The Angelic Chronicles

Leaders to Marry, Leaders to Like- Chp 3

Alec was sitting in a wooden chair beside the bed. The room was stone and cold, and a warlock was wrapped in her covers, sleeping soundly. It was like the glow in his stomach that gave him life had been struck out. He felt absolutely awful. Nadia had been injured horribly and Katarina had somehow exhausted herself trying to save Nadia. And all under his watch. He bowed his head, his dark hair falling over his face, and covering a tear of gilt that rolled down his cheek. He hated being their leader. Gabriel was more fit than him to lead, all he could do was fail them.

"Don't blame yourself," said a gentle voice. Alec scrambled to wipe the tears from his face. When he looked up, he saw Katarina sitting up in the bed, still looking very pale.

"It wasn't your fault. Nadia was an accident," She stared at him as he moved from the wooden chair to her side on the bed.

"Nadia, she was under my watch," he looked into her eyes, they were like an ocean. He tried to change the subject abruptly. "Are you ok?" he shook his head, trying to shake his mind clean, "I know you didn't have to do that, so thank you."

She let out a slow, breathy laugh, "You know, in my three hundred and twenty four years on this earth, I've never met a protector of Heaven like you," he stared at her, waiting for some context. "You don't want to be the leader. You want to be the help, the cavalry. You want a different path than the one forced on you."

He smiled wearily, "Is it that obvious?"

She nodded and laughed again, this time her heart was in it. "It's also obvious that the shrieking donkey has anger issues, from what he was like with the damsel." Her skin was more radiant now, it's natural shade of light brown returning, Alec realized that her skin looked glittery.

"I think those nicknames are gonna stick." he said.

She looked up at him with a sudden seriousness in those eyes. "I really do love your eyes. They are stunning." Alec could feel himself blush again. "Thank you..." He felt vulnerable with her, as if she could read his every thought.

" Just call me Katarina," she said, still smiling.

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Gabriel had stormed out of the room. Nadia and Alec? No. Absolutely not. The thing that gave him some peace was that Alec would never go for it. An arranged marriage with Nadia was not Alec's fantasy, not his day dream. Frankly, Gabriel thought, he would be happier with that Witch woman who called me a donkey. And could be- No, he had sworn to Alec that he would never even think of that, it was considered bad luck. Anyway, it wasn't that Alec didn't like Nadia, it was that his love for her was that of a brother and sister. He didn't even know why he cared. But if Alec already knew about this...

Somehow, he found his way to Katarina's rooms, where he stormed in just as he had stormed out of Nadia's room. His pounding steps had become the product of raging anger. She hadn't cared about how upset he had been, she just kept muttering to herself: Alec, marry Alec. That's what they said......

When he came into the room, silvery-gold eyes and turquoise eyes fell on him.

"Gabe." It was Alec, he sounded relived. "Is Nadia ok?"

Gabriel's vision had become red with a flaming anger that was now out of his control. "Oh, she's fine. No doubt planning your engagement party." he said with maddening calm.

"What the hell are you talking about?" Alec looked confused, Katarina looked bewildered.

"So you don't know." His rage was quelling, his voice becoming slow. He felt a wave of pity towards Alec. He doesn't know. "Oh, Alec. It's your parents.... They are planning a wedding- with the Pierces." Alec looked as if Gabriel had just slapped him. In the bed, Katarina's eyes turned to Alec. She looked as if she had just been slapped, too.