The Demon’s Bride

The memory was left fresh in the back of Ian's mind. The lone reason why he didn't took a step back once in a while go reminisce the memory was due to the hundred of years that passed by him, causing the memories to slowly corrode in his mind almost close to nothing.

On his arm, under one blanket, it wasn't only Elise who felt the most calm at the moment, Ian felt equally at peace. It wasn't their body heat that made each other at the most serene phase, it was their soul. The presence of Elise made Ian felt as if he was in Heaven, and she was his Haven, it worked likewise to Elise.

"What did you do to become a Demon?" she asked, the most crucial question that molded him into the person he is right now. 

"I called upon a Demon. It's ironic seeing that my mother was burn to death for being suspected as a Devil's worshipper who would only bring plague when soon I become one. In the end, I did fulfill their wish," he chuckled with a sarcastic grin, "It was during this time when all I could think was to kill every last one of people in my father's land and to inflict the worse ever torture to those three people. I recalled when I was young when my father met the envoy from Eastern side of the land, they gifted us a large books in an odd writing. The envoy told us it was a book regarding Demons."

Elise listened to his words closely, Ian had spoken without a thorough details, but somewhere she could imagine the scene he told her. She could see a younger version of Ian meeting the envoy with his father, watching what happened silently as if to take everything he sees and studied it without bringing attention and light to him, to stay low key.

But Elise finds this odd, "Why would they present such a dangerous book? Wouldn't your father not accept it?" when at that time, they subjected Ian's mother to death using the reason of being a Devil's worshipper.

"No, in fact, my father received it with open hands." and at this Elise raised her brows.

"Why?" she asked.

"Most people are like that, Elise. They would force people to follow one rule but when the rule became a hassle to them, they would bend or even break the rule for themselves, which ever work the best for them is the correct one." Elise felt unfair at the statement. But it was true, Elise had seen many people which could be an example to his words. 

"And at that time, wealthy nobleman fancied rare things. The more out of ordinary it is, the dangerous it is, it would be more special to them; just like a prized possession which they use to show the power they have to others," explained Ian and somewhere Else could understand it because she had felt it first hand how different and toxic the upperclass people's society.

"Regardless, the book is dangerous, it would only affect your family if it's not handled with care," said Elise, not understanding why they would bring something dangerous to their own house but drive out the wife who had never wished to inflict harm on others.

Ian smiled, knowing the thoughts in his mind and the anger she showed for the injustice his mother was forced to take. "The envoys told us that the book was said could be use to summon Demon, but they promised us the curse inside the book is gone, that even if one tried to summon a Demon using it, it would never work."

"But you did it," Elise looked at him, he didn't have his horn shown now but she could imagine seeing them.

"I did," smiled Ian, staring deeply at his curious cat. "I took the book by force. Because the house was a playground since I was a baby, it was easy to sneak in without anyone knowing, and even if they did, I could kill them. I wasn't a Demon at that time, but I was prepared to kill everyone. In a sense, perhaps I have become a Demon deep down, because I feel no guilt nor sadness to see others died, other than the people I thought as dear. When I got back I perform the ritual."

Elise shifted her position where her neck move to lean forward, "I heard ritual need a living sacrifice." Did Ian kill someone to start the ritual?

"Not necessarily. They were quite wrong. Ritual to summon this Demon was different. I succeeded, unlike others who soon die after loosing control of the Demon they summon and soon killed by the Demon."

"Who did you summon?" came Elise's next question.

"Caleb." Ian watched her eyes widened slowly as he had been reading and following the muscles of her expression. They had just talked about the Demon in the carriage on the way back home. Elise recalled the Demon to be the same Demon who was punished by both Heaven and Hell for trying to break the taboo of bringing his lover back to live. 

"But he was punished," Elise drawled, recalling his story.

"I met him during the time he had just been freed from his punishment. He didn't have any willpower to live anymore at the time I met him. He asked me whatever I want he couldn't grant it." Ian saw her red hair glimmered like flame with the light on the candlestick near her put a yellow tinge on her hair and placed his finger there to comb through her smooth hair.

"Why?" Elise inclined her head to her shoulder, "The ritual was a success. Is it because his power was sealed from the punishment?"

Ian shook her head, turning the gears inside her head even more, "Couldn't isn't the right word, he didn't want to. When a human summon a Demon and make a wish, the Demon would ask for a payment, most of the times it would be the summoner's soul, but Caleb didn't want my soul. He only wanted to give up live as he wasn't able to find any method to bring back his wife to life."

For the first time, Ian sounded like someone who was telling a sad story of his friend, a small hint of sympathy lay beneath his words. "He only wanted to leave the world peacefully and meet his wife, although he knows he won't be able to meet her as she was in Heaven. For people who had taken lives, and a Demon he wasn't able to go to Heaven."

Elise felt pity for the man, the more he heard about him, only sadness left after hearing the story. "What did you do?"

"I offered him a trade. I will take his life and he would give me his power— as a Demon." Ian chuckled lightly when he recalled the surprised expression that came from Caleb when he had proposed the idea, "He called me crazy."

At that time, no one would think similar to how he thought, and Elise would have agreed with the Demon because it was a rather reckless deal. Ian was hungry for revenge at this time, he can't be bothered about the consequences after being turning a Demon.

After a pause, Ian resume the silence, "The trade was a success, I took his life and had a few of his most treasured memories."

At this time, Elise recalled something and questioned, "Was Caleb wings feathery like yours?"

"No." was Ian reply, he only thought about his wings now as it didn't bother him. At that time he thought his wings were different than others because he wasn't a true-born Demon, but a human who had took place of another Demon. "It was certainly strange, most wings are like bat's with a little horn, but mine was feather like angels, the difference being it was pitch black and had a small horn."

Elise moved her feet underneath the silk quilt, feeling her feet meet Ian's, she retraced back and curled her toes. "What happened after you become a Demon?"

"I took my revenge," plainly Ian answered and he pulled her feet that had hit him. When she lifted her chin, he saw he was grinning, almost too darkly. "I killed the second wife with the same method my mother was killed, and hanged my father on the entrance of the house. As for my brother, I dropped him from a very high place, I was testing my wings, and he was a perfect test-try."

Elise didn't know whether to laugh as it was rude. "Did you ever regret becoming a Demon?" asked Elise after a while, her feet entangling with him felt warmer as he had transferred her his warmth. Because to be a Demon takes a great sacrifice, and she knew what comes after revenge was emptiness, that was what she felt when seeing her aunt died, she felt angry at first but when she see her dead, she felt nothing, not even happiness that perhaps she should have felt.

"Never," Ian smiled looking at her warmly, "Is it not because I'm a Demon that I could be here right now with you?" his brows raised the way his grinned did, questioning her confirmation.

"You're right," Elise whispered back and saw him spreading his arm.

"Come closer, I want you to be nearer as we sleep," Ian whispered her with the sweetest voice he always used to her. Elise pushed herself and went closer toward him, snuggling to his chest, she felt his heartbeat that was still begin to start thumping.

"Thank you," whispered Elise and Ian bring his head low. 

"What for?"

"For telling me about your past, it must have been difficult."

"It happened nine hundred years ago, I barely feel any attachment to it," he said, "And I am happy that you are the one who hears this," Ian leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "Get some sleep, you must be tired."

Elise nodded, and with a low whisper she said, "I love you, thank you for being here."

"Don't steal my words, my love," Ian put his hand on the back of her head, rubbing it slowly, "And you should refrain speaking that lovely, you make it hard for me to hold myself from ravaging you."

Elise looked up at him, finding that his words weren't a joke and chose to sleep now as she doubted Ian wouldn't do anything if she is still awake. Some part of her didn't mind it, but they were going to get married soon, and she didn't want to turn Ian's patience waiting for their first night to nothing. "Good night," she wished him, and hear him whisper in a softer voice.

"Good night." 

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A/N: Don't forget to vote. Voting makes another day to look forward for me to write~