The Demons Bride (Black Butler)

chapter 37

This type of text is normal.

This is thoughts and cinematic records.

This is demonic speech.

This is thoughts and demonic speech.

[This is functions for the start and end of cinematic records.]

                                                                       Butler, Married. Bride, Bonded

Marianne sat in the ashes of the Phantomhive mansion, waiting for Sebastian and Ciel to return. Her foot tapped against the floor, getting black soot all over her boots. The afternoon sun shone in the sky, and the cool air of the end of winter and the budding of spring was coming. The trees were beginning to flourish with new green leaves, and were dusted with pink flower petals. She twisted the ring on her finger, the red jewel glowing vibrantly in the light. Her hand ran through her hair as she stared out at the horizon, hoping to catch sight of Sebastian's distinctive silhouette. It wasn't long before she spotted him approaching. A cold feeling settled in the pit of her stomach, despite the fact she could make out the shape of Ciel's body being carried in the demon's arms. Marianne stood up when he stepped on the ashes of the mansion.

"Sebastian!" she gasped.

The sight of his left arm, back where it was supposed to be and working as though it hadn't been cut off by an angel, it was disconcerting. She took it all in her stride as she approached him and stroked her hand down the length of it.

Marianne then caught sight of Ciel, and his blank eyes. She saw his chest moving, that he was still breathing, but he didn't respond to anything, not even when he cupped his cheek and stroked his hair out of his eyes.

"What happened? Why isn't he responding?" she asked.

Sebastian shook his head, adjusted his hold on Ciel, and ran a finger over the boy's pallid skin.

"Another demon intruded on us. They were unaware of the changes I made to the contract, for him to be our demon child upon its completion. They must have slipped in and taken his soul while I was missing my seal. The contract was temporarily void while it was missing from my body," he explained. "The only consolation we have right now is that because it was temporary, and my seal returned with the regrowth of my arm, they cannot eat it because he is still marked as my prey."

Marianne took a deep breath through her nose, and released it slowly.

"What do we do?" she asked. "Can we even have our ceremony without Ciel there?"

Sebastian surveyed the damage to the mansion, going through everything he needed to put right.

"Right now, we need to restore the mansion. The servants are in the hospital, or we will have privacy for a while. I want to get the mansion back in good working order, and then we can proceed with the next steps. We cannot have our child in such a state without him in his own bed."

The girl nodded.

"Alright, I'll let you get started. I'll look after Ciel while you work."

Sebastian placed the boy in her arms, and she sat down on the grass. She laid Ciel on the ground with his head in her lap. Her fingers raked through his hair as she watched Sebastian remove his gloves with his teeth, and set to work.

Sebastian used his demonic power to restore the mansion to its former glory, from the bricks and mortar, to the marble floors, to the intricate cracks that had weathered the building for so many Phantomhive generations. It was like it had never been burned down. Twice. He looked over his shoulder at Marianne and Ciel as he pulled his gloves back on; the sad aura emanating from his mate was almost too much for him to bear, but he felt her determination burning through. He resolved to do the same. The demon walked back to them, gathered the boy into his arms, and, with Marianne's arm looped through his, they strode inside their home once more, their footsteps echoing on the stone steps leading up to the front door.