The Angelus Brothers Chronicles - The Golden Hind

CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE

He seated the distraught phantom in the sitting room that was now part waiting room and part back-up emergency room and watched as she fidgeted and worried. 

"What happened Maude?" He wanted to know if their cover had been blown but was too sensitive to the phantom's distress to ask her at a time like this.

"I don't really know." He watched as she wrung her hands and stared fixedly at the door her werewolf mate was behind. "I had been inside the Oracle's temple. It was silent in there. The dragon was sleeping, and the guards were mostly playing cards or feasting. It seemed like every other day in that place. The only person doing anything was the lame handmaiden who was preparing food." She sighed. "I was coming out to report to Nettie and found the humans beating and taunting her. Shouting that their wives would like her pelt." Maude sounded angry as she spoke of the humans. Gabriel knew human men always elicited the same response from the former human woman but he never questioned why. It was none of his business unless Maude ever wanted to tell him. 

Maude looked up across the room and frowned then back down and shook her head before carrying on. 

"I manifested in front of them in my ghost form and screamed at them, that banshee scream you all hate. It worked. They all ran like pathetic, frightened children. Big enough to beat a wolf but not to stand up to the dead. I got Nettie out of there as quickly as I could." The vampire put his hand on the phantom's shoulder.

"Marie is the best there is, Maude, if anyone can fix Nettie up it's Marie." Maude glanced up at him and was about to say something but she frowned instead. 

"What?" Her eyes were fixed on the staircase behind him. Gabriel turned but there was no one there.

"What did you want?"

"Maude?" 

"That girl hiding behind the bannister rails keeps staring at us." Gabriel raised an eyebrow and looked behind him. 

"What girl?" Maude pointed to the stairs.

"That girl." 

The pretty black-haired girl glanced behind her then at the oddly mannish woman. 

"You can see me?" Asked the girl in a soft far-off voice.

"Of course, I can see you." Said Maude, Gabriel stared at her. 

"Of course, you can see who Maude?" 

"The girl." She pointed annoyed at the stairs then her mouth dropped open as the girl stood up and floated through the bannister towards them. She wore a long flowing white nightgown that swirled around her as she glided across the room, the front and back of the gown were soaked in blood.

"You're dead?" Gabriel took Maude's hand in his. 

"Nettie's not dead Maude. 

"Not Nettie." She said in a hushed tone. "Her." She was looking up as if someone was standing in front of her.

"Can you really see me?" Tears ran down the girl's face as she floated down to the ground and watched the other woman. 

"Of course, I can see you." 

"Who? Who can you see?" Gabriel was growing uneasy. What could the phantom see that he couldn't. 

"Victoria. Tell him it's Victoria." Cried the girl as she sunk to her knees before the pair and put her hand over her mouth. "Tell him Azrael knows me." 

"She says she's Victoria and Azrael knows her." Repeated Maude. Gabriel stood up like he'd just had a jolt of electricity pass through him. 

"Victoria?" He exclaimed in shock. He knew that name, a cold chill passed up his spine.