Silent But Deadly [Black Butler]

Chapt. 39 ~ Deal With The Devil

"Claude," Mute made herself known as she appeared in the dining hall of the Trancy Manor. Hannah, Timber, Thompson, & Canterbury were seated while Claude was standing on the table. It wasn't that long ago when he murdered his master and Hannah had taken the boy's eye. "Where is it?" Mute glared, her eyes shining yellow.

 

"Whatever do you mean?" He teased with a smirk. He knew why she was here. Her glare darkened the room. She was in no mood for riddles and jokes. 

"Alois's soul. Give it to me." 

"And if I don't?" Claude raised a brow out of amusement. 

"I'll tear you apart." Her voice laced with venom.

"I must say, you care awful a lot about this one particular soul. You have been from the very beginning, and I cannot help but wonder why. You desperately wish to save this boy's soul, and for what?" Claude hopped down from the table and made his way towards Mute. He held up Alois's ring and continued, "What do you mean to do with his soul if I hand it over to you?"

"...You don't plan to devour his soul... What do you plan to do?" Her guard had lowered just a little. The look in Claude's eyes told her that something sinister was planned up his sleeve. But she couldn't pinpoint what that plan was yet. 'I need to get that ring.' Mute turned her gaze back to the ring in Claude's hands. 

"Answer my question first, then I will gladly answer yours. Fair trade?" Claude said with a sly smirk curling onto his lips. 

"I am going to save that boy, like I told you." She repeated herself from the beginning. "I am going to free Jim. You will not have his soul." Mute shook her head, implying the last bit of her sentence. Claude's eyes went wide when she used Alois's real name. 

"Hmm... Clever girl. It's like you know exactly what I plan to do with this boy's soul. So eager to free a soul that is not worth a damn." 

"Claude..." Mute's voice darkened with her eyes slowly began to drift into her demonic ones, and the room began to dark and the room's temperature dropping rapidly. Before Claude, or any of the other demons could react, Mute dove for the ring and snatched it out of the butler's hands, holding it close to her chest. But she didn't run. She knew she couldn't escape Claude. Not with reinforcements surrounding. If Mute were to make a run for it, a chase would begin. 

"Even if you were to run now, I will still chase you until I have that soul returned to me, and I don't think you enjoy a game of Cat & Mouse. So, I offer a deal." The demon smirked while taking a single step towards the kneeling woman. 

"What deal? ... I have no soul to offer." Mute glared. 

"Oh, no. It's not your soul, my dear. Something as that wouldn't even occur to me." Claude walked around Mute and stopped in front of her with the same smirk never leaving his lips. 

'Then what does he want?' 

"Become my Mate." The way the word 'mate' rolled off his tongue couldn't help the visible shiver od disgust leave Mute' body. "And I will allow you to keep the human boy's soul. I will not devour it, that I can swear on. The boy's soul...as an exchange to be mine." He leaned over and whispered the last word. Mute leaned back and hissed in denial, but then frowned. 

"I cannot do that even if it were possible... It would be a dead-end deal. Sebastian-" 

"Is not your mate when he has not claimed you. Not yet." 

"The definition of claiming for you demons is not something I am familiar with. Marking me won't be as simple as you think when I am not like your kind." She reminded him. 

"There are other ways of marking our territory, and you do not have much time to think about this, My Lady~ If you do not take my offer, I will take back the soul and continue forward with my plans, involving Ciel Phantomhive." 

"What?"  She blinked. 

"Before you entered, I originally plan to use Alois's soul to have Ciel Phantomhive. However, if you agree to the terms of my offer, I will not go after Ciel Phantomhive and allow you to do whatever you wish with His Highness's soul." It sounded almost too good to be true. Claude won't go after Ciel and she can still save Alois. But, she would also belong to Claude... She didn't have much time to reflect on her thoughts. "Time is ticking, Milady." It was like he knew what her answer was going to be. 

"No." Slowly her head tilted up to meet Claude's gaze. "I refuse."

Mute screamed out a cry when Claude grabbed her by the throat and pinned her to the floor. The impact caused Mute to let go of the ring. When she looked at Claude again, heh had d dangerous look in his eyes. His patience had run thin. Th patience for Mute to come crawling to him on her own free will. But, who's to say he was the one to play fair? 

"Even after offering you a deal as simple and easy as that, you still refuse me. The force I have to use against you!" He shouted with fiery while tightening his grip. Mute whimpered and clawed at his gloved hand, attempting to have him release his hold on her. "You are the most stubborn creature, but you also amuse me so much, my dear." Claude's wicked smile returned. "As I said before, there are other ways of marking territory." 

"What are you going to do to me?" Mute croaked out still struggling. 

"Meaningless questioning." Claude ignored her question and pulled her up off the floor then dragging her to a guest bedroom. His grip on her throat never loosened. 

"Claude, stop!" 

"Stop what?~" He chuckled and pinned her to the bed as the two got into a rough struggle. 

"Stop!... Wait!... Please! We have a deal!" 

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Now now, there's more to come. No need to fuss over the last words :3 Sorry to make it short. Life is busy and we can all live once :( Hopefully I will try to update as much as I can (when I use to) when life isn't throwing literal dumpster fires at me XD Anyway, thank you so much for reading and I will see you in the next chapter!