Mark of The Demon

Bad dreams and Butlers.

It was Sapphires third night at the rebuilt home. She had finished all her paperwork and was nentally recovered from her check up with Takashi that morning. As Jacques undressed her and helped her into a clean blue colored nightgown she let her mind drift away. She had just that morning decided that instead of having loads of meetings for the same thing all week in seven days time they would have a ball instead. Call it a housewarming, a Coronation of sorts, whatever it was a great way for all the people she needed to be here at once. The house would be loaded down with guests but at the same time it would also mean that she would have more efficiency.

She thanked Jacques and let him leave. Crawling into her large soft bed she was illuminated in the light of the single rose colored candle. This she watched for a moment before finally blowing it out and laying down in the bed. The darkness enveloped her and closing her eyes tight she tried to shut out the bleak thoughts in her mind. Finally... She fell to sleep.

***The party was set to start in just an hour. Sapphire was excited! She was dressed in her favorite blue gown. Her hair had been done up nicely by Tina. Even her nails had been painted like she had hoped, white of course to match her butlers aesthetic.

She moved through the banquet making sure that everything was set up. The guests would have food and snacks, the music would be good for dancing and prepared for speeches and other none dancing music. She would make sure it was perfect now so that way when she made a delayed entrance it would be all the sweeter. As she stood in the hall she saw that the food was great and everyone was quite prepared. The notice came that the first quests were arriving and so she slipped out of sight to make the entrance she had planned. Tina was making sure all the guests were greeted for her.

She went to her bedroom and quickly applied her touch up makeup and ensured her clothes fit well. Finally it was her time to enter! She walked to where she would enter at but found her butler was missing.

"Where is Jacques?" She asked a servant in the hall. It was then she noticed he was wearing a mask... In fact all the staff was wearing masks... Even Tina had been! What?

She reached out a hand and opened the doors just enough to peek out at the guests. Everyone was wearing masks! Everyone but her that is.

"Wha-what? Did I miss something?" She asked to the servant. He looked at her and smiled a crooked smile.

"Not at all. The show starts in a moment."

Before sapphire could respond a hand gripped her arm and yanked her backwards. She gasped stumbled and fell. Landing in a metal cage. She cried out for Jacques but received no answer. The cage was then brought out into the floor of the party. It was her party. Her music, her food, but it seemed the party was an auction for her. Behind her came a familiar voice cool and calm. She turned and saw her butler, Jacques standing in a fancy three piece suit. He had a cane in hand that her rest the end of on her cage.

"We begin tonight's auction for the soulless and dimwitted Lady Sinclair at 100 pounds!" His voice chuckled darkly. "She is extraordinarily weak and useless I assure any buyer. Not worth my time anyways." He said and looked her in the eyes. ***

Sapphire woke with a start and felt tears pouring down her cheeks. She sat up in her cold dark room and could practically feel invisible eyes on her. Before she knew what was happening she vurst from the room and ran down the halls into Jacques private office. Here she ran and threw herself into the arms of the said demon who just tried to sell her.

"I'm sorry! Don't sell me!" She yelled at him as she tackled the demon.

"I'll get better! I will! I just need t-t-time!" She sobbed.

The manor was quiet at night. Though none of the castle staff slept, their human forms tend to slipped when the human went to bed for the night. They flitted from shadow to shadow, for those that still required a physical form at least, refusing to follow the very basic instruction of not terrifying their young master should she wake in the middle of the night with a nightmare ... something Takashi, in all his wisdom, warned might happen. Even a demon would have a hard time suffering what she suffered and come out the other end unscathed.

Tonight, of all nights, it appeared the castle staff were giving him a wide berth, which in the end turned out to be a good thing; the report made by Takashi was one hell of a read. He even took the liberty of including a cursory psychological evaluation, which included things he suspected, but didn't know until now; like her soon-dependence on him. That brought a smile to his face. Only helped corrupt her soul for the taking. Despite his orders to not be disturbed, it was late at night that his private door flew open and he suddenly found himself full of a very distraught master. At first, he thought to be annoyed; what human would dare touch him? But as his arms instinctively wrapped around the young woman, her shivering and shaking shoulders broke through to his cold heart.

"Hush, now." His slightly accented voice came out in the most soothing voice she had heard yet; part fatherly, part brotherly, it was accompanied by a pat on the back and a hand entwined in her messy hair. "You had a bad dream. Everything is fine now."

Sapphire pulled away from the demon still struggling to control her breathing and the occasional tear still streaking her cheeks.

"I-I know. B-but l-look at me! I'm pathetic! Y-your going to g-gg-" she took a deep breath trying to collect the words. "Get tired of me and w-want me gone! Y-your all I-I have left!" She then roughly rubbed at her face trying to dismiss the tears.

"Can you please ... Sleep with me tonight.... I don't want to be alone. I hate being alone..." She said as she seemed to finally completely collect herself.

"I know im being a baby. Im sorry. I just- you are- I..." Sapphire didn't really have an excuse. Maybe she just was a baby…

"You're not pathetic."

He smoothly consoled her. He felt it, a tipping point in their relationship. Her vulnerability would be an opportunity for him to develop her addiction to him; just another notch in the many-varied ways he was corrupting her soul. Hiding the smile that would betray his inner feelings, specifically that of a manipulative nature, Jacques stood and wrapped his arms around her shoulders again.

"You're merely vulnerable. That's understandable. I will never get tired of you, my mistress. Come, let us go. It is late, and you need your sleep." Sapphire sniffled softly and followed along with the demon slowly being led to the bedchamber again.

With a flourish, his jacket was pulled off and laid over his shoulder, his minty scent washing over and clinging to her like a second skin. Gently, he steered her back to her room, his aura flaring as a warning to any other st aff to avoid them, if any were going to be stupid enough to disturb them.

"I won't leave you tonight. I will stay and keep watch."

As he laid her down back in her bed, his fingers gently stroked her messy hair, straightening out the strands until they lay flat against her head again.

She allowed herself to be tucked into the blankets and laid her head back down on her pillows. Her eyes watched the man looking her over, his eyes glowed lightly in the darkness. She was fairly sure he would be a scary, and definitely traumatizing, sight if she weren't so deeply attached already.

Before long she felt herself drift off to sleep her dreams stabilizing and no longer so complex. Her hands in her sleep gripped onto the demon's hand and pulled it under her cheek where she kept it captive throughout the night.

Jacques kept his promise; all night he stayed vigil, perched like a statue at the end of her bed, watching over her. Weaving a blanket of magic over her, for soothing dreams, was childs play for someone like him; it was a trick demons of old used to steal the dreams of children, after all. Though fallen out of favor with modern demonkind, still something that's quite useful to employ occasionally. He was, at first, surprised about his hand being held; the proximity wasn't necessarily something he was used to. But he decided to deal with it; she was, after all, his master.

And he promised.