Claude watched with golden narrowed eyes as the retreating back of Penelope slowly disappeared from his view. He could smell Lucy everywhere and it was taking all his willpower to not scrunch up his nose in disgust. Yet he swore that there was another odour in the house, which reeked of death but the presence of Lucy was too over powering. He had expected her to be here and was quite glad that the further into the house he went the heavier her presence was. It meant that she was nowhere near Penelope and that thought was enough to keep him calm.
He was escorted by Dean down a winding staircase and the deeper they went, the darker it was getting and Claude was well aware at the sudden temperature drop. The walls unlike those upstairs looked unkempt and there were cobwebs hanging from above. He wondered when the last time the kitchens and servant quarters had been cleaned properly and started to think that Dean was not as efficient as he could be.
When they finally entered the kitchen Claude was not surprised that it looked rather disgusting. There was unwashed cutlery littered on the dirty surfaces and the smell of rotten food tainted the air. It was as though it had not been in use for a while. Claude watched as the other butler stopped in his tracks to face him, yet the butler's eyes were not fixed on his own but rather someone's behind him. Claude didn't need to guess who the butler was staring at.
"I can sense your disapproval at such a mess. My what a perfect little butler you have become". Purred a sickly voice from behind him, followed by a gentle touch on his shoulder. Without bothering to turn around and address the voice, Claude stood still and watched the figure of Lucy saunter into the room and almost drape herself over the solemn looking butler. Lucy was wearing a blood red gown, its bright colour making her pointed hips look painfully sharp and her cheekbones almost skeletal looking. She looked as though she had seen better days and Claude wondered if she was cracking slightly. He continued to stare and his eyes only widened for the fraction of a second when her nails grew sharper and they clamped themselves around the other butler's neck. It was with a quick motion that that his neck was ripped open and the already unclean surfaces were marred with his blood.
The now gurgling butler looked as though he had never been in a trance as his shock was evident on his face and Claude could only guess that he had been easily manipulated by the temptress. He would have felt sorry for the man had he not been so utterly disgusted by the whole affair. Her full attention had never left Claude and she wiped her hand on the red material of her dress leaving a dark stain in its wake.
"Ah now that's better don't you think? We can talk in private". She giggled, her fake enthusiasm seeping through. A sudden sob from above caused his neck to snap up instantly. He knew it was Penelope's and the idea of her being hurt shook him. He did not get very far though as he suddenly found himself being pinned against the floor, the dark liquid beneath him soaking through his once immaculate clothing.
"Now now now!" She tutted excitedly as her hand went to slash his face. "Let my master have a bit of fun". Claude quickly threw her off him and was surprised to be pinned down once more. However broken she may have appeared with her demented eyes and smudged lipstick, she was still powerful. Although, Claude knew she was not as powerful as himself. Her hand managed to collide with his face and he felt his own blood trickle down his face. Knowing that he had a limited amount of time to get Penelope out of harm's way, he used one hand to clamp around her neck and squeezed with all of his strength, feeling the muscles in her neck spasm at such pressure. It had the desired effect when the woman on top of him started to chock, yet her eyes still glittered with enjoyment. He heard a sudden crunch and the figure went limp against him. Knowing damn well that she would be back in no time, he shoved her off him and just as he had taken one step away, a clawed hand broke through the skin of his ankle and he fell to the floor with a painful thud. It was with a sigh of frustration, Claude glanced behind him with a bored expression at the deranged looking creature now attached to his body.
With a sharp kick he smirked at the disgruntled squawk from behind him and pulled his body up again. The ground which was slippery from a mixture of grease and blood had stained his trousers and he couldn't help but watch with sick satisfaction as the woman on the floor struggled to get up. Her hair was no longer straight but rather messy and knotted and he gave her a swift kick to keep her down. With his ruined gloves he patted down his clothes, giving a sigh of exasperation at their state and felt the scratch on his face heal up. It was an odd sensation as the skin pulled itself back together and he straightened his glasses which had been knocked from Lucy's forceful blows.
Within a blink of an eye he was out of the kitchens and made his way down the corridor Penelope had once been down. The door at the end was still open yet he could hear no noise. He was listening for any sounds that would indicate hew whereabouts and just as he reached the door, his body was forced through and he found himself yet again on the floor. The moment he fell he smelt death and was not surprised to find corpse when he looked up from his position. He was however a little taken back at it being the young Lord's. He had little time to consider the situation when he felt a knife slam into his stomach. There stood above him was a very angry Lucy, her teeth bared. She had obviously ransacked the kitchen and he rolled his eyes knowing that she wouldn't give up. He pulled out the item from his stomach without any sound and threw it straight back at her. It missed his intended target and instead sliced through a painting of the recently deceased Lord, ripping the expensive material.
"So who is your master then?" Claude asked as he lunged forward to topple the woman. She moved almost elegantly out of the way and gave a small tinkling laugh when he hit the wall. He glared in response and he made his way back over to her, his patience wearing thin and his time running out.
"If you listen you can hear them now. Finally reunited. I think your jealousy over the Lord blinded you from the truth which has been staring you in the face the whole time. I must say, I am disappointed". She mocked and in reply a golden knife was thrown, skimming her cheek leaving a small trail of blood behind. Her words got the exact reaction she wanted and Claude could hear the low murmur of voices in the rooms above. Wondering how much time he had, Claude almost smiled at his idea.
"How about we meet your master then". And with those words, he grabbed Lucy roughly and she smashed through the ceiling, debris cluttering the floor beneath him. He followed suit and let out a small sound of frustration when the room was empty. It looked as though it had been a game room, the emphasis on 'had'.
Lucy had gone straight through the pool table and a crack to his head signalled as much when another ball was thrown in his direction. He could tell however that Penelope and this master were close by as the voices were much louder. The tinge of despair and hurt in Penelope's voice caused far more pain that any of the wounds he had been given from Lucy. The voices which had been louder suddenly started to become soften and Claude tried to figure out where in the house they were moving to. His investigation was cut short when Lucy's high pitched voice broke through the silence.
"How does it feel to be in love with such a weak creature? Surely you could have at least fallen for someone in your own league". She laughed as she stumbled out of the mess, her hands far longer than they had been before and her skin colour far more grey. She was taunting him and Claude's eyes glowed with hatred for the thing in front of him. With the knowledge that the moment this thing was dead Penelope and himself could live a life without immediate danger, Claude allowed himself to lose all control. The room which had been alive with candles became almost pitch black and his eyes were now the brightest thing in the room. He took a moment to enjoy the fear in Lucy's own expression but that lasted only a few seconds as she began to transform as well.
Webs began to spiral around the room and slowly wrap around her legs. She did not look affected however, and instead two large bat like wings broke through the skin of her back and flapped around violently. She seemed to take in his new appearance and gave a soft laugh.
"You are just as monstrous as me aren't you? I'm surprised Penelope isn't terrified of you. Are you sure she loves you or the idea of you?" As she spoke she stalked around him, the webs still clinging to her legs and her hands casually swiping any small spiders that were crawling up her skeletal arms. "She would be far better suited to my master but that's up to him of course. I wouldn't be surprised if he is trying to kill her now. In fact, I hope he is!" She shouted the last part and lunged at him. Yet her body did not crash into his now much larger one, instead it went through a dark cloud of smoke.
Claude had meanwhile left the room in the middle of her mocking and with his hearing detected the whereabouts of Penelope. She was further in the manor house than he had originally thought and as he stepped into the corridor, he realised how large the manor was. The stairs in the centre of the house spiralled upwards in a never ending fashion and the bannister was a deep golden colour with ivy sculpted into it. Looking up the voices appeared to be at the very top and Claude wanted to roll his eyes at how typical it was that she was at the furthest point in the house.
"It was rude to leave when someone was talking".
"I believe trying to kill someone is equally rude". Claude retorted, his voice bored as ever. He was not giving the woman any satisfaction in his response. She in reply gave a soft hum and then with no warning lunged at him. He stepped out the way and grabbed one wing, pulling her back so they were face to face. He opened his mouth to snarl something when a scream echoed through the entire manor. If his face could have gone paler it would have. Lucy was now grinning and pushed herself closer to the now panicked butler. Her cold breath against his face was enough to turn his stomach and the amount of contempt he felt for her was almost indescribable.
"She sure makes some beautiful sounds". They were to be her last words as Claude smashed his hand through her chest effectively shutting her up. She choked at the impact and her eyes grew larger when she realised what he had done. In his hand was a gold blade, excellently crafted and one of a kind. Very few things killed a demon or a supernatural creature but the blade was one of the rarer things that could. He had spent a few days trying to locate one and giving Penelope so much work allowed him ample opportunity to do so. Now he could finally remove Lucy once and for all. Thinking of all the pain she had caused towards Penelope had made him drive it in further, and she gave a few spluttered noises. He turned his hand as it was deep inside her and the blade extended. They were face to face and Claude took great pleasure in the horror that washed over her as she started to realise her situation. Her eyes started to lose their brightness and he bared his now pointed teeth at her as he spoke.
"And you make such wretched noises". He growled and with that he shoved her now limp body watching it fall with a thud. Her face was still stuck with a terrified look in her eyes and he spent a couple of seconds watching her wings slowly dissolve into nothingness. She had been an utter pain to him and the monster inside him felt a wave of satisfaction at her now motionless body. Another cry from above broke his trance and he ran up the stairs, stopping when he caught sight of two figures.
Pushed against the golden banister at the very top of the stairs was the figure of Penelope. Her red hair tumbling over and her back painfully arched so she was almost off the side. Her hands were grasping the man's lapels desperately. She was talking quickly and Claude could tell she was crying. The man in question was smiling calmly, considering his current situation, and his pale eyes finally met Claude's own golden ones. Claude had stopped walking and stood away from them so he had to tilt his head to look up. He felt frozen as he watched the scene in front of him unfold.
"Ah it l…looks like Lucy failed. What a pity. I would love to stay and chat b..but alas it appears to be m..my time to go. Farewell dear c..cousin". The man stuttered, his voice still managing to convey an odd sense of superiority. Without blinking the man suddenly pulled Penelope closer so that their faces were only inches apart. The man then pressed his lips roughly against her own, swallowing her cries and then shoved Penelope harshly sending her tumbling off the edge. Her petite hands slipped of the man's coat and Claude watched as in slow motion her body fell elegantly further and further down, her dress like dark green waves around her body and her hair like a fiery halo around her head. Penelope's deafening scream vibrated off the walls as she fell.
Her scream was then cut off with a large sudden thud.