The Scourge of the Demon Hunters—Act 9

Once in the study Sebastian directed her to the sofa. “This will probably work best if you are laid down and relaxed,” he said, moving the cushions to make her more comfortable. He could see that she was shaking and grasped her hand gently, resisting the temptation to kiss her, he held her gaze as he explained what would happen.

“Just look into my eyes and focus on my voice. I will walk you through every step and wake you when it is done.”

As Sebastian spoke, her eyes grew heavy and the world around began to drift away. His voice guided her just as it had when he brought her back to consciousness; only this time, there was no darkness.

Louisa knew that she was speaking, describing the scenes in front of her, yet she felt as if she was really there, back with her mother and father. She was young, very young. Her mother was laughing. Her father, yes, it was her father, although different. Great leathery wings spread beneath her as she grasped his neck by the great black mane that moved with the wind as they flew above the earth. They were happy, so very happy, yet her mother’s heart was tinged with sadness and her father’s with fear and anger.

The scene changed and raised voices surrounded her. Her mother was crying, begging. She looked around; it wasn’t possible; they were at the Phantomhive manor, the study looked exactly as it did now. The man in the chair, so much like Ciel, only older. He was angry; he wanted her parents gone. They were appealing to him as a father, as the head of the family. She couldn’t hear the words, Louisa focused harder.

“You were given a choice, your family or him. The existence of that child changes nothing. In fact, it only damages the family name further.”

“But brother, the Order, our lives and that of our daughter, your niece. You are a father now, surely you can understand?”

“No, you are a disgrace to the family name. Father disowned you for running off with this commoner and the knowledge that he is a demon does nothing to redeem you, neither does the existence of that half-bred who is an affront to God. Now remove yourself from my presence and never darken my door again. Ciel will know nothing of you or your demonic little family. Is that clear? You are dead to me.”

Cousins, how had her parents kept this from her, how had Ciel’s father so easily removed them from the family? The questions raged through her mind as Louisa felt her mother’s anguish and her father’s anger. As she dwelt on those emotions, the pictures shifted. In quick succession, she relieved the night of her capture, the years of torment at the hands of the Order, and the final conversation with her father, only now she could hear everything, even the things he had hidden from her before.

“Louisa, my darling daughter. You must do whatever is necessary to escape this place. They have given you the skills you need to survive. Find the Phantomhive’s and hope that the son is not like the father. Even before you birth, I charged Malphas with your care in the event of my death. I have never called on him for fear of putting you and him in greater danger from the Order, but now if Ciel will not shelter you, find Malphas, in and my name remind him of his promise.”

In the study, Ciel sat pale and shocked at the revelations.

“My family did this.”

“No, my young Lord, not entirely; however, they may have made it easier for the Order to find them by denying them shelter and protection.”

“You are not helping Sebastian.”

“No, I guess not.” Said Sebastian, only half listening to Ciel as he tried to piece together his role on all of this. His brow furrowed as he realised just how much more complex his life had become. There was only one demon he had ever given an oath to, just one that had the power to command even Sebastian’s respect and devotion. It was the same demon who had remained in the human world to raise a child with the mortal he loved; that demon was Typhon, Louisa’s father.

“Are you even listening to me Sebastian? I said wake her up. I need to speak with her now.”

“Yes, my young Lord; however, I would strongly recommend that you leave the room before I do.”

“Why, may I ask?”

“She has just relived the death of her parents, her capture and torture by the Order, and discovered the role your family played in all of that. I cannot be confident of her state of mind when she wakes and therefore nor can I be sure of your safety. As it would now seem that I have an obligation to protect you both, that puts me in a very awkward position.”

Confused by the final part of Sebastian’s argument, Ciel prepared to disagree, but the look on Sebastian’s face clearly suggested that if he did not leave the room voluntarily, we would be removed like a naughty child.

“Fine,” he pouted. “But you will bring me back in as soon as it is safe.”

“Yes, my young Lord.”

Sebastian waited until Ciel had left the room and closed the door behind him. He returned to Louisa’s side, brushed away a stray hair that had fallen over her face and whispered, “I’m sorry I did not find you sooner. If he had called me, I would have come for you. I am here now.”

Removing his gloves, Sebastian took a few steps back, steadied himself, and began to bring her back.

Through the pain of the memories, Louisa heard Sebastian calling her back to the world. She listened to the voice and followed it home, but the comfort in it was swallowed by the pain, anger, and hatred that she felt. They could have saved them, protected them, protected her.

The change in her was immediate. Her eyes were jet black, talons replaced her fingers, sharp fangs protruded from her mouth, and leathery wings emerged from her back. Sebastian had never seen something so beautiful before, yet his Louisa was not there, not completely, the pain had shaped itself into a demon form that she had no control over.

She lunged at where Ciel had been sat only to find her path blocked. Sebastian drew himself to his full height and called forward his demon form. Black feathers tangled her wings, fierce red eyes bore down on her, while his hands grasped her shoulders, claws biting into the soft flesh. The sudden pain brought her back far enough to hear and recognise Sebastian’s voice. “Come back to me, my love. I did not lose you to death; I will not lose you to your hate and pain. Come back, and together we will defeat those that have wronged you.”

Light returned to her eyes and Sebastian released his grip on her shoulders. As both returned to their human forms, Louisa’s strength gave out. Sebastian caught her in his arms and held her close. Lowering her to the sofa, he sat with her, holding her tight in his arms as sobs shook through her entire body. As the sobs subsided, Sebastian lifted her head and wiped the tears from her face. She had returned to him completely.

“I’m sorry if I hurt you, my love,” he said, seeing the tears in the shoulders of her dress.

She smiled weakly; she had barely noticed the pain until now.

Looking at her intently, Sebastian continued, “I need your oath that you will do no harm to my young master.”

Louisa stared at him horrified, what had she done before Sebastian had brought her back to herself. Tears pricked her eyes as she contemplated the damage she could of caused. She voice shook as she tried to answer: “I wouldn’t. I didn’t, did I?”

“No, my love. But I do not know for sure what would have happened had I not been able to bring you back.”

“I mean Ciel no harm; he has been nothing but kind to me. He had no say in what happened; he did not even know I existed. I do not hold him responsible for the actions of his father. I was lost, confused, and so angry.”

“I am glad to hear it. We will need to work on your control. We cannot have your demon form popping out whenever it feels like it.” He smiled as he spoke, keeping his voice light.

“I did not know I had another form, my father’s form? I must have blocked even my happy memories of them until now.”

“Yes, I believe that the differences in your mark were designed as a seal, to suppress your form. To bury it deep inside you as you were taught to hate demons, it may have even played a role in suppressing those memories that would counter the teaching of the Order. Reliving those memories must have broken the seal, and everything that had been suppressed rose at once.”

“And, Malphas, that is you?”

“Yes, I have known your father for aeons, we have traversed both this and the underworld together spreading chaos.” Sebastian smiled wickedly at the memories that came flooding back. His expression became serious, almost dark as he continued. “I owed him my very existence and my oath to him was to return that favour and as a mark of the respect that I bore for him. I did not know of your capture nor his death. I would have come for you. That failing in mine.”

“No, you could not have known, not if he did not call out to you. And I would not be here, now, if things had been different.”

Sebastian stroked her cheek, brushing away the last remnants of her tears. He moved his hand to her neck and gently pulled her towards him. Louisa offered no resistance as he leaned in and kissed her, she returned the kiss with a renewed passion and urgency that made him want to forget everything and take her right there in the master’s study with him standing only inches from the door on the other side.

His hand slipped down her back as he moved his arm round to grasp her closer to him. As he did his hand tightened on her hip and she winced with pain. The movement was enough to pull them both out of the moment. Gathering his senses, Sebastian stood, took hold of her hand and kissed it. “Not yet, my demonic beauty, soon, but now I have duties to attend to, and I must allow the young master back into his study before he grows too impatient. You know how children can be.”

He grinned, straightened his jacket, and replaced his gloves before heading to the door.

“My young Lord, I believe it is safe for you to return now. I shall fetch the tea and return presently.”

“See that you do,” barked Ciel, clearly unimpressed at the time he had been made to wait.

Louisa barely noticed him enter the room, nor did she see the look of confusion on his face as he passed the black feathers that were scattered in front of the sofa where she sat. She was lost in thought, trying to understand everything that she had seen and felt. Would she really have tried to kill Ciel? What would Sebastian have done to stop her if he could not have brought her back? Sebastian, the one constant in her increasingly complex life. The demon charged by her father with her safety, the man she wanted in ways she really still wasn’t sure she even understood, the butler who answered her cousins every whim.

Ciel was completely lost for words; none of his lessons had ever prepared him for anything like this. How do you start a conversation with the cousin you didn’t know you had when your father is partly responsible for the death of her parents? He opened and closed his mouth several times, failing to come up with the right words; being speechless was an entirely new feeling for him.

The tense atmosphere was broken by the timely arrival of Sebastian with tea.

“My, my, what stern faces you both have, you both look as if you have lost rather than found family that you never knew you had. Should I make formal introductions between you, would that help.”

Ciel glared at Sebastian, wishing he would shut up, he felt horrible enough as it was, without Sebastian making light of the situation. He was just about to admonish the butler for his behaviour when he realised that Louisa was smiling. Ciel relaxed a little and let the comment slide.

It was Louisa that spoke first. “My Lord, I…”

“No”, burst Ciel “you are my cousin, there is no need for formal titles. I am just Ciel to you now.”

“If you are sure, Ciel.” She said, trying out the name hesitantly.

“Yes, I’m sure, and I must apologise for the actions of my father. He could have, no should have, overturned the family’s decision.”

“Even if he had, there is no saying what would have happened. They may have killed them too, taken you.” She stopped, considered for a moment as the reality hit her that Ciel had lost his parents anyway and had suffered in ways she still didn’t fully comprehend.

Louisa continued, “we cannot dwell on what could have been, you and I, we must live with what is and take everything from those who took from us.”

Sebastian smiled; he had feared that the actions of Ciel’s parents might have tempered his need for revenge. But the words of his cousin were likely to reignite that fire, even if only the smallest ember remained.

“Yes, you are right. I can right their wrongs by assisting you, and I may even find the answers I need along the way.” He paused before drawing himself up and removing his eye patch. “Sebastian, I have an order for you.”

“Yes, my Lord, I thought you might.”

“You will do everything within your power and the terms of our covenant to assist Louisa in finding and destroying the Order.”

“Yes, my Lord. I am as ever your faithful servant.” He marvelled at how much and how quickly his young Lord was learning. Remembering to restrain his actions by the covenant that stood between them kept them chained firmly together but also safeguarded Ciel’s soul until Sebastian had completed his end of their bargain.

Sebastian glanced at Louisa and caught her gaze, a slight smile crossed his face and his eyes danced. Their fire and intensity grasped her so completely that she barely heard what Sebastian said next.

“May I suggest that we begin by exploring the extent of Miss Louisa’s demonic powers and training her to use them properly.”

Ciel looked confused. His eyes flitted from Sebastian to Louisa and back to Sebastian, there was a tension between them unlike anything he had ever known. He would have understood fear, uncertainty, even mistrust, but this was something else and he was jealous of it, even without understanding exactly what it was. He knew that something strange had happened while he was out of the room, but he feared to ask. “Yes, yes,” he snapped. “I will leave that to you. Just leave the other servants out of it and do not burn down the manor.”

“As my Lord commands.”

Sebastian checked his watch. “In all the excitement, it would seem that I have fallen behind. If you excuse me, I will see to luncheon.”

In all that had just passed, Louisa’s only other thought was Ciel’s eye. Its intensity and colour were beyond human and the seal it contained was the same as that on Sebastian’s hand. She looked back to him, she needed to know; to know his truth.

Seeing her unease, Ciel replaced the eye patch. “You want to know? Are you sure?”

“Yes”

“Fine, but you must understand that it was my choice. I chose this freely and without reservation.”

Ciel told her of his parents’ death, his capture, the contract, its terms, and what would happen once Sebastian had completed his side of their covenant. He spoke dispassionately as if deals with demons were an everyday occurrence.

When he had finished, he said: “Do you understand? Can you accept the choice I made?”

Louisa sat for a moment, marrying together the man, no demon, that she had come to know and what would befall her cousin when his life came to an end. “Yes,” she said at last. “I understand.”

Neither had noticed Sebastian stood in the doorway. He coughed to announce his presence and entered. Luncheon is ready—should I serve it in here, my Lord?”

“Yes.” said Ciel.

“Excellent, my Lord. Miss Louisa, I do believe we should begin your instruction this afternoon. There is little to be gained by waiting.”

He watched her carefully, searching for signs of fear or repulsion to what she had heard. How much had her father really been able to teach her through their stolen conversations? If she could not come to terms with what Ciel had told her, then, well his life would be a little simpler but the light would be gone from it. Seeing nothing but understandable sadness, he relaxed. Louisa simply nodded her approval of his idea and gave him the smile that he had come to crave.