The Demon’s Bride

Elise and Ian arrived in the magistrates's house soon after. When they went inside, the magistrate who had been notified by Cain that the person who came was the Lord of Warine, immediately ordered his servant to bring the best tea for the two.

The man sat in front of Ian with his hand both rubbed inside his office, "Milord, it is my greatest achievement to ever have you in my house."

"We need you to answer us a few question," Ian instructed, cutting through the man's praise that was an utter bullshits and waste of time at the moment.

"What can I may help you with? Whatever it is that you ask me, I will surely put my all into helping you," said the magistrate whose name was Marvin.

"I have heard about some rumors of bodies missing from the grave is that correct?" Ian questioned that had the man's smile fell slowly and nervousness came on his face.

"A-About the m-missing bodies, Milord. I can explain that-"

"I don't need explanation," Ian said raising his hand as his red eyes glowered, "You better tell why does this information isn't sent to the Church and the Lord at once to minimize the casualties and the bodies we have now lost."

Marvin had heard mountain of stories about Ian and he knew not to cross him. Elise was anxious of where her brother's bodies were and didn't stop Ian from threatening the human man who had now grovel on the ground, "M-Milord...the matter is if I tell the Church without finding where the body had gone they would dismiss me from my position."

Elise closed her eyes at the man's greedy action and heard Ian said, "And you should have taken your dismissal better than dying now." and he raised his hand when Elise stopped him by holding to his sleeve.

"The Church had ruled an edict for those who interrupt justice by holding and giving false information. Mr. Marvin had broken that edict and he should serve ten years of jail time," Elise stated that had the human's face went pallid.

"Milord! Please exempt me from that punishment. I have a child and family, what would they do if they don't have a father? Milady!" The man begged when he noticed how Elise's eyes were blue, a color of a human. "I beg you."

"You don't understand the severity of this case, Marvin," Ian said unimpressively. "What you did only lend a hand to dark sorcerers and even play with their scheme. Now, the body of someone close to us have been gone. How will you compensate with this? Death is the only answer for me but then Elise does have a point sometimes suffering is more terrible then death." Marvin's expression turn much more sour. He had thought this would be a day he would receive a handsome reward only to lose everything.

"Give me the documents of those who had been gone, the cemetery and if there had been group of wagons traveling at the same time found between the borders of lands," Ian demanded before leaving the house once they had acquired what they needed.

In the carriage, Elise sighed, and Cynthia held her hand as she sat in front of both Elise and Ian. When they arrived back in the castle, Cynthia took the chance to know the situation.

"What do you suspect about the bodies, Milord?" Cynthia asked, she could tell the case this time was worse than any other cases they had taken care before with the frown that appeared between Ian's brows. 

"The culprit is as you suspected, the dark sorcerers," Ian stated in a mater of fact tone. "Cynthia take care of the tiger we have as our hunting prize," and Cynthia took this as a signal to bow and leave.

Elise hadn't spoke until she had entered Ian's room which he had lead her to. Ian let her sit on the olive green couch while he bent one knees on the floor and had the other one level with his chest, "What are you thinking about?"

Elise had successfully calmed herself and the surge of emotions which was getting harder for her to control for some reason, "During the time we visited Lipton Manor, William's ghost was there for a brief of time. Did you think he came there to tell me about his body?"

Ian had heard about ghosts having a will. But he thought her little brother have went and move on to Heaven but perhaps her family was somewhere around the Land as they cannot leave Elise alone. "Perhaps that was his intention. I have talked to Cain and hired an artist to draw a picture of how that person who came as you appear like. He also told me that there was one single time where that person came with a man. What's wrong?" Ian asked when Elise lowered her head.

She shook her head gently, "I don't know, I just feel very nervous and anxious right now. I don't know what I am feeling and I'm afraid something bad would happen soon."

Ian pulled his grin slowly, and her eyes that settled to watch his handsome face, "Anxiousness always appear from one's heart. It isn't rare but you shouldn't stress you mind on the part inside you that's anxious about future. Let's take our time sorting what you are anxious about and part that you don't want to sort, leave it be maybe it's time's work to sort it later."

Elise smiled at his words, feeling touched by how gentle and soft he was when comforting her. "Would you agree if I say that the dark sorcerers are planning to use the bodies for the resurrection ritual?"

"That's what I am drawing the conclusion for now," Ian replied to her question, confirming what she was thinking of as he had also formed the same guess upon hearing that the missing body didn't happen only to Elise's younger brother but to many others.

"But to bring someone back to life in a mass would need more than only dead bodies, right?" Elise questioned again and Ian's expression took a solemn turn where his smile had fallen.

He nodded his head, telling the news which would similar to a prelude to tragedy, "They would also need humans' life and not only two or three but I guess around a hundred or more for the ritual to succeed. It will be better that we focus our attention at towns or villages with a lot of residents count and also events where people are gathered."