"So, your job is to...kill demons?" Ciel asked, keeping his gaze firmly off Sebastian, sat beside him and looking quite untroubled.

"Officially we are 'enforcers of the Accords' and 'appointed specifically by the Angel to control and preside over the Shadow World'." Will explained. "But yes, that translates roughly to 'demon killers'."

Ciel nodded numbly.

"I'm sure you are rather overwhelmed. It's only natural." Charlotte said gently. "But there really is no need to be afraid, you see..."

"I'm not afraid." Ciel snapped, as if the word was poisonous. "I'm young, not foolish."

"Fear does not equate to foolishness." Jem said quietly. "Sometimes it is those who are afraid who are the wisest of all."

"Well put, Jem." Charlotte smiled.

"If Ciel and Sebastian are staying here, oughtn't they to train?" Jessamine asked pointedly, casting a smug look at Ciel's slim and unathletic build. In all honesty, she thought a strong wind might blow him over – or a mild one.

"I don't think that will be necessary." He said coolly.

"It happens to be important, however." Will replied. "Though I can see why you might not be overly enthusiastic after the...demon you saw us fight last night."

"I really do not see..." Ciel began.

"My lord, I do think it would be beneficial. It would certainly lessen the number of kidnappings you fall prey to." Sebastian said conversationally, and the others looked up in surprise at the news that Ciel was not only kidnapped, but was so frequently. Neither he nor Sebastian seemed particularly concerned by this fact. The boy himself merely glared.

"However, you are merely my butler, so that decision does not rest with you. And I have rather good reason to know that no harm will come to me."

There seemed to be hidden meaning in this and the shadowhunters exchanged glances. Sebastian, however, simply nodded with a smug smirk. "Yes, my lord."

Jessamine quickly warmed to Ciel upon finding out he was an Earl.

"An Earl?" he asked. "How? Of what?"

"I was the heir to the Phantomhive manor, my parents died, and now I'm the Earl of Phantomhive." He answered simply.

"So you have an occupation?" she asked. "But you must only be twelve."

"Thirteen." Ciel corrected her, somewhat sharply. She was beginning to get the feeling that he did not appreciate being treated as anything less than anyone his senior just because of his youth. "And yes," he continued. "But my job is not being the Earl of Phantomhive. That is really just a title; a title with immense weight and responsibility, but a title nonetheless."

"What is your job then?" Will asked, sitting himself down.

Charlotte and Henry had set to their morning's work; Charlotte to answer the dozens of Council letters and Henry to his laboratory in the crypts. The children had relocated to the library under the pretence of showing Ciel the vast shelves of books, whilst Sebastian had gone to "make himself useful" at his master's request. He was currently discussing schedules with Sophie and Agatha in the kitchens. On the arm of the chair in which Jem sat, perched Will, leaning against his friend's shoulder comfortably. Jessamine sat alone, half-hidden in cloaking swathes of shadows, though she leaned in now in interest at Ciel's status.

"I manage the domain of Phantomhive, I am the Head of the Funtom confectionary and toy manufacturing business," he explained and Will smirked, earning Jem's reproachful glance. "And," Ciel went on. "I am the watchdog to Queen Victoria."

The three Nephilim exchanged looks and burst out laughing. Jem halted abruptly, throwing Ciel a look of abject apology. Jessamine and Will, conversely, seemed uncaring of Ciel's obvious growing anger.

"You don't believe me? Do you think that concerns me? That is my job, and I do not need to justify or prove that to three virtual strangers." He said coldly, but his porcelain cheeks burned with red heat contrary to his icy tone.

Rare was the time when the boy wasn't treated as a foolish child, or that people didn't believe his words, on first meeting. He was in the company of those many decades his senior, and was used to adults' incredulous responses to his occupation. But if detectives at Scotland Yard could believe him, he saw no reason why these three...demon hunters couldn't. Ciel himself had quite enough experience with demons. That would wipe the smirk off their smug faces. Not that he would say anything of the sort, of course. Not yet, at least. Not whilst they were still practically strangers. He did not trust them, nor them he. And Will had barely stopped thinking about Sebastian's scarlet eyes.

It was true that the shadowhunters were struggling to believe Ciel's words. It was ridiculous. Why on Earth would Queen Victoria need a thirteen year old watchdog? But, then again, this was not the strangest thing the shadowhunters had heard by any stretch of the imagination. They found demons on a daily basis, after all, and Ciel had accepted this as truth without hesitation. And there was a defiance in the set to his jaw and lack of necessity to prove himself – as if he thought such an ordeal trivial when he knew he was right – that made all of them, even notoriously cynical Will, inclined to believe him.

Despite his earlier protestations, that afternoon, Ciel found himself preparing for a bout of training with Jem and Will. The others had insisted and Ciel had eventually conceded – internally, of course. He'd never admit he had been mistaken aloud – that it would perhaps be useful given the violent natures of the situations he so often found himself in.

Ciel sat on the bed in his room as Sebastian knelt before him, tying the laces on the heavy work boots he had been given. They were far too big, he thought, as he moved his booted foot off Sebastian's knee and stood up. As he walked over to the full length mirror on his wardrobe door, he grimaced.

"I look ridiculous." He snarled.

Ciel watched in the mirrors reflection as Sebastian straightened Ciel's jacket. The boy's usual wardrobe consisted of knickerbocker suits in rich fabrics and deep colours, navy and teal and dark green. His attire did not include the black tunic, trousers and frayed jacket – all heavy in leather – that he now sported. And, Ciel thought frustratedly, he'd far rather be in his usual buckled, heeled Oxford shoes. These heavy boots were next to impossible to walk in. His mood was not helped by the amused glint in Sebastian's eyes.

"Oh, shut up." He snapped angrily, tugging unhappily at the dark tunic shirt.

"I said nothing, my lord."

"You were thinking and it's irritating me."

"Personally I think this is rather an improvement." Sebastian said, with a sincerity given away only by wickedly amused smile curving his lips.

"Don't be snide."

"We ought to deliver you to training. I'm quite sure the others will be awaiting your arrival."

Ciel sighed. "I can't honestly say I'm looking forward to it."

Sebastian's eyes crackled with amusement. "I can't honestly say that I'm not."

Ciel stalked into the training room to find Jem and Will quite amiably talking whilst attempting to pin one another to the ground with their blades. Both looked up when he entered.

"Hello," Jem said, removing his knee from his parabatai's ribcage. "Are you ready?"

"I suppose so." Ciel sighed.

"Jessamine isn't here because she's a 'lady' and apparently it isn't fitting for a lady to be prepared in combat scenarios." Will explained mockingly.

"Well, I shouldn't expect she should need to fight." Ciel shrugged. "Is that not your job?"

"Yes, but it happens to also be hers." Will said, and fixed Ciel a challenging look. "Is it you don't think she could fight, because she's a girl? Or is it you're afraid she would best you?"

"I'm sure she could fight." Ciel countered. "All I am saying is that she shouldn't have to. Like you said, she is a lady."

Will snorted. "Yes, and the sky is purple and made of hedgehogs."

"Be fair, Will. Jessamine is actually rather good at fighting to say she barely trains at all." Jem said. "Now can we just begin? We're wasting time."

"And the Angel knows that it will take a lot of time to train this one. We can't afford to waste even a second."

"Will!" Jem snapped.

The three boys sat on the wooden floor of the training room, the floorboards dotted with notches where swords had fallen and left their mark, discussing how to proceed.

"Ciel, what would you say your weapon of choice would be?"

"A gun." Ciel shrugged. "Or a sword, perhaps."

"How about your cane?" Jem asked.

"I've never really thought of it as a weapon before."

Jem went over to the wall, against which leant his cane, then returned and sat himself back beside Will and opposite to Ciel. He handed the walking stick carefully over to the younger boy, smiling as Ciel stroked a finger over the jade dragon head.

"Don't hold it by the foot unless you want your hand impaled." Jem advised.

Ciel moved his hand hastily, letting the cane rest on his palms warily.

"Click the button on the side. It's up near the top."

Ciel obeyed and a small blade flew from the end as the boy hastily handed the cane back to its owner.

"We could ask Henry to adapt your cane. He altered mine quite easily."

"Though, being a creation of Henry's, it is liable to explode at any moment." Will, who had remained quiet, drawled, leaning back on his hands. "Now, come on, let's start the real training."

Ciel lowered the blade with a thud and laid the sword down with a sigh. "How long was that?"

"A whole ten seconds." Will said sarcastically. "Quite impressive."

"It's too heavy." Ciel grumbled.

"Why don't we try some combat?" Jem said gently, and Ciel took the blade back up.

Jem was not about to let Will fight Ciel. He knew the two disliked one another and thought how little Charlotte would appreciate it if they killed a house guest. That, he was sure, counted as bad manners. It would be best if Ciel got used to moving with a blade, Jem decided, to strike and move a the same time – without the threat of Will stabbing him in frustration.

"Just try and touch me on the waist with your blade." Jem instructed. "And I'll try and dodge it. I'm not going to be armed, mind you, so please don't try to kill me."

The two boys became quickly engaged in a sort of dance which, admittedly, was not Ciel's forte. With each time Ciel lurched awkwardly forward, Jem took a quick, easy, and elegant step back. The shadowhunter traced swirls across the floor in footsteps, switching directions smoothly, sure-footed and at ease despite the fact he was navigating backwards. Will watched, occasionally calling tips and pointers to Ciel that did nothing but infuriate the boy as Jem waltzed his way up and down the room, with Ciel consistently a step behind.

Their waltz crescendoed to a dramatic culmination with Ciel near running in his attempts to gain a point against Jem, who was keeping up his steady and easy movements apace. Ciel heaved a breath and a familiar tightness gripped his chest, clawing up his throat like a hand squeezing hard around his windpipe. He tried to force his breath out in an exhale, but it lodged hopelessly in his throat, which felt as if it had just caved in like a collapsed mine shaft. Ciel's asthma had not bothered him for quite some time. But then again, he had not done this much physical activity in quite some either. Jem stopped moving immediately as Ciel's hand flew to his chest.

"Are you alright?" he asked, as Ciel began to cough weakly.

He nodded. "S-Sebastian." He choked out, almost inaudibly.

"Surely you aren't so unfit?" Will asked, from where he sat.

"Will, he is unwell." Jem snapped, and Will jumped to his feet.

"Unfit, yes." A voice said from the doorway. "But that is not the cause of my young master's breathing affliction. The young lord has asthma, inherited from his mother, I'm afraid."

Sebastian walked over swiftly and took the arm of a wheezing Ciel, steering him carefully from the room.

"Thank you for giving your time to train my master," the butler said. "But I think it best we retire for tonight."

The door shut with a thud of finality, leaving Will and Jem to look to the door, to each other, and back, with matching expressions of shocked bewilderment. Sebastian had appeared so suddenly, almost as if he had heard Ciel call him. But surely that was impossible? Jem and Will had barely heard him and they'd been in the same room. There was definitely something sinister afoot, and Will was determined to find out what.