Chapter 22: A Kidnapping

Hello my lovelies! Here is the chapter that I promised to write after I posted the last one. Besides that I have nothing to say so I will get right on to the quote.

"It's this way: being captured is besides the point, the point is not to surrender."

-Nazim Hikmet

So without further delay, here is the next chapter of An Earthbound Angel.

o0o0o0o0o0o An Earthbound Angel o0o0o0o0o0o

After that incident at the Frost Fest, Ciel, Malphas, and I went home so that we wouldn't catch a cold in the chilly weather. Because Ciel had finished more paperwork than was needed for the day, the both of us played a few rounds of chess. The following day however had Mei, Finni, Bard, Malphas, and I planning for Ciel's birthday party tomorrow.

"Now remember you three," I whispered to them as we separated from our planning. "We are not to breathe a word of this to my brother. We have to surprise him."

"Yes, my lady," they chirped in unison before they shot off. I couldn't help but giggle at their energetic enthusiasm as they went about their chores. I saw Ciel on the stairs on the front entryway so I skipped over to him and stopped him on the landing between the two opposite stairs. I was just about to talk with him when the front doors were pushed open to reveal Lizzie.

"Ciel!" she exclaimed in joy as she made a beeline for him then proceeded to swing him around like a rag doll. Sigh, I guess old habits die hard. Ciel could barely say her name before the poor boy was enveloped in the blonde whirlwind. After about five twirls Lizzie sat Ciel down and placed a small box in his hand. I grew happy at the sight of Lizzie finally finding a present for Ciel, but my elation died quickly when I sensed the wickedness and darkness coming off the box in waves. What on Earth is in that box?! Upon feeling the aura surrounding the present, I could feel my eyes widening, my heart hammering away in my chest, and my body start to shake in fear.

"Here, this is for you!" Lizzie said while placing the box in Ciel's hand. "Hurry up and open it, won't you?" It took almost everything in me not to slap the present out of Ciel's hand and throw it out of the mansion. Ciel said nothing but let the present sit in his right hand so that he could untie the bow with his left hand that held our family ring. Upon seeing the ring, Lizzie took his left hand in hers with a look of shock.

"But I broke this!" she protested at once. "How..." Wait, when did Lizzie break our family ring?

"Oh, Sebastian repaired it," Ciel explained easily.

"What?! But it was chipped! I don't see any cracks!"

"Yes. A Phantomhive butler who can't do this much -,"

"Isn't worth his salt," Ciel finished for him.

"Quite, my lord."

"I see...Sebastian fixed it."

"My lady," Paula uttered as she came to stand behind Lizzie.

"What do you have in that box, Lady Elizabeth," Malphas asked while eyeing the package.

"Er, um, it's a secret!" she announced like she was making something up as she swiped the box from Ciel.

"Didn't you just say you were giving it to me?" Ciel questioned her.

"That was a feint," she giggled cutely.

"Feint?" Ciel echoed.

"No proper lady would try to win her gentleman with material things." Wow, Lizzie sure knows how to divert attention away from things. "That's disgraceful! Now, Paula, ring the bells."

"Yes, my lady! Jingle, jingle!"

"Well, then, good afternoon!" Lizzie called over her shoulder as she pulled Paula after her out of the mansion.

"So...what did Lizzie come here for?" Ciel asked out loud while trying to make sense of Lizzie's behavior. I didn't hear Malphas's answer to his question for I used all of my newfound strength and speed to rush out the front door after Lizzie. Ciel didn't even have a chance to call out for me when I grew my wings and flew after my sister to be.

I followed her carriage all through London when night fell upon us. Nothing had happened so far, but I could feel the aura of the ring growing. I have to somehow get that box away from Lizzie, I thought while I hid on a rooftop. The carriage was stuck in traffic so I had perched myself on the roof so that I wouldn't be seen. While I thought about a strategy, I could hear the same"London Bridge" tune from yesterday being played again. Where is it coming from?! As soon as I noticed the tune, I could see a faint blue glow from Lizzie's carriage before she shot out like a bullet. Where is she going, I thought frantically as I launched myself off the roof to shoot after Lizzie. We seemed to go through a maze of the back London streets as Lizzie led us, following the music that got louder and louder the more we ran. At the end of our journey was a small doll shop where the music was coming from. I wanted to yell at Lizzie to not go inside, but my voice seemed to die in my throat as soon as I wanted to say them. To make up for my lack of speech, I dived for her only to have her slip into the shop so I flared my wings to slow my descent then stood in front of the door. At the sight of the shop I pulled my wings into my back and placed my hand on the doorknob. Wicked and dark energy surged into my being from the metal that had me trembling greatly. C'mon Ariel, I told myself. You have to get Lizzie out before it's too late. With that resolve, I pulled open the door to see her sitting in a chair across from a man with orange hair and purple eyes dressed in a top hat and a blue tailcoat. What struck me immobile from the man was that he did not seem as alive as a normal person. It seemed like the man was only a husk of himself without a soul. I battled with myself to get my body to move when I saw Lizzie's tears. My eyes widened and my temporary paralysis disappeared and I was beside her in a second.

"Lizzie! You've got to get out of here!" I shouted urgently when my hand touched her shoulder. "You're in danger!"

"Ariel?" she questioned, her eyes slightly unfocused. No! To try to get her more focused, I sent some of my angelic power into her body. C'mon Lizzie! Come back to me!

"My master has been expecting you," the man spoke up as his head creaked like a dolls. Wait, could this man be a doll?! By now Lizzie was coming around and was looking at my sliver glowing hands then back to me.

"Ariel? What's happening? Where are we?" I made to answer her, but an intense pain ripped through my body that had me stumbling back from her as blood curdling screams tore through my lips. Through the pain I could feel my wings being ripped out on display and my powers were being forced to the surface.

Pheobus! Malphas! Help me!

Just as I sent out the plea to my mates, I could feel my senses dimming as my world faded to black. There was also Lizzie screaming my name before my world turned dark.

When I awoke I saw that I was in a room that had only one throne like chair in front of a large window. Where am I? How did I get here? Questions like this flew around in my head until they were broken by me sensing a familiar aura coming from what I had assumed was a doll in the chair. No, not her.

"Hello Sister Ariel," Angela's soft voice washed over me as she rose from the chair. The first thing I noticed about her was the large white wings that looked tinged slightly with gray. The next thing I noticed was that she was dressed in a poofy purple dress that went to her ankles. "I have been anxiously awaiting your arrival."

"Sorry to make you wait so long," slipped out of my mouth before I could properly think about what I wanted to say to her.

"Look at you dear Sister," she commented, coming up to my seated form on the ground. "This is my first time seeing you in your angelic form. What do you think of mine?"

"You look lovely Sister Angela," I told her while she helped me to my feet, all the while calling out for either Pheobus or Malphas through our bonds. There was no answer to my calls and I couldn't feel their presence in my mind anymore. What is going on?! To try to get a good answer for that, I mentally calmed myself down and looked up into her purple eyes. "What did you want to see me about dear Sister?"

"Well, I wanted to make you an offer." At seeing my questioning look, she took my hands in hers and stared into my eyes. "I want to make this world pure and clean, but to do that I need someone to rule alongside me. I want that someone to be you." I could feel my eyes flutter as my brain struggled to process all this information. "However, I have gathered that you prefer men to women so..." With that drawled out word, bright light shone from Angela that resulted in her appearing in the shape of a man in a royal guard's attire. "I am asking you as Ash to become my queen of the new world I wish to create." While the other angel spoke, they cupped my jaw with one of their hands and wrapped their other arm around my waist. What is going on?! Is this person really Angela or really Ash?! Why do they want me beside them?! What do they mean by 'new world'? They made to place their lips on mine but I whimpered which had them backing away.

"What is it Ariel?"

"What about my mates?"

"They will be used as tools and toys for our pleasure," they said as if it was obvious. "Then together we will birth a new race of angels that will help keep our new world in check."

"How exactly is the new world to come about?" I ventured to ask the debatably mad angel in front of me.

"Either people will accept the cleansing I will give them or they will be eliminated. The means matter not to the result I desire."

"Why do you want me as your queen?" I tried next.

"Oh my dear Ariel," they sighed, tucking a strand of my hair behind my ear. "I want you because when I saw how compassionate you are and how innocent you are, I couldn't help but think that I had to have you. You have been on my mind since the last time we saw each other and I couldn't get you out. Not that I wanted to. Out of all the angels in Heaven or in the Human Realm I could have chosen from, I chose you."

"What if I don't want to be yours?" This caused a small smirk to appear on their face.

"Then I will force you to be mine. You may not be willing in the beginning, but over time you will grow to love me because we are both angels. What perfect match could be better than that?" They again tried to kiss me but the sound of the door being forced open caused the both of us to turn and see Pluto in his demon hound form growling at Angela/Ash. "I see you've managed to tame that hellhound I sent with you. I had no doubts you would my future queen." As their lips came only centimeters from mine, I began to shake in fear.

"Please...Let me go," I whimpered in their hold, my body paralyzed partly from fear and another part that I suspected was their doing.

"I don't think I will Ariel," they whispered against my lips before both our lips made contact. Alarmed shocks ran up and down my spine that washed away my fear and allowed me to fight back against their hold however I could. After some many failed attempts at using my nature powers, I resorted to puching and kicking any part of them I could reach. That didn't seem to help for the more I struggled, the more I could feel my strength slipping away. With another growl, Pluto launched himself at Angela/Ash which had them using their wings to fly away from me and me collapsing against Pluto's fur.

"Are you alright Ariel?" Pluto asked as he stood his ground, teeth bared and hackles raised, and I fisted some of his fur.

"I'm fine Pluto. I'm just a little weak, that's all."

"Well, it seems that I'll have to leave you my queen," Angela/Ash told me while at the large window. "It seems your brother, his demon, and a reaper have found the doll they were looking for." Oh no! Lizzie! "But I will be back for you Ariel. I promise you that." A hard flap of their wings was all they needed to take off into the night leaving Pluto and I by ourselves. Once Pluto was sure that Angela/Ash was gone, he curled his body around mine and sniffed me with his large, wet nose. A few of the spots he touched with his nose had me giggling weakly but he deemed me alright when he apparently didn't smell anything off about me.

"I'm so glad you're safe Ariel," he sighed into my hair in relief, his large muscles relaxing under me. I didn't say a word, only running my hand through his fur and occasionally scratching behind his ears. The doors opening had the both of us glancing to the door to see the doll I had saw talking to Lizzie in the shop drop the the floor, no longer having any kind of fuel to keep him going. Poor soul, I thought as I watched the life drain out of him.

"Ariel!" Ciel and Malphas exclaimed when they saw my frame curled up with Pluto. Malphas was immediately at my side pulling me into his arms so that I fell into his chest and his arms wrapped tightly around me. There was a repeat of the Jack the Ripper incident with his simple sentences while he greedily inhaled my scent. Out of the very corner of my hearing range, I could hear Ciel talking to something in the throne chair which must have been another doll seeing as though I didn't sense a soul. When my attention went behind Malphas, I saw none other than Grell standing there looking at Malphas like he grew two new heads.

"Hello Grell," I greeted him warmly, albeit a little weakly.

"Ariel, how are you alive after getting stabbed with my death scythe?" he gasped in shock at my presence.

"I'm an angel," I informed him, shakily lifting my wings to emphasize my point. He looked apalled at my words as his hands shook when he brought them to his mouth.

"I almost killed an angel," he squeaked. "That is one of the most taboo things a reaper can do."

"You're fine Grell," I assured him. "None of us knew at the time."

I knew, Malphas corrected once he stood up with me in his arms.

"Everyone but Sebastian didn't know," I rolled my eyes halfheartedly.

"But he didn't say anything," Grell said with a confused look on his face before it dawned with understanding.

"He's your mate?" I feebly nodded my head that rested against Malphas's shoulder.

"Don't you have one?" I pressed, wondering how he would answer this.

"Yes. But he, well..."

"How about this Grell. Why don't you come over to the mansion the day after tomorrow and we'll talk over tea and cookies?" He looked shocked at my proposal.

"Really? You're not mad at me for flirting with Bassy?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Because you're my friend." I was able to see his happy smile before I slipped from Sebastian's arms to the ground.

"Ariel -,"

"I'm fine Sebastian. You need to carry Lizzie. I can ride on Pluto's back or he can carry me." Many complaints were voiced in my head at this but he knew that I was right. In no time all of us were outside, Pluto decided to go in his human form so I was held securely in his arms bridal style, with Grell telling us good bye before he flew off. Alright. Now to talk to Pheobus and calm him down.

Pheobus, I called out hesitantly and was met with a shout of relief.

Ariel! I am so glad you're safe! All I heard was your cry for help before you disappeared. It didn't help that all that time I couldn't get through to you.

I'm fine Pheobus. Sebastian and Ciel came and got and now we're going home. Tomorrow we're celebrating Ciel's birthday.

So how old is the Young Earl going to be?

Nineteen.

Ah. Still a boy. I giggled at his comment but it stopped when I remembered I had something to talk to him about.

Pheobus, I have to talk to you about Sebastian. I could feel his displeasure about the topic but he held his tongue so that I could talk. Remember how you said that denying the mate bond is hard on the people invovled?

Yes.

Well I can't just watch him suffer when he is my mate too. You two arare my mates just as much as I am yours so I don't want any of you to suffer.

You are too kind Ariel. But I see what you mean and feel how strongly you feel about the topic. I am willing to share you with Mr. Butler.

Thank you.

There is no need Ariel. I'd to anything to make you happy. I couldn't help but send out the happiness and gratefulness he brought out in me through our bond that had m sending happiness and love back. A content sigh left me as I relaxed against Pluto on our way back to the mansion.

"Happy birthday Ciel!" Lizzie and I exclaimed with joy, everyone in the room wearing party hats. And when I say everyone, I mean Malphas too. Just because he's a demon does not mean he can't celebrate too.

"Congratulations" everyone but Malphas shouted while popping party favors.

"I'll serve the pudding then," Malphas announced before he began cutting portions for Ciel, Lizzie, and I. Ciel looked a little peeved on the outside because of the party, but because I knew my brother, I knew that he was happy. Both Lizzie and I waited until Ciel took a bite of his pudding to take a bite of ours when Ciel made a face and lulled a ring out of his mouth. Ciel and Lizzie looked at the ring surprised while Malphas went on to explain about the person who got the ring is guranteed happiness.

You did that on purpose, I sent my mate fondly while Lizzie beamed her happiness at the news and held his hands.

"Paula, ring the bells!" Lizzie requested excitedly to which she complied. The rest of the night went by with laughter and smiles, to which Ciel actually cracked a few, until it was only Ciel, Malphas, Mei, Bard, Finni, Tanaka, and I at the mansion.

"Ariel, could you follow me to my study?" Ciel asked me as he stood from his chair.

"Sure." As soon as we reached said room and the door was locked, he turned his eyes onto me angrily.

"Why did you run off like that?" he demanded, his one visible blue eye hardening like saphire.

"I sensed that whatever was in that present Lizzie wanted to give you was bad so I followed her after she left," I explained before I launched into a recap of what had happened when Lizzie left the carriage.

"Angela is an angel?!"

"Yep."

"And she can turn into a man?"

"Looks like it."

"And she wants you as her-,"

"I think it was Ash so it would his," I corrected, feeling my own headache coming on from thinking about the gender swapping at will.

"His queen of this so called 'new world'?"

"Exactly." A deep sigh left him as he sank back into his chair while rubbing his temples.

"And he promised to come back for you?"

"Yes," I admitted with sadness and fear. I did not want Bard, Finni, or Mei to die trying to take down Angela, er Ash, when they tried to enter the property. I also did not want them to try to kill or "erase" my brother again because they deemed him unclean.

"Well he's not getting you," he declared with strength. "Is there anything else you want to tell me or is that all?"

"That's all," I promised him with a small smile.

"Alright. Then I'm going to bed. Good night Ariel."

"Good night Ciel." After leaving my brother I went to my room and got ready for bed thinking about Ash's promise. Even though I knew that I would be protected, it still unnerved me to my very core. A sigh left me but I quickly shook off that train of thought and snuggled down in my bed to sleep.

XXXXXX LEMON WARNING! XXXXXX

Just letting you guys know so that if this is not your cup of tea, you can just skip it. If you do skip it, I will recap the events of the scene in ways that it affects the plot. So don't worry. Anyways, on with the rest of the story!

I awoke with a startled gasp and bolted up in my bed from the nightmare I just had. In the dream Ash had killed all of my loved ones and had somehow subdued Pluto, Pheobus, and Malphas so that there was nothing separating him from me. And this time, instead of just kissing, Ash had moved past that to try to rape me. Just as he was about to enter me was when I woke.

"Ariel," came Malphas's worried voice as he materialized out of the shadows of my room.

"I'm fine Malphas," I sighed, running my hands through my hair. "It was just a nightmare." At the sound of that he immediately shed off his tail coat, vest, gloves, and shoes then crawled into bed beside me. His bare hands pulled me by my hips closer to him then one of his hands began to run itself through my hair. I didn't even need to ask him to stay and yet he knew when I wanted him to.

"All you had to do was ask," he whispered in my ear. A pleased shiver went down my back to which he responded to by placing his other hand on my bare thigh and rubbed my skin with rhythmic strokes of his thumb. While he did that, I thought about how strained our bond was because of how long it was denied. Tonight should be the night that I allow him to cement our bond to each other. With that decision firmly in my mind, I looked up into his wine colored eyes and pressed myself into his strong frame, my eyes glancing from his eyes to his lips then back to his eyes again. This had him inhaling sharply when he saw what I wanted. As soon as my lips touched his, I could feel all of his restraint disappear when he kissed me back hungrily. When his tongue swiped across my bottom lip there was no hesitation in me opening my mouth for him so that his warm tongue could slip in and massage my own. A moan left me at the sensation of the strong muscle kneading my mouth while Malphas came to lean over me on his hands and knees between my legs.

"You don't know how long I've yearned for this Ariel," he huskily murmured into my ear before he attacked my neck with kisses and nibbles. Another moan left me and I couldn't help but bare more of my neck to him. A pleased growl left his throat which vibrated through my core that had me wanting to clench my thighs together. With one final kiss to the side of my neck he leaned back so that he could pull off my nightshirt leaving me in only my drawers. Another growl left him as he took me in and my hands flew up to his shirt in retaliation. My mind and body were aching to run my hands over Malphas's chest and stomach just as Malphas was running his hands over my skin.

"Impatient are we?" Malphas smirked at me from above me. Something like a whine slipped past my lips at his teasing which had him chuckling as he shrugged off his shirt and his pants leaving him in his undergarments. He even went as slow as he could making me yearn for him to be back above me.

"Malphas," I whimpered, holding my arms out to him. A predatory grin came to his lips which had his fangs poking out.

"I like the sound of that," he purred seductively into my ear before he trailed his tongue down from my ear, to my neck, to my collarbone, and then down to my breasts. As soon as his tongue touched the skin around my nipples, I moaned again while I bit my lip.

"Don't do that Ariel. I want to hear you moan for me." As the tip tongue neared the nipples, I bit my lip again but Malphas stopped in his progression. All the pleasure that he made pass through my body instantly stopped.

"Malphas."

"What did I say Ariel?" With a sigh I released my lip from between my teeth and looked at him hopefully. "Very good Ariel. Here is your reward." He then dived for my breasts and took one of my nipples in between his lips that had me throwing my head back and moaning loudly. I never knew I could feel such pleasure from just his tongue.

There we go Ariel. Just like that my mate. Somehow during his masterful show with his tongue, Malphas had managed to rid us of our undergarments and was slowly easing himself down my stomach with butterfly kisses. Sighs of pleasure left me until his wonderful tongue met my femininity which turned into gasps. Malphas gave another one of his smug grins into the skin of my thigh before he returned to his work. Waves and waves of euphoria swept through me that reached every part of my being that carried me higher and higher towards the sky. I'm so close to the stars, I can almost reach them. Just as I thought this it all came to a stop when Malphas lifted his head.

"You are so wet for me my mate." While he siad this, he pulled himself on top of me again in between my legs. My hands went up to his cheeks to cup them and bring his face down to mine so I could kiss him. He growled into the kiss, ravaging my mouth as his hips snapped forward into mine effectively filling me up. There was slight discomfort because I wasn't used to him but I overlooked it as I looked up into his swirling blood red eyes.

"Malphas, I...," He silenced me with a kiss, effectively cutting off any other words I wanted to say.

I know what you are trying to say Ariel. Normally demons can't feel emotions like love, but I know that I care about you as much as you care about me. We shared another kiss before Malphas tapped back into his primitive desires and slammed into me with no abandon that drove any kind of thought from my mind except for feeling Malphas's mouth on my pulse where my shoulder met my neck and feeling myself rise back up to the stars except this time I could feel Malphas soaring with me. I was so close again and this time Malphas wasn't stopping. If anything he quickened his pace while growling about me being his.

"Malphas," I moaned in his ear when he licked my pulse point.

"Ariel," he groaned, nibbling on my neck with his fangs. He went faster and faster until I felt the both of us explode among the stars, with Malphas sinking his teeth into my neck, then fall back to our bodies in my bed. I lay panting under my strong demon while a strange purring noise left Malphas as he fell to his side and pulled me against his chest.

"Mine," he rumbled, licking the bite mark he left on my neck. He even held up a bleeding finger so that I could drink some of his blood and kickstart the healing process on my body.

"Goodnight Malphas," I yawned into his bare chest, enjoying the peace that settled over us.

"Goodnight Ariel." In the arms of my demon, I fell asleep with a small smile on my face.

o0o0o0o0o An Earthbound Angel o0o0o0o0o

So, what did you guys think? Ariel and Sebastian finally sealed their bond with the blessing of Undertaker. Now all she has to do is get Malphas to agree to sharing. That should be easy as pie (note the sarcasm). We all know how stubborn and possessive our favorite demon is. Anyways, in the next chapter will be Grell's and Ariel's hangout time followed by meeting a certain purple haired prince. So, with that said, there is nothing else to say besides if you have a question, comment, or concern; feel free to leave a review. Remember, reviews are magic!

-White Wolf