Red Hot Hell (a Kuroshitsuji fanfic)

Another Problem (Sebby's POV)

Sebastian looked out expressionlessly as the vampire went out into the night for her blood-meal.

As terribly unaesthetic as it was for him as a butler to think of this, he truly did hold her in higher regard than he did his young master. Though she would not feel the need for his aid as often as the human would, the demon felt somewhat affectionate for the cat-like girl. And it was only because she had the habit of playing with the kittens in the backyard whenever the butler could not make time for them.

So he followed her, keeping enough distance not to interrupt her hunt but remaining close enough to let her know she was there.

Vampires were ever so slightly outside the demon's experience, not that he would ever let his master know or, more importantly, Estelle. They had not been a very blatant sort of creature like his kind or the reapers, using their nocturnal habits to their top advantage.

Creatures who lived on blood, but left barely a shell of a soul behind. Truthfully, even the Lord of Hell himself was quite curious about this surface-dwelling race, and given that one was in close proximity to him and would be for some time, Sebastian thought it would be good to satisfy his curiosity. He carefully watched every move she made, astounded by the ease and grace she unconsciously displayed as she allowed her baser instincts to take over.

Her whites were back to their original color now. Even the small adjustments she had made to look completely unnoticable in the human world were completely cast off to focus on the most important job at the moment: feed. The way she clung to the building as she watched the night crowd below was distinctly feline as she spied a man in shabby clothes; a pickpocket, easily missed.

Without a sound, Estelle crept to the shadow closest to the man, grabbing his neck and snapping it with a twist of her delicate fingers before dragging it out to the roof. There, she fed in peace.

It was the first time Sebastian had seen the vampire's fangs in full before, but it was only a silvery flash before they were buried into the human's fragile neck, and the scent of blood filled the air even as far away as he was. He saw the girl lift up her head, her lips stained crimson, and allowed the body to drop into the black alley below. Nobody even noticed the 'thump' of its landing on the cobblestones.

With the same delicacy she showed everytime she moved, Estelle leaped over the roofs to the shadowed spire he was leaning on.

"Yes?" she asked sardonically. The demon reflected that the meal must have improved her mood from being out during the day, though she kept out of the sun unless it was cloudy or raining. Deciding to test his theory (the worst she could do was rip his throat out, and he'd simply regenerate anyway), he poked a gloved finger at her fang.

Grinning at his silent request, the vampire's teeth instantly sharpened, becoming an entire mouth full of small daggers. Sebastian visibly gulped; if she wanted to tear his neck open when she lost her temper, that would certainly make things easier.

"I take it you do not make a mess with these?" he asked, still poking her tooth.

Estelle nodded, replying, "It makes the meal go faster and easier." The girl's mouth then resembled how they were normally as she continued, "The reason they can retract is to make sure I don't get hunted down by anyone who knows the right signs on days where the sun is hidden. Makes it easier on us to occasionally meet each other. Which reminds me,  the Hunter's Season is coming up soon."

The Faustian frowned quizically. What was she talking about?

"Oh! I forgot that you didn't know that," the vampire muttered, but she did not seem eager to elaborate.

"Is it some sort of Death Dealer celebration that only comes along once every few decades?" the butler pressed. Then he hissed menacingly, "One with potential danger to my young master?" Estelle was quick to shake her head 'no'.

"Actually, if memory serves me right, this particular tradition only occurs outside of the city, most likely deep in the country," she said. "About half of the vampire population will gather there, with the rest probably somewhere in Europe. Transylvania was a traditional venue for us in the old days according to my master, but there are too many now to fit in the castle."

Sebastian froze in his tracks.

Half of all the vampires will be gathering outside of London!?

"I'll have to go as well, considering many of my blood kin will be there," the vampire continued casually. "Lord Cain is supposed to preside over the Season this time, so things won't get too rowdy." If the name belonged to the person the demon thought it was, this so-called Hunter's Season was more important than he had previously thought. Good to know.

"And this.... Lord Cain.... will be present before the celebration starts?" Sebastian asked. She readily nodded.

"He needs to be present some months before and after the Season to make sure no one's gotten suspicious of our activities. Reapers have been creating trouble in the past few decades you know, so he-" The vampire stopped. "He's coming to London!" she suddenly exclaimed, plopping down on the hard stone. The butler frowned.

"Whatever do you mean? If he is as influencial as you have insinuated, it would be madness to come to a city where he could not walk freely."

"You don't understand, Sebastian," Estelle retorted. "Lord Cain has been keeping in touch with the human world, enough to wield power both in polite society and in the shadows. He is affiliated with every royal family and important lineage in the world; it's why we can have our festivals and celebrations without having to watch our backs for once. Because Ciel's home is outside the city, like those of other nobles, he needs an excuse to get them all into London and keep them there until the Season is over. The easiest way to do it, through mundane channels..."

".....is the Queen herself," the demon finished, straightening up. How crafty these creatures were, having even the young master's beloved ruler wrapped around their slender fingers. Of course he would not say a word unless he was asked, but it would be interesting to see Ciel's reaction when he told him about the power behind the thrones of every empire in the world.

Estelle sighed. "If he were not a respected noble in the human world, we wouldn't be having this problem now. Your young master will be in danger because of his suspicion. This is going to be tense," she concluded. Oh, how the demon had to agree.