The Demon’s Bride

Ian could tell the maid was the person they were searching for by her heartbeat. Human's heartbeat said it all to what they are feeling. While the rest were looking at Elise in surprise, the particular maid whose neck was now grasped on his hands looked at her with shock.

"Terrific," Ian remarked and Tracey who looked at her was with a contour of dread, "I hate it when people stood in front of me waiting for their death, running does do the trick, but you should have known to run away you would have use the black magic you did to my puppy here."

The rest of the maids who were wringing their hands in fear and head dropping to the ground perked up when they heard black magic. All eyes on Tracey was now shocked. Since olden age it was said the only people who could perform black magics were the dark sorcerer, the same people who had killed others in the vilest method.

Cynthia and Austin who came in the room looked at the woman with their eyes narrowed.

"But you cannot use magic, am I right?" asked Ian to have Tracey who was struggling on his hand stopped her hand and looked at him with wide eyes, shocked at how the Lord knew. "It came to my notice that you are not a dark sorcerer. Dark sorcerers would have died before entering my gates. Did you work with anyone?" Ian tightened his hand on the woman's neck, making her gasping for air before releasing it for her to speak.

"You should have died!" Tracey's eyes were on Elise as she shouted. Her voice turning deep and hoarse, making her sound something unlike a normal being. "All because of you! All because of you!" Cynthia and Austin frowned at the woman's words who shouted at Elise as if she was insane.

On Tracey's screaming, Elise felt somewhere the words reminded her of her darkest memory. Where someone had screamed to her the same words. Elise's head turn dizzy, her head ringing and in midst of her hazy view, she recalled that it wasn't only a single person who had yelled to her the words but many. Yet she couldn't remember anything of it.

Elise steadied herself by holding to the railing as she had been staying near the place, no one took notice. Elise gradually regain her sight and she watched Tracey whose face turn bluer with the lack of air.

"That is not a good words for a woman to say," Ian's smile widened to slowly fall as he whispered, "especially to my Elise."

Holding the woman's head in one hand, Ian ripped out Tracey's neck from her body, letting her body to fall as her head rolled to the direction of the maids. They all who saw everything happening fast in front of their eyes, loses the power on their knees and some fell to ground unconscious.

Elise saw how the blood covered her eyes and in instance the dizziness she felt worsened, she saw her view tilting and her eyes blackening.

When Elise regain her consciousness, she found herself lying on the bed. The view of the ceiling tell her that this was her room. When she moved her body, she heard a voice in the room.

"Are you feeling better?"

Elise didn't have to push herself to see the person speaking. It was Master Ian. Elise didn't feel great, her head felt tilting when she pushed herself to sit on the bed. She still couldn't forget the image of Tracey's head torn from her neck and how the woman glared at her even before she died.

"You talked to her," Elise said, making a point, "Master Ian, do you have to kill her?" she asked. Elise didn't know if it was her view of human's life was different to Ian. Whether who was right and who was wrong. She knew he was right to kill Tracey who had tried to kill her by the curse. But was it unavoidable?

Somewhere part of her heart told her that Tracey was killed because of her even though she knew better that she wasn't the one who caused the death. But the feeling wasn't something she could get rid off easily.

"If I don't she would be in scaffold by now not that much of a difference." Ian stood up from his seat, closing the book he seemed to be reading while waiting for her to be awake. He had a glass of water on his hand, passing it to Elise, "Have a drink," he offered, "you fainted from blood loss. These days I should put a better eye on you not to be harmed."

Elise raised the glass to her lips, lifting her chin and Ian saw her slender neck bobbing to drink the glass when she was done, Ian leaned forward to where she was sitting, his thumb rubbing across her lips that make Elise to gulp.

"Thank you," said Elise. Just like this, Ian was sweet and kind which make the him who could kill people seemed almost like a mirage. Elise recalled Ian's words of where he had killed his father. What happened in the past that make him to be cold hearted to others?

"You're welcome, sweetheart," Ian settled the glass on the side of the table and he watched her expression. "Are you still thinking about the death of the maid? It isn't your fault, she was the one who had cursed you, she had it coming."

Elise tried not to mind much about the death of Tracey. A question remain in her mind and she asked, "We have never been in a fight, at least from what I know, we never fight and there wasn't anything I did to make her hate me." Yet she can't tell, perhaps she did. In the past Elise was outcasted by the villagers it was better in the town where she live with the Scotts but then there was one particular day she remembered when people avoided her.

Elise touched her hand, feeling a headache as she tried to remember that day. How weird, thought Elise, why did she remembered this now?

Ian sat on the side of her bed, "Did you hit your head?" asked Ian, a concern contained on his voice and his red eyes softened.

"My head aches just a little," replied Elise. As she tried to remember what could make the townsfolk to avoid her and what happened after that make the relationship to become better, she felt her headache worsen.

Ian didn't notice any pain from her head although he noticed her heart rate race in pace. He saw how Elise closed her eyes as if she was doing something that could be reason for her head to ache. His red eyes stared at her with a careful look, "Tell me what's wrong."

Elise didn't know how to put what she was going through in words. She gave a thought before saying, "I tried to remember something. Of the time when I was avoided by people who live in the town but I don't know what the cause. I tried to remember what happened, but when I do that my head starts to hurt."

Ian could tell that Elise once again hold down her sound from making any whine or cry of her pain which had him wonder if all this time Elise had to curl her lips when she receive pain so no one could tell. After learning of her childhood, he could tell why she wasn't used to whine or cry. If she cry, she would be beaten by her aunt and uncle. Somewhere seeing Elise trying to surpass her urge to cry from pain reminded Ian of himself. The him long ago, before he became the person he currently is.

Ian then narrowed his eyes on the piece of information. To know Elise was avoided by people surprised him. Although Ian had never visited her for nine years in Runalia, he knew much less all about her from the reports given. Elise was known to be friendly and live peacefully. Yet fascinatingly, he hadn't learn of this fact.

Ian asked, "The town you are speaking of, is it the same town you live after you was adopted?"

"Yes, but it's weird... I was never avoided before," replied Elise. She tried not to think of the blank memory, to stop hurting her head but it was hard. The memory she couldn't remember felt as if it was trying to make her remember what she forgot. "The memory feels blurry."

Ian reached out his hand, rubbing to her head softly, "Don't try to remember it if it hurts you," and Elise the pain appeared to lessen with his words like magic and Elise wondered if he did use magic.

A hum escape from Ian's lips which was barely open. He thought that he had to add Cynthia and Austin's work and order them to dig more of Elise's pasts. Not only when the girl was living in the village but the town with the Scotts. There was something about Elise that feel as if she was missing something. Like a blank page of some sort. It could be because her lack of origin knowledge or her past that Elise lost.

Elise heard him spoke, "You only slept for two hours, you should take another sleep. When morning come, you will feel better," Ian rubbed his hand on her cheeks, bellow her eyes and the touch felt warm to the very core of her heart.

Elise didn't feel drowsy earlier but by time, she felt her eyes grew heavy as sleepiness came to cover her eyes to the dark. Ian retracted his hand and stood up from the place he sat on. Walking to the candlestick, he blew air to extinguish the flame and step out from her room.

A/N: Dont forget to vote <3 <3