Home to souls

Chapter 2

Gabriel sat at the table he had reserved for tonight, and sipped the glass of Château de la Rouge. Waiting for his companion felt like waiting for snow to fall in the Sahara desert, but he'd known that he'd have to wait for his companion, after all, Julian was known famously for his tardiness amongst the family. Even so, Gabriel would have liked to believe that his cousin and friend would have given tonight more importance, since he had informed Julian that there was a situation blooming that must be dealt with. But of course, Julian would make him wait, probably to show him that he did not fear a Magistrate.

Gabriel looked out towards others in the restaurant. Waitresses and waiters running around to cater to the wishes of the wealthy, and the wealthy ignoring their hard work completely;this was the world that he lived in. He stopped watching the rest of the restaurant and went back to sipping his wine. He had no idea how long he would have to keep waiting for his idiot friend to turn up, up he would not show others of his irritation, he simply sat and waited.

"Gabriel, it's always a pleasure to meet with family," Julian's voice floated through the restaurant as he walked towards Gabriel. At 6ft 7", most men would not be able to carry the flirty personality that Julian sported so perfectly, but he'd had years to perfect it. His dark brown hair and eyes were a sharp contrast to his porcelain skin, and his charm left both women and men blushing.

"I'm sure it is, but I would have rather met you at the time we had arranged, rather than having to wait 15 minutes for his majesty to turn up," Gabriel scowled at his friend, as he got up to greet Julian. Gabriel doubted that Julian will ever learn the skill of time management, but he did had no interest in wasting any more time getting into that now. They both sat down at their seats as Julian spoke "I didn't realise I was here for a scolding, but I will take that on board cousin, and then completely ignore it, of course." Julian had not seen his friend for quite some time, and could not resist the opportunity to irritate him. They had grown up together, and although life had had them take different paths, that was not to say he did not miss his friend.

Just then, a waitress walked to their table, "Hi, my name is Julie, and I'll be your waitress for today. What would you like to order?" She looks nervous thought Julian, which was probably due to their presence. It was a fact that people like him possessed an aura that might intimidate others, still he wanted her to feel comfortable. After ordering their food Julian began talking, "She's a pretty little thing, isn't she?" Gabriel knew this would be his friend's first comment, "At least your fascination in humans hasn't changed over the years." Julian smiled wickedly, "Same to you, dear friend. I know you were thinking the same thing, whether you choose to admit it or not. Tell me, would you like to hear of my latest conquests?"

The men stopped talking as the waitress brought their entrées to the table. They offered the woman a polite smile, and Julian even went as far as to wink at her, but both the men's' smiles fell when the waitress left, as they finally got down to business. Gabriel took a deep breath, "Have you heard from Aria yet?" Julian shook his head, "Give her the next couple of years, she needs time to understand. Not all of us can give up our freedom for death and gloom, you know." "I didn't have a choice in the matter and neither does she. It would be ideal if she takes up her position as a Magistrate now, but I am willing to give her the time she needs, well, until she finishes that human degree she wants to do that is. Anyway, that is not what I am worried about," Gabriel waited for a moment to let the tension build, "some of my Inferiors have noticed that she has been spending some time with a House of Life member. You have heard of Jaxon Alexander White, I presume?" Julian looked shocked at Gabriel's revelation, "your half-brother?" Gabriel nodded, "others may notice soon, if we are not careful." Julian knew exactly what the consequences of that would be, "you want me to have a word with her, I assume?" Gabriel nodded, "I cannot do it myself, as I have a never-ending list of eyes on me since I became a Magistrate. It would be wiser for you to do so. But be discreet of course," Julian nodded, he knew Gabriel was right, and his cousin was wiser than him when it came to the politics of their world.

Gabriel leaned back in his chair, waiting for his cousin to reply. He wasn't worried, he knew he had got through to Julian. Both the boys were protective of the ones they loved; it was a trait they shared and respected. As expected, Julian agreed to meet Aria tomorrow to have a quiet word. Gabriel was pleased, and he hoped whatever game Aria was playing would be over soon. He hated having to deal with the politics of their world, but Aria was making it even more difficult. But he wasn't in any hurry to have Aria become a Magistrate, he didn't want her to become corrupted by the politics of this world. He only wished for her to be as far from it as possible, and so when she had stated she wanted to a degree he had gladly packed her away to the university of her choice. He wanted her to have a normal life, or the closest to a normal life she could ever get.

He left dinner with a slight peace. His head had been buzzing since he found out about his half-brother and Aria; he was pleased his Inferiors had sniffed this out. He did not want this issue to continue blooming, Julian would have a word with Aria, and if that was not enough then he will have to deal with her. But for now, Gabriel decided it was time for him to get back to his apartment, where he would lay awake until sleep consumed him.