The Angelus Brothers Chronicles - The Red Witch

CHAPTER ELEVEN

"You can't build your nest there!" The magpie cawed back at her and continued to weave a stick into her creation.

"Azura! Get down from there! It's their mother!" Rouge watched helplessly as her familiar continued to build her nest in the Mother of the men who were helping her so much. Amaranth's tree swayed slightly in the breeze, its leaves rustling and casting shadows on the silver-grey bark.

"Azura!" Rouge turned sharply at the sound of Cassiel laughing behind her.

"She's fine, don't worry about it. Mum would enjoy her being there. She used to love birds raising their young in her branches when she was still with us." He walked past her and placed his hand against her trunk for a few moments.

"She's still in there, she'll enjoy the company." His voice held a sadness as he crouched beside the huge container the tree sat in. The spring flowers that carpeted the soil around the tree's roots were beginning to wilt. He placed a hand on them and waited quietly.

"You ok?" Rouge moved to crouch beside him.

"Yeah, it just takes me a while to revive them. My mother didn't even have to touch a plant, she just walked past them and they sprang back to life instantly. But I'm only half nymph so it takes me a while." The witch watched as slowly the blooms began to come back to life and their colours became vibrant again.

"That was amazing, they are so beautiful."

"He's a clever one, my boy." Rouge stiffened and tried to hide her face under her hair as Cassiel jumped up from his crouch. Dita rolled her eyes, her tone bored.

"You're wasting your time witch. I knew who you were in Annies, I just don't care enough to tell anyone. It would upset Cassiel too much if I did." Rouge stood up slowly eyeing the demoness warily. Cassiel put a comforting hand on her shoulder and gave it a light squeeze.

"It's ok Rouge, she won't tell anyone you're here. I've known Dita for decades, she won't betray us." Dita winked at him as her tail swished behind her.

"Any chance I can draw you away from your plants?" He gave her one of his charismatic smiles, his green eyes sparkling.

"I could be tempted." He glanced at Rouge then crossing the grass to join her he placed his arm around her waist and whispered something in her pointed ear. Rouge watched as they walked away giggling to each other, it was Dita she was watching the most in her skin-tight red leather dress that barely covered her backside. She noticed her deep ebony skin had a gold shimmer in the sunlight and her gold-tipped hair sparkled. Everything about the demoness from her gold-hoofed feet to the mass of curls on her head screamed dangerous and sexy. While Rouge wore the big cumbersome dresses the mortals wore and spent all her time hiding, she knew everything about her screamed I'm scared, please don't see me. The demoness was everything Rouge wasn't, everything she couldn't be because she was powerless and in danger. Maybe if she had been dangerous and sexy like Dita Raphael might have been more beguiled by her and couldn't have run from her. She looked sadly down at the beautiful spring blooms in the tree's container. Cassiel wasn't even in love with the demoness, although she clearly loved him, and he was more drawn to Dita than Raphael was to her. A caw above her head drew her attention, she looked up at her feathered friend and smiled sadly.

"I'm fine, just thinking." the bird cawed again and Rouge looked round to see Winston approaching carrying two wooden swords as children would play with.

"Miss Rouge, I have been looking for you." She eyed the swords then smiled at the dwarf.

"I'm afraid I never learnt swordplay if you were hoping for a match." Clearing his throat he held them up.