Hi Lovlies..

I would, first, like to express my sincerest apologies. I know I said that I wouldn't take forever and leave you guys hanging. To be honest, I kind of just threw an extremely lengthy tantrum. I'm still pretty butthurt about what happened and my muse definitely feels it.

However, I've gotten wonderful support from you guys. All of your reviews have been appreciated and enjoyed. A huge thank you to the people that sent me messages to make sure I was doing alright. I really appreciate it, you have no idea.

Again, I'm sorry for taking so long. I can't promise that my Muse is through being childish and upset, but I think I'm finally starting to get over my frustration. I hop you enjoy the long awaited chapter 31!

Ta,

Majix

The space between servant and master was quiet, disrupted only by the steady clip-clop of hooves as the carriage moved undisturbed through the outskirts of London. Energy cackled between the two men, a palpable flow of focused excitement as the thrill of the hunt returned.

Ciel had long ago stopped trying to fight the sensation. He lived for this, for the rush that only this job could give, the brilliant nature of danger as he risked his life for the sake of the Game. Sebastian would protect him, would never allow anything truly terrible befall him, for the sole purpose of allowing his work to continue until they final bell began to toll. Until the very end, that's what the demon had said to him on that very first day, and as time continued to pass, the blue haired teen began to realize the true gravity of that statement. The things they'd seen, it defied reality.

This was not how normal people lived, it was not for the faint of heart. There was blood and sweat and loss, there was no room for weakness among the crowd they followed. Lies and deceit were among their closest allies, paving the way for their success. Another tally among his victory band.

But it was his duty, just as it'd been his father's duty, his grandfather's duty; to navigate the board and all its players.

And this would be no different. A brief glance to the expensive parchment in the teen's lap told him that, Ciel's thoughts taking a sour turn. Her Majesty's letter, brimming with the words of a poorly feigned subtext. To a point, it disgusted the teen, the way those around him sought to conceal the true meaning of their words, to hide behind a veil of poorly crafted courtesy.

Ciel wondered, not for the first time, why her Majesty bothered to disguise her wishes at all. Though it was not spoken of in polite company, the Phantomhive name, as well as the nature of their occupation, was well known to those of importance. Despite having been kept a moderately unknown secret, the noble men and women of their aristocracy still knew his face, as well as his name. There was no point in hiding it in the form of hushed gossip, brief ponderings, and not so subtle wishes.

But it was her way. She inquired about him, asked of his day to day life, asking about the health of his company. It was tedious.

Ciel drummed his fingers incessantly against the fine leather interior of their carriage, looking over the carefully crafted letters written upon the parchment.

Unease crawled down the Earl's spine and for the fifth time that day Ciel found himself casting a descript glance behind him. Of course all he found was the carriage wall but that didn't stop the teen from turning his head. From the moment they'd departed, the blue haired male couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. There was no obvious cause. Everything proved to be in order, their affairs tended to, everything packed, But no matter how reassured the Earl was, something still felt out of place.

"My Lord."

Bored eyes looked up from the letter and met those of the Earl's butler, taking in the way Sebastian's posture held strong, his spine straight as an arrow as the man in black stared at the passing scenery just past thin glass.

"Can you feel it?"

Softly spoken words captured the teen's attention and he looked to his butler. There was no question as to what he meant, and Ciel found himself grateful that he hadn't been imagining things.

"Yes. I've felt it since we left."

Sebastian didn't offer any further input, choosing instead to sit and brood on the situation they'd found themselves in.

Though the demon wasn't prone to panic, a slight weight of nervousness had settled upon him. Mortals tended to be ignorant, and though better than the masses, Ciel was no different. Man prided themselves on being the height of intelligence, but with that misplaced pride, they grew lazy. Never listening to the instincts that'd once kept them alive. Over time, their senses had dulled. Human beings ignored the random feelings of unease that captured their attention, the things that didn't seem to makes sense. Most humans called it deja vu, the feeling of disturbance. Sebastian called it trouble.

Something was amiss, and the immortal could feel it against his very skin, the vibrations of something that'd been tampered with. If Ciel could feel and recognize it without the barest hint of suggestion, than the demon wasn't being over sensitive to their surroundings. It wasn't his imagination or the excitement of the hunt.

Something was awry, but there was nothing to be done; one could not simply force the events of potential foul play to occur. There was only waiting, waiting to see how things would unfold in due time.

"Be on your guard."

The words of warning took Ciel by surprise.

"Sebastian?"

The elder shook his head and returned his gaze to the darkened foliage along the path. Silence consummed the space between them and Ciel no longer felt the comfort of before.

Despite knowing that the demon was not infallible, the very thought of Sebastian being unequipped to handle any given situation was utterly inconceivable to the blue haired Earl. Within his butler, Ciel had found a man that proved to be an unstoppable force, as well as an immovable object. There was nothing that he couldn't do, nothing he couldn't handle. For the elder to even mutter a warning of any sort of trouble was a miracle on its own, but as the Earl stared at his loyal servant, he began to see the crawl of irritation.

Something had ensnared the demon, a thought or an idea. A feeling of unease, perhaps.

But those thoughts would have to wait. In an effortless transaction that proved to be more like clockwork than human response, Ciel slid back into the mind frame of his work, closing his ears to the world. There would be time to discuss the ill feelings that sat coiled in his stomach later.

They would be at the Circus in less than an hour, and the show would last no more than fourty-five minutes. In that span of time, the duo would have to either: find the children, along with the culprit, or they would need to find another reason to stay. It was always possible to bully their way through but if the children were not easily accessible they would run the risk of the missing adolescents being harmed. The easiest way would be to go undercover just long enough to search the grounds, but that too proved to be risky. If the pair didn't find what they were seeking, then the rouse would be forced to continue until both servant and master were able to find the missing children.

Such a thing wouldn't be an issue for Sebastian. Whatever task was needed to join the Circus would be no issue for the man in black, but Ciel had very little talent in the area of entertainment. His body was small, on the fragile side and his lungs were plagued with the curse of inflammation. His talents were more of the mind rather than body, and to date, he only had once single set of skills that could prove to be just as entertaining as they could useful.

If at all possible, Ciel preferred to avoid exposing the nature of his well kept secret, his hidden talent.

Sebastian cast a discreet glance towards Ciel after the blue haired male went quiet. He watched as the teen unknowingly micked his former stance, staring from the carriage windows as though the growing foliage on either side of the road would hold the answers to his unspoken thoughts.

It seemed, that the game had finally begun. The pawns had, of course, already made their move but this was the true beginning; pieces finding their paths, choosing their strategies. The immortal could practically read the teen's thoughts as Ciel mapped out potential players, vague theories and possible complications.

Ever prepared, his human.

It was not unusual for the teen to contemplate the various aspects of their cases but it never ceased to surprise Sebastian. Connections were easily made by immortals. With the ever slow passage of time came experience and Sebastian found that the repetition of past events proved to be more of a lingering presence than people liked to believe. Motivators and solutions were often simple and right out in the open to anybody that cared to look. Very few knew what to look for, or how to interpret what they see and hear, but Ciel was not this way.

Three, four, ten steps ahead of his peers, of those around him, the Earl of Phantomhive took on the mysteries of their work with an almost artistic flourish.

It was almost a pity that nobody would ever know this side of Ciel.

They knew of what he did and the results that became of it, but not a single person saw how the Earl worked. There were those who caught glimpses, people like Lau and the Undertaker, but like Ciel, they belonged to the Underworld, the darker side of London. Their silence on the matter would stretch on, and nobody would be the wiser.

A flare of prideful possession engulfed the demon's psyche, mentally causing the immortal to preen. Of course this too would belong to him, this intimate knowledge of his Master. Everything else that meant anything of importance to Ciel belonged to the demon already, so why should this be any different? Even if those around them managed to see the teen for who and what he was, they could never appreciate the true gravity of it the way Sebastian could. Those of insignificance would, and could never know of the pain his master had endured, the hardships he'd fought against and just how much strength it'd taken to end up where he was. They would never know or appreciate the beauty of Ciel's clockwork mind, the steady strum of information as the gears clicked synchronously.

How intriguing it was, the Earl's mental ability, the sheer nature of its capacity. Upon the return of traumatic events, many mortals simply lost their way, unable to cope or think past what they experienced. Often times, they were never whole again. Sebastian had seen it often enough among the many souls he'd serviced over the years. Broken wishes made by broken beings.

But if he were to describe Ciel with words, broken would not be among those that he chose to use.

Occasionally distraught, consumed by the memories of his past, but never broken. The blue haired teen never slipped entirely away, never allowed his thoughts to stray from his goals for to long, especially not where others could see him. Most didn't notice it, the minor slips in focus when a particularly nasty trigger reminded the boy of his previous encounters, but then again, most could not see past the sheer indifference Ciel painted upon his features when need be. A mask of uncaring.

A sharp bump in the road pulled the butler's focus away from Ciel long enough for him to notice the steady growing light of their destination. The soft glow of human life met his eyes long before those of his Master or their driver. He could see it clear as day through the thinning trees, the speckled of light that laid hidden between the individual needles covering each pine.

"Young Master."

Ciel regarded him with the briefest of nods, acknowledging what the other offered.

The driver would announce their impending arrival any moment now, and within the silence, Ciel couldn't help but to think that it was a wonderful night for a show.

Music induced merriment flowed thickly among the crowd, wrapping and enveloping the hearts of excited children as they made their way to the brightly lit tent.

It was lined with visitors and performers alike, the chorus of noise growing as the falsely indifferent teen and his servant approached the entrance. Dancers, acrobats and contortions weaved through the crowd, making the children squeal with awe and obvious wonderment as they passed, always smiling.

To Ciel, it seemed fake. This was not who they were, beings that smiled at anyone and everyone, but he supposed that he was not so different from them. He too smiled when he'd much rather scowl, laughed when he himself would've chosen to lash out. As he took in the face of each performer they passed, he couldn't help but to wonder just how many of them were happy, how often they had to swallow their true reactions. He wondered if they too grew tired of smiling.

Regardless of where they were, and the entertainment surrounding the duo, Ciel didn't feel the least bit excited. In the days of his innocence, his mother and father had seen fit to take him to the circus. In those fleeting moments of happiness, Ciel could recall the feelings of excitement at the unknown, the thrill of watching the men and woman in costume preform, but now all he felt was a desire to leave.

Things were not as they'd been before. He was no longer there as a child seeking entertainment. Rather, he was now the Earl of Phantomhive, tasked with bring a potential group of murderers to justice.

The entire situation left a bad taste in his mouth, but despite it all, Ciel could not deny the faint spark of nostalgia that flickered on and off within his darkened heart. The upbeat music reminded him of simpler times, and as Ciel cast a look up at his faithful butler, he wished things could once again become simple.

Discomfort seized the Earl's heart but he ignored it with practiced ease, choosing instead to sigh and quicken his pace, not bothering to hide his mounting displeasure. The blue haired teen felt crowded, trapped among the masses as they side-stepped rushing children and over-enthused adults.

It was nearly impossible to find their seat, by once the Earl was seated, his indifference melted with alarming speed.

Dark eyes scanned the interior of the tent, seeking out the small but easily recognizable forms of children among the entertainers. There were a few that caught Ciel's eye, but as far as he could tell, they too were apart of the show. The tiny brunette and her blonde companion seemed at ease among the other entertainers, laughing and moving around them in a way that screamed of comfort and familiarity.

Ciel looked to his companion and frowned when the elder shook his head.

They weren't here. At least not in the tent. Though Ciel wasn't sure how, he knew that if they were, Sebastian would've known about it, and the butler would have spoken up as soon as he was sure.

The teen hadn't expected to find them that easily. He'd hoped, of course, but things of this nature were almost always complicatedly in-depth.

It was at that moment that the lights dimmed and the music surrounding the crowd softened, drifting steady into the background as the performers took their places on stage.

The tall redhead among them was obviously the ringleader. He was the first to draw the eye, though it was more of his person than his outfit. The redheaded entertainer was clothed in contrasting colors, shades of black and white, pulled together in diamond patterns along his torso and down the side of his pants. The only real splash of color, besides his hair, was the large bowtie around his neck, standing out in an obnoxious shade of yellow

However, what caught the teen's attention immediately was the speaker's hand.

His left hand was devoid of flesh, only bones remaining. They were long and pale, incredibly white and realistic, but what was shocking above all, was the flawlessly graceful manor in which they moved.

As the redhead juggled a set of brightly colored balls, the fingers on his false hand cupped and flicked the balls with ease. There wasn't a single catch in his routine, or the steady nature of his grasp.

"Sebastian."

The elder in black said nothing but he nodded with understanding. It was rather remarkable, the skill of those fingers in comparison to their human. An interesting story as well if the immortal had to guess. Though mysterious to the average human being, Sebastian was a bit more savvy to the materials of the world and, if he had to guess, those skeletal fingers were made out of bone.

Sebastian would need to feel them to be sure, but the demon was almost positive. The real question circling his flawless mind was of which species the bones belonged to. He had a sneaking suspicion that they would be human in nature, but that theory would have to remain unspoken until after he got his fingers on them.

Immortal eyes scanned the rest of the crew, looking for deformities or other signs of a prosthetic, but the only other person that seemed to share the redhead's taste in limbs was the dark-haired women on the other side of the ring.

Where the leader was all smiles and laughter, his companion seemed a bit more on the serious side. Regardless of her smile, the dark haired immortal could practically see the fatigue coming off of her in thick, heavy waves. Her dress was tight, chosen to accentuate her cleavage and the womanly features she possessed. Black stockings covered her legs, making the obviousness of her false leg almost non-existent. She carried a whip, true to her profession, and wore stylish black leather boots. Makeup sat heavy on her features but aside from her looks and her obviously exhausted attitude, there was nothing particularly remarkable about the woman.

As far as the Circus was concerned, all parties involved seemed rather ordinary. They had a rather large fire breather, two acrobats that appeared to be around the same age, a tightrope walker clad in white, a happy-go-lucky knife thrower, the serious lion tamer, and of course, their leader.

The only truly interesting member of the main cast appeared to be a scale covered male able to communicate with the serpents coiled around his person.

Crimson eyes watched the show without much enthusiasm, but as the butler turned to look at his Master, he realized, with a bit of amusement, that Ciel didn't share in his boredom. Despite the teen having initially been rather uninterested in the show, he was now watching with rapt attention.

It was almost startling in some ways. There was very little that caught the younger male's attention, especially when it came to entertainment. The blue haired teen usually found such things below him and, more often than not, a complete and utter waste of time. Of course Sebastian shared in his sentiment. There was little that he hadn't seen, both on the stage and off, but watching Ciel take it all in was almost as if the demon, too, was watching it all for the first time.

He could appreciate the effortless nature of the acrobats as they glided and flipped through the air. When considering the Earl, he imagined such a sight would be breathtaking to behold, regardless of whether or not he'd seen such actions preformed by the demon on more than one occasion.

Although, Sebastian supposed that it would appear more impressive to see a human accomplish such feats rather than a being that found such acts tedious and simple.

However, it was not until the tightrope walker took the stage that Sebastian felt his human become completely absorbed in the show.

The demon's eyes darted to Ciel's face, taking in the awed expression that sat heavily on his features as the teen admired the woman in white and the demon felt a flicker of something he couldn't name within the recesses of his mind. Ciel's eyes watched her without abandon, taking in her every move, watching unabashed as the petite female danced across the taunt stretch of rope.

It was beautiful in a deadly sort of way, the potential for disaster coupled with the beauty of her chosen art form.

In spite of all civilization's many refinements, the very building blocks that conspired to make art - the undeniablely flawless nature of the string quartet or the sprawling grandeur of the work upon Fragonard's canvases - beauty was savage. It was, in it's own way, as wild and lawless as the earth had been ages before man had a single coherent thought in his primally wandering mind.

Beauty was savage, and this was no different.

Her dazzling display ended with deafening applause, and Sebastian was surprised to see that Ciel was among the many who had expressed this sentiment. He clapped among the masses, showing his support of the talent before his very eyes and in that moment of undefined humanity, Sebastian saw Ciel as he was.

A boy, an innocent heart darkened by experience. He was all that it meant to be mortal, to be so utterly human. Pain and innocence, hatred and such blinding love. He was everything, and nothing. Prideful, and in some cases, quite humble. He was not a child, and not yet a man. He was balance, the very best of both. For all his anger and his determination to seek revenge against those that wronged him, Ciel was also a child at heart, caring about those around him in his own way, able to experience the dwindling joys of a life that'd sought to break him.

Ciel Phantomhive was not a boy, he was a storm. Something ever changing and unpredictable, hidden behind fragile human flesh.

But all to soon, the stage was captured by another member of the troupe, their leader, and the moment was broken. Ciel sat back in his seat, amusement stamped across his features, but the dazzling awe that'd so captured the demon's eye was gone.

Sebastian turned his attention back to the center of the stage, watching in silence as the lion tamer lead her charge to the center. Awed gasps broke out across the audience as the female in black circled the lion, running her palm along his well groomed coat, burying her fingers in the thick waves of his mane, dazzling the crowd with her bravery.

"Ladies and gentlemen!" The redhead greeted the crowd with a theatrical smile and a sweep of his hands, "At this time I would like to call for a volunteer from the audience. Someone brave, daring and unafraid!"

Murmurs scattered the crowd as the audience watched on with hesitation, but where as a mortal would have much to fear, Sebastian did not. There was nothing the lion could do that would damage him in any permanent way, and though it would be momentarily agonizing if something were to go wrong, the possibility of an "In" among the circus crowd was well worth the potential risk.

Sebastian stood from his seat, much to the surprise of his companion, and the circus leader immediately zeroed in on him, "Ah! Such bravery! Will the man in black please come to the stage?"

Graceful movements carried the demon from his seat and down the isle towards the center stage but rather than pausing and listening to what the redhaired mortal had to say, the demon approached the great beast before the crowd, ignoring the sweeping silence that followed.

Amber eyes met his own and Sebastian could feel the predator assessing him, staring him down before, finally, the feline recognized him as the deadlier species.

Sebastian raised his hand slowly before reaching for the lion, and though the large cat was weary to let the immortal touch her, she didn't move to attack or avoid his touch. Even through his gloves, Sebastian could feel the heat of the animal beneath his palms, the power of life and speed, of strength.

This animal had not always been made to preform, it'd known the thrill of the hunt, the excitement of the chase, and though the circus had domesticated the great cat to the best of their ability, the wild nature of the creature lingered just below the surface.

Much could be said for himself in that regard, the demon supposed. Tamed momentarily by Ciel, yet never fully domestic, never completely soft.

Soft whispers of the ancient language pooled on the demon's tongue before being spilled in a silent whisper, ordering the lion to attack in some way, to bite him. Panic rested behind those golden eyes, fear of retaliation, but the demon soothed the feline's worry with softly whispered words until, finally, with little hesitance, the lion opened its gigantic maw and enclosed his jaws around the immortal's face with little warning.

Screams echoed through the crowd, the members of the circus currently on stage gaping in startled alarm before jumping into action.

"Bessie!"

Sebastian could feel the sudden onslaught of anxiety as the lion tamer struggled to get her furry ward back under control before pulling her whip free and lashing out at the animal.

Though Sebastian was not adverse to a little needless suffering, he felt that there was no reason the lion should be punished simply for doing as the demon asked.

Agile fingers caught the intricately woven stands of leather before they could hit their mark and Sebastian smiled as the lion released him, "There is no need for violence."

The lion tamer, who Sebastian had learned was named Beast, reared back in shock at his words, but Sebastian merely widened his smile a bit and shook his head, letting her whip fall from his palm, "It was inexcusably rude of me to approach her with familiarity. Please excuse my transgression."

The dark haired immortal turned to the golden feline and bowed respectfully before straightening and turning to leave the stage.

"Wait!"

Sebastian turned and raised an eyebrow as the redhead that'd stopped him, "Yes?"

It was incredibly difficult not to smirk at the gaping mortal before him as the other man searched for his words.

"You can't just leave after being attacked by Bessie like that! Please allow our doctor to examine you!"

Sebastian covertly looked to his Master, internally preening as the blue haired Earl nodded in encouragement.

Maroon eyes returned to the face of the circus leader and Sebastian offered him a pleasant smile that reflected more of his pleasure at a successful entry than it did the leader's worried offer, "If you insist."