Comforting Darkness

Chapter 57: The Tutor, Siege

The thick woods surrounding the Phantomhive manor were the perfect cover for the small but quite formidable group lurking in the shadows, waiting for important information that would determine their course of action. It was close to midnight of the 13th of December, the cold was quite harsh and Snake's snakes took too long to return.

"Do you think everything will be over by dinner time? Will we be able to celebrate young master's birthday?" Finny asked, as he kept blowing in his cupped palms in an effort to warm his hands as he and the others were hiding behind some bushes, watching the quite dark manor.

Mey-Rin lowered her glasses to her eyes as she turned to him. "Finny, you know Mr. Sebastian asked us to forget what day follows... especially this year, as he stressed."

Finny sighed sadly. "I know, but... it is so sad..."

"Finny, when a person is forced to move against their siblings is a sad situation by definition... It's best if it never happens, but..." Bard shrugged his shoulders, showing how much he agreed with the blond gardener but at the same time accepted things as they were.

All three sighed filled with compassion for their master, and perhaps even taking upon themselves to feel the sadness and grief he was not allowed to. Snake did not comment, but his silver eyebrows furrowed and his slim lips turned downwards expressing how he agreed with his fellows. Selina's gloved hand squeezed Finny's shoulder encouragingly as she crawled closer to them, bringing four cups of hot tea to keep them warm.

"Bard is right... Some things should never happen but are beyond our power to prevent them, so all we can do is keep struggling to straighten them up and don't forget, that's what we do here. We might be against young master's own brother but in reality he is just an empty shell manipulated by a... deranged genius." Selina also sighed, saddened by how the situation had turned out. "Tonight is the first step in reinstating our master in the position he worked so hard to gain and maintain, but we still have a long road ahead us... so we better wait to celebrate when everything is back to how they were... or close to how they were."

She smiled to all four, patted Finny's shoulder and crawled back to where young master was trying to warm himself in front of the flames of a ridiculously small fire, so that it would go unnoticed, Sebastian had somehow managed to light and prepare tea, necessary for everyone to avoid freezing to death.

"Are they still sad for not being able to celebrate?" Sebastian whispered in the woman's ear, as she settled beside him and passed her a cup of steaming tea. She nodded accepting the cup and saw total displeasure in the demon's face; these imbeciles disappointed him once more with how foolishly childish they were.

"Too long... It takes too long!" Young master's trembling voice was heard, as the boy was huddled up and wrapped in his warmest coat and with a hot cup in his hands but still feeling quite cold in the so freezing winter night. "We do not have endless time in our hands. We need to start moving soon, so that Lau will be able to tip Abberline at dawn and Scotland Yard will rush here. I would much prefer to have finished with any fighting and Undertaker at the time." He stared at Selina. "I really hope you are right about the reapers."

"Trust me on this, young master. I believe I know them well enough to be certain they will appear." The woman said confidently.

Sebastian nodded. "They have already appeared every time we have come across Undertaker; I do not think there is a reason for them to change that now. They do want to arrest him."

"Good... Damn him! He takes his sweet time!!" The boy seemed really furious.

He was about to say something more, but Selina's palm landed on his lips the same time Sebastian tensed and got ready to pull his knives if he had to. Ciel stretched his ears and heard cautious steps in the woods, lightly crashing the rotten leaves. They stayed deadly silent for a few moments.