How many months, 3? Since I last updated? TIME FLIES WHEN YOU'RE STUDYING. haha. So just a heads up… NO I AM NOT DEAD IF YOU'RE WONDERING. LOL XD (Spring courses for the lolz)

So, as I'm sure you've noticed, but this fic is now rated M, even though the M-rated portion is just in this chapter…. Q_Q I wonder how this'll affect my overall view count on this story…

ANYWAY, been rusty on writing this story, so I'm sorry if anyone sounds out of character. I gotta re-marathon the first season of Black Butler soon. haha.

PLEASE R&R!

Disclaimer: Kuroshitsuji © Yana Toboso

Claimer: everything else © me

Chapter Fourteen: Taunting Betrayals

Ciel's eyes widened at Sebastian's suggestion.

"You truly wish to employ the help of those Shinigami in order to help us retrieve Anna?" he demanded.

The demon nodded seriously. "As things stand, it will be too risky should I attempt to retrieve Annabelle alone," he said. "Annabelle has already dissolved the Blood Contract between us, hence I am unable to try and communicate with her through our thoughts. I have already called both Mr. William and Mr. Grell over to the Phantomhive Manor to further our discussion." He took out his pocket watch, checking the time. "They should be here momentarily."

As if on cue, there was a knock on the door, and Meylene popped her head into the room. "U-Um, p-pardon me Young Master," she began, "b-but there's a redheaded man at the door saying that Mr. Sebastian sent for him."

Ciel nodded. "Bring him here," he ordered, and as the maid quickly left, Ciel sighed heavily. "That is the first time I'm hearing of Grell actually coming through the front door as a proper guest."

"Though it is strange that he is coming alone," Sebastian noted, placing a thoughtful hand on his chin, "I had made it quite clear that the purpose of their visit would be to provide aid in retrieving Annabelle."

"Sebas-chan~" Seconds later a Shinigami garbed in the deepest red lunged into the Study, jumping directly at Sebastian.

With a single sidestep, the red-haired man went sprawling to the ground, and Sebastian sighed.

"We don't have time for games, Mr. Grell," he said firmly. "Time is of the essence."

"Ooh, Bassy, you're so serious," Grell cooed in adoration, "I love it when a man gets down to business."

A vein popped on Ciel's forehead in irritation. "Grell," he hissed, "What do you know of the demon named Claude Faustus?"

"The demon Claude Faustus has been around for a long time," he explained, "he often appears to his victims as a spider."

Ciel's eyes narrowed. "Hence it's only proper for such a demon to be associated with the Queen's spiders," he commented in irritation. "Tch…"

"He's shown to be a very capable man," the Shinigami continued, "owner of a demon sword, he's been rumoured to have ensnared over a hundred thousand souls, and that his demon sword was obtained from a demon's duel."

Sebastian nodded slowly. "I see," he murmured. "Well…"

Ciel scowled at Grell. "Is that all you have?" he demanded. "Nothing useful that could help us get Anna back?"

"Hmmm…" Grell murmured, "I can't think of anything else. Sebas-chan probably wants me to go back and look again, right?"

Sebastian nodded. "Did Mr. William say anything that may help?"

The Shinigami shook his head. "He only said he'll keep on searching for anything in relation to this Claude Faustus," he replied. "Oh, but he did add that Sebas-chan is in trouble if he's unable to get the angel back safely."

Sebastian's eye twitched. "Well, please assure Mr. William that we will have Annabelle back in our possession as safely as possible," he informed, "thank you, Grell. If anything else is discovered please let us know straight away."

"Bye Sebas-chan~" Grell cheered, practically bouncing out of the study.

Sebastian looked at Ciel. "If I may, Young Master, I request a bit of free time for myself this afternoon."

Ciel stared at him for a long moment. "I assume you're planning on confronting Claude Faustus directly, Sebastian?"

"Yes," he agreed. "Like before with the Greater Demon Andrew Hawkins, I plan on requesting a Danse Macabre, though there is a likely chance that he won't accept, given that there isn't anything I can offer, other than the Young Master's soul."

Ciel's eyes narrowed. "No," he said flatly, "not at this time."

"Understood," he retorted, "hence under the likely chance that he will not accept the duel, I will fight him anyway."

"Very well, Sebastian," the young earl said, "I have but one order to you should you fight the Trancy butler: win."

Sebastian bowed deeply. "Yes, My Lord."

xXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXx

Before Sebastian reached the Trancy Manor, he was met with a certain bespectacled Trancy butler in the forest.

"Well, what brings you to this place, Sebastian Michaelis?" Claude innocently asked. "Where's your master?"

Sebastian's eyes narrowed. "The Young Master is where he needs to be," he answered. "As for me, I came here to see you."

He chuckled darkly. "Even if you beg me, I won't give you back Annabelle. Even if I did, she doesn't know you anymore. She's my wife now, and soon, her newborn child will be mine too."

"Stay away from our child!" Sebastian snapped angrily, his eyes flashing purple in demonic anger.

Claude laughed, utterly amused by Sebastian's reaction. "You're so emotional," he spat distastefully. "You're becoming like one of those feeble humans, acting on your emotions.

"That won't stop me from killing you," he hissed. "I challenge you to a Danse Macabre, with Annabelle's life and soul at stake."

"Now why would I agree to that?" Claude laughed, "Annabelle is already in my possession, there's no reason for me to risk losing her. Especially considering how useful she is to me in… a variety of ways."

Sebastian was taken off guard by that statement, but for some reason dread began to creep onto his mind. "What… do you mean by that?"

"By the way, Sebastian," Claude began with a wicked smirk, "did you know about the tiny mole on the left side of Annabelle's lower back?"

Sebastian's eyes widened in horror at Claude's insinuation, and he glared at the Trancy butler. "Did you-?!"

A wicked grin crossed his face. "She seemed like such a gentle angel when I first met her," he taunted, "I never would have imagined how wild she could be in bed."

Sebastian was frozen in horror, and Claude relished at his expression before taunting him more.

"Oh, not to mention the small, nearly-invisible scar right above her navel?" he continued, "Yes, Sebastian, last night I made love with Annabelle."

Sebastian's heart sank into a pit of untold anger, the fury burning in his eyes at a level never seen before.

"Her flawless skin, the soft velvet of her folds… oh, you should have heard her cries of pleasure when I entered her!" Claude recollected dramatically, "She was clawing at my back and begging me for more. Do you make her scream the same way I did, Sebastian?"

The Phantomhive butler seethed with rage, a murky-green demonic aura burning around him. He sprung at Claude, but the opposing butler simply avoided all of his attacks, not bothering to fight back, and instead, continuing to taunt Sebastian with the details of Claude and Anna's nightly encounter.

"Her voice was so cute," Claude cackled, "especially when she screamed when she came. I never imagined that there would be anything sweeter than devouring a soul, but the moment I released my demonic seed in her I truly felt something that could only be described as ecstasy. And even after, she only begged for me to make love to her over and over. Well, I definitely granted that wish of hers."

Throwing knives at Claude, Sebastian moved in to strike, but Claude had already seen through his move. Quickly the bespectacled butler dodged Sebastian's kick and they began to parry.

You'll never get away with this!

Sebastian's anger only fuelled his determination, and as a result he became faster, dodging Claude's next punch and kicking the Trancy butler hard in his solar plexus, sending him smashing into a tree. Claude hadn't the slightest clue what had happened, and only found himself surrounded by a cloud of dust and wood chips as the tree split in two and fell over, smashing into the ground with an earth-shaking rumble.

I-Is this the power of human emotions that enable him to be this powerful?! Claude thought.

"This ends here," Sebastian's voice roared, and before anything else could happen, a clash of metal on metal echoed through the air as a third presence entered the area.

As the dust finally cleared, to both butlers' shocks, the one that stood between them… the one holding an angelic blade that locked with Sebastian's demonic sword Lucifer… the one that had protected Claude Faustus… was none other than Annabelle Faustus.

WAH CLAUDE SO EVIL DON'T TAUNT POOR SEBBY WITH ALL THOSE SMEXY DETAILS! Speaking of smexy details, UGHHHNNNN had to bury mah face in a pillow at least 10 times while writing that part. I'm just like, "HOW TO GET POINT ACROSS WITHOUT IT BEING OVERLY CRUDE?!" yeah.

Anyway, hope you enjoy! (Btw, how rated M was this chapter anyway? QAQ DAMMIT I WANT MY T-RATING BACK!) haha XD

Till next time!

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