Disclaimer: I do not own Kuroshitsuji

Chapter Thirteen

"I hope you aren't planning anything, my lady," Sebastian stated, only using the title because Soma was seated comfortably behind me in the carriage.

I smiled brightly and shook my head as I grabbed onto the hand he offered and came down the steps of the carriage with Sebastian's help. The crowded downtown street in the middle of the fashion district of London was my supposed stop, though in actuality it was just my false lead so that I could slip to where I needed to go without Sebastian knowing. My actual destination was very far from this particular crowded street.

"Of course not, Sebastian," I joked lightly, pulling the hood of my coat over my head to keep my face out of the cold. "I wouldn't dare do such unbecoming things as conspiring behind Ciel's or your back."

"I hope for your sake that those words are spoken with truth," he warned while keeping his tone calm and pleasant, like an average butler. I would be lying if I said that the tone lessoned the intensity of the threat, when in fact it did nothing more than to serve in making the threat even more clear to me.

I gave a half smile, "They were."

Sometime in the short banter of threats between Sebastian and I, Ciel got restless and had shifted in his seat so that he rested an elbow against the side of the carriage and leaned his cheek into the up lifted palm. His entire posture radiated annoyance and a wish to get moving. But none of this was noted by anyone until he spoke.

"Sebastian, I would like to get on our way," he snapped. "Being late is frowned upon."

Sebastian turned away from me and bowed to his young master, "Of course, my lord."

I lifted my chin slightly higher and delivered the demon a smirk, "I shall be off now, I'll expect you men to be here before it grows dark to fetch me. You wouldn't want to make yourselves into fools for neglecting a lady by leaving her to wander the streets at night. London can be a terribly frightening place at night, you never know what sort of demons lurk in the alleys."

Sebastian visibly smirked at my speech, we both knew I could very well take care of myself if the need arouse. A human couldn't possibly hurt someone like me, if anything they were the prey and I was the hunter.

With one last bid fair well, I walked off listening as the Phantomhive carriage pulled away and went in the opposite direction towards its own destination. I smiled softly to myself and counted the moments in my head until I knew the coast would be all clear to head where I needed to go. While I slowly counted down, I peered into shop fronts feigning interest in the dresses and accessories as I passed. More often than not, I caught one or two human males take a double take as I passed. Though unfortunately for them, my hunger was quenched for the moment and I had no need for such silly interests as small talk and causal flirting.

A full ten minutes had elapsed before I concluded that it had been a sufficient amount of time and wondered away from the nicer parts of London towards the back alleys where no sensible lady would dare travel, even in broad daylight. But of course, I was no sensible lady to begin with. Here the brick walls were no longer bright red and scrubbed clean of grim, instead scum coated the crumbling dulled bricks that looked almost black with coal and lord knows what on them. The cobble stone road was no longer easily traveled and pot holes scattered the streets, hidden beneath a fine layer of white snow and threatening to break ones neck if they tripped over one. Faces leered out at you from connecting alleyways instead of giving a pleasant smile or nod of respect from across a clean kept street. Things of the polite society were scare and even forgotten here.

I ignored the scenery for the most part, only keeping my eye out for any lurking figures need I worry over having to spill any blood over my skirts and try to explain such a thing to Sebastian. I wasn't entirely sure what sort of excuse I would have to try and explain that one off to him.

The particular store front I was looking for was one set away from the rest in a particularly shady back alleyway where only those who absolutely had to be there lurked. The sign over the doorway was a dull purple and even the paint was chipping at some corners where the damp air had gotten to it. It was slanted slightly, only off by a centimeter or so, and the white letters were only just neat enough to be presentable. Though it need not be anything too grand, only those who needed to come to a undertaker did and they didn't care for finery when they paid their visits. Mourners didn't really care for lavish decorations after all.

I stepped inside and quickly dropped the hood of my black coat back, as I eyed the interior of the place wearily. Gloomy was the only word that could've been used to describe the place. That and of course creepy. Both words that fit the owner of the place rather nicely as well.

If such a trip could've been avoided I would've gladly accepted it, but he was the person to come to when in need of information. For some reason he knew everything about everything. Not a single bit of gossip eluded the man.

But that didn't mean I wanted to pay him a visit.

I rather loathed the idea.

"Undertaker," I called in a steady voice, seating myself on a black polished coffin with as much elegance as I could muster in a place like this.

The hair raising cackling was my first warning before the gray haired man appeared out of one of the standing coffins. I resisted the urge to scoff and raised my chin slightly as I removed my black fur muff and placed it onto my lap restlessly.

"Well here's a face I haven't seen in years," he chuckled some more, coming fully out of the coffin. "It's been a while, Miss Tessa."

I scoffed softly and lifted my chin a little higher, "I could say the same for you, Undertaker."

A large smile crossed his face, "Too long, but I suppose you've been caught up."

I shot the man a sharp glare at his emphasis on the last phrase. Of course he'd also know about that little accident with the reapers, being a retired one himself.

"If they were trained right these days such incidents would be avoided," I growled softly.

Undertaker chuckled, "Ah, they aren't at all like they were in my days."

I gave an impatient sigh, "Enough with the useless chatter, I'm here on business not for a leisurely chat."

He nodded, a smirk taking over his smile, "Same as always I see, but I haven't changed much either. You'll still have to pay the price."

I bit back my scowl, this again.

He began wiggling his body about as he crowded into my personal space, his face only inches from mine. I didn't so much as flinch, instead remained glaring straight forward and ignoring his looming presences at the left side of me.

"Bestow me with the precious gift of laughter and I'll tell you all you need to know," Undertaker cried out, chuckling at the end.

I sighed, "Very well then, since I must."

Leaning over, I cupped a gloved hand around his ear and whispered into it for a moment before leaning away. It didn't even take two moments for the ex-reaper to become overcome with a fit of laughter that marked him as a the very reincarnation of insanity. I huffed softly and waited for him to come down from his humor induced high.

"That was delightful," he grinned largely at me. "Now how may I be of assistance?"

I sighed and pinched the bridge of my nose, "You mean you don't already know? Perhaps you are losing your touch, Undertaker?"

He shook his head, grinning even wider, "I was hoping you'd still tell me, but if you don't want to play I'll tell."

I ground my teeth together, "Then get on with it. I haven't got all day."

"You wish to know about a particular guest that has been plaguing the Phantomhive estate recently, don't you?" He chuckled, covering his mouth with a long black sleeve. "That one is a particularly unknown one, he is."

My eyebrows arched upwards, "You mean to say he isn't mortal?"

"No, but what he is no one knows," Undertaker chortled.

"How can no one know?" I snapped in mild shock. "Wouldn't that be impossible? I believed species were clear cut. There only should be mortals, demons, angels, and reapers! Shouldn't there?"

Undertaker grinned and placed a long nail under my chin, lifting it up slightly, "But you defy that rule as well."

I yanked my chin away, scowling, "I suppose you have a point, but where as I am not entirely one species I still fall under the demonic category."

I watched as the Undertaker swung his finger from side to side, chuckling the entire time, "That isn't entirely true either. Angel blood runs in those veins of yours whether you want to believe it or not."

One of my brows rose higher, as I found myself both disgusted and curious, "So what you are implying is that this thing is like me?"

The Undertaker smirked, "No entirely."

I frowned, "Then what can he be?...Unless he is a different mix."

"Bingo," the Undertaker laughed. "But no one is sure of which mix."

"But he isn't demon and angel, so that only leaves three others," I muttered.

"With about as many possibilities as there are deaths everyday," the ex-reaper grinned.

I sighed and rubbed my aching temples, "I'm afraid this is all too much to take in."

"And I haven't even gotten to the good part yet," he laughed, wiggling more.

"Then get it over with before I get tired of your presences and leave," I snapped, my eyes narrowing ever so slightly.

He leaned in so that his mouth was next to my ear and whispered the next part, "He is involved in the very thing our dear Earl Phantomhive sold his soul for."

My jaw fell open with a pop. Did Sebastian suspect any of this? I shook my head, no of course he couldn't. If he did know he would have mentioned it to Ciel then, all so that he could be one step closer to obtaining that soul he desired so much. Which meant that he was clueless at the moment.

It all made too much sense now that I thought on it, but if this visitor was involved there were also many holes that needed to be filled in order to understand exactly how and why. Motives would become the key to this game. Motives which were missing at the moment. Key components to this puzzle.

I bit my lip and stood up, slipping my muff back onto my arms after pulling the hood over my head. I couldn't tell Sebastian about any of this yet, not without him being suspicious about my actions today. I would tell him in due time of course, but for now I would have to keep an extra cautious eye out for this guest of ours.

"Thank you for your information, Undertaker," I said, giving the man a glance out of the corner of my eye as I made my way towards the exit.

"I would embrace that other side of yours. It will become of great use to you in the near future."

I froze at the Undertaker's words and turned ever so slightly to find an uncharacteristic sober look on the ex-reaper's face, which was normally plagued with an eerie grin. The serious expression unsettled me and I felt a deep gnawing worry build up in my gut, but I carefully masked this behind a scoff.

"I'll be sure to keep that in mind," I mumbled sarcastically. "Have a good evening then."

I turned and left quickly, not giving myself time to dwell on his haunting words. I swore I would never embrace that side of me. Never.

No words would change that.

Not even if they were spoken in a forewarning voice.