"No, it's actually pretty simple," Alfred drawled, slowly tightening his grip on the man's wrists, "You see, Mattie here brought me back."

"Yes, those books were very helpful, Arthur," Matthew added, leaning into Alfred's side as if to prove he was really there.

Arthur gasped. It wasn't possible, Matthew swore he'd never touch those books. He knew the boy had taken losing his twin hard, but he had been doing better! He'd said so…himself… Shit!

"Matthew, you didn't! That spell requires…"

Matthew interrupted him, "I know. The first two were hard, but after the third it was all so much easier!"

Arthur started to open his mouth but Matthew's hand shot out and clamped over his mouth. Arthur's head jerked back with the force Matthew used. He glowered at the boy and tried to bite at his hand, but Matthew jammed his thumb and fingers into the pivot of his jaw.

"Ah, ah, ah, let me finish Arthur. You never let me finish~!"

Arthur tried to suppress the little shiver that ran through him at the odd pitch in Matthew's voice; a shudder that became more pronounced when Matthew pulled a large hunting knife from the pocket of his hoodie and smiled gently at it.

"Like I was saying, Gilbert made it so much easier to do the last four. Don't worry, I thanked him properly. Just like you were always telling us to."

Arthur could only stare at the boy, the cousin who was practically his little brother, in absolute horror. Now that he'd said that, Arthur realized he hadn't seen the albino around for a while. Suddenly, he thought of everyone he hadn't seen since Matthew's supposed turn around, now worried for their lives. There was the young girl he usually saw around the neighborhood. And hadn't Yao said one of his nephews was coming back home soon? Damn, and that blasted Spaniard Antonio was off somewhere. Romano had come asking about him, saying he'd wandered off again. Could he be…? But if he was one and Gilbert was one, there was no way he wouldn't of here something. Francis would have come and…Francis would have…he would have… Arthur's blood ran cold.

"Missing someone, Arty?" Alfred asked, smirked at him. "I'm glad Gil helped Mattie bring me back. I didn't like leaving him like that. And now it's your turn to help."

"That's right," Matthew practically sang, dragging the knife across Arthur's arms, leaving shallow cuts. Alfred leaned in and lapped up the blood hungrily.

"You know the spell Arthur. Al just needs one more to stay with me," Matthew murmured as he slowly drew the blade across Arthur's arm again and watched his resurrected brother eagerly catch the blood that leaked out with his tongue. Arthur flinched and struggled against both sets of hands on him, but he could not shake them. Alfred was nearly crushing his wrists and Matthew's fingers were making his jaw ache terribly. Even while he struggled harder and harder, Matthew started to chant:

"One calls the soul,
Two holds it here.
Three binds soul to bone,
Four returns the flesh,
Five makes them whole.
Six wakes body and mind,
Seven restores true life."

It almost seemed as if Matthew caressed the final line as it left his lips. As he spoke the final word he slowly, carefully craved out Arthur's heart. Arthur screamed at the pain, though Matthew's hand still muffled it. He could feel when Matthew shoved his hand into his chest. Felt that same hand he'd held on trips to the store wrap around his heart with almost mocking gentleness. Then felt as his heart was wrenched from his chest and the pain was so blinding he locked up, unable to even think in his final moments. Sight fading, he caught sight of Matthew feeding his weakly pulsing heart to Alfred before succumbing to the blackness.

"Thank you for giving me back Al, Arthur~" Matthew said with a wide smile and eyes far too bright, staring at his cousin's now lifeless body and slowly licking the blood from his hand. "Give Francis and the others out thanks again."