The Demon’s Bride

Jerome smiled wider for his teeth to gleam. It wasn't an exaggeration to say that Esther was the most beautiful lady of all people on the village. When Jerome first saw Esther, his heart was immediately taken by the woman by a glance. The only love was nurtured when he spent more days talking and greeting Esther as his neighbor. 

Jerome pulled the long shotgun, "Yes, I borrow this shotgun from the head village, it appears that this is one of the latest hunting pistol that are famed."

Esther stared at the shotgun, "It must be expensive and dangerous." But not as dangerous as the spells that she knew, came the thought in Esther's mind. While human were progressing fast, it doesn't mean the dark sorcerers who were present amongst humans were lacking anything in term of power. However, with the human being cleverer than before, the weapon would certainly be one of their enemy.

Other pressing problem to Esther was the man that had been following her for the past few days. She noticed today the man didn't follow her and thought that the werecat must have given up, thinking that she was a normal village girl like others which was great as today she needed to leave her house for another matter.

"Fortunately our head village is blessed with fortune. Although this is dangerous, as long as one use proper measure while using the pistol, it should be alright," said Jerome. With a slight hesitation which Esther noticed, she found the man trying to say something but was holding back.

Esther wasn't curious but this man would serve as a witness that she was a normal human. "Is there anything wrong? If not I need to-"

"Hunt," Jerome said, surprising Esther, he then seemed to contemplate, "Would you like to come and hunt with me?"

Was this one of his way to ask her out? asked Esther and she shook her head internally. Humans are always weak to the beautiful things without knowing that most beautiful creatures like butterflies are poisonous. 

"I appreciate your thought, Jerome but I'm sorry blood is a little too much for me," Esther answered, and she quickly bowed to turn to her house, not wanting to stand there longer and humor the man with his non existent love when her body stopped as Jerome held her hand.

Esther's eyes that looked on his hand on her wrist widened, and almost immediately disgust and memories of her past crowded her mind. She swatted Jerome's hand, and the man was also shocked as the force Esther had used to remove his hand was very powerful.

"I'm sorry," Jerome said when seeing Esther holding to her wrist with an unexplainable frightened expression. 

"N-No, I am fine," Esther pulled herself together. "I will go ba-"

"Ah! You two," came another voice from their right side that belong to Mrs. Donahue. "Perfect that you are here, did you two see that carriage that stopped in the head village's house?" questioned the woman.

Esther didn't want to stay in her place and entertain the two but Mrs. Donahue was one source of informations as she was quite the chatterbox. "What carriage?" questioned Esther, it's not often that carriages would stop at the head village's house as the village was a very small one. 

"A carriage of a nobleman. You can't definitely believe what I saw!" Mrs. Donahue said with a merry voice, "I came near the head village's house in time when the three people from the carriage stepped out. The carriage was a luxurious one! Black color that almost remind me like a funeral carriage but nonetheless it was lovely!"

"Three people?" Esther asked, cutting the woman from her long explanation about the carriage that could go for an hour or more, "Are they the church members?"

"I don't think they are the Church member. There was a very tall man with an extremely handsome face and red eyes and black hair along with another red-eyed man with blonde eyes. The two were dashing but I prefer the one with the black hair, he was so mysterious and frightening-"

"Vampires," commented Jerome who became invested to the story Mrs. Donahue had.

"Yes! Yes! Vampires," Mrs. Donahue assumed. 

"According what you said earlier, what makes you think they are not church members? Esther curiously questioned because her feeling tell her that the people didn't come to simply pay visit to the head village.

"Oh that? It's because there was another lovely lady with a bright red hair. I love the men amongst the lady but that lady was also very gorgeous that I can't take my eyes away from her," said Mrs. Donahue while looking at the street next to the when on the corner of her eyes, she caught the image of the three people who she had just described earlier. "Oh there they are!"

Jerome who was also curious turn his face to look at the three, unable to help himself but gasp. Mrs. Donahue hurriedly waved her hands toward where Esther stood at, "Look look! Wouldn't you agree... Esther? Where did she go?"

Jerome also turned his face, blinking in surprise when they couldn't find Esther on her place as the girl had made a quick run to her house once she saw who the people came and whom they were coming for.

"The house is right over there, Milord," said the head village who was wearing an expensive attire.

"What do you work as, Milliard?" Ian questioned the head village that caught Elise's attention. 

"I-I work as a transporter between village, sir," answered the head village.

"Oh," came another crisp sing from Ian, "Seeing that large house of yours and the rings on your hand, and carriage that only the wealthy would have in such a small unnamed village, I would have guessed that you are a slave trader if not a transporter of a slave trader?" questioned Ian for the man to gulp and rubbed his face with his handkerchief when drops of cold sweat fell on his chubby face.

Elise raised her brows and narrowed her eyes. Indeed the wealth that Milliard had was strange for a person who live in a village but she didn't thought the man would have a hand in the slave business.

"O-Of course not, Milord! In Warine, I know we cannot allow slave trading," answered Milliard with fear evident in his voice like a mouse trapped in a box.

"There had been some eyesores who thought that while slave trading is not permitted in a Warine, transporting slaves through my lands is a loophole to my decrees," Ian went and placed one hand on Milliard's shoulder, causing the man to almost fall on his knees, "I dislike disobedient child. When you see them, don't you have that thought in you where you want to teach them a good lesson? I saw a picture of your child, I think you must understand what I meant?"

"I-I do, Milord," Milliard answered with a bow and Ian continue to stare at the man after he had dropped his smile before retracting his hands.

Elise who was walking beside Ian, looked at him, "Was it true?"

"Yes, but don't worry in a few hour he would give himself and confess his deed," Ian answered as though he could see the future.

"How could you tell that?" Elise asked,

"Because I am a Demon, dear. We know how to press human's button, and to play with them to receive the result we want," Ian answered her question. Elise looked at Milliard who walked beside them, finding how horror spread on his face and she could guess that Ian's words were correct.

Not far from them, Austin who had been staying in the inn waited on the nearest house and came toward them, bowing, "Milord," and his eyes went to look at Elise with a wink, "And milady."