The Demon’s Bride

As Esther made a run. She didn't know where she wanted to go, walking aimlessly just to make herself in a place further away from the room where Beelzebub was. Throughout her walk, she tried to calm herself without noticing where she had stopped at. Esther placed her hand over her forehead. 

"This doesn't feel like me," she murmured. It felt as if her heart want something but her head hadn't been able to keep up with what she wanted, making it frustrating for herself. "Calm down Esther, you're not a spoiled child," she said to herself. Looking around, Esther noticed she had walked to the back of the castle where she saw a large shed and demonic horses tied on the place.

Not far from there, she could also hear the bustling noises of the soldiers, enjoying themselves by throwing a party. By party, Esther meant their drinking time until everyone passes out. Being in a noisy place was never something Esther enjoyed and she dislike mingling with men as well. She turned away, deciding to confront Beelzebub even though she still felt annoyed. 

On her way, she noticed black figures moving outside the gate of the castle. 

Esther turned and looked at the camp where the soldiers were, questioning why some of them had left the camp and wondering if an incident had happened that made some of them left in a hurry. Worried and curious, Esther made her way following the people who had stepped outside the castle when she noticed glimmers of golden from the hood the people used.

Golden eyes! Angels!

Esther covered herself by taking one step behind to hide over the wall where she had came from. She couldn't see the faces of the angels and it didn't help her to find out what they were doing with how their voice were hushed but she could be sure they were talking by their body movement. 

Esther took one more step backward, deciding to keep her slow and silent steps until she reached the soldier camp to notify others. While she was a demon herself, her power was incomparable to the angels who were much stronger than her in sheer strength. 

"Sneaking around isn't acceptable," said the angel who had appeared suddenly behind her. Esther reached out for the bracelet on her wrist, pulling it out for the circular object to transform into a mid-sized purple dagger. However someone else had cupped both her mouth and her neck from behind her. 

"This is difficult," Esther heard the other angel who had silenced her spoke. "It isn't our forte to do this. We should have asked someone else."

"Someone else, like who exactly?" Questioned the other angel who stood in front of her, his tone filled with a strict tone. "Complaining like a baby. Bring her away. Fortunately I noticed her presence but if you are as careless as you are, it won't matter how keen I am to our surrounding, you will spoil the plan."

Esther tried to scream, making any voices that she could from the top of her lungs where the angels in front of her raised his finger, "Sleep now. It will be painful for you if you don't."

Elise and Ian made their way to meet Lady Caroline again and ask her for her help to locate Apollyon. The woman, as if knowing they were searching for her stood not too far from the entrance they came from.

"Took your time?" Lady Caroline questioned and a chuckle pass her lips. "Your grandmother, I believe she does know the future."

"Sorry?" Elise questioned and the woman laughed.

"You see, Ariel is a very fascinating being or person. She always told me this: I can trust you with my children and grandchildren. Maybe to some extent, she guessed how horrible their family situation would become without her presence. As you know the man she married is a grump man who is awkward enough to create a fight with his own son every time he opened that mouth of his." Lady Caroline waved her hand.

"Instead of words coming out of his mouth it's all daggers and mockery," added Ian from the side.

Lady Caroline hummed, seconding the statement, "In any case, you two must be ready to find out Apollyon's location. One of you have to bring the object or blood of him to make this spell work. While the other one follow me so we won't waste any time."

"I will draw the blood, Elise you can go with her," Ian doesn't trust many people around him but seeing Lady Caroline, he knew he could trust the woman with his wife.

Elise agreed with the thought and she watched him left in a blink of an eye.

"You got better taste than your grandmother thankfully," Lady Caroline commented. "It won't take much time locating where Apollyon is when you have me who is adept with the spell itself. I do feel terrible for you, Elise."

"For me?" Elise questioned, her head slightly tilted.

"You have to shoulder your grandfather's unfinished business with Apollyon. I knew Apollyon as well. He is a master of disguise, a very sneaky man who knew what to do and how to act to have people around him either sympathize or trust him. But the truth was, he is someone who loved to control people. Have you seen Michael?" Lady Caroline then asked. 

"On few occasion," Elise answered while keeping a keen hearing to Lady Caroline. 

"If you not know this, Michael is an angel therefore he has a very potent healing ability to himself, making him undefeated in al his fight but there is one large wound on his back."

"Apollyon caused it? He was that strong?" Elise only thought Apollyon a master of underhanded tricks but then the man had managed to defeat Gabriel as well.

"No. There's no angel who can harm Michael, much less leave a deep scar on him. But Apollyon, he had made it so God would be the one handing out a punishment to Michael for the action he took. He was that clever, Elise. He had fooled God. What I want you to be cautious of is not the strength of your enemy but his clever traps that he hid well."

Elise clenched her fists, "I had expected that. Do you know any of his weakness?"

"Satan knows more than me about Apollyon. Think Elise and I'm sure with your brilliant head, you'll find a method to counterattack all his plan," Lady Caroline advised. 

A red mist appeared behind Elise before Ian manifesting from the thin air. He had a frown between his eyebrows which Elise noticed. "What's wrong?"

"Esther disappeared from the castle. There is no trace of her anywhere," Ian announced to her, vexed at how slowly they kept being thrown to disadvantage. 

"What?" Elise gasped.