Amor Fati

Abrus Precatorius

«Sebastian! »

Ciel gazed in utter surprise at his soaking wet butler entering the room with an unconscious maid in his arms.

«My deepest apologies my lord for leaving your side without prior notice, » Sebastian said as he carefully placed the woman on the bed.

Elena's face paled when she recognized the maid. She immediately hurried to her side, took her hand and inspected her pulse... it was faint, very faint, but it was there, the loud jolly Rosette was still alive.

Grey couldn't be more confused watching the late happenings, his patience reaching its limits with the laconic incomprehensible conversation going on between the Phantomhive butler and his fiancee, whose eyes became more clouded by the second.

«My, my... things turned out worse than what I expected. » The redhead, standing by his side, muttered lazily stroking his chin in a way that irritated the white clad Earl adding to his misery.

«CARE TO EXPLAIN WHAT'S GOING ON? » Charles snapped looking at the two by the bed's side.

Sebastian looked at the white clad men and his master. «Pardon my impudence my lords, it's just that I had few things to make sure of first, but now, allow me to tell all that I came to know, » he said, holding his master's gaze for the last part.

Ciel gave a curt nod. Grey wasn't the only one struggling with confusion after all.

«Just as the Marchioness predicted, lady Addington died of poisoning. To be precise, poisoned with this. » Out of his vest's inner pocket, Sebastian brought the necklace the deceased woman was wearing earlier during the ball, carefully wrapped in a plastic bag.

«A necklace?! » Ciel asked.

«Not any necklace, » Kyle said as he walked to the Phantomhive butler, inspecting the necklace closely before an amused disbelief smile pulled his thin lips widely.

«What does that mean? » Even Phipps had curiosity eating up at him.

«Abrus Precatorius, » Kyle said taking out one of the red gems embedded in the necklace.

«Are you sure you can take that out? » Sebastian displeased, looked at the red butler with an arched brow.

«Relax Mr Stiff! the poisonous gas is long gone, » Kyle added, «I've dealt with this plant before so I know that much. »

«Plant? Is that red thing a plant? » Charles Grey pointed at it from afar not wanting to come near unlike his counterpart and the Phantomhive Earl. No, it definitely wasn't because he was afraid, it's just that he doesn't have much trust in the red head's words.

«Abrus Precatorius, commonly known as crab's eye. A plant of warm and tropical regions and thus fairly unfamiliar in England. Its red and black seeds look a lot like castor beans, but the thing is... they are seventy-five times more poisonous, » Sebastian explained.

«Not to mention that three or four castor beans are enough to kill a healthy adult, you can't even imagine how poisonous this little red thing is, » Kyle said before a sudden thud surprised the bunch. The maid with the puffy eyes fell to her knees, unable to hold her weight any more. All this talk is just too much for her but to the rest of the room occupants a murder case was a non-event... if only it didn't occur on such a day or place.

The men resumed their heated conversation as Elena took care of the maid, exchanging few words before the latter left the room.

«I don't get what is such dangerous thing doing on a necklace?! It isn't even a gem! » The Phantomhive Earl asked.