Starve the Demon

Feed The Hunger

Moving on

xxx

Trauma of the morning's events have yet to dissipate from Phantomhive Manor. The staff constantly walked on eggshells, scared whatever succumbed Vincent and Desiree to their frail states would exact its wrath upon them as well. Nevertheless, they pressed on with completing their duties. Lest Ciel, Alliahnna, and Sebastian return disappointed in the mess left behind.

Bardroy and Finnian began normal household preparation during Ciel and Alliahnna's absence. With current circumstance being as dire as they are, the pair worked their absolute hardest to not cause unnecessary damage. Sebastian has enough on his plate. The least they can do is ease his burden while he is gone. Vincent and Desiree have not yet awoken, seemingly worse for wear whilst superficially on the mend.

Mey-Rin dipped a washcloth into a bowl of cold water. Wringing it out, she set it flat across Desiree's forehead. She fixed the blankets covering half her body, and fluffing the pillows so Desiree may slumber comfortably. Vincent slept in the bed beside her. The cloth on his forehead was freshly dipped and then reapplied. Superficially, they were on the mend. Internally, was anyone's guess. Their breathing was really shallow. And their skin was growing colder. She isn't a doctor. She doesn't know how to help them. The Doctor Bardroy contacted said he wouldn't be available until tomorrow. Vincent and Desiree may not have that kind of time.

"Please Lord and Lady..." Mey-Rin placed a hand on either of theirs, pouring prayers for them to heal swiftly. "Be strong."

"Pardon us, Mey-Rin." Mey-Rin jumped at the voice. She smiled brightly being greeted by Zanosuke and Jasper out of the blue.

"Master Jasper! Master Zano!" She cheered, bowing to them. Then she forgot herself and hugged them both. "It is wonderful to see you both again."

"Like wise, Mey-Rin." Jasper smiled, petting her vibrant red hair. Zanosuke gently massaged her back, laughing and talking about how bold she's become.

While the two reminisced, Jasper glowered at the unconscious man and woman on the beds. He furrowed his brow. Dark red eyes faded to blazing pink. He saw them. Barely noticeable puncture marks blemished their lips. Veins in their necks leading to their discolored lips were still fresh. Fading with their expediting heartbeats. The strain placed on their spared souls was glaringly apparent. It is due to their souls remaining untouched they are being permitted to stay on this earth. Too long - the smallest nick - and the delicate balance will sway whatever direction the wind blows it.

"It would seem these young folks were spared death's lingering kiss." He remarked. "Either Sebastian intervened, or a twinkle of resolve stayed her."

"Pardon me?" Mey-Rin tilted her head confusedly.

"Nothing." Zanosuke gently edged her to the door. "We will be able to take care of them from here. Why don't you go get some rest?"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes. Thank you for your help." Zanosuke bowed. Before Mey-Rin could respond the door was closed on her. She wasn't sure how they would be able to help. But if it means Desiree and Vincent will awaken, she will rest her faith and go about her business. It's better than waiting for a doctor who may or may not arrive by tomorrow.

At first blush to Zanosuke, the couple appeared to be on the mend. But, as he gazed deep below the surface, the trauma shocking their bodies was stunting their recovery. "Then...this was..."

"Yes. Just as I feared." Jasper regretfully sighed. He tapped his middle finger to their foreheads. A small glow emanated. He then drummed his fingers down, pressing certain points like piano keys, leading to their chest. Color restored to their skin. "Lady Alliahnna has fought against it. Now the hunger is dragging her down."

"Don't you think it's a little early?" Zanosuke protested. He is not doubting the obvious signs. But for her hunger to be this depraved. "It took me the better part of five years after my rebirth to lose myself to the hunger. Sebastian..." He allowed himself to scoff with a certain pride, "Leave it to my younger brother to show a greater resolve and survive seven. But, regardless of her time as a substitute, Alliahnna's barely been a full demon for a year."

All very good points. Demons - particularly female demons - are unpredictable in their moods and cravings. Each demon ascends the stages and grows at various rates. Some fast, others slow, a handful never grow. It is not unheard of for the process to kill newborns. No one ever said being a demon was a walk in the park. It is by far the most agonizing and isolating of torments to be brandished upon a living being. Because she was a substitute demon for a set amount of years, Alliahnna's body is adapting at an impressive rate. Albeit her lack of control over her strenght. However, for the hunger within her to progress this alarmingly, an unknown factor must be influencing her.

"Father," Zanosuke intruded upon his train of thought, "Why is this happening?"

"I have a theory." Jasper stroked his chin. He grimaced at the floor. It can't be as simple as that, can it? "I will need to examine her myself before making the judgement."

"Then we must find her." Zanosuke declared urgently. He hated to admit it, but he cared deeply for Alliahnna. He can't imagine life without her. And he doubted Sebastian will be able to survive without her. "Where do we begin?"

"Hungry demons are a detriment to the realm of death." Jasper smirked. "I'm sure one of our Grim Reaper friends are confronting her as we speak."

xxx

Alliahnna was slammed roughly against a wall. Her mad, animal senses quieted in that one swoop, driving her sanity to the vanguard. With a single hand Undertaker captured both of her wrists, pinning them high above her head, suspending her feet two feet off the ground. Her legs were trapped across Undertaker's thighs by his bent leg. The butt of his scythe crushed her throat, limiting any room for countering. She winced, hissing for breath. She glared defiantly with those demon eyes, only provoking Undertaker's insatiable appetite for their brilliance.

"Oh yes, I remember..." He purred, hot breath taunting her sneering lips. "You are quite the dangerous demon when unleashed. Sebastian must be both pleased...and nervous." Undertaker teased, twisting the scythe. "Beautiful on your leash, a nightmare when let off." He trailed his long pink tongue up her neck. Alliahnna's breath hitched. She squeezed her eyes closed, squirming in revulsion. Undertaker's lips stopped at her ear, "The strap of your leash will only weaken. That it...unless you eat."

Eat?! The madness crept inside. Harsh pink shaded, then quickly suppressed to raw crimson. Sapphire too far away to bring her back to mortal. "You know not what you speak!"She roared. "LET GO! I SAID LET GO OF ME!" She cried desperately.

"Ah, so you can speak complete sentences again. Very good." He mocked her, pressing himself against her. "Now say: She sells seashells by the seashore."

"GO TO HELL! LET ME GO!" She thrashed futilely, trying to run her knees into his sides. Undertaker cackled at her useless struggling. He was a brick wall being battered by a feather. He will prove far more difficult to move than Sebastian or Will. "Get off of me!"

"It will continue to grow worse." Undertaker ignored her venomous plights. "Soon you won't be able to walk out in public without the hunger taking hold." As if Undertaker need speak in what if's. She nearly killed two men just now. No doubt the bodies he discovered just outside the town are her handiwork as well. "Or are you still fooling yourself that you remain human?"

"What are you-"

Undertaker squeezed her wrists, silencing her baseless protests. "You're a demon now, M'Lady. A full blooded demon. You gotta eat some time." Alliahnna quaked in fear. Not of herself or the hunger. But of the green eyed man - The Grim Reaper who has sentenced Europe's most memorable of figures - trapping her in his gaze. The gleaming sickle, reflecting her frozen horror and the monster lying in wait within, able to join her amongst the rank of the fallen. Leaving nothing in its onslaught. "Human food will only satisfy for so long. The drink will cease to quench your unrelenting thirst. Madness is but a step in the brink of which you will fall. May even attack one of those blokes living in the manor with you. That includes the young lord."

"I would never hurt them!"

"On purpose? No. But the hunger of a demon is worse than a starved beast. The fine line between food and friend is literally nonexistent." Early in the morning, and several times before, the taste of Ciel has teased her tongue. Sebastian's voice the reel drawing her from plunging too far in the taste. Alliahnna went limp. Lone tears falling from her dried eyes. Undertaker slowly lowered her to the ground, keeping himself pressed so she wouldn't fall. "Steadily the leash loosens further. The muzzle falling. Your hunger grows, robbing your mind of its better senses." He tilted her head, rubbing a thumb across her lower lip. Her eyes glossed and void. Raspy breaths heaving past saliva drenched lips. "All this pent up stress. Your body craving a dark desire. Allow me to ease your frustration. Would you like that?" Alliahnna's rabid animal instinct aroused. Bright pink illuminated Undertaker's smile. The scythe butt jabbed in the crook of her ribs. Undertaker shoved it deeper. Numbing, white hot pain shot throughout her body. Saliva regurgitated past shrinking fangs. The pink eyes dimmed to sapphire, shrouding in darkness.

Undertaker tenderly caught the girl in his arms, cackling menacingly. "Hard to believe such a frail looking thing is a demon." He cradled her like a princess, admiring her softened expression. Her half opened voided eyes gazing into nothingness. A slumbering babe. He curiously massaged his fingers where he had her frame. He tsk'd his tongue, shaking his head in disappointment. "Starving yourself won't help anyone, Me Dear. I shall have to fix that." He meandered on his way as eyes started to peer inside the alleyway. He had a long trip back to London to make. He might as well get going while he can. "I'm sure Sebastian will not mind my borrowing you."

xxx

Sebastian's brow knit sharply. He slowly removed his fingers from the unconscious woman lying in the middle of the dirt paved road. She, along with her companion, exhibited the same symptoms as Desiree and Vincent. And, mirroring the two nobles, the young women were left half starved of life. Their souls untouched. However, the fatalities drew closer with each victim in Alliahnna's path. Soon, she will claim a human's soul. Whether or not her hunger will cease is a mystery.

"Sebastian?" Ciel chirped, bewildered by Sebastian halting his inspection. "What's wrong?"

Sebastian glared toward Angston just a mile up the road. Earlier when the carriage was brought to a halt, the town was teeming with a foreboding essence. Invisible waves of Alliahnna's spewing aura climbing like a cloud of dark smoke. Before he was able to set foot from the carriage, the noxious fumes diminished. He assumed it was because Alliahnna was rendered unconscious, or she has managed to compose herself enough to quell her wild power. Blustery winds shifted irregularly, carrying a presence in its current. Two presences. Then, as if someone removed a weight from a scale, the air felt lighter.

"Alliahnna is no longer in that town." Sebastian declared.

"Are you sure?!" Ciel gasped.

"She has been moved. She's on her way to London as we speak."

"But I thought you said she'd try to avoid going to London!"

"Up until now she has." Sebastian knit his brow. He calculated the timeline from her transformation to now. She is early. Symptoms such as heightened sense of smell and sensitive taste are a given. Alliahnna displayed a sense of taste several times. Smells, not so much. If so, it was not as apparent as her growing taste. "Unfortunately she is heading in that direction nonetheless. And not alone." Sebastian is sure of it.

"What do you mean?" Ciel asked nervously. "Who has her?"

Sebastian grimaced, scratching his chin. "I have an inkling…" He dropped his head, "But I'd rather not say until I am certain." Ciel tilted his head, blinking in confusion. He shuddered to think who had Alliahnna.

xxx

Drawn black curtains shielded the sunlight, filling the room with an eerie darkness. Candles were lit along the ground, highlighting coffins, bookcases, and Undertaker's work desk. Silence enveloped the shop. The flickering candles teased the air. bouncing shadows revealed a discarded blazer and vest.

Heavy, raspy breaths moaned in the shop's silence. Languorously dragging footsteps staggered amid the candles, narrowly missing as they stumbled over. Alliahnna threw half her exhausted body to a coffin, starving for a moment's breath to fill her lungs. Her white shirt was disheveled. buttons towards the top were undone. Her cheeks were flushed bright pink. Shallow breaths escaped her slack mouth. A white liquid dripping to her chin. Blurry vision stretching a short ways in the dimly lit darkness. She stretched a hand out, clawing her way to climb onto the coffin.

"And just where do you think you're going, M'Lady?" Undertaker snaked his arms around her shoulders, pressing the length of his body to hers. His smiling lips moved close to her ear. "I'm not quite finished with you yet."

"It hurts...please stop..." Undertaker moved his hips into her. Alliahnna squeezed her face in discomfort. She hid her flushed cheeks in her arms, quivering under Undertaker's cuddling body.

"Your coos are so alluring." Undertaker chuckled in her ear, running his tongue along the outer, "Do you like it?"

"No more...it's tearing my insides."

"There's so much left..." He traced a slender finger over her trembling lower lip. "You could use a little more. Why not take every-last-drop?" He pressed harder against her, earning a small moan. He ran the finger over the white liquid, then slurped it slowly with his long pink tongue.

"Se...bas...tian..."

"Sebastian?" Undertaker hummed. Alliahnna was roughly flipped onto her back, pushed up so she was fully lying on top of the coffin. "Sebastian will forgive you in the end." Undertake slithered on top of her, pinning her hands above her head. "But you'll never forgive yourself. Consider this a bit of a gift between friends." he tapped her nose. "You've helped me, allow me to help you." He purred wolfishly, running his hand down past her legs. Alliahnna gasped shrilly, twisting in Undertaker's iron hold. Her hips bucked.

"Do forgive me. That was careless. You're so tender. It's kind of adorable." A long pink shaft moved towards her mouth. Alliahnna's hazy eyes trembled. Thick white liquid pooled to the spout. "Now open wide and say ahh..." He tenderly opened her mouth.

"UNDERTAKER!" The door flew open, blowing out all the candles. William T. Spears perked his glasses with an irritable glare. "Please explain to me why two souls in Knox's death ledger were given a stay of-" Will's rant stopped on a breath, and his eyebrow twitched in disgust. Undertaker was shoving a pink tea pot spout into Alliahnna's mouth. She choked on the rapidly flowing liquid, spewing what could be described as milk. Thicker in base. Will, for the first time in years, felt the urge to run to the opposite side of England and bury himself in a hole. "Perhaps I should come at a later time."

"OH, WILL! I knew you'd come visit sooner or later!" Undertaker removed the teapot, childishly skipping to the stoic reaper. Alliahnna flipped over, vomiting half of what she swallowed into a conveniently placed trash bin. "Yes, those two lads were given a one week reprieve. A fair trade seeing as how the young miss here almost devoured them." Alliahnna held onto her neck, hyperventilating for sweet air. Her white shirt was drenched in milky tea. Much like her vest and blazer.

"Perfect." Will scoffed. A gleam on his lenses hid his aggravation. "Just what we need. Another demon ravaged by hunger."

"Does everyone...not of the human persuasion...know about this?!" She spat between roars.

"It's not uncommon for reapers and demons to be up to date of each other's ailments. Least of all during this time period." Undertaker winked.

"Great. Just what I need." Alliahnna wiped the milk off her mouth. "Another reason for Will to stalk me!"

"Strays hold no interest to me." He scoffed he bounced his spectacles. "The gunk under my shoes holds greater significance."

"Aw, William…" Alliahnna snuck up. Will tensed feeling her wrap her arms around him. "Continue to talk to me like that and Grell will get the wrong idea." She snuggled at his back. Veins popped in Will's head. He whipped around and stabbed his trimmers. Undertaker screamed aghast when the trimmers ruptured the ground. Will gaped confused, then taps came at his shoulder. Alliahnna waved mockingly at him. Will was locked in disbelief. He lost track of her. "Slowing down in your old age, eh Will?"

"Or you're faster than we're used to." Undertaker interjected abruptly. He shoved plaster and tile into Will's hand, pointing demandingly at the damage he wrought. Will wasn't about to argue with his superior in skill. "You seem to a filling into your new skin nicely. Growing stronger every time I see ya." He pinched her chin, drawing her closer to his emerald green eyes. "I'm curious…" Alliahnna's breath hitched. Undertaker slowly smoothed a palm on her stomach, "What else is...growing within you?" Alliahnna dazedly submerged in his hard stare. The fingers hooking her stomach, making her insides churn. Muscles thumping rapidly.

Ding-ling, The shop door creaked, stroking the small bell. Undertaker divided attention from Alliahnna. That menacing grin widened. "Lord Phantomhive!" He cheered. Alliahnna's spine was encased in ice. "And Sebastian! What a treat!" Alliahnna rigidly turned, begging for him to be joking. Lo and behold, shredding her to tatters with murderous glares, Sebastian slammed the door and Ciel marched for her.

"And the stench festers to vile…" Will propped his glasses, shoving his tools into a bucket. "Pardon me." He retreated to the back room. Undertaker permitted it. He'll be back out to finish his work when they leave. And suddenly the barrier thinned, opening a direct line to Alliahnna.

Holding her luck in place was Sebastian's grudging discovery of her disheveled uniform, messy hair, and half her clothing discarded to the side. Then there is Undertaker's precariously placed hand at her hip. Sebastian's knitting brow popped a vein in his head. Alliahnna rapidly put the puzzle together and exploded cherry red. Steam whistled out her red ears. "IT'S NOT WHAT YOU THINK!" Her cries startled Ciel. "HE FOUND ME, CORNERED ME, SHOVED MILK IN MY MOUTH-" Another vein popped as Sebastian's patience waned, "NOT THAT SORT OF MILK!"

"My Lord...Sebastian," Undertaker strolled in the path, arms open welcomingly, "Do take a moment to rest yourselves! You've arrived just in the nick of time!" He looped an arm around Alliahnna's shoulders, poking her cheek adoringly, "The young lady is calm, and ready to re-enter society as part of the sane!"

"She wasn't crazy to begin with!" Ciel roared. "In the vernacular, anyway! She was HUNGRY!" He grit his teeth. Alliahnna flushed shamefully, drawing Undertaker's cloak as a shield.

"Satiated by this unique concoction of mine." He displayed the teapot. He shook the last quarter left inside. Sebastian gave him a quizzical and surprised stare. "I am no novice to the hungers of demons, Sebastian. Two hungry newborns threatened my acquisition of Robin Hood." He slightly lifted Alliahnna's chin and traced a long nail across her throat. "I hated having to cut lives in their prime. Would have hurt me to end this one." He cackled. His grin widened feeling her swallow.

Ciel cringed, quaking in absolute rage, and fearing that nail puncturing her throat. "Then you have cured her?" Sebastian closed his eyes. Ciel has yet to come to grips with the severity of the situation. Alliahnna lowered her head.

"There is no cure, Lord Phantomhive." Undertaker regretfully informed him. "The hunger is as natural breathing. If not more ferocious." An understatement if ever one was professed. "I would suggest having a little talk with this one, Sebastian." He handed Alliahnna to Ciel who protectively placed himself in front of her. "It's been put off for long enough."

"Agreed." Sebastian snapped his fingers. Alliahnna's discarded clothing flew into his hands, and he draped her blazer to her shoulders. "I shall tend to this. Thank you for your help."

"My pleasure, sir." Undertaker's bangs parted, locking emerald eyes to the disgruntled demon. "As I said, I'd hate to have to put her down." Alliahnna hugged to Ciel's back. He put hands to hers, slowly backing her for the door. Sebastian escorted Ciel and Alliahnna to the carriage. Will casually strolled from hiding, matching glares with Sebastian. He had every last right to be perturbed. As the carriage drove off, Will received a stare from Undertaker to return to his work.

xxx

Ciel exhaled furiously through his nostrils. He pinched at his nose bridge, forcing himself to stare at the passing scenery just so he wouldn't fly into a rage at his sister. Sebastian's folded arms and crossed legs contained the swelling rage dying to unleash upon the girl balled in a corner. Her hair draped over her shoulder, she clawe nervously at it. Too ashamed was she to look from the floor. The place she wanted to fall and never arise again.

The silence was stifling. Crushing them inside the carriage. Words torturing throats, beckoning the mouth to break the silence. Surreptitious glances falling on one another to coax the other to speak. Resolve for silence was wavering. But what can be said? Nothing to excuse what happened, or make right that two nobles with pull are lying half dead at the manor.

"Alliahnna-" Ciel's voice startled her.

"My Lord, I am sorry!" Sebastian stopped him. "But this is a matter best discussed in private!" Ciel folded his lips to his teeth. Protests hitched in his throat. Glancing toward Alliahnna, who was shaking in pure terror, and then back at the glowering Sebastian, Ciel heeded his request. Mom and Dad are going to argue, He muttered.

xxx

Zanosuke was at the top of the foyer stairs when the front door opened. Ciel and Sebastian escorted Alliahnna inside. She staggered to a sudden halt falling under their stares. Sebastian shared in the disapproving stares. "Father is on his way to deal with the other victims left in her wake." A spark shocked her heart. "He'll be gone for a while."

Alliahnna sucked on her dry lips. "What...what of…"

"Lady Desiree and Lord Vincent will recover." Zanosuke gruffly announced, descending the stairs in steady stride. "They will possess no memory of the incident. It will be as if they fainted for no reason." A small miracle in a sea of curses. "It goes without saying that it was a close call. Any longer and you'd have a huge scandal." Alliahnna whimpered, trying to sink into the floor. "Famous Phantomhive resolve is not enough to withstand this unstoppable force."

"Enough, Zano!" Sebastian roared.

"It will never be enough, Sebastian!" Zanosuke closed the gap, bringing his nose a hair from hers. "Not at the rate she is evolving! This could have been avoided had you leashed her the day you turned her!" He snapped a hand to Alliahnna's wrist, earning a yelp. "If you are incapable of taking responsibility-"

Sebastian squeezed his wrist and twisted. He winced and released Alliahnna. His wrist was drawn away from Alliahnna. "MY responsibility has always been her!" He shoved Zanosuke back. "Only now I see...where I've allowed leaks to slip in the cracks." A slip he intends to rectify. He took Alliahnna by the hand, leading her upstairs. Zanosuke kept his back to them, inhaling through his nose.

xxx

A bedroom door burst open. Sebastian threw Alliahnna in. She stumbled and landed safely on her bed. "WHAT THE HELL?!" She roared. "You don't have to throw me!"

Sebastian slammed the door behind him. "Force me on a wild chase halfway across England, I will throw you into the sun!" He growled venomously. Alliahnna went rigid, clawing the sheets nervously. "How long?"

Alliahnna shied gloomily, bringing a pillow protectively in front of her. "How long what?" She curled her knees in.

Sebastian sharply squeezed her shoulder. He shoved her hard on her back, ripping the pillow and showering feathers everywhere. "You hold no ground for playing coy!" Her bared fangs and cast glowing pink daggers. Abject fear sank Alliahnna into the cotton sheets. "How long...has your hunger...been in affect?!" The edge in his tone warned her to not play games. The tightening grip made her wince, forcing her impudence back down her throat.

"...two weeks…" She squeaked.

"Two weeks?!" He exploded. Alliahnna flinched. "Your hunger has been growing for two weeks...and you allowed it to fester?" Alliahnna refused to look him in the eye. She couldn't. She kept a dire secret from him. Sebastian's blind anger subsided enough he noticed his fingers cutting off circulation in her shoulder. He planted it beside her head, moving to sit beside her. Leaning forward, her buried half his face in his hand. In his mind he cursed how they could have come to this point. "Why did you not come to me?"

Alliahnna sat up on her hand, babying her throbbing shoulder. "I thought I could handle it." Sebastian's pet peeve answer. I can handle it, I don't need you - many times he heard that from both Ciel and Alliahnna. The end result: he has to bail them out of a huge mess they've drowned themselves in. "At first...it wasn't bad. Anytime the urges aroused, I'd…" She trailed off, shaking her head. Instead of words, she removed her blazer, vest, and undershirt. Sebastian placed a hand over his mouth in horror. Cuts and bruises - no older than a couple of days - marred her arms, torso, and chest. A few were on her back. "It helped for a while. The pain distracted me from...the abundance of smells."

"Then the placebo stopped. Your hunger grew worse." Alliahnna clawed the sides of her head, seething through grit teeth. "Lady Desiree and Lord Vincent. What drew you to them?"

"Vincent? No clue. I just saw him alone and too him." Random attacks is not uncommon for a hungry demon. A victim of opportunity. "Lady Desiree flew into gory detail of her hardknocks life! I don't know why! She barely knows me! Yet she left no stone unturned in her sob story!" She can hear Desiree sniffling about her mother. Her sadness made her mouth water. "What prompted her to divulge so much?"

Sebastian sucked on his lips anxiously. "Becoming intimate with a target, demons exude a pheromone that influences physical and emotional responses. Often coaxing confessions, and drawing said person closer to you." Alliahnna tilted a brow at him. "In short terms, you subconsciously projected an odor that made Desiree confide in you. Once you were sure you had her…" She knew the rest. The kiss was her way of going in for the kill. "The unintentional pheromone release is common in newborns. It happens to me on occasion," He flashed a smirk, "But I find winning with charm and charisma much more rewarding." Alliahnna returned the smile, blushing bashfully. The air was starting to lift. "I also know what it is like to want to solve the problems plaguing your body. And how foolish it is to hide it until you lose control."

"I'm sorry…" She must have said for the umpteenth time. "It's just...I didn't want you to see me prove Claude right." Sebastian was taken aback. "He predicted the hunger would be too much for me. He relishes proving his superiority, advocating you cannot leash me or protect me forever! His greatest hoorah is discrediting your abilities as a demon and a teacher." That smug, aggravating, auburn eyed spider adjusted his telescopic spectacles. Looking down on her like filth beneath his feet. She'd take being trapped with Will in a small room than tolerating a second with Claude. "I figured, if I could come to grips with what's happening - survive and clear the storm - then, maybe…" She squeezed her thighs to her hands.

"Maybe what?" He edged closer.

Alliahnna's bangs obscured her shame. "Then maybe I won't be such a burden on you." Sebastian was thrown into shock by her assumption. By Alliahnna's timid churning, she truly believed she was a hindrance to him. "If I can prove my abilities...Jasper, Claude, and Zanosuke will have to acknowledge that you-"

Sebastian cupped her cheeks and crashed his lips to her. Alliahnna succumbed as his tongue slithered inside her mouth. She grabbed at his sleeves, straining her spine to stay sitting up right. Sebastian retracted his tongue, letting his teeth and lips slide from Alliahnna's. Glossy eyes dreamily parted open. Cheeks flushed cherry red. Alliahnna's mind flew into a spiral. Her train of thought lost. Sebastian savored the sweetness of her, touching his forehead to hers with a wolfish smirk.

"So many burdens you place upon your shoulders." He murmured, stroking hairs behind her ears. "So much blame you support, yet none of yours to bear."

"I…"

Sebastian touched two fingers to her lips. "Never have you been a burden. And never shall you be. It is I who burden you." Alliahnna's glazed eyes widened. She doesn't understand. How is what she's done his fault? "It is I who transformed you six years ago. It is I who cultivated and nurtured your talents, bringing them to this peak." He traced his thumb along her cheek. How those glistening sapphire eyes entrance him. "After evolving you, I allowed you to proceed without offering limitations and warnings. There was never a leash because I saw no need for a collar."

"What are...saying…?" She breathlessly asked.

"These recent events opened my eyes." He touched her stomach. "While I cannot explain the early onset of your hunger," He sighed resignedly, "I can help you assuage it."

"Until...when…?" She asked nervously.

"Until the day arrives that you lease a contract." Alliahnna swallowed a bomb. Making a contract with a human...who she will be obligated to...claim as a meal. "Come." He led her by the wrist.

"Where are we going?"

"You'll see."

xxx

Zanosuke slumped in a plush chair, massaging his throbbing forehead. "You have no faith in them, do you?" Ciel snarled, arms folded crossly.

"I do. Truly I do." Zanosuke promised. "I just worry their relationship blinds them." Ciel swallowed, glancing toward the parlor mantle. "It would seem their relationship bothers you as well."

"It doesn't bother me." He winced. "I just...wish…" He doesn't know what to think. He's said to himself that he's fine. In his heart, he's overjoyed Alliahnna found love. Deep down, in the back of his mind, it was wrong. It was all wrong.

"You just wish it was under different circumstances." Zanosuke concluded. People in skin, demons in love. Hazards riding their coattails as the decades roll by. Ciel's silence confirmed his suspicions. "As do I."

xxx

A man hole sealed the underbelly of London's streets in darkness. Water carrying various waste flowed leisurely. A musty odor pungent enough to peel paint. Sebastian lied an unconscious man to the brick path. "The first were impulse. Now it will be conscious." He moved aside to a place at the wall. "It will be as natural as a kiss, but you will be inhaling an energy. The deed is done when you feel the lips run cold." He shifted attention to the fidgeting figure. "Are you ready?"

"Not really." Alliahnna strode stiffly to the unconscious man. "But what choice do I really have?"

Sebastian's silence confirmed none. Alliahnna took a deep breath and dropped to her knees on the exhale. She sat on his thighs, fighting to steady her nerves. She's battled angels, faced reapers, been a victim of Esmeralda during her women months. She's killed and tortured many a criminal in the last six years. Who would have thought a kiss would be the one thing that will weaken her spine. She unbuttoned her shirt, revealing her glowing Faustian seal. She lifted the man by his collar, cradling the back of his head as she drew him closer. Hot pink eyes pierced the dim lighting. Fangs protruded past parting lips. Briefly she hesitated, then sealed the man's fate with a kiss. Black veins snaked to his neck, blackening his lips. Alliahnna's eyes flared open. Images and shadows not of her creation reflected across her gleaming eyes. Laughter and crying, the man and a woman hugging, children, elderly - a life literally flashed before her eyes. She strained with the kiss. Her mind screaming to break it. Sebastian rested a hand at her back, forcing her to continue. The longer the kiss lasted, the more intimate the memories. Faster, his body began to run cold in her embrace. She trembled against him. Tears streaming from her eyes watching a young boy grow into a man, lose his mom the day before his wedding. She heaved and gargled, wanting to desperately vomit.

Finally, after what seemed like forever, the man's lips ran cold. Whatever presence he held vanished into thin air. Sebastian removed his hand, and Alliahnna shoved the man off, sending him into the water. She heaved dryly, vomiting in a corner. She coughed up bile, flying into hysterical wailing. Sebastian predicted a reaction such as this. In fact, he'd be sad if she'd taken delight into her first.

xxx

Will finished fixing the floor and excitedly took his leave to go shower back at the bureau. Undertaker cracked windows to clear the plaster smell. Truthfully, he loves that smell. Cleansing in certain doses. He arranged a potted plant to his desk, toying with the thick leaves lovingly. He was warmed by the ominous presence hiding in the corner of his shop.

"Visits from three of my four favorite demons in one day." He faced Jasper, drawing the demon from the shadows. "I'm honored."

"She was here." Jasper bluntly declared.

"For a short time. You just missed her." He set the used teapot into a sink. "The girl was starved to the point of madness."

"To the point?" Jasper questioned skeptically.

"She's very stubborn. Luckily," He shook a pouch of specially mixed herbs, "I know the remedy for a hungry demon. Sebastian is handling the rest."

"After these incidents, I'd be furious if he wasn't." The people he found on the side of the road were rushed to the nearest hospital. They are expected to make a full recovery. Their memories will be impaired for their sakes. "You have my apologies. This development escalated faster than any of us could catch. Her hunger was fierce. Unyielding and indiscriminate." Again, not unheard of, but the early onset is a rarity. Any number of reasons can trigger it.

"Well, you know what they say…" Undertaker trailed off, sitting on his desk. "Women with two stomachs to feed lack control." He caressed his stomach. Jasper's eyes widened. Undertaker smiled impishly.

"And you're certain about this?" He pressed. He suspected it, but wasn't sure.

"I've cared for plenty of female bodies. Even in postmortem, the signs are as obvious as a light in the night." He dug a jar of marmite from the desk. "In spite of her being a demon, you may wish to seek a physician's standpoint. I've met plenty of young girls with voracious appetites. She could simply be a glutton." He dismissed, shoveling tantalizing marmite into his mouth.

"If it were mere gluttony I would not be concerned!" Jasper snapped. "Grim reaper or not, you and I both have seen and experienced it all. More than our progeny will ever see in their lifetimes." Undertaker bobbed his head. No sense in playing ignorant to what is obvious. "How certain are we about this?"

"Like I said, sir. Seek out a professional." He stated first and foremost. "But, from my initial examination," Directed toward his prodding of her stomach, "I am confident in my assessment. The young Earless may very well be with child."

To be continued