The Queen's Demon Pet (A Black Butler Fanfic)

Chapter Two

Screech, screech screech.

Sebastian and Ciel winced and Nightmare yowled at Sebastian's feet as Maria drew the bow away from the strings of the violin she was currently trying to play. Well, currently failing to play.

"Maybe the violin isn't my forte." Maria said, not frustrated at all by the fact that she had just failed miserably as she grinned at her musical pun.

"I can see that." Sebastian answered, still giving her a gentle smile even if she had just destroyed his eardrums.

"That was awful!" Ciel rubbed his forehead in exasperation, but they all knew he was trying to hide his smile.

"Almost as bad as your dancing skills?" Maria piped innocently, and Ciel scowled at her as she laughed and Sebastian chuckled.

A dull thud echoed through the house, and instantly all three tensed before realizing it was just the sound of the knocker being knocked against their front door. They didn't get visitors often, and they had never spoken to their neighbors before. Their whole neighborhood was a population of people who kept to themselves. Needless to say, the knocker didn't get used often.

"Were we expecting anyone?" Sebastian murmured lowly, and somewhat sarcastically. They never got visitors.

Maria and Ciel crowded behind Sebastian as they headed for the front door. He cautiously opened it, eyes warily scanning the empty doorstep before landing on a small package lying on the ground.

He brought it inside, shutting the door behind him quietly. Maria and Ciel crowded around the package like children gazing at their Christmas presents in curiosity and he shooed them back.

"It could be something dangerous." He warned, because not many people - supernatural or otherwise - knew they lived here. So who would deliver this? There was no name of the sender on the box anywhere.

"Open it." Maria nodded, looking serious.

Bringing out a butter knife from one of his many hidden pockets, he swiftly opened the small box.

Maria gasped, and Ciel cursed. Sebastian looked on in silence. It wasn't something you would see everyday in a package, that's for sure.

Inside lay a bloody cat paw and a bird mutilated almost beyond recognition. The only thing not covered in blood was the bird's set of wings.

Maria was focused on the cat paw. Who would do such a thing to a poor animal?

Reaching past all the carnage, Sebastian pulled out a piece of paper from the box and read it quickly before handing it to Ciel, who also read it.

"What does it say?" Maria asked after Ciel didn't immediately pass the paper on to her.

Finally he did and her eyes scanned the page:

First a kitten, then a bird, now a demon and next a ghost.

"Well whoever this was, they suck at poetry," Maria declared, trying to keep the mood light even though a grave blanket of seriousness settled over the three already. She continued reading.

From this day forth a bounty has been placed on your head, Maria Elrose. I'm coming for you. Papers are being scattered all over the supernatural world as you read this, papers with the news that a price is on your head. Dead or Alive, either way in the end you will die.