Flame (Sequel to Green Eyes)

chapter three

With a sigh, Amber flicks her book shut, her eyes wandering around the library. It is large and empty, with towering bookshelves and a crackling fire burns in the heath. Each book has a leather binding and everything is strangely coated in a thick layer of dust. With a sigh, she turns back to her book: Macbeth.

"Did you find anything?" Amber jerks away from the book, her chair tipping back. She leaps to her feet as it falls over, landing on the ground with a thump. "Sorry! Did I scare you?" Ronald's face comes into view, his wide eyes showing genuine concern. Amber can feel the blood rush to her cheeks as she watches Ronald pick up the fallen chair, his movements as bold and aerodynamic as an eagle. Madaline is right; everything about him is cute..."Well, did you?" Amber stares at him blankly, her heart hammering against her ribs.

"Huh?" Ronald chuckles and Amber's flush deepens.

"I asked you if you found anything, you know, like suspects or evidence..." He sets the chair on it's feet and tucks it under the table.

"Nothing really." Amber admits warily, running a hand through her golden hair, "Just a really energetic roommate." Ronald drops his head in a quick nod and Amber can't help but notice how fine his features look in the flickering firelight. Her gaze drifts to his shoulder and she frowns, "Where's Grey?" Her eyes grow wide, "Don't tell me you left him with the servants! The cook has a flame thrower!" Ronald chuckles again and raises his hand. A tiny grey head appears over the hem of his sleeve and Amber stifles a laugh.

"Yeah, don't tell my roommate." Ronald says sheepishly as Grey leaps onto a table, "I don't think he would approve; he doesn't seem like an animal person." Grey explores the table, sniffing Amber's book, "What are you reading?" Ronald inquires, watching as Grey nibbles the edge of the cover. He leans forward and Amber shivers when his breath hits her skin, "Macbeth." He says, seizing in the silver pattern on the cover; a sword. Amber watches him as he traces a swirl with his finger, "Lots of tragedy and betrayal."

"Don't forget blood and death." Amber tears her gaze away from Ronald and then she sees a silhouette with pale silvery-white hair and dead black eyes. His hands are covered in blood and a psychotic grin is on his lips. Something about him is familiar...

"Johnathan..." Ronald hisses through his teeth.

Wrinkling his nose in disgust, Ciel shoves the door to The Undertaker's funeral parlor open, Inspector Abberline and Sebastian following a couple paces behind him. The young Earl is instantly hit with the overwhelming stench of death and decay as he warily steps into the dimly lit room. If anyone knows about murders and deaths, it would be The Undertaker.

"Undertaker?" He calls out, his voice bouncing off the walls jarringly. The place is littered with coffins and beady red rat-eyes stare at him from the dark shadows. Ciel can feel Abberline move next to him, shoving by Sebastian. The demon glowers silently, his tall figure radiating dark energy. Abberline scurries over to Ciel, unaware of Sebastian's sharp glares.

"I-I don't think h-h'e here." The dark haired Inspector stammers, clutching his beige hat to his chest. Ciel gives the man a side-long glance.

"Nonsense." He says, watching as Inspector Abberline trembles madly, his teeth chattering, "The sigh said that this place is open so he must be present. Undertaker!" The coffin nearest to Abberline flies open and the Inspector gives a shout, jumping back into Sebastian. Abberline pales and jerks away, muttering apologizes under his breath.

"Well, well, well..." The Undertaker sits up in the coffin, swaying from possible vertigo, "What do we have here?" He turns to Ciel and giggles madly, moving around in the coffin restlessly, "Oh, it's you young Earl! And you brought friends!" He turn his face to Sebastian and the to Abberline. Abberline's body tenses and he clenches his jaw in fear, however, Sebastian gazes boldly at the strange, ditzy man, his expression mildly amused.

"We need information Undertaker." Ciel says, glancing around the silent room. It is truely dark and dirty.

"Oh how boring!" The Undertaker whines, examining his long, black fingernails, "You always want information! Why not we just settle for some...tea!" The Undertaker reaches into the folds of his robe, pulling out a bone shaped object. He offers it to Cie, "Biscuit?"  Cile glares at The Undertaker in disgust, his teeth flashing in an angry scowl.

"Information!" Ciel demands, his voice rising, "Now!"

"My Lord..." Sebastian says in a flat tone. He had moved closer to Ciel during the young Earl's outburst, "If I do remember correctly, The Undertaker doesn't simply toss around information."

"That is right my dearies!" Tossing the biscuit over his shoulder, The Undertaker leaps out of the coffin with ease, landing on the grimy ground. Particles of dust rise into the air and Ciel chokes back a sneeze, "There is a price!"

"How much?" Ciel turns to Abberline, surprised that the Inspector would speak up now, after being silent for so long.

"There is no price." Ciel mutters, his eye still on the giggling Undertaker.

"But Ciel, he said that there was one." Abberline says, the confused frown evident in his voice.

"Allow me to explain Inspector." Sebastian says in a calm tone, "When The Undertaker asked for a price, he did not mean money but laughs."

"Yes! Laughs! Wonderful, wonderful laughs!" The Undertaker throws his arms into the air, revealing strange scars on his hands and arms. Ciel frowns, staring at the stitch-like patterns decorating the man's skin. All too soon, The Undertaker drops his arms and the scars are concealed by the billowing folds of his robe, "Tell me a joke! Make me laugh!" He sings happily. Ciel turns away from The Undertaker, his blue eye landing on his butler.

"Sebastian, make him laugh." He demands, the contract mark on his concealed eye burning as it usually does when Ciel gives Sebastian a command, "This is an order." Sebastian flashes Ciel a dangerous grin, his eyes gleaming crimson. Ciel can hear Abberline yelp as he stumbles away from Sebastian, stumbling over his own feet in the process. Sebastian bows, the grin still plastered on his angular face.

"Yes, My Lord."

Ronald tenses, his eyes not leaving the fallen angel. His hand creeps to his sleeve, his fingers wrapping around the hilt of a knife; Amber may not know that a mouse isn't the only thing he keeps up his sleeve...He can sense Amber's confusion due to her lack of memories and his form becomes rigid. He can see the fire in Johnathan's black eyes as the fallen angel studies the two of them. The corners of his lips tug downwards when he looks at Amber, a flash of disappointment appearing on his face.

"I thought I killed you." He says plainly, and Ronald is surprised at how ordinary Johnathan's voice sounds; very contained and smooth. Johnathan rests his fingers against his temples, dropping his eyelids shut. In the firelight, his skin appears to be the colour molten lava, "I guess I didn't stab you properly." Johnathan drops his hand, grinning maniacally, his eyelids flicking open, "Shall I try again?"

sooooooooo sorry for the late update I was busy...

Well, here's chapter 3. Hope you guys like it :)

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

TheAngelOfMusic27