Disclaimer: Me no own Kuroshitsuji. Wish I did, but I don't.

Chapter Nine

I was awoken from my sleep by a loud commotion coming from the manor's first floor. I glared through slitted eyes at nothing in particular. My annoyance was mostly at having been stirred awake by the awful racket and my inner demon was showing itself in my crimson eyes and suddenly elongated onyx nails.

I dug them into the soft pillow below my head, nearly tearing the soft material. Couldn't a demoness get any peace around here?

Another yell drifting upstairs answered my unspoken question.

I believe it was time to get up then.

Groaning I lifted myself out of bed and crossed the room to the oversized closet. I swung open the doors rather roughly and stormed into the interior. For a moment I paused as confusion set in. The large closet was completely overflowing with gowns and skirts of all sorts, most of them not ones I'd bought the other day.

Yet every one of them was my size exactly.

I bit my lip, there was only one person who could've possibly pulled this off in a single night and that person technically wasn't even a human. I was slightly angered that he had the audacity to even enter my room while I slept. I might be promiscuous in most of my actions but I did have some class and males entering my room in the middle of the night unbidden wasn't acceptable.

I clenched my teeth together and yanked a dress at random from off the hanger. It was a simple pink dress with the top skirts hitched up in ruffles in order to see the white underskirts that brushed the floor. A medium sized bow rested on the center of the chest where the sleeves ruffled up and around my neck. I smiled and slipped it on over my undergarments, lacing up the corset tightly with my hands easily.

I didn't bother much with my hair, already having perfect ringlets, I just pined up the top layer of my hair and let the rest fall loosely down my back. I sprinkled a dab of rose scented perfume on and looked at my reflection.

Everything appeared normal. Bronze ringlets shining slightly in the dim lighting, unblemished creamy skin, and pretty features. Everything that was but my eyes. I sighed and willed the scarlet irises and diamond shaped pupils to fade back to crystalized blue irises and round pupils. It took a moment, but finally they complied and changed back slowly.

I gave my reflection one last pretty smile and went down stairs to investigate.

The commotion only grew louder the closer I got to the bottom floor. The sounds of clashing metal and shouting became clearer as I released my gentle hold on the stairwell banister and turned down the hall. The racket seemed to be coming from the ballroom.

I frowned, at it so early? It had to be barely mid-day and already they were fighting?

I sighed and silently stepped inside to find a more surprising sight. Ciel sat on the marble flooring of the ballroom holding his limp arm with a fierce look on his face, whether it was anger or annoyance I couldn't have been sure, and across from him the foreign prince stood with his arms crossed over his chest and a smug look on his face. It only took my mind a brief moment to analyze the situation before it even registered the two figures locked in a fencing match.

I shook my head sadly, such children.

Agni, if I was correct in remembering the foreign servant's name, was pitted in an seemingly uneven match with Sebastian. Poor mortal, he had no idea who or even what he was facing down. Though I did have to admit he could hold his own for a surprisingly long time.

The flash of white caught my attention. My eyes narrowed in onto his hand, it was bandaged in white and if I squinted closely enough I could catch glimpses of an air that frightened my very being to the very core.

It couldn't be possible...

My mind had begun to drift into shock, but a burning sensation on the back of my hand grounded me back into reality, which is how I came to notice that I had been moving without my knowledge. I grabbed a foil lying near the table where Sebastian had placed the spares for Ciel's practicing and advanced towards the dueling pair. Neither of them noticed me as they made one finale attempt to match each other in a forward attack, but my foil cut between their advance, whipping both of them upwards and arching over my head.

I smiled warmly, "Boys, isn't it a bit early for such serious dueling?"

Both stared blankly at me before they dropped their tense stances and brought their foils to their sides. I smiled and brought my own down, but instead of bringing it to my side I brought the dulled tip to rest onto of the tip of my other hand's forefinger.

I looked up smiling softly, "A lady cannot get any rest in this house it would seem. Such a pity, I thought you all to be gentlemen."

"Tessa, why are you here?" Ciel asked, standing up and glaring at me.

I blinked and tipped my head to the side, "Your commotion caused me to wake and curiosity drove me to investigate, dear brother."

Ciel gave an annoyed sigh, "I'm sorry we disturbed you then, sister."

I narrowly avoided smirking at the reluctance and emphasis he placed on the word sister. Obviously he still was annoyed with the fact that I had to act like a sibling of his rather then his servant. For me his annoyance was the sweetest kind of entertainment. The only damper on that entertainment was the leash I found myself chocking on.

"My lady, how about you retire to the drawing room for morning tea while I get the young master ready to join you and our guest?" Sebastian leaned asked, folding an arm over his chest.

I pretend to lift my nose to him and sighed, "Very well, I suppose that's all right. I'm in need of my morning tea anyhow after I've been so cruelly neglected when I woke to find a chaotic scene instead of the welcoming aroma of tea."

"Hold it."

My head turned to see Soma looking directly at me and I ground my teeth together. What did he want?

He smiled broadly at me, before turning to Ciel and wrapping an arm over the younger male's shoulders, "Ciel, you never told me your sister was talented in dueling as well! Are all women of England like her?"

I snorted, gaining all of their attention, before I covered it up with a soft giggle, "Of course not, Soma. Women here find it too tiresome of a sport, though there are a handful or so of high class elites who find fencing to be a preferable activity to small chat. I, as well as our dear aunt, happen to be among these select few."

Ciel gaped openly at me at my knowledge on his family and I just smiled at him, before turning my attention to the awed Soma. It seemed this prince was easily pleased and amused. Such a silly being, even by mortal standards.

"I'll be waiting for you gentleman in the drawing room," I curtsied, before leaving the room.

I closed my eyes briefly against the sight of the empty hallways as I ghosted my way down the hall. It was rather odd, but I was feeling slightly unsettled the further I went; a feeling that had me rigid with unease. Perhaps it was just the contract, it was certainly unnerving to know that I was branded.

But as I drew further and further down the hall, my unsettled feeling morphed into something entirely even more frightening. The hairs on the back of my neck stood on end and I had the odd sensation of being watched. My back stiffened and I slowly slide my eyes to the left and the the right. Something was wrong.

Severely wrong.

But I didn't dare call for Sebastian, I could handle myself perfect fine. Besides it might just be my silly imagination overworking again. Even so, I stopped in my tracks and turned to look behind me.

Nothing, but an empty corridor.

I narrowed my eyes, feeling the crimson color shifting back and replacing the innocent blue. Something was not right here, my demon was stirring in response to something threatening in the air.

"Sebastian," I mumbled in a voice softer than a whisper, I was reluctant to call him but he might be able to understand this feeling more than I could.

Moving to the window, I made my mind up to wait for him to show. I sighed, trying to shake this uneasy feeling off myself, and pressed my forehead to the cold glass. The world outside was a winter wonderland; all white and pure. Completely despicable in my taste, but even I couldn't deny it some beauty. Besides the cold and gray skies reflected some unforgiving nature that I admired.

A streak of black darted from one side of yard to the street outside the manor's gate. The shadowed figure stood out in stark contrast to the pure white of the ground surrounding the manor and I couldn't help but feel suspicious about whatever it was. I narrowed my gaze onto the retreating figure. What on earth was that?

My eyes only got a glimpse of whatever it was before a hand came down onto my shoulder making me jump. I whirled around on my heels prepared to strike whoever had snuck up behind me, but my defensive posture melted into anger when I saw the familiar darkly dressed figure.

"Sorry, did I give you a fright, Tessa?" Sebastian teased, a smirk on his face.

I glared and turned around, disappointed to find the figure gone along with the sensation of unease. Whatever it had been was the obvious cause of my discomfort and to make a demon uncomfortable meant that whatever it had been was more then something trivial.

"You called?" He asked after getting no response from me after a few moments of silence elapsed between us.

I turned back to him and frowned, "Did you not feel that?"

His brows drew together in confusion, "Feel what?"

I looked back out the window, feeling a new uneasiness setting into the pit of my stomach, "Never mind, it was most likely just nothing but the imagination of a silly demon."

Sebastian grabbed my shoulders roughly and turned me around to face him, his eyes flashing scarlet. I flinched feeling the mark on my hand burning with his anger. Anger directed at me.

"Tell me," he ordered, his voice a low growl.

I found myself unable to stop from telling him, my mouth working before my mind fought off his control, "A feeling of uneasiness had passed over me and then I saw a figure run from the estate. I couldn't tell what it was, just that they resembled a human, but that could mean a lot of things."

Sebastian released me and moved towards the window, looking out. I sent him a sharp glare as I rubbed my arms, he had been none too gentle with me and I had no doubt bruises would develop. He stood there a moment before turning back to me.

"Someone was here," he stated.

I let out an annoyed breath of air slowly, "Which is exactly what I said, wasn't it?"

Sebastian ignored my sarcasm and looked at me sternly, "Under no circumstances are you to tell the young master about this, Tessa."

I raised an eyebrow questioningly, "And why are we keeping this from him then? Isn't he your master?"

His eyes flashed dangerously, "Do not tell him."

I scowled, but nodded anyway before brushing him off with a lazy wave of my hand, "Alright, but I still don't feel good about not telling him...Though I suppose you have you're reasons for keeping this from him, Sebastian, most likely good reasons. But I want you to remember what I say next."

I paused turning to level my gaze with his over my shoulder, hoping he'd get that I was completely serious with what I was saying, "Something dangerous is out there, more dangerous then us, and I have a bad feeling that it's here for the young master."

I turned around.

"And Sebastian," I whispered in a harsh voice. "Don't say I didn't warn you."