AZRIEL

CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT

J U L I A N

The fire was roasting away within the dining room, while Julian knocked back his final sip of red wine. Celeste sat across from him, playing about with the remaining green beans on her plate. They had obviously received the news that Azriel would dine with Adeline out in the city, and so they had dinner alone tonight.

"Something I don't understand," Celeste begun out of the blue, placing her fork down, "is why is Azriel treating her like someone special? She's a trade agreement - purely a fighting piece, why is he taking her out to see the bloody city?"

Julian leaned back into his chair. To be fair, even he was clueless as to the reason Azriel was always accompanied by the young mortal woman, and he had never asked.

"I'm not too sure," He shrugged truthfully, "Perhaps he's trying to make her comfortable, settle her in. It's probably hard to leave a whole fairy realm to move to the angel world."

Celeste rolled her eyes, also leaning back into her chair. Her arms crossed against her chest, "Something is strange. The way he acts - I never see him act. He's meant to be training her and instead he's out there running around the city with her?"

Julian raised a brow, "Why does it bother you so much, Cel?"

Celeste looked at him, her stare cold and icey as she barked a laugh, "Me? Bothered? I'm not bothered, Julian. I just don't understand why a boring little fairy who can just about hit a few shots with an arrow is starting to become a part of our Inner Three? Our circle? It took us thousands of years to establish our positions, why did it only take her a couple of months?!"

"It's Azriel's command. Your bitching isn't going to change things, you know."

Celeste raised a perfectly shaped brow at him, her feline eyes sending daggers in her counterparts direction. "We might as well get your little slave girlfriend to join us too."

"I think that's enough," The silver-haired male harshly placed both palms on the table in front of him.

"What?" She seethed, her tone somewhat teasing, "I've seen you, waddling behind her like a forgotten puppy. You're a warrior - Second in Command to the most powerful Arch Angel of all time, and you're infatuated over a girl who's not even equal to a grain of dust on my bare foot?! Ugh, please!"

Julian had already bared his teeth, and before he could snap back in anger they heard the rattling of a couple utensils behind them. Both angels turned round to catch sight of Cirse stood within the doorway, a tray with what looked like rosemary tea poured into tea cups in her hand. Her face was twisted in upset, her ocean coloured eyes filled with salt water- like tears at what she had heard. Quickly placing the tray on a coffee table by the door, she left the room without another thought.

Julian's heart sank at her reaction and his body almost instantly followed after her as though it was a sixth-sense. But before he left, he turned to face his disinterested friend.

"It's been obvious to me for a while that you're just jealous of losing Az's attention and the grip you had on him to someone inferior and your ego is making you a shitty person, Celeste. Grow up."

His words hit her like salt poured directly into an open wound, and she physically almost flinched as he left the room - not forgetting to slam the door behind him.

A D E L I N E

Despite the chill night, every shop was open as we walked through the city together. I remained a couple steps behind Azriel, reading the names of the shops we passed - jewellers, threaders, cafès. They had everything.