The Angelus Brothers Chronicles - The Golden Hind

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

Gabriel drew in a deep breath as he crept out of his bedroom and took one last look at his sleeping Kaia and their daughter. He knew she would kill him when she woke and discovered he'd gone without her but he couldn't take her with him. If she died it would leave Artemis motherless and he wouldn't be able to carry on without her but he equally couldn't take his own life and leave his one-month-old daughter without a parent. This was for the best he told himself again as he silently closed their bedroom door and went down to the drawing-room. 

Raphael, Duncan, Winston, Maude and Nettie were all sitting waiting for him. 

"You talked Rouge out of coming?" He asked Raphael. 

"Umm... in the same way you have Kaia. I removed the mirrors and snuck out while she was sleeping. She still thinks we're going tomorrow." Gabriel nodded. He didn't like lying to the women but they wouldn't risk them on this mission. 

"Marie has set up the hospital and is pacing a track on the floor. Cas is with her and Azrael is still there talking away to himself." Gabriel nodded at the werewolf. Poor Azrael, he hadn't left the hospital since finding out Victoria was there. Once this was out of the way he and Maude would help Azrael. But until the girl would tell Maude where her body was and what might be anchoring her they couldn't do much else. 

Looking up at his little team he took a breath and picked up his sword that Winston had set out for him on the table. As he did Raphael picked up his. Winston donned his dwarven battle helm and hefted his huge axe up onto his shoulder making it clink against the chain mail he wore. Being tall for a dwarf, although still short compared to the over six feet tall vampires he looked dangerous and fearsome. Not like the kind but formal dwarf who'd helped raise them. 

The two wolves faced away from the group and began removing clothes before they shifted into their animal forms. Duncan was a huge wolf, nearly as tall at the shoulders as Winston's full height with a shaggy auburn coat, bright Amber eyes and a huge snout full of sharp fangs. In contrast, Nettie was small and sleek with black fur, yellow-green eyes and a long angular snout. Gabriel glanced over the two wolves for a moment contemplating how different the two breeds of wolf were, one Olympian God descended, one the Egyptian God descended. Then turned his attention back to the mission they were heading out on. 

***

Duncan sniffed at the Hidden doorway and made a small whine deep in his throat. Gabriel stood beside the wolf and gave his team one last look, Maude gave him a salute as her body shimmered and became translucent before disappearing altogether. He raised his hand and counted to twenty before they all stepped through one by one. 

Maude was translucent again and hovering over the body of a troll whose sludgy black blood was oozing out across the dirt from a large hole in his throat. She pointed a barely visible finger down the long barely lit passage, her voice came out in a barely audible whisper like it was being carried on the breeze. 

"The dragon is round the corner at the end." Winson nodded and took the lead, his chain mail clicking quietly as he marched towards his possible death if the dragon didn't recognise him. The rest followed silently, with no sound but the slight pat of footsteps. 

Winston gazed up at the huge beast as he rounded the corner to find her hulking form. She was lying on top of a pile of broken Grecian columns and statues. As he stepped a little closer her huge nostrils twitched and she opened her yellow eye to look at the dwarf who was tiny in comparison to her. Her pupil narrowed to a slit as she raised her head. The air smelled of sulphur as her jaw began to open. 

"Pyra, it's me, Winston. Amaranth's adopted son. I'm here to free you." The dragon froze and tilted her head to look at him. As she moved forward Gabriel raised his sword, readying to race out of the shadows and save the dwarf from her jagged teeth. Turning her head to the side she moved so close to Winston her left eye was in striking distance of his axe. He removed his helmet slowly and kept his gaze on hers.