My lack of updating is because I had stepped up my homework game during the school year and I began using this site only to read. This morning, as I lay in bed, my life wasting away, I thought to myself, "Hey. It's been awhile since you updated ANY of your stories. Let's go." And so here I am. Sitting at my computer (which has been crashing before I can save my work) alone with only my thoughts and the screams of my tiny cousin and slightly less tiny brother. The last time I updated was December 5, 2015. Honestly at this point, all apologies are null and void. Enjoy.

Synopsis for Chapter 17:

Darcy is a downright bitch. Appearing to Elizabeth and Ciel in the Hotel of Perdition (located somewhere between Hell and Earth), Darcy torments the pair until Ciel releases a surge of long-with held power. We learn that Ciel's power rivals that of Lucifer himself. Speaking of Lucifer, the entire reason they are in the Hotel is so that Sebastian can locate an informant on how to break the marriage vow between Elizabeth and Lucifer. Said deal allowed Elizabeth three days to say her goodbyes to everyone (as an allowance from Lucifer). She has only one day left before Lucifer will come to take Elizabeth to Hell with him to live there forever. Ciel leaves Elizabeth sleeping in the room so that he may go find Sebastian and the informant. And now our story resumes (after a very long unplanned hiatus from a very neglectful author)...

Elizabeth Midford

Blinking the sleep from her eyes, Elizabeth slowly sat up in the warm fluffy bed. The events of yesterday slowly sink back into her mind. Darcy and the mirror. And Ciel. Curse him to Hell, he left to go find Sebastian, leaving Elizabeth alone in the room, in the creepy hotel.

She didn't doubt that Ciel could merely call for Sebastian and he'd come running. Perhaps something had happened...?

Refusing the thought, Elizabeth looked to the wardrobe to distract her. She was determined to find something normal to wear. Something besides the thin white cloth Ciel called a shirt. And the shorts, oh dear god they were ugly!

Though Elizabeth could care less about the clothes she wore (The deaths of her loved ones reminded her that what you wear is meaningless. Everyone dies, some just in style while others in plain cloth. It didn't matter to her.) but it bothered her that you could see through the shirt to her brassiere.

And if she wanted to find out some information, she needed to be wearing some normal clothes.

With that thought, she flung her feet off of the bed and onto the dark marble floor. Walking over to the wardrobe, she grasped the metal handles and pulled it open. Once again, she found the skimpy clothes.

She dug her hand into the clothes feeling around for something that didn't feel similar to a leash. Upon reaching the back, she slammed her hand against the wardrobe in frustration.

Without warning, a large chain from the shelf above fell. With her hand in the wardrobe, the only thing she could do is dodge the falling object. However this caused her to lose her balance, and she fell into the wardrobe.

Elizabeth's muscles tensed in anticipation of the fall onto the hard bottom. Maybe the fall would be cushioned by the leashes...

Instead, she fell onto a bear skin rug. A polar bear by the looks of it.

Looking up from her spot on the rug, she saw that the back of the wardrobe had been opened up by her fall. She had fallen straight through the wardrobe and ended up at wherever she is now. It was a hallway, with many doors. Each door was significantly different. The false back of the wardrobe was a door as well. This hall, and these doors, were most likely how the servants (if there were any) snuck into the rooms to clean them.

"What are doing? What- Get up from the rug oh dear goodness I'm trying to clean the rug why did you do this?!" A voice exclaimed. The last part was spoken all in one breath.

Elizabeth scrambled up and off of the rug and faced the owner of the voice. It was a girl, about 18, with black hair and dark eyes that were dull, but held a spark of anger. Her skin was waxy and wan. The purple bags under her eyes furthered the look of a sick child. The girl muttered something in another language (It sounded like Chinese) and then addressed Elizabeth in accented English.

"Why don't you watch where you're going?" The girl exclaimed in exasperation and took a few steps toward Elizabeth. Perhaps she was going for a menacing glare, but her face seemed more tired than angry.

"Sorry. I was just loo-"

"I had just finished cleaning that rug. Honestly, it's always the new ones. You're new right?" She asked, her stare turning inquisitive and suspicious.

"I- My friend-"

"Your friend directed you to this place for a cheap easy job right?" Sarcasm leaked into her voice. "That's what happened to me. Only I had no choice considering I was kidnapped."

"You were kidnapped?!"

"Tragic, I know. Anyway," The girl held out her small callused hand to Elizabeth. "I am Cixi, the daughter of Yehenara Huizheng, of the House of Aisin Gioro."

Elizabeth blinked in confusion. Not wanting to offend Cixi, she tried to look impressed. "That's... wonderful."

"You have no idea who I am do you?" Cixi sighed. "It's fine. Now then, who are you?"

"My name is Eli..." Elizabeth paused. She didn't entirely know where she was or how she got here. But if Ciel left to find Sebastian so they could investigate, she would as well. What better time than now?

"Eli? That's a weird name," Cixi frowned.

"Ellie. I meant to say Ellie. That's me." Elizabeth grinned as brightly as possible. Though her grin looked very forced, she hoped Cixi would believe it. Judging based on her looks, Elizabeth assumed that Cixi must be a human servant that had been duped into serving in the hotel. Cixi wore clothes similar to her own so Cixi was running under the assumption that Elizabeth was a servant like her. Thank goodness Cixi didn't pay too close attention.

"Well Ellie, obviously you're new to the whole demon hotel thing. So I'll give you an easy room to finish up on." Cixi tossed a skeleton key to Elizabeth who caught it instantly.

"It's the female demon's room. Down the hall. Third door on the floor. It'll be a black door. I'm pretty sure it's one of the suites." Cixi stood on her toes to whisper in Elizabeth's ear. "If you walk into the room and that orgy is still going on, just sneak right back out. The last girl got dragged into it. And let me tell you," Cixi grabbed the polar bear rug from the floor, shook it out, and then put the bundle under her arm.

"When demons bite you, they tend to take chucks outta you!" Cixi laughed and began to walk down the hall. "你顯然新的，如果你不知道阿巴頓的房間屬於時間旅行者。無知他媽的."

"What?" Elizabeth asked.

"You're really new is all." Cixi replied, then turned the corner and disappeared.

'Okay...' Elizabeth thought in confusion. Then she took off down the opposite side of the hallway towards where Cixi directed her. She walked for some time, but came across no door in the floor.

Elizabeth began to get annoyed by Cixi rather vague instructions. And it didn't make much sense that since Elizabeth was "new" she would be given any room to clean. This whole information thing was a terrible idea. She should just go back to her room via wardrobe and wait for Sebastian and Ciel.

With this thought, Elizabeth decided that she'd walk a little further and if she didn't find any door, she'd turn back and look for information some other way.

Whatever she did, she had to try to find out something at least. Considering that this was her last day before... Well, being taken to Hell. Obviously Lucifer had some other plan besides just marriage. He'd gain something from marrying her. She, however, would gain nothing. She'd perish in Hell, most likely from lack of human interaction. Or maybe she'd get killed by a rogue demon.

One could only hope.

"Looking for a room?"

Elizabeth turned around and was met with a shocking sight. A boy with bright purple hair and pupil-less and colorless eyes. His caramel skin complimented the strange hair color very nicely. He wore the same clothes Cixi did. However, he had significantly more muscle and looked less like a starved child. The most shocking part was that his mouth was sewn shut.

"I know. The sewn mouth makes it hard to pick up chicks. Especially chicks that look like you." The boy was on one knee before her, and taking her hand, he pressed his lips to her hand. His lips and the twine that held them together were cold and oddly soft.

His peculiar way of speaking (can it be called speaking if he's not talking?) confused Elizabeth. He sounded like a foreigner-

"Not a foreigner. Well, technically I guess. But also no. I'm from the future, to put it simply. And yes, I'm reading your mind. That's how you can hear me."

Questions raced through Elizabeth's mind. Questions like, 'How did you gain the ability to read minds?' and 'Does that mean he knows that I'm not-?'

Purple-hair stood up and ruffled his hair with his left hand. "Long story. Since my mouth was sewn shut, I was given the ability to read minds and communicate by speaking directly in someone's head. And I can't answer your other question since you didn't finish your thought." A crooked smile lit up his face.

"Right. Uh... Thank you Mr...?"

"Blaise Griffin. I'm from the year 2023. Sold my soul to Abaddon so I could be immortal. Unfortunately, I didn't read the terms and conditions of our agreement. So I got colossally screwed over. You need any help?" Blaise crossed his arms and leaned against the wall.

"No, I'm good. I just need to get into her room and clean up. You know how it is." Elizabeth replied nonchalantly and waved the key to Abaddon's room key before his face.

"Actually," Blaise raised an eyebrow. "I don't. You know, Abaddon's room is mine right? We all have rooms that we do. Her room is mine." His posture stiffened, and Elizabeth sensed a change in his cheery demeanor.

"Oh... I-"

"I was looking for whoever had stolen her key. I had assumed it was Cixi, that bitch, but I never thought it would be a newbie. Especially someone as beautiful as yourself."

"I didn't know." Elizabeth said quietly.

Blaise took a menacing step toward Elizabeth. His pupil-less eyes seemed much more intimidating now that he was angry. Yet even though she was in trouble, Elizabeth could only think one thing.

"How can you see?" She exclaimed suddenly. Though she was afraid, her curiosity overpowered the fear.

Blaise stopped. Then started to laugh. He laughed so hard that his eyes began to water and his face turned red.

"You're very weird." He remarked thoughtfully.

This seemed as good of a moment as any so Elizabeth held out her hand to Blaise.

"My name is Ellie. Do you happen to know anything about deals with Lucifer?"

Ciel Phantomhive

"Looky here Sebastian. You know full and well that what you ask is next to impossible." Pearl's American accent rolled over Ciel in waves. He loathed her annoying unusual sounding accent. It wasn't even really American.

"Though as you said, it's not completely impossible. It can be done." Sebastian replied.

They were in one of the storage rooms of the hotel hidden behind a stack of bags labelled as 'Flour'. All three demons knew that it was not flour.

"After extensive research I discovered a certain... thing. A ritual, if you will," Pearl gestured with her hands, and then folded them together. "Said ritual requires a demon and human sacrifice to save one. You need a pure human soul, and a dark demon soul. And it took nearly forever just to find out about the ritual. That's not to mention the tools needed to perform it. You need the blood of both sacrifices, a feather of an angel, the blood of His Liege himself, and of course, the presence of Him Above."

"The blood of the sacrifices is easy. The feather is tricky, but doable. Blood of Lucifer, could be dangerous... but the presence of God?" Ciel exclaimed, then flinched when he felt a burning sensation in his throat. Demons didn't ever say God's name for a reason. The name of the deity above burned the impure. Demons, of course, are the most impure.

"This is nearly impossible!" Ciel snapped, and punched the bag of 'Flour'.

Pearl made a soft whimper. God's name burned her since she was not as powerful as Sebastian and Ciel. This lack of power is what made other demon inexplicably trust her. She wasn't strong enough to kill them, so they trusted her with secrets. Eventually, they learned that secrets are much worse than being killed. Pearl began feared for her knowledge and the ways she gained said knowledge. Pearl built an underground empire. Eventually she had individuals do her dirty work for her. She was the biggest information broker in the Underworld. Normally Pearl would send another demon to give away information but she couldn't pass up a chance to speak to her old acquaintance, Sebastian.

And of course, speaking to Sebastian's now demonized master Ciel. They were well-known in the Underworld as the 'Immortal Duo'.

"Calm My Lord," Sebastian soothed. Ciel let out an angry sigh and sunk down to the floor. "Pearl, do you have an angel feather or perhaps some of His Liege's Blood in your stockpile?"

Pearl scoffed. "As if. I've been tryin' to a get a vial of it since the first dawn in the beginnin'." Pearl crossed her arms and huffed in anger. "That blasted Alistair with his wicked schemes. Always tryin' to one up me. Alistair notified Beelzebub about my attempts to procure a vial. Wretched monster! That non turpis agrum de stercore!" Pearl's smooth voice turned into a rough snarl of hatred.

"Do you have an angel feather then?" Ciel asked, hopefully looking up at her.

Pearl frowned, her eyebrows scrunching together in concentration. "I might. If not, I know a demon who'd be willin' to get you one."

"A feather?"

"No, an angel. I know a demon who can get you an angel."

"Wait," Ciel stood up again. "Why do we need a whole angel? We just need-"

"A freshly plucked feather. They wither if not used in the first two minutes of being pulled. That way when they lose feathers on Earth, they hold no power for the mortals to exploit. Don't you know anythin'?" Pearl asked rudely.

Ciel rolled his eyes. "What is the name of this angel? What angel would ever consort with demons?"

"The mighty angel Gabriel, who delivered the news of His' son's birth to His' mother, the Virgin."

"Right. Where is he at? So we-"

"In the hotel you fool. Can you not sense his power?" Pearl said with a condescending glance.

Ciel glared at her, then turned to Sebastian. "Well let's get going then. You can find him right Sebastian?"

Sebastian nodded.

"Wait!" Pearl exclaimed in shock. "You can't just leave like that! You didn't even pay me!"

Ciel and Sebastian had a silent exchange that went something like this:

Ciel: You didn't mention that we'd pay a price...?

Sebastian: There is no such thing as a free lunch. Everything has a price.

Ciel: Thank you for the warning beforehand Sebastian.

A soft smile from Sebastian.

"Well?! I'm not leavin' here empty handed!" Pearl snapped. Her polite and helpful side was now dead and buried beneath her greed and lust for payment.

"You deal with secrets correct?" Ciel asked, giving Pearl a once over. Was it worth it to tell her?

"Yessum darlin'! Whaddya got?" Pearl grinned and began to fidget in anticipation.

"I have power that rivals that of Lucifer. I could probably kill him if I fancied." Ciel replied with an indifferent tone. He was not lying. If he tried hard enough, Ciel could potentially exterminate Lucifer.

Pearl took a step back and her eyes widened. "So that's who's power I've been feelin'! It's you!"

Ciel shrugged. "There's your payment. We're leaving now."

And with that, Sebastian and Ciel left Pearl alone in the storage room, standing shell-shocked with this new juicy and delicious piece of information.

Elizabeth Midford

Blaise told her about a ritual he'd once heard of. Something about blood and feathers. He didn't know all the details. In exchange for him telling Elizabeth this, she offered to help clean Abaddon's room. Any perks he normally gained were all his; she was just extra help.

And that's how they ended up in Abaddon's room, picking up human body parts and bones. Elizabeth was regretting her decision to assist Blaise.

"She's never here when I clean. She knows I do a good job which is why she always leaves this." Blaise picked up a small box from the beside table and shook it in front of her.

Elizabeth went over to Blaise and plucked the box from his hand to read it.

"Hair dye? What on Earth is that?"

"I think you mean, 'What on Perdition is that?' You tried." Blaise grinned, the stitches stretching across his face.

"Hilarious. I think I'm dying of laughter." Elizabeth rolled her eyes. "Really though, what is it?" She held the box up to the light to inspect it further.

"It's what gives my hair this color." Blaise replied pointing to his bright purple locks.

The box showed a man with the same hair color and a black shirt. The man was holding his hands to form a strange symbol, and had his tongue hanging out of his mouth.

"Really? That's very odd." Elizabeth remarked. Blaise took the box back from her with a shrug.

"It's whatever. It's from the future, remember?" He said, and continued to sweep under the bed in search of any missed body parts.

Suddenly, the door of the room flung open. Immediately, Blaise came to a rigid stand-still. Elizabeth copied his movements and tried to stay as still as a statue.

Into the room walked a woman with bright ginger hair with a man who had dirty blonde hair and brown eyes attached to her arm.

"Gabriel, you are absolutely despicable!" The woman cooed. Gabriel smirked and in the next moment, the woman was dipped down, held only in place by Gabriel's right arm.

"Mademoiselle Abaddon, you are a stunning sight. I'm lucky I have the pleasure to be with you on this lovely morning." Gabriel purred in her ear.

"I'm lucky that you don't have qualms about a Knight of Hell like the rest of your angel buddies do."

In spite of herself, Elizabeth quietly gasped in surprise. Angels? Here? Blaise had said angels rarely left Heaven.

She glanced at Blaise from the corner of her eye and saw the surprise in his eyes too.

"Servants," Abaddon called in a singsong voice. Blaise walked over to her and Gabriel and stood before them, Elizabeth following after.

"My Lady?" Blaise spoke crisply and bowed. Elizabeth, once again, following his actions.

"You may attend this wonderful being while I get a quick snack, yes?"

"Yes My Lady." Blaise spoke again. Elizabeth continued to follow his actions.

Abaddon giggled happily and nuzzled her nose against Gabriel's.

"I'll be back soon darling. Then we'll have some fun." She then slid from Gabriel's grasp and exited the room.

Gabriel sighed tiredly, then plopped himself on the nearby love seat.

"I am in no need of assistance. I am an angel; I need no servants to bring me wine." Gabriel spoke dismissively.

"You wish for wine My Lord?" Blaise inquired politely.

"No," Gabriel said, and looked at Gabriel. "I wish for the girl to attend to my needs until Abaddon returns. She will not mind a third party."

At those words, what little color remained in Elizabeth's face disappeared entirely. Blaise's eyes flashed with shock and fear, but his voice did not waver as he spoke. "Of course My Lord." As he turned to leave through the secret door in the wall, he passed Elizabeth. He locked eyes with her and sent a single thought to her.

"You have to escape Ellie."

With that final parting phrase, he left the room, leaving Gabriel alone with Elizabeth.

"Come here servant. I ache for a woman."

Elizabeth's heart skipped a beat. She saw no way out of this. Maybe she could fake sick-?

Suddenly, she was pinned beneath Gabriel. She could feel the lust radiating off of him. As unfortunate as it was, she knew there would be no way out. No one to save her. She got herself pinned under a strong and dangerous angel and she would get herself out.

Just as she was about to knee him where-the-sun-don't-shine, there was a knock on the door.

'A small reprieve. A chance for me to come up with a plan.' Elizabeth thought elatedly. Hopefully whoever it was would take a while.

Gabriel groaned, and leaned down and kissed her lips quickly before extracting himself from her. One moment, Elizabeth was underneath him, the next, she was draped across his lap.

And she knew that what she felt beneath her bottom was definitely not a chopstick.

"Come in." Gabriel called, and snapped his fingers. The door opened.

Now what happened next was very odd for everyone (except Gabriel, who was enjoying the slender 'concubine' on his lap). Sebastian and Ciel stood in the doorway. Normally both were completely unreadable, but both of their expressions revealed surprise when they saw Elizabeth sitting on the angel's lap.

Elizabeth felt relief. Then instant embarrassment. Then anger. How dare they leave her while they go and speak to an 'informant'! Really they were collecting information and interviewing people without her?! If she had never fallen through that wardrobe, she would've never realized that they were purposefully leaving her out of the loop.

And she would've never had to try to escape from a sex-deprived angel, but that's besides the point.

Gabriel wrapped his arm tightly around Elizabeth's waist and pulled her against his chest. She felt the whiskers from his cheek against her left shoulder and heard him inhaling her scent.

The angel was working himself into a frenzy. By the time Abaddon returned, he would be ready to go.

"Well..." Ciel began, barely containing his anger both at Elizabeth and the angel. "Hello Gabriel."

And gold star for me. This took me all day to type. If any of you guys are still following this story, thanks. Love you guys. And the story is gonna pick up from here by the way. So that's good. Hopefully I update sooner, rather than in another 6 months.

R&R