The Angelus Brothers Chronicles - The Golden Hind

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

Kaia sat by her daughter's crib, watching her sleep peacefully. She was so focused on her perfect, beautiful infant that she didn't hear her husband get out of their bed and cross the room to her.

"She's as beautiful as her mother." Jumping a little she stared up at him. 

"I've never seen anything so perfect." She said in a low quiet voice. 

"How are you feeling?" 

"Fine. The goddess healed my wounds." He rubbed her shoulder as they watched their daughter sleep. 

"I know. I meant, how are you feeling?" 

"Oh." She closed her eyes and let the memories Artemis had given back wash over her. "I still don't understand why she let Heracles capture me, or why she didn't let me go with my sisters." Crouching he put his arm around her. 

"I want more time to speak to her. To understand." He rubbed her back as he heard the tears in her voice. "I had a mother and father who loved me." Her voice cracked as she spoke. "Why did Zeus want me dead? Why did my grandfather want me and my sisters dead?" She let out a small sob as her Vampire scooped her up in his arms and cradling her against him carried her back to their bed and curled around her as he laid her back down. Holding her close to him as she cried softly. 

***

Kaia sat back against Amaranth's huge terracotta pot as she watched her daughter kick in the shade of the huge parasol Winston had appeared with when she was heading outside. He was a god-send, she'd never been near a baby before and the dwarf seemed to be the best nanny in the world. As if he'd heard her thoughts the kindly dwarf appeared carrying a tray with a huge condensation-covered jug and a glass on it. 

"I thought you might be thirsty, Miss Kaia." 

"Thank you, Winston." She smiled up at him as he placed the tray on the blanket next to her and proceeded to pour her a glass of the ice-cold orange cordial he knew she was fond of. 

"Is grandpa Winston looking after mummy?" Cassiel came round the gazebo with a huge grin on his face as he watched the dwarf blush and straightened quickly. 

"I was just making sure Miss Kaia doesn't get dehydrated, Master Cassiel. I know your mother was always thirsty when she was nursing." 

"It's very kind of you Winston." Smiled Kaia as Cassiel sat next to her on the blanket and fussed over his niece. 

"Grandpa Winston looks after all of us, little one. You'll like him. When your bigger he'll sneak you cake and cookies when mummy says no." 

"I... I will do no such thing." The poor dwarf was blushing profusely as he straightened and stood stiffly beside the picnic blanket. 

"What won't you do?" Cassiel grinned up at Raphael and Rouge as they strolled towards them hand in hand. 

"Grandpa Winston won't give our little niece cake and cookies when her mummy says no." 

"Of course, Grandpa Winston will." Laughed Raphael as he stopped by the blanket next to their butler and watched his bride kneel by the new baby. "It's what Winston does. He wipes tears, cleans grazes and hands out snacks to little people." Winston looked from the hybrid to the vampire, the blush firmly fixed to his cheeks. 

"Well, at least your childhoods can't have been all bad if that's what you remember Master Raphael, Master Cassiel." He gave a quick bow to Kaia and hurried off across the lawn and back towards the house.

"Poor Winston." Said Kaia as she watched him go. 

"Grandpa Winston?" Inquired Rouge. 

"Seemed right." Shrugged Cassiel. "He was more of a father to us than ours. I'm going to keep saying it till it sticks." Raphael laughed as he leaned over and looked at the tiny new member of their family. 

"You and Gabe picked a name yet?" The hind looked lovingly down at her daughter as she kicked her legs and sucked on her tiny fist. 

"Artemis. We're calling her Artemis after my Mother. She wouldn't be here if it wasn't for her." Cassiel cooed over the baby. 

"Hello there Arty. I'm your uncle Cas, she's your Aunty Rouge and that grump is Uncle Raph." 

"Hey." Exclaimed Raphael as he crouched behind his witch and stroked her shoulder. 

"I'm not the grump. That's her father." 

"I heard that." They all glanced around as Gabriel walked over to them and seated himself beside his bride. 

"You told them?" He kissed her forehead as his arm wrapped around her shoulders. 

"Yes. You were right. He shortened it to Arty." Cassiel looked up. 

"Shouldn't I of?" Gabriel chuckled. 

"I just warned her you would." 

"You didn't predict Grandpa Winston though." Chuckled Kaia. 

"Grandpa Winston?" 

"Poor Winston was beetroot red." Said Rouge as she beamed down at the baby. 

"I like it." Said Gabriel as he watched his family fuss over his new daughter. He was almost positive life didn't get any better than it was at this very moment as the evening sun warmed them and the gentle breeze carried the scent from their mother's flowers. If she, Azrael, Winston and Ariel had been here this truly would have been a perfect moment. He closed his eyes and leaned back against the huge terracotta pot his mother's tree grew in and closed his eyes. 

"Help. Help me." With a start, Gabriel leapt to his feet closely followed by Raphael and Cassiel. Over by the portal was Maude struggling under the weight of a bloodied Nettie. Kaia gathered her daughter up into her arms as her husband and his brother ran over to the woman. Cassiel took off at a run towards Marie's hospital and Rouge gathered up the blanket and tray. 

"What happened?" Bellowed Gabriel as he raced across the lawn. 

"The humans caught her sniffing about the entrance. They didn't even give her a chance to change back and speak they just attacked her like she was nothing but an animal. By the time I got to her she was like this." Gabriel took Nettie in her wolf form from Maude and started towards the hospital at a quick stride Maude running beside him to keep up. Hearing his daughter start to cry Gabriel looked across the lawn to his bride and daughter and for the first time in his life regretted his career in Zeus' army. But seeing Rouge helping Kaia back to the house he told himself babies cry and Kaia wasn't alone and kept going with the wounded wolf towards the gatehouse. 

Marie was already in her emergency room with Cassiel when he ducked his head to avoid the door frame and raced into the cottage hospital. 

"Put her here." She was already examining the wolf's injuries before he'd laid her down. 

"Is she ok? I couldn't get to her in time." Marie glanced up at the distraught phantom then got back to work. 

"Gabriel, take Maude into the sitting room. I'll come through soon." With that, the doctor turned her full attention to her patient and ignored the vampire and ghost. 

"Come on Maude. She's well looked after." 

"But Nettie..." Maude struggled against him. 

"She's a werewolf, Maude. She'll be fine. Come sit with me." As Maude finally gave in Gabriel hoped he was right and the wolf would be fine.