"So, you came back? I'm about to pack up for the night. You'll have to come back next week I'm afraid. Although you look like you were in a hurry. Maybe you can find some lodgings in a pub nearby?" Bravat said as you walked in. The hall was clearing up, people weren't sad they were leaving, rather optimistic they'd be returning on Monday. 

You didn't want to sleep in a pub, you don't trust them for past reasons. Never again would you want to relive that night. But what other choice did you have? If you went back now, it didn't matter if you told Sebastian a lie or the truth. He would be beyond angry, and this would've been for nothing. Not to mention potentially fired, especially if you were wrong about this. 

"Where are my manners," he said as the last few people were out of earshot. "You're one of our stars, we should have a spare room. Come follow me," he said smiling gently guiding you with a singular warm hand. He led you to a room with stars above the door frame. It was equipped with a large plush bed, two vanities, a dazzling crystal chandelier, and an en suite bathroom. It was like a normal bedroom that an obsessed star gazer decorated. Everything from the sheets to the wallpaper was a pale shade of lilac studded with gold. 

"You have a burning question," he put his hand over his eye like a spy glass and looked at you through it while you sat on the bed. "What's troubling you, you didn't come all this way for nothing." 

Oh yes, proclaimed fortune teller, of course he knows you want something.

And it was common sense.

Duh.

Your brain loves stating the obvious. Was believing he was a fortune teller really that farfetched? If you told someone you were married to a demon, they wouldn't believe you even though it's true. If someone told you demons and grim reapers existed before you knew, you wouldn't have believed them either.

"I don't know if you remember my star, but I wanted to ask you what it meant, what's my shining thing everyone talks about?"

"I remember all our precious stars that pass through here. You're Vega, hence the room," he gestured around you. Three stars adorned everything; the vase of flowers next to the head of the bed had three embossed stars on it. The drawers had knobs shaped as 3 stars. Even the headboard of the bed had 3 stars. Just like your bracelet that was still in your pocket. 

"Have you heard of Altair and Vega?" He asked out of the blue, pulling up a chair beside the bed head.

"No? Who are they?"

"Ah, haha, here's the tragically beautiful tale about the star who protects you. Altair and Vega are two stars in the sky separated by a celestial river. Altair was human once, and Vega was a beautiful celestial princess. Eternity without anyone to love was unnerving to Vega, all the other celestial beings were not up to her standards. So, she descended to earth and came upon a simple farmer named Altair. They fell in love but Vega had to return to the sky and so she secretly enchanted a bull."

"A bull?" You laughed gently at what seemed an odd choice of animal to enchant. Trying to ease the tension in the room, or maybe it was the knots in your stomach, Bravat seemed unbothered. You were still rethinking your decision to leave like that. 

"However, Vega's father didn't approve for he was a mere mortal. Kinda like when servants marry up the ladder here right?" he awkwardly laughed scratching the back of his neck. Or maybe you did intimidate him? He refused to look you in the eye. 

"Altair flew to the heavens on the bull to be with Vega. At first her father was fully against them marrying. But he granted their wish with cruel conditions. He let them both remain in the heavens as stars, but they were separated by a celestial river. So, once every year, on the seventh day of the seventh month, magpies fly up forming a bridge over the celestial river, for Altair to cros-"

He looked down to find you suddenly fell asleep and smiled. Shifting you so you would sleep comfortably, he took your shoes off and covered you up. Flipping the switch for the chandelier, the lights flickered and disappeared, he slipped out of the room silently.

~

Back at the townhouse, your disappearance was troubling. Your missing presence was noticed almost the second you left among the chaos. All those souls in the vicinity, even Sebastian had a hard time keeping track of where you were. He searched among the dead bodies. It was fruitless, he knew that from the start but better safe than sorry. 

'Her knife'

He had followed the trail of dead bodies you left behind and spotted your knife lying in the dirt. My, were you messy. Sniffing the drying blood he sighed with relief, it wasn't Y/n's. It smelled pungent if anything, offensive to his nose. Looking around he saw no other footprints except yours leading towards the city and ending at the edge of the forest. There was no sign of struggle anywhere, you had left of your own free will. But why?

He gripped his glove between his teeth in frustration and pulled it off his right hand letting it fall to the ground. His own star in a bed of thorns sat there black as night just like the one on your back. The only way to keep an eye on you from afar, the mark that bonded you, was his only solace for the night. 

After disposing of all the bodies properly he went back to your shared room. Rummaging through everything you had in the townhouse for clues, he found nothing out of the ordinary. Everything was as it should be until he went through your traveling coat pockets. A handkerchief that did not belong to you. His crimson eye focused on it, eyebrows stitched together in an annoyed confusion. He opened out the handkerchief and inspected every stitch of cloth. He turned it over, eyes going wide, burning an angry fuchsia. A low growl reverberating in his chest...

~

In the morning he relayed the news about you and braced himself for yelling.

"What?! What is she thinking?!" The young lord slammed his fist on his desk, nearly toppling over the breakfast Sebastian worked hard to prepare.

"I don't believe she's entrapped by whatever goes on there. Her behaviour hasn't changed," he said practically reading the young lord's thought process, giving him as much as he needed to know for now. Sebastian had his suspicions on several things but nothing needed to be shared right now. 

'How did I not see this coming?'

Sebastian scolded himself internally, equally if not angrier that he couldn't stop you.

"Damn, they're closed until Monday," he said rechecking his notes he had Sebastian draw up about the hall. 

"I thought we were going to stake out the venue today. Has that changed?"

"No, but it's even more urgent we find out what's going on. I can't afford for anyone else to run off. Go prepare a carriage, we leave at noon."

"Of course, sir," he placed his hand on his chest and bowed lightly. Sensing the young lord was about to say something unintentionally sarcastic, Sebastian hurried to go make preparations. After getting the carriage ready, working like a machine, barely aware of what he was doing. His mind wandered like it did the night before, wondering what the hell possessed you to run off like that. 

In the carriage parked outside the Music Hall, they observed all the movement in and out the hall that was closed off to the public. Workmen went back and forth for the few hours they were there. Nothing but chairs, tables, and cleaning crews. He tensed up, sensing you were there. Your pulse was faint, but you weren't in danger, only sleeping. Fighting the urge to barge in there and drag you out he sat silently in the carriage with the young lord. 

"The quickest way in would be to infiltrate them, eat away at the inside like we did at the circus."

"Yes, however Bravat saw through us immediately, he could quite easily do it again," Sebastian pointed out.

"Maybe a bribe with a few of these workers would do? But that may take too long. And they'll report to Bravat if we fail to convince them."

Suddenly two workmen accidentally dropped a box, the contents jangled violently inside as it tumbled over. 

"HEY! Handle those with care, couture is delicate and shouldn't be handled by two oafs. God I hate men," Nina Hopkins barked at them, fuming that her supplies were, in her eyes, practically being tossed around. Sebastian and the young lord's eyes practically popped out of their respective skulls. 

She disappeared, going inside the hall with her assistants leaving the two stunned in the carriage. 

"She must be tailoring for them. Can't buy those costumes they wore all week in any normal shoppe," the young lord smirked. He had his opening. Sebastian grumbled inwardly, annoyed Nina Hopkins of all people would be someone he had to cooperate with. The woman was annoyingly immodest and loved arguing with him. How the young lord always manages to recruit the weirdest people in all of England was beyond this demon. 

Sebastian narrowed his eyes as someone followed behind Nina heading in to the establishment. 

~

You felt like you were hit by a carriage. Even though that was the longest you've slept in the last few years you still felt tired. Lightheaded was more the word. You glanced at the clock in the room, it was just after one o'clock in the afternoon. You felt queasy, but forced yourself to sit up anyway. Remembering last night your heart dropped. 

'Oh God please don't tell me I'm pregnant again'

Knock-knock

The door opened before you could say anything and Bravat poked his head in.

"Good morning, you slept soundly," he said cheerfully. "I wasn't aware my stories could put people to bed," he looked at you with wide eyes and his mouth forming an o.

"Are you okay?"

"Yes, just a little tired is all," you smiled politely. You slid your legs off the bed and slipped your shoes on. "I didn't mean to fall asleep, I really should've went home last night."

You stood up and immediately gripped the nightstand next to the bed to prevent yourself from falling over.

"Woah there are you okay?" He quickly made his way over helping you to stand properly.

"I'm fine I'm fine, just lost my footing," you said stubbornly trying to stand on your own.

"You're feeling lightheaded?"

"How did you know?"

"Now now, you know better than to lie to a fortune teller," he sat you down. "Besides, you stumble out of nowhere, you look a bit pale and clammy, and you sound like you're struggling to breathe."

The light bulb went off in your head. This man is no fortune teller. Cold readings will make anyone look like a fortune teller. Take one look at a person and you can tell what type of person they are almost immediately if you were observant enough. Like Sebastian. But that still didn't solve your problem. How the hell did he know so much about you? No general observation could tell someone you were with a demon. Unless he was told. Was he told by him​​​​​​? 

"I think I'd be better off going home. I could rest there."

"You're in no position to stand. We can call a doctor, don't worry. If at the end of the day you feel better, you can go."

"But I- "

"No buts, we treat our guests with kindness here. Do you want to leave without hospitality? You could pass out on the road," he says stitching his eyebrows together in concern.

"Are there others here?" You asked pulling the blanket back up, you were feeling a bit chilly.
He looked taken aback for a second. A good pretender, but not a good liar. "No, but we keep rooms available for guests if they need to rest and such. Not all of our stars have a place to live unfortunately."

~

The doctor came to the hall led by Bravat. He was carrying his over night bag which you found odd, you were sure it was nothing serious. But you had the feeling they meant to keep you another night. He took your pulse and checked your breathing. 

"Well, you sound healthy. Do you eat normally?"

"Yes, but I didn't eat anything today," you said loudly as your stomach growled at the remembrance of food. 

You nearly threw up your guts and heart in one. Your eye landed on the Aurora Society insignia pinned on his coat. You almost jerked your hand away from him. You knew it from the start, you just needed solid proof Undertaker was here. That's why you ran away in the first place, if you were sent here by anyone other than yourself, Undertaker wasn't going to budge. He was involved in everything since the Campania, there's no way he didn't have a hand in this. 

"Just eat something and you'll be fine and take the day off. Complete bed rest until tomorrow."

Sighing you looked at a smiling Bravat, knowing damn well they meant to keep you there. But at least now, you had a firm reason to stay. Finding Undertaker and getting any information was your priority. After escorting the doctor out, he came back with a tray of breakfast, although it might be a little late to call it breakfast.

"I'll bring you some dinner later, in the meantime just ring if you need anything," he nodded his head to the thick rope by the bed head.

"Bravat, what'd you mean the other day in my reading? You gave other people reasons on why they got a certain reading," you sat up ready to devour the entire meal, you were extremely hungry too.

"I'm not sure what you mean?"

"You're the fortune teller, you tell me what I mean."

He turned to you face growing sinister with a smile that wasn't friendly in the least bit, "Curiosity kills the cat Y/n."

Your name. 

You still had yet to tell him that.