Chapter 4

My blood splatters against the dark, grimy stone of the alleyway. I wince as the grim reaper leaps toward me, his death scythe rotating with a speed that I have never seen the likes of. I leap to the side just before the blade gores me through my abdomen, but I am not quick enough to dodge his next swing. The shining piece of metal whips around and catches my left side, cracking 5 ribs and creating a gash that is both long and deep.

Grell chuckles.

"Tired of fighting me yet? I would hope not, because the blood that spills from your veins is a stunning ruby river. With you covered in this lovely red, you are infinitely more beautiful."

I try to reply, but I cough and more blood splatters to the ground. I am weak. Weaker than I have ever been in a fight. There's the possibility that I might even die today.

Grell faces me, grinning from ear to ear. His blade whirs in the still night air. My vision becomes fuzzy as I fight to remain standing. He charges at me and I stumble trying to avoid the scythe. The blade gleams as it races toward my neck. I seal my eyes shut. So. Its finally the end. After 235 years of walking this earth, I will finally move on to something else, be it heaven, hell or oblivion.

The blade whirs closer and closer, but the moment it cuts into my skin in pulls away. I lose the last bit of balance that I have and slam into the ground, confused. I manage to twist my head around. What I see shocks me. Sebastian is next to me, trying desperately to fend off the death scythe, which grinds into the stone behind him.

I don't understand how Sebastian could've gotten here so fast. Just a second ago, Madame Red and Grell revealed their true identities as the two halves of Jack the Ripper. Ciel must have somehow contacted them. Ciel. Where the fucking hell is that kid?

I manage to turn my head to the side again and see him, pinned up against the wall by his aunt. Horror clouds my vision, for Madame Red is holding a knife to his throat. Sebastian notices this as well. I can see the strain on his face, but there really isn't anything he can do. If he lets go of the death scythe, it will slice deeply into his shoulder.

I swore to Sebastian 2 months ago that I would protect Ciel, and I have no intention of breaking this promise. Using my last reserves of strength, I haul my body up off the ground and lunge toward Madame Red. Right as the knife flashes toward Ciel's throat, I slam into her.

The woman flies backward several feet into the wall of the alleyway and crumbles to the ground. I guess a hundred or so pounds of flesh can pick up a lot of momentum when traveling over 50 mph.

My legs shake in exhaustion as I crumble to the cool stone, barely able to control my movements. I automatically throw my hands out in front of me to break my fall, and I realize a second too late why this is so foolish. Both of my wrists crack as they slam into the slabs of rock, and I shriek in pain.

Sebastian turns his head to look at me, responding to my bloodcurdling scream. I can barely croak out a warning before Grell takes advantage of his distraction, but the butler does not react nearly fast enough. Grell whips the chainsaw around and catches Sebastian in the chest, producing a gushing river of scarlet.

"No!" I scream. No, no, no, no, no, no, no. Not Sebastian. Anyone but him. Because, as much I'd like to deny it, over the past 2 months, I've grown to love that demon.

After I agreed to protect Ciel, I began to live at the Phanotomhive manor. Life was so much easier there. There wasn't any reason to kill, and as much as I love fighting, it was refreshing. For once in my life, it seemed that I wasn't hurting anything or anyone. Ciel is now like a little brother to me; the two of us have occasional spats but otherwise get along well. The servants at the manor are a bit clumsy and foolish but they have good hearts. And Sebastian. There's just something about that butler that makes me need him more than any other person on this earth. There's something about him that makes me feel OK inside; that makes me feel whole again; that makes my tangled past seem unimportant. There's something about him that I fell in love with.

I yank myself out of my reverie and survey the scene before me with horror. Sebastian falls toward the ground as Grell screams, "SHOW ME A BEAUTIFUL AND FASCINATING LIFE PICTURE!"

Blood spurts from the wound in his chest as flesh collides with stone. An intense rage flies through my veins at the sight. I cannot handle this. I need to kill. No one should be able to get away with hurting Sebastian.

Adrenaline rushes through me and I can no longer feel my injuries. I launch myself at Grell as Grell tries to review Sebastian's life story. The second before I reach Grell, I think that I will have the opportunity to end his life. But right before my talons can dig into his back, he wheels around and stabs me through the chest, cracking my sternum and tearing through my dead heart.

Blood spurts out of both my mouth and my chest. I hit the ground and my energy is finally depleted. My last efforts are in vain. I try to pull myself up onto my palms, but the broken wrists twist around uselessly as I put pressure on them.

In that moment I gave up. I let my head crack against the ground but the pain couldn't even hold a candle to the pain of seeing Sebastian being killed. I swivel my eyes around the alley, desperate to see him just one last time. When I find him, I almost cry out. He's slumped against the wall, his body torn from Grell's weapon. And his red eyes are looking directly into mine, as they have so many times before. They're really not a bad thing to see before you die. So clear and rich; Sebastian's eyes look like they could tell you a life story all on their own. With a sigh I let my eyelids slide closed for what I'm sure is the last time. I have failed. Sebastian will die. But at least I won't be around to see a world without him in it.