Lies in the Web
Moving on.
xxx
Alliahnna closed the library door behind her, locking it shut so she isn't disturbed. Although, as previously surmised, a wooden construct is feeble against the might of demons. Still. The closure was enough. Even if it was minor. She'll take what she can get right now. I have to sort this out.
The large windows on the wall unnerved her. She paused to find curtains she could draw, but there were none. The world outside, and the eyes she sensed within it, were able to spy on her from miles away. Why do I feel this way? So Paranoid, and yet oddly pacified. At first blush, she doesn't see anyone outside. A more deeper look, closing her eyes and allowing her other senses to drift, Alliahnna can sense HIM in the vast acreage of greenery. Just sitting immersed in the cover, watching her from afar. Waiting, hoping. The idea of seeing him terrified her. But this piece inside of her wants to see him vehemently.
Sebastian...I want to see him. Her heart yearned to see him. To hear his voice in her ear. To have him place his hands upon her stomach and feel the life he planted within her. Why am I still in love with that traitor? Why do I bother to carry his seed?
"Gee! The world can only wonder!"
"Not you again!" Ever since she woke up, this borish voice has been berating and degrading her. Screaming at her while she's speaking with people, contradicting everything she said or thought. And it isn't going away. "Do you have to be here?"
"I wouldn't have to if you'd just kill your self doubt already. Honestly!" Alliahnna rolled her eyes. This voice wasn't going away, she might as well listen. "You two have been in love with one another for years, consumated several times in the last year, and you still hold doubts! Ciel must be one heck of a road block." She felt her skin prickle. "Or cock block, as the case may be."
"SHUT UP! AND DON'T EVER SPEAK OF HIM LIKE THAT!" The voice laughed at her, but went silent all the same. She meandered to the middle of the room, drumming fingers to the conundrum numbing her sore head. The silence in the library was relaxing. The separation from the others in home allowed her to breathe freely. Hannah and Claude have been very attentive to her and Ciel. The Triplets always on standby in case other services are required. In that diligence, Alliahnna felt suffocated. Coming to the library, she would swear she was being watching from every corner. She knows she saw one of the Triplets duck inside one of the rooms. As for Hannah and Claude, they are leisurely conducting their duties, while at the same time remaining in a prime position to assist Ciel or Alliahnna. Seemingly happy to do so. Never once mentioning their late master. And that is where her suspicions begin to blossom.
Alois is dead. Ciel and Alliahnna have been successfully rescued from Sebastian and are being cared for by Claude, Hannah, and the Triplets. Something about this doesn't feel quite right. Ciel, she understands. His soul is intoxicating. Prying him away from Sebastian secures that he will be able to devour it. He saved Ciel from being eaten by that traitorous scum. But why her? Why rescue her? Is it to keep Ciel close? Claude is showing an interest in her. But he can't want her soul. He can't touch it now that she's a demon. So why did he bring her along?
Line it up, Alliahnna. Beginning of the strange occurrences to the end. That's what Phoebus taught her. This all began after learning of Alois's passing. The Trancy House demons and the Reapers began behaving erratically and on their instincts. The Reapers are not so strange. Claude and his company, on the other hand, are behaving out of character. Grell knew of Alois' death and said nothing. He had to have known that Claude had killed him. Reapers seem to be on the constant update when demons are involved. As the days proceed, and lead to the incident in the asylum...Alliahnna and Ciel were purposefully lured away from Sebastian. A method to make their rescue easier for Claude. But...why the asylum? And why are Claude and Hannah calling them Master and Lady? Doting over them with admiration? And why was Ciel soaking wet?
In the heat of the moment before Ciel sent Sebastian away, she remembers Ciel feeling sopping wet. And he smelled strange. A mixture clinging to his clothes. 'He's soaked to the bones. Did you dip him some sort of medicine?' Sebastian's inquiry echoed. Medicine? That wouldn't make sense. If Claude's intention to save her and Ciel, why would the need for medicine be required? Wait...The throbbing hasn't left her as she tries to force the haze from her head. Nevertheless, events from the previous night are beginning to come to light. How she and Ciel ended up in the Asylum is still a mystery. But when Sebastian arrived to...do who knows what, he said something. Sebastian mentioned medicines with me as well. What was it? Hall...u...cin...o...gens. An opioid was used on her? 'You weakened her mental state with various scent disguised agents.' Hallucinations? Demons can have those? Or is it because she's so pitifully weak she'd succumb to sleeping pills? How utterly shameful. Ciel and Alliahnna giving in to effects of medical properties.
Alliahnna laughed loathsomely at herself, smashing a palm to her bangs. "Sebastian must have grown tired of having to come rescue me and Ciel." That notion tore her heart apart.
"Wow. If you honestly believe that load, then you should let Claude kiss you again and leave it at that."
"Will you PLEASE-wait!" Kiss again? "Claude kissed me?" Her head exploded, steam whistling from her ears. She doesn't remember that! When did he kiss her? Is the voice tricking her? "NO-NO-NOOO…" She rolled sporadically on the floor, rambing fervently that she and Claude didn't kiss, that she'd never kiss him, that it was all a trick of her primitive, sexually driven mind! "I couldn't have kissed him! I don't even like him! I like…" She lost steam before his name left her lips. She deflated, collapsing near the couch. "I...love…"
"What in blazes are you doing down there?" Alliahnna sharply tilted her head up. She gaped amazed at the redhead ogling her. Grell was staring confusedly down at her from over the couch's arm.
"Grell?" She blinked, baffled.
Grell sighed disappointed, propping knuckles under his chin. "If you're attempting to clean the floors you're doing a pitiful job at it." That special vein in her head Grell excites popped. He had a unique way of ruining her day. Alliahnna shot up, fixing herself as she climbed to her feet. Grell secretly admired her change of clothes. So much more classy than that skirt she fancies. And less likely to attract Sebastian's attention. "A nice place you have here, by the way." Grell crooned, plopping comfortably to the couch. He rubbed the sheek leather. "A lot nicer than the other hovel you live in."
"What the Hell do you want, Grell?" She towered over him, boring daggers she wished would tear him to tatters. The vein throbbing in her head was about to spit blood if the Reaper doesn't talk soon.
"I just wanted to see it for myself." Grell shrugged his hands nonchalantly. Alliahnna arched a baffled brow. If it's seeing her in pants or The Trancy Manor, it wasn't necessary for him to grace her with his unwanted presence. "So, dear old Bassy isn't joined at your hip anymore, is he?" He wiggled his brow.
Alliahnna's body ran cold. "What do you mean?" She trembled.
"Oh come now! Don't lie to me. I saw that silver haired wench tending to you! And that Handsome Claude with your beloved brother." So he's the reason she felt watched. He's been spying on her and Ciel this whole time. Then...Sebastian isn't here? That makes her sad...for some reason.
"Not for 'SOME REASON!' You want to see him!"
"After months of play, you two finally decided to call it quits!" He chortled. He was overcome with giddy anticipation. He spread and closed his legs, taunted by the tingling of searing lust. He was blushing and drooling with hunger.
Alliahnna exploded beet red, shaking her head violently. "How did you-WHO TOLD YOU THAT?"
"I figured it was obvious. You and your brat brother have a different set of demons on your hips. Plus Bassy's scent is leaving you." He grabbed her by the collar. He drew her in, inhaling the pleasantly fading scent. "So that tells me you both haven't had fun under the sheets in quite some time. Why would you abstain if you both were still happily in love?"
"THAT ISN'T ANY OF YOUR DAMN BUSINESS!" Alliahnna wrenched him off the couch, throwing him to the other side of the table with a thud! The Reaper hasn't forgotten her immeasurable strength, but he was slightly disappointed that she was able to move him so easily. "Why are you even here? Will can't possibly be fine with this!"
"He doesn't know." Grell massaged his sore face, checking for unflattering marks. "And I'm here to watch the dominoes I set fall in their proper place."
"The dominoes you set? Wait…" Will mentioned, in his boasting, that The Reapers were aware of Alois' death and that his soul wasn't obtained. There was also a note that Grell was supposed to collect him. "Do you have something to do with Alois dying?!"
"Oh, I see you're up to speed on the boy's current state of health!"
"Answer me, Grell! Did you help Claude kill him?!"
"I don't answer to you, brat. Keep that in mind." Grell jabbed her chest with a finger. He dresses as a butler, but he only serves himself and Sebastian. Alliahnna was just catered weight. She wouldn't be deterred. Grell could see this in her eyes. And something else as well. Similar to what is projecting from the young Phantomhive. A damaged mind. So Claude, you trifled with her memories as well. "But seeing as you're up to speed - I never laid a hand on the boy. But that butler of his did." Alliahnna was perfectly aware. But hearing it from a witness solidified her position. Claude murdered Alois and is now infatuated with Ciel. It's all for his soul. But he can't get to it so long as Sebastian's contract in enacted. "That Claude is quite the devious man. I just might fall in love. I never dreamed he would do what he's done and actually succeed."
Zanosuke and Jasper were right. Something far more gruesome is afoot. "You know what he's planning?" She growled.
"Indeed I do. And it is sending Bassy over the edge!" Grell purred, licking his lips. "I get chills thinking of how hot that man's temper burns."
Alliahnna grasped him by the collar. "TELL ME, GRELL! What's about to happen?!"
"I don't have to tell you anything!" He clawed at her hands. He is growing rather tired of her obstinance.
"There is no way you came here just to confirm mine and Sebastian's relationship status!" She is tired of his games. Tired of the lies. She will have her answers through him, or she'lll tear the whole manor asunder. "Ciel and Alois! This is about them, isn't it?!" Grell grunted under his, partially lidding his eyes at her perception. "Please, Grell! You have to tell me! None of this is right!"
Grell squeezed her wrists, loosening and removing her hands. "All I will tell you is this," He brought his lips to her ear, "Either you sort out what isn't right - and swiftly - or your beloved brother will no longer be so."
"What do you-"
CRASH! Alliahnna jumped out of her skin. The loud noise shook the windows. An evil scaled her skin. "What was that?" She quaked.
"OOH! HE'S STARTING!" Grell pirouetted past Alliahnna, pulling a brand new camera from his long red coat. That looks like Mrs. Turner's camera. "I have to go~" Grell pulled the windows open.
"WAIT! GRELL!" Too late. Grell jumped out the window and he was gone. She exhaled drearily, dropping her head. "What the Hell? What's starting?" She's known Grell for too long and yet she still can't make heads or tails of him. Whatever was starting drew him like a moth to a flame. CRASH-CRASH! The whole manor was shaking again. Earthquakes aren't too common, but they certainly don't sound like that. And this was fierce. Dangerous!
Ciel! Alliahnna raced back to his room. Though not a cause by nature, those shakes were loud and too close to the manor. Whatever was causing them was like honey for Grell. There are only finger fingers worth of occurrences or people that draw him. None of them good. Her priority is to keep Ciel safe. To protect him from whatever and whoever is coming.
"You already know who's coming! You've been sensing him all morning!"
"He can't be here! Ciel-"
"Ciel told him to stay out of sight and never approach you! Neither of you see him, and if you happen to wander where he is..."
"Why?! Why won't he just leave?!" Her chest was hurting again.
"Do you honestly expect him to give up his master and lover?"
"You mean his meal tickets?!" She frothed at the mouth. She darted around a corner. She ran into Hannah, both falling to the ground. Hannah was stunned to see Alliahnna in such a hurry.
"My Lady! Are you well?" She fretted.
"Nevermind me! Hannah, that sound just now! What was it?" She scrambled to stand, helping Hannah rise. "It sounded like a bomb was being set off."
"Nothing of great importance, My Lady. Possibly an animal." Hannah reassured her.
CRASH! BOOM! SMASH!
Alliahnna braced herself. The ceiling was coming undone. "If that is an animal, then I'm Queen Victoria!" She snarled. Hannah was hiding something.
"If you will excuse me, My Lady. I must see to the young master. Will you join me?" She offered.
She should. She should go to Ciel and warn him of Grell's presence. It has to mean Sebastian is close by. He'll want to find a way to deal with him. "Later. I…" She trailed off, turning to a window. "I wish to think to myself for a moment." Hannah left her to go attend to Ciel. She doesn't trust Hannah completely. But she trusts her more than Claude. Ciel will be fine...for the moment.
Alliahnna's nerves wouldn't stop shaking. An animal, Hannah tried to dismiss that sound as. The eerie shivers crawling over her arms, standing the hair on her neck erect, had her heart pulsing. What she heard was not the responsibility of an animal. But something - or someone - far worse. He can't possibly be here.
"He is here! He's here to save you and Ciel! Just accept it!"
"No! He's isn't here for-huh?" Dust was wafting outside the window. Alliahnna blinked baffled. She moved to the window, pressing her hands to the cold glass. "BLOODY HELL!" Alliahnna's jaw hit the ground. A vast acreage of trees were snapped in half. Dust was still lingering in the air. This happened only seconds ago. Ice snaked through Alliahnna's veins. She was rooted in place, attempting to rationalize what could have possibly caused this destruction. 'Possibly an animal.' Hannah's words echoed. This is not the work of an animal...Alliahnna swallowed a lump in her throat. This is the work of a beast. Sebastian's temper is rising.
"So you do accept that he's here, at least. Now you just need to realize he wants to help."
"For the last time, if you don't shut up…!" How she's going to punch a voice in her head is going to be a trick for the history books. Her attention was diverted back outside. Claude was meandering in the garden somewhere. She traced the trail he was following. Another patch of black was mixed in with the garden.
Sebastian? He really is here. She should be frozen in abject fear. Instead, part of her was overjoyed to see him. Claude's wandering outside to meet him. This could be dangerous. Or revealing.
xxx
(Claude POV)
Such unwavering confidence. The manner in which he speaks of another falling to death by his very hand - unmoved and with hesitation - sends chills of ecstasy down my spine. The death of Alois, is spite of his sister's attempts to stop him, has done nothing to dissuade or deter him. He speaks of death as if acquiesced that it is a natural cycle. So blissful. Here is the nobility of one who has subjected everyone all his life by right of birth. No matter the circumstances, he continues to trudge forth in his endeavours. All who stand in his way are trampled, and he bears them not a second thought.
With his sister by his side - her unrelenting wrath, steadfast bravery, and pleasing to the eye features - he went unchallenged. Those who would dare offer him harm were feasibly dispatched. The joy she takes in subduing her enemy. Never losing herself in the mania. Those she is stubborn and excites the fury of others, she remains indomitable. Myself included. This woman...excites the monster within me. Unhindered by tragedy, unopposed by obstacles, and driven in her passions. She stares death directly in the eye, daring him to come with all his ferocity. Truly...she makes me yearn.
Side by side, the pair are incomparably mirror reflection of each other's strengths and weaknesses. Shortcomings and Fortes. A darkness and light walking hand in hand, never outshining or dimming the other. The expressions worn greatly differ, but radiate the same brilliance. Sapphire pools always looking ahead. Stern glares discouraging offenders. Their smooth skin, so very soft to the touch. The idea blemishes will form with the slightest ounce of pressure. Ciel with a pair of legs that reveal that he is unused to walking. So very slender and delicate. Alliahnna's being the pair that make the trek in order for him to effortlessly climb without persperating. Firm and hardened. Meanwhile, she who is alert to danger and quickly to dispatch it is being commanded and controlled by a masterful tactician, aiding her in covering her blind spots. Back to back these two stand. Side by side they face their enemies. Hand in hand they move.
Oh-ho, Sebastian. How it must aggravate you. Both your master and lover are within my web, ensnared and forever to remain. Both to writhe beneath me as I sink my fangs into them. Ciel's soul soon to drip down my throat, and pool as a warmth within me. Alliahnna's body then will squirm as I run my hands along the crevices you so adamantly adore. But your constant presence is ruining my preparations. Though you cannot act without violating your master's orders, it is becoming tiring to have to distract the Young Master from your tantrums.
xxx
Yellow canaries hovered in the air. Hollow wind whistled ominously. The singing of leaves usual filled the air. Those leaves lied scattered to the once tendered ground. Miles of trees in either direction were viciously snapped. By thinning splinters were some staying attached. The rest lied on the ground, decaying to an abysmal death. Perches denied to the small birds anxiously looking for a roost to rest their weary wings.
"A storm has rolled in." Claude entered to a garden lined by statues. Bushels of flowers remained untouched by rabid storm. The cold, deadpanned eyes of Sebastian bore into him. The whistling wind took extra measure to brush around him, unnerved by the hair waving before his stone face. "Ahh, little one, fear not." Claude raised a finger. One canary broke from its flock, landing to the finger. Claude lovingly caressed it. "Master specifically told it to stay out of his sight. And to stay far away from his beloved sister. There's nothing at all it can do."
Sebastian's hand twitched. The powerful urge to strangle him was unbearable to contain. Being spoken to as if he is not present only riled his fury.
Claude brazenly approached a mound of green bush, plucking a fully blossomed flower from the stem. "The sweet briar's are looking lovely. In full bloom and ready to be nurtured." He knelt to greatly admire the bush. He tucked the plucked flower behind his ear. "These will suit My Young Master and Lady perfectly. Yes…" He gazed mocking to the stone faced demon, "They suit my Young Master and Lady quite well." He emphasised every word, slurping up Sebastian welling rage like ambrosia of the gods. "Perhaps, when presented with one, I may once again still a kiss from the beautiful lady." Devilish pink pulsated to Sebastian's eyes. To keep his inner demon underwraps was growing tiresome. "There is no need to fret. Not for it's former master, nor its beloved former lover. I shall take extra measure to not damage them." Claude decided he was done taunting the barred demon and took his leave. Thank goodness. He missed Sebastian's shadow coming to life.
Unbeknownst to the two demons, a third was lurking behind a statue well out of their line of sight. She clenched a hand at her chest to silence her beating heart. The other hand clamped her mouth closed so she would not cry out. Brief though the one sided conversation was, the air became a noose. Claude's prideful boasting of victory tainting the fresh air, while Sebastian was on the verge of tearing him open like a rabid animal. Each time Alliahnna was mentioned, she would feel the stake of a pike shoot from Sebastian. His rage skyrocketing to new levels. There was a small twinge of glee. Must be due to the scuff on Claude's cheek. I wonder how he got that.
Sebastian, accepting there is nothing he can do - for the moment - turned on his heels and began to depart. He lingered on the sweet briars. The note of anguish took Alliahnna aback. He proceeded to leave, dropping his head with failure. What was that? Alliahnna's mind gasped. A trick. It was just a trick. She sank miserably. He's only upset because Ciel is out of his reach.
"Really pathetic! You saw it with your own eyes and heard it with your own ears! YET YOU STILL DOUBT HIM!"
"ARRGH!" Pain split her skull. Sebastian's walking stopped. His ear twitched. He gasped in astonishment. Alliahnna clamped her mouth closed. She stiffly turned, peering around the statue. Sebastian was rooted in place. His head was wobbling between turning and staying ahead. He knows I'm here! He can sense me! Sebastian's head started to turn. Alliahnna crouched low, putting her hands to her ears, smothering her breath in her knees. Please...don't come near me...don't see me...not like this...She begged.
'Please...don't...' Sebastian stopped himself from looking further. His eyes lidded with despair as he returned to look forward. He squeezed his fingers to shaking fists. "He spoke true…" Sebastian spoke with a tone wavering with sadness. Alliahnna broke from her stupor, glancing to him once more. She was stunned. Tufts of hair blocked his eyes, but the agony in his smile beamed like the moon in the night. "Those flowers...they suit you quite well."
Sebastian...She called in her mind. He continued to walk away. Alliahnna's hand subconsciously started to stretch after him. As if to pull him back. "I'm sad…" Ciel ordered him to never approach her. Sebastian has to obey the orders of his master without wavering. His response was natural. So why is she so upset? "You know that I'm standing here. Why didn't you call out to me? Call my name." She wants him to say her name. Say her name one more time. She hates how Claude says her name. Why won't you say my name?
"Why would he want to?! You'll just scream at him again, and cast him aside like you always do."
"I didn't cast him aside!"
"Yes you did!" Alliahnna was frightened silent. She never sent him away. Did she? "When you first retrieved Ciel, during the Danse Macabre, and now here within the Halls of Trancy. All you know how to do is chase people away. All for the sake that you don't get hurt!"
"He killed my parents! Why shouldn't I chase him off?!" She tried to keep her voice down. Sebastian was still close enough to hear her.
"Sebastian killed your parents? How gullible have you become in the last six years?!" Gullible? Is that how she looks? "If you honestly believe that he is the cause of all your suffering, then stop hiding behind a statue and tell him to piss off once and for all!"
She could do that. If Sebastian hears he tell him to leave forever, he just might do it. Or she can tell Ciel and he can make him disappear. "I can't…"
"Why not?"
"I don't know…" She trailed off. The overwhelming sense that she was lying choked her. I can't...tell him to leave...Her heart was throbbing. Because...if I do...something terrible will happen. Something terrible is happening anyway. And she hasn't figured out what it is yet.
"OH MY! WHEN DID YOU GET HERE?!"
"Grell?" Alliahnna shot to her feet. Sebastian was holding a statue above his head, towering over a cowering Grell. That inane camera was still in his hands. Alliahnna's brow twitched. Several veins popping in her brow. The bastard was taking secret photos of him. "This will remain the same! I utterly despise that reaper!"
"Perhaps just one more…" The Reaper begged, bringing the camera to his eye. Alliahnna's fangs protruded her lips. She inadvertently tore chunks from the statue she was behind. Sebastian seemed to sense her rising revulsion and surreptitiously smiled. "Mmm! A marvelous pose." Sebastian crushed him with the statue.
Alliahnna was glad she was disciplined. She was about to shout and cheer. Oh if she wasn't running from him she'd kiss Sebastian for that one. Sebastian dragged the gender confused butler off. He must want to talk with him about something. Otherwise he would have abandoned him. Wonder if it has to do with Claude. Doubtless. Grell will have to be dealt with by Sebastian. For now, Claude's taking the direct route to Ciel. And she intends to find out what all the hub-bub is truly about.
xxx
On the grassy hills with a perfect cascading view of the Trancy Manor, Sebastian arrange a blanket and picnic table. With his Master and Lady preoccupied, Grell was to be his guest of honor. The Reaper was on pins and needles. He's had dreams about this, and the scenery is lovely, but he finds the atmosphere a little too unnerving for a romantic evening on the hillside. Sebastian will not take no for an answer. The tea he prepared earlier was already piping hot and ready to be served. He cannot, for the sake of station, allow it to spoil.
"Bassy…?" Grell quivered. His cheek was swollen from being hit with the statue. The milky brown mixture pooled into a white cup. Sebastian wearing a very irate glare on his face. "I must admit, it is rather odd seeing you prepare tea just for me. I-I'm happy of course!" He quickly reiterated, not wanting to spoil anything. This is something he never dreamed would happen. "But...well...I...uhh…"
Sebastian presented the tea. In place of his welcoming smile, he was squinting in absolute fury. "A cup of Suutei Tsai. A Mongolian milk tea flavored with rock salt."
"ROCK SALT?!" Grell trembled. Salt is an achilles heel to reaper. It dries them out like raisins and leave them shriveled and withered. In a tea those effects are diluted. But, with his cheek currently sore and wounded...it will be like drinking fire.
"I've no doubt it will be wonderfully stimulating to feel the salt in your wounds." He purred, licking up every ounce of Grell's misery. "Just for you I've doubled the amount it calls for." Grell quivered. "Doubled it again." He shrieked in fright. "And why not double it again?" He whispered menacingly.
The concoction set before him terrified Grell. He never thought tea could be so scary. "On second thought, I…" He was stunned by Sebastian's hopefully smile. How could he deny him. He's up to something. Grell reluctantly accepted the cup. He swallowed his nerves. A tiny sip filed his cheek. "AAAHHH! THE SHARP PAINS OF LOVE~" Grell was falling in his chair, lips cherry red and his cheek ablaze, "I CANNOT STAND IT!" He moaned in ecstasy.
Once Grell was broken out of his salt infused daze, Sebastian's true motive behind the tea was revealed. He wants to know everything Grell does in regards to Claude's possession over Ciel and Alliahnna. Will and Ronald were clueless. But Grell was exposed as the collector for Alois the night he died. So either Grell is incredibly incompetent - as suspected - or he is hiding something.
"I see. So Claude IS responsible for the murder of Alois Trancy." Jasper and Zanosuke alerted him and Alliahnna beforehand. Confirmation from Grell has put the situation into a brighter light.
"Yes. And then he put together a soul infusing ceremony." Grell clarified. The reason behind Ciel's drenched for. The medicine was meant for the ceremony. "Two separate souls can never be completely fused. But pesky memories can be overwritten."
"Which means Alois Trancy…" Sebastian trailed off, a disgusting taste coming to his tongue.
"Is now the same as your Young Master." Grell finished for him. "Being turned into a ring - a jewel thicker than blood, more crimson than passion." Sebastian was beginning to understand. This was slowly making sense. There is just the matter of Alliahnna. "As for your Lady," Grell practically read his mind, "She is a demon, but her mind is still in an immature human state. It can be modified."
"So I witnessed." Sebastian seethed. "But her soul cannot be obtained."
"I sincerely doubt it is her soul Claude wants. He may very well just want her for the sake of keeping your Young Master in place." Not a far off assumption. Claude was still acting out orders by Alois before he was killed. To make Sebastian suffer an agony worse than death - stealing Alliahnna has done just that. "I saw it in her eyes when I approached her. Her memories have been drastically. Truths she's harbored corroded into lies. However," Grell put a hand to his lips. Sebastian caught the continuation, glaring at the reaper to continue. Or he will suffer under the rock salt. "Oh bother! HOW-EV-ER because of how stubborn she is and the unwavering faith she has in you, she's subconsciously fighting the rouse." Sebastian's brow knit. "The girl has been traumatized, but she hasn't been fooled. A few pushes and she'll break free. The same, however, cannot be said for your young master." He crooned.
"I see. So that is why she was in the garden." Sebastian remarked elatedly.
"She what?" Grell gasped.
"Yes. Alliahnna was listening to Claude and I. She will only eavesdrop if something is amiss." Grell broke into a sweat. She was likely there when he was smashed in the face. That witch always seems to be in the perfect spot to watch him be pummeled. "Truth be told, nothing revealing - verbally - was exposed. But her instincts are as sharp as her tongue. She's becoming aware something is amiss." Sebastian felt pride wash over him. If Alliahnna breaks free, Claude's plans break with her.
"In that case if she comes across that ring it will all be over." Grell shooed, pouting that his time with Sebastian was limited.
"What do you mean?"
"Souls are a demon and reapers' best friend. They call out to us like bells in the night." Sebastian is perfectly aware. Ciel's soul called to him and Alliahnna. "If Alliahnna touches the ring, the soul of Alois Trancy will beckon to her. Possibly excite her to eat it. Or, in this case…" Grell went off topic, wanting Sebastian to say it.
"Bring her to her senses." Sebastian gasped. There is a light at the end of the tunnel. "If that happens, having her at my side again will make this venture all the more easy."
"Oh what a bother!" Grell slammed a fist to the table. "You two haven't called it quits yet, have you?"
"I refuse to let her go until it is her absolute desire." Even then, he wouldn't let her go. "Even if she went to the farthest reaches of this earth or beyond I would scour tirelessly." He confessed with a hand to his aching heart. "What of butler - no. What kind of lover would I be...if I let her go so easily?" He whispered.
"I truly cannot understand! Why bother fixating on some little brat's soul!" Grell shooed it off, finding it to be a ridiculous waste of time. He slithered in close to Sebastian. To touch his puffed lips to Sebastian's supple ones would be the cherry of his day. Without his Lady around... "You would make a far simpler and quicker meal, Bassy!" He accidentally sipped the salty tea. He choked on his karma, wincing in tart agony.
"You sound like someone else I know!" Sebastian huffed in revulsion. "Just look at his face. The slack fatuous features Claude wears perpetually." That damnable butler lavishing in his hands being all over his Master and Lady, throwing it in his face. "There lies your answer."
xxx
Ciel lied propped to Claude's lap, a soft bristle brush polishing his pristine white teeth. Claude used that brush to travel every corner of that supple mouth. Moving the lips how he desired, atching the stretch and form to the brush. Perfectly uniform...He marveled. Close fitting, ivory teeth like a row a fresh young skulls. His cheeks flushed bright pink. The light fogged his glasses, obscuring his lecherous eyes. Smooth, delicate, enchanting.
In his fixation he moved the brush too far down his tongue. Ciel choked on the powerful mint shooting down his throat. He shot up choking, rubbing his neck to bring it up. "DON'T GAG ME!"
"Apologies, Lord! Pardon!" Claude bowed submissively. Such a blunder on his part.
"I mean REALLY, you call yourself a BUTLER! Sebastian would never do something like-" Ciel's words hitched in his throat. He shrank in self loathing for thinking about that traitor. He turned away from Claude to hide his shame.
"Your contract with him is but a burden. Like chains around your wrists." Claude recited poetically. "It is also a noose for Alliahnna. Continued thoughts of that demon will be detrimental to your spleen." Ciel remained silent. He hears the words, feels worry for Alliahnna - there is something amid these sensation calling to him. Screaming doubts into his ear. "He deserve not but your hatred, Young Master. Sebastian Michaelis is your sworn enemy."
"I know that!" Ciel need not hear it repeatedly. It was becoming tiresome.
"Break free of your fetters. Let us sign a contract." Claude proposed. He moved to the front of Ciel, kneeling before him with profound desire. "Then we shall get revenge on that demon."
"You presume too much!" Ciel stopped him before he said something he cannot take back. "I'm only here at all because my sister and I have no desire to return to that wretched manor! Dealing with Sebastian is OUR business!" He fortified, cringing with woe.
"If that is the case, you could always form one with Alliahnna." Claude crooned menacingly. Ciel's eye widened with horror. Alliahnna is a demon. She has her own seal. She can...accept contracts. Becoming someone's servant. "Why not make her your demon? You trust her completely, don't you?"
"No." Ciel twisted away.
"My Lord?" Claude was caught off guard by the response. True, another demon in the mix takes away from his meal. But he half expected Ciel to jump at the chance.
"No I will not make my sister my slave!" Ciel barked. The fury in his eyes captivated Claude again. "Understand this: I will not force her to endure more suffering than she already has. Being tricked into love is one thing. But having her serve under me to replace her lover is cruel!" He shot to his feet, towering with rabdi fury over the presumptuous demon. "Do not ever propose this to me again!"
"Then why not sign a contract to me?"
"Because I don't need your help to defeat him!"
"Oh don't you?" Claude chuckled at his own presumptuous statement. A human believing he can stand toe to toe with a creature beyond his mortal comprehension. How cliche. "You're up against a demon, after all."
"That's why he has me!" Claude and Ciel gasped. Alliahnna stood in the doorway, launching a hateful daggers at the kneeling demon. Claude paled to paper white. How long has she been there? His mind trembled. She stormed inside, putting herself between Ciel and Claude's hungry stare. He raised his head, taken in by her righteous fury. "Your being here is but a nuance. A convenience set in place by your late master! If anyone will help Ciel deal with Sebastian, it will be me!"
"With due respect, My Lady," Claude rose to his feet. Alliahnna wasn't impressed by the height difference, "You are barely a hatchling of a demon. Someone like you stands no chance against Sebastian." She stand firmly like a guardian. Unafraid of the oppressors who would see her crippled. The fire of her passion, the ice of her words, the blustery winds of her presence - simply magnificent.
"You're right. I don't stand a chance against him. But neither do you." She added with a smirk.
Claude's fascination subsided to insult. "Pardon!"
"Sebastian is a traitor and coward-"
"Talk about the pot calling the kettle black, Coward."
"But in a true match of strength, agility, and skill, I am afraid, Claude Faustus, you hold not the slightest candle against him."
"Such biting words from such sweet, tantalizing lips." He punched her chin, grinning crazily, "Are those truly meant to harm me? Or are they confessions of your lingering, and unyielding, love for him?" Alliahnna growled in the back of her throat, narrowing her pupils to slits.
Ciel was dismayed she did not retort. He feared this would be the case. "You're dismissed now!" He bellowed before this matter grew out of hand.
"My Lord." Claude turned on his heels, heading for the door. "You needn't come to a decision right away." He spoke to Ciel. "In this mansion the threads of time itself are tangled in the spider's web." In other words, Ciel can fight for as long as he wishes. Claude has all the time in the world to wait. He left the twins with their ominous thoughts.
There was no need for Ciel to explain what was discussed. It was obvious she heard everything. Or, at the very least, enough of it. The silence radiating between the pair was suffocating. The awkwardness had Alliahnna grinding the ball of her foot into the bathroom floor. She isn't sorry for listening. Not in the least. Claude's objective was made clear. The denial of his desire has ultimately slowed it down. Not halted it. She's sure that demon has other plans. As for Ciel, he has his own plans as well.
Ciel remained still on the couch, wiping the toothpaste away to at least reclaim some of his lost dignity. He isn't sorry for what he said. He's just sorry Alliahnna had to hear it. None of this has been easy on either of them. He feels unbelievably selfish, though. Being waited on and protected like some helpless child. Meanwhile, a madness is flourishing around him and he cannot fight back against it. Why? Because he is a weak and pitiful human in the company of demons. He's...helpless.
"Ciel…" Alliahnna moaned raspily, hugging her elbows. She turned her glossy eyes to him, tearing at his heart. "Can we please go home now?"
"We can't!" He snapped.
"Why not?"
"Because he will be there! And the memories…" Ciel put a hand over his eye patch. He can see them. His parents dying in the flames. And Sebastian the arsonist that it robbing him of his family. "It's too much...to much to bear."
"Ciel…" She stepped closer.
Ciel startled her by throwing his arms around her. He sobbed heavily into her shoulder, muffling his cries into the fabric. "I can't take it anymore! I just want it to be over!" Alliahnna was taken aback. He's breaking in her arms, and she does not possess the speed to pick them up and put them back. "I know I will be leaving you. I know you'll be alone again. But still…"
"Ciel…" She closed her eyes, wrapping her arms to him in a warm embrace. She let him cry as hard and loud as he wished. Her own tears being drawn.
"Tell him. Tell him that Sebastian is here! Go on! Make him chase the demon away forever." Alliahnna heart weighed thousands of pounds.
"I must go for a walk." He wearily stated. He moved back, cleaning his puffy face. "Will you accompany me?"
"Of course." She blushed ardently. Ciel seemed unconvinced she'd stay with him during the walk. He was staring at his empty hand, imagining it to be so for all time. Alliahnna cupped the hand, placing it to her heart. "I will always be there for you. Even if we are apart, nothing will prevent me from being by your side." She swore.
Ciel's cheeks tinted pink. He was about to shed tears of joy. "Thank you…"
"Of course."
xxx
Claude lingered in the corridors, lurking in the shadows like a spider patiently perched to its web. He felt the threads of his web begin to tremor. Peering from his post, watched the Phantomhive twins exit the manor, heading for a leisurely stroll in the gardens. Claude dismounted from his hide, meandering to the window to watch them walk arm in arm. The pair were laughing excitably, telling jokes and reminiscing in their obscured pasts. Their joviality in the midst of such a dramatic and dangerous time was truly enigmatic and enchanting. Uplifting is it to watch them smile and laugh in each other's company. And yet, it makes Claude's stomach churn in envy.
"Bats. By nature's design they are small, abhorable creatures." Claude muttered angrily, marching away before he is consumed. "And yet, in spite of how nature intended them to be, they lure others to them. They suck them dry of their essence." Alliahnna is remarkably similar to a bat. Deceiving others with her soft, pleasant face, and her lack of physique, she draws them in. Leaving them unawares of her true intentions. "Their sight is deplorable, yet they see beyond what is in front of them." She sees beyond him, and she will not remove her fangs from her brother.
"Ciel Phantomhive…" He purred. The Queen's Guard Dog with a bite to match his prowess. "He's such a proud, young boy. A truly reckless - truly defenseless - soul!" His main source of support being the girl on his arm. The secret behind his might that he so cleverly wields. Every person in his life is a chess piece. He is fully aware accepts that he does not possess the physical might to fight off those who would do him harm. Precisely why he relies on his tact and intelligence. He watches the board, plans several moves ahead, and craftily sets a trap that ultimately destroys his enemies. He sees himself as the king of the board. Sebastian and Alliahnna are his knights. Everyone else is a pawn.
Claude strolled to the front of the manor. He opened the second story window, being basked in the fresh valley air. "Ciel Phantomhive's soul is a fine one." He blurted to the empty courtyard. He then drew in a deep breath and howled, "A TRULY FINE SOUL!" The declaration echoed for miles.
xxx
"A TRULY FINE SOUL!" The garden of vibrantly blooming flower shook under the echoing cry.
"Huh?" Alliahnna caught the end of the odd shout. She arched a brow to the bright blue sky, wondering where it came from. It sounded close by.
"Is something wrong?" Ciel asked, perplexed by her sudden stop. He was standing under the archway that leads into a maze of flowers. The fresh air couple by the sweet smelling blossoms would do him some good to help him calm down. His relaxing plans will be moderately ruined if Alliahnna isn't with him.
"Not...sure…" She trailed off. Was that Claude? She wondered. Then a hailstorm of shivers scrolled her spine. The presence causing it came from the hills in the distance. It's hard to make out, but she can see someone standing up top. Then they vanished. She shivered fearfully. Uh-oh…
"Alliahnna?" Ciel chirped.
She stiffly turned, hurrying inside the maze with him. "Why do I get the sneaking suspicion this manor's going to be torn asunder soon?"
"The way you verbally attack Claude, I wouldn't be surprised if you're the cause." He huffed, leading the way.
"You're lack of faith in me hurts." She pouted, hands on her hips.
"It's got nothing to do with faith. I just know you, that's all." Ciel snorted, shrugging a hand. He grinned impishly at her, "You tend to get carried away when in the heat of the moment."
"I always got carried away because I love you." She hooked an arm around his neck. Her knuckles ruffled his hair, making him laugh. "No one lays a finger on my baby brother!"
"You realize we're going to be 20 years old soon!" He protested between laughs.
"And I'll still always be born minutes ahead!" She cooed.
"You're intolerable!" Ciel shoved her off him.
"You're adorable!" She pinched his cheek.
"THAT'S IT!" Ciel tackled her to the ground. The pair shouted profanities wrestling on the ground. The wrestling ended with an explosion of flower petals and leaves. Alliahnna and Ciel lied breathless on the ground, laughing so hard the heavens were laughing with them. "I can't remember the last time we had this much fun."
"Me neither. We're terrible at this."
"If time is on our side, we should plan a trip somewhere."
"How about that park in Greenwich mom and dad took us to?" Alliahnna proposed, flipping onto her stomach. "The one with the caves we loved to explore."
"That sounds wonderful." Ciel agreed, moving onto his stomach. "It's a deal." Alliahnna nodded, cheeks flushed elatedly. "Were you telling the truth? Would you really fight Sebastian to protect me?"
"I'd fight the devil himself to protect you!"
"But...would you win?" He feared to ask.
"Not a chance." She admitted strongly. That's a given defeat before a challenge is issued. Alliahnna helped him to his feet. The pair went on their way. Alliahnna folded her arms behind her head. "Claude may not be a match for Sebastian, but I'm even less of a match for him. It would be child's play for him to defeat me."
Ciel was afraid she would say that. Claude seems willing to fend off Sebastian when he comes. But he carries a price in exchange for his services. He's the only one who can hope to match that treacherous demon. Alliahnna, god willing, will fight to her last breath for him. She would lose. She would die before she has a chance to exhale. Still, she is ready to challenge Sebastian, and wouldn't stop fighting until he kills her.
As the pair journeyed farther into the maze, a twinkle of light blinded Alliahnna's eye. She squinted at what was causing it. A golden ring she's never seen before was on Ciel's index finger. It unnerved her somehow. When did...he start wearing that? Alliahnna cupped the underside of Ciel's palm. She gazed upon the ring with a bewildered fascination. A polar opposite of the preferred ring he still wears on his thumb. Flashy and flamboyant. Grips and entices the fascination of spectators. The gold and crimson ring begs for idle adoration. While the silver and sapphire ring on Ciel's other hand unnerving with a twinge of ominous appeal. Drastic contrasts not just subjected to the craft of the rings, but also to the personality of the wearer. The gold and crimson ring was better suited for...Alois.
"Claude bestowed this to me when I arrived." Ciel elucidated, reading her confusion like a book. "Don't know why. It's not really my color." He scoffed at it.
Alliahnna swallowed a lump in her throat. She lightly brushed the ring with the tips of her fingers. Her head was thrown back. 'A fire...a sobbing Alois...the body of a dead young boy...a flush cheeked old man...Claude pressing his thumbs to where eyes reside...' She snatched her hand back, staggering away if utter fright. Her thighs bounced to the arm of a cherub statue.
"Alliahnna! What's wrong!?" Ciel gasped. Alliahnna was shaking like a leaf. Her eyes radiated abject disbelief. "What is it?!"
Alliahnna braced her hands to the statue. Her knees quaked together so fiercely they were about to cripple. The ring on Ciel's finger resonated with a poison. Inside she was shrieking at the forceful visions, calling them unreal or a trick to prey on her deteriorating mind. Yet, in the recesses where her reason lied, there was a nagging sense rebuking the claim. Glancing back at the ring, marveling in the complacent gleam, a familiar air was being emitted. This isn't Ciel's ring. The ring on Ciel's left hand fits him to a Tee. Dower and melancholic containing a dash of elegance and mystique. The ring on the right - The same eccentric, flamboyant, and menacing aura the LATE owner projected. The ring was more than suited for Alois. This IS Alois's ring! The images that flashed in her mind. Those were memories. Deeply engraved memories a soul clings to. Alois is dead. The ring the sole proof he once existed, and is housing what made him BE.
'If you do not act soon, your brother will no longer be so.' Grell's warning chuckled.
'Merging their souls into one. I never thought of that.' Sebastian frothed.
'My young master...sign a contract with me, and we will have revenge on that demon.' Claude chortled.
That ring on Ciel's finger isn't a ring at all. It's a catalyst. Alois' missing soul was right under The Reapers' nose the whole time. Alliahnna can't believe she missed it. Alois has been by Ciel the whole time. And Claude is the one that gave him to Ciel.
"That's it…" Alliahnna breathed.
"What's it?"
"I'm sorry!" Alliahnna leapt to the roof of the manor, disappearing past the edge.
"ALLIAHNNA!" Ciel cried.
xxx
"I'M SUCH AN IDIOT!" Alliahnna cursed herself. Her stampeding feet made the roof clamor. The entire estate was quaking as she frothed at the mouth. "How the Hell could I not put it together!" Fury made her eyes sparkle. The wind in her hair made it whip viciously. "Alois, the ring, Ciel, Claude wanting to sign a contract! This whole thing is a rouse!" Much is still blurred, but the overlayer was becoming clear.
Claude killed Alois. He put his dead master's soul inside the ring. Alliahnna and Ciel were taken to an asylum where Claude found them. Ciel was soaking wet before he found her. Likely put through some sort of grueling treatment. The smell on him was from the medicine. He passed out from fatigue, but was otherwise unharmed. Claude then gives him the ring, and...is hoping for Ciel to become his new master? No. It's more complicated than that. Alliahnna doesn't know a thing about souls, but if changing contracts was all he sought he wouldn't have bothered with trapping Alois's soul in the ring. A rare soul, one might add. He would have just...just…
Alliahnna stopped at a ledge, letting the wind blow her rampant thoughts in a straight stream. "Claude wanted Ciel. His soul drove him insane. But as long as Alois was his master, and Sebastian was Ciel's butler…" Both Ciel and his soul would be out of his reach. Alois's soul plays a part in Ciel's predicament somehow. The contract… "Could Alois's soul be the key to Ciel changing butlers? Or is there something more?"
"STOP SPECULATING!"
"You again…" Alliahnna gasped. For once she's glad to hear that voice in her head.
"Stop with the guessing! You want to know what happened, talk to Claude directly! Either he tells the truth, or we tear this place apart finding it!"
"Agreed." Alliahnna growled. The voice has made a valid point for once. Claude has always been a clear and present danger. Regardless if he saved them from Sebastian. He didn't save us. She frothed in her mind. "Claude Faustus…" She stepped off the edge of the roof. Her boots practically magnetized to the straight side of wall. She was walking down the wall to a window as if walking on a sidewalk, "You and I are going to talk!"
xxx
Ciel was rooted in place. The golden flowers around him his sole company during his time of turmoil. His eye was locked to the rooftop where Alliahnna abandoned him. Striking, supreme realization lighting in her eyes. The gears of her mind spinning as she contemplates and plans. And like a bat out of Hell, she whisks away without a word. How long she'll be gone, or if she'll ever return is a mystery that chokes him. He can't stand it when she does this. She and Sebastian always do this. Venture off and not fully brief him on the details.
A familiar feeling of being kept from a loop engrossed Ciel. A secret known nation wide - by all he passes - and he is the only one not in on it. He's trapped in a box. Thick walls muffling the mocking voices spreading gossip far and near. Laughing at him as he is unable to decipher what is being told. The world is turning while he is remaining stationary. The harder her tries to turn with it, he ends up falling in the opposite direction.
"I am confused…" He moaned. It is not just Alliahnna who confuses him. The situation in general that he has found himself in is churning his mind. "Why does that butler call me Young Master?" Only Sebastian calls him that. And then there's Alois. "Alois...is he really dead? Is it I who killed him?" He doubts his strength. He remembers stabbing him, watching him bleed on the floor. He may very well be dead. But would he have died because of the stab wound? Or is he dead by another's hand? "And Sebastian…" Sebastian. The common denominator in his troubles. The fire that claimed his home. The times he's saved Ciel from danger. How he's always stayed by his side. Why would someone Hell bent on betraying him be so loyal? Ciel cannot fathom it. He doesn't understand a damn thing. He's being made a fool of again.
"Alliahnna…" Alliahnna always seems to be up to date. That's why she vanishes without a trace. She has an epiphany and rushes to confirm it. With someone other than Ciel. "She knows something. And once again…" Ciel squeezed his cane, "SHE KEEPS IT FROM ME!" Ciel whipped around, slashing his cane through a bush. Flower petals spread through the air. "MY OWN SISTER! SHE LIES, SNEAKS, AND PLOTS AGAINST ME!" He howled, striking mercilessly at the plants. She's always done that. Learned something vital and hides it from him. "She's no better than a...than a…" She's a demon. His elder sister is a demon now. All because of HIM! "You…THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT!" Sebastian's softly smiling face stoked his fury. He battered the flowers. He will cleave every last one until they are no more. "YOU TAKE MY PARENTS! MAKE MY ONLY SISTER INTO A MONSTER! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU!"
"MASTER!" Hannah cried, rushing to him. Ciel inadvertently swatted her cheek, knocking her to the ground. He stopped his tirade, revolted by what he's done. He hadn't realized she was there. "Thank you, My Lord. It is your right to thrash me." She meekly remarked. Her hair was askew, and the blow was swelling. "Do continue if it pleases you! I wish to help!" She begged, crawling on her hands and knees to him.
"What now?! Thrash you?!" Ciel staggered back from her. She could not be serious. He's never heard of anyone wishing to be hit, let alone wanting to help by being so. Ciel saw it in her one eye. She desired nothing more than to be of service. If bodily harm to her is what helps, she would be strapped to racks. "Is there anyone in this manor who's not completely insane?" He asked redfaced. Hannah stayed on her knees, waiting for him to continue. Him offering her his hand took her completely by surprise. "What? Were you going to stay there all day?" Hannah silently laughed. He's such a kind boy. She accepted the hand, returning to her feet.
Meanwhile, The Triplet skipped on the pillars above, disappearing into the trees for a special mission received.
xxx
Claude patrolled the manor at a leisurely pace. A hand to his chin, he would cackle to himself. He was pretending to inspect the corridors for imperfections or blemishes. In truth, he was lost in enamored thought. Under his orders, Thompson and his brothers are seeing to Sebastian. Once that butler is out of the way for good, Ciel Phantomhive will be free of the fetters of his contract and will be permitted to sign one with him. From there, Ciel's delectable soul will be his for the taking. To have that body in his mouth, being swallowed slowly. The thought alone is enough to send him into a frenzy.
The doors to the ballroom spread open. Claude halted in the arch. He knit his brow heatedly. In the reflection of his glasses, Alliahnna Phantomhive was seen standing in the middle. A scary look was on her face. Her folded arms spoke volumes of the fortitude she was displaying. Claude fully entered the room, closing the door behind him. In truth, he is happy to see her. If he can bury the unpleasantness from before, she will be all the more attached to his side.
"My Lady~" He exaggerated his greeting, strolling over to her. "What brings you to-"
"Alois's soul is in that ring!" She blurted out of the blue.
Claude was once again stopped in his tracks. Her words struck him like lightning. Swift, virulent, and without mercy. "My Lady? What do you-" He was going to laugh it off. Alliahnna's storming to him hitched his words in his throat.
"Do not play coy with me, Claude!" Her fury echoed off the high ceilings. "I saw them! Alois's memories when I touched the ring!" They came at her in a Hellfire. Her head was still spinning. "The Reapers -Grell - couldn't find his soul because you sealed it in the family ring! Just like Ciel's was when we found him!" Claude didn't speak. He didn't growl. He never so much as moved. Alliahnna came within a foot of him, refusing to give up until her admits to his crime. "This is all a game, isn't it? One that involves Ciel abandoning his contract with Sebastian and signing one with you!"
"My Lady, I swear to you," Claude placed a hand to his heart, inching the other closer to her. The flames of her rage were smoldering, "I mean no harm to your brother. Or you, for that matter." A warm and tender smile stretched to his lips. He gazed upon her lovingly. His hand cupping to her cheek made her wince. "My only desire for signing a contract with your brother is to free him from Sebastian once and for all. To unshackle him from his suffering." He moved in closer. Alliahnna's breath was stuck in her throat. "I wish the same for you. To break the chains binding you to him so you will no longer be tormented by these feelings of false love."
"False...love?" That doesn't sound right. She's faltering fast. Her head is spinning. Why is she losing confidence in her proclamation now? Perhaps, because, she's inventing a conspiracy that isn't real. So she saw Alois's memories. She's seen others memories because of her fear inflicting sight. What she saw could be nothing. Just what her broken mind wants to see. She wasn't able to trust Sebastian. Naturally she'll find reason to not trust Claude or the others. "Am I...what am I…"
Claude snaked an arm around her waist. His hand fully cupped and massaged her chin. "Dearest, Alliahnna. You need not fret any longer. Quiet you weary heart." He breathed in a whisper. Her heart was pounding. Her mind was falling into a daze. "Please, My Lady, allow me to ease your pain again." Claude brought his face in close.
Alliahnna's eyes widened. This...his lips drew closer, I don't want this. 'Sebastian's kiss enveloping her in passion.' You can't be allowed...only he can. Claude closed his eyes. He poked his tongue past his lips. He gently parted her mouth haze Alliahnna hadn't noticed parted like stormy clouds amid the sun. She gasped in revulsion 'Claude kissing her just as she fell unconscious.' His hot breath brushed her lips. No… 'Sebastian staring heartbroken.' NO! Alliahnna's brow knit. Claude crashed against a hutch. The wooden cabinets cracked and the glass shattered. Claude hissed with a bruise swelling on his cheek. Alliahnna heaved fiery breath. Her glowing pink eyes shredding his very being to tatters. Her fangs thirsty for his blood.
"I know not what you've done to Ciel! But I'll be damned if it happens to me!" She roared animally. Claude hissed through gritted teeth. Alliahnna marched toward him, shaking the ground, "I'm going to tear this mansion apart, unravel the secrets within your webs! And then, once I've laid you bare under the cruel bindings you've dared to place," She stomach a foot to his stomach, pinning him in the rubble. He grunted in discomfort as she leaned down, "The Spiders shall be devoured by not only Bat, but by Raven as well!"
"What a terrifying declaration!" Claude guffawed aloud. The fury within this woman. She excites him more than a battle filled with corpses. She intends to have Sebastian at her side. Even though, he can clearly see in her eyes, that she is still terrified of him. "Would you willingingly invite that monster to feast at your side? Even after the tortures he's inflicted upon you?" He narrowed his eyes, watching for her reactions. "Or after your brother's explicit orders for him to stay at bay?"
"More lies!" She seethed. She prodded at her skull. "Sebastian...the fire...my parents! These are all lies! Lies formed by you!" She thrust a finger in the general direction where she left Ciel. She'll have to apologize later. "Ciel never killed Alois! You did! And Grell let you slide on it! You're tightening your web, trying to secure Ciel and I by your side." She removed her foot. "Well no more." She turned away, storming for the doors.
"MY LADY! Where are you going?!" Claude questioned aggressively, rising to his feet.
"I'm taking Ciel home!" The gleam of his glasses masked his irritation. "This game is over!"
"I'm afraid it's not. I won't allow it." Alliahnna was stopped in place. Her body was held still, not a single limb able to move. Her eyes widened in horror. Thin threads shimmering in the light had snared her in their clutches. She hissed through gritted teeth, edging ever so slightly. The thread sliced her skin open at her shoulders and thighs. She was trapped. "Stitch by carefully laid stitch, I have toiled away to bring my thoroughly sewn plans to their fruition." Claude meandered at a torturously slow pace. "You will not ruin my plans. Nor take what I have finally acquired." She twisted gritting teeth to the demon. Fear widened her eyes. Claude was inches from her back. The same Hellish pink glaze as Sebastian's rippling in his eyes. The malevolence pouring from the demonic aura seeping from his shoulder tainted the air. In the time it took her to blink, Alliahnna felt a swift jab connect with her back and sprout from her stomach. Her eyes lost color. She looked down at her chest. Claude fined hand was sticking out of her stomach. She choked on pooling blood. "Forgive me, Lady Alliahnna…" Claude viciously removed his hand. Her body slackened. He stroked the web, bringing it down and dropping Alliahnna like a puppet cut from strings. She lied in a pool of her blood, her world fading in and out. Claude fixed his glasses, smiling triumphantly, "My web no longer has room for you."
To be continued.
Next will be the end of zero butler, and then hopefully just for chapters after that. I don't mean for these chapters to take so long, but that's how it works sometimes. I do want to make these final battles good.