Chapter 442: Family Ties-I

Elise showed the woman a surprised look as she was genuine taken aback by her question, and with a smile she shrugged her shoulders, "People tend to speak about Ian that way, that he is a Demon, but then here is what I think, don't everyone have a Demon inside them, Esther? Sometimes humans are scarier than Demon especially those who are driven by desire or greed."

Esther stared at her and she pulled her best ignorant look which seemed to be bought by Esther who thought she was speaking of stepper meaning regarding demons. In time a knock came on the door and Elise let the door to be open and when a woman entered with a scroll and a wooden toolbox, Elise recalled Ian's words when he said she would know what to do once she saw the new guest but then she found herself at loss.

The woman said, "Good afternoon, milady, whose portrait should I draw? The Lord told me it is someone important to you. I will make sure to draw the best portrait by the given reference. It is my skill to draw base on other's explanation."

And now she understood, thought Elise and she pulled a smile to nod at the artist's words before turning to look at Esther, "I know this might be a sudden request for you, Esther, but I asked Ian to call me someone who can possibly draw my father. I barely have any memory about him and if I could, I wish to remember how he look. Can you help me to give a reference to this lady?"

Esther blinked, "If it is a portrait that you wish, I am not sure if I would be able to give a great reference."

"Do not worry, lady, it is my work to draw and ask, you can give me information based on the question I ask to help you comb through your memories well," answered the woman artist, and Elise swept her eyes at Esther again, finding that although it was faint, she could see how Esther was in a bind.

"Maybe it is too much of a request?" Elise pitched in, she knew how Ian felt when pressuring others now.

Esther stared at Elise, wondering if she was doing this on purpose but then Elise had the face of a naive girl which confused her, "I might not be able to give the perfect reference but if you insist, Elise."

They then shifted seat with the artist questioning a few question to Esther before she took her charcoal and begin to draw the outline on the canvas. Elise sat beside Esther and she spoke, "Before I came here, Esther and before I came to the White Mansion, I spent my time shifting houses. Not many people like the presence of a children, especially a young girl who can barely do anything or talk."

"That's terrible," Esther showed a sympathy, "If father knew what you have gone through he would never let you suffer."

Elise showed the woman a smile. Was it true though? Does her father really love her? "When mother died, I was alone there I wondered if father truly love me. I heard some evil rumors about how father left mother for another woman and whatnots, mother never believe it, however. She was a very strong woman which why just for once, I want to see how he look like. Can you tell me more about yourself? What do you often do in your free time, Esther?"

"I often stay at home, we were chased so we didn't have plenty of choices of what to do or the privilege to," answered Esther craftily, not moving an inch from her previous explanation.

"Ladies," came the artist's voice from the other side of the place where canvas stood before her. "Apologies, but I seem to have lost something important of mine. Can I be excused and take what I needed."

"Of course," Elise answered to the woman who look nervous, "Please take your time." 

Esther watched the door closed when the woman left and suddenly, she felt an eerie tension rising from the silence. Elise took a sip of her tea carefully, "What about you, Elise?" Esther asked again, she cannot ring her finger into it but something seemed to be brewing.

Elise looked at Esther, her smile appeared but both of them know how her smile did not reach her eyes "I don't really have much of a hobby. In the past I often went fishing with my adoptive father, they were the loveliest family and soul I have met. Which why I was extremely sad when they died, they were killed by the dark sorcerers," said Elise, her eyes looking back at Esther with a deeper color, "I cannot forgive what they did and when I think back on that day which is still fresh in my memories, I cannot endure the anger boiling anger that I felt. Worse, not long ago I found out that my brother's dead body was stolen by them and they are planning to bring back the dead to life."

Esther didn't know why but when she heard about Elise's adoptive brother, she recalled the young boy who Thomas and the Dark Sorcerer Lord shown. She kept her best act of a human, "Immoral! That is a blasphemy, do they think they could become God by doing something terrible?"

"Maybe they think they do, after ruling death, maybe they wish to conquer the living," Elise said, clinking her teacup to the saucer, placing it aside and her smile had fallen. 

"It is not something a human could ever do to bring the dead back to life, do you think they would be able to do so without any sacrifices, Elise?" Asked Esther.

"I don't know, what do you think Esther?" Elise questioned the woman back, receiving her smile.

"I don't think I would be able to understand how it work," Esther kept her cool but she could feel something was seeping in which she didn't what it was and the woman didn't seem to notice how under the Sun, Elise's shadow became connected with hers. 

"Why not? You should understand it better than I do," Elise pulled a sudden smile and Esther narrowed her eyes when she coughed, blood seeping from the corner of her mouth all of a sudden. While Esther felt her head dizzy, she looked around at the table, searching for the source of her pain while frowning, and Elise who saw the woman's line of sight, said, "It is the tea Esther."

"You poisoned the tea?" Esther's eyes widened as she felt her entire body burning with pain.

"It is not a poison but Holy Water," replied Elise, her smile didn't disappear but fell dimmer, "I learned since the last attack that dark sorcerers are very prone to holy water when they drink it or come in contact from a whiff, this is what happened," Elise pointed by her eyes and Esther begin to touch her face where she felt her skin sizzling only to see it begin to melt on her hands like melted wax. 

"This is impossible!" Esther panicked. She had been careful with the people in the castle but didn't think she should be careful with Elise as to her eyes, Elise was anything but a sly person. She spent her time being cautious with Ian and Beelzebub, not knowing it was Elise who would confront her and this soon. "You also drink the tea but you are a Demon," said Esther, not understanding why she would go so far as to poisoning herself.

"Holy Water doesn't seem to work for me maybe because I also posses Angel's lineage," and when Esther tried too move from her seat, she was stiffened on her seat as a sharp black blade appeared in a blink against her neck. When she looked around, Esther's eyes widened to see the amount of black shadows spreading against her like stem, some holding her limbs to the chair and some threatening her life. "We should talk now but it is best if you don't try anything funny."

At the same time, the door to the gallery room was opened, the artist came back with the forgotten towel when she saw the black shadows spreading across the room, up on the wall and on Esther, holding her back in the chair. 

"Help me!" Yelled Esther to the human woman who turn rigid on the view she saw. The shadows were similar to a large hungry shadow of a wolf, ready to prowl at anyone in a very eerie way.

While the woman was puzzled in what to do, Elise's voice came clear to the woman, "Leave." She instructed and at once, the woman ran away, closing the door behind her in fear. Now back again alone, Elise turn to look at Esther who showed her a glare. 

"You Demon," whispered Esther in a cursing tone.

"I heard you the first time," Elise said and Esther could feel the tip of the blade leaning forward against her skin.