Chapter 13

She watched the exchange on the sidelines like she always did. Observe before acting. Know your enemies. Find their weaknesses.

Drossel collapsed once as soon as he opened the door, barely clinging to life but unable to draw anymore strength from his flimsy vessel. However, they all ignored his form when they were greeted with the back of a chair and Pluto in his hound form, lazing away with whoever was sat before him.

Her keen eyes caught the strings in the moonlight, ensnaring the trio as they burst into the room. She had felt it, the angelic power, however brief. It would explain the dog's friendliness to whomever was in that chair.

She couldn't help the manic grin that spread on her face.

Ah, my wrath is showing.

Seir could not detect her dove in the vicinity, but that was the least of her concerns. With their backs to her, she crept up to the puppet's corpse and, upon grabbing his body, cloaked him into nothingness along with her. The taunting voice that lured Ciel closer bled into the background as she took a step back, turned to the stairs and made her way down.

She gingerly placed his body in one of the empty rooms, closing the door behind her. Dispelling her invisibility, she allowed the man a moment to reorient himself. She could see him languidly blink up at her, recognizing who she was.

"Did you not hear?" she whispered, kneeling to his level. "Your master did not care for you. He showed no remorse for your death, and called you simple minded for your loyalty."

No response.

She pressed on. "There is no satisfying such an ignorant master. I can see your devotion, your desire to please. Let me help you."

Drossel managed to blink again in lethargic attentiveness, his life slipping through his fingers. She spoke her next words quickly.

"Serve me, and you will rise."

How dramatic.

Shut up.

The doll made no movement, and he was seconds from death. She would hate to lose such a nice servant who didn't need to eat and would follow her every command. Really, he was tailored for her lifestyle.

"Blink once for yes, twice for no," she snapped her fingers in impatience. Drossel only managed to blink once, and at that instance she acted.

You didn't even let him blink a second time, idiot.

She snickered to herself. That's the point.

In a familiar motion, she bit into her thumb, drawing blood that hummed with archaic power. Turning the body on its back, she peeled away his collar to expose the back of his neck. Seir brushed away a stray termite without a second thought, and acting quickly she painted a circle in the sanguine fluid. Then, extracting a clawed nail, the base binding sigil was painted in the center in black ink, imbued with her magic. On the second layer, the seal master marked him with a vitality hex that would heal any artificial wounds, then a soul link on top that would allow her to retain his essence should she need to create him a new body. The fourth was her signature seal identical to the one she placed on Grell. The final layer on her improvised seal hid the mark from sight, on the off chance that it would tampered with by another celestial creature.

Although not satisfied, it was the best she was willing to give him at the moment - five layers was plenty for her purposes. The soul link bound his essence to her life, and as long as she was kicking he would as well. Rolling Drossel onto his back, the demon was pleased when he blinked with renewed vigor.

"I will find you a new host when we have the time." She offered him a hand and he took it, though staggering on his feet from his earlier wound. He was still silent as he looked at her in a newfound light. "Though I will put you in a living vessel. No more of this fragile doll business."

The doll flexed his fingers in wonder. "So I ask her... Am I human?"

The demon could only spare him a small, humorless smile. "No, you are not. Drossel Keinz died five years ago. You are another soul in a puppet's body."

His expression was blank before morphing into one of conflict when her words registered. Seir clicked her tongue.

"Human, doll , what's the difference?" Her new servant turned to her, features turning into a questioning look, and she fixed him with serious eyes. "I won't beat around the bush. I am not human either, and when you serve me it will be for an eternity. I wouldn't take such a fragile creature such as man to follow me for life. Knowing this, I will let you choose death now if you feel this is not the purpose for you."

"So I say to her, I will serve you," he responded without missing a beat. Like a practiced butler, he bowed low, drawing a hand across his chest in a symbol of absolute loyalty. "You gave me life - a purpose, and therefore I am yours... my lady."

The demon smiled wide, thoroughly pleased with her impulsive decision to claim this man as her own.

"Then stand," she murmured, though laced with authority. "You are not Drossel Keinz, and your new name will be given to you when you receive your new vessel. Until then, you will have no identity, and we will forge a new one together."

When he rose, she saw his gentle smile, and the demon felt a maternal spark in her chest that she had not felt in eons.

"I like your expressions," Seir noted absentmindedly. She missed the way his grin slipped from his face at her remark, but she had already turned to face the door. "You should show more emotion. It gives you life."

The servant was stunned, her words impacting him to his very core. He did not realize until now that he really hadn't shown much emotion at all, much less felt.

Something was different.

His new master gave him the ability to live… in more ways than one.

Internally, he vowed to serve his lady to his very last breath, and then some. Seir didn't know it, but her offhand comment cemented his undying devotion to her very cause and wellbeing.

"Yes," he remarked with a smile. "My lady."

She grinned back at him, but at the sound of clicking on the stairs it morphed into a sinister smile. Her servant found it somewhat unnerving, but decided he would learn how to feel again through her.

A part of him said he really shouldn't use her as an example, but then again, where else would he learn?

Faster than his eyes could register, Seir wrenched open the door and darted into the hall, snatching something off the ground.

"So I say to her, my lady?"

"First thing you will learn," she clicked her tongue in disapproval. He already felt thoroughly chastised by the action. "Is to not question my actions. I will explain myself if I feel you need to know."

He nodded quickly, fearful of ever being the root of her ire. However, the wriggling object in her hand drew both of their gazes, and the demon smiled a toothy grin.

"Hello, little dove," she purred, and the wooden doll in her grasp stilled.

"You-!"

"I finally understand." Seir flipped the toy on its back to observe the articulate seal on the paint. "It was pointless to send you off with a message. Heaven wouldn't allow the likes you back into its domain, fallen angel."

"How-"

"Speak when prompted, vermin." She traced the symbol with a delicate finger, observing its craftsmanship. A scratch in one of the lines silenced its muffled tone. "The seal of the underworld on the gate of this tower, your taming of a hellhound, your obsessive desire to tamper with mortals in ways that are deemed unholy."

The demon flipped the doll again to stare at it directly in its painted eyes, and she bared her teeth in a dangerous smile. "I dare say you are almost one of us."

Her servant watched as she tossed the object between her hands like a sack as she idly played with it. Although he didn't want to believe it, he was starting to see that he may have pledged his loyalty to something far more fearsome than his previous master.

"I've had some time to think," she muttered with a low chuckle. "To think you were ever a threat. You aren't even a Principality, but an actual Angel. The lowest in the pecking order."

He felt the heat slowly rise in their little room, and the servant was almost flabbergasted at the sight of her fingertips engulfed in miniature flames. His master did not once look at him through the whole ordeal.

"I'll be back for you to get rid of the evidence." Her smile was almost mad. He was reminded of a cat toying with its prey. Or maybe a nightmare. He just knew he did not want to be on the receiving end of that, ever. "Whether that means erasing your memory or eradicating your measly existence depends on how nice I'm feeling. Lucky for you, I'm feeling pretty good right now."

A final toss in the air as Seir aimed an outstretched hand at the wooden ragdoll.

"Conflagrate."

He raised his arms to shield his face from the sudden explosion. The heat from this proximity was almost overwhelming, and a stray flaming projectile caught on his head and lit the protruding straw on fire. He almost panicked were it not for Seir's quick extinguishing of his head as she threw the offending silage on the ground and harmlessly stamped it out.

"We're not done," she spoke, a sudden edge to her tone as she perked up, though her eyes softened when she turned back to him. "Can you run?"

"So I say to her, I will do my best to not slow you down, my lady," he smiled.

Ash bit his tongue with a choked gasp at the sudden disconnect from his peripheral host. Only after he recovered from the initial shock did dread fill him at the demon's words.

Merlin gave him a raised eyebrow as he looked up from his sketch.

"...Fuck."

Fuck.

She felt it again.

Furfur was here.

But Sebastian was there too.

I should be running away, she screamed at herself. Why am I moving towards him?!

Her new butler was moving too slowly for her tastes, and opted to carry him bridal style as she burst through the gates of the tower and into the woods. It was all he could do to hold on for dear life as she sped faster than any vehicle he's ever ridden.

The desperation in her step was apparent, and he could painfully offer no solace without knowing its cause.

At the very edge of the forest, Seir put him down, hiding him as well as he could in the bushes. Knowing his complaints would not be be well received, he opted to remain silent. She shot him a thankful look.

"You are no use to me in this form. This is something I must handle myself."

If he was hurt from the comment, he didn't show it. And he wasn't - inside, the servant he knew he was a liability at the moment, and all he could do now was stay out of her way.

At his knowing nod, Seir turned and burst through the treeline.

In the forest clearing stood Furfur in all of his glory. The sun had barely made itself known in the new day, painting the skies a colorful palette of pinks of golds. His long, beautiful pale green hair flew in the wind like new spring leaves, and unlike the other two demons in the vicinity, he opted to keep his horns and pointed ears visible to their less hellish audience. His lanky form was relaxed and lazy, though she could see that he was doing all he could to keep from slouching. His dress pants and crisp white shirt made him look really attractive in this picturesque setting.

...stupid left brain.

On the other side of the field stood the trio of misfits, with Pluto in his tuxedo observing from the sidelines. Ciel was at a total loss from his place behind his butler, unable to tear his eyes from Furfur's demonic features with a morbid curiosity. Grell himself was apparently torn - he felt the desire to openly address the man's attractiveness, but his last encounter with him left a sour taste in his mouth, knowing that he was after his dear companion. Sebastian, the territorial prick he was, exuded a hostile aura that nearly choked even her.

There was no way a Count was challenging a Duke, right?

Furfur turned at her sudden appearance. "Finally," he droned.

Sebastian looked her way as well, sensing her presence before she made herself known and directing his aggression at her. "Care to explain?"

Seir sighed tiredly, raking a hand through her hair. This day has been way too long.

Author's Note:

Double update~

Also yes - Drossel Keinz, le puppeteer, lives on. :D