Chapter 1

"Is this really necessary?" Gilbert asked, glancing sideways at his younger brother.

Vincent gave him an innocent smile. "Of course. You said so yourself that you wanted your own room."

Gilbert had been living with the Nightray's for about three years now, and ever since his first night staying there, he and Vincent had shared the same room… The same bed even. From the moment he saw him, Gilbert knew that something was not right about the younger of the two, and the bed that they shared was getting crowded. Gilbert was almost seventeen, and Vincent was fourteen.

"But getting a personal servant? I can do things myself." I've always been able to. Gilbert added silently in his head. He didn't know why he bothered fighting with Vincent about this. Arrangements had already been made for Gilbert to be getting his own servant. Maybe he should have kept his mouth shut about having his own room…

Before he could finish his thoughts, a maid stepped though the door on the other side of the room. She bowed to them, and then announced that Gilbert's servant had arrived. Why was her face so red? Maybe it was the summer heat.

Gilbert did his best to stay calm. It's just another servant. There are plenty of them here, same with the Bezalius Manor. At the thought of his own home, Gilbert's heart twisted painfully in his chest. This is only temporary. He said to himself over and over. He was merely helping along Oz's return.

A man stepped through the door way to stand beside the maid. He was dressed in black from head to toe, his sleek black hair falling over his face as he bowed low to the brothers sitting on the couch. "My Lords."

"Welcome." Said Vincent, giving the man a calm smile. Gilbert gave the newcomer a curt nod. Little warning started to erupt inside of his head. He did not want this stranger anywhere near him.

"State your name and purpose."

"My name is Sebastian Michealis. I am here to serve Young Master Gilbert." The man, Sebastian, locked eyes with Gilbert then. They were such a deep red they made Gilbert think of dried blood. Sebastian's smile reviled nothing about what lay behind it. Gilbert gulped, glancing sideways at Vincent again. Vincent was not looking at him, in fact, he looked totally at ease. Did he not feel the strange aura that surrounded this man? Did he not see those blood-red eyes, or the almost too flawless features that made him up?

"I trust you will be a good servant for my big brother." It was not a question. Sebastian closed his eyes, and bowed again. "I shall."

Behind him, the maid giggled, her face was redder than it had been before Sebastian had entered the room.

That night, Gilbert sat on the edge of his bed, his back ridged as Sebastian knelt in front of him. In the flickering candle light, he watched as his new butler buttoned up his nightshirt for him. "Y-you don't need to do this for me. I-I am more than willing to do it myself." He stammered.

"It is a servant's job to take care of their master." Sebastian said, not taking his eyes off the task at hand. He neither knew nor cared how nervous this was making Gilbert.

Gilbert needed something else to look at, so he stared at the wall, watching shadows play across it. Sebastian had not even been his servant for a day now, and already Gilbert was uncomfortable with this. All the bows and the 'My Lord's. He didn't know how much more he could take. He made a mental night to write a letter to Break in the morning and ask him how much progress was being made. He felt Sebastian's hands leave him, and looked over just as the other was straightening up. He was smiling down at him, the same cold, playful grin that he had warn the minute Gilbert first saw him. "Is there anything else I may do for you, young master?"

And his new nickname, Gilbert hated that more than anything. Surly this man was not much older than he was. The more he thought about it, he could not put an age to the butler standing in front of him. He seemed eternally young… Like how Break looked young but you couldn't tell how young. Sebastian seemed even different from that. His grace, Gilbert had to admit, was nothing less than beautiful. Time seemed to have not ever touched this man.

"My Lord?" Sebastian's voice brought Gilbert sharply back to earth. By the look on the butler's face, he could only guess that he had been staring at him.

"Uh, no." Gilbert said, quickly. "That is all. Thank you."

Sebastian grinned again, and bowed deeply. "Good night, Young Master." He blew out the candles by Gilbert bed, engulfing them in complete darkness. Gilbert could feet Sebastian's footsteps on the carpet, how he took each step with a steady pace. Sebastian left the room, closing the door softly behind him.

Gilbert fell back on the bed, pulling the covers up under his chin. There was something about Sebastian that Gilbert did not like. He was too calm, too at ease with himself. When Gilbert had been a servant, he was never that calm no matter how comfortable or happy he was. And Sebastian's aura never changed. He seemed to always have the same look on his face, the same emptiness in his eyes. Gilbert found himself wanting to change that. Sebastian was human, he had to feel something at least sometimes.

What if he's not human? Gilbert's eyes snapped open at the thought. No way. Vincent was creepy, but… And what else could Sebastian be? He had heard rumors that Chains could take the form of humans, but he would be able to tell instantly thanks to his contract with Raven.

Gilbert shuddered, and rolled over into his side to stare at the curtain-covered window. He needed sleep. He needed to get a hold of himself. With one hand, he unbuttoned the top most buttons of his nightshirt and tucked his hand beneath the fabric. He could feel the jagged scar that was spayed across his chest.

Oz.

He had never felt this confused when Oz was around. His life had been simple when he was with him. Sure, Oz's heart was twisting from the rejection of his father, and some of Oz's little games had not been fun for him, but Gilbert was happy there. More happy that he could probably ever be again.

Gilbert closed his eyes against the tears that came to his eyes as memories of Oz and his sister came flooding through his mind. Would he ever see them again?

Don't be stupid. He thought with a slight grimace at his own jumbled up head. Ada ha started writing to him about a year ago, that they had exchanged several letters since then. And the entire reason for why he was he at the Nightray House was so that he could be together with Oz again one day. He had to trust Break's word that it was possible to bring Oz back.

In the meantime, all he could do was sit tight and wait for the right time. That also meant that he had to figure out a way to deal with hat was going on in his life right now.

He had a younger brother who might be completely crazy.

He was living with the Nightray's, and already he knew how to kill someone without thinking twice about it.

And now he had a creepy butler that would be his personal servant until Gilbert could move out. He had made plans to do so, but that would not be at least until next year.

Great.

Gilbert pulled the covered over his head, curling himself up into a ball and wishing he could fall asleep and never wake up.