23 Stand Off

I heard heavy breathing, then a sudden thud, I felt my back on something flat and hard, "Beth!" said a voice, "Beth wake up!" I felt a cold hand touch my face, "Beth! Wake up!"

Then something warm began to envelop my whole body, slowly I opened my eyes and in front of me a blurry image of a person, he seemed flustered, as my eyes began to focus I realized I was staring at Ciel. He was panting, he must have carried me.

His face was red and he was out of breath, his hands were covered in blood. It wasn't difficult to figure out that they were mine. He smiled at me, beneath his face something was glowing, I looked down and I saw a feather sitting on my abdomen.

"Divine grace and healing", he said in between breaths, he then sat beside me with his back on the wall. Weakly I looked around, we were inside the Glass house, Ciel but they can't inflict wounds, he looked at me, for once he was unsure, but he didn't have a choice.

"Seriously, you're a handful Beth, you are so difficult to find", he said.

"Good thing you always have great timing", i responded weakly, "how did you get here?" i asked, a sharp pain seared through me proving that even with his Divine healing i was still not at my best condition

I looked around the place devoid of people, and Ciel was trying to catch his breath from running. At his back was a pair of snowy white wings, he leaned back on the wall beside me and his wings vanished, he looked at me, with concern and my heart began to pound, I cursed myself for even feeling this in this situation, well maybe that's why I'm feeling this... because I may not leave this situation alive.

"I followed you from the hotel, that demon was no joke", he said still panting, "they hid you so well it was almost impossible to find you."

"What do you mean?"

"Your assistant, was a greater demon, it wasn't like that when I first encountered it, in a span of a meager hundred years, it became a greater demon, it must have killed so many-

Then we heard a crash, I looked to my side and saw Domingo De Leon storming towards us, his face red, he was fuming, I held back a scream but my body began to shake in fear, how can I perform my task of killing him if I was this scared? I asked myself.

Ciel stood even before Domingo got too close and shielded me from his view, out of nowhere he pulled out what I assumed was his scythe, it was black from its long wooden stem to the tip of the curved blade. Close behind Domingo was the demon still wearing Danie's face, it smirked at the sight of Ciel wedged between the three of us.

This was a very familiar scene, in the past Ciel has stood to protect Antonina from them, the image of her face floated in my head, her fears were the same, but unlike her I bore no emotions for the man that stood across the reaper, rather I worried for the reaper that was using himself as a shield to keep me alive.

Ciel's face was also red with anger at the sight of Domingo de Leon, he was once again protecting a Traveller from this pair of infernal abomination, but somehow I felt I was not the one he was protecting in his head, he was protecting the legacy left by Antonina. Facing them was his shot for revenge for causing the death of the person who he really loved.

I knew I was just a mere replacement in their eyes but I was my own person and I didn't want to be a stand-in for anyone. I forced myself to stand, Ciel looked at me and mouthed the word "run", i shook my head - No, the voice of Officer Alcalde echoed in my head, "being a Traveller is not a choice, we have to do what we have to do. It's never gonna be easy, but there will come a point where you just want all of this craziness to end"

Yes I want the craziness to end.

I winced as I stood, Ciel took a deep breath, he couldn't assist me without risking being attacked by Danie and Domingo. Domingo De Leon at the sight of me made a run for me but with a single swing Ciel kept him at bay. Reapers can't kill demons or it's vessels

The Danie had a wide smile as she eyed me, she was scheming. I didn't have anything on me to protect myself, I stood closer to Ciel, he was the only one who had the means to protect me.

"Always getting in the way",Domingo shouted at Ciel, "stay away from my fiancee!"

I wasn't even able to give a retort when Danie appeared behind me and Ciel was barely able to fend her off, and Domingo De Leon rushed forward and grabbed me by the hand, I managed to pull free from him and kick him away. With the look at Ciel's face it was obvious that he knew that it was impossible to keep them away for a long time, to my surprise Ciel carried me and ran.

They pursued us and we arrived back at the garden, Ciel put me down just by the stage there was nowhere else to go, we were surrounded by hell hounds, Ciel brought out is his scythe once more as the hounds began to lunge at us, he began to cut them down as they approached, with the Danie and Domingo trying to get a hold of me. I started to throw things at them that was within my reach, like a vase, as the water splashed at them, the hounds whimpered as they were being burned by the water.

Domingo nor Danie the demon was able to get close to Ciel, but being backed into a corner we can't do anything either, then the attacks suddenly came to a halt, as Domingo began to step forward.

"You guys have literally nowhere else to flee to, it would be best to just stop this", he said, "Beth, we can still make this work, just come with us and my friend here can forgive you, right?" he looked at his demon

"Sure after a hundred lashes, we can still make a deal", said the demon, it started to lose its false face and it coal-colored body emerged, my stomach turned as it cut through the image my assistant as if it was a mere suit. It's horn coiled on its head and with its eyes glaring at me. It hissed at Ciel like a cat with disgust.

"Just ditch that celestial chicken and let the hounds have him while we can leave this place happily", Domingo was really aiming that I join him.

"Come on now Ingo, lets just kill her and that Celestial chicken and be over with it. There are more girls on earth prettier than her", the demon was beginning to lose it's patience, I hid behind Ciel.

"I love you", Domingo said.

"No you don't", responded Ciel.

"Shut up! You are always interfering!"

"She isn't Antonina. You already killed Nina, I won't let you kill Beth", Ciel's face was turning red with anger.

"He said shut up!" the demon slashed at Ciel he tried to block it but that attack broke though his scythe, he fell, "hey Bethany, you better start making the decision, I'm getting tired of this."

Ciel was on the ground howling in pain the demon had injured him bad, he was bleeding all over. In my head they were going to kill Ciel if I don't go with them, funny that I wasn't even scared if they killed me but, the thought of getting Ciel killed was painful.

"Beth", said Ciel as he bled, "listen I wont last very long, but i can still get you back up top. Follow my instructions and I can get you back home."

"And you?" i asked

"Well, I'll be gone".

No, it's stupid and cliche at this point but, I can't let him die for me. I was already at the point where I have fallen far too much for him. I looked at Ciel and i smiled, "hey Ciel", i whispered, "I really wanted to tell you something but it's too late now". He looked at me with great concern, does he know what I was about to tell him, even so, i really don't care anymore.

I called at them, "can you at least let the reaper go if I agreed with you?" I asked them

Domingo looked at his demon, it nodded nonchalantly, he turned to me, "sure". Never trust the word of the devil I thought.

"Okay".

Hey Ciel. I really fell for you. Was what I wanted to say but all I did was smile and began walking towards the demon and his vessel and as his hand took mine a blinding flash came and everything went white.