The Demon’s Bride

Elise can't express how relieved she was that she had woken up seeing Ian and like wise, Ian looked at her with his eyes filled with concern that she had never seen before. His red eyes continue to look at her and she could tell he was checking on her vitals, "I am alright," Elise said to dismiss the frown that had formed between Ian's forehead.

"Don't lie to me silly puppy," said Ian, calling her puppy again after a long while, "I know you are not feeling your best, sitting on the bed is already enough task for you, am I wrong?" Ian raised his eyebrow while questioning, his face on her hand felt soft.

Elise smiled in response, "What happened to me? I remember I had nosebleed and headache," she said, frowning as she was trying to understand what happened. Everything felt like a surge of waves to her mind now and she felt full with informations. The need to settle the informations in sequence rested in her mind.

"Exhaustion," Ian explained, he pushed himself away from the chair to sit on the side of the bed, reaching out his hand, he trailed his fingertips on her cheeks, brushing away the baby hairs that settled on her right cheek. "I should have known that the two type of blood that goes sky high different from each other would create havoc in your body when you are using them for the first time. I shouldn't have gotten you implicate with the fight," Ian said with his thick black lashes falling down with a deep disappointment that Elise could see he directed to himself.

While she was sleeping, her right hand felt cold while the left hand of hers which he held the entire time felt warm and she could see from his attire where blood was still painted on the side of his chiseled jaw and shirt that Ian had stayed beside her the entire time, holding her hand without leaving her for a single moment in worry. 

"No," Elise shook her head, "I am instead, very glad that you involve me in the fights I acquire many things to learn and also study my mistakes."

"You," Ian can't help but to chuckle, "Was everything in your mind is about studying?" Elise responded with a smile and she couldn't tell how relieved Ian was to see her wake up, he hold her hand, placing it near to his chest, "You frightened the life out of me. When I see you laying on the ground, and blood," Ian drawled and the moment the memory of what happened hours ago replayed in his mind, from the corner of his eyes, blackness came to cover his eyeball, leaving only his irises red.

Elise could see the emotions that riled him as the flowers on the face behind him had turned to ashes. Ian then bent forward, picking her up from the bed with light effort and engulf her to his embrace.

"I almost thought I lost you," he whispered beside her ears and the hug told all the way to Elise's heart of how much he was afraid to lose her. Elise lifted her arm, she didn't expect her power to backfire against her like it did. Neither Ian and she doubted anyone would have guessed it.

"I am here," responded Elise, hugging him back to tell him that she was alright that not a part of her body had been lost and it was a fatigue caused by her body. 

Ian haven't been more than terrified than he was upon seeing Elise fainting on the ground with her face losing all colors as blood fading away, leaving only traces of red under her nose. He remembered it well the feeling that now came back to him and the past memory where he saw his mother tied on the stake being burn alive while he was powerless on the ground captured by men who forced him to watch his mother decaying by minutes. Anger raised on him when the memories came afresh to his mind; and he could feel slowly he was reverting to his Demonic side which he was trying to stabilize as he didn't want to lose control when Elise was still in a weak state.

There were up to many things that Ian considered as his treasure and people he cared of. His mother had died and since then he didn't see the importance of caring other people. Ian was someone who would take any injuries or sacrifices for the people he cared, which why he had taken the reckless ritual and called the Demon, Caleb. However since the lost of his only dearest mother, there was just no one in his life that he sees to suit for the sacrifices he need to walk on. It changes until Elise came, and she had became that existence in his heart that was irreplaceable.

For her, even if he had to sell his soul again to a Demon, Ian would gladly do it in exchange for her safety. 

"There are many things that you should learn, but first you should learn how to know your limits and not to push yourself," Ian said when he pulled away, "The last thing that I want from is you fainting because you've reached your limit. Understand?"

Elise looked back at his eyes that had gone back to its normal state. Ian stared at her with his eyes filled with warning, and she promised him with a nod. "How long have I've been asleep?"

"Four hours," Ian said before checking the time with his pocket watch he pulled from his coat that he laid on the back of the chair, "It leans more to the fifth hour now. How are you feeling? Any discomfort?" His hand went to the back of her head, and Elise can't help but to always like the way he patted the back of her head.

"I feel my body tingling," Elise who had sat on the bed, assigned her own body, and she can't help but chuckle lightly when adding, "It feels like I've grown another bone."

Ian watched the way Elise's eyes gleamed with a playful look which received his smile to curl higher, "Oh no, that worries me. Where did you feel your bone growing?" His eyes looked around and he didn't forget to add a frown to dramatized his concern.

Elise blinked at Ian whose eyes was now filled with mischief, "Why do you want to know?" She asked, keeping innocent but that doesn't mean she can't see that look on his eyes that says he was up to no good.

"Well I should give a look, don't I?" Ian pushed his hand from the duvet that was placed on her body and settled his fingers on top of her thigh. Elise only come to realize it now that she had been undressed and was wearing a nightgown that was thicker compared to before. 

"That's a doctor's job," said Elise, feeling his hand that was climbing higher causing her to sigh as a new sensation of tingles spread on her body.

"I can't let a doctor see you like this, and if we are talking by experiences, I have seen worse cases of humans and Demons alike who had suffered injuries. I have more knowledge than doctors in Warine," Ian leaned forward, tilting his face and his smile. "What do you say? Have me let a look?"

"I was joking, Ian, ah!" Elise yelped when Ian took a sharp bite on her ear.

When Ian pulled back, he noticed her adorable lips pouting, "I'm also joking, naughty girl. What do you think I would and could do to a sick patient? Would you like some rest?"

Elise hadn't said anything when her stomach growled, filling the room that was silent as the two had stopped talking at that moment filled with nothing but her stomach's cry of hunger. Ian chuckled while Elise was searching for ways to bury herself deeper under the duvet.

Ian appeared to be taking the fun of her embarrassment, and he stood up, raising from the place he had taken a seat at, "I will tell Maroon to have the cook make something easier for you to digest, okay?" When Elise nodded, Ian inclined his body and give a kiss on her forehead. "Don't get too bored and if you do, you can remember me, I'm sure you will have much fun in that."

"Okay," Elise said, her body feel weak and she felt all over nauseous. Once Ian had left, she decided to take a rest on the bed, waiting for him to come back while trying to organize the memory of the dream which she had before she woke up earlier.

Ian came back not soon after, seeing Elise's smile beamed when she find him in her rom again. Following behind him was Maroon who quietly entered. Elise met the butler's gaze for a moment and he bowed without saying anything and Elise didn't know if she had imagined that smile on Maroon's face.

Placing the soup in front of her, Ian helped her to eat as her hand were still weak from the fatigue. The food that was chosen was a simple cream soup that wouldn't be too heavy for her and easy to digest.

"What happened after we left?" Elise asked when Maroon appeared to take the bowl as she had finished eating.

"I left everything in Beelzebub's care. The ghouls had been all killed and the magic that was cast had been broken when Barner was killed," and this had Elise to frown as the man who she thought would help her to find her parents had died. "What else did you speak with Barner when I left?"

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A/N: I am in the hospital, therefore the next chapter will be slightly late. Don't forget to vote~