The Demon’s Bride

Elise had said only a single word of yes but the words were not enough to describe the depth the word held. She saw Ian's expression brightened and his smile was pulled and her hearts skipped. It was a different smile than the one he often used which held an underlaying evilness and mischief. The smile was wholehearted, somewhere still holding the darkness but his delight was shown to his face and Elise can't help but to swoon over his expression.

The room was still bright with the lights coming to the curtain which was made with a lighter fabric that allow more lights to enter the room, giving lights. To Elise being able to see things were good. After seeing how the White Mansion look like when all curtains were pulled, somewhere she thought it was a shame that the castle was always covered with red thick curtains.

It was now that she felt grateful that the light wasn't too blinding so she could she Ian's expression better. If she did, her heart felt as if it would burst open.

"Tell me what happen to you hand and the glass," Ian repeated his question to her, stopping to lean on the side of the chair while keeping his eyes on her every second. "I won't joke again."

Elise didn't know until when the glass had shattered. "I really do not know what happened," said Elise. She was confused and puzzled. Did a cat bump to the window? But the window in White Mansion was thick, it's hard for a single smash to break the glass.

"That's fine," Ian assured Elise who was spiraling with worries. "We can retrace everything. What were you doing near the window?"

"I was just staring at it for a moment, then I recall about Cy," Elise tried to recount the event before the window breaks on her, "I placed my hand in the glass and before I knew the glass shattered."

"Hm," Ian whispered and she saw him pushing himself from the chair, walking to take a new glass with a jar of water to the table across the couch they sat at. Placing it, he then asked, "Is this the first time for you to break things?"

"I never did that before as I remembered. I have always been careful around things made out of glass." Elise could proudly say she wasn't clumsy when she recalled something as she speak to say, "Carmen told me that I often put things to fall."

Ian raised his eyebrow, feeling intrigued by the words she said, "What kind of things?"

"Cutlery sets and cleaning supplies. I didn't know how it happened but the moment I placed the things, it would fall by the moment I leave," replied Elise who frowned, wondering if it was related to the glass breaks. "Master Ian," Elise whispered his name.

"Ian," he interjected her who was talking. Ian propped his chin while settling his elbow on the headrest of the couch. His black straight hair falling down when his chin slanted. "You can call me by my name without the honorifics anytime you like but if you feel embarrassed you can use my name only when we are in the bedroom and bed. I know you keep watching my bed, do you want to try sleeping there?"

Elise's gaze shifted at the bed and she curled her lips one over another to shake her head, and Ian watched how her red hair scattered just like a puppy who drained their fur after entering the water. "I would be fine."

"You are always fine that I will make you not fine so you would stay here, okay?" Ian asked as if waiting for her reply and Elise quizzical expression came on her face as she can't understand what he meant. "Going on with our previous talk, what were you about to say?"

Elise hesitated before saying, "Could the White Mansion has ghost? I have never seen any ghost in the castle since I was young but I thought maybe there is a ghost. The Father of a church told me that ghost could make themselves disappear by hiding at times even if I am able to see them."

"There would never be a ghost in this place, darling," Ian chuckled at her as if he was hearing an adorable joke. "Would there be a ghost in a Demon's house? By seeing my face, it is enough to send them running in fear and my name could make them shudder. Did you see the carving on the ceiling?"

The carving of patterns that she had seen many times and question to herself, thought Elise. She was always curious what the pattern was and if it was made for decoration. "Yes, I have, it is carved on all ceiling in the castle."

"I made it to chase things that I came without my permission. Like ghosts, grim reapers, and death angels," smiled Ian who then took the jar to fill in the glass, "Would you like a drink?"

Elise wasn't thirsty but remembering the event of glass falling on her made her to feel her throat somewhere dried. When she nodded her head, and took the glass, it took her a moment to realized she was holding substance that were fragile and could easily break. Being careful with the glass, she downed the water before placing it on the table.

"But what if they entered? Hallow was able to enter," recalled Elise, she could still remember the surprise she felt when seeing Hallow hanging on the tree while she was cleaning the garden.

"That Hallow came because Maroon allowed him," Maroon did? Elise asked herself. "He said that he had been watching a certain grim reaper near the gates sauntering as if wanting to enter but was not able. Then I asked if he would like to have a spectator while taking care of the fertilizer in the garden."

"I see," said Elise. Maroon was a very weird person for Elise to attest. She can't wrap her mind in what the man was thinking and it was because of his expression that looked somewhere like a wall. And there was the question of why did Maroon took care of the garden at night?

"But if it is not a ghost, what would it be?" asked Elise to herself with her brows furrowed. The woman who sang in her dream, that could be a dream but the mirror accident and how the things she placed would fall wasn't a dream. It can't be coincidence.

Ian kept his expression cool as if he knew everything but at the same time he doesn't. She can't tell if Ian had found something from her words or if he did, "Anything else that you felt different about you?"

"About me?" Elise wondered why Ian would ask about her and her blue eyes naively tried to find reason from Ian's expression in which she failed to find anything. "So far, I don't feel anything different. I slept well without nightmares and sleepwalking," added Elise. "Is there something wrong with me?"

"Not that I can tell. You are as lovely as you are in my eyes," Ian smiled, his words bear the truth that tickled the depth of her stomach. She then heard him say, "Try to hold the glass and think of what you thought about Cy and the dark sorcerer."

Elise did what Ian requested her to do, holding the glass on her hands and she looked at him, "I just remembered that I have been seeing black smokes."

Ian placed his hand over Elise's hands on the glass, "What kind of black smokes?"

"Like shadows but thicker, it was closer to a fog that colored in black and I have seen it on people and building," Elise didn't told Ian this before because of how the shadows disappeared by the time she closed her eyes. "Last time I saw it covered Mr. Lipton's Manor."

Ian had heard about black fogs but he didn't expect Elise to be seeing one. "What about the person you saw? Do you remember who it was?"

"It covered Miss Martha's body but it was denser than the time I saw Lipton's manor. I think it might means something but when I closed my eyes for once, the black fog disappeared and I don't know if it does mean something." Recalling it again, it could be a premonition that something bad would happen which Elise hope she was wrong.

"I see," Ian hummed and she look at him, wondering if Ian had found out what she didn't know yet. "Let's try this Elise," his bare hand touched her, covering her hand that was holding the glass and as if it wasn't the end yet to make her heart quivered, Ian came closer beside her. Her shoulders were pressed on him and she could feel his hair falling to her neck, brushing as if it was a bird's feather that had brushed her.

"Remember about the dark sorcerers," whispered Ian, his tone low and deep and the depth shakes her head further, "Remember why you hate them, your reason. Your family's death, I know it is hard for you but try to remember it. Don't worry in case of anything to happen, I will be here."

Elise tried to do what Ian said and he watched her holding the gaze with her eyes looking down. A minute passed and two, following the sixth minutes, Ian noticed that the glass didn't break and his eyes shifted to see Elise's cheeks reddening brightly.

"Hm," Ian pulled her chin, turning her face and he placed aside the glass on the desk pushing it away so it would not break. Meeting her blue eyes, his eyes curved when he smiled. "Elise what exactly are you thinking now? You are not doing as I told you to," whispered Ian, his lips brushing close to her ears and she could feel Elise's breaths hitched on on his action. That expression of her where she looked hesitant but in need on him was too adorable to handle for Ian.

Seeing how jumpy Elise was, Ian can't help but push her more. His lips twisted and a meanful look came on his face.

"What are you thinking of naughty girl?"