The Demon’s Bride

A/N: I just wish to thank you all my lovely readers for staying with this book until this long, commenting, and supporting me by voting, gifting, and buying my privilege. I don't express this often and I think I should. Thank you, lovely people. The book will be concluded in maybe another a month and a half but it might be faster. I just thought to give you all a little head ups.

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Elise was certain she didn't mistaken the boy earlier. There was no possibility for William to be here and the last place she had seen the boy was a few days ago where she had spotted him in the village. Holding onto her skirt and bunching them in one hand, Elise ran to chase after the boy. By the time she reached the end of the corridor, she saw William who had taken the left path had disappeared when he reached the end of the passage. 

"Wait!" Elise called for him even though she knew William wouldn't stop just because she asked so. The body might be that of her little brother's but as for the soul, Elise had accepted that it was someone else's, a demon. 

When she went to the end of the last corridor which fortunately led to a dead end, she saw William standing still with his back facing her and before him was a large human's painting of a demon pierced by a spear while he was holding a human woman. Carefully not to notify him, Elise made a small steps to shorten their distance so he wouldn't disappear.

"Don't come closer," came the warning from William. "We should talk here. If you made two more steps, I will not be here for any longer."

The voice, his hair, the clothes, they were all still the same as Elise remembered how William was before his life was taken away from him. She pursed her lips, not letting the sadness distract her. 

"Who are you?" Her voice shake despite her try to make it come out normally. "That is not your body."

The boy's head nodded slowly. "I am aware. I was brought here inside your brother's body wasn't out of my will either. When I came inside this body, I received most of his memories and I noticed he was your younger brother. Your beloved younger brother."

"You will not leave his body even if I ask you, do you?" Elise questioned, she didn't know what kind of a person inside William's body. "Who are you?"

"I won't leave that's for certain," answered William in a languid voice, "Before I enter this body, I was known better as a demon. The one who took the seat of Diablo," Diablo? "The second generation of Diablo, Caleb."

"You are Caleb?" Elise was floored by the revelation. How can she not when the demon who Ian had killed for a reason had came back alive in William's body. The coincidence. Was it truly one? "What are you doing here?" She then asked, being careful as she didn't know which side Caleb had decided to stand.

"I see Ian had told you about everything which is great. I only wish to tell you one thing on behalf of your brother, Lady Elise. Step away from this problem as soon as you can you are courting your death," and as if he had told enough, Caleb took a step forward. 

"Wait!" Elise only took one step as she remembered the warning Caleb had said, "Let me ask you one question."

Caleb did took a stop. He still talked without looking at her face, "If it is about saving Ian, I don't know how. Asmodeus had never failed in reading the future."

"No, not that question. Whose side are you on? What are you planning?" From what Elise remembered the dark sorcerer resurrected Caleb's body. Does that mean he had now became their enemy where he had to obediently follow their orders?

"As you had thought. Yes," Caleb, answered after reading her mind, surprising her. "I am not liable to veto or make my own choice, this is the last time I am able to. Look over there," Caleb pointed his hand to the left side, where the large window reflected the clear black sky. Slowly, the dark clouds disappeared as Caleb continued, "Be careful. The blood moon had come to harvest the sow it seed."

Elise saw from the clouds, large red moon resurface, taking almost the entire sky with how wide it was. The color of red reminded her spookily of blood clot. She break her gaze to Caleb again, as she was unable to understand what he meant but by the time she had turned her head, Caleb had disappeared from the place. The was no door as it was a dead end and yet he had disappeared. Elise spent the rest of her time finding Caleb only to find him lost, almost making her doubt she had seen the reality and had peeked into her dream. 

While looking at the moon again, she felt her head ache and a memory played in her here she heard her mother's voice,

'Mama, why does the moon look so red?' Little Elise's large blue eyes looked at her mother brown ones.

'It is shedding tears, my dear,' her mother answered gently with a smile but when she looked at the moon, Adelaide frowned, looking uncomfortable. 'Levi should be here soon.'

The curios little Elise tugged her mother's hand again, 'But why? Why is the moon crying? Is it loosing a friend?'

Adelaide showed her little girl a smile and bent down, taking her hands, 'The moon isn't crying because it is loosing friends, my dear but because it is watching those who have lost their precious ones. It is reflecting the blood that had been shed,' the last sentence Adelaide said turn into a very faint whisper that her little self didn't hear but now that she recollect this part of her memory, Elise could hear it well.

Adelaide placed one hand on her daughter's back, 'Let's go back to your room now. We shouldn't be out. The bloody moon had always meant the end for every happiness.'

Back from her dream, Elise felt her head spun when she fell on to Ian's chest. She pulled herself together, feeling warmth as Ian held her hand with one other hand holding her waist. "Are you alright?"

"Just a little dizzy," Elise shook her head and she looked up at Ian's face. Noticing the bruise under his eyes, a frown immediately pulled her forehead. "Did you fought with Lucifer again?"

"Only a little, but it wasn't anything impactful. The gate back to the mortal world should be open by now. We should go," Ian had seen how Elise's condition detorated, starting from her nosebleed and then the dizziness. "The air in Hell isn't great for your body. Your angelic side must be resisting to be here. The dizziness is the side effect." 

Ian wondered if telling this to Satan might have the grumpy ass old man to think twice of his choice. But then no, thought Ian, knowing Satan he will force his will one sidedly on Elise again. He had thought his family was messy only to find out through Elise's family what messy actually meant.

"Ian." He heard Elise called for him and his eyes looked at her intently. "I saw William."

Ian narrowed his eyes, "You see him again, in Hell?" And he saw in reply Elise nodding her head.

"But it isn't William who is inside the body. His soul has left and instead, Caleb is inside him." Elise had a frown on forehead. Knowing the relationship between Ian and Caleb was similar to that of a teacher and student, it wasn't easy to tell him that his long separate friend had now become their enemies.

"Let's leave this house and tell me all about it," suggested Ian and using his wings, they flew away back to his mansion.