The Demon’s Bride

It was not only Ian who felt annoyed by the sudden interruption but Elise also felt that it was a shame. She fixed her dress when Ian softly twisted her waist to bring her to the other side of the couch. He stood up, leaving toward the door without fixing his collar that was disheveled along their passionate kiss.

"What?" Asked Ian right when he pulled open the door. His eyes peered down at Austin who was standing with a confused expression.

"Were you sleeping, milord?" Austin asked as seeing Ian's attire it seemed to be rumpled and tousled. Strange, thought Austin because Ian rarely sleep especially when it was still quite early in the afternoon. 

"Have you listed yourself to became my wife which why you asked this question?" Ian curtly reflected his question, "I should have hired a dog werewolf than a werecats after all."

Austin rubbed his neck. "Milord, I asked with concern and you know, werewolf don't usually leave their turf," shrugged the werecat. "Maybe I disturbed you in your most important time?"

"Yes." Ian answered and Austin did not expect him to immediately confirm his question as he has asked the question absentminded. "If you know now, will you pay what you costed me with your life?"

Austin perceived that there was no jest in Ian's words and silence is golden. "What do you need?" Demanded Ian.

"The church members are waiting for your audience and Lady Elise's," and when the man moved his eyes to look behind and find Elise a look of shock came on his face before it dawned to him suddenly, "So that is how it is."

"And I also see you don't love your neck, do you, Austin?" Ian didn't miss his words even if he had whispered it. Austin shook his head, with his hand, he mimed his lips zipping shut. Ian tipped his chin, "Call them to the drawing room. We will be there soon."

When Austin quickly left, Elise came closer beside Ian, "What is the church members doing here?"

"Must be about the tip that I gave them about how there are traitors between he Church members— and they are people with quite a high status there," Ian explained, giving her his piece of mind. 

Elise thought of how she felt like something was amiss... there was something that she had to remember but due to how out of hands she was during the incident in the village, she forgot what it is. But then her eyes brightened, what she forgot rushed back to her memories, "I remember now," she said, perfectly stealing Ian's attention, "During the time I touched a death shadow of a dark sorcerer, I saw a little figure of the man who seemed to be regarded high amongst the dark sorcerers."

Ian knew how useful Elise's power to read the people's moments before death though it seems that she still wasn't able to utilize the power skillfully, it did not lessen the effect of her ability. "What did you see?"

"I am not sure but it seems like a long key and on the key there was a little carving of a cross. But without knowing more informations to find a key with carve of crosses must be difficult as the range to find it is wide," said Elise as she followed Ian when they both walked to the place where the church members were accommodated at.

Ian's thumb rubbed his lower chin, his eyes narrowing, "Not necessarily I think the people who we are about to meet will know it well. Call it coincidence or a wry fate," he scoffed, leaving Elise in puzzle.

They reached the drawing room where the men were seated on the long couch, each had tea served in front of them but non of them drank it as it had became somewhat of a code in the Church member to never drink or eat anything from the house they visited for fear of poison. The men stood up to greet the Lord and his future lady when they entered.

"Good afternoon, Lord Ian and Lady Elise," greeted the head of the group who was Dalton Lone with his always polite attitude.

Elise replied the man's greeting with a bow and their eyes met for the briefest time when he bend his neck. "Early, aren't you all? I expected you to come in another one or two days after I have just sent the letter."

"Time is ticking and I thought it is better to sacrifice our sleep than the lives of the innocent," answered Dalton, a strict look on his face, as he cannot allow more numbers of the dead to raise. "Milord, I believe that there is not a need for me to summarize our reason to come here?"

"Straight away from the bushes is the right method. I was interrupted needlessly so it won't do me justice if I earn nothing but empty chatter. Have a sit," Ian reached out his hand to let the men sit on his cue. Before they begin, he asked, "Rare to see that it is only you and a few of your subordinates here. I thought Kyle would take the action," while there are a lot of church members, it was often time Kyle who was put to discuss with Ian as he was one of the few people who Ian did not killed during the visit.

"Kyle has his hand bind with the aftermath of the unfortunate accident in the village. Many of the candidates had lost their life and I almost lost my closest kin," said Dalton with a wry smile, "I can only thank you again, milord for being there in time."

Elise recalled about Ernest but she remembered that the man didn't posses death shadows which had her relieved to hear that he didn't die and was safe.

"It's not necessary to thank me," Ian waved his hand, implying to cut the prate as he didn't need it, "let's get to the point. Have the head of the dark sorcerer who led the army there found?"

Elise saw how Dalton heaved a little sigh which was not a good sign, "Unfortunately whoever it was we cannot pinpoint this identity but we gathered from the survivors of how that person who led the rest of the dark sorcerers appeared like. We have the portrait drawn, Falcon." Dalton cued for the man named Falcon to pass a rolled parchment.

Dalton placed the portrait on the table, allowing for Elise to study the man's face on the drawn portrait. The man's face was rather good to look at, with a parted hair from the middle, and a sharp look on his face which also at the same time was held an empty gaze. Elise took her time to see the man's face thrice. She didn't remember seeing this person, thought Elise, but then her memories were muddled during the second half of her fight against the dark sorcerers and maybe she had missed the person's face during the time.

But Ian from her side narrowed his eyes, seemingly to have successfully identified who it was, "What a coincidence. I have the same portrait drawn like yours."