Hey everyone, here's the next chapter. Hope you like it...
I picked up the rings, Ciel's and Alois's, before I moved to Sebastian. He took them from me and put them in his pocket. I looked back at Hannah as a breeze pulled at her hair. But it was the fire that caught the bandages wrapping her eye that worried me. Could all demons do that? The bandage disappeared, almost as if it had never existed to begin with. On her eye was the teal mark I had seen on Ciel's eye before he fainted. If I hadn't known before, Hannah was the new demon with a claim on the masters' souls.
"We will leave shortly," Hannah stated as she moved to the door behind us, "prepare yourselves."
Sebastian and Claude gritted their teeth as I moved away and followed her. Sebastian tried to catch my hand put I shook free.
"I need to change," I whispered, "this dress is ripped."
I wasn't sure when it had ripped, but it had and it made me feel uncomfortable. Sebastian moved closer and caught my hand, squeezing it tight.
"You're not going," Sebastian stated.
"That is not your decision," I heard Hannah call out so we moved out to the ledge to see her making her way down some stairs. Had this always been here?
"How so?" Sebastian asked as he put me behind him, "Alois Trancy does not want her."
"You've heard of contractual obligations," Hannah said softly as she came to end of the stairs, which I now saw were broken, "she's one of them. Ciel Phantomhive will only return if all the pieces are present. Alois Trancy wants Elena there."
She dropped from the stairs and I put my hand out, almost as if I could stop her. Claude sighed before he looked over the edge.
"She appears to have outplayed us," he muttered, "there was no victor."
"I was the first finished," I stated simply, "that makes me the victor."
"Congratulations," Claude muttered sarcastically, "you still won nothing."
"Stop this," Sebastian snapped, "we will see what the new contract states. Elena, come here."
Sebastian pulled me up beside him and I looked over his shoulder as he lifted me. The shadow had returned and it was streaked with blues and greens. Did a demon have to be pissed off to have those colours? Sebastian took a step closer to the ledge and I closed my eyes. I felt one of his legs move out before we were falling. My hair whipped around me as I pushed my face into his shoulder, having never been a fan of heights.
"We're grounded, Elena, you can open your eyes," Sebastian whispered to me.
I opened them slowly and saw we were in the exact centre of the maze; the final question station looked destroyed. Vines decorated the floor, pillars had fallen and tiles were broken. What had happened? Sebastian started running, clearly in a rush as Claude followed our pace.
"Can't you ask her about the contract?" I asked Sebastian after a moment.
"Not if it has been ordered to remain a secret," Sebastian replied, "that would be between her and Jim Macken."
"Oh," I replied as he left the music box behind, "so there are other parts to a contract?"
"Your father would have made his…air-tight," Sebastian stated, "ones that could never be broken. No matter the end result, your father would have gotten his soul."
I nodded as Sebastian jumped down a flight of stairs, missing the clock that had stopped counting time. I looked back at Sebastian as it started to rain, and he looked forward. He was thinking about something…and it wasn't something good.
"Don't all demons make contracts like that?" I asked him and he shook his head, "why not?"
"When the human makes a wish, most demons seize the opportunity and forget the other issues. They mark their prey and move on, taking on the role that best suits the human. If it was a female demon, they could take on the role of mother, sister, daughter…anything. I've met a few in the past, and they had been impersonating their humans' mothers. One in particular, her contract name was Grace Doyle. Her human had lost his parents through murder and she took on the role of his adoptive mother.
"I saw her once and she was walking with the boy. He had been six when he had formed the contract and he was holding her hand. He called her Mother when I walked past them, and she watched me. I had another master at that point, a teenage girl who wanted to kill the people who had bullied her."
"What was your name?" I asked him and he smiled.
"Robert Mayshaw," he replied, "I was her tutor from England."
"Have you a favourite name?" I asked him and he shrugged his shoulders.
"When you make contracts, the names mean nothing. It is something for them to call you. I find my current name to be the most impressive however. Do you know how my name originated?" he asked as he looked down at me, and I saw the statues that marked the start of the maze.
"No," I answered honestly.
"My master named me Sebastian after his old family dog, and Michaelis after the Japanese word 'mikaeri' meaning repayment."
"I don't know where my name came from," I said softly, "I never asked. I picked a new name after my parents died…Sylvia. It was the name of an old woman who used to bake the best raspberry pies. She died shortly after my thirteenth…demon hound."
Sebastian nodded as he got to the top of the stairs and started to run to the open French doors of the mansion. The breeze had been cool but at this speed, it was freezing. I shivered before we got into the house. Sebastian brought me up the stairs and put me in Alois's room where Hannah was with the body.
"There's a brown and white dress in that drawer," I said calmly as Sebastian ripped the drawers apart to retrieve the dress. I found white stockings and deep brown boots to wear. They were a little bigger in the foot so I had a feeling my ankle wouldn't hurt as much. Sebastian ripped the white and black dress from me, fixed my corset before putting me in the other dress.
It had a heart-shaped neckline with slightly puffed sleeves. At the waist on the left side was a small bow in a deep chocolate before you could see the white ruffled petticoat. I adjusted it as Sebastian tied up the buttons, making sure my necklace was in full view. I did up the stockings and then the boots before I looked in the mirror. You could see the edges of the bandages on my shoulder but nothing else from my recent incident.
My neck was scarred down to the base of my spine from Berrymore whipping me, two burns rested on my body; one on my right side while the other on my back to mark my time in the cult…the one the Queen had sent Ciel to destroy. My hands were uncovered to reveal the burns from my house burning. This was the girl I knew; the look in her eyes was bright. This was the girl I was meant to be, not some submissive maid for Alois Trancy.
"Are you ready?" Sebastian asked and I nodded.
Hannah lifted up Ciel's body and the three of us followed her out. The rain hadn't let up so Sebastian quickly wrapped me in a cloak that was far too long and lifted me up again. I guess when you were a demon, travelling by carriage was like a snail's trail. Their bodies could do far more, travel greater distances and not worry about thirst. Had my father been like that? Had he had a favourite place?
"You have questions again," Sebastian said as he followed Hannah and Claude off the property.
"Do demons have favourite places?" I asked him and he smirked.
"We are like anyone else," he said softly, "every demon I have met, albeit Hannah and Claude, has had a place they often return to, to make contracts. I liked France for a time," he said as he looked down at me, "you?"
"I haven't seen as much as you have," I whispered, "but I like London."
"Is there anywhere else you would love to see?" he asked as he charged forward.
"I always wanted to see Germany," I said as I blushed, "Mr Roberts bought a ploughing machine from there."
"A villager from Houndsworth?" Sebastian asked and I nodded, "it is beautiful."
We stayed quiet for the rest of the trip, and we only stopped shy of the Thames. I looked around, seeing nobody on the street. That was my first thought until I spotted a man. He was hard not to notice, his grey hair fell in front of his eyes and down his back. His clothes were different versions of grey and he had long fingernails.
"Undertaker?" I asked as I moved away from Sebastian, "what are you doing here?"
"Watching the view," he replied before he put a hand out to me, "and you?"
"Fulfilling a contract," I whispered as I took his hand.
His hand felt cold in mine, and when I looked back up into his eyes, he was frowning. His eyes were glowing slightly in the limited light before he pulled something from his pocket. He put it in my open hand and smiled slightly, but it looked haunted.
"Greil Sutcliff dropped that in my shop one day," he said as I looked down, "it took a bit of reading to find out it was your mother's."
The silver chain held a crescent moon that I had once seen wrapped around my mother's wrist and then my own. I had given it to Greil for information on Marguerite Devereaux, the old nursemaid for King Edward and Prince Richard in Ludlow Castle. I had wanted to know if she had a diary…and Greil had asked for my red dress and my necklace for the information…as well as my shoes. I had given them, knowing the ends suited the means.
"Why are you giving it back to me?" I asked as I held it tight.
"You are the rightful owner," he answered before he walked away.
I watched him leave before I made my way to the wall and looked down at Hannah. She had her hands on Claude's and Sebastian's faces. I walked down the stairs slowly and stood beside Claude, as the walkway was narrow and I would most likely be taking a swim if I tried to get to Sebastian.
"I must ask, what are the details of the contract?" Sebastian asked, "what does Alois Trancy want?"
"That is a secret between my master and me," Hannah replied.
"How presumptuous," Claude muttered from beside me.
"However, I will give you one piece of information. My master does not want both of you to live, in accordance with his wishes and our agreement. One of you will end your life as a demon. The struggle will end when one of you claims victory and the terms of the contract between my master and I are met. When this has happened, my master will agree to release Ciel Phantomhive's soul. And after that…" Hannah stated.
"Hannah," Claude interrupted, "what's to stop us killing you?"
"I will be suffused with the noblest shade of blue and your precious Ciel Phantomhive will come back to life," she replied.
I looked past her to a small gondola that held Ciel Phantomhive's sleeping form, curled on his left side as if dreaming. Hannah got in first and knelt by the rower's stand. She pointed to me before looking at Ciel's body.
"Elena, turn my master so he may rest more comfortably," she said and I dropped to my knees. Claude moved away from me as I used one hand to brace myself. I was worried the Trancy butler would kick me into the water, but Sebastian moved closer and put a hand on my back. By doing that, he grabbed some of the dress to keep me steady as I leaned closer.
"I need to use both of my hands," I said to him.
Sebastian held on tighter as I reached forward and lifted Ciel up and turned him. I placed his head on Hannah's lap before crossing his hands over his chest. She brushed his hair away as Sebastian helped me to regain my balance.
"One of you must locate oars of course," Hannah said softly.
Claude shook his head and jumped onto the rower's stand to get ready for the trip. He wasn't going to help us and Sebastian held my hand tight. He squeezed it before turning and leaving me. I looked at the spot he had vacated and then to Hannah and Claude.
"What's stopping me from killing her?" Claude asked as he dismounted and moved towards me.
"She is part of the contract," Hannah replied from the boat, "you are not allowed to kill her."
Claude moved closer and wrapped his gloved hands around my throat, tightening his grip. He lifted me high as he squeezed tighter. Spots appeared in the corners of my vision that I missed when the hands let go. I blinked the spots away to see Sebastian holding two oars, and one of them had a crack in the middle.
"Don't let me catch you trying that again, Claude," Sebastian said before he held out the cracked oar, "this is yours."
Claude bared his teeth and grabbed the oar before returning to the rower's stand. He put his oar in the water as Sebastian put a hand out to me. He helped me stand before he put me in the gondola. I was at the front as he joined Claude at the back. He placed his oar in the water and looked to me.
"Push us away, Elena," Sebastian said and I tried but I didn't have enough force to complete the act. Sebastian held out his oar to me and I pushed against the wall and we were floating away. I held it back to him and he co-ordinated with Claude to stir the boat.
I watched as London flowed past us slowly, and I could see myself running with my mother to a boutique, my uncle lifting me high in the air so I would giggle. Father handing me a toy, one Uncle had sent down for me. When I thought about it, the toys had always had eye-patches. A trademark of Funtom, and Uncle had bought me them. I used to have a puppy with an eye-patch which I named Spot…
We passed under a bridge and I put my hand out to the side to touch the wet stones. The stones felt slippery under my bare hands, which made me laugh.
"What the hell is she doing?" Claude asked, his voice echoing under the bridge. The new sound rang around me, making my smile grow bigger.
"She's enjoying life," Sebastian answered and I turned to look at him before I leaned closer to the front of the gondola.
I put my hand out to touch the boat before pulling back. We left the bridge and continued on. The rain made the river wave so I put my hand out to run along the water. It chilled me quickly but the feeling was nice. I looked over but it was too dark to see my reflection. I sat back after a moment and just breathed in the smells around me.
I looked up and saw we were at the Tower Bridge, and the bridge was a little closer to completion. However, in the centre, connecting both sides of the bridge, was something that looked like a bird.
"What's that?" I asked as I pointed up at the bird.
"Ash Landers," Sebastian replied, "and his alter ego, Angela Blanc."
I looked up closer and could discern that the wings were only a single one, legs hung down as two arms were out. I couldn't make out the face but I could see the body. I imagined Ash Landers when he had been alive, looking down at me.
"That was the conclusion," I whispered, "that was the end of Ciel's contract."
"It marks an entrance to the Demon Sanctuary," Sebastian explained and I nodded.
I took a deep breath as we floated forward; the bridge glowed as it did last time. I wrapped my arms around my knees and waited. The rowing didn't cease as we got closer, and then the boat started entering. The glow took away the front of the boat before it ran over my feet. It moved up my legs, over my arms until I was completely immersed. It was freezing, too cold for a mere human to take while alive. Had Ciel gone through this entrance? I blinked against the glow until all I saw was more water, this time it was the colour grey.
I looked over my shoulder to see Hannah was still kneeling with Ciel in her lap; Claude was looking to the right while Sebastian looked to me. I smiled at him, feeling shivers run down my spine.
"That was…different," I said but my teeth were chattering, so it came out like, "th-th-that wa-wa-was di-differ-different."
"Your body will warm up soon," Sebastian said as he smiled.
I nodded and looked back to the grey water. Something told me to do as I had done in the Thames and run my hand along the water. So I put my fingers out and skimmed the surface, seeing images float to the surface. I looked down and saw days of my life.
"What is that?" I asked Sebastian before I returned my gaze to the day James confessed his love for me.
"Your cinematic records," Sebastian replied.
"Don't you have to be dead to see them?" I asked as Uncle's face appeared.
"Ciel Phantomhive saw his life as you are now," Sebastian explained, "in this place, you don't have to be dead."
I reached out and touched a cloudy memory and it came to the surface. It was in a field of white roses, and Daddy was holding onto me. I was standing on his shoes as he danced with me, helping me practise dancing.
"I remember that," I said with a smile, "I was woeful."
"When?" Hannah asked.
"My father had taught me to dance," I whispered, "but I couldn't dance on my own. I was too small so he would put me on his shoes and waltz with me."
The memory disappeared as we floated onwards. There were other memories in the water, ones on my own, with James and Scott…or with Ciel and Lizzy. I was looking down at one but a bright light passing in front of my eyes broke the trance. I looked up and saw tiny lights float past me, so I raised a hand to touch one.
"Fireflies?" I asked as I pulled my hand down but there was nothing there.
"No," Sebastian replied, "these are the good wishes of people you met. The good feelings you left them with."
"There's so many," I whispered.
"I haven't seen this many in centuries," Claude muttered as I smiled.
I wondered whose good feelings they were before my eyes caught sight of a blonde woman. Her eyes would have the brightest blue and her skin like ivory. She would moisturise it every evening with some mixture Ms Casey had invented.
"Mother," I whispered as I saw the memory play out…
"Elena," Mother whispered as I curled up under my bed, "did you have a nightmare?"
"Mother…it was the demon hound…" I sobbed and she sighed.
"Move over," she whispered so I moved closer to the wall.
Mother crawled under and turned so she was facing me. Her black shawl was wrapped loosely around her shoulders as she fixed her nightdress. Her body blocked the candles in the hall as she put her hands out to me.
"Come here, Ellie," she whispered and I moved closer to her.
She wrapped her arms around my body and held me to her chest. My ear was pressed against her heart and I heard the light thumps.
"The demon hound again?" she asked and I nodded, "alright. Did I or your father die?"
"No," I whispered, "Aunt Helen and Uncle Frank."
"Okay," she said as she held me tighter, "I want you to take a deep breath. It was only a dream."
She hummed to me, the same song the music box had played in the maze, until I relaxed with her. She ran her hands along my hair as I took deep breaths, smelling the moisturising mixture. She stayed with me that evening for over an hour, and waited until I was yawning before she put me back into bed.
Not long later, Mother got a puppy from Mr Halford that she left me to name. A small black collie that I named Julius…
The memories shifted and I was running to James's with Julius at my heels. He was fully grown by then, nearly three years old. I smiled at the memory before I wiped my eyes.
"That's Julius then," Sebastian said as the memory shifted and Julius was sleeping on my bed, two cats curled around him.
"He loved cats," I whispered.
"Bean cakes and milk," I heard him mutter as I laughed.
The lights faded one by one until the memories did as well. The water became a darker grey so I sat back. Hannah started to sing to Alois and I listened to it. But my eyes found new things to focus on. I saw ruins of ships and I pointed to them, hearing Sebastian chortle a little.
"Can I go onto one of them?" I asked him and then turned to Hannah, "please?"
"We are trying to fulfil a contract," Claude muttered.
I sighed before sitting back, wondering how much longer we had to wait. I lifted my locket to look at the blue stone, and it was shimmering slightly. I wondered what made it glow…
"I've seen that before," Claude mumbled as he lifted his oar.
"It was my mother's," I said in reply.
"A man was holding it," he continued, "so unless your mother was a man…I doubt it was the same person."
"Who are you thinking of, Claude?" Sebastian asked.
"A demon," Claude replied, "he grew soft over the years."
"Soft?" I asked as Hannah lifted her face to look at me.
"He was a sad excuse for a demon. I found him in the area and he told me he couldn't tolerate killing another human."
"Did he give a reason?" I asked and Claude turned to glare at me.
"Why is it important to you?" Claude asked.
"She's curious about demons," Sebastian filled in for me.
"I had not come across a demon in a very long time, it was simply territorial. We were in some village in the middle of nowhere. He told me he didn't care about the souls in the area; he only wanted to protect one. He had a daughter, and she lived in that pathetic village. So I killed him," Claude replied.
"Do you remember the name of that village?" I asked, my teeth gritted. Please don't let it be the same person…please don't let it be my father…
"Something to do with dogs," Claude muttered, "I left when I heard a woman calling out a name. She was calling out…what was it again?" and Claude thought about it, "Richard. That's it."
I felt my heart stop, my breath leave me as I stared at Claude. He had killed my father, and left him. My mother had most likely been that woman calling. That Christmas had been one of the sadder ones. Mother had told me she was running out to get some kindling and when she had returned, her face had been pale. Father had brought her into their room and she had told him what had happened. She must have told him about Richard…about Daddy…
"You bastard!" I snapped as I stood on the gondola, "you killed him!"
The gondola started shaking and one more step made me lose my balance. I fell into the water below, and it wrapped around me quickly. I blinked against the liquid and only moments later, a hand was holding me. I was pressed against their chest and they brought me back up to the surface. The gondola had stopped moving, and Hannah was looking at me. Claude shrugged his shoulders as Sebastian helped me get back into the boat. He then swam to the rower's stand before he got up himself.
I couldn't stop seeing the words in the file Sebastian had given me. It had said he had died on Christmas, but details about it had been scarce. I looked up at Hannah who had finished singing. I crawled over to Ciel's legs.
"Can I sing to Ciel?" I asked her and she nodded.
She adjusted Ciel's body so his head was cushioned on a pillow rather than my wet skirt. Tears dripped down my face and landed on his head as I brushed his hair. He was the only person….the only human who had never hurt me.
(Alright, I know this song wouldn't have been around when this story is set, but it seemed to suit the atmosphere. It's Once Upon A December in case anyone was wondering…)
Dancing bears, painted wings
Things I almost remember
And a song someone sings
Once upon a December
Someone holds me safe and warm
Horses prance through a silver storm
Figures dancing gracefully
Across my memory...
Someone holds me safe and warm
Horses prance through a silver storm
Figures dancing gracefully
Across my memory
Far away, long ago
Glowing dim as an ember
Things my heart used to know
Things it yearns to remember
And a song someone sings
Once upon a December
I hummed gently after that, and it was only when Sebastian called my name that I looked up. The broken ships were faded in the distance and the boat wasn't rocking anymore. Hannah stood and picked up Ciel in her arms before disembarking. Claude followed her while Sebastian got out and went to my side.
"He killed him," I whispered to Sebastian who took my hand.
"Do you wish for revenge?" Sebastian asked.
"I just…do demons do that?" I asked him, "do you kill the weaker ones?"
"I wouldn't," he answered, "I've met others rather infrequently and there hasn't been that…want to."
"Claude just killed him," I said as I wiped my eyes, "Mother had gone looking for him, to bring him to see me."
"Are you certain?" Sebastian asked.
"Mother had told me about him, but I had known for years. I didn't tell her and she decided to collect kindling. She had put on her best coat and told me to stay inside," I whispered, "when she returned, she looked so upset."
Sebastian nodded and helped me out of the boat. He removed the cloak and I looked down at my soaked dress. Sebastian held me to him before running his hands down my arms and back, putting me in a clean coat to keep me warm.
We then started our trek up through the beach. There were the ruins of a forest around us which Sebastian helped me through. When we got past the forest, there were stairs up to the next level.
"What happened here?" I asked him but he didn't answer as we found Claude and Hannah.
A bench had remained undamaged and Ciel was now lying on it. Hannah stood protectively in front of him as Claude watched her. Sebastian moved closer and Hannah beckoned for me to move to her. I squeezed Sebastian's hand before I undid the crescent necklace to put it around his neck. I put it down under his shirt and smiled up at him.
"This Island of Death is a sanctuary for demons. It seems your rage has left it in a pitiable state, Sebastian," Claude said in that awful monotone of his, "you should learn to control your temper."
"You brought us to this place for a reason, what do you expect of us?" Sebastian asked.
"This is an ideal location for a battle. You will engage in a duel between demons," Hannah replied softly as she stroked Ciel's face.
"Is the battle here?" I asked her and she shook her head, "where then?"
"Below us is a cavern that will suit the battle perfectly. It is there that we shall commence," Hannah explained.
The ground shook around me and I stepped closer to Sebastian. He held onto me as a hole opened where I had stood, spreading out to take up the same length as the bench and as wide as the bench in the opposite direction.
"Gentlemen," Hannah said softly as she picked up Ciel and dropped down into the cavern below.
Claude looked to us, smirked, and dropped down as well. I looked to Sebastian who was looking into the space below.
"Why did he smirk?" I asked him.
"He's comparing me to your father," Sebastian answered.
Sebastian picked me up and put me on the bench across the way. He put his hands on my shoulders and I covered one of his hands.
"Please win," I begged him and he smiled.
"I have no intentions of losing," Sebastian countered before dropping into the pit below.
I looked down, my eyes not able to pierce the darkness and determine what was below. A few moments passed and I heard Hannah coughing.
I heard her talking and then the ground shook as something was shot up. I stood to see if I could make out the shape, and I couldn't make out what it was. I had seen it before; I remembered it from a very long time ago. But no sooner had I seen it that it was pulled down.
I sat down again and looked down in the pit, wondering if anyone was winning…and the ground started shaking as it had in the maze. I stood and looked down, in time to see Hannah coming up with Ciel. I moved out of the way as she rose to the surface. Parts of the ground fell below, and I could hear the waves hitting the stones with too much force.
"It has begun," Hannah whispered as she sat down on the bench and I sat down on the ground.
"What was that?" and I pointed to where the strange object had been.
"Laevateinn," she whispered, "and its curse of eternal darkness."
I looked back to the pit and wondered if Hannah would tell me who was winning. Was there someone who was supposed to win? A clear victor?
"Do you know who will win?" I asked her.
"It's raining," Hannah stated as she raised her head to feel the drops on her face, "my my."
I looked up myself to see that was indeed the case but it couldn't cloud my fears. Would Claude come out, holding Sebastian's head? Or would it be the other way around? Claude treated Sebastian like a child, scolding him when he felt it necessary.
"What is my role in this?" I asked Hannah and when I looked to her face, she was crying.
"It will all become clear soon," she said softly, "and Ciel Phantomhive will come back to life."
She stood and lifted Ciel up into her arms. She then put a hand carefully out to me. I hesitated but took it. She linked our arms without jostling Ciel and we started walking up the hill.
"You care for the boys?" she asked and I nodded, "why?"
"I treated Ciel Phantomhive like a little brother, even if there was a difference in class. And Alois…I hated him, hated that he hurt me. But a part of me would always feel sorry when I remembered his story about Luka."
"You tended the graves, why?"
"No one should be left like that," I whispered as the rain dropped down onto my coat, "everyone who walks in that graveyard should know who those boys were. Everyone should know Luka Macken…"
"Your father, he was demon," Hannah stated, "I knew there was something different about you."
"He looked out for me, even when he didn't have to. He may have been Daddy to me, but Martin Hamilton, he was my father. He taught me to read and write, my mannerisms, it all came from him and Mother."
"You've led a very interesting life," she whispered, "any regrets?"
"Only one," I whispered as a tear fell from my eye, "there was a boy in the village I lived in. He proclaimed his love for me…and I told him I couldn't end my engagement to another boy. I wish I could go back and tell him I loved him."
She nodded as we reached the top. She let me go, so she could look out on the ocean. She held Ciel tight and whispered in his ear. I looked out with her as she put Ciel down, making sure he was comfortable.
"Sebastian," she whispered as she stood and I turned to see it was indeed him, "the contract is not yet complete."
"How so?" he asked as he looked to me and then to Hannah, "what is there left to do?"
"I noticed Elena picked up the rings," Hannah said softly as she walked behind me, "I require Alois Trancy's."
Sebastian reached into his pocket and pulled out the ring, holding it out to her. She took it from over my shoulder and put it on her finger.
"Is that all?" Sebastian asked as she put a hand under my arm to rest over my heart.
"It sounds like a hummingbird's, can you hear it?" Hannah asked him, "she's scared."
"She has no reason-" Sebastian stated as I felt something cut through my back. I gasped as the pain flared and I heard an awful ripping sound.
"Elena!" Sebastian yelled and I lifted my hands to touch the thing I could feel in my stomach. I looked down to see a bloody hand, and it took a moment for my brain to register that it was my blood. I coughed and I tasted blood on my tongue as the hand pulled away. Hannah had….but why?
I stood there for a moment longer, looking up at Sebastian before I dropped to my knees. He rushed forward to catch me as I fell, turning me so I could lie on my back. My body trembled as tears ran down my eyes. My heart was racing, even as Sebastian took off his tailcoat to press against the wound.
"Hold on Elena," he coaxed.
"At last," Hannah said softly, "we can know happiness. Oh dear master, Claude finally acknowledged you. The terms of the contract I have made with my master have been suitably met. All you have to do now is kill me. Simply do that and your young master will get his body back."
"Sebastian…" I croaked as I lifted a hand to his face, "it's so cold."
"However," she continued, "even with his body returned, you will find that Ciel Phantomhive is as good as a dead person to you. My master and I have succeeded, our work is nearly done. As for Ciel Phantomhive, as my lord's contract stipulated, he will come back to life but now he will live forever as a demon."
I turned in time to see Hannah fall off the cliff. I spotted her bloody hand before she disappeared from view. I looked back to Sebastian, and he was watching the empty space.
"Go get him," I whispered, "save him."
"Elena…" and I shook my head.
"Save the young master," I whispered as I convulsed, "I'll stay."
He nodded before he put me gently on the ground, placing my hand over his coat to keep staunching the blood flow before he dived. I turned my head upward and felt tears in my eyes, ones that were for Ciel. He would live; no one would ever threaten him again…
"I protected him," I whispered as I clenched my fingers.
Rain continued to drop around me, making my tears dilute and I wondered why I couldn't see my cinematic records. Maybe it was because I had seen them already…that was my conclusion. The rain stopped making a sound; the patter was replaced by the thumps of my heart. My end of days, and here I had been worried I'd never reach thirty. I hadn't reached eighteen…and yet, if you asked me, I would tell you I had lived the life I wanted to. If you asked me if I was happy with the choices I made, that led me to a demon sanctuary to die…I would tell you yes. It had made me the person I was.
"Elena," a voice whispered and I was lifted up again. I gasped at the pain, finding I could focus on sounds.
Sebastian was holding me tight, putting his own hand over mine on his tailcoat to hold it down. He was soaked to the bone, and yet my mind wouldn't register it. A hand lifted my other hand and I looked to it, seeing Ciel. Sweet Ciel…the boy I had forgotten who had turned into the CEO. My blood-stained fingers left marks on his, but he didn't seem to care. Tears ran from his eyes which I raised my hand to wipe away.
"Please don't cry," I begged, "you're alive."
"You're dying," Ciel said in a low voice, "all because of Alois."
I must have looked confused but I shook my head. Ciel was alive…as a demon but he was alive. I hoped he knew I had tried.
"Sebastian, save her!" Ciel snapped but I felt Sebastian shake.
"There is nothing I can do," Sebastian answered, "the damage is far too great."
"Change her then!" Ciel snapped, "she can't die like this!"
"I am not capable of such a thing," Sebastian answered in a light voice, "only a certain few of my kind can."
Ciel's tears ran over my hand, turning pink as they ran over my blood. I wiped them away before I smiled.
"Alois wanted to take you away," Ciel said after a moment, "he said if he couldn't have you…no one would."
"That's alright," I whispered.
"How do you believe that?!" he snapped.
"My grandmother always told me…never…" and I was gasping for air.
"It's nearly time," Sebastian whispered.
"Never go to sleep…angry. Dying…is like sleeping…" I whispered.
"Elena," Ciel whispered, "you were my friend, my adoptive sister…my maid and my bodyguard. I will never forget you."
"Elena," Sebastian said and I looked at him, "you are a truly marvellous soul. One I have never come across before. Yours is made of many layers; hatred and anger for the people who hurt you, love and loyalty for the people you cared for. Those 'fireflies' as you called them, proved you have an amazing soul. But what made you different…what made you the girl you were, was the life you led. You suffered your parents' losses; you suffered when you thought you had lost the young master. You are the first human I have ever wished to have a good life…and pleasant dreams. So sleep well, sweet Elena."
I closed my eyes and squeezed Ciel's hand. He squeezed back and then I felt like I was floating. The end had come…and the last thing I thought of was Hannah's question. She had asked if I had regrets…but when I thought about it, there was nothing I would take back. Nothing I would go back and undo. I was the girl I was supposed to be…and I hoped I had made my parents proud…
One more chapter...