Page 29 of Even Vampires Bleed
It registers to me that this woman is Léandre’s father’s replacement. She’s the new archangel, and if I’m reading him well now, I think she might not be as angelic as she looks.
“My cousin. She didn’t even wait for my dad to be dead to take his place. It didn’t take her long to switch her affection from one Michaël to another, though,” he says in a bitter tone as we see her stroke Ambrose’s arm in a sensual way on screen.
I connect the dots, and I can only agree with Léandre. If this woman used to be Michaël’s mistress—if she wasn’t repulsed by who he was and what he did—then she probably deserves Léandre’s ire. Even more so if she’s already in bed with Ambrose.
“Do you want to go to our room?” I ask Léandre.
The evening is already soured with this announcement, so I don’t see the point in staying, but the video is still running on every screen and everyone seems to be stuck watching whatever is about to happen.
Because there is one thing I know for sure. It’s that the archangels and their team would never stay on screen without a purpose, and that’s when I see it: Ambrose grabs Gabrielle’s hand and brings it to his mouth.
Softly, as if he was a knight of old, he kisses her knuckles before turning to the camera.
The camera’s angle is now set to get a full view of the two new archangels with their wings out and… Ambrose drops one knee to the ground.
Everyone seems to be shocked. Here in this room, but also on screen.
“Will you marry me?” Ambrose asks.
Gabrielle rushes to say, “Yes.”
The video is cut, and the commentator adds, “We’re recording live from Versailles, where it’s a first in history. An archangel has decided to take a wife. We will keep you updated. Have a good evening.”
For a moment, the cafeteria sits in stunned silence. Then, everyone starts talking at once.
The commentator is correct.
This is unheard of.
Archangels never marry. They reproduce for sure—Léandre and Angie are the blatant proof of that—but they never enter the holy matrimony.
And it wouldn’t be so shocking if Ambrose had picked any other girl, but he picked another archangel—one he’s supposed to rule with. What mess is it going to make to have two archangels always siding with each other?
Shoot.
What is going to happen when those two will have kids? Because I know for sure they will.
And what then?
The future kid will evince the swans?
I don’t see that one going well—swans are notoriously nasty.
But accidents happen, and I wouldn’t put it past the power hungry couple who just embraced their role to seek even more power.
This doesn’t bode well for the future.
And I’m not even talking about what horrible decisions they could make.
We’re definitely screwed.
“I think I want to, yes,” Léandre tells me, and it takes me a few seconds to realize he’s answering my earlier question.
He wants to go back to our room.
So, I take his hand when he stands, and in this rioting atmosphere, we leave for the quiet of our bed.
16
