The Angelus Brothers Chronicles - The Red Witch

CHAPTER ONE

Raphael pulled at the stiff formal collar of his dress shirt

"Remind me why I'm here again?" Gabriel glared at his brother

"Because you're one of the Angelus brothers."

"And Azrael isn't?"

"Azrael is currently hold up in a dark dingy library muttering to himself," ground out Gabriel between gritted teeth. Raphael grinned

"So what you're saying is all I have to do is act like I'm insane and I never have to come to one of these things again?"

"How would anyone notice if you did act insane?" His youngest brother, Cassiel quipped as he tied his mask on. Gabriel let out an almost inaudible growl.

"Put your damn mask on and stop whining." Instantly switching to an air of grace and sophistication Gabriel nodded to the doorman as he handed over the ornate cream and gold invitation. The doorman bowed and handed the invitation to the speaker who announced in a booming voice,

"The brothers of the house Angelus." They walked through the huge golden doors into the giant ballroom. Gilded mirrors graced every wall, the polished wooden dance floor heaved with all manner of Creatures dressed in the finest clothes, their faces hidden behind ornate masks. Every surface in the room sparkled with the light from the huge over-the-top chandeliers that hung from the ceiling casting the light from hundreds of candles about the gaudy room. The room screamed wealth and overindulgence, but that was to be expected at a Venetian ball held by the Witches Council, the richest Creatures in Europe.

Cassiel adjusted his coat as a smile spread across his handsome face,

"I shall leave you good Sirs to your bickering. It seems Lucius has found some of the most delectable Creatures in the room and I'd hate for them to think that cad was the best Venice had to offer." He disappeared into the crowd before either of his older brothers could say a word.

"That boy needs to start thinking with something other than his britches."

"I think you'll find Gabe, he thinks with what's inside them. I'm amazed it's never caught anything and dropped off. Or worse, had a pregnant demon's father at our door" Gabriel eyed his brother with annoyance.

"I need to find the Olympian Council representatives. Can I trust you to keep yourself and Cassiel out of trouble?"

"Depends if by trouble you mean him taking a strumpet back to his room and me getting blotto on expensive whisky? If it is, then not at all." Gabriel took a deep breath.

"Don't let him sleep with any daughters of anyone of import and don't get yourself into a fight."

"He's with the son of the actual devil, and you're worried about me getting into a fight? Anyway who died and made you boss?"

"Our Father!" With that Gabriel made his way through the crowd leaving Raphael to his own devices.

"Oh yeah throw that one up." He muttered to himself as he started to pick his way through the throng of Creatures, nearly stepping on a demoness' long tail, who looked at him with as much annoyance as his brother had, as he made his way to one of the bars.

Giving the dwarven bartender a once over he lent on the bar

"Any good Whiskeys available?" the dwarf looked him over and gave him the same withering look he'd seen so many times on Gabriel's face.

"We only serve the best here, Sir." The sir was said in such a tone that the dwarf clearly felt Raphael was so far beneath him that using the word Sir stuck in his throat. To be fair to the immaculately dressed dwarf he probably was in terms of manners and refinements. Even his long black beard was intricately braided to perfection with more precious jewels in it than most people would see in a lifetime.