Chapter Forty-Seven
Hollow Butler. Separated Bride
Within the confines of the Trancy mansion, Claude held a box of Red Moon Shadow tea leaves.
"My fellows of the deep, beloved darkness, look here."
He extracted the Trancy ring from inside the pouch of tea leaves.
"I present to you, Alois Trancy's soul," he said.
Hannah and the trio of butlers sat at the table as he presented it to them.
"So, now that I have obtained this, what shall I do with it?"
One of the butlers pulled up an image of him eating the ring. Claude arched a brow.
"Close."
The second presented an image of him wearing it.
"Wide of the mark."
He then turned to the only woman in the room.
"Hannah?"
She remained emotionless as she answered.
"The manor's décor seems to have changed."
The butlers began whispering to one another as Claude pointed to Hannah.
"Precisely correct!"
He leapt onto the table and pirouetted on its surface.
"I transformed the manor's colour scheme. Once navy, it is now midnight blue!" he proclaimed. "The alteration itself is a subtle one. Only a select few will notice!"
Claude stopped spinning, and lifted the ring level to his eye.
"Their souls may be fundamentally different, but look closely, and you will find a commonality. The pasts that colour them, and that is most useful."
Sebastian sat in his office, glancing through papers as Marianne sat beside him. He looked at her and feathered his fingers over her flat belly, and felt the slight pulse of live so deeply hidden beneath the layers of flesh and muscle.
"Interesting," he said. "So, this is their move?"
Marianne nodded her head, remembering the sight of Hannah digging Alois's eye out with her fingers.
Ciel stood in his nightshirt looking out the window. There was a knock at the door. He looked over his shoulder and waited for Sebastian to enter. The demon walked inside, candelabra in hand.
"Trouble sleeping, my child?" he asked.
"A bit, perhaps." Ciel answered. He turned his gaze back to the window. "Yes. It's this business of killing someone. It doesn't pay out as one expects."
Sebastian watched him carefully as the boy wandered back over to his bed.
"I thought the process would be an easy one. But, as it turns out, I find it difficult to kill like you, without hesitation or honour."
Sebastian smiled.
"I consider that a high compliment, Ciel."
Ciel tightened the sheets around him and called out to Sebastian over his shoulder.
"Tell me a story so I can fall asleep."
Sebastian stepped towards the bed.
"Well," he said, pulling out a letter from his tailcoat. "Will a message from Her Majesty suffice?"
The boy's head snapped up at those words.
A boy ran through the streets of London, the full moon cast a glow over his blond hair. A cloaked creature leapt down from the sky, pinned him, and struck. His scream filled the night as his blood stained the cobbles.
The following day, Ciel, Sebastian and Marianne were sat in a carriage traversing the streets of London. Sebastian explained the contents of the letter.
"There's been a spait of crimes in the London area recently. It seems someone has been gouging out people's eyes," he said. "The victims aren't all of the same class, but every last one of them is a young boy."
Ciel huffed.
"Eye gouging, how perverse."
Marianne, dressed in her Edward persona, looked up from her sewing and arched a brow.
"Should I be concerned that you made such a comparison? I imagine it is a rather messy and sticky business."
Ciel turned his eye out the window, and remembered how Alois pleaded for his life as he clutched his stomach.
"You're being tricked by a demon! Can't you see that we're basically the same?"
He was brought out of his musings by Sebastian's voice.
"Is there something the matter, Ciel?" he asked.
Ciel shook his head.
"It's nothing."
The demon met the eyes of his mate. Neither of them believed his words for a second.
Upon the roofs, a shadowed figure watched their carriage as it went down the street.
"I don't know!" the latest victim cried, slamming his fists onto the wooden table.
Ciel, Sebastian and Marianne had arrived at the home of the boy, where he lived with his mother. There were hoping to shed some light on the attacks, or at least know who they were looking for.
"He just up and stuck his fingers in me eyes. Everything went red… And now, I can't see nothing!"
Bandages were wrapped around his eye sockets, blood slightly tinging them.
"Can you describe your attacker?" Ciel asked.
"He was just a kid, about the same age as I am, only this boy looked plenty rich."
"A boy?"
"Bloody bastard…"
Marianne watched a spider sitting in its web from the far corner of the room.
The trio left the house soon afterwards.
"Father?" Ciel called.
The demon bowed his head.
"Yes."
Meanwhile, Claude was in the gardens crocheting. Afternoon tea had been set up for him. Birds were singing in the trees as he worked.
"A demon has spent much time building up that soul stitch by stitch. And now, I intend to steal it. But I must do so respectfully, stitch by stitch."
Ciel looked through the information Sebastian had gathered.
"We have several witness reports. Without exception, they describe the attacker as a richly dressed, young noble," he explained.
The boy chuckled.
"I'm being mocked, Father."
Marianne looked at him.
"Mocked by whom?"
Ciel gestured to the page.
"Look, I'll draw a line between the Phantomhive and Trancy estates. Then connect the various scenes of the crimes." He showed the finished product. "A spider web. Obviously he's behind this."
Marianne shook her head.
"I don't think so, at least not him."
Ciel turned to her.
"Why's that then?" he asked.
"Do you remember my last day off, and how I came back later than planned? On the way back to the estate, I saw a crashed carriage and went to investigate. It belonged to Alois Trancy. Grell was in the vicinity, and I didn't want to deal with him. Instead, I followed a trail of blood leading away from the crash, and came across a tall tree. I heard something approaching and hid behind it. It turned out Alois was bleeding out from the stab wound you gave him, and had summoned Claude. They talked, and I think Claude murdered him by squeezing his head until it… popped…" she explained. "Grell then turned up, and seemed entertained by the whole thing. And when they both left, I saw Hannah come over and eat one of his eyes."
She took a deep breath, her eyes growing more serious.
"Sebastian, when a contracted soul is dead, what happens to the demon?"
Sebastian thought for a moment.
"It may be possible that Claude is acting on his own."
Ciel huffed.
"So, he survived, at least for a while. He was persistent, I'll give him that much."
"Ciel?" Sebastian asked.
"Trancy… Causing trouble, even though he is dead."
The boy looked up at the butler.
"A butler always answers his Master's questions truthfully and without hesitation, am I right?" he asked.
"Quite right, Ciel." Sebastian answered.
"You aren't hiding anything more about Alois from me, are you? You both withheld information about this from me before."
Marianne reached out and stroked his hair.
"We only did that because you were working to piece your memory back together. The added conflict while you didn't know who was who, we didn't want you to have to deal with that. There is nothing else about Alois that we haven't already told you," she explained.
Ciel stared at them for a moment before he nodded his head, albeit reluctantly.
"In that case…"
Just then, an explosion emerged beside them. Sebastian took Ciel in his arms while Marianne clung to his back, and leapt out of the way.
"The Spider butler?" Ciel asked.
"No, not now." Sebastian answered, glancing behind him.
There was nothing unusual in sight. The demon leapt down and placed Ciel in an open crate.
"Please stay in here," he said.
Ciel scowled as he took off his hat. Marianne slid off Sebastian's back and climbed in beside him.
"Why?" the boy asked.
"It's just for a bit." Sebastian told him. "You mustn't set a single foot out of this box. Stay put."
The woman wrapped an arm around his shoulders.
"And I'll be with you in here. So you won't be alone."
"…Fine."
Sebastian placed the lid on top of the box, shutting them inside.
He dashed off.
Of course. Sebastian thought. First, they lure us out here with orders from the Queen. That's just the start.
As he ran through an alley, washing lines came loose from the walls and began to rain down on him.
Next, they rely on the ones sure to show up when there's a soul-related issue.
Using one of the lines to swing up to the rooftops, Sebastian dodged out of the way of whirring blades. He looked down at the Reaper who attacked him.
Reapers.
He threw three knives into the lawnmower Death Scythe, and watched it smoke.
The Reaper lifted it up and examined the damage.
"Come on…! You've got to be kidding me!" he complained. It then fell silent. "Bloody Hell. It's totally useless now."
Sebastian observed him from the opposing roof.
"Forgive me, I don't believe we've met before," he said.
The Reaper sighed and turned to face him.
"We haven't. Hi. The name's Ronald Knox, the next Die-Hard Reaper!"
There was a beat of silence before he shrugged.
"Yeah… Sounds bleedin' ridiculous, I know. It's just Old Man Sutcliffe insisted I need my own catchphrase. So, I had a bird from General Affairs come up with something for me."
"Oh, I shouldn't worry over much. Both you and your silly little catchphrase are destined to be short-lived." Sebastian said, drawing out one of his knives. "I assume you lot have gotten involved because of recent unusual soul movements."
Ronald didn't answer.
"Is that it? Perhaps the soul of one Alois Trancy has proven unrecoverable for instance, eh?"
Just then, another voice joined in the conversation.
"Perhaps so."
A pair of pruning shears attached from behind. Sebastian leapt over to another roof to avoid the blow. He looked back and saw William Spears staring back at him with a large book under his arm.
"I might've guessed you'd be involved in this." Spears said. "And here you are. Hello Sebastian."
Ciel was cuddled up in the crate with Marianne, who let him rest his head on her shoulder while they held each other. She stroked his hair while he whispered to her.
"I've felt this before… I was trapped someplace like this for a long time."
She smiled down at him.
"It wasn't the best idea, but Sebastian had to carry you around in a trunk for a while. I didn't approve, but he was more able to protect you at the time than I was, and we didn't know if he would try again. Neither of us wanted to risk your safety," she explained.
"But why would Alois interfere with my contract? It doesn't make any sense!" Ciel asked. "Why would he say 'you're being tricked by a demon'?"
"Maybe he was the one who was being tricked?" Marianne suggested. "The only one who really has the answers to that is Claude, and I don't want to be anywhere near him any time soon."
Ciel fell silent for a while before he spoke up again.
"Do you think… Claude is trying to do something against Father?" he asked.
Marianne stopped stroking his hair as she pondered his question.
"I don't know the intricacies of demon contracts, but I don't think they can steal one another's contracted souls if there is a mark on them. There may be more to this than either of us know."
They didn't speak after that. Ciel pressed his face into her shoulder and scrunched his eyes shut. Alois's words continued to ring in his ears like twisted violin strings.
"Can't you see we're basically the same?"
Sod off! He snapped mentally. I'm nothing like you, you vile piece of filth!
He remembered how Sebastian had placed him inside the trunk, how Marianne watched him do it, even though it looked that she wanted to cradle him in her arms more than anything.
"You mustn't set foot out of this box. Please, my child."
Ciel gritted his teeth.
"Dammit! Aren't I meant to be the one giving the orders?"
Marianne held him to her, kept him close and did her best to alleviate his struggles.
"Ciel, parents say these things to keep their children safe. Sebastian was only doing the same," she said.
A tremor ran through the boy as something smacked against the top of the crate.
"Is he though…?"
The woman's hands clutched him to her, as though his words wounded her. She shook her head, nudged the lid of the crate, and took a peek outside. There were children playing in the street, but she couldn't see anything else.
"I think we best make a move."
They leapt out of the crate and ran down the alleyway.
Sebastian continued to evade William's attacks.
"What a bother." Spears said. "Working overtime yet again, all thanks to Grell."
Sebastian grabbed hold of the Death Scythe and manoeuvred it out the way.
So, Marianne was right. Alois Trancy is dead. Which means, it's the butler's game.
"His fine thread twines around his snow white soul. One stitch at a time. Row by row. Until the web is complete." Claude said as he continued his needlework.
A yellow bird flew down and rested on his shoulder.
Ciel held onto Marianne's hand as they ran through the dark alleys.
Where are you, Father? I will find you. I need to know… I need to know! Am I your child…? Or am I still your dinner?
The two of them caught sight of a plum coloured coat. A head of blond hair as they climbed over a wall.
"Alois?" Ciel called out.
"No. He's dead. I saw him die." Marianne assured him.
A barrel toppled over behind them, and they saw Alois again, making his escape.
There is no end to his mockery. How dare he take my family away from me again! Everything was fine before he interfered! And now, I am doubting Father…
"Come back!"
They chased after him until they cornered him at a dead end.
As the two of them made to apprehend him, a carriage pulled up behind them.
"Alois Trancy! There he is!"
Men clambered out and came running down the alley. Ciel tsked at the sight of them.
"Idiots," he muttered before speaking up. "You're from Scotland Yard then? Well, go after him. He's escaping."
The men shoved Marianne out of the way and grabbed Ciel.
"Alright Trancy, don't try to fight us."
Marianne shook her head.
"What do you think you're doing?!" she demanded. "That's not Alois Trancy! That's Ciel Phantomhive!"
"Exactly!" Ciel agreed. "Get your facts straight! He's right over-!"
He turned back to the dead end and saw Alois had disappeared. Marianne scrambled to her feet as they tried to take him away.
"Let him go! You have the wrong person!" she cried.
"Let me go this instant!" Ciel yelled. "Who the bloody hell do you think you are?!"
Just then, they were stopped by two people. Hannah stood at the side of an older gentleman.
"It's the maid from the Trancy manor!" Ciel gasped.
"Hannah…" Marianne muttered.
"Look closely," said the man. "Are you quite certain?"
Hannah nodded her head.
"Yes, that is my master. That is the Earl Alois Trancy, and his caretaker."
Ciel's eye widened.
"What? Are you mad?!"
"Forgive me for saying so," the man said. "He seems to be an extremely troubled youth."
Hannah turned away.
"It's a tragic tale. My poor young Lord was subjected to repeated abuse at the hands of his late father," she explained. "The abuse took a toll on him. I'm sorry to say it affected his mind. He despises the mark carved into his eye by the previous Earl Trancy. Any time he sees a boy that resembles his younger self, that hatred manifests itself like some monster. It whispers 'Take out their eyes. Take out their eyes.'"
She lifted her hand to her bandaged face.
"He took mine as well. That's why I wear this."
Ciel snarled at her.
"How dare you, you vile witch!"
"Stop with your heinous lies! He is not Alois Trancy! They don't even look alike for damned sake!" Marianne yelled.
Hannah continued as though they hadn't spoken.
"His eye is the best proof of his identity."
The man gave the order.
"Remove the patch from his eye!"
The men moved around him, and tried to take off the eye patch.
This was when Marianne leapt into action. She threw the men away from Ciel, driven by rage and motherly protectiveness, and gathered him into her arms. Her eyes flickered venomously, glowering at Hannah as though to dare try and separate them.
"I will say this again and again. He is not Alois Trancy. He is the Earl Ciel Phantomhive. His eye was injured following his disappearance after the fire that took the lives of his parents, where he was forced to witness their bodies mutilation at the hands of their murderer," she said firmly. "And if any of you lay a hand on him again, I will make you wish you had never even seen him before."
Hannah considered her next move. Marianne was always considered a wild factor in their plans. Her emotions were volatile and uncertain. There was no knowing what she would do to protect Ciel from them.
"His caretaker has always been protective of my master. There was little they could do to stop the previous Earl before. So their instincts override any sense of self preservation. They know that my master is also a victim in all this. Please, I beg you to show him mercy however you can, and not let him be separated from his caretaker. If he is removed from them, he would grow even more dangerous."
The man nodded his head.
"Take them both in!" he ordered.
It took several men to remove Ciel from Marianne's arms, and she snarled and hissed like a rabid cat the entire time, continuing to wrestle with her captors as she was led away. Ciel was firm in his protests, his hat lying on the cobbles.
"Let me go! Stop this!" he yelled.
When they were no longer in the vicinity of Hannah, he let out one final cry.
"FATHER!"
Ronald yanked on the pull cord for his Death Scythe, and it riled up with an almighty roar.
"Alright!" he cheered. Wiping the smears of oil from his face, he watched Sebastian and William continue their battle. "Now then, let's get this over with! You can bet your ass I'm not working overtime!"
Sebastian and Spears barely managed to get out the way before Knox slammed his mower down against the ground.
"Against two Reapers, even I'm at a disadvantage." Sebastian commented.
Spears turned to his subordinate.
"Blundering little fool!" he chastised. "I don't suppose it's your intention to fell me with your Death Scythe as well?"
Knox at least had the decency to look embarrassed.
"Oh… Did I take it too far?" he asked. "Right, my mistake. I'm at that mischievous age, you know."
"A Grim Reaper must always take care to judge every situation swiftly and accurately. Are those spectacles just for show?" William lectured.
Sebastian then took his chance. He threw one of his knives, and struck off William's glasses. He made his escape soon afterwards. Knox looked up at his escape route.
"Sir, he's gettin' away!" he cried.
Spears was crouched on the ground, searching blindly for his glasses.
"My spectacles, where are they?! I can't see!"
"Pardon Sir," interrupted Ronald. "Shouldn't we stop him?"
William's head snapped up.
"You fail to understand the great importance of a Reaper's spectacles!" he bellowed. "I will have your Scythe!"
The fact he wasn't even pointing at Knox was completely lost on him. Ronald could only scratch his head.
"Oh dear… I don't even know where to begin."
Claude meanwhile had an entire family of yellow birds resting on his shoulders. He finally got to his feet, and the birds flew away.
"Finished."
His amber eyes cast over his creation, an intricate weave of trapped leaves encased within a spider's web.
"Ciel Phantomhive, I'll ensnare you in my web, pierce your skin with my teeth."
He wrapped it around him like a shawl and licked his lips.
"And while you writhe beneath me, I'll suck out that delectable soul of yours."
A drawbridge was lowered. Up on top of a steep hill was a decrepit manor, deserted and following into ruin. But somehow, there was still life within its walls. An asylum.
"Why don't you start by telling me your name?"
Ciel glared at the doctor in front of him, with two officers beside him. Marianne was in the room with him, a gag covering her mouth as she glared at everyone around them.
"My name is Ciel Phantomhive." Ciel said firmly. "Really, treating a nobleman like a common criminal? What gives you the right to do such a thing?"
The doctor didn't respond. This only made the boy even more agitated.
"The Queen! Just get word to Her Majesty! Or you can even contact Sir Arthur if you have to! They'll co-oberate-!"
He made to move, and was swiftly punched in the stomach. Ciel fell to his knees and slid to the floor unconscious. Marianne only increased her struggles, kicking her legs and fighting against the arms of her captors.
"The poor lad's quite far gone indeed. Administer the special treatment."
Marianne was made to watch as Ciel was strapped down to a chair hanging over a pit of cold water that seemed to glow green. A group of nurses were in charge of the winch, and the woman screamed through her gag as he was dunked for the first time.
"Don't you worry," the officer said. "You'll get your Master back to normal in no time. Your screaming won't do him much good. It'll confuse him."
She glared at him. Her head snapped back to Ciel as he was brought back above the water, only to be dunked again. Marianne knew she could get out of her bonds, but seeing what they did to subdue Ciel, she didn't dare risk their wrath, knowing they wouldn't care about the child nestled deep inside her womb.
Come on, Ciel. Focus on me. Cling to whatever memory you can. Focus on me.
When he emerged from the water again, Ciel coughed and spluttered, forcing the water out of his lungs. He turned his eyes to Marianne and kept them on her, even as the nurses tittered around them and dunked him again.
The world… is falling away… Everything…
Sebastian leapt onto the roof of the asylum, stared down at the bloodbath below with an impassive expression on his face. All of the staff from inside were laid out like abandoned dolls on the ground. Blood dripped from their mortal wounds, created by shining gold cutlery. He calmly dodged out of the way with a cluster of bullets rained down upon him. Seated in the tower at the top of the building was Hannah, fully armed with her machine gun.
"I apologise for not simply sending someone along to fetch you, Sebastian," she said.
He smiled.
"No need for apologies," he responded. "I found your invitation easy enough to understand. We're standing in the centre of the web you lot so carefully crafted."
The maid released another torrent of bullets, which he evaded with ease, almost dancing around them with the skill of a swallow.
Ciel was bundled up in a warm blanket, dripping wet from his time in the dunking tank. His eye was wide and bloodshot, his hair clung to the side of his face and covered his contracted eye.
"I am… Ciel… Ciel Phantomhive…" he said through chattering teeth. "I am the Queen's… Her Majesty's Guard Dog…"
Marianne was sat on a chaise against the wall not far from him. Her gag had been removed, but the threat of having her tongue ripped out held it firmly behind her gritted teeth. Her hands clenched and unclenched in her lap, her wig having been removed following the massacre of the asylum staff. She watched Claude make notes in a book on the desk.
"I don't have a mother or father…" Ciel glanced at Marianne said this, sneaking it past Claude as he remained focused on his notes. "I lost them…"
"How did you lose them?" Claude asked, happily playing the part of the doctor.
"The mansion… It burned."
The doctor's face flickered before him.
"Indeed. It burned to the ground. The village you grew up in burned."
"I ran… I ran down the corridor…"
It was then replaced with Claude's.
"That's right. You ran. You ran down a path."
Marianne eyed the Trancy ring sat on the table. Claude picked it up and looked at her before taking Ciel's hand and slipping it onto the boy's right index finger. Ciel reached out for her blindly with his left hand. She clasped onto it, laced her fingers through his. Silently, she dared Claude to say a word. But he merely tapped on his glasses. Ciel stared at the ring in terror.
"You ran through the village, and then what did you find?" Claude continued.
"I found… my parents…" Ciel answered. "They were dead."
The demon nodded his head as Marianne gathered her child into her arms.
"Yes. You found your brother and he was dead."
Ciel's grip tightened on her.
"My brother…?"
"You found him, and then what happened?"
"The old man… The old man took me away…"
Claude smiled.
"Yes. The old man took you."
The lines between the two blurred together. One moment, it was Alois the old man was worshipping. And then, it was Ciel…
"He humiliated me…"
"The Earl Trancy did."
That was the moment the woman felt him break in her arms. He tried to wrap his tongue around the name, but it wouldn't form. Marianne watched the smile on the Spider's face widen into a most gruesome smirk.
"That's right."
She gathered Ciel close to her, bundled him up and held him tightly against her breast. Her eyes threatened to flicker, but somehow she managed to keep control. Marianne placed her hands over his ears and glared at Claude.
"Are you going to break my mind as well, ensnare me in your web like the disgusting creature you are?" she dared.
Claude shook his head.
"No, my dear, with you, I much prefer the chase. It makes the… pleasure all the sweeter."
Hannah eventually ran out of bullets. Sebastian took his chance, and as the maid was about to pull out the weapons from within her bodice, he pulled down on it, knocking the air out of her and sending her to her knees.
"A sheath that holds a Demon Sword," he said, reaching inside her corset and tossing away her handguns. "What I don't understand is why a being so powerful would be obeying someone like Claude."
Hannah turned away.
"Claude is…"
His hand shot out and wrapped around her neck, his thumb pressed against her windpipe. He lifted her into the air and waited to become the noose that would hang her.
"We have a contract," he said firmly. "It doesn't matter one whit if he's taken from me. He's still mine… My Young Master. None of you can ever hope to have so much as a taste of his soul."
The words she spoke next made his blood boil.
"First navy, and then midnight blue. They are two extremely similar memories." She glared down at him. "True, none of us could ever hope for so much as a taste… not when he's still entirely 'your' Young Master."
Marianne cradled Ciel to her as he continued to speak. She had seen how the light that burned inside his soul seemed to leave his eye.
"After that… I made a contract with Fa- With Sebastian…" he said.
Claude smirked, almost proud as he walked around the room in his white doctor's coat.
"Yes, someone made a contract with a demon named Sebastian. Then Sebastian started a fire."
Marianne glared up at the demon, threaded her fingers through Ciel's and pressed it against her flat stomach.
"A fire?" she inquired, keeping her voice flat.
"Yes, Sebastian made a contract with your younger brother, Luca, and burned down your village." Claude answered.
Ciel buried his face into the woman's chest, his voice muffled as he spoke.
"Luca… Village…?"
Claude's smile only widened.
"That's right. Sebastian Michaelis and Luca entered into a contract, and you lost him; your only brother."
Ciel felt the collision of memories inside him… How flames consumed everything in their path… The village… The mansion… The streets of London… All of them were burning into nothing but ashes.
"My… brother…?"
He saw Luca in his arms… His father sitting in his armchair being taken by the flames… The sight of Sebastian standing there made him shudder, the way his smirk darkened, as though waiting to consume him… And then how the demon would hold him, gentle him and, dare he say it, love him. He was proud to call Ciel his child…
He let out a violent scream, shattering the oppressive silence that surrounded them. Marianne clung to him as he wept, held his arms as they tried to reach up and scratch out his contracted eye. She let him struggle against her, clawing at her like a rabid animal. To calm him, she pressed his face against her throat, let him listen to her pulse. His cries soon became inaudible whimpers, his muscles loosened every time she stroked his hair. She felt him nuzzle her before slumping down completely.
Ciel's screaming was so loud that they rang down the barren corridors. Sebastian heard his cries, ran to the source, and burst through the door.
"Ciel!" he cried out.
He saw Marianne holding a soaking wet Ciel. There were tears clinging to her eyelashes.
Sebastian… He's done something… There are so many lies filling his head… I have never heard him scream so wretchedly… Please, be careful, my love.
The demon went down on his knees, and slowly extended a hand towards Ciel. Ciel's eyes suddenly snapped open. He scrambled out of Marianne's grasp.
"No! Don't touch me!" the boy screamed.
"Ciel! My-!" Sebastian gasped.
He stopped speaking when he saw Ciel's face. The horror. The betrayal etched into his flesh. His haggard face and shivering body. He didn't dare say another word.
"It was you all along, wasn't it?! You killed my parents! It was you! Just admit it!" Ciel cried.
Marianne approached him cautiously, raised a hand to see she was about to try and touch him. He snatched at her hand, latched onto her, and huddled against her, still staring at Sebastian in horror.
Sebastian looked over his shoulder, saw Claude standing in the corner with his glasses perched on top of his head, and rose to his feet.
"I didn't predict you mixing their memories. Your intention of course was to merge the two souls as one. That's brilliant. It never occurred to me," he said. He glanced over his shoulder at Ciel and Marianne. "He's soaked to the bone. What, did you dip him in some sort of medicine to confuse my Master? And what threats did you use to keep Marianne from stopping you? Did you threaten to cut something out?"
Claude smiled, and spoke to Ciel.
"He asked a question, Master. Shall I answer?"
Sebastian barely managed to hold back a snarl. Behind him, Marianne assisted Ciel to his feet.
"No, there's no need for that."
Claude walked towards them, Ciel pressed himself closer into Marianne's arms when the demon leant down to whisper in his ear. The boy nodded his head.
"Yes, I know."
He shook his hair out of his face, and uncovered his marked eye. Tears were beginning to make their way down Marianne's cheeks as he gave the order.
"This is an order: leave now and stay out of my sight!"
Sebastian felt loss, paralysed by his words. His black heart was being ripped out of his chest, and he could do nothing. His eyes immediately went to Marianne, who stared at him with those beautiful eyes he adored. She covered her mouth to stop a cry from slipping out. Claude smirked as he replaced his glasses.
"Didn't you hear him?" he mocked. "A master's orders are absolute."
Sebastian stiffened himself, bowed and looked his child in the eye.
"I should like to make a final request. I would like a few moments with my wife before I go. Will you permit me that?" he asked.
Ciel stared up at Marianne, saw the tears rolling down her face, and her refusal to make a sound.
"I shall grant you your request, but you will not be permitted to leave my sight. Is that understood?" he said.
Sebastian nodded his head. Marianne released her hold of Ciel, and walked to the centre of the room. The demon cupped her face, tenderly brushed away her tears, and rested his forehead against hers.
My love… I will not stop fighting for us. I will find a way to save our child, our children. I trust you to keep our child, our children safe as you venture into the Spider's Web.
Marianne reached up, threaded their fingers together, and brought them between them, resting against her abdomen.
My dear demon… I will keep him safe. Claude will know that it is the female that he should fear. There is nothing more terrifying than a mother protecting her children. If you don't kill him first, I most certainly will.
He smiled and took her lips with his. She leant into him, uncaring of their audience, and felt the loss when they drew apart.
Sebastian left the room soon afterwards. Marianne watched him go in silence, and listened as Claude spoke to her.
"Now, what shall we do with you?"
Ciel immediately stepped between them.
"You will do nothing to Mother!" he roared.
The demon stared at him with wide eyes as the boy wrapped his arms around her, burying his head into her chest. Marianne embraced him with a smile, let him sway against her.
"Are you alright, my child?" she asked.
Ciel groaned.
"I'm so weary, Mother… I want to sleep…"
And so, he drifted off to sleep in her arms. Marianne stroked his hair softly, pressed her lips against his forehead, and kept her eyes firmly on Claude. The demon smirked at her, as though gleeful that she was still alive. She wished for the day she could wrap her hands around his throat and squeeze ever so slowly tighter…
Outside in the sunset, Sebastian walked silently through the trees.
"I've delayed my duties. Everything should have been prepared some time ago. And now, look what's happened…"
His demonic aura leeched out into the environment. His shadow blurred as his darkness wrapped around him, his true form slowly leaking into his mortal appearance.
"His transition must be completed as soon as possible. But there's one thing to do first."
His eyes glowed brightly through the darkness.
"I'm a Phantomhive butler. I must clear the spider webs. That's plain."
That night, Claude returned to the Trancy manor with Ciel in his arms and Marianne at his side. The woman had been reluctant to release the boy, but there was little she could do. Claude had wrapped his spider web shawl around Ciel's shoulders, and smiled at Hannah as they walked through the front door.
"You've returned. Welcome home," said the maid.
She and the three butlers bowed at their entrance. Marianne eyed the middle butler, who was dressed in Alois's clothes and holding a blond wig in his hand. Claude stared down at his prize.
"Golden into navy. Then navy transformed into midnight blue," he said. "And next, Alois Trancy into Ciel Phantomhive. That makes one Hell of a butler."
He walked past them towards the stairs, ignoring the glare Marianne trained on his retreating back.
"Draw him a hot bath immediately," he ordered Hannah.
"Yes, Sir." Hannah replied.
"He'll catch cold like this. We need to warm up the Young Highness… No… Young Master. See to it."
He disappeared upstairs soon after that. The butlers departed to their duties, casting their gazes momentarily towards Marianne as they passed. Marianne was silent as she walked into the centre of the foyer. Hannah watched her as she passed her. The maid made to walk away when Marianne spoke words that made her pause.
"Tell me, Hannah, how did his eye taste as you sucked it out of its socket?"
Hannah was silent as she continued.
"I have to wonder what sort of schemes you have hidden as you play the submissive creature to the Spider. A being such as you wouldn't do such a thing unless you had other plans." Marianne glanced at her over her shoulder. "I wouldn't recommend it, if you want to avoid a mother's wrath. I will make each and every one of you beg for death, because there is nothing I won't do to protect my child."
As Marianne walked away, Hannah didn't say a word, but a gulp was audible as it ran down the length of her throat.
I know I am posting this chapter a little bit earlier than usual, but because it is Christmas Eve, I felt that updating this chapter would be a perfect Christmas present for everyone.
We have Ciel clinging to Marianne like a lifeline, Marianne pregnant and separated from her husband, Claude closing his web around them and playing with his food… so to speak, and Hannah playing behind the scenes. So many things going on!
I could not resist having Marianne and Sebastian have their moment together. I wanted to give the impression of him having to leave her like a soldier going off to war while she is fighting on the Home front. Ciel loves his mother too much to not allow her a farewell, because he cannot bear her to be in pain. I also wanted to show Claude that he wouldn't be getting her on his side that easily.
This is my last chapter of the year, and I shall see you again all in 2018!
Should you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask.
Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Please read and review!
