The Angelus Brothers Chronicles - The Golden Hind

CHAPTER NINETEEN

Gabriel stood at the window clenching and unclenching his fists as he watched Kaia laying out on the grass. Her oversized white dress fanned out around her and fluttered in the breeze. Cassiel was sitting near her tending to a flower bed and from what Gabriel could see making the hind laugh. She rolled over and propped her head on her hands to look at his hybrid brother.

"You could go out to join them, Master Gabriel." He whirled round to look at the dwarf who was placing mail on his desk.

"Who?"

"My mistake Sir. I thought you were watching Master Cassiel and Miss Kaia."

"No." Replied Gabriel as he slammed himself into his chair and picked up the letter. "I was merely seeing what the weather is like."

"Indeed Sir." Replied Winston as he proceeded to pick up balls of paper from the floor and put them into the bin beside the huge wooden desk.
Gabriel put the letter back down then picked it up again only to place it back on the desk still unopened.

"What did you mean by that Winston?"

"By what Sir?"

"You know I need to stay away from her."

"I have expressed no opinion on the matter, Sir."

"No one can express an opinion without expressing an opinion like you can, Winston."

"I do not know what you mean, Sir. I would never presume to offer an unsort opinion."

Gabriel rubbed his hand down his face and sighed as the dwarf headed for the door.

"I have to stay away from her Winston."

The butler stopped in the doorway and moving back into the room closed the door.

"Why did you?" He folded his arms and watched the vampire, his warm, kind blue eyes giving nothing of his current thoughts away.

"I won't be my father, Winston."

"No one is asking you to be, Sir."

"If I take her I will be just like him." The dwarf frowned, making the creases in his brow deepen.

"Your mother was unwilling. From what I have seen of Miss Kaia she is very willing."

"She doesn't even understand what it is to be mated. She spoke of it like a child. She's lonely and missing her family. All she wants is someone to replace that connection. She doesn't want me, or to be mated."

"Surely you'd be better off letting her decide that."

"It's not that easy." Winston shook his head and gestured to one of the chairs opposite Gabriel's desk. The vampire nodded and watched silently as the dwarf took a seat.

"Years ago there was a brilliant and gifted young man, he had an incredible future ahead of him and despite hardships and loss he remained a kind and caring individual." Gabriel frowned and rubbed his face as the dwarf told his story. "He met his fated, quite unexpectedly, as is often the case with fated ones. She was of a different species and he was afraid of what could come of that and thought he should stay away. But the young man's resolve was not quite what yours is Master Gabriel and he found it impossible. He began to find every excuse to be near the young Miss and spent every second he could with her. When he couldn't be with her he watched her from afar. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore and decided to claim her and it was too late. She had died and he was left to slowly descend into madness."

Gabriel narrowed his eyes at the dwarf.

"Winston, do I know the man you're talking about?"

"You do, Sir."

"You're talking about Azrael and the human girl aren't you Winston?" The dwarf inclined his head. "They were fated and that's what has driven him to madness." It was a statement, not a question. "You know as the local commander I should confront him about getting involved with a human?"

"It was many years ago and he was never involved. He painted her and read to her. He never did more."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"I'm not telling you anything you don't already know."

"But why are you telling me this now?"

"Because you have spent your entire life wishing for your fated one and now you've found her you're risking losing her because you are afraid of becoming your father. She was ready to leave, it is only because Cassiel and Marie convinced her not to leave. Convinced her that she was still weak. But even if she was stronger where would she go? She has two old worn dresses and a pair of plimsolls. Her home is gone as is her family. She is a stranger in this world with no idea how to survive in it. Have you considered that you are not fated to become your father but have, in fact, been fated to her because you can offer her the place to belong she needs and she can offer you the relaxed openness you need?"

"You think the fates chose me for her because she needs me?"

"The fates choose fated ones for many reasons, Sir. Because they need each other. Because of the offspring, they will have. Because they just fit. We never know why our fated is chosen or isn't chosen. But we should trust the fates to have chosen correctly."

"What about my mother?" Winston visibly winced at the question.

"If she had not been fated to your father then you and your brothers would not have been born. I have to believe she was chosen so the four of you could be born." They fell into a deathly silence as each thought through the words spoken.

"I have to meet Maude and Nettie about extracting the Oracle. I will speak to Kaia when I am done." Winston gave the vampire a small smile then got up and bowed his head before leaving the room. Gabriel crossed back to the window again to watch his brother move to sit next to the woman who was haunting his days and nights like a beautifully relentless ghoul. He couldn't help the stab of jealousy that he wasn't the one sitting next to her as she sunned herself.