The Demon’s Bride

Ian didn't give Beelzebub the quick reply the demon wanted. They both were not in a bad term but also not in the term where they could trust each other. Especially the cunning Beelzebub who Ian felt the least he could trust amongst his peers but when it come to Demons, he was one of the most believable.

"Your words first," Beelzebub said, "You know I am the one having the upper hand here. I will tell you about your sweet bride who has been destined to kill you. I can't wait to meet her when I arrived."

Almost in an instance, Beelzebub saw shadows of darkness enveloping Ian's face that loomed over the small crow he was possessing at the moment. The shadow of his whole person which was shown on the wall behind him turned darker as the horn appeared on both his head which curled deeper. The red eyes turned brighter as if for the thirst of blood while leaving the rest pitch black.

Ian leaned forward to the crow, his expression was unreadable as a black mist covered his face, leaving only his mouth where his teeth had become sharp and it twisted when seeing the crow. "I will tell you this only for once Beelzebub. If you dare to harm even one strand of hair from her. Not even Satan could stop me from killing you. I hate it to the core when others touch what is mine."

Beelzebub stared at his face and the crow's beak twisted deep, "Of course I know, my friend. More than you I know how much you dislike having your possession stolen just like all Demons there is in hell, isn't it?"

As they spoke, the sky behind them had turned pitch black. The flowers that had been placed fresh in the morning had turned to dust, leaving nothing.

The shadow slowly leaves from Ian's face, and the hazy color gave back a form of his chin, "Fine. I will let you leave here. How long will you stay?"

"Sixth months and six days, a lucky number for us Demons, isn't it?" said Beelzebub. He knew this was the thing needed to bait Ian. The bride Ian said he wouldn't take a liking to in fact had rooted deep inside him and the girl mattered a lot. "I sense someone coming here. I will tell you tomorrow about the rest."

"Tomorrow?" Ian noticed the tone Beelzebub used and the crow laughed.

"I will be coming tomorrow as soon as possible. It's my treasured day off after watching the sinners for years. I should enjoyed it at Godspeed."

"What a joke," commented Ian when the door was knocked in second the lively eyes of the crow turned stale, showing evidence of how Beelzebub had disappeared from the crow.

"Come in Cynthia," Ian didn't have to hear the voice of the person waiting from outside to know who it was. Cynthia came inside the room. The first thing she noticed was the air that felt heavy and dark. It was almost hard for her to breathe in the room which she can't understand why. "What, have you found Salamander for me to eat that you didn't give me your report yet?"

Cynthia broke her gaze from the flower vase after noticing the flowers which had turned to dusts, "My apologies, I had to leave for the authorities who asked for the scaffolding permit," replied Cynthia whose eyes then narrowed, "I found a few things from the village where Elise lived at nine years ago, in the village of Saltige."

"Go on," Ian swung his hand, before clasping it together.

"The first incident found was around early May, it was said that a church was broken while children were playing near the backyard. The accident leave four children dead and one alive. The one who managed to stay alive with only a scratch to her body is Elise," Cynthia who had not looked at Ian's eyes finally met eyes at the end of her words. She the gave a complex expression before saying, "The first few relatives who were said to have taken in Elise for a short while suffered from a plague which almost lead them to death but when Elise had moved out from the house, they regained their health. This accident goes on for further times."

Elise's curse was much stronger than Ian had originally thought. If he had think of it twice. Elise had indeed resulted to many deaths which he didn't blame her as she was cursed by the damn Gods who claim that Sweet Child was a blessing when in truth it was a curse to the person themselves.

The incident of Black Annises could be said a part of her mistake as only in a few weeks of time after her arrival, the maids in the mansion had died. The same happened to the Scott's Family but they lasted longer. Compared to now where Elise's curse could have come in hand in the mansion, she had only affected a few but all of the deaths was not her mistake as he had been the one to kill.

"What about the Town Elise lived at?" inquired Ian as it was part of the task he had assigned to the woman.

"There was never a single record of anything that is strange. The church of the next town claimed that Elise have always been a lovely lady with many friends," there was fondness in Cynthia's voice as she expressed her words to Elise. Like Austin, she can't help to dote in the little girl they played well since child. Now Elise had gotten older but something about her remained unchanged which made her look like their younger sibling.

"Anything else?" questioned Ian to see Cynthia's head shaking, "Search about Lipton's house and keep an eye on the mansion and also Martha's shop. Find if the family is doing anything or if anything took place on the place they live in."

Curiosity could be seen to have taken place to Cynthia's eyes that held a hue of violet but the woman didn't question. When they decided to work under Ian, they had been told to discard their curiosity and it was what she did now, "Yes, milord."

Once Cynthia had left, Ian got up from his seat, "Maroon."

In less than the time one could blink their eyes, Maroon opened the door as if he had been waiting for Ian's voice to call him. The butler bowed and Ian said, "Prepare a room in the castle a troublesome guest would come."

Maroon didn't asked who the guest was when Ian continued, "It's Beelzebub, that man want to come and stay but don't carelessly leave your eyes from him."

"Should I prepare the room in the guest's quarter?" The room of the guest quarter were near the Master's quarter with one hallway different.

"No," Ian said. Elise live bellow him just like how he had assigned it to be and he didn't want her to get close to the demon. There was only one demon needed in his life and it was him. "Prepare the East that should give plenty of distance between his room and mine."

When Ian thought Maroon would leave, the butler had instead stood, "What else?" Ian asked.

"Lady Elise sent a letter to the vampire named Edward Harland. I have not peeked what is inside and sent it directly to the post man," replied Maroon who received Ian's keen gaze. Knowing what mistake he had done by not giving the letter to Ian before sending it, the butler bowed deeply enough for his hair to almost touch the floor beneath him.

"That's fine," Ian twisted his lips, walking away to look at the roses that had turned to dust. "Once it had been destroyed to dust nothing could come back alive just like the roses here and the vampire's lust. He is very eager to become the lady of Warine penpall, that much should be alright. He could spend his day rubbing his wound with salt he made on his own."

Ian looked at the window behind him. Tomorrow with the arrival of Mr. Beelzebub shouldn't be a day to be waited for but he can't help to wait for every day there is to come to learn more about Elise.

"Maroon, gather every information about curses and how to break them. Elise is having a trouble with the curse she is born with and as her future husband, I can't keep my bride to have tears of worries before her marriage."

Maroon made a shift of expression but he didn't voice out the feeling he had and bowed to obliged, "Will you not be sleeping, my lord?"

"No," Ian replied before sitting on his couch, his body leaned to the back and his hand rested on the backrest. "I need one more day to confirm if Elise's sleepwalking is under the voodoo's curse or not. Bring the book."

Once Maroon had disappeared, Ian stood from his seat, standing to walk when he noticed the glass shards that had turned like snow had grown to an ash which could disappear with a light blow of air and his eyes narrowed.