The Demon’s Bride

The way Father Redrick had told her about Lucifer, seemed as if the man knows more than she does or anyone would. With curiosity on her eyes, she asked, "How was it different?"

Redrick made his voice lower but with the empty hallways, his whispers echoed throughout the hallway, "In most belief the story goes the way you said earlier. But there was saying that in truth Lucifer wasn't thrown from Heaven. It was said that Lucifer had black wings because he was punished but in truth, his wings had been pitch-black since his birth."

The talk about pitch-black wings reminded Elise of Ian's wings which only made her more curious, "How did that happen? I thought all Angels have snow white wings."

Redrick smiled gently, but his smile turn smaller when he continued, "That how it goes for most Angel but not Lucifer. He was said to be born unlike other Angels did. There was a different circumstances he was brought to the world which make him special and different in Heaven."

"What was the difference?" questioned Elise.

"All Angels are born from Heaven, but Lucifer wasn't the creation of Heaven. He was a child born from an Angel and a Demon. Are you interested to hear more about the story?" inquired Redrick, and he offered, "If you still have time and want to hear more, you could come to the Church's Library. In there you could also find more about Angels and Demons," the man drawled at the end, meeting Elise's eyes that subtly widened.

"There are books about Demons here?" asked Elise because this was a Church. Since the olden time it was said that Demons are the enemy of Angels and somewhere for Church to hold books about Demons felt strange to her.

"It's odd, I know," Redrick chuckled when seeing how Elise's blue eyes turned wide, "Books about Demons are seen as a blasphemy to many people, and most people even burn the book thinking it was a curse," which is understandable with how Demons are seen as evil, thought Elise. "But there are also people who are too afraid to burn or keep the book which why they would send the book here for us to keep and watch over. Church are the holiest place in the land, therefore, the books about Demons wouldn't havoc even if curse was placed on it."

Still curious, Elise asked, "Did that ever happen?" The priest only smiled before shaking his head wordlessly. She took another glance of the Angel before they walked pass the glass, "Are all Angels' eyes golden like the paintings and the stained glass earlier?"

Redrick took time before saying, "I'm not sure about that myself as I have never had the chance to see an Angel before, but based in the stained glass and the witness's testimony of those who had seen Angels, they do hold bright golden eyes."

Elise nodded, noting whatever information she could have now, and being careful she asked, "Do they have horns?" On this question of hers Redrick stopped at his heels which made her to stop to.

The man looked at her eyes, staring deep which felt long to Elise before the priest coughed a laugh, "I have never heard of Angels having horns before. If it is Demon, I have heard them have one. But it's weird..." the man drawled.

Elise looked at the priest's eyes that had turned thoughtful as he appeared to be recollections something, "What is weird?" she asked Redrick.

"There was someone who asked the same question as you did. I remembered the person coming to me and ask of whether angel had horns, but the person died two years ago, he was involved in a carriage accident on his way back home."

Does that mean the person saw a corrupted Angel? asked Elise to herself. Father Redrick looked at her as she was in her mind and said, "If you would like to come and read the books I mention earlier, you are welcome to come anytime. I live here so I should be at this place anytime you come."

Elise nodded, she wanted to find more about Demons and Angel, "Thank you for your offer, father. I would like to come soon," and the man nodded.

As they spoke, they both arrived at the entrance of the Church where their walk and talk ends at. Leaving the Church, Elise entered the carriage that Ian had arranged for her little trip when she opened the door to see a blonde-haired man sitting inside the carriage. One side of his cheeks was bruised and he crossed his hand, looking at the opposite side of the window before turning to look at her. 

"Close the door if you are coming in," Beelzebub said, there was something in his tone that sounded lazy and the man yawned as if he hadn't got a proper sleep.

Elise closed the door and she took a seat on the opposite chair where Beelzebub sat on. "Why are you here, Mr. Beel?" When she came the man wasn't here but now she found him inside the carriage, sitting as if he had been there waiting for her the entire time.

"Ian ordered me to come, out of all people in the castle by far I'm the strongest after him which why he asked me here," replied Beelzebub, he then stared at her face, "But I don't know you will be visiting the Church," the man commented, his mouth let out a scoff when seeing the Church's gate where there was an angel. "This is not place where we would go."

Elise thought about Ian's decision, and she could tell if he chose Beelzebub to come for her it would mean the man was save for them trust even with the mystery underneath him.

"Is the Church a bad place for Demons?" asked Elise, remembering the time when Ian came to visit Blythe, he appeared to be fine entering the Church.

"More than bad, lesser Demons could even die by entering the Church because of how the building are sprinkled with holy water," answered Beelzebub. Much more than Elise thought the man answered her question rather honestly. "Are you not going to ask why my face is injured?"

Should she ask? asked Elise in herself. "You were there in the village with Hallow." Beelzebub didn't look surprise and he didn't reply which give her a tacit confirmation. "Why did you follow us?"

"Whim," Beelzebub responded while meeting her eyes, for a moment she noticed how the Demon was thinking of word to answer her to come up with the single word. A smirk came on Beel's face, "You're not thinking I was there to safe you, did you? I heard from Ian's Demonic servant that you two were going to a village and followed both of you."

Really? asked Elise wondering if he had told Ian the same reason as it was hard for her to believe it was a coincidence. 

"I heard you are getting a sister," Beelzebub spoke and Elise raised her brow at this. It wasn't a secret but she didn't expect Beelzebub to know about it so quickly. "Do you remember anything about your father?" The Demon questioned without beating around the bush.

"I don't..." Elise drawled on her words as when she casted her gaze from the Demon to the window she saw a figure cloaked in all black. When she took a better look, he noted the boney hand that held a gleaming silver scythe on its hands. A reaper, thought Elise. What did it come for?