The Demon’s Bride

Elise took out the paper from the envelope, pulling the folded parchment which had turned rectangular and smoothened the edge to place the paper down so Master Ian would be able to read the letter. Her blue irises moved to follow one words over another, reading it carefully without wanting to miss a single letter and as she was about to reach the last word, her smile widened.

"Therefore, we will congratulate Miss Scott to the second exam." she whispered while reading the last word she treasured aloud. Her eyes looked up at Ian who was looking from afar with his back leaned to the back of the chair. Her smile beamed, "I pass!" she exclaimed joyfully, only two words as if she wasn't truly sure of what she had read was real.

"You did. Congratulation, little puppy. It's rare for a human to pass the written exam moreover, you studied alone." Elise couldn't help but to smile from his praise. She knew that Ian as the Lord rarely praise people as his words weigh much more than one could imagine. Though she didn't studied or pass the exam for a praise, receiving one almost sweep her off her feet. "This call for a reward." he spoke again.

"A reward? Thank you, master Ian but your word is enough." She tried to keep her smile not too wide, being the simple girl she was to Elise, she felt that his words and his congratulations was far more a treasure than gifts or rewards.

"But that's not enough," hummed Ian. "I've told you to be stubborn didn't I? Let's put this on practice now. On a count of five you will have to say what you want." Elise saw his finger spreading to showcase her and when he count from backwards, "Five," his fingers began to fold.

"Please wait!" She pleaded but Ian only smirked and folded one of his fingers again, throwing Elise to panic and confused. Her eyes continuously checking the fingers he folded while her eyes moved up and down from his face to the finger. What should she asked for? Elise was the eldest daughter in Scott family and rather than wishing for things she would be the one to grant her little brother's request. There wasn't any emotion left in her that wish for presents as she knew her life was a present itself that the Lord had saved from the slave establishment.

Elise looked up checking that there was only two fingers left for her to think and when Ian spoke, "One," and she quickly uttered,

"I wish to go somewhere with you." Ian looked at her and she realized what she had said with a surprised expression.

She appeared to be also surprised by the wish she had spoken aloud but she didn't regret saying one, as it was her wish that came from her heart. On the night after the day she had went to the soiree with Ian, she thought how it would be good if she could travel once again with Ian.

She heard the hum he gave crinkling inside the room and her hand tightened above her black skirt. She patiently waited for his words both in eagerness and her nervousness.

"That's too little to be called as wish isn't it?"

She shook her head, "It is my wish, master."

"Okay." He agreed for her heart to rejoice. "Where do you want to go?" he asked and she gave a thought not knowing where as she had only think how good it would be to spend time with him but she didn't know where to. "I will be going to the Winter ball on the end of this month. Would you accompany me on that day?"

Elise was overjoyed that she couldn't find words and brought her to a swift nod. She couldn't stop the smile that were pulling the corner of her lips.

Ian could only think that to pull Elise from her shell took time but in a steady moment and came the idea for him to pull her right out of her shell to his embrace. He then stood up from the seat and went to bring a flat bowl of the size of her palm to the desk. She looked at the bowl in a puzzle, "What is this?" she asked.

"Two days ago, you asked about your magical compatibility didn't you? The second exam is different from the first exam. It involve both psychical fight and quick wit to pass unlike the first exam which is a written one." She nodded knowing the exam had three stage from what she had heard. "This is one fastest way to know what magic you are compatible with to help you in your second exam."

She then saw Ian spreading his palm to the table and whispered a spell for water to surface to fill the bowl. He then muttered a different spell than before and placed a small needle beside her hand and spoke. "You have to pin your finger and let the blood drip to the water."

Elise did what he instructed, taking the needle she pinned her index finger. She felt the pain forming on her skin and let the blood to fall down to the water. For a moment as if wind had come to pass, the surface of water moved into swirl to mix the blood and the water that was clear turned to the color of red before turning into blue color. Her eyes were fascinated by what she saw, she had never seen magic and knew less about them but to see it right across her eyes, she felt pulled by the amazement and curiosity. The water stopped from blue before turning to black and she looked up to find Ian knitting his brows.

She could sense that his expression didn't seem good, "Do I have no compatibility?"

"No, you do but your magic isn't water, fire, wind, or land. Usually there would be color in the water that help to tell what element you fall for but yours is black, an element that haven't been told for." He explained her and his eyes fall to the black color which was pitch black, like a heavy ink liquid.

"Does that mean, I wouldn't be able to borrow the Sulix's power?" But she needed the power to protect herself. What does black color means?