Finding Heathcliff

Twenty-Five

"Azrael."

The fallen angel was so absorbed in watching the girl, that it took all his self-control not to jump at hearing Ramiel's voice which reached him from the crowns of the thickly-grown trees.

Ramiel landed in front of him, filling his entire field of vision, the moment the small group Azrael had been following for days, entered the house.

"What?" Azrael growled, the tone of his voice, unlike the word it carried, not inviting questions.

Ramiel shook his head. "Your behaviour over the last weeks made everyone curious about the girl. We all know who she is..."

Azrael's hands closed around the hood of the other angel's black cloak before he could finish his sentence.

"No one will touch the girl, is that clear?" Azrael glared at his friend, the tempestuous sea of his irises flooding Ramiel's mind, making him understand just how much he cared about her.

"Relax. I'm here to help you make sure of that," Ramiel said, his hands raised in mock surrender, a ghost of a smile playing on his lips. "But what about the queenie's fiancé?" he added the instant Azrael's hands left his neck.

"No." Azrael shook his head. He didn't care about Orion, but as long as she did, Azrael wouldn't let anyone touch him. If the demon died tomorrow, it would break the girl's heart.

"Why is she here, so far from her untouchable castle...?" Ramiel mused, his eyes following Azrael's to the small cottage, its walls so white that they seemed to glow in the falling darkness.

"She's looking for us. On Arcturus' orders."

"What does she want?" Ramiel asked, his eyes snapping back to his friend's face.

"A new treaty."

"And we don't show ourselves to her because..." Ramiel prodded, sighing, eyebrows knitting in thought.

Azrael could understand his confusion, a new treaty with the demons ruling the world was something most of them, fallen angels, had been hoping for for a long time.

Echoing Ramiel's sigh, he explained, "That's what she believes, but the girl is naive, and easily manipulated... A new treaty is not what Arcturus wants, nor her fiancé, the future demon king. This is just a ruse, they really want another war." A war they could blame on her... Azrael shook his head off that thought before he would start feeling sorry for her. "We won't show ourselves to her until we see how she reacts when she finds out," he added.

Ramiel gasped as Azrael spoke about the war, but collected himself quickly now. "And in the meantime?"

"In the meantime, no one will touch her or the men accompanying her. Let's see if she can find us without our help." Azrael shrugged, sitting down on the grass under one of the trees, back propped against its trunk, eyes never leaving the cottage.

"Will you spend the night here?" Ramiel asked incredulously.

"This night, and the whole day tomorrow. You can tell the others, there's no need to come here."

"Is she worth it? Standing up against your friends?" Ramiel asked, taking a step back at seeing the look Azrael shot at him, then adding, before he vanished into the perfect darkness that had descended on the world around them while they spoke, "It's been too long since I saw you like this..." A soft chuckle reached Azrael's ears from the night, making his frown deepen.

He had lost his wings for a woman, an eternity ago. He had promised himself to never let another one touch his heart. He had been doing so well, he even got used to the idea of spending his long existence in Oblivis... Until he met this girl.

"Good night, Azrael," Ramiel chuckled again, making him understand that he had just read his thoughts.

"Get lost!" Azrael warned, his words falling on the night's deaf ears.

Ramiel was already gone.

"Rigel, what are you doing here, it's dangerous, and bringing guests, where will I put you all..." the woman gushed, until a tall, blond man who seemed so young that he could have been Rigel's older brother, stepped behind her, placing his hands on her shoulders in a soothing manner.

"Now, now. Calm down, Andromeda. You know it's not as dangerous as you make it sound, Rigel is old enough to be a judge of that himself now," the man spoke calmly, pulling Rigel into a one armed embrace while he extended his other arm to Orion, who shook hands with him.

"Welcome home, son, and you, please, feel at home... Lady Astrid?" he guessed, after he observed Astrid for a long moment and kissed her hand. "Regulus, at your service."

Astrid curtseyed to Rigel's father, feeling mesmerised by the positive emotions she perceived around him, and by his eyes-- they were of the most unusual colour, turquoise, blue-green like the sea... she had only ever met one person with similar eyes...

"Yes, Father, Lady Astrid and Lord Orion," Rigel finished the introductions, making Andromeda gasp.

"I... I would never... Let me prepare something to eat..." she stuttered, her behaviour in stark contrast with her husband's, just like their looks. Astrid has never seen a more mismatched couple.

Apart from yourself and Orion, of course, a voice whispered somewhere in her mind, mocking her, making her smile.

"Please don't worry too much, thank you for having us, we won't stay long, am I right, Rigel?" Astrid asked. "We need to continue on our journey as soon as possible," she added, looking at Orion now, who stood silently at her side.

His dark blue, calculating eyes were glued to Regulus, but the man seemed unfazed by his scrutiny. However, it bothered Astrid, she liked Rigel's father at first sight and couldn't see why Orion didn't.

"Two nights at the most, if everything goes well," Rigel replied, as the three of them followed Regulus towards a large table placed by a shuttered window and sat on a wooden bench, while Andromeda vanished into an adjacent room. "I see that the news about Astrid's trial has spread?"

"Yes," Regulus agreed, "and I've been thinking you might come." He smiled at Rigel, his eyes bestowing so much love on his son that Astrid could feel it as an almost physical force. "You always cared about the fallen angels as much as I do, but don't forget about your mother's opinion of them, she fears them as much as before. She won't like you going off in search of them..." he added in a whisper even as Andromeda appeared in the doorway, carrying a large tray laden with food and drinks.

"What's all this about?" Orion asked, speaking for the first time since they arrived. "Do you know any of the monsters personally?"

Regulus looked at him, and Astrid could perceive his surprise at the dismissive, cold, suspicious tone of Orion's voice before he looked at her inquiringly. Astrid shook her head imperceptibly, hoping that the man would understand that just like his wife didn't agree with him, her fiancé didn't share all of her opinions.

Smiling at her, Regulus replied to Orion in a low voice, "Later, my lord, we will have all the day tomorrow to talk and plan," even as his wife reached the table.

It was well after midnight when they got to retire for the night, after having helped Rigel's mother to prepare their beds. It was decided that Orion would sleep in Rigel's room, while Astrid was assigned a tiny bedroom of her own.

Orion didn't protest, either because he had noticed the thoughtful, gauging looks Regulus had cast him during their meal, or simply because he was too tired to put up a fight.

Astrid didn't care either way, she was feeling exhausted. She dropped gratefully onto her bed, revelling in its softness after all those nights spent in the tent, the moment she undressed, washed quickly-- the cottage had running water but only cold-- and switched off the oil lamp Rigel's parents used instead of candles.