The Demon’s Bride

Elise looked at Cynthia with a wide eyes. She could feel that the question was not a rhetorical question. It was as if Cynthia was trying to see whether she like the idea before proceeding to something... to tell her a surprising news.

"I don't think I would know how I feel," Elise answered honestly, "Bit I think I might feel happy. What do you find about me?" she asked.

She saw how Cynthia was hesitant, "I went to the village where you were born at. There, I heard many rumors about your mother and father, there was, however, one rumor about how your father didn't leave alone. He left with a daughter," said Cynthia before peeking at her expression.

Elise didn't know what to say, as she was surprised. "And that daughter could be my sister?" she saw Cynthia nodding her head in response and it had Elise to become quiet for a long moment to process what she heard. To know that she has a blood-related sister surprised her.

Since she was young, Elise believed she was alone. It was easy to live alone but at the same time it was lonely. There was a few instances when she thought how her life would be better if she has a sister. But then she looked at how she live and she was somewhere thankful that God didn't give her a sibling who would suffer along her.

She was surprised, happy but filled with questions. She didn't know she had a sister, and that her father brought a daughter when he left the village. Had he really abandoned her and her mother for good? She can't say for sure that she didn't have a sister as her memory of her childhood with her mother barely exist.

But if there was a chance for her to meet her sister, she would like to do that, "Do you know where she could be?"

Cynthia nodded but when she did, a knock come across the door and Ian stood on the wall next to the door with his body leaned on the wall. Elise looked at him, only a few hour passed after she fell asleep, but she longed for him that now seeing him again made her to unconditionally smile. Cynthia immediately stood up and bowed at the Lord.

"I'm not disturbing, am I?" Ian knew what he did and he came to walk on her side, "I can tell the rest Cynthia, you could leave now." the woman didn't need to be told twice and just by seeing the air between the two, she knew that the couple need times alone.

Once Cynthia left, Ian took a seat across her, "You stared at me too much."

Elise didn't realized until she was told, but she didn't avert her eyes from him, "I can't?" she asked to earn his laugh.

"No, you can. Stare at me but don't feel bored," Ian whispered her as he crossed his hands and bring his elbows to the surface of the table.

"I heard Lady Monica came earlier," said Elise, remembering the Lady who had come with her brother.

"Yes she did," Ian raised his hand and she saw the patches of red on his sleeve. The color was deep that had her to stare at it. "I was talking about her eyes."

"Did you take her eyes?" she asked because of the blood, and knowing Ian's trait where there was a few things that he like to do drastically, that could happen.

Elise saw Ian's grin curled deeper to a smirk, "Nearly, I was going to but she brought unexpectedly good news. Don't worry this blood is not from the guests. I stumbled over a few people who wanted to kill me, so I killed them on the way."

"Are you alright?" Elise knew Ian wouldn't get hurt but she can't help to worry over his wounds as he often fought with people who want to take his life.

"Perfectly healthy," Ian enjoyed the care Elise gave, and he wanted to bask in it but to have his bride worry lines isn't good, he thought, "I promised I wouldn't die before you and I could not, so rest easy. And you know how I have a great skill in scaring people."

Elise puckered her lips in puzzle, "What does that have to do with not dying?"

"Well, I could scare grim reapers and kill them before they took my life. I know a few way to defy the living and as long as I stay immortal as I am, I would never be at risk of dying," Ian said with a nonchalant tone and Elise wondered if it was because he couldn't die that he wasn't afraid to get hurt. But she doesn't want him to be careless. No one could tell the future and by her being beside him as Demon's Bride, it could mean that his death would come soon and she would be the one to serve the death.

When the thought of how she could kill Ian, Elise felt her heart growing weary.

"But you told me that no one could defy death," she said to see how Ian didn't reply but look at her. This had her to feel an indescribable anxiousness.

"I could find a way if that happen, and if I can't, I know you could," Ian smiled, but his words weren't assuring for her. It sounded to Elise as if he didn't care about his life, nor death.

"You know that I am concerned about you but why do you not fear death or me? Now we both know that I am a Demon's Bride, I could kill you," she whispered, it wasn't that she doesn't believe herself, but the will of the heaven was said to be fate. And there had never been anyone who could escape fate just like death.

"Because I cannot believe you would ever kill me," Ian whispered, he stood up and he stood beside her chair before turning her body along with the chair with one turn, he did smoothly. Bending on leg he then took her finger to press his lips there, "I know Elise what you are thinking and what you are feeling. I could tell your anxiety of not wanting to lose me to death, and I tell you this, that would never happen. More than me, I worry about you. You know how powerful you are, don't you?"

Elise nodded her head, she knew as she had been the one who activated the power, and both of them knows this wasn't the extent of her power yet.

Ian placed her hand to his cheeks, as if wanting to share her his warmth to soothe her, "Your power could be a catalyst for a war between Demons, Relics, Angels, and Corrupted Angels. They all want power, and you are the source of that strong power. You are no different than a stone that could bring people to live, and for that, everyone would do anything to covet the power for themselves— for their goals and greeds. Which why I will be making a request for you," Ian looked at her eyes deeply and she could find his fierce gaze at the request he was going to make now. "From now on would you promise me not to hesitate and kill when anyone is hurting you?"

Hesitation was the last enemy in a war. Ian never felt it before but he had seen people who wanted to kill and instead get killed as they were not ready to take a life. It was easy to say the word 'kill' than to stab someone over the heart, and for Elise who never want to hurt people, it was more difficult and a terrible thing she would have to go through.

Elise didn't reply immediately, because killing was not easy. It didn't only affect her psychically but mentally. "I don't know if I could ever kill."

"I know," Ian whispered to her gently, "And I know that for you killing isn't easy. Which why in return for my request to you, I promise to be here for you, and you could share that guilt of yours half to me. You could kill a million and give half to me, so you wouldn't get tired. I am here and you can tell me everything you want to tell me. I will be there for you."

"I don't think we are ever going to Heaven if I kill were to kill a million," whispered Elise as the thought came to her mind.

Ian felt how Elise had moved her hand to run through the locks of his black hair, "Do you want to go there?" he asked her while watching how despite the deep question they shared now, Elise had a rather controlled expression.

Elise shook her head softly, she felt that her eyes were dazed on him, the very presence of Ian acted like a fast-acting alcohol where she would be drunk on him, and it remind her of the first time she had seen him when he had saved her from danger. That time to, she felt as if the time in the world had stopped for her eyes could only gaze at him.

"I don't want to go anywhere without you," she said, her heart and emotions coming out as words on her sweet lips, "Heaven or Hell, if you are not there, I wouldn't like to go there."

"That's exactly what I thought too, my love," Pushing himself up, Ian took her by her lips and when Elise felt his tongue entering, she felt at the same time something deep in her was opened. Slowly, she closed her eyes, letting her whole body and heart to feel the love he gave her through their kiss.