The Demon’s Bride

Elise was startled by his appearance where else Ian looked at him unimpressed. Lucifer had a wide grin on his face a though he had just won a certain competition or perhaps a bet which he loved to do. 

"Do you know who is living in the castle?" Elise questioned as it was useless to question how Lucifer had entered the White Mansion.

"Needlessly to say I know almost anythin—" Lucifer felt the force on his stomach and his body was pushed through the corridor, hitting the wall on the far end. "Tsk, we could have talk," said Lucifer who had been kicked.

Ian placed his legs back to the floor and Elise took hold of his arm, giving him a look which he replied with a smile, "I know my love."and in second he disappeared from her sight to appear before Lucifer. 

Ian's steps were quick to come at the wall where he had thrown his uncle to. The dust and ashes weren't yet to settle, causing a momentarily white fog. Catching sight of a fast attack moving toward his neck, Ian took hold of Lucifer's arm, setting his own hand against his uncle's neck while Lucifer had his hand near his chest.

"I didn't expose her identity to Satan to trouble you. I am doing otherwise. This is a help that I can make to you," Lucifer said first, knowing that his nephew was similar too him.

"To help?" A faint chuckle of scorn left Ian's lips whose eyes then looked bleakly toward Lucifer, "Am I hearing it right from the person who had torn my wings? I know you knew who I was by that time. You can tell it by my scent even if I wasn't able to because I was a newborn demon."

Lucifer and Ian both stared at each other in the same stance without doing anything, neither were backing down yet they didn't attack as well. 

"Yes," Lucifer responded resolutely. "It was the only action I could take. Being the Duke of Hell means I am able to do all the wretched and wicked things that the Kingdom of Wicked could do but to save you was not a choice I could make. You have killed the second Diablo."

"I had a reason to do that," answered Ian, his eyes narrowing down at Lucifer and the words he said to detect the deceit if there were on his words. It was difficult to tell as Lucifer was a high Demon who could lie and hide all traces of his lies from his words and action.

Elise came toward them and she could see the anger while some regret on Lucifer's eyes but it was hard to read more from the Fallen Angel's expression as he barely let anything to pass through his poker face.

"No matter what reason it is, the people of Hell, the thirteen highest demons are not happy with it. First of all, Caleb had made ten out of the thirteen demons to be enraged by his action. They hold a grudge against him and he had stolen a possession of Satan," Lucifer explained with a frown on his forehead.

Possession? Asked Elise in her mind as it dawned to her what it was, "The book that could bring a person back to life?"

"Yes and now that book is in the wrong hands of the dark sorcerers. Not that was the point," Lucifer turned back to look at Ian, the spitting image made them feel as though they were looking at the mirror where one was older and the other was younger. "What Caleb wanted the most was to die and they punished him not to die. You killed him, give him mercy which made you the next target."

"Do you really not have the authority to help me? You are Lucifer," stressed Ian whose lips twisted then, "I don't want your help at all Lucifer, you have been late and I am petty for that. You might not have a choice with my mother but I know you wanted to test me, you wanted to see whether I am truly your nephew."

Lucifer frowned. Indeed this was his nephew in front of him, "I won't say what you stated was wrong."

"Of course because it was the truth," Ian's smile that he raised then slowly fell. Elise could feel it on the air how it shift. Her hands were against her to stop in case the two were to fight. While it appears Lucifer held some secret to himself, Elise could also tell that the man only needed some talk which clearly he did terrible on.

Ian was the one to descend his hand down and Lucifer followed after him to retract his hand. When he walked away, he heard a taunt from Lucifer, "I thought you would kill me."

"My wedding day is still hasn't end yet I don't want to ruin it," was Ian simple answer to Lucifer, "Who is inside that mansion?" He then brought back the question.

"Someone who Elise would like to meet," and Elise pulled her brows deeply, "It is your grandfather from your paternal side."

Her blue large eyes turned wide while her brows went over its place. Elise doubted her ears. The fact demons and angels were around her was still surreal even until today but to find out about Satan's arrival to the mortal world shocked her even more. 

Ian's red eyes went to gave his uncle a sideway glance and the latter had a smile, "If he came to attack anyone of you he would be here already and of course he wasn't here to have a little retreat."

But now it made sense how a mansion could suddenly appear in the middle of nowhere as Satan was capable of doing many things including creating a house with a snap of a finger, thought Elise.

As she walked beside Ian, Elise turned to ask Lucifer, "There is something I wished to ask. It's about my father."

"So you have found out he was also the one who had walked you down he aisle," guessed the demon and Elise nodded her head. "If you wish to meet him it will be quite difficult."

"Why?" Elise questioned because seeing how Lucifer agreed to let Leviathan took his position to accompany her on aisle it would mean he had finished his punishment or had exchanged an offer with him because demons don't offer help without anything in exchange. Not Lucifer in particular.

Lucifer tugged the loose robe he wore, pulling to show the diagonal wound on his chest, "We had a fight after he learned that his father had came to the mortal world due to my little persuasion."

"Call it provocation," Ian remarked with a roll of his eyes. He then went to speak with Maroon without keeping too much distance with Elise as he still couldn't trust his uncle.

"In anyway, he had quite a terrible father issue just like most of us do," Lucifer's words reminded Elise to something Ian might say. "When he knew that I had revealed your existence to Satan as well, he was enraged and ended our mutual friendship. I suppose he had disappeared on his own and won't came back."

Elise pursed her lips and the upset was crystal clear on her face who thought she might be able to talk with Leviathan.

Lucifer recalled the little girl who had came to him in the forest, having the same upset expression that didn't change until now. "Say, my lovely niece, I have a little trick for you which I learned from your father but I am sure this is something only you and your father could do."

Elise who was wondering where Leviathan might have gone to and about Satan's arrival to the mortal world which would be in no way peaceful looked at Lucifer, "What is it?"

"You do know the shadows that worked with you also caused you to see the moment before a person's death, don't you?" Lucifer questioned and Elise who had guessed so nodded, "You can try and place your hand on a person's body, whether it's their arms or legs and closed your eyes. Question then with your shadow to find their deepest secret and you might be able to see them."

"Their deepest secret?" Elise who wasn't guided with her power was yet to explore her power and she wasn't aware that her death shadows hold other ability. 

"There are a few that I heard Leviathan could do. Their deepest secret, their deepest scar, and their deepest memory. I guess there are some more but this is what he often use. If you know the trick you might be able to do more," Lucifer smiled while looking at her which fade with time. His eyes lingered for long before his eyes darkened, "I can't wait to see your power blossom. For yourself and Ian's sake. You know that it is in your blood to kill Ian, don't you?"

*****

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