The Demon’s Bride

Months had passed since Elise saw them. She had never expected to once again see them in their current state. Especially when they had died before Elise could bid her parting words. The people in the prison were none other than Mr. and Mrs. Scott, her foster parents who had taken her in. 

Their appearance were tattered where their face was covered by grim. Elise on one side was happy to see them again but it didn't take long for her become confused. Leviathan who had came along them saw the people and sighed, clicking his tongue as if he knew something. Ian assessed the surrounding remembering who the people were as he had personally chosen the family. 

"Father… mother," Elise called the two aloud. Mr. and Mrs. Scott appeared to not notice her appearance until she called for them. In one instance, their heads lifted up to look at her and crawled on the ground to come nearer to her side. 

"Elise, Elise… we are sorry. We are very very sorrry," apologized Mr. Scott as he groveled on the ground. 

Elise seeing this was taken aback, "Why are you two in Hell? This doesn't make any sense…" Out of all the people, Elise had seen the people whom she least expect to see in Hell was the Scott's family. They had taken care of her kindly, protecting her in every way they could where they had been the first to given he the warmth and care of a family. 

She couldn't understand and looked at her father who was hesitant to speak. It wasn't hesitant to be exact. Leviathan seemed to be adamant on keeping this a secret from her. Lady Caroline who know this sighed, "Elise what do you say to your foster family?"

"They had been kind to me," Elise answered honestly. "They had given me a roof to live on, a care of a family, and love…"

Ian who stood near her crossed his arm, "There is a lot of things you people are hiding from Elise, correct, father in law?" Ian called out the man who stayed silent.

"Father," Elise looked at Leviathan who couldn't look back at her blue eyes. Her expression of confusion remind him so much of Adelaide and he could only expect her heartbroken expression would hurt his heart like how he felt when Adelaide appeared sad. 

"Even if it was an illusion. I didn't want to destroy your happy memories, Elise. I wish you to continue believing the care and concern others gave to you. It is not to keep you as a naive girl. It is only to help you believe the kindness of the world even if it is for a little." 

"Get to the point and that would have been better," Ian remarked. "Elise is confused right now and this is making her more anxious."

"I'll explain," Leviathan then said, sending a glare over Scott's couple, "They are as kind as they appeared to be but they have been planning to kill you, Elise. Their reason for staying here is as a punishment for harming you."

"Harming me? But that never happened…" Elise would have doubted her father's world but if there was the truth that she knew it was that her father was one of the very few person who she can trust as he always concern her wellbeing. Also, she had been betrayed multiple times that being betrayed again didn't affect her much more compared to the first time. Regardless, Elise still feel the drowning-like feeling as she finds out the truth that was hidden.

Ian's eyes narrowed at what was revealed before his sharp eyes looked at the older couple, not knowing this. 

"Elise, these two people knew that you were a demon's bride," Lady Caroline spoke. "But if I have to be clear, these two humans didn't know that even though one can have the blood of a demon, it doesn't mean deep down there are one. Like how in amongst angels there are demons inside them. The incident that took the lives of people in your town it had something to do with what they had planned to you."

Elise shook her head, unable to grasp it while Ian seemed to have gotten a point. 

His red eyes turned fiercer, "They wanted to sell Elise's life to the dark sorcerer, didn't they?" When his eyes fall to the two people inside the prison, they flinched in fear as their darkest secret have been discovered.

Elise's heart stopped. She didn't know how to the describe the pain she felt in her heart. It was as if it had been torn but she wasn't bleeding.

Ian slipped his hands to Elise's, squeezing it tight while watching her pursing her lips before exhaling a mouthful of breaths as if to numb her senses along with it. 

Ian said, "It had been my question why Elise's location had been revealed. I had made sure the town that I have chosen for her was far from the prying eyes of the dark sorcerers. Yet they have chosen that town— a town where Elise, the demon bride lived in." 

"They were the one who had disclosed her location," confirmed Leviathan to both Ian and Elise. 

Walking forward, Ian kicked the iron bars, his eyes looked down as shadow engulfed his handsome face, only showing his blood red eyes. "Why? It's hard to think it was for money. Did you two feared Elise?"

Mr. Scott wasn't able to speak as if a frog stuck to his throat which only confirm Ian's statement. 

"Funny isn't it? You colluded with the dark sorcerers to take her life and for what? For your own lives and those around your family?" Ian scrunched his eyebrows together. "How do they know Elise was the demon's bride?"

Elise had been silent and finally raise her voice, "The river. The time when there was rumor where I had drowned but there was blood on my dress. It was that time wasn't it?" Mr. and Mrs. Scott seemed to be cornered with her question. "So it is true. But what happened?"