Dead Sirius (Black Butler)

Chapter Twenty Two

~Ciel's POV~

Lizzie dragged me to the Captain's ball, against my will. After forcing me to wear ridiculous attire I wanted no part in. I was then waltzed, uncomfortably, onto the dance floor. It was pure torture. Why did the stupid Aurora Society have to wait so long to start their affairs? I'd much rather be working than attending such a frivolous event with my airhead of a fiancée.

The music faltered and I noticed several heads turning in the direction of the stairwell. Lizzie stopped mid ecstatic rambling to stare wide eyed behind me. Her expression was a mixture of jealous rage and absolute loathing. I'd never seen such an expression before and slowly turned to the stairwell.

Sirius stood between her two companions, being held rather possessively in a very revealing dress. It was a pure obsidian gown with faint hues of emerald that glistened in the stray rays of light. The fabric had such a silken sheen it almost looked like liquid clinging sinfully to her voluptuous frame. It was low cut enough to reveal a considerable amount of cleavage and had an enticing slit up the left side stopping at her upper thigh.

Her male companion, the mysterious tall lanky boy with the perfectly tousled hair, was wearing a perfectly tailored suit of ebony with a dark emerald vest. A silver pocket watch chain dangled from his side. In his breast pocket was a single emerald kerchief and a freshly budding white lily. His arm was possessively claiming Sirius' slender waist resting dangerously low over her pelvic bone.

As for Sirius' female companion, the shorter girl, she was wearing a dazzling black gown with faint hints of dark blood red embellishments making it appear as if she were spotted in blood. It was a tight gown with another revealing slit on the opposite leg. Her arm was hooked through Sirius' holding her closer than was socially acceptable.

Her piercing gaze was upon me in an instant. I felt my breath hitch in my throat and it took every ounce of willpower I had to keep from stepping toward her. She had me and every other male in the room completely entranced. After a long pause, the music picked back up and a few dancers resumed their steps on the floor.

I noticed Sebastian near where the other servants were waiting to be summoned by their master's glare in Sirius' direction. However, there was something I'd not seen before in Sebastian's gaze, fear. Were demons capable of feeling fear? What sort of creature did it take to strike fear in the heart of a demon?

"I thought only nobility was invited." Lizzie noted casually.

"Sirius, my love, there's a lot of jealousy in that area." Her female companion snickered as the trio approached us.

"There always is." Sirius noted in a monotone.

Lizzie looked anything but a perfect picture of a genteel lady in that instant as she all but snapped at Sirius like a cornered animal. "Nobility onl-."

"You are an annoyance, leave." The boy still possessively holding onto Sirius' waist waved Lizzie off dismissively.

Fear gripped my airhead of a fiancée and she obediently joined up with some of her acquaintances elsewhere. What happened? Nothing had changed, why was she suddenly afraid?

The tall mysterious boy's rose-colored eyes latched onto me before narrowing into a glare. I felt a sudden prick in my temple before it rapidly began spreading and before long it felt like a thousand tiny pinpricks were attacking my entire skull. I could hear screaming in my head and all around me, the voices of my parents, the screams and the roaring flames. It was all around me. Everything was happening all over again.

"Ciel!" A gentle hand gripped my shoulder and I felt relief. The air had cleared. Sirius stood before me gripping my shoulder lightly with one hand as her other tenderly reached up to feel my forehead. "Are you alright?"

I shakily chanced a glance behind her to the mysterious boy. He stood with his arms crossed over his chest with a lazy look upon his face. Sirius' female companion threw a knowing smirk in the boy's direction before offering me a wicked smile.

"I'm fine." I quickly shoved from Sirius' hold as I noticed how much attention we were gaining from the other guests. It took me a moment to catch my breath and I chanced another glance in the direction of Sirius' male companion.

Sirius threw a curious look over her shoulder, "Emile?"

Emile offered her a lazy crooked smile. "Just a warning."

"Wha-.?" Sirius began, but the exuberant girl with the rose-colored eyes cut her off.

"Our beloved Sirius is very fragile." She hugged Sirius from behind, "Her heart is especially delicate." Her hands inched upward toward Sirius' chest.

"Esme, I'll break your arm." Sirius threatened.

"Ooh, I love it when you get violent." Esme giggled. Though the threat appeared to work as she backed off.

"Dance with me." Sirius extended her hand to me.

I wasn't sure I had completely recovered from whatever it was Emile had done to me, but I couldn't refuse her. Without a moment's hesitation I placed my hand in hers. She whisked me onto the dance floor away from her companions. Her body moved sinuously, flowing like gentle water, it was absolutely mesmerizing. I had to look ridiculous next to her, my movements flawed and awkward compared to her poise and grace.

"Why are you here?" She asked bluntly as we danced in time to the music.

"Would you believe me if I said I needed a vacation?"

"We both know that's a lie. You enjoy puzzles too much." Sirius smirked.

"What are you insinuating?"

"You're position as the Queen's Watchdog gives you the chance to solve many puzzles. You can't resist."

She knew me too well. "We're investigating a secret society."

"Sounds boring." She feigned a yawn.

I frowned at this, "A secret society that claims to have a cure for death." It was a meager attempt to get her interested.

It was her turn to frown. "Death isn't an illness nor is it avoidable."

I nearly tripped at the severity in her voice. Sirius was usual morbid, but not in this sense. "I thought it might pique your interest."

"Is it dangerous?" She asked seriously as she picked up my slack and moved us in time with the music once more making it impossible to tell that I had faltered moments before.

I shrugged, "I doubt it."

"What is this so-called cure to death?"

"I'm not sure, but it can apparently raise the dead and bring them back to life."

Sirius faltered. A couple nearly bumped into us and the pair threw us a glare as we continued standing still in the center of the dance floor.

"Sirius?"

"What's the name of this society?" She asked earnestly.

"Why the sudden interest?"

She bit her lip and clenched her fists at her side. "If it's not a hoax... I may know someone....just tell me the damn name, Ciel."

Why was she getting so worked up? Who could she possibly know that would want to raise the dead? She seemed terrified and guilty. Sirius was hiding something.

"Who did you kill?" I asked her morosely.

"I didn't kill anyone." She sounded somewhat regretful about the fact, as if she wished she had.