Chapter Eighteen

"You can take bottom bunk, it's warmer then up here," Gem stated, pointing to the bunk I was to take.

I nodded politely, knowing that even if what she said was true, it wouldn't matter much to myself. Sleeping is a luxury for demons, one I often indulged in, but wouldn't be doing so for a brief time. I couldn't bring myself to actually want to sleep in the small cot they insisted on calling a bed. It couldn't be made of more than straw wrapped in cloth masquerading as a mattress with a rough cotton blanket laid over it.

I held my sigh back behind tightly locked lips as I placed the folded costume up into the trunk at the end of the bunks, which was to be shared between myself and Gem. Even though it probably couldn't have even fit a person the size of Ciel into it, the trunk still had plenty of extra room. The only articles of clothing each of us held to our own at this time were the costumes we'd wear during the shows, our nightwear, and of course our work clothes. Nothing extra.

I silently wondered how Ciel was fairing. Someone used to the luxuries of the high life couldn't have been too comfortable placed in such a position as he would currently find himself in. He'd be in for the shock of his life with the events to come.

"So where are you from?"

I looked up upon the question, finding Gem splayed out across the top bunk. Her chin rested on top of her hands as she stared curiously down at me, one leg thrown carelessly off the edge while the other rested straight out behind her. I had to push the one out of my way so that I could move to sit on the bunk below her, hiding from that drilling gaze of hers. Something about it unnerved me.

"Just outside of the city actually," I responded, hoping she wouldn't pursue the topic any further.

I faintly heard the bed above me creak as she shifted her weight slightly. "The country side then?" She sounded mildly shocked. "You don't have an accent."

I couldn't help the small laugh that escaped my lips, "Oh no, not the country. I worked as a parlor maid in the mansion of a Lord."

"Oh," she sounded slightly more curious now. "I bet it was nice."

"Certainly so," I commented lightly, careful about the information I was letting slip. "The grounds were always lovely and the master wasn't too horrid."

Knowing she couldn't see me do so, I let a grin unfold across my lips. I do wonder what Ciel would say if he ever heard that comment. It was most likely that he'd snap at me, or perhaps he'd surprise me and take insult to it. I couldn't help but find both ideas amusing.

She sighed wishfully, "I wish I could see one of those up close. My mum used to walk me through the rich areas when I was younger, outside the gates of course, and they were always so grand."

I frowned, noting something about her that was different from the other circus members, "You talk fairly well for not being higher class yourself, Gem?"

There was a pause in which the moments ticked by slowly as my unease grew into something more. Suspicion? Perhaps.

"My mum was a seamstress, she made dresses for the lower upper class. She could afford to allow me some schooling," she answered hurriedly.

"Was? You speak as if she no longer is here?" I observed softly.

Another pause, this one shorter.

"It's because she isn't."

"If you don't mind my asking-." I began, before being roughly cut off.

"I do."

My eyes widened some at the sharpness of the girl's tone. That was surprising. From a human, even from Ciel, I'd never heard such a tone when talking of deceased love ones. Hurt or even a softer reply of not wanting to talk about it, but never with such venom. It made me all the more weary of this human. Something was not right with her. I just hadn't a clue as to what is was, but with the strange scent of sin emitting from her I now had two pieces of a puzzle that just wasn't making any logical sense yet.

"Well if you don't mind, I'll be going to sleep now," she stated, filling the silence that had ensued after her outburst.

I just nodded, not caring that she couldn't see the action. I couldn't bring myself to care, even as I laid back onto the uncomfortable padding that was supposed to be my bed until this mission ended. I stared blankly up at the bottom of the top bunk, reaching up to run my finger along the natural ridges in the wood. I would wait until she was completely asleep before I left. I had some thing I also needed to get to and it wouldn't do to draw suspicion from her should she see me leave at night.

Some time elapsed before her breathing became soft and even, a signal that she was in a deep slumber. Slowly, I sat up carefully and slipped off the bottom bunk. My bare feet touched the cold dirt, bringing a hiss to my throat which I kept locked there. I glanced wearily up at the lump in the top bunk, unsurprised to find she hadn't even flinched.

I reached for my boots as I passed the trunk, not making the move to put them on until I ghosted my way to a safe distance from all the tents and their sleeping occupants. Slipping them onto my feet, I didn't bother with the troublesome laces before continuing on my way once more. It wasn't shocking to find a few stranglers wondering about, but none paid me any mind as I carefully slipped away from my human skin and effectively became invisible to them. A perk about being a demon, like many other creatures we had the ability to become shrouded from human sight. Only a few humans had the ability to see through them, those often had a gift we called the Sight. They never lasted long with rouge demons snatching them up.

My demon form was much more comfortable to wonder in than the restraining form of a human body. My body much stronger and tolerate of the weather around me, morphing into something much more lethal and predator like. I smiled cruelly, feeling the four fangs in my mouth against my lips as they pulled back. I rolled my shoulders, stretching the stiff muscles in my back. The midnight feathers unfurled behind me as my wings sprouted. I had my bastard father to thank for those, but it was impossible to hate the intoxicatingly beautiful wings. They themselves were beauty at its most alluring.

"Going out for a night fly?" A dark chuckle surprised me.

I turned quickly, before smirking, "I wouldn't call it that exactly, Undertaker. Though you may join me for a stroll."

He nodded, for once not making any of the strange noises of his as he joined my side. We walked a little further away from the camp, even though I couldn't be seen I was still weary of any noise alerting the others to my presence.

"You know your other form would free you that much more," the Undertaker pointed out seriously, a tone of voice that didn't suit the darkly clothed man at all.

I raised an eye brow, brushing back the stray midnight black curls, "I refuse to resort to such actions. I don't need to explore that forsaken side of myself."

"Stubborn as always," he chuckled. "I suppose if being bound suits you, then you may continue being so."

I stopped mid-stride, claws curling into fist as I gritted my teeth together. "Why must you always speak unclearly? Why, if you feel that you must tease me over that side of myself, must you speak so cryptically about it?"

The Undertaker covered his grin with a dark sleeve, "Because you never ask to know. You're always denying it."

I growled, "So you are informing me that if I ask, you shall tell me what it is you are being so coy about?"

"For the usual price," he chuckled.

I turned my face away from him as I thought. What was it that really drove him to push me to seeking that side of me that wasn't tainted with sin, that innocent side? I couldn't see what was so interesting about it that he found the need, no the want, to bring it to the surface. My entire existence I'd been at a constant battle to keep it hidden. So why give in now? What was so special about it?

"If I pay the price do you swear to answer all of my questions?" I asked, not yet turning to face the Undertaker.

"Depends," he drawled, his voice closer.

I still didn't move back. The risks weren't too high. Whatever information he gave I could easily forget, couldn't I? And the price of making him laugh wasn't too steep nor was it anything that would cause harm to me for paying; even if I were only get useless information out of him.

I frowned, unable to believe that I was so willing to dive head first into a fact about myself that I'd refused to acknowledge for decades just because a retired reaper awoke my curiosity. I would almost dare to call myself weak for allowed him to plant a seed of curiosity and let it grow into this nagging feeling of needed to know.

"Fine, I'll pay the price," I answered slowly. "But you must answer all my questions to the best of your ability."

"As you wish," he snickered.

Sighing, I reluctantly turned and whispered something in his ear. As I pulled away I hoped I hadn't made a mistake in doing this. I watched as his laughter died down and a nearly serious face replaced the humor.

"What is it you wish to know first?"

A/N: Sorry for the long time taken between the last upload and this one. Writer's block prevented me from writing anything past the first page and it took me forever to think of something to push it past that point. So forgive me. No Sebastian and Ciel in this chapter 8( But I promise to make it up in futures ones. Also this chapter is incredibly short, sorry about that. I'll try to get to the next one up sooner rather then later.