Episode 43 - The father
“Eileen, kill her.”
My servants moved to fighting positions, pulling out their weapons and slamming their feet in place.
I gazed over immediately in shock, finding a small doll-like creature stepping out from the shadows.
My eyes widened, when a short girl with long, pink hair, and numb, blue eyes came out from the shadows. I recognized that bright hair, the sphere-like elbows and knees replacing her limbs, the spikes coming out from the top of her head… like charging cords, and lastly… the emotionless eyes. The lifeless eyes.
“I’m sorry,” Eileen said quietly, stepping forward and dragging the other foot behind her, “did you ask something, madam?”
Claudia just glared at me. “I said to kill her. That girl there, do you see her?”
Eileen glanced around, head lopped to the side as if her neck was broken, but she still looked confused. “Which girl, madam? There’s lots of girls, and there’s…” she blinked at Grell and her eyes trailed down his long, red hair, “guys that look like girls.”
He just glared. “Hey!”
“The Phantomhive girl, you idiot!” Claudia snapped. “The black-haired one! Kill her!”
Eileen gazed up at me then, and I clutched onto Sebastian tightly, trying to keep myself steady as he held me.
“But I like her,” Eileen argued. “She was nice to me.”
“What?” Claudia snapped then. “She was never nice to you! What are you talking about?!”
I blinked and narrowed my eyes, confusion swirling inside me.
She… still had a mind of her own? She wasn’t even alive, but she still had feelings?
“She came to say hello,” Eileen said then, gazing over at Claudia. “At that abandoned town. She was the first to talk to me.”
“I said to kill her,” Claudia glared then. “Are you going to disobey your creator?”
Eileen gazed down then, looking genuinely sad. “Why must I? I don’t like hurting my friends.”
Grell just made an impatient sound. “I’m sick of this.”
He revved the engine of his chainsaw then, making my eyes widen.
He then laughed and swung it at Eileen, and I reached out as well as Claudia. “NO!”
But he sliced through her entire upper body, cutting her cleanly in half, and she looked shocked for a moment before her body fell apart and dropped to pieces on the floor.
I breathed shakily, hand shaking as I reached out to her, but none of her blood splattered on my face. None of her bones chipped the floors.
Her insides were gone… her skin just a hollow mesh of flesh.
Sebastian caught my arm and pulled it back down, lightly running his thumb along my muscles to calm me.
But she… she still had a personality. She was still somewhat alive. And he just killed her all over again.
Claudia breathed shakily, a small light of fire burning deep in her eyes as she continued reaching out, but Edward did nothing to calm her. He stood there… like a statue, numb and emotionless.
I clenched my teeth, closing my eyes tightly.
“She was…” Claudia said quietly, “she was my ultimate… she was so perfect... I needed her...."
I just lowered my eyes to Sebastian’s chest, hoping to rid of this dark feeling deep inside.
“You took her from me,” Claudia said then, voice cracking. “Is this what you wanted? Is this everything you dreamt of? She was going to have a perfect life… perfect… everything.”
“And yet you decided to send your favorite creation to destroy my master?” Sebastian said then. “Risking Eileen’s life anyway? It seems as if you need to get your priorities straightened, Claudia.”
Claudia gritted her teeth. “Shut up. All of you. None of you understand me. She was mine. She was MINE.”
But Claudia just dashed forward, and I could almost see the anger bursting around her life fireworks. “YOU BITCH!” she cried then, making my breath suck in. “YOU SELF-SERVING BITCH! I HATE YOU!”
“Madam, NO!” Edward yelled then, reaching out for her.
But it was too late.
Sebastian shot his hand forward, catching Claudia’s face right in his palm as his fingers wrapped around the sides of her head.
She blinked for only a second.
He then bent his fingers inward, crushing her skull like it was made of Styrofoam.
I watched as her blood splattered all over my face like red paint.
And suddenly, Sebastian just opened his mouth, inhaling sharply as a small light came from her broken features and swarmed forward.
It then entered his mouth, and Edward screamed in agony, rushing toward us.
But it was already done, and the light vanished into Sebastian like a swarm of fire doused in water.
Sebastian just closed his mouth and his eyes, licking his lips as he parted his lashes angrily. “Tasty. I haven’t had one that bitter in a while.”
He let go, and Claudia’s body clattered to the ground, lifeless…
Faceless.
Edward gazed up then, teeth gritting as he seethed. “You demon… SHE WAS MINE.”
Sebastian just held onto me. “I don’t recall you claiming her, Edward. You signed no contract with her, therefore her soul never belonged to you. Have you never learned that?”
He just gritted his teeth and gazed down at me. “You think everything belongs to you? How come you always get the good ones, HUH? HOW COME?”
“Admit it, Edward,” Sebastian said as I remained silent, breathing shakily. “You never wanted Claudia’s soul. You wanted Yumi’s. You just joined Claudia because you knew her antics would attract Yumi’s attention. Claudia was just a midnight snack, wasn’t she?”
Edward just glared, eyes glowing a dark red. “You will pay for this.”
“I don’t think I will,” Sebastian said then, lashes lowering.
“Phantomhive will be mine,” Edward hissed.
“She never will,” Sebastian said then, smiling now. “You must accept that.”
I just lowered my lashes, staring down at his chest.
“I think it’s about time we end this,” Sebastian said then, “don’t you, master?”
“Yes,” I said quietly.
He lightly pushed my head, so it pressed to his neck, and I gave into him. “I would agree, also. Let’s play a fair game, hmm, Edward? You and I meet in the courtyard outside the back, and we fight to the death. It’s only fair.”
“And whoever wins gets Yumi’s soul,” Edward said darkly, lashes lowering.
“Indeed,” Sebastian said then, “my master loves games. So how about we make this entertaining for her.”
I just gazed up at him, wondering what he was planning.
He looked down at me. “Doesn’t that sound absolutely pleasant?”
“Yes,” I said then, “indeed, it does.”
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