The Demon’s Bride

Elise felt as if a storm had blew her away, scattering her mind and thought she had in her mind, leaving almost none. She could only focus on Ian's gaze, his touch, and the breathing that softly cooed her neck like a brush of the night's air. When Elise met Ian's eyes she was brought back to reality how the situation she was in are dire.

If Elise allow Ian to continue to touch her, it wouldn't end with just a single touch. She knew it by her feeling even if she didn't know how weddings night took place. Elise became more conscious when she caught the faint shadow of Ian's bed even though it was dark inside his room. Denying Ian wasn't of her choice either. If she denied him, forever Elise wouldn't be able to be touched by him.

Elise didn't want that.

Ian watched how her sweet girl was torn between two choices that both didn't work favor on her as it works favor only to him. "You didn't reply to me earlier, Elise. About the fallen angel. Did you see me as one because I save you that day? On the day where I met you, bring you from the slave's building and have you stay with me. Or was it the second time when the magical beast came to kill you."

Elise shook her head, "There was a tale I heard from the preiest in the Church when I was still living in Runalia. It was about an angel who had killed a human. In result to their action, heaven punish the angel by removing them from heaven, and they fell to the hell, curse to become fallen angel. The angel's white wings turn to black, just like yours, Master Ian." Elise felt less tense when she talk and she felt Ian removing his hand from her waist.

"Its a true tale and the correct term they use but from the moment I got it, my wings were pitch black," replied Ian and his wings he showed disappeared again from his back.

"Got it?" It was the wording that make Elise confused. Wasn't Ian born with the pitch black wings? But from his words it tell that his wings were something he acquired not born with.

"I turn myself into an immortal," answered Ian truthfully without hiding anything but there was little things he hid from Elise and slowly he would peel his lies. "There are only few beings that could stay immortal as they are against the nature God created. Angels they were born out of God's will but I am not one. What do you think I am?" He gave her a riddle with enough clues for her to take.

Elise felt somewhere she knew what Ian said. The idea surface to her mind for many times but she didn't brought the words to her lips because she wasn't sure. Ian now lay out every clues she needed and the answer was there now on her.

Elise gathered her voice to speak but Ian helped her, "I am a demon, darling. One and the only demon you have ever seen." and as if upon his words, his black wings appeared from his back but that wasn't all Elise caught in her eyes. It was the only black horns that appeared on both sides of Ian's head. The horn was black in color, the same color of Ian's wings and it grew up to curl back when it reached a certain height.

Elise saw how it grew and when Ian opened his eyes, she met his eyes that were redder then ever, glowing as if there was flame in his eyes. Her breaths quivered as she saw his appearance.

"You have horns Master Ian," said Elise in surprise, jolting loud what she saw. Ian's horns look like a deer except it seemed sturdier, and colored in black. It didn't seemed to be attached but rather grew from his head just like what she witness. Elise doubted this was magic. Magic didn't have the ability to sprout horns or wings that was tangible.

"You look as if you want to touch it, go on," Ian pulled his hand bringing it close to the top of his head but he loosened his hand when he created distance, wanting Elise to be the one to take the action.

Elise fingertips carefully tried to tap Ian's horn. Her action to Ian seemed as if she was trying to pet an animal with wild fangs from the forest. When Elise felt the solidness that was somewhat similar to wood with a tougher built. It didn't seem pulling would hurt or knocking would but Elise didn't want to try as she didn't want to hurt Ian.

"It is real." A hint of awestruck was contained in her voice. "Does all Demons have wings like yours, Master Ian?" Elise asked. She heard Demon's wings were more like a bat's but Ian was very close to an angel's wings that was similarly close to a bird's wings.

Ian pulled his lips curling the corner on her question, "Is that your first question? I thought you would run by now although you don't have the space to run," commented Ian with his eyes looking down on his hand that was blocking Elise's escape route.

"I wouldn't run," Elise responded him. Why would she? she asked in her own mind. People would outcast her when learning she could see ghosts but Ian didn't. He had and would never. It would be petty for her to be scared of him but there was other reason why she didn't run even after knowing Ian was a demon, a being that was always associated with disasters and other unholy thing.

Instead of looking frightening, Elise felt her heart skipped at Ian's current appearance. His hair was messy from the flight they had together. From the collar of his shirt, the button had been opened, making his skin to show from his shirt, peeking out and allow Elise to see his taut muscle chest.

With his eyes that brought a different intensity, Elise felt each second, her heart that had swayed to him since the day they met again after nine years inclined to dive toward him.

"And why is that?" Ian whispered the words to Elise. She really had shown no fear to see his current appearance even if it was less frightening than his truest appearance. In the past he had seen women claiming their undying love for him but after seeing how he look like now, they would scream and begged for their life to be spared.

Not that Ian cared as he had shown the woman his demonic side to chase them away. Elise was different. She was afraid of ghost but she wasn't afraid of the being that were crueler than ghost. He could tell there wasn't any hesitation in her or movements she showed that sign her wanting to escape.

The smile he had was pulled wider after his question while waiting for Elise to gather her courage and replied.

"Because you are you, Master Ian. A demon or not you are still the same person I know and that will never change. Even this side of you," drawled Elise as her hand slide very slowly to his horns to move back toward his wings. Since the day she saw Ian's wings she wanted to touch it but thinking it would be rude she didn't. She made use of the situation they were in to touch his wings.

"What is it?" Ian whispered over her ears and he pulled his face to lean backward to admired Elise's feature and the expression she had that look enchanted by how he looked now. "Continue," he demanded with a velvety voice, "Even this side of me is... what?"

Elise moved her face where her eyes shifted to settle better to meet Ian's eyes, her lips quivered along with her breath. Under the moonlight and stars behind Ian, Elise felt her eyes sinking to a daze at the breathtaking view, "Beautiful," her words added slowly.

"Oh?" Ian pulled his lips, his fangs that grew peeked out from the corner of his lips, "I didn't know you for one have a very twisted expression of beauty. I do not have an objection against it though. For someone to praise me as beautiful, you are the first one."

Elise licked her lips she bit on to purse again when Ian's face leaned forward. She turned her eyes at Ian, opening her lips to pursed it again, "Master Ian, you didn't reply to my question yet." It was the question Elise asked after gathering all courage she had and to be brushed off would be the last thing she wanted to happen.

"About what, Elise?" Ian's voice somewhere to Elise's ears turn sweeter and she didn't know if Ian had done it while knowing it would make her heart wavering.

"What I asked before we left," answered Elise to his question, finding Ian whose expression look at her with a look of narrowing his eyes that darkened with a fierceness he narrowly hold back.

Ian hummed, his hand slowly grasping Elise's hand over his horn, "My deepest apologies my lady but I don't remember which. I think you didn't ask only for a few in this balcony when you are with me." On how his lips pulling, curling high and his words sounding more gentlemanly, Elise could take well he had no single means from his words.

"Do I have to repeat my words to help you comb through your memory?" asked Elise as she knew this was what Ian was going for.

Ian tipped his chin, "Please, what is it?"