"And what exactly are you going to do with this mess?" Sebastian asked quietly from his place in the shadow, on the edge of where the candle's light met the dark. Cecilia was still sat on Ciel's bed, his hand in hers, watching him as he slept, watching the rise and fall of his chest. She leaned forward and placed a small kiss on his head, right between his brows. As she pulled away, Sebastian caught the faintest glow where her lips had been before it faded into his skin. "Don't you think you should be more careful with casting spells on your new employer?" He asked, peeved to have someone, even a powerful witch, be toying with his future prize. Cecilia rose and straighten out herself and made sure her sleeves were pulled up to her elbows still. He looked at her calm face and saw the bags forming under her eyes. She was doing too much too quickly and he was sure she was still very much in need of healing.
"It is a long night and I would prefer to not be woken by screams. Trust me, he will rest well now." Cecilia reassured him and stepped around the bed, walking towards the still bubbling tub. She peered in and though the water had turned black, she could see something slippery slithering around in the tumultuous water. "And we are going to send this thing back where it came from." She said with disdain.
"And how are you going to accomplish this?" He asked, his smile tight. Sebastian made it a point not to get too involved with something so tricky. Cecilia rolled her eyes and picked up the candelabra, handing it to him.
"I recommend you go outside and start a fire." She told him. He quirked an eyebrow. "I will join you shortly after I catch this little bugger." Cecilia peered into the water. She hated trying to grab things from the water, even if it was just bobbing for apples. She stretched out her hands over the water and closed her eyes, focusing. Sebastian lingered, curious to see what she would try. Cecilia could feel his eyes on her but ignored it. She focused and began to whisper an incantation as magic flowed from her fingertips in a white mist. Sebastian watched as it settled on the water. The creature in the tub hissed and screeched and for a moment, he thought Ciel would wake. The water began to still but the creature thrashed around violently, spilling water over the tub. He could see beads of sweat forming on her forehead as she scrunched up her face, trying to force the water to still. With a snap the magic stopped flowing and she staggered, about to collapse. Cecilia reached out her hands to try and catch herself, only to instead be caught by Sebastian. He had seen her falling and flashed to her in an instant. He set her gently on the floor as she caught her breath. Her hand rest on her lower stomach. "I apologize, I seem to require more time to heal." She panted, exhausted. He could see in the candle light how pale she was. After a few moments she moved to stand again and Sebastian steadied her as she wobbled. "Please go light that fire." She instructed. Sebastian almost countered but heard the quiet tone of urgency in her voice. Without another word, he left. Cecilia leaned over the tub and stared into the inky depths. Inside the tub swam a parasite, sent to torment and slowly kill the boy. The black surrounding it was its own toxicity, its own secretions. "I can't stand these things." Cecilia mumbled and shoved her hand in the sludge, grimacing at the smell.
Sebastian stood outside, near the edge of the woods and off to the side by the fire he had started. It was a small fire and it would be easy to hide any damage to the lawn. He checked the time and tapped his foot. It was nearly one in the morning. He heard the hissing and screeching of the creature and looked into the dark. Across the lawn walked a figure, and as it stepped into the light, Sebastian could see her, holding the thing. It looked like some kind of bastard of an eel and a worm. She held it in two hands as it wriggled and squirmed, splashing black water all over her shirt and face. Cecilia grimace at the mess and stopped before the fire. She looked at him.
"Are you ready?" She asked him.
"What am I expected to do?" He asked, growing irritated. Cecilia only shrugged.
"Help me back into the manor." She suggested. "And if you are feeling charitable, make me something to help get rid of the taste." Sebastian furrowed his brows in confusion. He opened his mouth to inquire of what she had eaten but was shocked when Cecilia bit off the head of the screeching thing and spat the head into the fire before tossing the rest of its still writhing body. "Ego mittam te ad dominum tuum, vile est." Cecilia spoke boldly and firmly and stretched out her hands. Magic flowed from her once more and Sebastian felt the tugging of a breeze. The wind picked up and moved the trees, making them creak and groan as the wind whipped the flames wilder and wilder. "Esse, qui egressus est de loco isto non revertetur!" Her last command echoed across the lawn and into the wind before a large gust plowed through, sucking up the flames. Within moments, the wind died down and the fire was gone. All that could be heard was the settling of disturbed leaves.
And then the retching of Cecilia.
"Oh, I hate those things." She muttered and spat before retching again, the pain bringing her to her hands and knees. Pain shot through her and a hand went to her stomach, where the cut still was. It wasn't healing as quickly as it could have been, partly due to the lack of proper medicines she usually had and partly due to her overuse of spells. She pulled her hand away and saw the sticky redness of blood. "Fucking…." She heard a chuckle above her as her vision swirled and darkened around the edges.
"Come now, we can't have you bleeding out." Sebastian cooed mockingly as he lifted her, opting to carry her back inside. Sebastian carried her through the yard and noticed the silence. He enjoyed the quiet and took a moment to appreciate the glow of the moon above them. The silence was broken as he walked up the steps of the manor and he heard a whisper from the witch in his arms.
"Ego claudere portas, et tincidunt lorem. Nihil mali intrabit hic." Cecilia whispered with her last bit of strength and Sebastian spun, alarmed as the sounds of heavy iron gates closed around them. Sebastian spun, trying to see where the sounds were coming from, but he saw nothing. He looked down to her again as her vision began to blur and her eyes began to close. Before she was lost in the darkness of sleep, her eyes met the red glowing orbs of the demon carrying her, illuminated by the moon. He pieced together what had happened and continued on inside. Sebastian smirked to himself as he recognized the words she spoke in the dead language.
I close the gates and lock this home. No evil shall enter here.
"No evil, hm?" Sebastian hummed. "My, my, it seems you have forgotten, Cecilia, you are not the only one with power here."
Cecilia was engulfed in a numb black. Her head was fuzzy and she struggled to for a complete thought. Everything was fuzzy. She couldn't think. All Cecilia could feel was her clothes slowly loosening. She could feel the fabrics brush against her skin as they were gently pulled from her body. Out of instinct she hummed at the feeling of cool hands across her stomach and hips. Though her eyes were closed, she could feel she was being moved or repositioned. She felt warm as though laying in the sun. The heat slowly grew as it consumed her and began to burn. Cecilia grimaced in discomfort and tried to move away from whatever was burning her. Cecilia grunted in pain as she felt a stabbing pain in her stomach as though she was being ripped open. Cecilia's body felt like lead but she managed to struggle to prop herself up and she lolled her head, opening her eyes, trying to find the source of the pain. Her vision swam with colors of reds and purples and it looked as though everything around her was rippling. Hovering over her body, using his hands to keep him off of her, Sebastian grinned and she could see his lips and jaw covered in blood. His nails were sharp and digging into her skin, his pupils had turned to slits and more eyes began to open as he lowered to her stomach and bit. Cecilia could feel his fangs tearing at her skin and she arched in pain and struggled to move. She could breathe, she couldn't move, she couldn't think, she couldn't scream. Her mouth was open wide, trying to scream, but neither air nor sound escaped her. Cecilia's heart was racing and she looked again and saw him tearing out her organs with his teeth.
Cecilia gasped as her eyes snapped open. She couldn't sit up but sat there, panting, adrenaline rushing through her. She could feel a cold sweat all over her. The thin nightgown clung to her and she felt too hot under the think blankets. Her eyes searched the dark room before her and she noticed she was propped up on the large pillows. Her eyes landed on the hand reaching out to her hand. Out of reflex, her hands shot up and grab the wrist of the offender. She heard a low chuckle and lowered the hand to see Sebastian standing above her, his eyes glowing fuchsia and his teeth illuminated by the moonlight.
"Stay out…of my head." She panted, catching her breath. A twinge of pain in her stomach made Cecilia release him and lean back, her hands pressing on her stomach. "What…did you do?"
"I did nothing." He told her, still smiling as he reached out and Cecilia watched as he pulled a wet cloth from her head. She had been so disoriented, she hadn't noticed it. He pulled it away and dipped in in a bowl of water on the night stand next to her. "It seems your miracle of resurrection takes quite the toll on you."
"I saw…." Cecilia gasped out, trying to push past the pain. "I saw you." Sebastian eyed her, remaining unnaturally still. "I saw what you are." Once more his fangs appeared in a cruel smile.
"I see." He said to her. "You are more perceptive than I gave you credit for." Sebastian reached out and placed the cold rag on her face before tracing her jaw line and lifting her chin until her face was inches from his, inflaming her face even more. "A mistake I won't make again." He pulled away and her heart was racing so fast she feared it would burst from her chest. She had a feeling he knew. Cecilia fixed him with a hard stare.
"Stay out of my head." Cecilia told him sternly. "Stay out of my head and out of my memories."
"Oh?" He asked, quirking an eyebrow. "And if I decided I'd rather wander around the mind of a witch than the garden? From the looks of things, you are in such a state, there is nothing you could do." Sebastian looked at her, sweating, panting, flushed and in pain. He smirked to himself and stepped forward. Sebastian bit the finger of his glove and pulled it off, revealing his pale white hand and black finger nails. "In fact," Sebastian purred as he reached out, trailing a cold hand down her face, continuing down her neck before wrapping his fingers around her neck. "I gather I could do just about anything to you at this moment." Cecilia closed her eyes and let herself enjoy the touch as he rubbed his thumb along her jaw. She leaned her head back, exposing more of her neck. The touches felt wonderful against her flaming skin and it was a pleasant distraction from the pain in her stomach. "How careless to leave yourself so…..defenseless." The last word echoed through her and she snapped her head to him, eyes open and face calm. Her eyes pierced him and made him freeze. Cecilia was so relaxed it unnerved him. Sebastian was unnerved.
"Do not mistake my inaction for weakness." Cecilia told him softly. He watched as her soft pink lips formed the words. "If you insist on invading my privacy, Ciel may need to find another butler." She lifted a hand and gently grabbed his tie. Cecilia pulled him close until her lips brushed against his ears. "I make no promises you won't get lost." Sebastian felt her grip loosen and he pulled away. Cecilia let his tie slip through her fingers and Sebastian stood there, over her, watching her as she lay here, her hair a mess and wild on the pillows, her tired eyes still trained on him, her breath passing through her lips softly. Sebastian stared at the enigma before him. He looked into her eyes and began to truly understand the labyrinth of her him, the depth of her knowledge, and how deep her memories were buried. What little he had accessed were memories on the forefront of her mind. Sebastian understood in that moment what he was seeing, a being who could pose as much of a threat to him as he could pose to her.
Interesting.