The Demon’s Bride

On the way to her aunt's house, Elise looked at Ian who took a steady stride which wasn't fast or slow. This had her to think, "Why didn't we come to Saltige faster?"

"Do you wanted to come faster?" Ian answered her with another question and she shook her head.

"It isn't about that. If Aunt Angelica did work with the dark sorcerers, she could run at any moment. I was wondering why didn't you come first here," because Ian had been a person who took things to his matter fast to solve problem before it could stem, but this time he didn't and she found this weird.

"That was what I was aiming for," Ian offered her a kind smile, "I was waiting to see her run, and see where her dirty paws would bring her before taking down the entire place, but it didn't seem like she got anywhere."

"There is someone following my aunt?" She now know for a reason why Ian didn't come to the village early.

"Cynthia is following her. Do you want to hear something very interesting Elise?" she met his eyes, questioning what, "I heard about coffins missing in this village."

Elise knitted her frown, "Whose coffins?"

"Some people, the range of age and reason of death differ. Bauer, what did you say about missing corpses and coffins from the cemetery?" The magistrate who was called by Ian snapped his eyes to him, the man looked uneasy with the gaze Ian had that was akin to a hungry bear in the winter. 

Bauer moved to Saltige after marrying a woman who grew up here. He was happy he took over his father-in-law's position as the magistrate, thinking to spend his life happily as village's magistrate usually task with meager problems. Yet he hadn't pass a year since he was trusted as the magistrate when the Lord of Warine, to visit his village.

Bauer was versed with the stories about Lord Ian as previously he live in Warine. He knew all the rumors which was mostly bad than good. Seeing how the Lord come with his sadistic smile, Bauer could tell his day wouldn't rest peacefully. 

"Y-Yes," Bauer answered, inflating his lungs with deeper breath, "For the past four months there had been missing coffins in the village. We have task the guards to stay every night after each funerals around the cemetery, but we couldn't prevent the coffin from disappearing."

"Disappearing? Isn't there the possibility someone stole the coffin?" asked Elise as the man chose the odd term of disappear than stolen.

"About that," Bauer was hesitant to what he said as he would sound crazy but went nevertheless, "As weird as it might sound, milady, there had been ten men who were charged to guard one grave waited from morning to the next morning, only for the coffin to disappear. It was around the early time of dusk when one of the man noticed the soil on the grave deplete. We hurried to dig the grave again, but at the time we were too late." 

With a severe expression, Bauer bent his face closer to say, "It was as if the coffin was put under magic to vanish! Some says that it could be the doing of the ghosts. Others also say that this is the Ghouls' doing."

Elise frowned at this, "Ghouls, the beings that eat the corpse of a human?" 

Bauer nodded, "You have a great knowledge miss! Yes, that ghouls. Saltige was said to be place known for ghouls in the past."

But Ghouls were beings that never appear, they were close to grim reapers, however now that Elise had seen Demons, Grim reapers, Corrupted Angels, and ghosts, she told herself that Ghouls could be real.

"That's plausible," commented Ian, his tone light and free. 

"Have you seen Ghouls before?" she asked as he sounded like he had seen one

"No, but it's possible they are there. Look, we're here," he announced and Elise break contact to see the gate of her Aunt's house. There was the plate name of Herney's. She then saw Ian pushing the gate to enter, and saw how he appeared to the older woman who wasn't her aunt.

She followed him behind. "Thank you for your introduction, miss... whatever you name is," Ian pushed his finger to the side, "Do you mind if you step away from the door? I can't promise not to strangle your neck if you choose not to."

When Mrs. Welly had run, Elise took a good one minute to stare at Angelica as her aunt did to her. She saw how her aunt took in her feature with her eyes wide in shock. Angelica was in disbelief. There was a lady who looked no different than her niece did, with red hair and the large blue eyes. Elise had matured but she bear little changes in her feature that wasn't hard for anyone to know who she is after seeing her little self. 

But that's impossible! Elise had died in the fire! thought Angelica in midst of her chaotic shock.

"Aunt Angelica," Elise called the woman's name and she saw how Angelica frowned gravely at her.

"With all due respect miss, do not call me your aunt. My niece had died. I don't know what magic you do to change your feature but you could never fool me! Please leave!" Angelica pulled the knob of the door, trying to close it on the face of the two guest who had entered her lawn when she noticed the door didn't budge. Her eyes looked at the hand that was holding the door. 

"Not so polite are you?" Ian pulled the door with less effort while Angelica used her entire weight to close the door to no avail. When the door breaks, she quickly ran inside but not for long as Ian caught her by her neck. "Would you be kind to bring us a tea, Ms. Harney? Your beloved niece who you thought had died came back alive. Wouldn't you like to know how she survive from the slave's market?" said Ian with a smile, he pressed his fingers further to the woman's neck. "You would do that wouldn't you?"