Episode 9 Continued - Ruthless
"If I consume your soul."
Sebastian kept the grip on my wrist, fingers wrapped around my skin tightly, but not injuring me in the slightest.
"What are you..." I just took a step back, and he let go of my arm, "what are you saying...?"
Sebastian watched me quietly before I pulled my wrist to my chest, rubbing the skin lightly.
"So you... you lied? The contract was a ruse?"
"I did not," Sebastian answered. "And it was not."
"Then what are you talking about?" I demanded shakily. "Sebastian... the... if what your implying is true, then your side of the contract has been eradicated! Therefore, it should've been broken!"
"Not necessarily," he answered, smiling gently, "if I accepted the terms without hesitation, knowing that my side of the contract will not be kept up by myself, then it still remains."
I took another step back, processing this. "But... you're hungry."
"I've been eating other souls," he answered then. "They're not as tasty as yours, but I'd rather have you alive then in my stomach. It makes me feel like a human again."
I just stared out in the distance, lips parting. "You're willing to risk that... for me?"
"Yes, my lord," his eyes were dark, "but for me, too. And I know... it's selfish of me to trick you into something like this, making you think that I'm doing this purely out of hunger, when in reality I had an ulterior motive."
I just gazed up at him. "I will die eventually, Sebastian... I'm... I'm human."
"I know," he said then, gazing up, "and if your last breath is inevitable, then I will take your soul then. I will not allow it to transfer to another lifeform knowing you'll relieve all this trauma in your childhood all over again."
I just stared. "The contract remains... until you eat my soul. It remains... until my death is inevitable. A death that won't be caused by you."
I stared down at my hand then, watching my fingers curl.
Sebastian was silent then, and I gazed up at him after a minute or two.
His eyes were focused elsewhere, though, and they were narrowed in suspicion.
"Cammie," he said then, looking over at her, "behind you."
I spun around, finding Cammie immediately standing and pulling a grenade out from her jacket.
But I scanned the area, trying to see what Sebastian was staring at.
Then I saw it.
In the thickened fog, a small figure roamed the field behind the house Cammie stood at, and he walked toward us at a slow pace, holding a leash to what looked like a dog.
I narrowed my eyes as Sebastian stepped in front of me, holding out an arm to shield me from their view.
"Sir?" Sebastian called then. "Can we help you?"
The figure just came out fully from the fog, uncovering his entire form as he gazed up at us.
His hair was dark... black, almost, and his skin was whitened and paled. He looked young, though... maybe no older than Sebastian—in his twenties—and he held the leash of a large, black dog, who looked very oddly calm when seeing new people.
"Can we help you?" the man echoed, stopping in an alleyway between houses as his dog sat at his side. "I live here, you idiots."
We all remained silent then, examining him.
"Who are you?" Cammie said finally, breaking the silence.
He gazed over at her in boredom. "Uh... my name is Edward. Edward Cennady."
"Edward?" I echoed in confusion. "Like the vampire?"
He sent me an amused look. "Yes, like the vampire."
I then gazed up at Sebastian to find him scanning the figure's form, and he eyed him head-to-toe before he gritted his teeth.
Sebastian suddenly caught my arm and pulled me backward, shoving me behind him. "You."
Edward gazed up then, brows raising. "You?" he echoed. "Do I know you?"
"Don't play games with me," Sebastian growled, eyes glowing a dark red. "Black hair, red eyes, purple nails. You're a demon."
I blinked then, breaths stilling.
A... demon? I thought I'd never see one other than Sebastian.
Edward stared for a moment before his face cracked a smile, and he laughed.
"Oh," he said then, chuckling darkly, "Sebastian. How painfully perceptive, you are. Although... I would expect nothing less of you."
He suddenly let go of the leash, and the dog just remained in place, staring at us. "So... is this your new victim? Yumi Phantomhive, is it? I was wondering when I'd meet her."
I just peeked my head out from over Sebastian's shoulder, but he just pushed me behind him again. "Not now, master."
I listened then, knowing it was a better idea because Sebastian knew these creatures better than I did.
"Is her soul as good as it smells?" Edward said then, stepping up to us as I kept myself behind Sebastian. "You find some really great treats, don't you, Sebastian?"
He remained silent, but I watched his form stiffen.
They knew each other... and not in a good way.
"I found her first," Sebastian said then, glaring. "Her soul is mine."
Edward just laughed. "Don't make such good jokes, Sebastian! My! It's crazy what you come up with!" He then gazed down at me, tipping his head to the side. "What's the point of claiming a soul when you're never going to eat it? Especially the good ones you pick out."
I just kept myself behind him, trying not to look afraid, but I feared I was failing.
"I want a better look," he said then, eyes glowing a dark red.
He suddenly vanished, and Sebastian flipped around and reached for my arm, but another force grabbed me first.
And I found myself in the air.
I screamed, arms flailing as the world fell out from under me, and I crashed with the ground, sliding across the cement.
The skin of my arms and palms sliced open, skimming blood along the paled sidewalk until I stopped sliding.
I breathed shakily, attempting to get up.
But Edward was there, in my face. "Hello, there, princess."
I slapped him across the face, hearing him grunt in protest.
He gazed down at me then, narrowing his eyes as a splatter of red covered the spot I hit.
The blood from my hand.
But his tongue slid gracefully up his lip, skimming along the side of his cheek... and disgust clouded through me when he licked up the blood I left like a snake.
He gasped then, eyes flashing a bright red and I could've sworn I heard his heartbeat echo through the town.
He gazed down at me then, pupils slitting like a cat's.
Oh, no.
But Sebastian suddenly appeared behind him, his entire figure malforming and deconstructing to feather-like shadows, his tailcoat waving in the air and splitting apart like a black fire.
He caught Edward by the back of his shirt and shoved him up, making his eyes widen when he brought his face to his.
Sebastian's eyes glowed a demonic red as Edward's grew in fear.
Sebastian just tightened his hold. "Get your slimy fingers off my DINNER."
He then threw him backwards, and Edward screamed, flying further and further back until he crashed with a house, and the ceiling caved in at the impact.
The entire street echoed a crash! and dust flew around us like a thick fog settled in.
Sebastian just stepped calmly in front of me, his being still malformed and a demonic shadow.
He just clipped his heels together, waiting patiently for Edward to strike again.
"Master, are you okay?" Cammie said, rushing toward me and kneeling down. "Oh, god... you're bleeding everywhere!"
But I was more focused on what was ahead of me.
The figure walking out from the cloud of dust.
Edward sent a toothy grin, eyes glowing a demonic red as he continued toward us. "Oh, my... so you never took Ciel's soul in the first place?"
Sebastian's form—a demonic shadow—grew with rage.
"I was hoping you didn't," Edward said then, licking another drop of my blood off his cheek.
He tipped his head back as another echo of a heartbeat boomed through the town, and his eyes glowed brighter.
"I've been craving it since we last met..." Edward explained breathlessly. "Yumi Phantomhive..." he said dangerously, "is what Sebastian's giving you worth all this? I can give you more. Much more. Anything you want... it is mendable."
I kept myself in the same position, feeling Cammie quickly assess my wounds as Sebastian's shadow distorted more.
"Cancel the contract," Edward said, eyes darkening, "and be mine instead."
I stood then, watching Sebastian glance back at me in warning.
The pupils in his eyes had vanished, now replaced with a bright red, and his skin was blackened now, covered in shadows and odd filthy textures.
He was pissed.
I looked to Edward then, eyes narrowing. "I am Sebastian's! I will never be yours, you lowly demon."
Edward's eyes darkened at my tone. "Such confidence and selfishness. I like you."
I just glared. "The contract between me and Sebastian is clear. He will remain faithful to me until he consumes my soul. The contract can never be broken on my side. The seal is on my eye, after all. Either way, I am Sebastian's, it is irreversable. Even if it wasn't, I would never reverse it. And that is final."
Edward just smiled darkly. "My, my... a victim so attached to its predator? Such an odd sight, indeed." He then glanced over at Sebastian. "Good luck. Because I want her. And I won't stop until I get her."
He then vanished, an echo of laughter burning through the deserted walls before it vanished into nothing.
Sebastian stared into the dusted streets for a moment, and slowly—over a course of a minute—his demonic image lessened and formed back into his person.
He continued watching the streets in a sudden numbness before he turned and gazed down at me.
My brows drew together.
He was expressionless... I couldn't tell what he was thinking.
He just knelt down in front of me before he picked up my arm and guided it around his shoulder, and seconds later, he was carrying me back to the car.
Cammie followed, now oddly quiet.
I set my head on his chest, lashes lowering when I felt the wounds on my hands sting, but I tried my best to ignore them.
I just stared at his shoulder, breathing softly as we finally made it to the car, and I closed my eyes.
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