Chapter 288: Watching You-II
The carriage continues to drive to its destination as the snow had stopped raining from the sky. Elise looked at Ian, waiting for his explanation. Since she met Mr. Beel, there was one single question in her mind that didn't change to date. The question was whether she could put trust in Beelzebub despite the mystery he carries.
"It was Lucifer who told him to fetch the necklace from your house once he crossed the Hell's Gate," was Ian's honest and quick reply. He recalled the night after they came back from Saltige, where Ian had rested Elise in her bed.
'The lass is asleep?' questioned Beelzebub, who had been standing with his back leaned to the wall opposite to the door.
'You got many explanations to do Beel,' Ian said with a smile on his lips that grew stale as the flame on the candlestick which was hung on the wall beside them flickered as if a wind had blown the flame when there was no opening possible for the wind to enter.
Beelzebub didn't react nor he said anything. He only pushed himself with his other feet to stand straight. 'I can't,' said Beelzebub after a few minutes had passed for Ian's eyes to narrow.
The two words that came from Beelzebub was clear that the demon can't answer any of the questions Ian had. Crossing his hand, Ian noted Beelzebub's stern expression without a smile to say, 'Lucifer.'
Instead of replying, Beel only took silence to himself. Ian sighed, 'What did you do, Beel?' Ian asked him, 'Out of all people in Hell who you could ever owe, why did you choose that slick snake?'
Finally, Beelzebub who was silent pulled his smile, 'I don't have a choice. Does a single punch suffice for this afternoon?'
'Hardly,' said Ian, and in a split second, he disappeared from the door and a punch landed on Beelzebub's jaw. The blonde-haired demon staggered. Holding his jaw he saw the blood which was black dripping on his palm. His body leaned to the wall beside him and the locket necklace he places on his chest pocket slipped from the vigorous action to fall, and it caught Ian's eyes.
Taking the locket from the ground, he picked it up to see the name written inside the locket. With his eyes still narrowed, Ian turned his head to see Beelzebub, who had cracked his jaw forming a wider grin.
Now, back to the present,?Ian's eyes stared at Elise who was waiting for his words, "You have heard about Lucifer, haven't you?"
Elise inclined her head slightly to her shoulder when she heard Ian's question. The conversation reminded her of the one which she had in the afternoon with the priest, Redrick. "I heard about him this afternoon during the talk that I had with a priest in the Church. He told me there were two stories about Lucifer."
"I didn't know about the story of Demons running in Church," Ian hummed, wondering about the coincidence, "What did you hear?"
"I heard about another possibility of Lucifer's birth-- that he wasn't banished from Heaven but was born from an Angel and a Demon, therefore his pitch-black wings," explained Elise while looking at Ian. She doubted Ian's black wings were of the same case as Lucifer as he wasn't a Demon but a human at first.
A sprinkle of light glittered on Ian's eyes, "How strange. I have never thought that version of the story would appear outside Hell." So it was true? wondered Elise and she heard him speak, "Beelzebub had signed a contract with Lucifer. We don't know what the content of the contract is, but for now, Beel will not be able to tell us about whatever order and promise he made to Lucifer."
"But why would Lucifer want my necklace?" Does he belong to the side that want her power? asked Elise to herself.
"Do you think there was something you put inside the necklace?" Ian asked her and she took time to think before shaking her head, "Lucifer had been a very strange bastard. He could be our enemy."
"I don't think we would have time to rest," whispered Elise. People were hunting for her, and Ian was aware of this too. The Relic want to take her for the power she had which they would want to use. On the other hand, the dark sorcerers and the corrupted angels were planning in hiding for what that was going to happen.
"We don't, but we can take it easy," Ian reached out his hand to touch her face. His finger softly trailed on the outline of her face as he want to feel her feature with his fingers.
"Do you think it is alright for us to have Beelzebub in the castle? If he is under Lucifer's order, I don't think it would be safe," Elise asked the question she had wanted to ask him. They still don't know whether Lucifer was their enemy, but as Ian had told her earlier, he could be their enemy.
"Yes we could. In the mortal's world there are many castles and houses Beelzebub could turn to when coming here," Ian said, pulling away and Elise felt the warmth from has brown gloves leaving her cheek.
"But he didn't come to any other house. Is it because of me?" Her blue eyes turned to him to find him shaking his head.
"He came as a sign for help. Beel wanted me to help him in the problem he was dragged on by Lucifer. I am not keen to help him, but I once owe him in the past," Explained Ian, who then twisted his lips to add, "Also, I hate Lucifer. If by helping Beelzebub would ruin him somehow, that's also a plus for me. It's as simple as it is. The necklace that you have now, Beel was the one who purposely let the necklace fall. He cannot act but he was giving us sign that Lucifer was affecting him."
Was that so? Elise didn't know that Mr. Beel was bound by contract he made with Lucifer. This only had her to think more negatively about Lucifer and that he was an enemy of them.
With many things happening around her that Elise finally recalled what she wanted to tell him, "I think I dreamt of something, during the time I fainted back in Saltige."
With eyes looking at her, Ian listened to her words promptly, "What did you dream?"
"It was a dream where I walked in a meadow. I don't remember why I was there but then everything was engulfed in black, then I recalled seeing my own reflection on a mirror," Elise paused when she was getting closer to the part where it was the most important. She didn't know why, but she felt her heart heavy when getting closer to this part. "In the reflection I saw my eyes turned golden and there were horns in my head. I heard from the priest that angels have golden eyes," but they don't have horns, she added in her mind. "Do you think I might be a corrupted angel, like my aunt?"
Ian narrowed his eyes at her words. Elise as a corrupted Angel? He shook his head, "You are not." and this had her eyes to look at him questionably, "Corrupted Angels would have horns but their eyes wouldn't be golden. It's a punishment for them to have horns but all their core power as an angel was sealed along with their golden eyes. Like how your aunt is using the help of black magic instead of her Angel ability."
Ian thought deeper about the dream Elise had. He doubted the dream was a simple dream without a meaning. Knowing of how Elise held an unknown power inside her, it was saver to think that dream was a sign. But what was it?
"That makes me wonder more about the priest you spoke with. He sounded like a person with an extreme amount of knowledge most humans wouldn't have," Ian wanted to meet the priest in question as it was rare for him to find a human who knows about Angels and Demons. He could be an enemy, Ian added in his mind.
"I think it's because the Church he live in held many books about Demons. He might have read about it, and about the Angel's eyes, it was me who asked him. He wasn't quite sure about it."
"What was his name?" asked Ian, deciding to keep the name as he knew the Church.
"Redrick," Elise named. She didn't see Father Redrick as a dangerous person, instead she felt somewhere that the man was a very gentle soul which make her relaxed when she talked with him. It was as if she knew the priest before which was impossible as he never remembered his face before.
"Keep that with you." Ian tapped the locket which she still held on her hand, "It may come useful when the time come seeing that Lucifer tried to loot it."
"Okay," saying this, Elise opened the necklace which had a loop and a hook to wear and Ian helped her by taking the necklace. "Thank you," she whispered when he was done with the necklace. Looking to the window and the road, Elise noted the lantern which was hanged at the side of the street as if to tell that this was the right road to the place where the Winter Ball was held, "Are we near?" she asked Ian.
"Another thirty minute, it shouldn't be too long." and like Ian told her, thirty minutes was shorter than she expected. By the time she realized, the carriage entered the gate of a larger mansion. The place was almost the same as White's Mansion with the only difference being the place was filled with lights.
Stepping out of the carriage, Ian helped her. Elise looked at the mansion, noting how many guests have arrived, and how busy the place was when she felt from the corner of her eyes Ian's gaze settling on her.
"Have I told you how beautiful you look today, sweetheart?" Ian trailed his hand on her chin, slowly moving to her neck which was open as the dress was tailored to show her shoulder blades, "You look lovely that I can't keep my eyes away from you."
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