Chapter 13

Ciel was sitting at his desk, his back to Sebastian when he entered the room. The moment his foot was through the door, he felt as though he was going to collapse. The need tearing at his heart, the hunger that was gnawing away at his insides was sometimes too much to bear. Every time he was around Ciel, every time they touched, accidental or on purpose, he had to restrain himself from devouring every inch of him.

"Close the door." He heard his master say quietly. Sebastian did so without missing a beat and bowed when he reached the desk.

"My young master." He addressed him calmly.

"I need you to do something for me, Sebastian." Ciel swiveled in his chair so that he could face him. Sebastian had to resist every urge to reach out and touch porcelain skin that had never lost its smoothness even as he grew into adulthood. Sebastian felt himself grinning slightly as one large, cold blue eye regarded him under blue black bangs. "Sebastian." Ciel sighed, closing his eye for just a moment. "Sebastian…"

"What troubles you, young master?"

Ciel paused for another moment before speaking. "I have heard that members of the cult that…" Oh, how lovely it was when pain flashed across his face. It was always a sight to behold when anything came through the cold, emotionless mask of which this young man wore every day. "that put me through hell, are still out there."

Sebastian's grin flickered, and then faded into a deep line of concern. Still alive? But he personally had seen to it that those foolish humans paid their lives for what they had done to his master.

Ciel smirked, and leaned forward so that his elbows were on the desk. He rested his chin on his knotted fingers. "I knew you had at least one flaw."

Sebastian tried not to scowl.

"But," Ciel sighed. "Not even you could have known. I surely didn't. They're scattered throughout another country, and their leader has been dead for a hundred years." Ciel paused, and Sebastian could almost see the wheels working overtime to try and put together a plan. "The only known member of this cult is an adoptive son of the Nightray family. I need you, Sebastian." The young man turned into a boy of ten as he looked up at him. Eyes almost pleading. "I need you to go there and find out what you can. If there is nothing, then we'll try elsewhere, but if he is the one… Kill him."

Sebastian smiled as he knelt down with his hand over his chest. "Yes, my Lord."

Sebastian approached the unfamiliar door and knocked once.

"Enter." Said a cool, muffled voice from within.

"Ah, Sebastian!" Vincent greeted him with a phony smile as Sebastian stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. Vincent was sitting on the couch, the silver-haired girl on his lap. The girl's eyes were closed, her mouth open as her chest rose up and down to let out quick, uneven breaths. The room reeked of something not even he could name, and several empty glass veils littered the table.

Sebastian narrowed his eyes. "You called for me, Master Vincent?" He didn't even try to keep the mockery out of his voice.

Vincent's smile broadened. "I just wanted to have a little chat. You came here quicker than I expected. I'm afraid you'll just have to give me one more moment…" His voice trailed off as he reached in his pocket for another veil. Inside was a sickly-looking red liquid. He pulled to quark off with his teeth and emptied the substance into his mouth. Taking a firm hold of the girl's chin, Vincent pressed his lips to hers. Sebastian watched as a trickle of the red liquid escaped their locked mouths to drip onto the sofa.

A minute passed, and Vincent broke away. The silver-haired girl collapsed on her side. Her breathing started to regulate as Vincent slowly lifted her legs from around his waist. He regarded Sebastian with another smile as he crossed his legs and folded his hands in his lap after wiping his mouth a handkerchief. "Now, then." He said, a little too cheerily for Sebastian's taste. But none the less, the tall, handsome servant kept his face free of emotion. "I can't help but feel grateful that you took such good care of my dear brother."

"I was merely doing my job. After all," Sebastian's lips curled into a devilish sneer. "It was you who put him in that state, was it not?"

Vincent's eyes turned into slips as he forced himself to keep his smile. "That is none of your concern."

"Might I ask: why did you do it?"

"That is also none of your concern. You are not a member of the household, nor are you a true servant. Although…" His voice trailed off for a moment. He broke their eye contact to look down at the sleeping girl. Reaching out, he brushed her bangs out of her face and wiped away a trickle of whatever remained on her chin. "Although, I did not mean for him to be ill for so long. I mean, it was you, wasn't it? Who kept me from finishing the job? If you had not barged in, my dear brother would have received the antidote. Instead, you took him away before I could have my fun and now look: his body is still fighting off the drugs."

He looked back at Sebastian, smirking. "You have only yourself to blame. You make a poor excuse for a servant."
Sebastian's eyes flashed, sending a jolt of excitement through Vincent's heart. "Time for you to tell me something, Phantomhive servant: why are you here?"

Sebastian folded his arms behind his back. His eyes glowing dangerously as a smile that could only belong to the devil spread across his face. "Let's have an exchange of information then, shall we?"

"Let's not."

For a second, the butler looked taken aback by Vincent's answer. "Excuse me?"

"Don't make me repeated myself. You really are a lousy servant." He chuckled to himself as he shifted positions, holding his face up with his fist, elbow propped up on the arm of the couch. "But no. Let's not end this game just yet. After all, it's just starting to get interesting."

It felt good to have to have the night air in his face. This heart was beating, pumping adrenaline through his body as he fired six rounds at the massive Trump. Even the feel of the gun in his hands and the power that came with it helped to clear his head.

That was the part that scared him.

The illegal contractor screamed from somewhere within the shadows, and the Trump recoiled for a moment, its large red eyes rolling in its misshapen head.

"Very good, Raven!"

Gilbert looked up and scowled. The stupid one-eyed clown was sitting on the rooftop above him with his feet dangling over the side. He looked as relaxed as ever while Gilbert was running around trying to stop the chain from destroyed what wa left of the city.

"Aren't you supposed to be helping me?" He shot back. Break threw back his head and laughed.

"And to think you were doing so well. I said I would accompany you. I never said anything about actually helping you. Ahh, Raven. You have so much to learn in so little time~"

"Ya big dope!" Break reached over his shoulder and patted the little doll's head. "Now, now, Emily~" He cooed. "Don't be so cruel. He's but a child."

A bullet hit the wall right under Breaks left foot. He doubled over to star at it.

"Whoops…" Gilbert muttered so himself. "Sorry. My hand twitched."

Break looked up, almost glaring at Gilbert. But then something unexpected flashed over his face: panic.

"Raven, look-!" But Gilbert was already a step ahead of him. The Trump had recovered. One of its long, spidery legs had almost knocked Gilbert into the wall.

"Tsk. Damnit." He fired four more shots and re-loaded his gun. If only he could see the contractor. Then he would have an easy shot….

"You need to learn to control your temper, Raven! It almost got you killed! What would I say to your psycho little brother and hateful butler if all I brought back with me was a corpse?"

"Hateful butler?" Gilbert echoed, not daring to take his eyes off the chain. It would be over soon. This was taking way too long. A few more shots and it would be done with.

And I won't have to kill a human.

"Hmhm!" He saw Break nod out of the corner of his eye as he jumped on the roof a few feet away from where the silver-haired man sat to get a better aim at the thing's head. The Trump looked up, and just at the right moment, too. One of Gilbert's bullets hit it square in the forehead. He heard the contractor scream again, and the Trump let out a dull roar as its body shattered and disappeared. Gilbert and Break both looked at one another and then jumped down into the shadows. Sure enough, they could see the slouched over form of a small figure laying on the ground. Gently, Gilbert rolled him over. The hood fell back, reveling golden hair that shown in the moonlight. It was a boy, no older than fifteen.

Gilbert turned away, suddenly raw with emotion. It wasn't Oz, but he looked enough like him to cause Gilbert's whole body to shake.

Break, of course, seemed totally unfazed. The clown poked at the boy with his staff almost comically. "He'll wake up in a few hours. It's a good thing we got here in time, huh, Raven?"

Gilbert didn't answer. He throat closed up and his eyes were burning as a smile as bright as sunshine and eyes that shown like emeralds flashed through his mind.

It wasn't until the next morning, when they were in the carriage heading back to the Nightray manor that Gilbert spoke.

"What did you mean when you called Sebastian a 'hateful butler'?" Of course, Gilbert reassured himself that he really didn't care what Break thought of Sebastian. If anything, calling him hateful was an understatement.

Perverted, obnoxious, creepy, annoying, totally fucked-up in the head… Yeah. Those came a little closer to what Sebastian really was. He ignored the little voice in his head who also added beautiful to the mix.

Break screwed up his face as if he was trying to remember what he said last night. "Ahhh…" He relaxed. "Yes. I dislike your servant."

Well that was abrupt.

"In fact, I hate him."

Gilbert looked over a Break. "Really?"

"Yep!" Break responded, cheerily. "Haaaaaaaaaaate him~"

"Hm." Gilbert looked back out the window.

"What about you?"

"Eh?"

Break was giving him a look that made it feel like spiders were crawling over his skin. "What do you think of your butler, Raven?"

Gilbert's face burned.