The Demon’s Bride

When she first went to the mismatched wall at the end of the corner, Elise somewhere suspected that the place leads to somewhere, and it was only now that Ian confirmed her thought. "Why didn't Count Gerald come here and share the news with you?" Because usually, it was the head of the family who would meet the Lord, Elise wondered if there was a reason other than for Lady Monica to meet Ian.

Ian leaned on the back of his chair, "The Count is a rather particular man, he knew that coming to my house would be dangerous but he didn't care, that just show how much the family wanted power even at the expense of losing his only daughter's life. He isn't a good father but then we all seem to have daddy issues."

Father, thought Elise, understanding what he meant by issue. Both their fathers didn't seem to be like a good man, although Elise hoped her father to be one, there was more evidence of him being an irresponsible man than not.

"Did you do anything else today?" Ian asked her, his eyes shifting from the bird to her.

His question reminded her of the strange things that transpired around her, and Elise quickly told him, "I was walking around when I heard of something weird. It was when I went to the gallery when I heard the voices of people calling my name."

Ian didn't brush off her words like others would by saying it was a hallucination. He knew that Elise was a special woman, she was far different than others and it must be because of the gene that runs through her blood which they haven't discovered yet, "What do the voices sound like?"

Elise pursed her lips, "It was hoarse, scratchy, and gruff, when the voices whispers to my ears it feels like a few people were speaking at the same time," recounting the voice that rang on the back of her ears, Elise shivered. "I heard the voice twice."

Ian has never heard about whispers being a part of Sweet Child's ability or a Demon's Bride's ability, "When did you hear the whisper again?"

"When my hand brushed Sir Elijah," answered Elise and Ian narrowed his eyes. He had been jealous when he saw Elise talked with the man, but brush it off as he would make sure the man never appeared before her again. But when he knew the man used the small chance to touch her, his brows furrowed deeper and a cold glint appeared to his eyes. He shouldn't have let the siblings left with their limbs still attached, thought Ian.

Putting aside the jealousy while keeping a note about the unfinished business he had to do with the siblings, he asked her, "What did the whisper say?"

"Dangerous," the single word was more like a warning to Elise. "I don't hear the whispers again after that. I don't think it is dangerous but it feels spooky."

"If you feel it isn't dangerous, I don't think it is either. But the whisper do seem like they are warning you," Ian said, he wasn't being biased because of his dislike for Elijah who had touched what was his, but he also could tell the man was crooked. "It would be better if you keep the warning the whisper told you and tell me again if you ever hear the whispers again. I will look deeper into the whispers." and on this, she nodded. She asked herself where the whisper came from but that was still a mystery as Elise was sure it didn't come from a ghost.

"I also heard the song that the maid sang in my dream before again. I searched around the castle, but I didn't find the singer. When I came to the source of where I heard the singing, the song ended." Elise didn't know why, but she felt the singer was important.

"That would mean the maid who sings in your nightmare is still around the castle," whispered Ian and his expression took a change to an angry one. One look had Elise to shiver.

"I don't think the singer is a human," Elise didn't know if Ian would search through the maids or worse, kill them all.

"We will see," was his short answer, and she waited for him to explain how which he didn't tell her. Ian raised his hand to touch her cheek, "Don't worry, I won't kill them. I will only question. What do you think you would do if you find your sister?" he asked her, turning her attention.

Elise slowly shook her head, a soft breathe passed by her pink lips, "I don't know, I never thought of having a sister before. I maybe did, but it was when I was still young." What would she do if she finds her sister? she wondered to herself. "How was your relationship with your brother?"

"Never good," Ian told her with a bland tone. He leaned his back deeper to the back of the chair and his eyes turned to see the window which was right across them, "Mine could be bad, but that's not yours. I know you would be fine. Surprised would be your first reaction like everybody would, but you could get to know her later as you spend more time together, and forge a bond. That's how most siblings did."

"But not yours," Elise whispered softly, her eyes that looked at him lingered for long.

She continued to look at his features, when Ian turned to her with a sterner expression, "I have something to tell you."

"What is it?" she asked, wondering why he was being careful.

"It's about your friend who left the castle. She was found dead three days ago," Ian knew what expression he would see when seeing the news, he had to hold off to tell her because Elise needed rest both her physical and mental, but it would be much better for him to be the one to tell her the news than anyone which could put a crack on their relationship that he didn't want to happen.