swift movements, and finally removing at once all layers of clothing he wore on his upper body, only to wrap them around Selina, almost forcing her to properly wear his slightly spattered with blood shirt, vest and jacket.

Sebastian was still leaning on the tree – it actually supported his back – but was standing more upright. The rain pelted his naked body now washing away the blood, making more visible the wounds on his abdomen and chest, causing Selina to shudder from the pain she felt for the demon's sake.

"An-And what about you?" She hesitantly whispered only to receive a wink from flashing red eyes and a smile revealing sharp and pointy fangs, reminding her that the man in front of her was a demon so he could not catch a cold, even now that he was wounded.

"Well… we might not be able to reap them as long as they are controlled by the witch, but they are certainly the newest addition to the relatively long list – considering this happens for two decades now – of female souls that should be reaped but were never found or devoured by demons. Anyway, we firstly have to get rid of the witch… the male one." Knox said still consulting the two notebooks. "So… who will kill the man?" He finally asked innocently as he swung his scythe to keep the seven ghosts away, now attacking in full power, after finally receiving the order of leaving no one standing or alive.

"I am not getting anywhere near that creature!" Grell declared in utter determination and slashed the air with her weapon, only to be reminded by Ronald that reapers "must not kill humans either way!"

Sebastian coughed a little before he moved away from the tree again and started towards where Bates was lying still chanting and gasping for breath. "I will take him out, if you keep away the ghosts. I have no interest in his soul or of the women." He announced.

"Well… we can try, but we are only two." Grell said.

"I am sure Selina can assist you with that." Sebastian informed them and sounded more confident than his usual, already overconfident self. "Well… will you work with us on this?" He asked the two reapers once again.

They nodded in agreement although with a small hesitation, obviously they were not very happy for cooperating with a demon, but the situation left no choice.

Two arms were suddenly wrapped around Sebastian's, holding him back. When he turned, he faced an utterly worried Selina with fear in her eyes, although that fear was different from before, she was not afraid for herself but… for him! She was afraid of him getting harmed; she protected him spending a significant percentage of her energy… all for his sake. Honestly, Sebastian did not know what to think of this woman, but he was really not bothered by her caring interest.

"You cannot go! You're wounded… badly and he will certainly do a new spell or make the ghosts hurt you again. I can activate the shield only when you are near me." Her brows were furrowed in determination.

Sebastian smirked. "But your flames, that I guess consume less of your energy, will protect me from afar and so we will work together, as equal partners."

Selina thought for a minute surprised by his words. "Well… yes, but… it could get dangerous for you. Don't forget that my flames can harm any creature from the spiritual plane, just like the ghosts can. I don't want you to go! You could be killed, and you cannot die… our master forbids it…" She yelled and her lips quivered leaving something unsaid, "…and I do too!" She wanted to say.

Sebastian's eyes flashed red, pupils turned to slits, and smiled totally satisfied… perhaps even a little happy, if he allowed himself to admit it. He turned and cupped Selina's cheeks with his palms. "Do not worry, dear. I would never disobey the orders of my master…" He leaned closer and whispered on her lips "...or of my lady." His lips sealed hers in a soft, reassuring and comforting kiss; a kiss to which Selina could only melt in, while a light sigh left her chest.

"Aa! What my eyes see and are not blinded? Sebby, please tell me that what I witness is not real, it is just fantasy, tricks my mind plays on me, that you do not mean it!" Grell screamed as she watched their kiss becoming a deeper, longer one and how engrossed both of them were. "Aa! I am losing my mind! He means it! It is not like the time with that big breasted cow in the circus! I knew I should kill this ugly woman the first time I saw her beside my Sebby!"

"Mr. Sutcliff, will you please give me a hand? The ladies are getting restless by the minute and the male witch seems not really wanting to die any time soon! Hey, demon, cutie, do you guys listen?" Ronald called as he was struggling to escape the ghostly hands trying to grasp him.

Sebastian broke the kiss. "I do trust you and your powers to assist me." He whispered in Selina's ear and moved away while smiling at her. Now he was walking steadier and he generally looked better than a few minutes ago, his self-healing process had already begun, as it seemed.

Selina followed him with her eyes for a while, not able to utter a word and struggling to keep her heart from beating like crazy. However, she quickly composed herself and focused on the task at hand. She gathered all of her strength and in seconds, new blue fires engulfed her hands and soon she was ready for action. Sebastian approached Bates as fast as his wounds allowed him, doing his best to avoid the ghosts lunging themselves on him, trying to mark him with their nails anew. But they never got the chance, since Selina's blue fireballs pushed them away and the reapers' scythes shielded the demon, allowing him to reach the already weakened Bates.

The man actually seemed at the verge of death, not able to protect himself from the approaching demon, but was stubborn enough to keep clinging on that thin thread of life, the thread which Sebastian snapped once and for all when he took hold of the man's jaw and violently twisted his head breaking the neck. Instantly, a scream rose from all the ghosts, as they were freed from their chains, but were damaged enough to not be able to realise their current position.

"Finally, this is our cue!" Knox said quite excited and made his mower roar louder. Grell giggled and followed.

They both started a deadly dance with the phantasmal women, who soon ended up being shredded by the death scythes and finally releasing their cinematic records, giving the reapers the opportunity to reap them; therefore, releasing the tormented souls. In less than five minutes all seven women were free to reunite with their loved ones and Ronald reaped Bates' records whistling impressed.

"Persistent little man… and seriously damaged. Born the 15th of October 1843 and died the 11th of July 1889. Abandoned by father at the age of four, growing up with a tyrannical mother, a non-natural born witch, who tried to keep the resort and teach her son… using 'really effective' teaching methods, her dark art while satisfying her own twisted desire of 'punishing' lying men." The young reaper said in a really ironic tone, as images of the beatings young Bates received every time he failed a spell and of the tortures his mother performed on men and women were played in front of him. "When she died, he snapped. Actually, mummified her body and because he failed keeping her soul close, he developed a second personality… that of his mother and strangely enough he suddenly 'inherited' her abilities too. Jealous, lust crazed man who really thought he would manage to take cutie's soul and powers, right till the end. Other than that… nothing of importance." He finished and put his 'confirmed' stamp on the man's profile as the night's stillness and quiet fell around them.

"That was all? Why did they have to send two of us? I could perfectly handle it on my own… and it would feel more like a date, right Sebastian darling? Aa! Sebastian, how can you ever fall for such an ugly woman? She has no femininity or grace… and she is blond!" Grell said like it was a great disadvantage for a woman to be blond, as she watched Selina kneeling beside the exhausted demon.

Selina asked him if he was alright with genuine concern in her eyes. Needless to say, what angered the ginger reaper most, was that Sebastian responded with an overconfident smile and caressed her soaked wet blond curls pulling her in a new light kiss that made the woman blush.

"Um… Mr. Sutcliff, we are not actually done." Ronald said exiting the cabin. "There is a cabinet inside there, filled with jars that contain more, many more souls. It seems that, when madness took complete control of the souls, Bates and his mother permanently sealed them in jars. They never wanted to let them go." He was actually carrying one with him to show the others. "Also, they are sealed as if to bind them and… since you, cutie, are the Holder of the Blue Flame, you might be able to break the seals. Will you help us?" He smiled at her in his own charming way.

Selina chuckled and agreed as Grell was pulling her hair and yelling to the wind that she could not accept to be indebted to the woman that "stole her Sebby".

"Hmm... I thought the Blue Flame could only extract and destroy a spiritual core or soul with magic. Can it also free them from seals?" Sebastian said staring at Selina with a reprimanding look for keeping that bit of information from him, the same time his lips and voice showed he did not consider her a real threat anymore.

Selina smiled like a little imp, trying to look innocent with big doe eyes. "Well... in rare cases Blue Flame can release souls from magical seals, especially if they are imprisoning ones... but not from demonic or angelic ones! And sometimes, with the proper tools, I can temporarily… steal a contracted soul… but I swear I will not steal young master from you!" She explained and finished with the worried look of a child caught to do something bad and not knowing what the punishment would be, since she did not know how the demon would react to that little extra information that... slipped from her mind to tell him.

Sebastian laughed, as he lightly sat on a not so dirty and bloody corner of a table inside the cabin, made an attempt to cross his hands on the chest but the pain from his wounds forbade it. "I guess that was how you managed to blackmail a demon." Selina responded again with a supposedly innocent smile that Sebastian found really cute. "I am not allowed to throttle you anyway… but even without my master's orders I am not in shape to throttle you, but even if I was… I do not think I would damage you. You have proven to be useful, trustworthy and…" The demon left unsaid the last part but the hungry, lusty look he gave her and the way the tip of his tongue licked his smirking lips, spoke volumes to the woman; she was absolutely certain everyone could hear the loud beatings of her heart and see her burning red face.

"You demons… such masochists." Knox shook his head as he shoved a jar with a dim ball of light in it at Selina's hands. "Being happy for cutting off all your ties to your soul's lost humanity, always pretending to be disgusted by humans, considering them lower and stuff, but always attracted by them, enjoying toying with them for their souls and… now this. She can seriously harm you if she wants… Blue Flame is not to be taken lightly, yet you look like a love-stricken puppy when you look at her... and what is weirder is that you seem to know the gist of her power. I do not care if you drop dead this instant but still… it is masochistic to be attracted to the number one threat to your existence, although as a man I get you… she is a natural beauty without taking it to the extreme." He smiled and winked at a rose cheeked Selina.

"Sebby! You can be as sadistic and masochistic as you want with me! I do not mind!" Grell said squeezing a jar in her arms and batting her eyelashes to the demon.

"I will pass." Sebastian said with a disgusted glance to the crimson reaper. "It goes without saying I knew about her power." He said to Ronald with a look saying he would never allow another supernatural creature unchecked around his master. "I have no fear of her power... Let us say, I have checked she would not use it on me unless truly meaning it." He finished with a sharp smile on his pale face.

"What? When?" Selina asked with wide eyes, while struggling to open the sealed jar, her hands wrapped in light blue flames.

The demon smirked totally devilishly. "All the times I have kissed and seduced you, my dear. You had countless chances of burning me while we..." He paused meaningfully, making Selina gasp, Grell cry quite desperately and Ronald whistle impressed. "But you never did. After the night with the photograph I knew, if you ever burn me it will be because you really want me to stop." His grin became wider as the woman's eyes got bigger.

"You bastard! You were testing me, all these times? You never thought I just didn't want to prove wrong the trust young master... and you, placed in me? You fucking..." She literally growled, even though the blushing on her cheeks showed that the demon's hypothesis was partly correct. She never felt so threatened from or unwilling to give in to his advances, in order for her to use her ultimate weapon... and she knew very well how to use it without killing Sebastian.

A popping sound draw everyone's attention to the now unsealed and opened jar in Selina's hands wrapped in bright blue flames. A scream came up along with the dull light that now looked like vapour. Grell took a swing slashing through it, the woman's cinematic record was released from its eternal loop and played itself normally. Ronald checked his records confirming the identity and that this case was finally closed and then collected the record. That went on for some time and the released souls were now up to forty. The reapers were not really surprised by the number or the tortures they saw in their records and Selina was trying to cover that, even though she was used to death and gruesome situations, she was starting feeling sick at the thought of what these women and their husbands had gone through.

Bates had raped and beat the women repeatedly, but what really took their mind away and threw it to the whirlwind of madness, was that he made them witness the even worse tortures he performed on their husbands.

They were chained on the wall Sebastian had been manacled and their husbands on the metallic table Selina was lying, and through a freezing spell, were forced to watch as Bates skinned alive and dismembered the men little by little; their cries drilling into the women's minds until they stopped breathing. Bates threw their bodies to be found by the stupid police that kept saying the cause were hungry wild animals, even when the 'just' citizens of the small town of St. Ives hunted and wiped out all the wild animals of the area, but brutally murdered male bodies kept appearing for two decades, as Mummy Bates taught her son how to "make women love him."

Selina felt her stomach turning at some point, a strong arm wrapped around her waist and long black nailed fingers gently stroked her belly soothingly. Selina turned to Sebastian to thank him and saw his skin was beyond its natural paleness, having gained an ashy colour that made him look really tired and sick. The demon sat heavily on the table again after having found, retrieved and placed in his clothes' pockets both of their sharp weapons – her daggers and his table knives – that Bates had stripped them off, but proved to be useless in this case anyway.

"How many more are there? We have to get back to the resort and treat Sebastian's wounds, he is not well!" She said with evident urgency in her voice and eyes.

Knox looked at her with wide eyes but chose not to share his thoughts. "This is the last one." He announced giving her the jar number forty-five. "Forty-five women and equal men in twenty one years, ninety people missing from his resort and no one suspected him or his mother? Insane!"

"Well… they might bribed, blackmailed the police or even put some spell on them." Sebastian said and Selina along with Grell nodded agreeing.

"Judging by the amount of ingredients in the other cabinets, Mummy Bates must have been quite a strong witch and wanted to become stronger by consuming the Blue Flame." Grell informed the younger reaper and sighing looked at Selina obviously bothered by her appearance. "I hate to admit it, but… I am glad we were on the same side this time and that you are still alive with us, because it would be bad for everyone to have your powers added to these of that monstrous human. And generally… you did a great job." She grumbled annoyed when she was faced with a smiling Selina.

"Wow! Getting praised by Miss Sutcliff! So rare; never happened before, during training." She almost squealed clapping her hands happily.

"What? What training?" Both reapers asked totally confused while some strange seal-like marks started peeking out of the wrists of Sebastian's clothes Selina wore.

However, they got no answer as the demon, even though he felt quite tired and drained, pulled Selina to him, took her bride style in his arms and dashed out of the cabin. "Look forward to the future to get your answer. Now, excuse us… we have a carriage waiting for us." His voice was heard as he got lost in the night.

The two reapers were left speechless and with many questions.

Right from the start, that strange woman seemed to know everything and everyone surrounding the little Earl and his butler, and what was even stranger, was that she looked really comfortable being in such an unusual company, since she herself was peculiar. The reapers knew she was not one of them, only that she slightly resembled them somehow, but she acted so cool around them… like she already knew them. Finally, they both shrugged their shoulders and abandoned the matter hoping that indeed the future would give them some answers. They also dashed in the night leaving the horrendous cabin and the already cold body of Bates in nature's mercy.

Ta-daaaa! Selina in full power, people! Now, even though the writing of the story is complete, I'm still trying to decide to what extent the Blue Flame should be affected by Selina's emotional state, so whether I will have her doing something even bigger with it in... possible future installments of my Kuroverse! *whistling innocently* I'm open to suggestions on that, so, please, drop a line if you have any idea. ;)

Also, what do you think about the little demon and ghost lore I dropped in there? I tried to make it as simple as possible, but also intriguing. Did my explanation achieved that? Let me know if it did or if you have any questions.

One more thing: I believe most of you already got the referrence with Bates and the whole "Mummy Bates" thing, but if you didn't... we'll get back to that soon. ;P

Thank you all and... Till next time! Bye!