It was only for a brief second, but Elise could feel the air was tense earlier. She stared at Cynthia, was her arrival the one that brought that tenseness? Skeptically, Elise seized Cynthia's figure, she didn't want to doubt, but after experiencing yesterday where she saw Barner wearing the skin of the late Mr. Alfred. 

"Cy," Elise called her name, closing the book and setting it aside. With what she had seen from her eyes, Cynthia didn't look anything different than before and she didn't know how to differentiate between the real Cynthia or if someone had taken her appearance as Ian couldn't see the difference between the real Alfred and Barner either.

"Yes?" Cynthia questioned, looking at her with her eyes filled with inquiry as the way Elise gazed at her was strained. 

"What's wrong sweetheart?" came another voice which Elise could tell it was Ian. 

Ian stepped out from the path, making his way toward his bride while seeing her eyes narrowed with a wary look. He came closer, his sharp red eyes narrowing, "Did something happen while I was gone?"

"No," Elise saw Ian came closer and holding to his hand, she whispered enough for the two of them to hear, "I feel like I sensed something when Cy came back earlier. I don't know what I sensed, but it felt dangerous. Do you think it came from Cy?"

Ian stared at Elise whose expression expressed hints of worries and anxiousness. Making his way toward her, he showed a smile and settled his hand on her head. He could tell yesterday was still a haunting experience for her. While Elise was someone who had never doubt anyone, it was difficult for her who had always see people in a good light to begin seeing them in their darkest image. 

For a person who never doubt others, doubting others would turn to a stressful thing to do.

"Don't worry, Cynthia isn't a dark sorcerer," Ian assured her, smoothening the back of her hair to calm her heart that was unrest.

"How are you sure?" Elise questioned. To doubt someone set her heart to feel uncomfortable. She can't be at rest and felt guilty for being skeptical on people who are close to them.

"I sprinkle some magic liquid," Ian smiled, chuckling when Elise saw him a look of confusion.

"You are teasing me," Elise pouted her cheek, giving Ian a look, "I was serious, you know."

"I wasn't joking either, my love. I mean this," Ian placed a glass flask toward her hands, and Elise stared at the flask in wonderment. She tilted the glass flask, knowing what it was as she had almost drank it before.

"Holy water."

"Although this liquid could kill Demon, it won't hurt if you touch it and I think it will work with you who are also a half Angel," explained Ian, taking a seat beside Elise.

Elise took couple more looks at the liquid, not because she fears she would get hurt if her fingers came in contact with the holy water, she was also confused, "But how will the Holy Water work against dark sorcerer?" Dark sorcerer are user of black magic, but that doesn't mean they had changed to a different being, they might have begin to change by their appearance due to being in touch with black magics, but they are still a human; and human couldn't be affected by Holy Water.

Ian tugged his smile at her question, loving the way Elise became curious as it was a sign of her growth. "Do you know what Holy Water is used for?" 

Elise hummed, narrowing her eyes just faintly to pull her knowledge, "To clean items or people from impurities."

"And blasphemy," Ian added a word to her mind, "Black Magic and people who had touched and used them are considered as a blasphemy and impurities. Which mean when they touched this, they would get harmed. I tried them last night and it worked." Elise wondered when Ian had done it, was it soon after he left her room? Although Ian was busy, he always makes time and she knew he had done the experiment for her.

"I see that you have been reading this few books. Did you find anything?" Ian set his eyes across the books, taking one that was about Angels. Like how most people would become curious of the being opposite to them, the same goes for Ian who wondered about Angels. In his case, it wasn't only curiosity it also to learn the Angels' weakness as no one could tell whether in the future the Angels would become their enemy or not.

Nothing is better than later, thought Ian. If it is to protect Elise he would leave no stones unturned.

"Yes," Elise replied, watching the book that Ian took, "but there are some passages that I cannot read, and I was hoping if you could read it."

"That's alright, I can do that," Ian said and Elise felt his finger brush the back of her palm, "But before that Cynthia have something to say to you. It's about why your family, The Scott's was adamant on avoiding the stream or river, just any place that could store a lot of water."

"It's not because I have drowned before," said Elise with a subtle frown, the words she directed not to question but a statement for herself.

Cynthia who had come near and heard their conversation answered, "I have found out it is something more than the fact that you have drowned before. It was difficult to find out why after the accident but there was one person who lived in your town before moving to another town, he was the one who explained it to me of what happened. He said his name was Welstone."

"I remember him," said Elise, after a momentarily pause. "He lives three houses away from us."

Cynthia faintly shared a look with Ian before saying, "Then do you might remember Mr. and Mrs. Scott asked you about the village where you live when you were young?"

Elise took her time to remember it because she wanted to confirm the information clearly so they won't make mistake, "I think they did, it was around when I was young. Now that I remember it, I think it was after the time my family decided to stop coming to the river," Elise saw the look Cynthia had on her face which turn more serious, "Tell me, what happened?"

***

A/N: Next chapter will be updated soon, don't forget to vote~~