Hello. The second and final chapter to 'Monochrome no Kiss'. Please enjoy, everyone. :) Disclaimer: I own nothing! This just an idea that came to me and I decided to spin with it, but I don't anything but the plot! I don't own Black Butler or BTR, though it would be cool right?!

"Bonjour, young Kendall! My, have you grown since I saw you last!"

I winced as Griffin practically yelled that into my ears with an arm around my shoulders, Mercedes shooting me a wink over her fan.

Inside I puked my guts out but on the outside I mustered up my best smile, bowing while Katie curtsied to my right.

"Welcome, Mister Griffin. The journey here was pleasant, I hope?" Katie was a master at fooling people; with her "shy" smile and soft flip of the hair, even James (if he had not helped deliver/care for her) would have been fooled. She certainly had Griffin and Mercedes sold.

His smile was rather leer in nature, taking one of her thin, gloved hands and pressing a kiss to it. I could catch the shiver of disgust that rocked my baby sister's doll-like frame.

"It was a tad too long but worth it if I get to see the lovely Knight Family again, Miss. I say, you are growing into quite the beautiful young dame; a splitting image of your mother."

A well of anger flooded me at his complete disregard for my father's memory, though James's light touches to the back of my neck managed to keep me at ease.

"Please follow me to the dinning room, Mister Griffin. My Lady has been expecting you and Miss Mercedes. Tonight's dinner, prepared by our fine chef Logan, consists of soft noodles lightly drizzled with sauce and vegetables within a fine stew; the meat has been cooked to perfection, the noodles and stew at the right temperature and the accompanying bread a soft golden-brown. The sauce, a family recipe, adds a bit of a spicy tang to the stew but does not steal the flavor of the noodles themselves. We hope you do enjoy the dish, Mister and Miss Griffin; I'm assuming your palettes have grown tired of full-flavored French dishes, Sir, which is why I chose this specific meal for today. We, the staff, have also prepared a fresh brew of lemonade, not too sweet, with plenty of ice to help fend off this tiring heat. We do hope you enjoy the meal, Sir; dessert will be a surprise, as requested by My Lady."

I couldn't help but admire James right now. Well, more than I do on a daily basis. A few minutes ago he was angry, not at all pleased by the presence of the Griffin Family. Jealously had had him daydreaming of their deaths, in particular Mercedes's, because of their overwhelming stench in the house. He wasn't fond of most of my mom's acquaintances, but the smile on his lips at the moment only came about when he was at the end of his rope.

But that was what he was feeling on the inside. James was a master of deception: he can make anyone believe anything when it came to physical appearances. Secrets and lies, while he did not lie to me, were things highly acquainted with demons especially those of his kind. Powerful demons were a separate kind themselves; powerful shape-shifting demons bound by The Contract, however, followed different rules.

He was to be polite, obedient and kind as my butler. On the inside though, the hunger for human flesh was present in the crimson hue his eyes were taking on.

"Thank you, boy. That will be all now. You may take your leave." Griffin said with a scowl, shooing at James as if he was a fly. He was already tired of my butler'a presence. I growled and wanted to snap at him, when James merely chuckled and bowed his head.

"I beg your pardon, Sir, but I cannot fulfill your request. You see, I am to never leave Young Master's side; he asked me to stay, so I shall." He responded with a wink in my direction. I felt a blush creep upon my cheeks though I hid it behind a cough as we entered the dinning room and took our seats, James pulling out my and Katie's chairs.

"I understand, boy, but usually the help doesn't dine with the family." Griffin sneered, trying his best to maintain his smile though. James poured me a glass and undid my napkin over my lap, deep piercing eyes on my face.

"Oh do not fret, Mister Griffin. 'The help', as you put it, do not partake in dinning with the family all too often. We serve, offer, tend to, and pamper as much as we can and if My Lady says so, we excuse ourselves to dine in the kitchen. My Lady, however, does not usually object to me being near in case the Young Master or Miss need something of me; would you wish for me to depart for the kitchen, My Lady?" James asked as Mom finally took center stage, in a long, flowing Chinese-style dress she purchased a month ago, and worked her comfortably into her seat.

He gently tucked her back in, unfolded her napkin over her lap and poured her a glass of lemonade, taking a step to the side to finishing tending to Katie.

Mom sipped daintily at her glass as she turned to Griffin, smile sweet yet eyes sharp as daggers. They were waiting, waiting to see if he would dare to challenge her authority, her position as the loving, yet protective matriarch we knew, loved and respected.

"No, I do not dear. And actually, would you be so kind as to fetch Carlos, Logan, Camille and Lucy for me? They are of the family too you see, Arthur. I don't like to dine with half of my family away; do not reject my offer, James honey, or I will turn it into a demand. He's always saying no, you see, claims it's a sign of disrespect towards me but I say that's ridiculous. Family is family, and I adore my family."

James's eyes grew wide at this. My mom wasn't a stranger to being nice, she wasn't only the Queen of Knight Shares (The largest toy/confectionary company in the world) but the Queen of Kindness. Kindness could have been her middle name, if it was possible.

But the fact that she wasn't giving him any chance to say no was the surprise.

James composed himself in seconds though, thanking her with a short but deep bow. "As you wish, My Lady. Please excuse me for a brief moment."

I began to sip frantically at my lemonade, hoping it would drown down the laughter coming to be at seeing the look on Griffin's face.

-Page Break-

"So, exactly what has brought you here today, Arthur? I'm afraid not many words were exchanged during our phone conversation earlier." Mom said as she blew lightly at her spoonful of stew and sipped, dabbing at her mouth soon afterwards.

Mom, the model of flawless etiquette.

Arthur swallowed around a ball of noodles and cleared his throat, dark eyes twinkling. "Of course, pardon my lack of response! This stew is...satisfying, even if it was made by the hands of a poor urchin and-"

"Arthur, his name is Logan." My mom said in a controlled tone of voice, chewing lightly on a piece of carrot. Katie snickered into her bowl, Lucy kicking her playfully under the table.

"My Lady, you don't have to defend me..." Logan began but Mom raised her hand; he was silent in seconds.

"Mister Griffin failed to address you properly, sweetie. You are not an urchin, let alone a poor one; you are polite, smart and a wonderful cook. You are like a son to me, and he and his daughter KNOW how much family means to me."

"Of course, please forgive my father. He's just a bit tired is all, traveling tends to drain him so." Mercedes stepped in, trying to do damage control.

'Too late, Barbie.' I thought bitterly, pretending to be busy slicing a piece of bread for Katie. Carlos put an arm around Logan's shoulders, silently comforting him.

"I'll let that one slide since you are our guests, but watch your tongue if you will."

"Of course, My Lady. Well, what I wish to discuss with you is about an arranged marriage idea that came out of the blue. Before you ask, no it does not concern me in the slightest this time; it does concern my daughter, though. Young Kendall is at the age in which he can marry with a parent's consent; everyone knows that an Earl, or in his case an Earl-to-be, must marry another of noble blood. My daughter Mercedes had just celebrated her sixteenth birthday and asked me to ask of you the honor...of marrying your son."

Those words attacked me like grenades with their pins out. Carlos, Logan, Camille and Lucy all had their eyes wide open in shock; Katie raised an eyebrow and looked at James, who's face was unfathomable as he refilled everyone's glasses.

Many aristocrats were betrothed from birth, it was something common. Mom and Dad, however, didn't agree with that sort of "tradition" so me and Katie were liberated from that burden; we were allowed to marry who we wanted, within reason of course.

That didn't the halt the possibilities of suitors, sadly. This isn't the first time someone has asked my mother for my hand.

Still, Mercedes?

A stone cold silence fell over the table, though just as quickly as it came Mom broke it.

"Oh, is that all?" She asked sarcastically. Of course only those who knew her really well would catch that, Mercedes and Griffin were oblivious.

"Well, there is something else...she's not the only one wishing to join the family. I wish to take...Miss Katie's hand here in marriage as well."

-Page Break-

Say what?!

"Katie?!" I exclaimed, my bowl screeching as my spoon's head met its stomach.

"Me?!" She echoed, face white as a sheet.

Mom's lips were in a thin lip, light golden-brown eyes now closer to a dark chocolate tone. She cleared her throat and set her spoon down, expression hard as stone.

"Arthur Griffin, do not toy with me." Her voice was cool, icy even.

It made even me feel a terrified chill.

"My Lady, I jest you not. I've found myself growing rather fond of Miss Katie; for someone so young she has what makes a successful business woman: ambition, brains, a sharp tongue. Who else would be best suited in taking over my theatre department once I've passed on?"

"Why can't Mercedes do it? She's just as bright and capable as my daughter, Griffin." Mom snapped back, fiery red hair now resembling live flames. Griffin swallowed hard and drank the rest of his lemonade to wet his lips, Mercedes eyeing him wearily.

"Because finding love these days is hard, My Lady. Of course my heart will always belong to you; Miss Katie could never take your place in my eyes, yet the truth is that I'm only growing older and older by the day. My daughter doesn't see her future in the theatre and who I am to force her into something that will only promise her great displeasure?"

"Don't you think my daughter would be only be promised great displeasure by MARRYING you? If you can't force your daughter to take over your theatre department then why should I even try to do that to my little girl? Katie may marry with my consent, but I will NOT force to marry you. She is my daughter, not a piece of property that I will sign off just like that. I want her to marry for love, not old man's insatiable greed. It disgusts me that you would even ask me that."

"And if we pay you for your consent?" Mercedes butted in, clenching tight the fork in her hand. She had a murderous glint to her eyes, as if she was itching to stab my mother to death.

"My baby sister isn't a prostitute, Barbie. You'd be good at though, don't you think? I'm sure millions of Viscounts would pay a decent sum to be poorly entertained." I sneered, grinning inside when she dropped her fork and gasped dramatically (like the annoying cow she was).

"How dare you?!"

Lucy and Camille began snickering amongst each other, Mercedes snapping her platinum blonde head in their direction. "Hey you useless wenches, how dare you laugh?!"

"Because it's funny." Lucy deadpanned, tying her long, red-streaked black hair up with a ribbon.

"Says the disgusting piece of filth that fancies another woman! Disgusting, gross, unsanitary!"

"Mercedes, stop!"

"Seems like your daughter's true colors aren't as soft and beautiful as her outer appearance portrays, Arthur." My mom said as she finished up her lemonade, James quick to pour her a refill. Griffin was visibly bristling at this point, happy, calm facade now gone.

"With all due respect Jennifer, your son insulted my daughter. Calling her a prostitute, as if she has no grace!"

"This round isn't the first your daughter has in insulting my family. The one time you two spent a month here, she was purposefully abusing her high status! She had the gall to frame my gardener Carlos of stealing, when the dear has never shown her any degree of disrespect! She bad mouthed my Camille to the other guests that had arrived to partake in Kendall's birthday celebration! Oh and let's not forget the most recent incident from you two: attempting to bribe James to abandon the family that has raised him, all of that to marry him off to Mercedes! Well I'll tell you this now, Arthur: I know the game you're trying to play."

Suddenly all the window curtains cut off the light from the outside world, condemning us to a dungeon of darkness. The sounds of the wind, the rays of the sun, everything vanished in a blink of an eye; all that remained were a few tall candles, ones Mom kept around the manor house in case of emergency, and they were burning brightly as if recently lit. They cast a orange-reddish hue against the tall, white walls, the purple curtains and the silverware.

Me, Katie and the others were calm. James was out of sight; Mercedes was trembling in her seat, and Griffin had paled considerably.

They were scared now, really, truly scared.

"W-what game are you talking about, My Lady?" There was a noticeable tremor in Griffin's voice now, he probably cursing himself in inside for the choke. He was trying to pull out the proper card again, but it wouldn't work at all this I knew. Mom smiled coldly.

"You wish to test me farther, Arthur? Well fine, test me so! I know of your scheme: wishing to marry me, not out of love but greed. You wish to marry me so you can become Earl of the family, something that my beloved Justin left for Kendall. My husband, may he rest in peace, was a wonderful man that knew our son would make a fine head of the family when the time came. He sacrificed so much for our children; how with his last dying breath, he sealed his own fate for the sake of his family's. The protection, the strength and the vitality, he left that all for us. And because your greed is insatiable, you decided to prey on us to achieve a higher social status. What is it, the life of a well-known merchant and lover of the arts not good enough? I will be honest, I was oblivious to this conspiracy at first...that is, until a faithful soul told me of the filth poisoning my fine home."

"Who t-told you?!" Mercedes rose to her feet, picking up the large knife James had used to chop the vegetables for the stew.

She brandished it in front of her like a sword, knocking her chair to the ground. Everyone apart from me and Mom jumped to their feet, alarm and afraid of what the deranged girl might do.

"Mercedes, now honey relax..."

"Shut up, Daddy! Who told you, you filthy whore!"

"Insolent girl, one must not address their elders with such a nasty tone." A smooth, seductive voice brushed Mercedes's right ear, a tall, well-muscled shadow standing behind her.

"MERCEDES, NO!" Griffin shouted, but it was too late. She spun on her heels at the voice and stabbed the shadow square in the stomach.

-Page Break-

My eyes grew wide, blood running cold.

"Gah...!" James let out a sharp gasp as blood poured like a waterfall from his mouth, the knife having gone clean through his body.

His proud, spotless suit was now stained with blood, he falling backwards as Mercedes tackled him and continued to stab, stab away.

"MERCEDES!" Griffin tried to pull her off my...dead butler's still form only to get scratched and clawed at by the blonde lunatic's freshly done, French-tipped nails. She stabbed, and stabbed, and stabbed until her big, frilly flowing dress was soaked in blood. Her hair was a sickly crimson, eyes wide and wild, and hands dark with blood.

She looked...insane, completely out of her mind.

"YOU'RE GOING TO DIE TOO, BITCH! YOU AND YOUR WHOLE FAMILY!" Griffin was soon smiling sadistically, standing behind his daughter with a...sick, depraved, proud smile on his face.

"Playing with fire will eventually cause you to burn, My Lady. Now, about that earlier marriage proposal..."

Tears streamed down my face, the room spinning all around me.

"Ja...!"

"Shut up, you miserable little brat!"

"Kendall!"

"Big brother!"

Griffin grabbed the front of my shirt and pulled me towards him, stealing the knife from Mercedes to brandish it to my neck. He ripped my eyepatch off and threw it to the floor, it turning a dark red as it disappeared into the pool of James's blood.

He spat in my face, smiling at my flinch as he pressed the blade further against my skin. "I told you I'd come out on top, worm. Now, let me see what you hide so dearly..." He whispered, trying to force me to raise my head, to expose my right eye.

"Stop it, get your hands off the Young Master!" Lucy shouted, getting to her feet only to get the bloody knife pulled out on her by Griffin. Mercedes smirked, her aesthetically pleasing face turned hideous with the tragic splash of the blood.

"Please, none of you can do anything now."

"My, my, but hasn't this been quite the troublesome experience?" The hand buried in my shirt went slack, the other reaching for my face soon icy to the touch, Griffin's jaw slack and eyes wide; his breathing practically stopped with just the sight alone.

The sight alone of...my butler James, stance bloody yet smiling that infamous devilish smile. He had his right glove off, revealing The Mark, eyes shining and a ruby red. His nails were painted black, hair its normal length yet it wasn't drooping, wet with blood.

In fact, before my eyes the blood staining his clothes...was gone, as if he never got hurt. No dried red on his white shirt, black vest and jacket or pants. Even the stains on his dress shoes were wiped clean. The small drop adoring his wrist he licked away, smile untouched.

He stood there, untouched and beautiful as ever...like an angel.

"I-impossible! I stabbed you, o-over and over again! You can't be alive! You c-can't be!" Mercedes exclaimed, legs jelly under her now. A slight chuckle left the alluring brunet, running a hand through his hair.

"I am the butler of the Knight Family. It goes without saying that I can manage an illusion as simple as so. You may have beauty, Miss Griffin, but certainly not brains. Your stabbing method COULD manage a clean execution...if you were to aim at the vital organs, veins and/or arteries. But should I really tell you all this, when even if you were to attempt against my life again it would be futile?"

Griffin tumbled to the floor, face white and eyes wide, dead. His weak grip on me had vanished all together, sending me tumbling to the floor as well as his dull nails had threatened to cut off my oxygen.

Griffin, he...he had suffered a heart attack.

"DADDY!" Mercedes ran to her father's side and cradled his head in her lap, tears running hot and fast down her cheeks while one of her shaking hands found the knife once more.

"I'm afraid your father has left us, Miss Griffin." James put his two cents in, running his tongue over his lips.

That pushed Mercedes over the edge.

"I'LL KILL YOU!" She roared, but she didn't go for James.

She went for me.

-Page Break-

She had me in a headlock, knife at my throat. I gasped as she made a deep cut into my skin, my body still weak from not breathing evenly.

"You're going to die, you're going to die and I'll avenge me father's death with yours. You're worth nothing!"

"James, why did you feign sleep for so long? I was getting tired of waiting for a response." Despite the rasp in my voice I addressed the handsome butler before me, my eyes no doubt foggy from straining myself.

James smiled and a pressed a finger to his lower lip, chuckling."My Lord, you know how I always like to give a good show on my part. After all, your beauty is at its fullest when your skin is painted with your blood; so fragile, so weak it's just to die for."

"Stop talking, and d-don't move!" Mercedes warned, oblivious to Lucy and Camille sneaking out of the room, Carlos and Logan following suit.

"You find amusement in my pain?" I growled, wincing when Mercedes lashed out again and sliced my right cheek; red tears began to trail down my face. James tilted his head to the side, a hand over his heart.

"My Lord, the role I am to play is that of your butler. A butler follows the orders given to a T. That is the role you have given me; that was the role my dear mother raised me to fulfill since before you were born. A butler does what the Young Master tells him to, the question is this though: I believe I have taught you how to beg?"

A silent gasp left me at this.

-Page Break-

"Young Master, while I have tainted and claimed your soul as mine, I am still your faithful dog. While you have been condemned to damnation by our share of flesh and tongue, I am still a devil. I am devil of a butler, I am to serve you until I can drown myself in the essence of your blood. Which means...you will beg. Beg for mercy, beg for my touch that intoxicates your senses. Beg for my tongue to taste you at night, but beg. Beg, and the true power of what binds us together will be clear. Beg, Young Master. Beg for me..."

-Page Break-

"I said not to come any closer! I'll cut his pretty little head off! STOP!"

James looked truly torn, a hand curled under his chin. "Oh my, what should I do? One more step and My Lord dies. Such a pull of the heart, is it not?" He asked with a sigh.

His ruby eyes were shining brighter than ever though, and a purple-reddish glow was coming from The Mark.

I felt a burning in my right eye, teeth clenched. "James..."

He smiled again, this one more carnal-looking though. "Yes, My Lord?"

"What exactly are you waiting for?" I asked. He bowed.

"For the sacrifice and pleasured promised, My Lord. My Lady?" He met my mother's eyes. She stared deeply into those large, red pools before she nodded sharply once.

"I see, whatever you see fit...My Lady. Now Young Master, beg?"

I raised my head, the purple-reddish glow radiating from his mark leaving mine as well. Mercedes looked confused, baffled and awed by the sight.

"I command you, rescue me!"

"Hmm-mph. As you wish...so long as the Young Master possesses the 'Mark of The Covenant'...I am his faithful dog."

"That's it, I'm shutting you two freaks up once and for all!" Mercedes lifted the knife high over my head, the stainless steel clouded thickly with blood. She was going to make good on her threat of decapitating me.

"YOU'RE DEAD NOW, SO-CALLED EARL-TO-BE!"

-Page Break-

Slosh!

The sound of a blunt object butchering skin made me sick to my stomach, but no immense agony I felt. I kept my eyes opened, blood heavy in my clothes though a smirk touched my lips at what Mercedes said next.

"H-he...he's alive." Her eyes were wide and wet; James had an arm around her shoulders, his free hand...jerking about her forgotten fan within the gaping hole now in her neck.

"I believe this belongs to you, Miss." He hissed with a large grin, she dropping the knife to the floor.

She released me and let out a loud choking sound, literally gurgling on her own blood before falling to her knees. She landed on the plush, dark blue carpet face-first, whole body now being slowly swallowed by her own salty-smelling, crimson red wine.

With his body crouched low and lips at her ear, James whispered the last thing Mercedes would ever hear in this life.

"A 'sacrifice', a 'wish', and a 'covenant' bind me to My Master. Until I claim his soul. For I am a devil, a devil of a butler who will now, from afar, feast upon your sickening essence. Haha, such an appropriate death for a disgusting, vile little girl..." A weak gasp had left her, a twitch of the hand and then...

She was gone.

Her body had fallen a few inches away from her deceased father's, fingers so close yet so far from embracing.

My breathing was forced but there, Mercedes's blood now staining heavier what had already set in my clothes. My dirty blond hair was soaked in blood too, though I only spat a bit to the floor and messaged my lower ribs. Mom got to her feet and walked to hover over the slowly decaying corpses, nudging Griffin's limp knee with the toe of her shoe.

"Insulting our Coat of Arms, dear Arthur we are not the watchdogs of the Queen for nothing. The theatre troupe, everything of the arts only a cover to disguise your illegal drug trade. Coming here with such a ruse, expecting to get your way only to meet the fate that was destined for your family. Some scum of the Underworld prefer to use a sex-trafficking ring or such, but even those have lost everything. Prostitution, black market, smuggling...the filth of the world will not poison this home.

Mom took the tiniest ring off Mercedes's right hand, pinky finger and examined it: a fine silver, carved and polished to a shine, with a topaz gem in the middle.

"Camille honey, this is the engagement ring Lucy gave you, is it not? The one that went 'missing'?" She asked, said brunette, carrying a sniper rifle with blood staining her clothes, appearing at her side, palm facing up to catch the ring as Mom gently dropped it into her hand.

"Yes, My Lady. Seems like the late Miss Griffin had stolen it, just as I suspected." She responded, Lucy not far behind (a large sword strapped to her waist) and sliding the ring back onto its rightful place.

"Huh, thieves seem to forget that they never prosper." Lucy chided with a sadistic gleam in her eyes. Camille giggled in spite of the situation, the two sharing a quick but tender kiss.

"So, do we burn the bodies now?" Katie asked, Carlos with his strength of a thousand men carrying Mercedes and Griffin's bodies easily in one hand, the other carrying a shovel, a bucket of oil and lighter.

Mom tapped her chin in thought, eyes falling to the carpet. "Tch, and to think I love this carpet so. Brooke made it by hand shortly after Kendall was born; oh how Katie loved to play on it, she would even nap on it in the afternoons. James, will be able to you manage an extermination of these god-awful stains from the stitch work? It is all I have left of her..." She asked, turning to the brunet with a sad, pleading expression.

James, eyes now a light scarlet once more, smiled and kissed the top of her head; his stature dwarfed my mother's, she now resembling a child trying to win her father's favor.

"My Lady, I'm the butler of the Knight Family. It goes without saying that I can accomplish a task as simple as this. Please, leave it to me." He said softly, as if cooing to a newborn. Mom smiled at him though light tears, touched once again by his endless loyalty.

"Thank you, step lively then James. Carlos, be a dear and prepare two unmarked graves in the garden if you will. Oh, but first please make two coffins, plain."

"Kay, My Lady!"

"Logan, remember that bag of tools and herbs in the basement? Would you be so kind as to fetch them, we must clean and prepare the Griffins. It would be a grave discourtesy to send them away in the state they are in."

"With pleasure, My Lady."

"Lucy, go out and prepare two large bouquets of white roses and lilies for the funeral. It will be private, but Knight hospitality is still in place."

"Always eager to please, My Lady."

"And Camille, please help me pick out the all-black attire for everyone. Dresses or long skirts for the ladies, suits or shirts with pressed dress pants for the gentlemen."

"As you wish, My Lady!"

"Oh James, before you tend to the carpet please tend to Katie and Kendall first. Clean their wounds and prepare some tea to help them relax." Mom finished giving orders and soon had me and Katie tight to her chest, crushing us in a big, mama bear hug.

"I'm so sorry..." She whispered, wiping any fresh blood away and kissing our foreheads. Katie rolled her eyes with a smirk.

"No big deal, Mom. The important thing is that we, the Aristocrats of Evil, have completed the job left to us by the Queen."

"Katie's right, Mom. We knew our parts and executed them to the T. That was the plan after all, right?" I added, letting whatever bangs I still had to fall over my right eye.

She didn't say anything to us back, but her beautiful smile returned.

-Page Break-

"Herbal tea relaxes the muscles and brain; it should ease your troubles away, My Lord." James said, pouring me a steaming cup.

He had changed me out of the blood-soaked clothes into my pajamas, my eye patch restored over my right eye and cuts clean and bandaged. Like Katie, James had put me on bed rest, fearing the traumatic experience might have affected my mental health.

He had fluffed the pillows under my head and tucked the covers around my waist, leaving me mobile to take the cup he held in front of my face.

"Hmmph, you seemed in no rush to save me back there." I replied sourly, taking a small sip. James chuckled as he set tea pot down on the long, silver tray.

"If I was to play my part right, Sir, I just had to seem apathetic. What, don't you agree? Protecting you so viciously would have exposed the true nature of our relationship, is that what you would have wanted?"

"But letting her slice my cheek open?!" I shouted, teeth clenched and glaring daggers. My blood boiled when he began chuckling, again.

"It was just a scratch, Young Master. I can assure you it does not steal your beauty away, in fact it makes it stand out even more. Demons like to play, perhaps a bit too much but play all the same."

"Whatever, leave me be then." I snapped, setting my cup down and turning away.

"Aww, is My Master so upset with me?" He whispered in faux hurt tone; I shrugged his hands away and buried myself deeper into the sheets, his chuckling escalating in volume.

"Ah, it seems to me that he is. Whatever can I do to earn his forgiveness? Wait, perhaps I do have something in mind..."

Suddenly the curtains were drawn closed over my bedroom window, the candles lit, restoring their orange-reddish glow, and I heard the lock of my door click softly.

I bolted upright in my bed, the sheets wrinkled at my bare feet, as James snuck between my parted legs and leaned more into my face, our noses brushing and his lips parted in a seductive grin. His brilliant white teeth caught the light of the candles.

"Perhaps My Lord needs release in a more physical, active way? I must admit I did rather enjoy those cute little noises Young Master made during our first intercourse; you sounded so innocent, so fragile like a kitten. And I myself am in need of a stress relief. Say My Love, are you feeling up for a second time around? It was rushed the last time, I didn't get to fully bask in your heat of your soft, perfect body..."

-Page Break-

Before I could say anything in return, James softly claimed my lips with his. I tried to resist, to make me have to fight for what he (what we both) wanted but his tongue soon invaded my mouth and I was gone.

I moaned as he pressed against all the sweet spots in my mouth, tangling his tongue with mine and easily winning the battle for dominance. I latched my arms around his neck to pull him closer, my back meeting the pillows once more; one gloved hand he had cupping my chin, the other running down my chest and slowly undoing the button of my pajama top.

Once half of the buttons were undone he removed his lips from mine only to press full, light kisses to and down my neck, sucking at one point to leave a mark. I shivered and threw my head back, whimpering at the attention he was giving me. As he licked and kissed my neck, he took off his gloves to better feel my chest, tracing the lines of my abdominal and pectoral muscles with his feather-light touch. He slipped my nightshirt off and lapped at my chest, running his tongue over every inch of skin.

"Oh..." I mumbled, James chuckling into my lower stomach.

"Do you want me to continue, Sir, or go for dessert?"

"I c-command...you to continue!"

"As you wish, My Master."