Undertaker and Eris managed to navigate the devastated ship with ease as they kept their footing while the humans around them were falling to the icy waters below. Undertaker's instinct to collect souls almost stopped him, but he was able to suppress those urges centuries ago. They had to act quickly before their ride back to London left without them. However, their escape had to be paused as they heard a voice calling for Undertaker. He stopped in his tracks and had to call out for Eris to make sure that she didn't leave him behind.
They soon saw Lilliana making her way to them with utmost determination to catch up. They were surprised she left Sebastian and Ciel behind during such a dire situation, especially with the butler's severe injuries, but they wondered if the young boy had ordered her to follow them. Despite being human, he can be as heartless as a deity and fulfilling the Queen's mission would always be top priority. Eventually, she caught up to them, but she was out of breath and needed a moment to catch herself. They could even see fresh blood spilling onto whatever was left of her dress and bandages, which meant that, even after consuming Reaper blood, she was exerting herself faster than her wounds could heal.
In between her pants, all Lilliana could say was, "Why?"
"I'm afraid I can't answer questions at this time," he said playfully as he tried to escape, but he knew that answer would not satisfy her.
"You better start explaining yourself! Not only did you defy the laws of life and death, but you are in cahoots with a demon! If the Association brought you to custody, you would be terminated."
"Then we have to make sure he doesn't get captured," Eris said as she approached the duo and gave a little wink. "After all, you don't want to lose your precious mentor, non?"
Lilliana's eyes turned red as she tried to strike the succubus, but a loud rumbling made them lose their footing and Lilliana found herself on the other side of the railing. She used her Death Scythe to stab onto the side of the ship, but she didn't know how much longer she could hold on due to the severity of her injuries. If the ship rumbled like that again, she would fall to the ocean below. Sure, she wouldn't drown or freeze to death, but all of this would have been for naught.
"Give me your hand," Undertaker said from up above, reaching his hand toward her. Luckily, she didn't fall too far, so as long as she extended her arm to him, he could pull her up with little difficulty. However, she hesitated when she noticed a mark around his wrist. Although his sleeve was covering most of it, she could make out a black vine with thorns. She didn't have much time to think about it as she grabbed his hand and he pulled her up, bringing her Death Scythe along with her.
Though, as soon as her feet touched the deck, she pulled his sleeve back to reveal the entire mark, three thorn bands wrapped around his wrist. Undertaker pulled back his arm and covered the mark, but the damage had already been done. "When . . . Who . . . ?" she tried to ask, but she couldn't articulate the millions of questions she had in her mind.
"Undertaker, we have to go! This ship could fully submerge at any moment," Eris alerted.
"Please give me a minute," he yelled at her, surprising her at first, but she understood why he reacted that way. She huffed and crossed her arms, hoping he would be quick about this. He sighed before saying, "I wish I could give you all the answers you want, but I'm afraid that we are not in a position to do so. We are still figuring things out ourselves and this was only a step. Once we are more confident in our plan, I can let you in on the details."
"Confident in your plan? Do you plan to make more of those things?!" she exclaimed with disbelief in her voice.
"They are part of the process, but they are not the end goal," he explained. "I promise you that the next time we meet, I will tell you everything. I just hope that it will not involve interfering Reapers or a Queen that cannot keep her nose out of people's business."
"The Association is not going to let this slide. They will come after you and anyone working with you," she said as she looked at Eris with hatred in her eyes. Eris responded by smiling coyly. "Can you at least tell me one thing?"
"If it has a quick answer, then yes."
"You aren't . . . mated . . . with Eris, are you?" she said with some difficulty.
"Of course not! What gave you that—," he said, but remembered the thorny bands she saw. "That answer will be revealed at another time. It's a long story." He tried to leave her side, but she grabbed into his sleeve.
"Adrian," she said, stifling any tears that were slowly surfacing. He was taken aback since he hadn't heard her call him by that name since his retirement. Once he set up shop, he asked her to use his new name to keep his identity a secret, but he could no longer do that anymore. "Please . . . take care."
"Of course. And you make sure you stay out of trouble. They may try to punish you for keeping my identity a secret."
"Don't worry. If that's the thing that puts me back in rehabilitation and not everything else surrounding my mission, then they have their priorities mixed up," she said with a tearful smile.
"Let's go, Adrian!" Eris said urgently.
"Right," he said before looking back at Lilliana. "Until we meet again." With those parting words, the deities jumped out of sight, most likely onto a boat or floating debris since she didn't hear a splash. Then again, the sounds of a sinking ship and its frantic passengers could have distracted her from it.
Lilliana was frozen in place as she tried to process everything that happened: her mentor was a Rogue Reaper just like her, he was working with a demon who she despised, they somehow managed to bring the dead back to life, even if it was incomplete, and, probably most shocking of all to her, he had a Mated Mark on his wrist. It meant that he mated with a demon, but she remembered there were three marks, meaning there must be three mates in this partnership. A Mated Mark is not something to be taken lightly; it was proof of equal partnership amongst those who bore the mark. Only demons can place the mark and is usually reserved solely for demons, but she heard rumors of demons placing the mark on humans they treasure. Never in her wildest dream did she imagine a Reaper would have that mark, let alone, Undertaker. If it wasn't Eris, then who were the other two demons he mated with?
Though, she couldn't dwell too much in her thoughts as she felt icy cold water touch her feet, meaning this half of the ship was nearly submerged. She jumped up to the top of the ship and scouted for Ciel and Sebastian, who were lucky enough to find an empty lifeboat. Just before the ship submerged completely, she jumped on debris and headed their way, but some of it wasn't just shattered fragments of wood or floating clothes. Some were bodies and, unluckily for her, some of those bodies were moving.
When she felt a hand pull her ankle, she fell into the waters, coating the night black sea with her blood. That's when she noticed a group of bizarre dolls making their way up to the surface, taking bites of the bloody water. Luckily, her wounds were slowly closing up, but she feared the worst and swam up to the surface. She underestimated just how many dolls survived the sinking since a bigger group of them surrounded the lifeboat and Sebastian only had an oar to defend himself and their young master.
"Damn! They're not backing down!" Ciel exclaimed as he watched the dolls try to board the ship, rocking it greatly. He tried his best to push dolls back since his butler was preoccupied, but he only had so much strength for his small frame. Besides, if he wasn't careful, he could accidentally capsize the boat, putting him in even more danger.
"I imagine they will continue seeking the souls they crave until their bodies give out or are destroyed. You must be the only soul in the vicinity," Sebastian said as he swung his oar, managing to throw a few dolls away from them.
"We have to eliminate them here. If we head toward the other lifeboats, we will only put the other passengers in danger. Do you suppose you can manage on your own?" Ciel asked.
"We're not alone, my lord," Sebastian said with a relieved smile as he pointed out into the distance. Although it was too dark for Ciel to see, Sebastian's demon sight could see Lilliana swimming in circles, keeping some distance from them, and striking whichever doll was closest. "It appears she is trying to lure them away from us by using her blood as bait."
"That will make things a little more manageable," Ciel said as he stood up, clinging to the jacket that Sebastian gave him to keep warm. "This is an order, Sebastian. Exterminate every single one of them!"
"Yes, my lord," he said as he raised his oar to strike the remaining dolls with all of his might. Despite even more dolls showing up from the depths below, Lilliana's distraction was keeping the number of dolls boarding the ship relatively controllable. Though, it was clear she was struggling since some were catching her off guard and managing to take hold of her. None of them were able to take a bite, but with her constantly swimming, she couldn't really use her Death Scythe effectively.
Soon, when the group of dolls was slowly diminishing, she swam toward the lifeboat to assist in slaying the remaining dolls. She was surprised how well he was fighting despite his injury. Hers were more severe, but thanks to the Reaper blood Katia gave her, she recovered at a faster pace. He, on the other hand, dealt a piercing blow from a large Death Scythe. She couldn't tell how much of the blood on his clothes were the dolls' and which was his. She took over most of the fighting since her weapon was more equipped for slicing a bunch of heads off with a single blow. It gave Sebastian an opening to get close to the young master and kill those that were close to him. No matter the cost and no matter how long it took, they had to keep the young master safe.
The sun was just rising when they finally destroyed all the dolls and watched as their bloody, mangled, and lifeless bodies floated around them. Sebastian and Lilliana were panting heavily as they finally got a moment to rest. In that moment of exhaustion, Sebastian could finally feel the full extent of his injury as he knelt in pain and coughed up a bit more blood. He clung onto his torso tightly, trying to stifle the pain as much as he could, but a Death Scythe was nothing to be trifled with. Ciel and Lilliana looked with concern and she dug through his pockets to look for dry bandages, but it seems the only roll he had, he used on her.
"Damn the Undertaker," Ciel said as he looked at the mourning jewelry that Undertaker left behind. "What do you suppose he's after?"
"I'm afraid I couldn't hazard a guess. Lilliana, perhaps you have an idea?" Sebastian said in an uncharacteristically weak voice.
"I wish I could, but even after trying to catch up with him, I wasn't able to get any answers before the ship submerged," she said as she sat Sebastian down, leaning his body against the seat of the boat. "But you have his treasure, something precious to him. I feel quite certain that we will meet again."
"Though, personally, that's a pleasure I would be more than happy to forgo," Sebastian said.
Ciel looked at the jewelry again before handing it over to Lilliana, who was confused by his gesture. "I believe you would be a much better guardian of this than I would be."
"But you were the one who caught it," she argued as she removed Sebasitan's vest to examine the wound further. Luckily, it had closed up for the most part, but it was a shallow layer of skin that could easily open up again with the slightest touch or sudden movement.
"You seem to be the most distraught about Undertaker's scheme. I never made the connection that you two had known each other prior to him taking the role as an undertaker. I had assumed that you two were merely kindred spirits that had an odd fascination with death."
She gave a saddened look. "He was more than a friend. He is the very reason I am who I am today. Without him, I'm not even sure I'd be alive." She looked at the morning jewelry before taking it from his hand. "But I guess I don't know him as well as I thought I did if he was hiding secrets from me."
Suddenly, Sebastian started coughing up more blood, worrying them even more. "I've never seen you like this before. I didn't think it was possible."
Despite Lilliana's insistence for him to stay rested, he got on one knee and put a hand over his chest to apologize. "I am a failure as a Phantomhive butler to let you see me in such a state. I shall strive not to let it happen again."
"No, I should have been there to protect you," Lilliana said regretfully. "I know deep down that Undertaker would never hurt Ciel, but I never thought he would do something like that to you."
"Your injuries surpassed mine and you received a treatment that temporarily impaired your judgment. I don't blame you in the slightest," he said before she put her arm in front of his mouth.
"Drink up so you can at least look normal when rescue arrives," she directed. Without another word, he bit into her arm and drank her blood. His exhaustion was slowly fading away and the pain in his chest was diminishing.
"Sebastian, in your current condition, you won't be able to attend me as a proper butler should. Once we return to the manor, I want you to rest. Lilliana will take over your duties as needed, but she will need rest when she can. You did quite well today. You as well, Lilliana," Ciel said in a voice that was unusually gentle.
The servants were taken aback by his sudden humanity, but this was the first time his servants were in such peril that there was a possibility they could die. The chances were slim, but this was the most injured he had seen either one of them. "Please, you must stop. Isn't at all like you l to say such things," Lilliana said with surprise.
"If you're not careful, you'll call a storm down upon us," Sebastian said jokingly.
However, they noticed something moving in the distance and feared the worst. Though, when they noticed the figure hopping from debris to debris, they knew it wasn't another doll, but it wasn't human either. As it got closer, they finally noticed that it was Katia heading their way, seemingly looking for something, but when she spotted them, she swiftly headed their way. In no time, she boarded their lifeboat and looked happy to see them, or at least, Lilliana. "Thank gods that you're okay."
"It will take a lot more than a sinking ship to be rid of us," she said as she continued to nurse Sebastian with her blood, but the action seemed to offend Katia.
"I don't know why you bother to waste your blood on the likes of him. He'll heal on his own," she said bitterly.
"He was injured by a Death Scythe, remember? He won't heal as fast as he usually would. In fact, it may take a few days for him to fully recover even with Reaper blood."
Katia sighed. "Just be careful about being seen with him. You don't want to give the wrong impression. Speaking of which, I got this for you." She pulled out a white dress that could have been mistaken for a chemise due to how slimming it was. "I know you're not a fan of dresses, but this was all I could find in the wreck on short notice."
"Th-Thank you," she said as she took the dress. She then turned to the other two and said, "There's not really a place for me to change, so turn around."
"Y-Yes, of course," Ciel said with a bit of flush on his cheek as he did as asked. Although it physically pained him to move, Sebastian did the same, though he did try to sneak a peek, only to be met with Katia's red eyes.
"Turn around again and I'll make sure that you have multiple wounds to worry about," she threatened.
"Katia," Lilliana chided, but then turned to Sebastian. "You better do as she says. She is a demon huntress, after all."
"As you wish," he said as he turned his head, fully willing to listen, though the temptation to push his luck was strong.
Katia helped her out of what was left of her dress, noting the soaked bloody bandages covering the bite marks. Due to her swim which turned her bandages red, she couldn't tell how well the Reaper blood worked and assess if she needed more. It pained her to see her like this and was afraid of what this incident would result for Lilliana. A visit to the Reaper hospital was a must, but would they interrogate her, especially since her former mentor was the man behind all of this mayhem?
"How many souls are left on the To-Die list?" Lilliana asked, pulling Katia out of her head.
"Not too many, but the problem is finding them amongst the shipwreck," she said as she helped Lilliana into the dress. Though, since her body was still a bit wet, it started to cling to her and Katia looked away with blush on her face. "Let's try to avoid jumping into the water from now on."
Lilliana looked down and could see her undergarments and bandages through the dress and nervously laughed. "I think that's a good idea. I'm getting sick of seawater anyway." The two Reapers giggled, thankful for the little break from the madness. "I do want to apologize for how I behaved toward you."
Katia took in the apology before replying, "It seems we both have a lot to apologize for. Even if you don't believe me, I just want you to know that I genuinely saw you as a friend and not a barrier toward my mission."
She smiled. "I know that. I just wish I didn't trample on your friendship for personal gain." She was selective about her words around Sebastian. "But I have to ask: if Bastille is the demon you are assigned to terminate, would you go through with it if given the chance?"
Katia lowered her head to avoid her gaze. "I'm not going to promise you anything. It's a heavy choice I have to make now that I know you personally. I know why the Association wants me to kill him, but knowing that you're being obedient, for the most part, for his sake and yet they still want me to get rid of him makes me question things."
Lilliana sighed. "Damned if you do, damned if you don't." There was a moment of silence before she continued, "Since rescue hasn't arrived yet, do you want some help collecting the remaining souls?"
Katia smiled. "That would be very helpful." She pulled out her To-Die list and the two Reapers quickly got to work scouting the area for any remaining souls around.
"Honestly," William said with frustration in his voice as he extended his pruner to pick up a floating Grell from the water. "It was a simple collection, and you couldn't even manage that. Obviously, being on suspension has made you lazy," he said before placing him on the boat, though he noticed his injuries and bit back his insults. "Perhaps I was a bit too harsh," he said before feeling something hit the side of his boat. He looked over and saw Ronald's unconscious body hitting against the boat with every ripple. William extended his pruner to catch him before he was pulled away by the sea and set him next to Grell, who was slowly regaining consciousness, unfortunately.
"Will, dear," Grell said with love in his eyes and voice. "How sweet! You came to fetch me!" He stood up and tried to lean in for a kiss, but fell into the ocean instead when Will stepped aside.
"I'm not here to fetch anyone. I am once again tidying up after a certain useless temp worker. Now, stop blowing bubbles and start collecting," William said cruelly.
"Your face is so fierce that it's practically a human rights violation. And let me tell you, I'm ready to be violated. I'm ready for you, Will. There's no need to deny ourselves any longer," Grell said crudely as he held onto the side of the boat.
"Overtime. There's so much overtime," Ronald said as if his soul left his body and with a sullen look plastered on his body.
"Let me see your To-Die list, Knox," William ordered as he extended his hand toward him. Ronald quickly patted down his clothes to find it, hoping it didn't get washed away. Luckily, it was in his coat pocket and he handed the wet book to his superior. William was delicate to open it carefully, but was surprised that there were no names on the list.
"We managed to collect the rest of the souls," Katia said out-of-nowhere as she jumped onto the boat, making sure not to use a lot of force so as to not rock the boat. She helped Grell back onboard as she said, "I'm glad you were able to find them, Will. I couldn't find them anywhere."
"They were dozing off and taking a nap in the water," he said with a scolding tone.
Katia giggled as she looked at the two soaked Reapers, who were still recovering from their injuries. "I would have given you two some Reaper blood, but the capsules dissolved in the water."
"That would have been great," Ronald said in a playful tone. "Luckily, that Death Scythe didn't slice us too deeply."
"Death Scythe? Did Ms. Kiliamo fight back against you?" William asked.
"She wasn't exactly helping us. Speaking of which, why didn't you tell us that she was onboard?" Grell asked as he stood up to get in Will's face.
"Would it have made a difference if I did?"
"Yes! She could have aided us in the collection. Instead, you assign only three Reapers to collect over a thousand souls!"
"I assumed three would have been enough, even if there were distractions in your path. All three of you are capable of fighting, which I cannot say for the rest of my staff."
"And Lilliana couldn't join because . . . ?" Ronald asked.
"I didn't want this mission to interfere with hers. If she had been assigned to soul collection, she would have to focus on that, rather than on the demon that she is supposed to keep in check. If he were able to keep her distracted, what would have stopped him from devouring his contracted soul or even the other souls not on the To-Die list? If any souls were not accounted for, she would be severely punished."
"Still, even if she played babysitter, she could have collected the souls near her!" Grell complained. "And I would have happily switched places if she needed a break."
"Like he would allow you," Katia snarked. "Besides, she did help with collecting the last of the souls. She even made sure we got any souls that were killed by the Reaper when the split the ship."
"A Grim Reaper was behind all of this?" William asked for clarification.
"Yeah, one we actually know," Grell said. "Remember that old geezer that rehabilitated Lilliana before she was released?"
William's eyes widened. "Adrian Crevan? What business would he have in this?"
"Apparently it is to raise the dead with the help of a demon," Ronald said as he stood up, only to sit on the seat on the boat. "You should have seen those abominations they made, Spears. They went after souls and ripping into human flesh. Those humans are going to be traumatized for the rest of their lives."
"And has the threat been dealt with?"
"The monsters were eliminated by Lily and her group. As for Adrian and Eris, they managed to escape amongst the madness."
"Eris?" William said, holding back his shock. "The demon from Noah's Ark Circus?"
"The very one," Katia said. For a brief moment, she forgot that he knew her a little too well and his subdued shock reminded her. "It appears they have been in a partnership for a while, maybe even before the circus. I can't imagine how Lily must feel about this."
"I'm sure she's got more things to worry about. She looked like she had it the worst in terms of injuries. I bet those things actually got some bites off of her." Ronald said with some sympathy. "Speaking of which, where is she?"
Soon, they heard the foghorn of a nearby ship and looked in the direction, noticing the crew was loading nearby survivors. "She insisted that a little girl would have been worried sick if she wasn't seen with them. I told her to report to the Reaper hospital as soon as possible and she agreed," Katia explained.
"We should leave as well before that ship notices us and tries to 'rescue' us," William said as he sat down on the seat.
"Wait, what about my mission?" Katia asked. "I still need to go to America to deal with the threat."
"A demon threat, Miss Demon Huntress?" Ronald quipped.
William was enough with surprises. He turned to her as he said, "So they know?"
"Wait, so you knew?!" Grell asked flamboyantly.
"As her superior, I had to know before she even stepped foot in London."
"Then why didn't you tell us?!"
"Because her mission had to be secretive for it to succeed. I find that if I entrust you two with any classified information, it manages to spread to the entire London sect."
"Well, you don't have to worry about that anymore. Eris told us everything, including who the target is," Ronald said as he laid on his back on the seat.
William sighed as he pushed back his glasses. "Well that's an unfortunate setback. That means that we need to keep a closer eye on Ms. Kiliamo to make sure that she doesn't warn him."
"That won't be a problem. Even she doesn't know where he is; she couldn't if she tried," Katia explained. "Besides, I have reports that he is in New York and I have to deal with it as soon as possible."
"If you are willing to row this boat for weeks, then be my guest, but if you are planning to do that, have us board that ship first. I'd assume it will head back to London to reunite the survivors with their families."
Katia took a deep breath and exhaled. "I suppose you're right, but I'm getting on the first boat sailing to America."
"I'll set up the arrangements after the four of you provide a detailed report about last night's events."
"If it involves interrogations, then you're not leaving anytime soon," Grell said with a grumble.
Her frustration showed, but there wasn't much she could do. "I guess I'll send a messenger owl and hope everything is fine."
"That would be wise. I'll try to get your side of the story completed first so you can leave as soon as you're done."
"Much appreciated," Katia said as they heard the foghorn again, signaling that they were ready to set sail back to London. The four Reapers sat in their seats and William ordered Grell and Ronald to row them back, claiming his arms were tired from doing so on the way here.
Sebastian, Lilliana, and Ciel boarded the rescue ship and the crew greeted them with blankets. They said they would have hot tea for them in a moment since they were dealing with the large influx of passengers to care for. They tried to find an isolated spot, but they saw Lizzie heading toward them with tears in her eyes and open arms. She rushed to Ciel and hugged her fiancé tightly, but the force of the hug threw off his balance and the two children fell. He winced at the pain, but seeing her face brought him unexpected comfort. "Ciel! You came back! You're here," she cried into his shoulder.
"It's all right," he said reassuringly as he embraced her and rubbed her back. He couldn't imagine just how much this event would scar a kind soul like her, but he had a feeling she was resilient.
"I was so worried I'd never see you again, but you're here," she said in between tears of joy. Sebastian and Lilliana giggled at the sight and observed the rest of the Midfords heading toward them. Alexis joined in the hug as he held them close to him, happy they were both alive. Francis shook her head, but this was the few times she didn't uphold decorum for her family.
Edward approached the group and said, "Lizzie told me everything the three of you did for her. I suppose I can put disdain aside to offer my sincere gratitude for keeping her safe."
"Don't expect this to be the last time. No matter what befalls her, I will make sure to be at Elizabeth's side to protect her," Ciel proclaimed.
"Strong words for a boy, but proper for an Earl," Francis said, but soon turned her direction to the servants. "And as for the two of you: you look like a wreck. I can't believe you two would look this unsightly in front of your master."
"We apologize for our appearance," Sebastian said with a bow and Lilliana followed suit. "We will clean ourselves up the moment we get a chance."
At that moment, they heard hissing from their feet and everyone screamed when they saw a group of snakes heading in their direction. Everyone, except for Lilliana, Sebastian, and Ciel. Not too long after that, they saw Snake, who was chasing after his snakes, but the smile on his face when he saw the trio was unlike what they had seen before. "'Smile! Black! Lily! I'm so glad you are all right,' says Emily," he said in a feminine voice.
"I'm glad you made it out. Are the snakes all accounted for?" Lilliana said as she approached him.
"'Other than some stiffness due to the cold, we are all alive and well. Luckily, this ship is full of rats, so we've had plenty to eat,' says Wordsworth," Snake said in a gruff voice.
"That's wonderful," she said with relief in her voice. "Though, I'm not sure how well the crew would react if they knew snakes were roaming around. Make sure they stay hidden until we make it back to London, all right?"
"Understood," Snake said in his soft voice. Everything seemed to finally be looking up for them and they couldn't wait to put this nightmare behind them. Though, for a certain Reaper, this event might stick in her mind for a long while, or at least, until she got closure.
Meanwhile, amongst the crowd, an elderly couple looked at the party from a distance, sipping on some tea. It tasted more like water than tea since it was made in a rush, but it was still better than nothing. They made sure to cover their faces with the blanket and kept their eyes out for anyone who would spot them.
"Mr. and Mrs. Phoenix?" a young sailor asked as he approached them.
They looked up at him and the woman responded in a shaky and hoarse voice, "That would be us."
"You two are next for physical examinations from our navy doctor. Please follow me," he said in an authoritative voice.
"Of course," the man said as the couple followed him inside the ship. He was secretive as he led them down a couple of floors, passing the infirmary. Soon, they reached their destination: the captain's quarters. The sailor locked the doors before his appearance started to change. "Could you two have used a less obvious codename?" Bastille said as he turned to the old couple, who took off their blankets.
Adrian grinned as he said, "But we had to stand out from the rest. A unique name like that is needed."
"We could have been the Stokers," the elderly woman said as her appearance changed to Eris' true form.
"I believe that name has served its purpose long enough," he said before taking a seat on the expensive lounge chair. Bastille sat in the matching loveseat and Eris was quick to sit in his lap.
"I missed you, my dear Bastille. That Ryan Stoker was starting to bore me. He didn't feed me enough," she said with teasing pouty lips.
"Yet he was a human. I'm sure he fed you better than I would," he said with a bit of bitterness in his voice.
"Oh, don't be like that," she said as she kissed his cheek. "My heart is set on you."
"You say that as if you had one."
"True, demons don't have hearts, but we still have feelings and mine are for you."
"You're being awfully flirtatious," Adrian commented.
"Of course. This brooding man needs to be able to open his heart to others. You can't live in pain forever," she said as she wrapped her arms around his neck, but he rolled his eyes.
"Let's change the subject. You said that Katia would be out of our hair if we got her to America, but how is she supposed to get there if the only ship heading there is at the bottom of the ocean?"
"I honestly thought she would be on an earlier voyage, but I guess Willy wanted her to stay behind to collect all those souls," Adrian said. "If Ryan didn't insist on showing off his flawed resurrection theory so soon after departure, those dolls would have been closer to America and she may have been able to row to shore."
"Why did you even work with a guy like that? You made him believe that he was able to raise the dead and for what? Just to get himself killed?" Bastille said as he poured himself a glass of scotch and gave one to Eris.
"I had to get the young lord's attention somehow," Adrian said as he poured himself a glass.
"But why get the brat involved? You know he'll have his loyal servant fighting for him," he said as he drank all the scotch in one gulp and poured himself another.
"I was hoping they'd bring Lilliana as well and—," he said before he was interrupted.
"Of course they wouldn't let her go. They wouldn't trust her with leaving the country, even if she begged for it," he said with confidence.
"Actually . . . she was there. She's on this very ship, actually," Eris explained, avoiding Bastille's spit take from his shock.
"A-Are you serious?" he asked as he tried to get up, but she kept him down.
"Now, you shouldn't just go up there and expect no consequences. I'm not sure where the other Reapers are, so it's best to assume they are on the ship as well."
"M-Maybe I can sneak her into this room just to see how she's been," he said, but their disapproving faces said otherwise.
"Then Sebastian would follow her into the room and find us. It's too dangerous for us to leave this room until we dock," Adrian warned.
"Well, I'm posing as the captain, so I need to leave periodically," Bastille said, but his glare made him put the subject to rest, or at least, on his end.
"I know it's hard to be apart from your family. That's why I wanted to recruit her for the mission. I know it's a long-shot, but I know she would be sympathetic to the cause if she knew why we were doing it. I desperately wanted to show her that we can help her fight against the Association; we were able to fight against three Reapers, including a demon huntress, and I'd say we won. True, Sebastian aided us, but he was just as much against us as he was with us. Instead, all I did was leave that poor girl with more uncertainty."
"But why recruit her now? We still haven't been able to make artificial souls, so pulling her from the Association is still a huge risk."
"Would you like your sister to be under the control of her abusers?" Eris asked genuinely. She then turned to Adrian as she continued, "Still, I'm not sure how willing she'd be in joining us. She may have slyly prevented them from taking you, but she is still under their thumb as long as Bastille is alive."
"That is a hurdle we need to overcome," Adrian said as he took a sip.
"Wait, just so we're clear: that doesn't mean killing me, right?" Bastille said with some uneasiness in his voice.
"And destroy one of the few things that bring Lily happiness? Absolutely not," Eris reassured.
"Phew," he said as he slumped into his seat.
Suddenly, they were interrupted by a speaking tube as a voice rang out, "Captain, we need you at the bridge to resume sailing."
He sighed before setting Eris aside so he could walk to the tube. He lowered his voice as he said, "I'll be there in 5." He then turned to the duo before changing his appearance to an older man. "If you two are so insistent about it, then you two better stay here."
"I call the bed," Eris said with playful glee as she rushed to the adjoining bedroom.
"I guess these old bones get the loveseat," Adrian said as he sat where the demons were seconds ago.
"I'll be back as soon as I can," Bastille said before putting on his captain's hat and leaving the room.
When he could no longer hear his footsteps, Adrian decided to take this moment to talk to Eris one-on-one. There was a certain topic he wanted to address and even though the boy was playing hard-to-get, he might get upset if he heard them talk about this. He knocked on the bedroom door to make sure she was decent and she gave him permission to enter. To his surprise, she was straightening up the bed, making sure the silk sheets were tightly and neatly fit. "Bastille made the mistake of leaving the bed unkempt. Navy soldiers are known for keeping their living quarters spotless. If anyone saw this, they would know he's an imposter."
"Though, I doubt you'll give him a chance to make the bed if you two will be wrestling under the sheets," he joked.
"I may be a succubus, but I'm not always starving for a feeding," she said as she finished making the bed and carefully sat on it, making sure to not undo her work.
"Well, you did have a feast with that Reaper girl," he brought up.
Her smile faded. "A girl has to eat, don't you agree?"
"But you have a certain attachment to her, don't you?"
"I don't know what you're talking about," she said coyly.
"You may be an expert in reading emotions, but don't think that I can't do the same to you. Under the pheromone, she didn't see Lilliana the whole time. She saw you."
"She recognized the human I was masquerading as."
"Yet when I sliced her colleagues, you protected her and reminded her to call you Eris," he pointed out. She grew quiet and he continued. "Has she seen your true form?"
She sighed in defeat. "Perhaps."
"That's a dangerous game you are playing. I thought you would use Lilliana's form to trick her."
"I would never," Eris said with some bite as she got up from the bed. Adrian smirked at her outburst, knowing he caught her. She sat back on the bed with crossed arms and legs as she said, "I didn't want to lie to her. She's had enough lies in her life."
"And that's why you revealed her secret in front of everyone, especially Lilliana?"
"I thought she was manipulating Katia so she wouldn't go after Bastille. That poor girl was put through the wringer because of her. I exposed her secret so I could open Katia's eyes to Lilliana's deception, but I didn't realize that Lilliana didn't know a thing. She was playing with her emotions for no reason."
"Well, Reapers are not the most emotionally intelligent beings. Our lack of emotions make us unaware how our words and actions affect others," he tried to explain, but it made her angry.
"Don't give me that connerie," she said angrily as she shot up from the bed to get in his face. "The Reapers we encounter are far from emotionless, no matter how much they say they are. That gives them no right to hurt others, especially if there is no reason for it. Lilliana can act logical about her actions and claim that Katia was the one reading too deeply into them, but she isn't the first woman to do that to her. That's the very reason why she is a Rogue Reaper: she fell for a demon who only used her."
Adrian was surprised by her outburst. "I haven't seen you act like this for anyone."
Eris was taken aback by his statement and took a deep breath. "J-Je suis désolé. People assume that I use people for sustenance, but I don't work that way. I can have careless flings, but I will never use it against their will. I want to see joy in their eyes as they are consumed by lust. I resent those who hurt others for personal gain."
"Then what about Noah Ark's Circus between William and Lilliana?"
"I had no intention to hurt them. I was curious about their repressed feelings for each other and only pushed them in that direction. Yes, I had to deceive them to get to that point, but it was all in good faith."
"I don't think Lily would agree with that," Adrian said with a chuckle.
"She's only angry because she knows I was right. It's up to her how she handles these feelings, but I will make sure she does not harm Katia again."
"And how do you plan on doing that? It is dangerous for you and for her to be in constant contact. She may be a demon huntress, but she is also a Rogue Reaper, which means she is under strict scrutiny."
She awkwardly smiled as she said, "I may have left her with a little gift in case she wanted to meet again."
"You what? Are you trying to get her in trouble, or even terminated?" he scolded.
"Maybe I want her to fight against the Association, just like you do for Lilliana. Besides, how helpful would it be to have a demon huntress on our side, especially when they are targeting mon amor."
He sighed. "I hope you know what you're doing. She could misconstrue this as playing with her emotions to get her to do what you want."
"I promised her that I would be honest with her about my actions and feelings. The last thing I want to do is to cause that girl more harm, but instead, show her the happiness she deserves."
Adrian laughed. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you have fallen for the girl. What would Bastille think if he found out?"
"I plan on telling him, but I have to be delicate. He acts like he's not, but he is as fragile as her since he too fell for a manipulative woman. I plan to be the healing they need to find love in themselves."
"Good luck with that," he said as he left the room to take a well-needed nap. Last night's events exhausted him. When she was alone, she fell onto the bed, letting her mind play her encounter with Katia in her head.
Katia was hesitant about Annabeth leading her into the bedroom. She didn't know what got into her head to let this stranger she just met bring her here. Her devilish kisses really did a number on her. The bedroom was just as lavish as the lounge area with a canopy bed with a sheer curtain that you could see right through. Annabeth sat her on the bed and she sat next to her. Katia could feel the soft silk sheets on her fingertips and knew if things played out the way she thought they would, she would feel them all over her body.
"Before we proceed, I need to confess something to you," Annabeth said with a worried expression on her face.
"A-All right," Katia said, nervous about what she had to say.
"It's going to shock you, but I want you to hear me out before you make any rash judgements." With a deep breath, her red hair started to change color, making Katia jolt back in her seat with surprise. Her skin grew pale in complexion and her body slimmed and grew taller. Her green eyes turned purple, though her right eye became green when her transformation was complete.
"What the hell are you?" Katia exclaimed.
"Let me reintroduce myself properly: Je m'appelle Eris Melania and I am . . . a demon," she said with a slight bow.
"I can't believe this!" she yelled as she tried to get up from the bed, but Eris put her hands on her shoulder to keep her down.
"S'il vous plaît, listen to me," Eris pleaded. "I know this looks bad, but I didn't want to deceive you any longer."
"Nice try. I can tell what kind of demon you are by your heterochromatic eyes! You're a succubus!" she said with so much hatred in her voice that it was filling her eyes with tears.
"Oui, that is true, but you must believe me when I tell you that I didn't ask you to come here solely to feed off of you."
"Then why else would you bring me here?"
"What I said in the other room was no lie. I genuinely want you to feel the love that you deserve."
"By sleeping with a demon like you?!"
"If I really wanted to feed off of you, I would have taken Lilliana's image and never shown my real self to you. I wanted to be completely honest with you and not hold any secrets from you."
"Why would you care? You only seek self-gratification."
"Don't talk like your fellow Reapers. Not all demons are as heartless as they want you to believe. Some of us have more genuine wants that don't involve coercion to achieve them."
"Forgive me for having a hard time believing what you say," she said as she tried to leave once more. This time, Eris didn't physically stop her, but she still had more to say.
"Answer me this: when was the last time you were in a relationship where you felt genuinely loved?" Eris asked. Before Katia could touch the doorknob, she stopped in her tracks, taken aback by her question. "I can see into your memories and, mon cher, you've been hurt by more women than Lilliana. It's almost like you seek women that would hurt you."
"I don't seek them out," she said as she turned toward her. "Reapers don't act with emotions. If there are lustful desires, they will make arrangements to release them, but they won't seek a long-term partner like humans would.. I'm just . . . different, I guess."
"Let me let you in on a little secret," Eris said as she got up from the bed. "No Reaper is truly devoid of emotion. Some act more logical than others, but I've met many of your kind that act on their emotions when all logic fails."
"And you seduce them for sustenance?" she said knowingly.
Eris saw in her eyes who she meant specifically. "For some, yes, but for the most part, I like to show Reapers the desires they have repressed since it's supposedly against their very nature. Some need a little push, just like your boss."
Katia averted her eyes. She regretted asking her. "And what desires am I supposedly suppressing? Lilliana knows of my feelings and so do my colleagues. I've acted upon them only to get hurt."
"It's not love that you are suppressing," Eris said as she walked up to her, putting a finger underneath her chin so she could look into her eyes. "It's the pain from past heartbreaks. You seek genuine love, but only get used and ridiculed. There's no shame in wanting someone to love you as much as you do them." Katia's breathing hitched at her words and tears slowly started to fill her eyes. She knew this was the power succubus possessed, to see into the memories and emotions of her potential feasts and use them to her advantage, but for some reason, she could not look past her words and the concerned expression on Eris' face. If she didn't know any better, she would think Eris truly meant what she said. "That's all you want, oui?"
"Y-Yes," Katia said faintly, letting her guard down.
"Then maybe you should stop seeking love from Reapers . . . ," Eris said as she put a hand on her cheek and pushed her body against hers. ". . . and let a demon show you all that you deserve." She kissed her gingerly, observing Katia's reaction. To her surprise, her lips quivered a bit as they parted and Eris knew she was under her spell, not that it was her intention. Her right eye even turned purple, revealing who Katia lusted for at this moment. She kissed her again, pushing her into the wall and the impact let out a little moan from Katia's lips. Their breaths heavied as their tongues greeted each other and Eris started to unbutton Katia's shirt. Katia tried to do the same for her, but her dress was corseted and the strings were tightly knotted.
Eris chuckled a bit at her struggle. She lifted up her skirt and pulled a knife from her thigh sheath before handing it to her. "Try this."
Katia blinked before taking the knife, noticing the green hue on the blade. "You just had this on you?"
"A girl can't be too careful," Eris said with a playful smile as she removed her top. Katia tried to cover up her breasts as her face grew red, but Eris' reassuring smile calmed her down enough to let herself be vulnerable. "You are a beautiful woman," Eris breathily whispered in her ear as she started to fondle her breasts. In between moans, Katia started to cut the strings off her dress, watching it loosen on her shoulders little by little. Once it was done, Katia placed the knife on a nearby table and watched as Eris slipped out of her dress teasingly slow. To her surprise, all she wore underneath was a sheer chemise that showed every inch of her body.
Katia gulped at the sight presented to her. "You're perfect," she said under her breath.
"So are you. Don't forget that," Eris said as she grabbed her hand and pulled her back onto the bed, making sure Katia was on top. She took out Katia's bun, which was slowly becoming a messy bun, watching as her blonde hair flowed past her shoulders. She stroked her head as she kissed her once more, listening as Katia seemed to purr from her touch. Her hands slowly caressed down her back as she reached her skirt, noting Katia moving her hips in anticipation.
"I can't believe you talked me into this," Katia said with disbelief in her voice.
"You have the option to leave if you wish and we can act like this never happened. I know you'll get in a lot of trouble if anyone ever found out," Eris said as she looked her in the eyes.
Katia bit her lip as if she was holding back her initial thought, but she let the words flow. "Please, I don't want this to stop."
"Just as I thought," Eris said with a seductive smirk as she flipped her over so that Katia was lying on the bed. She kissed her quickly before moving her kisses down her jaw and onto her neck, which made her throw her head back in response. She covered her mouth to muffle her moans, but Eris grabbed her hand and put it on her chest. "You don't need to be quiet. It excites me to hear my lover's moans." Katia was nervous, but she squeezed Eris' breast, making her moan in her ear. The sound was intoxicating to her as she could feel her legs quiver in excitement. Eris felt the urge to bite her neck to feed off her blood, but she reminded herself that Katia was not a fan of pain during sex and opted out of it, though the temptation was strong.
Eventually, she moved down to her chest, where she teased Katia's erect nipple with her tongue, reveling in her body reacting so beautifully with lust. She arched her back and her moans turned more into whimpers, asking for her to do so much more to her body. Eris sensed this and put her breast in her mouth and her hand fondled the other. Katia couldn't hold back her pleasure any longer and was completely lost in lust as she felt the tightness of Eris's suckling lips on her delicate skin. Soon, she switched to the other breast, making sure to use her tongue to increase the pleasure.
Katia's moans filled the room and it only made Eris want to hear more out of her. She felt up Katia's skirt until she reached the hem and pulled it up so she could feel her panties, which were developing a wet spot. She slid her fingers into them and rubbed against her aching clit tenderly, knowing the slightest touch was going to get a delicious moan out of her. Sure enough, her body jolted upwards from the pleasure and her moan turned into a gasp.
"I must warn you something," Eris said as she continued to rub inside her panties, but moved her body next to her so that she would be cuddling her. "If we continue this and you fully give yourself to me, I will mark you with the Mark of Lust. However, if you let me, I will ensure that this won't be the last time we meet."
It wasn't clear if Katia was saying anything in the moment of passion or if she genuinely meant it, but she said, "I told you: I don't want this to end."
"Are you sure?" Eris asked, seeking confirmation.
"If you really want to make me feel loved, then show me just how dedicated you are," she said as she rubbed her body against hers.
Eris smiled as she whispered in her ear, "I will do just that." With those words, she slid her fingers inside her slowly, gauging her comfort level. Other than a quick gasp, her body told her to continue and Eris thrusted her fingers in a rhythmic pace. Katia's head rested on Eris' shoulder as she moaned louder than she did before. There was no resistance left in her body and Eris took full advantage as she quickened the pace. Her own body quivered as she watched Katia's inhibited pleasure on full display as her fingers were having an easier time sliding in and out of her pussy with her wetness coating them. She turned Katia's head so she could kiss her as she thrusted as fast as she could, listening to her muffled moans as they raised in pitch from the intense pleasure.
After a while, she could feel that Katia was getting close as she felt her tightening around her fingers and had to ask once more, "Do you want to be marked?"
"Yes, please," she begged as her moans were turning into desperate whimpers as she felt herself about to climax.
"Then cum for me," Eris said as she continued her thrusts. In no time, she felt Katia spasm around her and her moans reached peak volume before she slumped onto the bed, catching her breath. Eris observed that Katia's lower back was slowly exhibiting three purple claw-like marks. She was not a contract demon like Sebastian, so her mark was simple in comparison. Other than the color, it could have been mistaken as battle scars. Eris felt some pride in the mark and was happy that Katia wanted this as much as she did.
Eris tried to get up from the bed, but Katia stopped her. "It's not fair that only I get the pleasure. I want to show just how grateful I am to you."
"It's no problem. Really," she tried to reassure, but Katia kissed her, which took her by surprise. She embraced the kiss and let Katia guide her to the headboard of the bed, where the pillows were lined in a row.
"Make yourself comfortable," she said in a gentle voice. Eris did as she was told and positioned her back amongst the pillows. Katia kissed her one more time as she removed her chemise, leaving Eris completely naked for her. She was not shy about her body and was even starting to touch herself as they kissed. Katia placed her hand on hers and noted the rhythm that made her moan into her mouth. Though, she had other plans for her as she broke the kiss and positioned herself so her eager mouth was near her dripping pussy. She looked up at Eris before putting her tongue on her aching entrance and observing her losing her dominating demeanor.
It was rare for her to receive pleasure unless she had lovers that had a woman-worshiping kink, but this felt different. With lovers like that, it was clear that they worshiped only her womanly body, but with Katia, it was clear that she wanted to pleasure her. That was made clear as she let her tongue ravage her, tasting every bit of her pleasure and her hot breath provided extra stimulation. Now it was Eris' turn to moan loudly as she did something she rarely did: she lost herself in lust. She was experienced enough to see feedings as a transaction rather than a pleasurable experience, but for a select few, she could consume herself with her own sin and ignore that she could get sick due to the overfeeding. That's how she felt with Bastille and now that's how she felt at this very moment.
Katia firmly held onto her thighs as she let her tongue enter her pussy and her fingers would stimulate her clit. Eris' back arched and her moans were the fuel to keep Katia going as she increased in intensity. It was almost too much for Eris and she could feel her eyes nearly rolling into the back of her head. "Putain! Ne t'arrête pas, mon amour," Eris exclaimed as she played with her breasts to increase the pleasure. Although Katia did not understand French, she could read the subtext in her tone and continued eating her out with voracity, as if she had only this moment to soak up every last ounce of her pleasure before it would disappear from her forever.
Surprising Eris, she felt herself about to climax. For a succubus like her, it was almost impossible for her to finish since even experienced lovers had a hard time figuring out just what she needed to reach this point. Her tolerance for pleasure was high and even if they made love all night or with multiple partners, she would be left full, but unsatisfied. And yet, this Reaper found her sweet spot on her first try simply because she wanted to make love to her and her alone. "Je vais jouir," Eris exclaimed as she climaxed as soon as she announced. Katia kept her mouth on her pussy, making sure to ride it out as she felt her body spasm around her and Eris moaned loudly. Any orgasm for her was intense and she found herself needing a minute to catch her breath.
Katia positioned herself next to her, cuddling up to her, giving her the time she needed to recoup. Though, Eris pulled her close to her as she said, "I'm not letting you escape from me."
"That's what you promised," Katia said before the two kissed for the final time on the bed.
Suddenly, they heard the ringing of a grandfather clock and Eris shot up from the bet. "Merde, I'm late for the presentation."
"You mean for the Aurora Society?" Katia said as she watched her put on the green dress on the floor, but soon realized it wouldn't work with the strings cut.
"Oui," she said as she quickly went to her closet to find another dress to wear.
"That means I have to get to work as well. We have a lot of souls to collect, though we are still unsure what the cause is."
Eris pouted, knowing exactly why, but not wanting to disclose that information. "Just be careful, all right?" she said as she found a purple dress and signaling Katia to help her tighten the strings. Katia got up from the bed and did as instructed, but wished she didn't have to leave so soon. Lilliana did the same after their steamy session at the library and was afraid this was all a ruse too.
As if reading her mind, Eris said, "I made a promise to you that you would feel the love you deserve and I intend to keep it. Our conflicting natures make it difficult, but not impossible."
"Then I look forward to seeing you again," she said with a giddy smile.
Eris kissed the top of her head as she finished getting ready and was about to leave the room, but before she closed the door, she said, "Just remember to call me Eris the next time we meet, tu comprends?"
"Yes, of course," Katia said as she watched her lover leave the room, certain that this wouldn't be the last time they would meet. Though, only Eris knew how they would meet again and the circumstances would not be favorable. All she hoped was that Katia could finally get over the woman who had hurt her and move on to someone who would truly love her.
Has the nightmare truly ended? Will Eris keep her promise to Katia? Who is Adrian mated to? Reviews are appreciated!