Chapter 9: A Traumatizing event & A Certain Savior
Hey everyone, I'm back. I would like to thank L0n3W0lf36 and Guest for their reviews.
Quote of the week:
"The silver swan, who, living had no note, When death approached unlocked her silent throat."
-James Wolcott
So without further ado, I give you nice folks the tenth chapter of A Demons Angel.
Thought Conversations
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Ariel
Excitement settled in my stomach while I sat in the carriage with my brother as we traveled to our London town house.
"Hopefully I can get some nice peace and quiet," he sighed to himself as he looked out the window. I couldn't help but feel sorry for him.
"Not likely Ciel. We both know Auntie Anne will be there and maybe even Lau." He again sighed when the truth of my words sunk in. The rest of the ride was ridden in silence while I watched the scenery around us and Ciel went back to his paperwork. When we reached the townhouse, both Auntie Anne and Lau were there and they were tearing the house apart looking or the tea. Really, I found myself wondering. All that for tea. I could feel a feeling of slight amusement spring up in my mind that made me oddly comfortable.
Hello again. I thought you had left.
Never, came a deep unfamiliar voice that shook me to my core. By the time I had come to my sense from the little conversation I had with the unknown person, everyone was seated and Sebastian was handing out tea.
"Another prostitute was murdered in Whitechapel yesterday," Ciel announced to our little group. "These aren't ordinary murders. They're bizarre... No, you could fairly call them aberrant."
"A special blade was used on the most recent victim, Mary Ann Nichols," added in Sebastian. "And she was torn apart beyond all recognition."
"Here's what Scotland Yard and the press are calling the criminal: 'Jack the Ripper'." Seeing as though I really did not want to focus on this topic, I slipped into my mind where I was thinking about a possible visit to Pheobus. He would be oh so happy to see me. A feeling of possessiveness and jealousy emitted from m mind which belonged to the mystery person.
What? Why are you objecting about me visiting him?
Because you are mine! Shock registered in my mind at their statement before blind fury took over.
Well excuse me whoever you are, but I belong to nobody. I can see whomever I choose, and I can do whatever I want because I am my own person. I wish for you to stay out of my mind until I decide to allow you back in. An audible huff left me which had Ciel raising his eyebrow at me to which I just shook my head. It would be best for my brother to not think me going mentally insane. He then stood along with Auntie Anne and Lau so I stood up as well.
"Where are we going?" I asked my brother in a whisper.
"You didn't hear what was said, did you?" I only laughed nervously to answer him. "We're going to the crime scene to look at the body."
"Could I go to Undertaker's parlor instead?"
"Ariel, I don't think it wise to be alone with-," his words were cut off when he saw the puppy dog look I was giving him. "No,Ariel." My lower lip stuck out more as I widened my eyes. "No, Ariel."
"Pwease," I begged. His eyebrows twitched in irritation before he fell to my charms.
"Fine."
"Yay!" I exclaimed in joy, wrapping my arms around my brother. "I'll see you later." I quickly let go of him to race to the front door.
"Ariel wait! We'll drop you off," Auntie Anne called out to me.
"I'll be fine Auntie Anne," I returned. "I'm more than capable of taking care of myself." With that I was out the door and speeding through the streets of London, weaving between throngs of people and zipping across streets. However, while I was running, I couldn't help but feel that someone was watching me. Normally that wouldn't bother me because a lot of people would stare at me with my unusual hair color, but this was different. The person who was watching me was watching me from the rooftops rather on down on the street. Maybe it's an assassin, I theorized. I maybe oblivious to some things, but I knew that somewhere out there someone wished me and my brother dead. I'd like to see them try to kill me, when they do try they're going to wish that they didn't.
Minutes later found me at the door of the parlor, opening said door while calling out,
"Undertaker! I came to see you!" I carefully closed the door behind me to turn around to walk right into a wall of black and gray.
"Ariel! How wonderful to see you." I pulled back to look up at him into his hypnotizing yellow green eyes.
"I missed you Pheobus."
"I missed you too," he replied as he snaked his strong arms around my waist to lift me up slightly so he could give my lips a chaste kiss. I grinned into the kiss and wrapped my arms around his neck, letting him know that I didn't want to be let down just yet. When we had to break for air, Pheobus walked over to sit on a coffin with me on his lap.
"So I hear that business is booming," I told him as I played absentmindedly with his sliver hair.
"Hmm," he said in a sound of agreement. "Hardly anything to be talking to about with such a respectable young lady." I gave a scoff to which he smiled at.
"I think I was being followed on the way here," I told him while still playing with his hair. His body instantly stiffened under mine.
"What?"
"I don't think they wanted to hurt me because they didn't try to corner me and get me alone. It seems they were just watching me."
"I don't want you walking around London by yourself anymore."
"Oh come on Pheobus, I can take care of myself."
"Says the one who got beaten to nearly death."
"They had taken Ciel. If I had allowed them to hurt him, what kind of sister would I be?"
"You don't understand how easy it is to kill someone," he sighed into the juncture where my shoulder met my neck as he pulled me closer to him. His warm breath made a pleasant shiver go down my spine. "If I lost you, I wouldn't know what to do."
"Pheobus," I uttered at the look of sadness that resided in his usually cheerful eyes. I had to do something that brought back that sparkle. "How do you know carrots are good for your eyesight?"
"What?" came his response as his eyebrows furrowed.
"How do you know carrots are good for your eyesight?" He remained quiet so I went ahead with the joke. "Have you ever seen a rabbit with glasses?" By the last word his body shook underneath mine as he roared with laughter, his face burrowed into the junction where my shoulder met my neck. Just as he was calming down from his laughter, Ciel, Sebastian, Lau, Auntie Anne, and Grell entered the parlor to look at Pheobus's and my position. Ciel's visible eye narrowed and he made to yell, but he slowly calmed down when he saw that he was laughing so hard that he sometimes forgot to breathe. Was my joke really that funny? When I looked up to the group of people I saw a brief flash of anger appear on Sebastian's face before it settled back on his indifferent mask. What the hell was that about?
"So I see that our toll has already been paid?" Ciel inquired as him and the others beside Sebastian and Grell sat on the other coffins.
"Yes," Pheobus chuckled, trying to reign in his laughter. "I will tell you anything you wish to know." He gently sat me down on the coffin he was sitting on to fetch some tea for Ciel, Auntie Anne, Lau, and myself before he placed me back on his lap.
"These days I often get customers who are incomplete," Pheobus began.
"Incomplete?" echoed Sebastian.
"Yes, incomplete...the wombs are missing." While the group went on to talk about the details of the murder, I backed my focus out of the conversation and on the urn of dog biscuit shaped cookies that Pheobus had handed me. Umm, these are so good. They have just enough crispness on the edges with a soft, but not doughy center, and it has just the right hint of vanilla and sugar with the sugar cookie. While I was eating the cookies I was aware of Pheobus running his fingers across my neck followed by him a hand on my stomach, which I didn't really mind. My brother on the other hand seemed to dislike it. I only shrugged my shoulders at that thought until a soft touch from Pheobus jostled me into focus on my surroundings. It seemed that it was time to go. Everyone was out the door when I stood from Pheobus's lap to peck a kiss to his lips.
"I'll see you tomorrow Pheobus," I promised him.
"And I'll be waiting," he sighed contently as he pulled me to him for a quick hug. I squeezed him back before I rushed out to the carriage where everyone was waiting.
"So Ariel," came Auntie Anne's voice. "Are you courting Undertaker?"
"Yes," I answered, my cheeks tinting a pale pink.
"So that is why your brother didn't want you alone with him."
"But I don't see what the problem is with it." Everyone in the carriage froze at my words.
"Nobody told you?" she questioned in disbelief.
"Told me what?" Auntie Anne made to open her mouth to tell me, but Ciel beat her to it.
"Please don't tell her Madame Red. Let her stay how she is."
"Don't blame me when she has questions that you're not able to answer," she huffed at him which caused him to turn red.
"Questions about what?" Auntie Anne only patted my head at my question. What are they talking about? What did I not know? As I was talking to myself in my head, I could see the door to the carriage open from the corner of my eye right before Sebastian lept out of carriage as it was moving. What the hell? Is he alright?! A soothing feeling washed over my worry which made me settle into a sense of calm. Well that was weird.
By the time we arrived back at the town house, Sebastian was already back and awaiting our return with tea ready. How did he-You know what, I'm just going to stop questioning things because I'm going to end up giving myself a headache. I wouldn't be surprised if he hadn't already narrowed down the list to a suspect yet.
"Through this investigation, I've narrowed it down to one person who meets the criteria," Sebastian announced. See.
"Are you really just a butler?" Auntie Anne asked bewilderingly. I ask myself that question many times a day. "Are you sure you're not a military intelligence officer?"
"No, I am merely one hell of a butler." And there goes his catchphrase.
"Who is the person Sebastian?" Ciel inquired as we all headed to the parlor for afternoon tea.
"Lord Aleister Chamber, the Viscount of Druitt."
"He is having a party tonight," Auntie Anne told us while sipping her tea. "We could go and try to get some information."
"That is splendid," Lau commented. "Now all we need is bait." All eyes instantly turned to me.
"You mean me?"
"Of course Ariel dear," Auntie Anne said. "With your body and your mannerisms, the Viscount will be drooling over you."
"Uh, thanks. I think."
"Come now. I will ready you for the ball."
"Wait Auntie Anne!" I exclaimed as I was whisked away from the room by my overexcited aunt. When we left the parlor, she made a beeline for my room and quickly shut the door behind us.
"Alright Ariel. Let's take a look at your wardrobe and find a dress for you to wear." I sank onto my bed with a sigh of defeat while my aunt rummaged through my dresses. "I found the perfect one!" From my wardrobe she extracted a rich pure purple dress with a white band over the top of the bodice that acted as sleeves that hung on the top of the arms, a silver gem in the middle of where the bodice met the skirt, and was gathered in some clusters with a silver gem along the skirt that let some lace peak out from the last few inches at the bottom of the skirt. Then Auntie Anne ran over to my jewelry box to pull out a white choker with a purple gem set in silver in the middle and a pair of purple drop earrings with a strand of silver pearls starting at my earlobe and went down for three pearls before the earring ended with a purple gem set in silver. Next was to grab upper arm length white kid gloves from my vanity as well as set out all of the things she was going to use to ready me.
"Alright Ariel, into the bath," Auntie Anne ordered. Another sigh left me as I followed her orders only to be scrubbed head to toe with lilac scented bath products. As soon as I was dry she put a pair of underwear on me, and nothing else when I absolutely refused, then put me in the dress. Once the dress was on she rubbed lilac scented oils in my hair before running a brush through my hair a hundred times to make it soft so that she could style my curly locks into an updo with silver pearl pins that ended with a mess of curls a top the top of my head. Then she strapped the choker to my neck, put on the earrings, and slipped on the gloves before she lightly dusted sliver powder on my eyelids, swiped some clear lip shine on my lips, slipped a pair of white slippers on my feet, and spritzed some lilac water on me. "There, all finished." Finally, I thought to myself as my stomach growled out its protest. "We'll have time for a quick bite to eat before we head out for the ball." Thank god. I then sped off from my room to the kitchen so that I could get something to eat.
"What would you like to eat?" came Sebastian's voice as soon as I entered the kitchen.
"Anything that will hold me over for the whole ball," I told him after the initial jump that occurred at his sudden presence.
"You look enchanting this evening," he told me while he went about putting together something for me to eat. At his compliment I literally choked on air.
"T-Thank you." Where exactly is this coming from? Besides that little sentence, no other compliments or anything of the sort was said when he placed a plate of food in front of me. My hunger took over my shock at the moment as I dug into my food until there was nothing left on my plate. "Thank you again Sebastian. Now my stomach doesn't feel like its eating itself anymore."
"You are quite welcome Young Mistress." He then went about cleaning my dishes before he escorted me out to the front door where Lau, Grell, Auntie Anne, and Ciel, or should I say Ciela, stood.
"Uh, Ciel, what are you dressed like that for?"
"I can't take the risk of someone recognizing me," he explained with a blush on his cheeks.
"Then what of me?"
"We'll do anything we can to make sure that no one does, but no one really knows you except for family." I nodded at him as nerves began to churn in my stomach. A soothing feeling began to cover my nerves that had me calming down.
Is that you?
Yes, it is. I've never been far from you lest you needed me. From the despair I heard in their voice I could tell that they had been lonely.
I'm so sorry I snapped at you, but you need to know what my boundaries are.
Forgive me.
What are you anyways? How come I've never seen you?
Oh, you have seen me, but you will meet me all in due time.
When we reached the ball, it was already in full swing.
"Ciel, you stay with Auntie Anne and Lau. Sebastian, I need you to come with me so that we can catch the Lord Druitt's eye," I said at once, not wanting to waste a moment of time.
"Yes, Young Mistress," Sebastian replied while Ciel looked relieved. Sebastian held out his hand for me to take before he whisked me away in search for the Viscount.
"Do you see him yet?" I asked when we neared the dance floor.
"Yes. He's the one in the white suit with the blond hair and purple eyes." I carefully looked around without making it obvious so that I could see him dancing among the crowd of people.
"Okay. Let's try dancing around to see if he takes notice of us." He nodded in agreement as his hands found my waist and hand while my hands sought out his shoulder and hand. It was almost second nature for us to fall into sync with our dancing so that it seemed like we were one moving about the dance floor. Slowly my eyes closed and I felt my mind clear of everything except the feel of my body dancing with Sebastian as he moved us around the dance floor. All to soon the music ended and we had to stop dancing. Clapping could be heard beside us which turned out to be the Viscount Druitt.
"You danced like a lovely swan miss," he told me.
"Why thank you Viscount Druitt."
"Miss, I'll go get you something to drink," Sebastian said before he left me alone with the Viscount.
"Are you having fun-" Viscount Druitt questioned, taking my hand in his to place a kiss on top of it. "My dear swan?" A blush crept up onto my cheeks at his action.
"I'm afraid not," I sighed.
"Oh, and why is that my swan?"
"I've been to countless balls with dancing and food, but they are all so boring now."
"Well, why don't we fix that dear swan," he whispered, pulling me into him with his hand on my hip.
"Would you?"
"Of course. Please, follow me." He then lead me away from the ballroom and up a flight of stairs that led to a door behind curtains. "Come in here, we're going to a very nice place." When the door was opened all I could smell was s sickly sweet scent. What is that? The door to the room was quickly shut behind me. Why did he, I thought just as a bought of dizziness hit me. What is happening? Slowly my strength left me but I pulled on my reserve of strength to keep myself standing then launch myself at him. I managed to land on top of him with my legs pinning him to the ground.
"Ah, a feisty one," he grinned as the chemicals in the air started to sap my reserved strength from me. "You will do fine as a slave. Many men will want a feisty woman to break in." What is he talking about?
When I awoke, my vision was dark. Where am I. My memories of what happened quickly came back to me, but unfortunately my strength did not. What am I going to do. From my side I could hear Viscount Druitt handling some kind of auction for me. Alright, so he's not Jack the Ripper. Who do I call to help me? How do I call someone to help me? While I was thinking, I thought of the voice in my mind.
Hello? I called out hesitantly.
Ariel, the voice replied at once.
Thank goodness. I was thinking that I was going to get nothing.
Where are you?
I don't know, but it feels like I'm tied up but I can't see because I'm blindfolded. There was no answer to my thoughts so I began to panic.
Hello? I said in hopes that the person wasn't gone. No answer, no nothing. Well, there goes an hope of getting out, I thought but was interrupted by the sound of people being punched until the blindfold was taken from my face for me to see the face of Sebastian.
"Sebastian," I questioned in confusion as my binds were cut.
"Young Mistress," he returned, picking me up into his arms.
"How did you find out where I was?" I then saw all of the pople knocked out. "Did you knock out all these people?"
"I followed after the Viscount when I did not see you come back after disappearing with him."
"Thank you Sebastian."
"You are welcome Young Mistress. You are welcome to sleep now that you are safe." All tension left my body as I relaxed into Sebastian once I knew that I was safe and I found myself slipping into sleep.
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Hope you liked this chapter. If you have any questions or any commets please drop a review and I will address it in the next chapter of this story. As always your reviews are magic!
-White Wolf