His Butler with an Exorcist for a Mistress

His Butler with an Exorcist for a Mistress (ch 7)

Chapter Seven

    We docked the boat in some obscure dock off the coast of Ireland, a little north of Dublin to be exact. I nearly flipped a shit when Sebastian first told me where we were, but his gloved hand had prevented any of the words that desperately wanted to escape my mouth out and only then did he explain the reasoning behind why we were in Ireland rather than the United Kingdom.
    To put it more simply, here was Sebastian’s logical reasoning.
    By docking in Ireland we not only threw Bridget and any potential pursuers off our trail, but bought ourselves time because they would have expected me to go straight to England knowing my habits of taking off to visit London. The plan from there was to spend the night in one of the inns in town before taking the earliest ferry across to England, where we would then get some form of ride and follow my directions to the place where all this began.
    Unfortunately, much of this was easier said than done.
    By the time we arrived it was well past one in the morning and the only inn with an opening was on the outskirts of town. It was a shabby little thing, no bigger than an oversized house made of worn stone and boasted a worn wooden sign out front that read ‘I N’ rather than inn because the middle n had peeled off in the rain. I had sighed at the sight of it, not being quite sure what my feelings on the place were.
    Inside the lobby had been barely decorated sporting a rather boring display of a old wooden table with a beat up copper kettle holding a pair of wilting daisies. Behind the front desk, which had looked more like a half-wall of wood than a desk to me, had sat a middle aged man with a balding head and a pair of wondering eyes. He hadn’t been to discreet with taking in me and my slender figure the moment Sebastian and I had walked in, Ciel not having been with us because we had decided that renting a room in the disguise of being a pair of horny teenagers would attract much less attention.
    A blush heated my cheeks as I remembered the way Sebastian had wrapped an arm protectively around my waist, pulling me close to his body while glaring at the man dangerously. Shamefully, I have to admit that I’d not only liked the way his arm had felt being there, but that I’d actually leaned into him as well. Being in his arms had made me feel safe and as a bonus, had keep those wondering eyes far away from me. Then again I believe that had more to do with the deadly glint in the glare Sebastian had drilled into the man right until we disappeared up the stairs to our room.
    I rolled onto my side, trying to bury my face into the pillow beneath my face. The material of the pillow case was a rough cotton so instead of gaining the cooling sensation like I would have had if I had buried my face into one of my own pillows, I got a scratched face. I stifled the urge to groan, well aware that I was not the only one in the room. The body heat coming from the far side of the other end of the full size bed being only one of the things hinting me to that. The other was the dark shadow sitting in the chair near the window of our room, where the view of the sky was displayed as it started to brighten.
    Sebastian didn’t need to sleep, though then again neither did Ciel, yet the younger demon kept doing so out of habit. I refused to roll over to the side where I would see him, preferring the view of Ciel’s back or the cracked plaster of the ceiling, knowing fully well that my blush would darken if I saw him. The tingling sensation of where his arm had rested protectively on my waist had yet to go away and more than once I’d caught myself absentmindedly running the tips of my fingers over the the exact line of my lower stomach that he’d touched. If he even knew half of what was running through my mind I’m sure the damned demon would mock me for the remainder of our contract. Why was it that such a simple touch had to spark such a reaction from me? And why him of all people?
    I couldn’t possibly begin to answer either question.   
    Though I did know one thing. I was not going to get even a wink of sleep with him in the room. I’d debated internally about sending him away, but pride kept me from speaking the words as well as the knowledge that he’d likely find it suspicious and begin to link two and two together. He might be a demon, but Sebastian was not dumb nor daft. He’d was cunning and brilliant, which meant I wasn’t about to get away with such actions with the devil himself.
    This time my sigh did escape my lips, what was the point in hiding it if he could tell I was up anyway. I spared a quick glance over my shoulder just in time to see him incline his head back towards the window and away from the direction of the bed. Of course he’d heard, though I’m sure it didn’t surprise him. Being a demon he should have known I hadn’t been sleeping this entire time.
    My gaze moved from his shadow, which was morphing from a pure black form to a more detailed form, to the view outside the window. The sky was turning a dull gray thanks to the overcast of clouds as the sun began its ascent into the sky. Already a light drizzle was hitting the window and the roof above our heads, filling what would have been dead silence with its pitter patter. It wouldn’t be long before we’d have to leave for the docks, perhaps an hour or two at the most.
    “What time is it, Sebastian?” I asked quietly, proud of myself for not hearing anything that would betray my pervious thoughts in my voice.
    “It is about six thirty and the ferry leaves at seven fifteen, mistress,” Sebastian answered back instantly, tacking on the departure time for the ferry in correctly assuming that I would ask that next.
    I nodded, sure he could see the slight movement of my hair from his view of the back of my head. “I think I’ll get up then,” I stated, faking a stretch as I sat upright. “It’ll take me about thirty minutes to get ready and we’ll need the rest of the time to get to the docks on time and get a ticket to ride the ferry.”
    “Would you like something for breakfast, mistress?” Sebastian asked, standing up and moving to the suitcases.
    I nodded, stifling the urge to yawn, “Yes, please.”
    “Any preferences?” He asked, opening the one that was mine and placing it on the single table across from the bed.
    I shook my head, slipping out from under the covers, “Just as long as it isn’t anything too heavy, my stomach is feeling queasy.”
    It wasn’t a lie either, but my inability to eat much of anything came from a mixture of dread at what we might discover at the place we were headed and the mixed emotions I felt. None of which I was willing to tell him, even after he had arched one perfect eyebrow at me questioning.
    When I didn’t respond to his silent question, he bowed and with a simple ‘yes, my lady’ disappeared. I sighed, ashamed to admit that I felt both relieved that he was gone and unhappy. I couldn’t stand it, I was becoming completely bipolar!
    Reaching into the suitcase, I pulled out an outfit at random and walked into the bathroom with my clothes and toiletries in hand. Setting my things onto the counter, I quickly got ready. Lucky enough, I had thought to pack things that were slightly warm. I pulled on the plain long sleeved white shirt, before following that with short sleeved black tee with a barely noticeable design printed in a slightly darker black. Both had a scooped v shaped neckline that didn’t reveal anything too extreme. The skinny jeans were light washed and were cut off from view at the knee by the black leather boots I pulled on.
    Running a brush through my hair, I let it fall freely today not in the mood to fight it into any one set way. Which meant that I had to do something about my eyes, the contract would draw too much attention in public. I knew exactly what I needed to hide it though. Digging through my bag of toiletries I found what I was looking for. Honestly, I couldn’t remember why I had kept the pair of colored contacts in the bag. The only possible reason I could think of was that I perhaps thought they would come in handy for when I wanted to disguise myself in London. Other than that, I was stumped with my own reasoning for keeping the contacts from last halloween, though I was glad I did and I was even happier that I had found them the day before when I was packing.
    I popped the cream colored container open and carefully removed the first lens. They were a simple brown color, nothing too extraordinary, in fact they resembled the ground after a good rain in my opinion. Placing both into my eyes carefully, I blinked away the initial discomfort before looking at myself in the mirror.
    It was surprising what a simple change of eye color could do to a person. Even though everything else looked the same about me, I still felt as if the person looking at me in the mirror wasn’t me. The brown eyes blended in, unlike the pop my usual azure colored provided or even the way the majestic purple of the contract eye did. I would blend in for once.
    I rolled my eyes and snorted, if only I wasn’t being flanked by two beautiful creatures that was.
    Returning to the bedroom, I tossed my pajamas and toiletries back into the suitcase carelessly. It didn’t surprise me to see the bed empty and spot the spread of food laying out across the neatly folded blankets. I plopped myself down besides the plate and grabbed a slice of toast covered with a thin layer of jam and butter.
    As I quickly stuffed the toast down my throat, I pulled the pair of pistols off the table and stuffed them into the depths of my boots. Ciel had raised an argument about me bringing the weapons, saying that I wouldn’t need them with him and Sebastian with me, but I couldn’t have left them behind. I would’ve felt naked without them and quickly made up an excuse about an off chance that I might need them should I find myself in a tight situation with no way to call either of them.
     I couldn’t even remember the exact excuse, that’s exactly how lame it was.
    “We should get going,” Ciel’s voice interrupted my rushed meal, causing me to look up as him as he came in through the door.
    I tipped back the rest of the tea into my mouth, swallowing hard, “Alright, is everything ready?”
    The sound of a zipper being pulled caught my attention and I turned to find Sebastian zipping up the suitcases and picking them up. My mind went completely blank with shock as I took in his appearance. Unlike Ciel, who’s outfit was less elaborate than normal while still retaining a sense of his usual style, Sebastian looked like an entirely different person. The butler suit had been traded in for a pair of casual black slacks and a fitted white tee-shirt, over which he wore a dark gray button-down shirt that had been left open with the sleeves rolled up to his elbows. My eyes rolled over his body trying to find the Sebastian I was used to seeing, but having a hard time registering anything past the way the tee-shirt molded to his chest.
    Damn....
    “Mistress...?”
    I blinked and locked eyes with Sebastian who was giving me a confused look. Heat rushed to my cheeks and I quickly glanced away, realizing that I’d been staring and that he’d caught me.
     What the hell was wrong with me today?
    I cleared my throat, “We should get going or else the first ferry will leave without us and I don’t want to have to wait till the one that leaves at noon.”
    “Of course.”
    With that I grabbed my black trench coat from off the bedside table and followed Sebastian out the door, watching out of the corner of my eye as Ciel slipped out the window. Crossing the narrow hallway, we followed the stairwell down to the lobby. The lobbyist was the same man from last night, though this morning he was accompanied by a large mug of steaming coffee to keep him awake. Hearing my footsteps, he looked up a small gleam appearing in his eyes as he first only spotted me. I couldn’t resist the urge to shiver as I felt those eyes practically begin undressing me. His lips turned up into a leering smile and I nearly gagged.
    Men like him disgusted me.
    A familiar warmth found its way around my waist and I jolted slightly, my body tensing automatically. A glimpse of something black made me sigh, it was only Sebastian, but before I had a chance to recover from my shock I felt my hair brushed out of the way and a pair of soft lips press against the curve of my neck. My eyes widened and a small gasps left my lips unwillingly as my heart gave a start. Out of all the things I could have seen coming, this was not one of them.
    The pair of lips moved upwards to where my jaw and neck met, before sliding to my ear. For a brief second nothing was said and all I could hear was the sound of Sebastian breathing, the warmth of his breath tickling the side of my neck.
    “The young master is waiting outside, I’ll finish up in here,” he whispered softly, which I knew contradicted to the death glare he was leveling the lobbyist at the moment.
    I nodded stiffly, causing him to chuckle.
    “I shall be done in a moment,” he finished, pressing one last kiss to the part of my neck where my jawline connected to the curve of my neck before releasing me.
    I didn’t hesitate, before heading for the door as fast as I could manage without making it look too suspicious. I didn’t want Sebastian to see the way my face was flushed or hear how fast my heart was racing, though I was sure he already noticed both those things and was enjoying my reactions. I silently cursed myself for being so easily flustered and the demons’ sense of sadistic entertainment.
    Of course they would thrive off other people’s embarrassment and discomfort.
    And the chuckle that followed after me confirmed that.
    I flipped the collar of my jacket up, effective hiding my neck from sight just as I stepped outside. If asked I would say I had done it to keep the rain from hitting my neck, but honestly I was doing it to prevent any unsuspected future ambushes. I wouldn’t pass it by Sebastian to become bored enough to try it again.
    I closed the door to the inn rather roughly, before leaning back onto it with a sigh. Slowly I looked up, watching the rain pour down from the expanse of gray sky. It had picked up since I had last looked outside and now the droplets were shooting up off the ground shortly after striking the pavement. Even so it was strangely quiet besides the noise of the water. No one was up yet and the streets were relatively empty, except for one single figure leaning against building across the street.
    The person didn’t look up or show any signs of having heard me across the street, but I would know that small form anywhere. Burying my hands into the depths of my pockets, I stepped into the street and hurried across it to the protection of the overhang on the other side of the street. I shook off the extra droplets of water and gave Ciel a small smile, which he only glanced up at before looking away again. 
    “Where is Sebastian?” Ciel asked, his voice no higher than a sigh.
    I stiffened slightly at the other demon’s name, feeling the ghosting sensation of warm lips running up my neck. Ciel must have felt the sudden change in my demeanor for he gave me a curious look out of his one revealed eye. I wrapped my fingers around my collar, pulling it closer to my neck as if to protect it from the memory.
    “He’s just checking out,” I managed to mumble, feeling my cheeks heat up.
    Ciel rose one eyebrow as I turned my face slightly away from him to look up the street at an imaginary spot that seemed one hundred times more interesting. I could feel his gaze linger as I pretended to be absorbed in watching the rain slide down the roof of one of the buildings just down the road from where we stood. He sighed and I heard him shake his head as he turned away from me finally.
    “You’re acting odd,” he mumbled, making it seem as if he wasn’t addressing it to me.
    I shrugged anyway, not caring if he noticed.
    He didn’t comment any further and we lapsed into a mostly comfortable silence as I swayed my weight from foot to foot anxious to get moving soon. I knew that the likely hood of us being found in this small town was slim, but I couldn’t help the way my eyes darted up and down the street at even the slightest of movements. I could almost imagine Bridget, in her full terrible glory, coming up the road to drag me back to the academy before I had even the chance to get the answers I needed. It didn’t help that with this additional fear of being hunted down, I now also was weary of Sebastian and any of his possible antics.
    It seemed as if hours had elapsed before Sebastian came across the street towards us, wearing a rather smug smile on his face. I almost opened my mouth to ask him what was with the look, but thinking better of it I quickly snapped it shut and turned away. I didn’t need to give him any more satisfaction if by the slimmest of chances I was the reason behind the smile he was wearing. He’d gotten enough entertainment out of me for one day.
    “Wipe that smile off your face,” Ciel snapped, his expression annoyed. “We need to hurry if we are going to make the ferry on time.”
    Sebastian’s face fell into a more serious expression and bowed deeply, “Yes, my lord.”
    Taking the lead, Sebastian began to lead us up the deserted road and we turned to follow him. Ciel snorted and lifted his small chin up pridefully, but didn’t break ahead of Sebastian. I was suddenly struck with the fact that perhaps this was the first time he had ever allowed someone who he considered under him to walk before him. I smirked slightly at the irony the situation placed him in, leaving him no choice but to follow who he was used to leading.
    Glancing my way, Ciel’s lips fell into a scowl.
    “What’s so amusing?” He barked.
    I bit my lip to hold back my chuckle and settled for shaking my head.
    Ciel ground his teeth, “If something weren’t so amusing, you wouldn’t be chocked up with laughter.”
    Unknowingly, Ciel was making the situation worse while trying to pry a response from me. His annoyed expression was just, in lack of any better term, cute which knowing how much he hated to be called that threatened to push me into hysterics. Ciel growled in growing anger as all he was provoking out of me was strangled giggles.
    “Master? Mistress?”
    My laughter died down, just enough for me to be able to look at Sebastian who had turned in order to look back at Ciel and I with a confused look on his face. Ciel choose to ignore him and instead kept up glaring daggers at me, which I returned with a bright smile.
    Sebastian smirked, placing a curled finger against his chin musingly, “Acting like children? And here I though you two were mature adults.”
    I just turned and flashed him a child-like smile, before pushing ahead of him laughing. Up ahead I could see the large white boat that worked to ferry passengers across to England. A small crowd of people had already gathered around the loading dock. From the faces I could see, there was no set age among the crowd. I saw a pair of elders, a couple mid-aged adults, and even a few families with small children. A particularly young boy with a head full of sandy blonde hair had just boarded the boat before his mother and had taken a perch up on the side railing, smiling down at the murky water.
    A horn blew, loud and clear over the silent morning, warning of the last chance to board. The sound brought back a brief memory. A smaller me was giggling as I tugged at my father’s hair from my perch on his shoulders. We were watching the ferry leave port, heading to Ireland, like we did every weekend. I could almost smell the scent of my father’s cologne and the swirling smell of the sweet rolls he’d just bought from our favorite bakery just up the pier.
    Shaking my head I grounded myself back into reality, to realize we’d have to hurry if we were going to make it on time. The memory left me with a warmth in my chest, even as it constricted with the memories of what I’d lost as well. But it didn’t matter anymore, soon I’d make it up to them. Soon my family’s suffering would be revenged.
    “Come on, we need to hurry up,” I shouted, whipping around to grab Ciel’s arm in my hand and begin dragging him behind me. His surprised expression was priceless and I couldn’t help but laugh as I tugged him along at a dead run towards the ramp that the ferry’s crew was just pulling up.
    “Wait up,” I yelled.
    The two men paused in their work to spot us racing up the docks towards them. Both began chuckling as they saw me pulling Ciel behind me, the older of the two even shaking his head as he grinned at us while they lowered the ramp back down to the dock for us.
    “Made it j’st in time, lass,” the older chuckled at me as we stepped onto the deck.
    I smiled back. He seemed like a friendly gentleman, his dark hair graying and welcoming face wrinkled with laugh lines. With the thick Irish accent he sported, he fit the perfect stereotype of the type of person you’d meet in Ireland on vacation or something.
    “Naw Jim,” the younger man, who had to only be in his late twenties, chuckled. “You wouldn’t have left this pretty little lass and her friends on shore.”   
    Jim grinned, “I su’pose your right there, Nate.”
    I laughed at the two, earning myself a wink from the crew man named Nate. I couldn’t help but give the boy a returning smile. He was cute, but not entirely what I would be struck with as being handsome. His sandy blonde hair fell in soft curls around his baby like face, which was tanned darkly by his work in the sun.
    Ciel scowled at him and grabbed my arm, dragging me towards the bow of the boat. I couldn’t help but giggle, turning to wave my good-byes to the amused workers as they watched us disappear around the bend, Sebastian not too far behind us.
    “Why do you have to be so rude, Ciel?” I pouted playfully, enjoying how it made his scowl deepen.
    “Because that boy has no morals,” he snorted.
    I shook my head, smirking, “You know, Ciel, that sounds incredibly funny coming from someone who looks like he’s just in middle school.”