The Demon’s Bride

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Elise made her way toward the side of the bed. Strange, she wouldn't do anything like last time when she had rested on his bed, but oddly she felt giddier than before for reading a single book. If she thinks it as Ian reading her a night tale, it should be able to ease her, thought Elise that failed the moment she climbed on the bed. 

From the corner of her eyes, Elise watched Ian leaning his body against the pillow he settled on the headboard of the bed. His hand propped on the head of the headboard, and amused smile played on his eyes as he watched her, knowing every single bits of her emotions and her heartbeat.

"Don't stare at me too much," whispered Elise, there was time like this that made her felt daunted by Ian's gaze as it was too intense some times from her. Not in a good way like how tonight was.

"What can I do when you are the apple of my eyes? I am watching what I am privileged to watch, like how you do. Don't stop me," and Ian stayed true to his words, his red gaze continue to leave mark on her as he softly brushed his eyes toward the places he wanted to touch her. 

Ian caught her red hair that was soft and smooth to touch, falling from the side of her neck in front of her chest. The night gown did a great job by giving coverage to Elise's relief, but also did a great job in framing her womanly curves where her hips was wider than her waist, a sight to look at when Elise moved her feet to climb on the bed.

Like a cat who had just touched water, Elise was unsure in what to do with the gaze as Ian didn't seem like he would be looking away from her any time soon. She decided to think of nothing, calming her nerves and making way to the side of the bed. It been two months since she came here, but getting used to his presence was still a task as all the time she felt jumpy, and Ian seemed to like it as he never stopped teasing her when he saw her expression changing bashfully at his tease. 

Leaning her back on the bed, she then placed the book to his side, hoping he'll be the one to read it. "About tomorrow," Elise started, gaining his attention, "I was wondering if I will be bringing the pistol? Would that be alright?"

Ian picked the aged book, grinning after her question, "Have you ever seen anyone standing in my way, scolding me not to bring things?"

Elise stared at her, turning her eyes, "I haven't." And it was the truth, no one would dare to say no to Ian. Part or the reason being he is the Warine Lord and most people were too fearful to be on his bad side.

"No one would be able to do the same to you," he mused, grinning widely, "And if they do pick that gun and aimed it to them. No need for words, just do that stance for one second and they'll immediately apologize on their knees. By now the whole five lands should be wide awake of who you are."

And that might be true, seeing the sudden change of behavior amongst the servant, Elise could only think tomorrow in the hunting ground, people's behavior toward her would be sky different from how they had treated her before. Elise didn't triumph over it, but she indeed felt the sudden power handed to her hands which she knew she has to will it to protect herself if needed.

"What did Heaven told you earlier?" Elise then asked as they prepared to read, she shifted her gaze from Ian's fingertips that were shifting the pages of the book toward the page that stored story about Lucifer.

"Did you hear?" Ian questioned because he noticed how Elise seemed to have sharpened her senses and this was due to her being more aware of the blood running in her body.

"Only a little that you were whispering but not detailed," she answered, keeping her gaze, "If it's something you would like to keep a secret..."

"Silly you, there is no secret in me that I'll keep it away from you. It was about my lineage," and Elise raised her brows at the words, Ian continued with his eyes darkening as the candles beside him dimmed. "He told me I should look into it."

It must be due to his black feathered wings which was rare, thought Elise. Heaven must have also sensed it like her that Ian's strength came not because he had inherited Diablo's power but also due to something deep in him that generated from his parents. 

"How was your father like?" Elise then asked, wanting to help him find out about his lineage and the possibility of his power source.

"Garbage," Ian said simply, holding a mocking smile, "The moment I beheaded him, I was looking very eager into it. I thought that maybe Devil was in me. He was just a simple human man with a cowardly behavior. When he knew I was coming to kill him, did you know what he did?"

Elise kept a close ear to his words, shaking her head as he didn't go in details with the past he had walked on. Ian's smile curled deeper, his eyes had a thicker shadow and the flame on the candle continue to flicker as if it was disturbed by his change of emotions.

"He pushed his wife and son to me so I would be getting distracted by them. Of course I took care of the two before finding him. It was my father's dumbest mistake to think he could run from my wings," Ian uttered, a sense of happiness which Elise couldn't understand was visible in his eyes, but she took that the death his father experienced should be enough for the sins he did to Ian's dead mother.

Seeing how his father wasn't able to lift a finger against him, it means that his father was a simple and normal human. That left his mother, thought Elise, "What do you remember about your mother?"

Ian shifted his eyes to her and his smile spread, recollecting words he wanted to tell her, "Since I have been with you the memory of my mother came back clearer than before. She was a simple lady. She belongs to a lower class but she has the class on herself. She would never faltered or deterred by the second wife's provocation. When I was young I was slightly annoyed by her behavior."

It came unexpected, Elise felt the warmth shared when he came closer, her eyes shifting from his neck to his brows chest muscle and she quickly soared her eyes to meet Ian's again. Not wanting to be caught red-handed. "Why?" She asked.

"Because she stayed quiet rather than to fight back. Until now I don't understand. She has her way, I am sure for she was my mother. I was sly so but my father was an idiot which why I believe my mother had been the one to inherit that trait to me. Yet she prefer to stay idle. I wasn't sure what she was thinking up until this day." Ian tapped his fingers. Though he does dislike that personality of his mother, he loves her dearly as she was his only one family member to him after his so-called father brought a woman and claim her to be his second wife. This had a Elise to tilt her head, she wondered where did Ian inherit the black feathered wings, then? 

She didn't want to doubt by wondering if Ian might not be his father's son as that would mean accusing his mother, Lucy for infertility. Pursing her lips, Elise opened to ask, "Had you ever seen your mother having an ability?"

"I know what you are thinking. Trying to find out whether my mother hide a part of her that would seem like she is a Demon or Angel, don't you?" Ian stole her thought from her mind. Not seeing the need to lie, Elise nodded honestly, and he said, "No, she was a complete human. She never heal the wound she has on her own like angels she doesn't have red eyes either. Her heart was close to that of an Angel, but she bear no wings," and those few words helped Elise to assume an image of Ian's mother. Elise had never seen her but if she appear like Ian, it would mean his features are similar to her.

"She didn't slept on other man either," Ian continue to add, and Elise promptly nodded at it.

"I believe she won't," because she sounded like a devoted woman who settled with her husband despite being disappointed by him. "But how would you be able to find your lineage?" Because it was what happened nine hundred years ago.

"We will need to go back to her hometown," said Ian with a slightly uncertain look which Elise could understand. After all, it had been nine hundred years ago. The pasts had been overwritten by now with more years that passed. "I suppose the town is still there unlike the one that I have wiped off the map." And Elise hope they would be able to find something as knowing nothing about yourself wasn't a great emotions to deal with.

"This is the page," Ian then chimed, his fingers spreading the page where the name Lucifer was wrote largely on the header of the page. "Lucifer, the Duke of Hell. The fallen Angel who had been punished twice."

Elise scooted over to his side, wondering what he had read as it was quite different from what she had seen. "How strange," Ian chimed and Elise lifted her gaze. "Which paragraph can't you see?"

Elise tapped her finger on the paragraph, "This one."

"I wonder why it doesn't seem to be different to my eyes?" Ian questioned with his tone tilting. He knew it and he had been ignoring it. There was indeed something in his blood that he wasn't aware of. 

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A/N: Don't forget to vote~~ currently writing lists of who is going to appear on the hunting ground~~ see you tomorrow~