Heart of Ice

Chapter 5 - Warm Hope and Cold Terror

I honestly don't know why I fell in love with a temperamental beast like him. One second he'll be sweet, then he'll be scary, and next he'll be calm, and worst of all, he'll be angry all of a sudden.

"Leave her out of this, Justine," he commanded.

"So, it's true. She's your replacement for Zarina," Justine said. "It's a shame that someone of her beauty will only become yours."

I sensed Gabriel's rage rising, the temperature becoming hotter every second. He uses his mystes against humans? "It would be worse and unfitting if she will be will be with the likes of you," he snarled.

A flash of gold.

"Hah! Are you sure about that? Zarina told me about the real you. She said that being with you is like dancing in hell."

Two orbs. Smoky-black and bright red.

Gabriel grabbed him by the collar and muttered through gritted teeth: "Don't you dare say a thing." By that time, the heat came close to that of the desert at noon. My fingertips started to burn.

Black feathers.

"Gabriel, please stop," I pleaded, my cold amethyst orbs trying to find reason in his dark, murderous ruby eyes. He stiffened, and then threw Justine face-first into a nearby wall. He looked away from me - as if in shame - and the heat quickly subsided. Justine's companions, Lester and Mikhael, ran away with him in tow.

"I'm sorry," he said. I slowly closed the distance between us, trying to cool the air with my mystes. I held his warm - no, scorching - hands and looked at his sorrowful face, his eyes apologetic.

"It's okay." I stood up on my heels to reach him and touch his face. "I will be your angel."

He held my hand tightly. "I know." And I kissed his cheeks. "Let's go. I'll walk you home." A heavenly smile has graced his lips again.

"..."

"..."

...awkward silence...

Why did I do that? I glanced at G-g...Gabriel, and he's blushing? Then he looked my way and then turned away. So awkward...

*flashback*

"I will be your angel..." I said.

"I know." And I kissed his cheeks.

*end of flashback*

"Ummm..."

"So..."

"Where do you live?" We both said at exactly the same time. We stared at each other right there and then, surprised, until the awkwardness settled in and we looked away from each other again.

"You first."

"No, you should tell me first. How am I supposed to walk you home without me knowing your complete address?"

"It's umm...uh...on Diamond Street."

"Really?" he laughed. "We just live next street, Onyx. The black-and-gold house with red inscriptions there, the tall one with large windows, is ours. What does your house look like?"

"It's a two-story, white-and-ice blue Japanese style house. It's quite large and it might be conspicuous to them, but it's well-guarded."

"Them? Oh... the Vi--"

"Don't!" I stopped him. "Mentioning that name brings bad omen! You know what or who they're after , right?"

"Sorry... Is that your house?" He quickly changed the topic as we neared the corner of our street.