The Demon’s Bride

It took Elise less than a minute to sleep, perhaps due to what they did before they slept or the party, her body felt tired and sleeping with Ian only help her to fell deeper to the sleep, walking to the wonderland. Ian didn't need sleep, regardless he fell asleep with Elise on his hands, feeling the sleep to be one of the most peaceful he have ever had that it loosened his guard.

The light from the candlestick flickered once the two had fell to slumber. As the light started from the left side it casted a shadow on the right side, and the shadow which settled near the curtain begin to waver even when the flame didn't flicker. 

Like a pool of black liquid, the shadow continued to move in a way like a living flame as if it was alive. The shadow moved from the pool of black, forming into a long and uncanny finger-like shadow that had a long and sharp claw attached into the ends of the five length. 

The first shadow hand crawled from the curtain before the second one followed and it both moved in a snake-like movement toward the end of the bed, moving to where Ian was until it stopped there, standing as if it was watching both Elise and Ian. 

Without eyes it continued to stare specifically at Ian, the Demon who was asleep for a whisper to appear. The words said by the shadows were too hushed to be heard and when one did put an ear to understand what the shadow said, it would be harder to decipher the gabble they shadow spoke of, but there were two distinct whisper from the shadows, seeming to speak with one another.

After appearing to reach to a conclusion, the right shadow hand moved sneakily, sharpening its claw to Ian's neck, moving in full intent to slice his neck but the movement abruptly stopped when Elise moved closer toward Ian, snuggling to his muscular chest.

The shadow hands stopped, the right hand looked at the left before whispering another couple of words to then retrace the path they took, gathering back to the pool of black shadow.

Elise woke up in the morning where the birds were chirping outside the window. Ian always preferred his room to be out from light, loving the darkness which why the curtain was drawn to cover the entire bedroom. Having just woken up, Elise pushed herself from the bed and she looked at her left and right side, finding the ray of sunshine coming through the curtain that made her felt very serene.

As she pushed herself to sit on the bed, the sleeve of her chemise fell to her shoulder, "It's still early, sweetheart, sleep some more." Ian said as he brought his nose to the crook of her shoulder where the sleeve had fell from. 

Elise smiled, she never knew there would be a day like this where she would wake up with the person she love beside her, "I feel like I was dreaming of something very nostalgic."

Ian raised his brows, placing his chin on her shoulder and looked at her who had turned her face to her left side, "What kind of dream?"

"I don't remember," Elise responded with her brows slightly pulled, "When I woke up I feel that I remembered the dream very well but now I don't."

"That often happen," replied Ian as he straightened his back to sit beside her, "i also often think I was dreaming of something only to wake up with nothing back when I was a human. It's magical," he drawled, pulling the lock of hair in her right shoulder to the left side. 

"What is?" Elise questioned his unclear words. 

"How that once I talked about the past with you, it feel as if all the me prices that I had back when I was still a human came back to me, even though I thought I have forgotten most of it," Ian said, humming as he smelled her scent, "You smell lovely."

"I haven't washed myself," Elise said to remind but a chuckle passed her lips, "Did you remembered anything painful?" she touched the side of his face, not wanting him to dream of the most painful times in his memories like the time he had his mother dying.

Ian let his cheek to be caressed, "Nothing too intolerable rather it was good to see her again." and by her, she knew he meant his mother.

"When can I meet her, I mean my sister," it was still hard to believe that she would be having a sister. Elise was quite happy to know she has a family, but to call a stranger as sister still gave her a mixed emotions.

"As soon as possible, but better later," Ian looked at her with a more serious gaze, "Knowing our family, I find it hard to believe your sister would be purely white. Not to be rude, my love, but we know how dangerous our surrounding is with dark sorcerers, corrupted angels, and the likes." and Elise could agree to that, "Austin will be taking a few days to watch her from afar, once we confirmed nothing is fishy from your sister or the village she lives in we can meet her."

"Thank you," Elise said to see him nod. Seeing his features, she then was suddenly reminded by what she was going to do. She shifted her position to the her right side, near the bed side to look at the floor but didn't find the gown she wore last night.

She then turned toward Ian, meeting his curious gaze, "Do you know where was my gown?" she asked.

Ian doubted she would be wearing her gown now which was heavy to wear in the morning and was curious what she was storing inside her gown as it seemed like she was searching for something there. "Here." with a lift of his finger, her gown that was pushed to the floor during their steamy action floated from the ground and fell in front of her. 

Elise rummage through the pocket that was kept on the side of the gown, and with an intrigued expressions he kept a close watch in what Elise was doing to see her pull something from a pocket and first caught the sight of a white fabric before she revealed the whole handkerchief to him.

"Is this for me?" Ian asked when he knew well there was no one who would have the handkerchief other than him as Elise had created it with him on her mind. 

"Last time when I borrowed your handkerchief it was torn," she reminded him.

"So this is my replacement?" 

"And a Christmas gift," she added with a smile, although she knew Ian didn't believe in God she wanted to present the handkerchief in a special day, "You told me that you were born in Spring, but when was your exact birth date?"

"I don't remember clearly, maybe it's around April," Ian played with the handkerchief she gave, even though Elise didn't need to replace the handkerchief which he had given her to wipe away the unwanted germ from another man, the gift Elise gave him set a special place in his heart, and he tucked it closer and opened to see an embroidery on the bottom right corner.

The embroidery was what made the handkerchief took longer than it should, it was an embroidery of a flower that had Ian to narrow his eyes faintly at it, "What flower is this?"

Elise was caught off guard she didn't expect Ian would question what flower it was. During the time she had created the kerchief, she believed she was in a one-sided love with Ian, and had chose that flower which bear a deep meaning to her. Ian noticed how her cheeks turning pink after his question that only tugged his lips wider.

"It's Blue Salvia."

"Blue Salvia," Ian repeated while looking at the delicate and attentive embroidery and he knew how much time Elise poured to create thus for him. As she had made it only for him, it only made the kerchief million cold meaningful. "Why did you choose this flower?" 

Elise looked away a little, her lips pursed as a bashful expression colored her face and she opened, "Because it's beautiful."

"Only that?" Ian noticed the silly Elise trying to hide something as if she was embarrassed. "Why do I feel like there are more reason you choose this flower but not tell me?"

Ian kept pressing her with his words and his body as he leaned forward, pushing his face to her ears, "Hm, Elise? Trying to hide something?"

Elise felt steam coming off from her head, she wanted to pull the quilt to cover her face again. The meaning of Blue Salvia was no less than a confession. Ian kept pushing her for answer, as if wanting to hear it from her lips, but spilling the secret took more than only embarrassment.

"Elise?" Ian called her again and she saw the teasing and mischievous look on his face.

Turning her face, she whispered slowly and when she pulled her lips for his ears, Ian took her by her back, bringing her closer to him and kissed her lips. "This flower goes for both of us then, because I've always been thinking of you too."

Elise felt her heart full with the happiness and overwhelming joy. She felt that today was one of the best moment of her life where she felt at ease and she hoped the future wouldn't come at them the way wave or storm did. She prayed that her happy day stay forever and that prayer of hers wasn't something too hard for God to grant.