The Demon's Bride

Chapter 435: Painting Him-III

Panic rode Elise\'s entire body. Coming to Ian\'s side, she saw how more blood spilled from his mouth, "Ian? Ian? Stay with me," she whispered. One of her hand was holding his hand and the other tried to put pressure on his wound to stop the bleeding but when when pulled her hand, her fingers trembled as she could feel the arm blood that continue to soak her hand.

Drops of red blood fell on the ground and the sound was so distinct that Elise felt as if it was her heart that dropped in a shatter way as the blood did.

"Beel..." Ian uttered, his eyes looking at Beel was deep with anger. When he spoke he coughed, causing Elise to turn more alarmed.

"Don\'t speak," she begged him, the blood was not healing. Why was it not healing?

Elise instantly remember what happened last night where his heart was beating quickly. She was not wrong. Ian\'s curse had been broken then what should she do now? It was his heart that was stabbed. Tears burnt in her eyes as she turn all gears in her head back and forth so she could find an answer, "I will call Maroon for help," now, she lack information on what to do to heal his wound, but the butler would know.

Ian shook his head, he took a step forward and reached out his hand to Beelzebub\'s neck. The blonde-haired Demon was at mercy of the couple which caused him to be still.

"I don\'t have a choice," Beelzebub said, showing his small smile, "I am also controlled, Ian."

"Do you think I will take your bullshit?" Ian demanded in rage and he used his hand to squeeze together and slashed Beelzebub\'s neck, tearing the skin and causing black blood to gush from the Demon\'s neck.

Beelzebub\'s eyes widened and it shook he then knelt down on the ground, loosing balance as his eyes still trying to fix his sight, watching how Ian fell forward to Elise\'s shoulder before his view went black.

"Ian?" Elise\'s lips trembled, she felt so shock that she could not hear her loud heartbeat any longer, only feeling her back suddenly latch by a cold sensation. Ian\'s body collapsed forward, and she held him by her embrace but her body wasn\'t enough to support him. She let his body fall to the ground slowly, "No... No!"

Was this a dream? But everything felt so real and if it was a nightmare, it should have ended here yet Ian wasn\'t moving. His heart was deadly calm, enough to cause her tears to dribble from her eyes slowly.

"Please wake up, don\'t leave," whispered Elise, pulling him closer to her embrace as her head shake to deny what she had witness. Her tears continue to pour out, dropping to his dry cheeks. She settled her head between the hook of his shoulders, repeating to calm his name over and over again until she felt his finger move.

A quick gasp of hope flew from Elise\'s red lips and she pulled him from her arms so their eyes would meet. Ian coughed again, his eyes opening slowly before it turn brighter than before.

"I thought I told everyone not to let you enter here," Ian said with a subtle frown on his forehead. His words were still gentle to her ears as he pushed himself from the ground, leaving Elise confused.

She saw how his pale face regain back its colors and with ease as if he wasn\'t on the verge of death earlier, he pulled his arm and rubbed the corner of his mouth, erasing the blood.

"Ian?" Elise questioned while looking at him, her hand quickly went to cup his cheeks, while looking up and down. She noticed how his heart still was silent but he was speaking.

"Yes, it is me the one and only. I\'m sorry for surprising you. There is a good explanation for this," Ian spoke gently before his words turn harsh as his eyes looked on the person who was lying on the ground behind her, "Stop acting as if you are dead. It has ended, Beel."

"I am feeling the aftereffect of a dead person, let me enjoy it a little," sighed Beelzebub and he sat up after trying to sit up thrice only to fall back on the ground until he decide to climb and sat up by climbing the leg of the table.

Elise\'s eyes paced back and forth, looking at Ian and then Beelzebub. She felt her head aching from dizziness that confusion caused her. "What is going on?" she inquired.

"Sorry that I terribly surprised you, my love, Elise," Ian said with a smile, "This was an act."

Elise nodded very slowly, a frown drawn on her forehead, "I can see that now. But why?"

Ian gestured toward Beelzebub with his chin, "We were thinking to trick the sly Demon who had been residing inside him."

"Lucifer?" Elise questioned, still confused but now she could understand what happened. Ian was pantomiming his own death after being stabbed by Beelzebub and killed Beel after he was wounded.

In a brief they then left the dining room, changing to a fresh set of clothes where Elise was explained of what happened, including the mission given by Lucifer to Beelzebub to coerce Ian to stab his own heart which she didn\'t know until now. She gave her time to think. "But why did Lucifer asked you to stab your heart?"

"He is testing my immortality," answered Ian, unbuttoning his shirt and let it slipped on the chair as he wore a new one. Elise could watch the muscles on his back clenched when he pushed his arms on the sleeve of the shirt which caused his back to contract.

"By stabbing you?" Elise asked that received a nod from Ian. Elise couldn\'t understand how a Demon\'s mind work, especially Lucifer\'s. Sure enough stabbing Ian\'s heart was one way to test his immortality but even people who cannot die would still feel the pain. Elise frown turn deeper, "Why is he testing your immortality?" For excitement? Fun? Amusement? Knowing Demons those might be the answer but Ian didn\'t reply it as soon as Elise thought he would.

With a low hum, he said while buttoning the rest of his collar, "I think he is my family."

Elise\'s eyes blinked. She stared at him repeating the word in her mind and unable to help herself, she uttered it aloud, "Family?" The one word was imbued with so many question without her uttering a real question.