“Are you ready yet?” Sebastian waited impatiently for Kat to appear, they really had to be going or they would be at this all night.
Not a prospect that appealed to him.
Tonight would be the night that the mad man abducting the young women off the streets would end; everything had been put into an agreed, grudgingly on Sebastian’s part, plan of action.
“I’m here, are you ready?” Kat appeared in a swirl of blue skirts, her “costume” for the evening.
She does clean up rather well, Clearing his throat he turned away, “Of course I’m ready, come along.”
He could hear the fabric rustling as she fairly ran to catch up, he called over his shoulder, “I do hope you know that real young ladies don’t run like that.”
“I hope you know that what I was doing shouldn’t be considered running, in these death contraptions, it should be considered attempted suicide.” She mumbled a curse about mad shoe smiths and idiotic women.
“I don’t believe that is very ladylike either.”
She cursed even more fluently, saying something that would make a hardened sailor blush and Sebastian smiled, maybe tonight wouldn’t be so bad after all.
_______________________________________________________________
Maybe tonight would be the worst night of all, her feet aching Kat yelled curses mentally each time the carriage hit a rut in the road. She had a feeling that Sebastian was doing it on purpose, not his fault she supposed; she was the one who had told him she sometimes got sick while riding in carriages, knowing that he hadn’t been for this plan from the start.
And if she did get sick, it would be enough for him to call it off, and they’d be going back home, empty-handed.
I don’t know why he’s so against it though, it is a very simple plan. I, posing as a young lady, will walk about London on the less…savory streets to try and attempt to draw our prey into the light. Sebastian will tail me at a distance to make sure nothing goes wrong. It’s actually very simple.
Which is why it confused her to no end, why it bothered him, he should have no problem with it surely.
They hit another rut in the road, making Kat’s head bounce painfully off the side panel. She massaged the area gently, directing a hostile glare in Sebastian’s direction; he would pay for that later.
______________________________________________________________________
Sebastian checked his watch, a quarter to midnight and nothing. “Kat, I believe we should call it a night.” He said quietly, but Kat, who was ten feet ahead of him, replied easily, “Are you sure? The really bad guys don’t come out into after midnight.”
“You’re right on that one, honey. Want to come to my place? It’s dangerous for a pretty little thing like you to be out here.” A drunk who had stumbled out of a bar leered at Kat, making Sebastian’s blood boil. Before he could stop himself he rapidly closed the distance between himself and Kat, and draped his arm possessively over her shoulders, “I am sorry my dear man, but I believe she will have to politely decline.” His demon powers surged as he saw a spark of defiance in the man’s eyes. Go ahead, try it, I will disembowel you within seconds.
The man seemed to sense his precarious position and backed down, stumbling back into the bar.
“Well, that was rather heroic of you.” Sebastian looked down startled at a Kat who grinned up at him, “If you aren’t careful people might think you like me or something.”
“Preposterous, there’s no reason to think such a thing. You are my colleague that is as far as the ‘like’ goes.”
Kat didn’t say a word, merely arched a brow at the arm that still wrapped around her shoulders.
“Oooo, Bassie, you really do know who to hurt someones feelings don’t you?”
Oh, gods, no, anyone but him, I’ll even put up with the dog…just not him.
_________________________________________________________________________
Kat’s eyes automatically went to who had spoken, taking in the tall red haired man who perched upon the roof of a parked carriage. As she watched he jumped down and made his way over to them.
“Bassie, how long has it been, really? Still as handsome as ever. Would you rethink my proposal, pretty, pretty please?”
Sebastian stood stiffly at her side; she could feel the tenseness in his body as he spoke, “Not on your life.”
The red haired man pouted, “You really are no fun Bassie.” His eyes lit upon Kat, “And who is this? A love rival? Well let me tell you, if you think you’re going to steal Bassie away from me, I just may have to kill you.”
Hold on, Kat glanced up at Sebastian, is he really that kind of guy? And you think you know people…
She smiled politely, “Don’t mind me, you have nothing to worry about, as you can see I’m not his type, obviously.” This seemed to calm the man, he extended a hand in greeting and smiled, revealing a set of jagged teeth, “Well, hello then I am Grell, Reaper extraordinaire.”
Kat smiled weakly and shook his hand, what weirdness had she signed on for? “Nice to meet you, I’m Kat.”
He squealed, and seized her from Sebastian’s grip, “Such a cute name! I’m happy I don’t have to add you to the to-die list yet, I believe we will become good friends.”
“Reaper Grell, I believe you have work to be doing.”
Grell squealed again, “Oh, Will, I have just met the most fascinating girl, with the cutest name!” A tall man appeared out of the shadows to stand beside Grell.
The newcomer was tall with dark hair, and a professional look that shone through with his glasses and rigid posture. “Reaper Grell would you like to be demoted even further?”
This quieted the rambunctious red head for a moment, “Oh, Will you really are no fun, well, some other time Bassie, bye Kat.” With that he disappeared in to the night, doing god knows what.
The man called Will straightened his glasses before turning to address them, “I apologize for…” he hesitated as he caught sight of Kat but quickly recovered, “apologize for Reaper Grell’s behavior, he truly is unfit to be called a Reaper.”
“It’s perfectly fine, just keep him away from me.” The long silent Sebastian stepped up behind Kat.
The atmosphere grew tense, Will’s eye’s glittered brightly with something Kat couldn’t identify, “and what is someone like you doing in a place like this? Not inquiring about the missing girls I hope, if you are that has nothing to do with you.”
Sebastian bowed sarcastically, “I’m afraid that I am only doing as my Master ordered me to.”
_________________________________________________________________________
Sebastian watched Will through the bangs that hid his own glittering red eyes from view, he held the Senior Reaper with no degree of like. He tensed when he felt the air change around them, is he summoning his weapon?
The demon inside him flared to life again, at the possibility of battle. But before it could fully awaken it was put back in its slumber…by a human.
Kat slid in between the two of them; he could sense her anger, “Who do you think you are?” She actually dared to confront the otherworldly being in front of her, “Who are you to say who can help those girls and who can’t?”
“He is not here to help them I can assure you that.” Will replied coolly, the aura of impending battle dissipated.
“Oh, yeah?” Sebastian could only imagine the flashing blue fire that would light Kat’s eyes now, he pitied the Reaper. “Well are you Sebastian? Do you know what every thought and feeling of his are? I didn’t think so, so don’t assume things.”
Will took a step back before regaining his composure, “I can assure you Miss, I have a very good idea of what his kind thinks and does. Anyone who kills is not worth any level of trust. The fact that something like that has a friend is a marvel indeed.”
“Really?” Her voice was soft, “Not worth trusting?”
Will shook his head, “No, not anything if you ask me.”
“I see. Well it was nice meeting you. Sebastian?”
“Yes?” Why did the mood suddenly change?
“I’m going to wait in the carriage.” She brushed past him without meeting his eyes and without another word made her way back to the carriage.
“Did I say something to anger her?” Will gazed after Kat, sounding truly contrite.
“I believe it is obvious that you have.”
Will fidgeted, “I would like to apologize, I hope I did not hurt her feelings. I would also like to know what I said that upset her.”
“That won’t be necessary; she is not as weak as to be hurt by your words. Now if you will excuse me, I will take her home.” He paused before leaving, “You should know that she took personally your words for a reason, and even though they may not hurt her they are not very polite to repeat. The things she has done in her past I believe still haunt her and while she I trust she did not do the willingly, or take any enjoyment out of it, they still plague her. So do her the favor of staying away.”
_________________________________________________________________________
“I believe that that was a productive venture wouldn’t you say?” Sebastian clucked to the trotting horses, urging them forward even more quickly.
His reply, came back weakly, “Yes.”
“Are you alright, I have been trying to keep it slow, but if you are feeling ill let me know I can slow down.” When she didn’t answer he pulled the horses back, slowing them. “Kat, are you sick?” She didn’t answer again and he fully reined the horses in.
He put the brake on and jumped down to open the side door, “Kat, if you are ill I would prefer if…if…” She had her back to him, sitting sideways on her seat, her shoulders shook slightly. No, it couldn’t be…could it? “Kat look at me,”
Her pinned back hair rippled in the moonlight as she shook her head. Sebastian sighed, he was being ridiculous, if she was sick she wouldn’t want him to see her like that, on one with any sense of pride would.
So instead he quietly shut the door and went to the other side, regardless if she didn’t want herself to be, he couldn’t leave her like this. He opened the door, “Kat I would…” He trailed off as he took in the sight before him.
Diamond like droplets ran down her cheeks, making her hair stick to her face in the places where it had touched her tear damps skin. Her eyes were bright and puffy. She is crying…”Kat?” He reached forward hesitantly.
She pulled away from his touch, “Don’t look at me, I don’t want anyone to see me like this. So weak”
Weak…I suppose it is rather weak for someone like her to cry like an infant, ridiculous really. His first instinct was to leave her as she had asked and to continue home, but oddly, another urge swept through him. To wipe the tears away that stained her delicate features and to comfort her, kill whoever had made her cry like this.
And to be frankly put this second instinct worried him, he should have thoughts only for his master, no one else should matter enough that he should care whether or not they cried. Slightly startled, he realized he had reached forward to touch the bowed head of the weeping girl, his hand hung in mid air for a moment in indecision. Was it so wrong to care for someone other than his master? After all his master wouldn’t be around forever, as soon as the contract was through he would be gone. Was it so wrong to take care of someone else?
He clenched his hand into a fist, for the moment it appeared that it was. There was no one as important as the young Earl and no one could come between the Earl and his Butler.
So he quietly shut the door and urged the horses towards home where he could put some distance between himself and Kat, and have some time to think on things, some much needed time to think at that.
______________________________________________________________________________
Hey everyone sorry this chapter is the way it is, it just kinda wrote itself this way, but I promise there will be answers in the next chapter, along with a few other suprises. Vote, Fan, Comment, and I will do the same plus dedicate.
-Shadowquill