The Return of the Order: Act 29

Raven raced back to his room. Grell lay motionless as he had before, but as Raven drew closer, he could see that his eyes were open. Raven’s smile grew as Grell’s gaze moved to him.

“You’re awake, you made it through.” Raven breathed, barely daring to believe that it was true.

A weak smile graced Grell’s face as Raven sat next to him and took his hand. Before he could respond, the door opened once more, and Sebastian stepped into the room. Sebastian moved to the side of the bed, unable to form the words of relief that washed over him as he realised Margaret's sacrifice was not in vain. Grell’s eyes moved from Raven to Sebastian, “Margaret?”

“She still lives, but is weak,” replied Sebastian, surprised by the concern in Grell’s voice. “I need to check the bleeding.”

Grell gave a small nod, and Sebastian gently lifted the covers to expose the bandaging. There were no signs of fresh blood. Replacing the covers, Sebastian looked from the reaper to his son and sighed. "Between Margaret's sacrifice and Raven's care, it seems you will live to vex me for a little while longer at least."

Grell smiled, “why must you always be so cruel to me.”

Sebastian shook his head and turned to leave. As he reached the door, he turned back. Sebastian watched the care with which Raven helped Grell to sit, propped against the pillows, the delicate touch that he used as he moved the reapers hair from his face and lifted the water glass to his lips. At that moment, Sebastian knew separating them was a fight he would lose. Raven would need to choose his own path, just as he and Raven's grandfather before him had done. Sebastian took a deep breath and hoped to the fates that he would not regret the decision he made now.

“Maybe it is time you told him the truth about that night Grell. I do not like this," he said gesturing to the two of them, "but if it is going to happen, it should start with Raven knowing everything." And with that, he left to return to Louisa and Margaret.

Raven stared at Grell, “what does my father mean?”

“He is talking about the night the little Lord gave him to me as part of a bargain for my help.”

Raven pulled away from the reaper. His fear for Grell’s life had allowed him to suppress disquiet over Grell’s infatuation with his father, but now it was to be openly spoken about he wasn’t sure he was ready.

"Don't hate me just yet, my little chimaera, it isn't at all what you are thinking. What we have kept secret all these years is that absolutely nothing happened. Actually, that is not entirely true. Your father kissed me, just once, but I will get to that.”

Raven turned to move from the bed, unable to hide the sorrow and disgust that was rising in his throat. Grell’s hand grasped his, the touch of his skin against Raven’s was so comforting, promising things that Raven still did not yet understand.

“Please, hear me out. If after, you never want to see me again, once this is over, I will keep my distance from your entire family. I promise.”

Raven remained sat on the bed, maintaining some distance between him and the reaper, hoping it would allow him to think clearly.

“First, you must understand just how cruel and vindictive Ciel could be when it came to tormenting your father. His willingness to push Sebastian to his limits only increased after he thought your mother to be dead. It was as if he blamed Sebastian alone for what had happened. When the opportunity arose for the little Lord to use me to torment Sebastian, I was too full of my own desires to see the bargain for what it was.”

Grell paused, his voice cracking from his throat's dryness and the pain of the memories he was dredging through. Without a thought Raven moved to help Grell drink. Taking the glass, he looked at the reaper, seeing the pain the effort was causing him.

“You don’t have to continue, if it’s too much.”

“No, I do. Your father is right, it is time.” Grell took a breath and settled back on the pillows before continuing.

"I was so excited when I arrived at the manor. I could hardly contain myself. Sebastian's face displayed his usual emotionless mask as he led me up to his room with the little Lord sniggering from the door of his study. Once we were alone, the masked slipped, and for the first time, I saw your father worn and defeated. As he closed the door to his room, he turned to me and simply said, 'I am yours to command until tomorrow morning.' I could have ordered him to do anything, forced myself upon him, gained everything I had ever desired. But I realised as I watched him that it would all be a lie. He had no feelings towards me, not even his usual contempt. My decision made, I simply ordered him to talk to me, to talk about your mother and his loss. The idea that demons do not feel is false. They do not like people to see that they feel for fear that it will make them seem weak. The order to speak seemed to come as a relief. Your father talked about Louisa for the first time since she was taken from him. He described how they met, her first kill, and the promise she had extracted from him. Eventually, he talked about her death and how the reapers had not come for her. He held onto that singular thought, hoping that it meant there was a way to save her and to save you. By the morning, I had seen your father cry for the first and only time. We decided that for the sake of his position with Ciel and my reputation, we would keep what really happened secret and that he could concoct whatever story he wanted to sate Ciel's interest should he want details. I made it an order, so under the agreement, I had with Ciel, your father wasn't technically lying. He kissed me, just once as we parted, his way of saying thank you.”

Raven sat motionless as he listened to Grell. All these years believing that the stories were told. The truth hidden to please the vindictiveness of a boy who had only lived because of the sacrifices made by Raven's parents. Raven's anger rose, "why did father let him live, after all Ciel put him through, why let him live?"

Grell’s hand reached out and encapsulated Raven’s causing him to finally meet the reaper’s gaze. “He gave him a second chance at life because he believed that it was what your mother would have wanted. While Ciel was alive in some form, so was she.”

Grell gently tugged at Raven's hand, pulling him closer. Raven moved across so that he laid next to Grell, his head resting on his shoulder. The reaper slid his arm around him and ran his fingers through Raven’s hair.

“You do not hate me then?”

“No,” answered Raven, wrapping his arm gently around Grell’s chest, “far from it.”

*****

William closed the door behind them as he and Lilith entered her room. He turned to face her, cupping her cheek with his working hand. “Show me, my love, show me who you truly are.”

Shivers ran through Lilith as William's hand touched her skin. The sadness and hurt seemed to wash away as she brought her gaze up to meet his. Lilith took a deep breath and began to release her form. Her eyes flashed pink, and her fangs grew as William's thumb traced along her jaw. As his hand reach her chin, her skin changed, showing the scaly pattern and green hue of her demon form. Still, William did not look away or flinch from her. His eyes surveyed her face, moving to the top of her head as her horns took shape. She felt his injured hand slide around her back pulling her closer as he leaned in and kissed her gently on the lips. Lilith melted into the kiss, giving his tongue access to her mouth, lost in a moment of complete bliss.

As her claws began to form, Lilith slipped one arm around William while the other worked to loosen the fastenings on her dress, enough to give her wings space. She broke the kiss, moving so there was just a fraction more space between them. Lilith uncased her wings, holding them wide for William to see the true extent of the dragon wings that graced her back and gave her flight. William slid his hand down Lilith’s neck and across her shoulder until he made contact with the edge of her wings. Shivers ran through him as his hand ran across the leather-covered bone that framed her magnificent wings. As his fingers reached the single claw that sat at the top point of her wing, Lilith let out a gentle moan before pressing her lips to William's once more.