Eyeing the bird Winston spoke slowly.

"You are quite safe here Miss Rouge." She looked back at the magpie who glared at Winston as if she'd understood.

"Men in the village are asking about me. They'll be told I came here." Still eyeing the bird Winston nodded.

"Come back to the house."

Practically leaping from his seat he walked briskly back across the lawn. The magpie hopped up to Rouge May's shoulder and they went after him.

Winston burst through back door and without stopping went into a side room. He re-emerged wearing a dwarven helmet and carrying a huge dwarven battle axe. As soon as she was in he shut and locked the back door and gestured to her to go up the stairs. Once up there and back in the main entrance hall Winston asked her to wait just there and hurried away. Moments later Gabriel came into the entrance carrying a broad sword and bellowing in a booming voice.

"Cassiel, Azrael. Down here now." He stopped in front of Rouge.

"My lady, if you are to be my brother's bride and we are to protect you I need to know what is going on."

Rouge May looked from Gabriel to Winston and back, the magpie cawed loudly. She raised her hand and began to pet the bird's chest.

"Azura is my familiar, she followed me here and overheard some creatures in the village asking after me. I need to leave before they come to your door."

"Why are they after you?" Cassiel came running down the stairs and she could hear more footsteps approaching.

"I... it's complicated. I can't...." Cassiel cut in,

"Raphs our brother. If you're fated to him we have a duty to protect you." Gabriel nodded.

"He may have been too cowardly to stay and protect you but we will not fail you, my lady." Winston snorted but stayed silent at the insult directed to Raphael. She looked to Winston who nodded, she had a feeling he wouldn't tell her to trust them if she couldn't

"It's queen Mab. She wants my father but she can't leave her realm as he trapped her. She also can't get to him in his home and he doesn't leave it. She needs his blood to escape and gain access to him. She can't get to August Jet, my brother, so that leaves me."

"And taking more from your mother's gene pool than your brother you are less able to protect yourself from them." Wide-eyed Rouge stared at the man that was descending the stairs, like his brothers he was tall with dark hair, he had one bright blue eye, the other was bright green like his brother, Cassiel, who had green eyes and bright green highlights in his hair.

"How do you....?"

"Your mother is Nimue, a human, your father keeps her in Stonehenge so she doesn't age."

"How do you know that?" All the colour had drained from Rouge's face and she was ready to bolt for the nearest mirror.

"Our brother is somewhat of a scholar and historian." Supplied Gabriel who seemed deep in thought.

"But no one knows about my mother."

"Not many do, but it can be found. I've been researching since my sister disappeared, I've found out many things in that time, your father is one of the few people I think could help me to locate her. But his Stonehenge keep is impenetrable, I know, I've tried." Rouge May was on the verge of panic, Azura launched off of her shoulder and began to circle above their heads. Gabriel hadn't taken his eyes off Rouge who had run to the closet and was pulling her cloak on and her hood back about her face.

"You're not as mismatched with my brother as we all believed."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I have no doubt he would protect you if he were here. We shall do the same in his absence. I'm sure we can deal with whoever is coming. You are still welcome to stay here tonight, or for as long as you wish. We will not allow you to be harmed." Winston crossed the room to her.

"Miss Rouge, my Masters are good men, Gabriel as you already know is in the Olympian Army and is sworn to protect any who need it." The doorbell chimed through the house, what little colour was still in Rouge's face fled.

"Winston, answer the door." Winston removed his helmet and placed it and his axe on a table just behind the door. Gabriel escorted Rouge to the drawing-room where he and his brothers waited just inside the doorway.

A huge troll with a pig-like snout, large droopy ears and two smaller slim and greasing-looking fay-like men stood on the doorstep when Winston opened the door.

"Is there a witch here." Blurted out the troll before either of the other men could speak.

"What my associate meant to say is, is the Master of the home present?"

"Might I ask who's calling?"

"My name is Alcon, this is my brother Avo and our colleague is Grum. We have... A business proposal for you Master."

"I will go and enquire if my Master is available." Winston shut the door in the three men's faces and looked at Gabriel.

"Cassiel, stay here and guard Lady May if they get through, Winston don't let them in the door. Azrael, grab a sword, you're with me."

"I can escape through a mirror, you don't have to confront them." Gabriel paused in the doorway and looked at her.

"I know what is said about my family and our species. But what is said does not define us. We are a family and we protect our own and if you are my brother's fated bride that includes you. Everyone should have somewhere safe to go." With that, he and Azrael left the room. Rouge May stood in stunned silence, tears pricked at her eyes. Moments later the sounds of fighting came from outside, Rouge covered her mouth with her hands as Winston donned his helmet again and opened the door. She moved to stop him but Cassiel held his arm out to stop her.

"They'll be OK. This isn't their first fight." He shifted his sword in his hand and gave her a reassuring smile she couldn't be sure he felt.

The front door opened and the young vampire hybrid braced himself, then relaxed when he saw his brothers and Winston.

"They won't be back anytime soon. You have a safe place with us for the night." Gabriel took a deep breath then placed his sword on the hall table followed by Azrael's. Winston collected them and disappeared towards the kitchen. Rouge watched Gabriel as he slumped into a chair. Azrael watched her for a moment.

"You're like a walking piece of history."

"I'm not that old, I'm only two hundred and fiftyish."

"You're the daughter of Merlin. The sister of August Jet. That's pretty amazing."

"You wouldn't say that if they were your family."

"But is it true Merlin has Arthur...." Cassiel could see Rouge's discomfort and fatigue and cut Azrael off before he could go into one of his insensitive fact-finding torrents.

"Lady Rouge, you look exhausted. Please allow me to see you to your room." He took her arm and started to lead her to the stairs. She paused to look up at Azura who had perched herself on a bust of Zeus above the drawing-room door, she was puffed up and sleeping so Rouge allowed herself to be escorted up the stairs. Azrael was about to follow when Gabriel put a hand on his shoulder.

"Let her be Az."

"She could be my key to getting to Merlin and finding Ariel."

"She's not yours Az, she's Raphs. I don't think she's at all what he thought she was."

"What did he think she was?"

"A high-born witch who'd look down at him."

"What do you think she is?"

"A scared lonely girl looking for acceptance and love. Why else would the likes of her be searching for Raphael?"

"What are you thinking Gabe?"

"That our idiot brother has no idea how truly blessed he is and that he's an idiot to have given up and run off. He should have stayed to fight for the girl."

"You'll find your bride one day Gabriel." Gabriel snorted and straightened himself. The melancholy look that had taken over his face was replaced by his usual emotionless expression.

"Leave her be Azrael. She's not here to answer your questions. I'm sure if she finds Raphael and brings him home you'll have all the time in the world to ask her questions."

***

Cassiel opened the door and showed Rouge into her room, it was a huge bright room with white and blue toile wallpaper on the walls and rich blue velvet curtains hung at the windows and around the four-poster bed. Two large blue velvet armchairs sat on either side of the huge white marble fireplace.

"Raph's room is next door if you want a nosey."

"Cassiel, can I ask you something?"

"Call me Cas, yes of course."

"Would you tell me about Raphael? Winstons told me some things but..." she trailed off.

Cassiel smiled at her and crossed the room to sit in one of the armchairs and gestured for her to sit in the other.

"I have no prior engagements, my lady, tonight I am all yours." He had a charm about him that made Rouge sure this young hybrid was very popular with the girls and knew how to sweet talk. Taking a seat she smiled at him.

"I'm fated to Raphael, I can't stop thinking about him twenty-four-seven, yet I know so little about him." Cassiel folded one leg over the other, resting his hand on his ankle and pursing his lips.

"I can't imagine how that feels. I have loved many women." He winked at her "but I've seen friends find their fated ones and it's on a whole new level. I sometimes think it must be easier for humans. They meet someone, get to know them, and then fall in love with them. We meet someone, fall madly in love with them to the point of insanity. Then get to know them."

"You sound like you're not keen on the concept." He winked at her again,

"And deprive woman kind of my tender affections?" She couldn't help but laugh at his jovial yet charming character.

"So is Raphael as good with the ladies as you?" She couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy at the idea of her vampire making love to other women.

"Raph?" Laughed Cassiel "Only person less likely to be popular is Mr grumpy Gabe. Maybe the odd drunk tavern wench over the years but he's never spent any time with one particular woman that I know of." Just because creatures knew they would find a soul mate someday didn't mean they didn't form attachments to or fall in love with people before finding their fated ones. It was the main cause of rejection alongside the mixing of species. Knowing there had been no long-term girlfriends did make her feel better at least.

"What does he do with himself?"

"Got to be honest when he's not here I don't know. But when he's here he does a bit of reading, goes to taverns, oh he does some wood carving too."

"Wood carving?"

"Yeah, go peek in his room later, along the mantelpiece are lots of little animals he carved. There's a chess set in the drawing-room too that he carved." She didn't know why hearing that he was an artist of sorts surprised her. There was just nothing about the big fierce vampire that said I make animals out of wood. Jumping up Cassiel held his hand out to her.

"Come have a look." Letting him take her hand she rose from her chair and followed him to Raphael's room. It was papered in red damask wallpaper with heavy red drapes at the windows and around the bed, which was made up with rich red satin bedding. On the top of the white marble fireplace that matched the one in her room were several rows of small wooden animals. All-around six inches in height they were beautifully made and polished so the natural colours of the wood looked rich and warm. She picked up a tiny bird and studied it, turning it in her hand. It was exquisitely detailed, from its tiny round eyes to the fine detail of feathers, it almost looked like it would fly from her hand at any moment. She just couldn't believe the vampire she'd watched rip out a man's throat while naked and snarling could have made something so beautiful.

"He spends hours sitting by our Mother just quietly carving them" offered Cassiel. She placed the bird back and looked about her. A large bookcase was to one side of the room, filled with well-read books, a large plush red sofa sat in front of the unlit fire, and a huge trunk filled the floor at the foot of his bed. Aside from the huge four-poster bed and a wardrobe that was all his room contained. Except for a painting that caught her eye. It was of the sun breaking across the ocean, the sky just turning a reddish-orange. Beautifully painted, it somehow seemed out of place in the grand rich bedroom. Unsure of what she expected she looked again at the tiny animals and ran her fingers along the mantle while Cassiel opened the wardrobe and began to rummage.

How did he have so little stuff, most creatures lived such long lives that they accumulated masses of belongings. Her loft apartment was spilling with art, jewels and nick-nacks that she'd collected over her lifetime. He seemed to have so little, just a painting and his little animals.

"Ah-ha." Cassiel pulled a bottle of whiskey from the wardrobe. "I knew he'd have something decent to drink."

***

Back in Rouge May's room she and the vampire hybrid sat laughing and drinking, she didn't remember ever just letting go and relaxing before like she was with this charismatic creature.

"Raph just sort of looked at the broken table and pulled a contrite face before saying, it's possible I may have knocked it a bit. The legs had come off and the top was smashed into three bits." They roared with laughter.

"Oh God's. He sounds so funny. He didn't seem funny when I met him."

"Not funny? he was running about the garden naked wasn't he?" They burst into laughter again.

"I've never seen anything like it. I thought it was my powers being drained. I just saw a huge naked man falling from the sky."

"Had you seen him before that?"

"Yes, at the ball the night before. He was with a werewolf at the bar, I knew as soon as I saw him he was my fated, I just didn't know what to make of it." Cassiel sobered a little.

"What's it like?"

"Seeing you fated for the first time?" He nodded, leaning forward, his hair falling into his eyes.

"It's like... Goosebumps, or a million tiny pins pricking at your skin while butterflies dance in your belly. I couldn't stop staring at him, even from across the room. I wanted to reach out and touch him at the same time as wanting to run away and hide."

"Why run?" She looked down at her glass.

"Fear." She downed the last of its contents in one gulp "I've spent so long alone with no one..." she trailed off. Before she knew what had happened Cassiel had pulled her up into his arms and was holding her tight as she sobbed into his slim muscular chest.

"What's wrong with me? Why doesn't he want me? I wasn't meant to be alone anymore. I wasn't meant to be alone." She sobbed as she'd never sobbed before. Never had she felt as comforted as she did right now in this strange hybrid's arms as he rubbed her back and held her close, just letting her sob all the pain away.