Fallen Hearts

by Angela Colsin

  With a less than thrilled expression, Stephan muttered, “Can't you vampires keep anything fucking simple?”

  “It's not me!” she countered.

  With a slow shake of his head, he thought her story over for a moment, then came to the same conclusion she had earlier. “Seems like Ignacio was telling the truth then, and Lillian probably died here with the others.”

  “It's possible,” Maddox concurred. “We just need to do a little more prodding and find out what happened.”

  “Yeah, but who do we prod?” Stephan asked, and his question was punctuated by the sound of his phone going off in the cup holder.

  “Can I answer it?” Maddox asked enthusiastically.

  Yet he grabbed the phone and replied with a brusque, “No.”

  She sighed, but it would take more than a curt word to deter her, and as he accepted the call, Maddox leaned in to watch.

  In response, Stephan sat back—and she thought she spied a slight hint of amusement on his face before he covered it by placing the phone to his ear, answering, “Yeah?”

  Every word Kivsey spoke in response was easily detected. “Hey, I've got some news for you. I'm not interrupting anything, am I?”

  “Not exactly,” Stephan replied, explaining their situation thoroughly.

  “Oh,” Kivsey started. “Tell Maddox I'm sorry she didn't find Mathias, but maybe this will make up for it; I found Ineya.”

  Hearing this, Maddox was overcome by eagerness to learn Ineya's fate, insisting, “Let me talk to her.”

  “Just … get a phone of your own.” Stephan retorted.

  “What?”

  “Not you, Kivsey, it's Maddox. She's bugging me about using my phone.”

  “Why?”

  “I don't know, she's like a bird drawn to shiny objects.”

  Maddox snickered over his comparison just as Kivsey told him, “Put her on, she should have a chance to see how it works for herself. Besides, Ineya's her friend.”

  Stephan sighed and, as if unwilling to get stuck between them, grumbled, “Fine,” then presented the phone to Maddox in offering. “She wants to talk to you.”

  Reaching for it without hesitation, Maddox placed the device to her ear and asked, “Kivsey?”

  “Yeah, how are things? Stephan's not being an ass, is he?”

  “You sound so clear,” she announced in surprise, then looked at Stephan, adding, “and he's giving me evil looks, but that's it.”

  Suggesting he knew what they were saying, Stephan grumbled under his breath.

  Grinning over his irritation, Maddox asked, “So you said you found Ineya?”

  “Yes, apparently she's changed her name, at least, as far as unofficial records go. She's called Foxy now, and runs a supernatural nightclub in Atlanta aptly named Foxy's.”

  “Atlanta? Well that's convenient.” They weren't far from the city now.

  “That's what I thought. You guys could swing by there tonight and get more information.”

  Stephan looked curious, as if he hadn't been able to make out precisely what Kivsey was saying, and Maddox told the agent, “Sounds like a plan. I'll tell Stephan and we'll see what we can do before the night's out.”

  “Alright, I'll let you go.”

  “Thank you, Kivsey,” she returned, then lifted the phone away from her face, asking, “How do you shut it off?”

  Stephan simply reached for it without offering an explanation, but Maddox noticed the end call button on the screen and quickly pressed it before he could take it.

  Shaking his head, Stephan inquired, “She's in Atlanta?”

  “Yes,” Maddox began, informing him of Ineya's new name and the place she owned. “Have you ever heard of it?”

  “Actually, yeah, but I've never been there. It's one of those places mortals don't visit unless they've got a damned good reason.”

  “Well, this is a damned good reason, don't you think?”

  “I do,” he agreed, putting his key in the ignition to start the jeep's engine while adding, “so it looks like we're heading to Atlanta.”

  Maddox grinned with a sense of excitement overwhelming her, sitting back in the passenger's seat as Stephan pulled away from the curb. She was all too ready to see what a big city looked like these days, particularly considering her need for new personal belongings—a need Atlanta would serve well.

  Sadly, there wouldn't be much time for shopping when the more pressing issue was finding Ineya—or Foxy—but Maddox could cut corners. Besides, if she knew her friend, the succubus would take one look at the generic outfit she was wearing, say no, and either drag her out to shop anyway, or force her to borrow something more fashionable.

  So the only question left was where to go?

  “Is there still a Spire in Atlanta, Stephan?”

  “Yeah, why?”

  “We'll need to go there first.”

  “Out of the question. That damned place could be crawling with Kalar, and they don't need to know where we are.”

  “Okay,” she conceded, “then you suggest somewhere I could get new clothing.”

  “New … ,” he trailed, then asked in disbelief, “We've got information to followup on, and you wanna shop for clothes?”

  Sighing, Maddox made a point of looking down at herself while stating sarcastically, “Oh, I guess you're right, Stephan, I can just wear this outfit everyday for the rest of eternity.”

  Turning her gaze back to his, she added, “I would like to be presentable. The scruffy, ragged look may work for you, but I know the woman we're going to see, and I won't compromise on this.”

  Stephan made no attempts to hide his frustration, waving a hand at the clock on his dashboard. “It's already close to midnight, and we're two hours from Atlanta. So it'll be a six hour drive back to the compound. That doesn't leave you a whole hell of alotta time to do much but go to Foxy's and come back.”

  “And if Foxy isn't there, we'll spend the day waiting in Atlanta anyway,” she argued.

  At that, Stephan stared ahead, flexing his jaw as if working out his irritation by grinding his teeth before saying something he'd regret.

  Finally, he released a breath and asked, “Alright, but how do you think you're gonna pay for new clothes?”

  “Well, let's see,” Maddox started, tugging the wallet she'd stolen from Giroux out of her pocket to open and sift through the contents. Sadly, there was only a driver's license with a fake name and address printed on it, but the main flap possessed several bills.

  As she pulled them out to count, Stephan asked, “Where the fuck did you find that?”

  “I swiped it from Giroux hoping to learn something revealing, but there's nothing here except currency,” she answered, then cast a playful look in his direction while fanning herself with the money. “So tell me, how much will five hundred and twenty-one dollars get me? Am I fabulously wealthy now?”

  Stephan stared at her like he didn't know what to think, and might've even been impressed, but didn't want to admit it.

  Yet he scoffed, replying, “Hardly.”

  “Well, how much could I get with this?”

  “If those expensive shops in the Spire were your first choice, then congrats, you've got a new pair of shoes.”

  Incredulously, Maddox remarked, “You can't expect me to believe a pair of shoes cost five hundred dollars.”

  “Some don't, it just depends on your taste. The boots I'm wearing were about thirty bucks, and the rest of my clothes were probably around forty altogether.”

  “Then what do you suggest?”

  “Anywhere but the Spire, or those high fashion design stores.”

  “Such as?”

  Stephan thought it over and suggested, “I think I know a place, but we're not going anywhere else. Just clothes.”

  “Just clothes,” Maddox promised. “That's all I need.”

  He looked placated by her quick agreement, and she smiled, not only looking forward to acquiring new apparel, but also to the moment when Stephan r
ealized she meant clothing was all she needed to get started.

  Somehow, she'd stretch this money and get as many things as possible.

  Stephan would simply have to deal with it.

  14

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  Maddox hadn't lied. Clothing was all she needed—until she got them. Then she needed makeup, nail polish, shampoo, and various other types of personal care products.

  Stephan could've strangled her. Sadly, the need to breathe wasn't on her list.

  But for as much as he tried to hurry Maddox through shopping, it was intriguing to watch her transformation. They arrived at a plaza he figured would have what she wanted, only to travel from store to store with the vampire looking a bit different after each visit.

  She had enough sense to stretch her money as far as it could go as well, and even convinced some employees to offer discounts.

  The only purchase she made that he didn't understand the point of was a bag of chocolate candies. Vampires could eat normal food, but not regularly or in bulk. Yet, when asked the reason for her purchase, Maddox merely replied with a vague you'll see, then directed Stephan to keep the bag in his jacket pocket.

  By the end of their trip, there was enough to carry back to the jeep that Stephan had to help—and strangely, he wasn't all that annoyed by it. The excursion hadn't taken as long as he'd suspected, leaving plenty of time to finish their errands before the sun came up.

  But he was irritated by the way Maddox continually captured his attention.

  In Kivsey's clothing, she looked good, but the red silk button down and short black skirt she now wore was simply sexy, accentuating her curves in a way that was difficult to ignore—particularly her legs in the red stilettos she'd purchased.

  In fact, Stephan nearly bumped into a phone pole on the way to his jeep because he was too busy staring at her to pay attention to his own path. What the hell's wrong with me?

  He had no idea, and couldn't figure out who to be irritated with more; Maddox for being so damned gorgeous, or himself for noticing. Such thoughts had his mood sinking about as low as it could go, and he carelessly tossed her things into the back seat of his jeep before climbing behind the wheel with a scowl on his face.

  Catching sight of the expression, Maddox shut the passenger's door and asked, “Oh come on, was that really so terrible, Stephan?”

  “It was a waste of time.”

  “Perhaps to you,” she countered, then sighed in relief. “It feels good to have my own things again.”

  Starting the engine, he wondered if he shouldn't actually tell her she did look good. Maddox had been locked away from the world for so long that it just seemed like a nice gesture, but since when did he care about making gestures to anyone?

  “By the way, I bought a razor and some shaving cream for you.”

  Her random announcement caught his complete attention. “For me?”

  “Mm-hmm,” she drew out, smiling impishly. “You're going to let me shave that mop you call a beard, and give you a haircut. I don't know when, but it's going to happen.”

  Scoffing, Stephan pulled out of the parking space and retorted, “Good luck with that.”

  “You should be flattered. I'm an excellent barber, even had a dressing room in my home where I gave haircuts.” After making the boast, she sighed wistfully, musing, “I wonder if it's still standing.”

  Stephan wasn't certain how much he cared to know, but traffic was congested, slowing their ride to Foxy's more than he would've liked. So, as his vehicle came to a stop at a red light, he asked, “Where was it?”

  “Linchester in upstate New York. It was a mansion shrouded by trees only a short walk from the river, and if it is still there, my beneficiaries must've kept it up.”

  “Beneficiaries?”

  “Yes,” she nodded. “In the event of my death, my estate was to go to the head of the Waltzer family, my tenants.”

  Stephan wasn't surprised to learn she had a final will and testament made out, but hearing who she'd left her estate to gave him pause. “Wait, they're human?”

  “Yes,” she answered, casting him a curious look. “Why? Do you think I took them in just for free meals?”

  “Did you?”

  “No,” she scoffed. “We were trusted friends. I did get blood out of the arrangement, but not forcibly. I protected them and never abused them.”

  Had another vampire fed him such a tale, Stephan would've shot them for thinking he was stupid enough to believe it, and though it was getting easier to believe Maddox with such things, hearing of any vampire leaving such a substantial inheritance to a human family due to their friendship was just … strange.

  “So what, they raised their kids around you, told them what you were, and everything just worked out?”

  “Yes, it did. I provided them with a home in exchange for having the appearance of a normal household. As for their children, the decision to tell them the truth was left up to the parents, and each generation handled it differently. As long as the truth remained a secret, there weren't any problems.”

  He had no idea what to think. Such an arrangement would be beneficial to both parties, particularly if the family couldn't afford a place to stay—and if blood wasn't being demanded as payment instead of willingly offered. But the hard part was imagining a vampire who didn't demand it.

  Though, as they slowly crept down the congested street to make a right turn, the one sitting next to him was plastered to the window like a stuffed doll, gasping in awe over a passing vehicle.

  “I want one of those, but in red!”

  He glanced in the same direction to see a powder blue sports car next to them, and suppressed the urge to smile. Damn it all.

  Maddox was literally dismantling his perceptions piece by piece, and in doing so, she seemed likeable. But Stephan didn't want to like her. He didn't want to smile at her, or admire her for having control. He wanted to despise her, deciding then and there that her charm was the worst thing about her.

  So he ignored the comment in favor of muttering, “I've never heard of any arrangements like that with a human family.”

  “Why would you? I'm a solitary vampire where most belong to a faction, Stephan, and factions support one another, eliminating the need for voluntary human assistance in hiding. Instead, they bully and terrorize mortals simply because it's more fun.”

  She sounded incredibly frustrated by such a mentality, going on to say, “Factions even hunt and kill solitary vampires just to prevent them from starting their own group and creating competition for dominance.”

  That was certainly food for thought. Stephan only ever paid as much attention to vampiric social structures as was necessary to conduct his search, and hadn't cared to consider what might happen to a solitary vampire, asking, “Have you ever belonged to one?”

  “No, and I never will,” Maddox answered sincerely, gazing thoughtfully out at the buildings surrounding them while adding, “The biggest problem is that most vampires in this realm are simply humans who were turned and think of nothing but the power they've gained, power they can lord over mortals and even other supernaturals. To them, there is no higher standard.”

  Genuinely curious over how she'd respond, Stephan inquired, “What higher standard would there be?”

  “That we have a past, a history, even a fallen domain that could be rebuilt if anyone wanted to try. But they either don't know about it, or don't care, complacent with the way things are.” Scoffing, she remarked, “And why wouldn't they be? As long as they don't slaughter humans like a plague, or risk exposure to them, they can do what they like.”

  She spoke so wholeheartedly over the matter that Stephan had to believe her, making him wonder what things were like in other realms. He knew little about the subject, but could a place exist where vampires and humans lived in harmony?

  “So why not leave here?” he suggested. “Are things better elsewhere?”

  “I've heard a faction exists in another realm which still adh
eres to the old domain's values,” she began, “but this is my home, and I want it to change. It's one of the reasons I got stuck in that coffin.”

  “Why? Did Lillian know what you wanted and disagree with it?”

  “Not exactly,” Maddox muttered, growing silent for a moment before admitting, “I only associated with her because I knew change had to start somewhere, and if a magistrate could be made to see reason, it would be a step in the right direction. I also believed I knew enough to protect myself if things became … sour between us.”

  Following her explanation, Maddox smiled, adding, “Mathias didn't approve of our association, constantly reminded me not to trust a factional vampire, and I should've listened. But Lillian was always relieved to get away from politics, agreed when I said we were needlessly ruthless with mortals, and never mistreated those we came into contact with.”

  Because she's a lying snake, Stephan thought, finding himself angry on Maddox's behalf. But perhaps it wasn't so hard to think of her as a decent … person, and the fact that her efforts were undermined wasn't difficult to get upset about.

  After all, if Maddox had succeeded in swaying Lillian so long ago, Ellen might still be alive. It was a sobering thought, one he wasn't sure he wanted to entertain for long considering the way he'd treated Maddox so far—or rather, mistreated her.

  Thankfully, their ride was almost over, and the moment he got the chance, Stephan turned into a parking garage just down the road from their destination. Eager to get on with their business instead of focusing on his probable mistakes, he parked in the first available spot and exited his jeep.

  While making his way to the entrance of the deck, he heard Maddox grumbling behind him, glancing back in time to see her tugging at her skirt.

  “What's wrong?”

  Her heels clicked across the cement as she asked, “Is this skirt too short?”

  The question was unexpected. Most vampires seemed to think the shorter, the better, or so he'd believed. But instead of giving a generic answer so they could go, Stephan found himself staring at her legs again—those shapely, smooth legs that seemed much longer than they actually were. Damn …