Taking exception to the insinuation that he was too feeble with age to offer assistance, Eradin retorted, “So says the five-millennium-old vampire.”
Grinning, Mathias silently waved a hand for him to proceed at his leisure, and the wizard wasted no time summoning his energies into a bright light that opened a portal to the citadel.
Simultaneously, Stephan had to sniffle at random—and unexpectedly caught the scent of blood. Nosebleed?
Confused, he swiped a hand under his nostril to check, and surely enough, a faint line of pink was streaking across his skin. Mathias must have detected the scent as well because he suddenly glanced at the votary.
But Stephan shook his head in a manner suggesting he was fine and would explain after they'd reached the citadel—though truthfully, he was worried.
For someone infected with Ithrim, a nosebleed was a telling sign that the medicinal serum had finally worn off.
35
♦ ♦ ♦
“Wake up, Sunshine.”
With a tired groan, Maddox waved a hand, muttering, “Not yet.”
“Sleeping in, are you?”
“I want to, but my sire's being stubborn about letting me,” she teased. “Just a while longer, Mathias.”
“As you wish,” he conceded.
Suddenly, her eyes opened. Mathias? The last thing Maddox remembered was trying to dodge a thrown blade, and now she was hearing her sire's voice.
Taking no time to assess her surroundings, she looked up quickly to see him leaning over her with a hand on her shoulder. The moment their eyes met, his lips curled in a warm smile.
“Welcome to Sutrelle. How are you feeling?”
Maddox parted her lips to speak, but couldn't get anything out. Is this real? Was he actually here? With the questions in mind, she found herself reaching to touch Mathias' cheek to be certain, and he took her hand to squeeze in a silent gesture that proved he was both real, and happy to see her.
“Mathias!” she rasped, quickly sitting up to embrace him in a tight hug, tears streaming down her cheeks with her answer, “I'm much better now. I was so worried.”
“I know, and I'm sorry I caused so much grief,” he returned softly. “There's a lot to discuss.”
Maddox nodded, but was unable to pry herself away for several moments. Somehow, Stephan had gotten them through the gate, and she almost didn't care to ask for an explanation. But the fact that her decapitation left Stephan vulnerable to Giroux's attack had her concerned.
Eradin may have intervened, but she needed to know the truth, sitting back to ask over the matter.
“Where's Stephan?”
“He's with Wesley, Eradin, and a magician named Heliger. They wanted samples of his blood to help with the process of curing his illness.”
With that said, Mathias proceeded to explain what had happened—including the fact that Giroux was now locked away in the citadel's dungeon. Since his regeneration, the magistrate had admitted to a few offenses, such as having Stephan followed and causing his car accident in the hopes of drawing out Marla Granger to learn her true motives.
At the time, Giroux didn't suspect she was actually Maddox, believing instead that her body had been relocated by another magistrate when he discovered her empty tomb the night after Stephan revived her. He also thought Marla was actually looking for her when they met, but gave up after moving to New York and showing no further interest in Page South Cemetery's gate to Sutrelle.
Hearing this, Maddox hoped Giroux was rewarded with an extended stay in their prison, and put the matter out of her mind in favor of admiring her surroundings—which were decidedly extravagant.
The large canopy bed where she sat was covered in silk, and all of the furniture matched the ebony décor. Even more impressively, the room's double doors were adorned in ornate carvings of silver with garnet embellishments that glittered in the firelight of the nearby hearth, with the same etchings and stone inlays matching the pattern along the ceiling and mouldings.
The open doors of the balcony revealed that it was night, meaning the sun was up when they'd arrived, and Maddox was sorry she'd missed it.
Still, as she stood from the bed to step outside, the scenery was breathtaking. With mountains rising beneath the moon, the courtyard and its surrounding gardens were visible several stories below between the inner walls of the citadel, all dusted in white flakes of snow.
“I can't believe this is real,” she remarked.
Coming to stand beside her, Mathias suggested, “Wait until it's day. I put you in this room specifically so that you could see the sunrise over the mountain peaks from this balcony. Just remember to shield your eyes. Sunlight doesn't harm us here, but we're still nocturnal creatures.”
Maddox almost smiled at his advice, but a nagging curiosity over his actions kept her from doing so.
“Why didn't you tell me about this before? I know you said I needed to learn, but why keep it a secret at all?”
Leaning forward against the railing, Mathias related factually, “The Five vowed long ago to protect this place, and after banishing the vampires who started an uprising solely for the purpose of power, we knew the best way to do so was by secrecy. So we destroyed all of the natural portals save two, and built enchanted gates to contain them.”
At that, his head dipped forward regretfully. “Sadly, several vampires have now discovered one of the gates, and worse, they know you can open it, which is exactly what I'd hoped to avoid. Your home is the mortal world, Maddox, and I didn't want to tarnish it for you with knowledge of Sutrelle.”
She narrowed her gaze over the comment, asking, “Is that supposed to mean I can never leave?”
“No, it simply means that if you do, you'll have to constantly watch your back.” With a rueful sigh, he added, “It's one of the reasons I refused to turn anyone for so long.”
Maddox frowned, canting her head curiously. “Do you regret turning me?”
“No,” he answered without pause, grasping her hand while pinning her gaze with his. “That was one of the best decisions I ever made. Never doubt that.”
Finally, a smile slowly lifted her lips, and though his reassurance meant the world, she remarked playfully, “Good.”
Grinning at her retort, he mentioned, “You're still so egotistical.”
“I try,” she chuckled, squeezing his hand. “So what took you so long to get word to me?”
“Oh,” he drew out, “I forgot to mention that time flows differently here. For every day that passes in Sutrelle, three weeks go by in the mortal world.”
Astonished, Maddox echoed, “Three weeks?”
“Yes, so from my point of view, it's been a little over two days since I arrived. But both times I returned to the mortal world to seek you out, there was the matter of my being tracked and ambushed, which I know now was due to my blood being taken by Giroux's sire before I completely recovered.”
Maddox assumed as much, but the reminder of his entombment had her looking down in shame. If she'd only listened to him, and been more careful with her associations, none of this would've happened.
“I'm so sorry I caused all of this. I never meant to get you trapped, and—”
Her apology came to an abrupt stop when Mathias placed a hand on her shoulder and used the other to tilt her face up to his. The moment their eyes met, she could see that he wasn't upset, though his countenance was serious.
“You were trying to do what was right, Maddox, and the last I checked, that wasn't something to apologize for. Besides, all I truly care about is that you're safe.”
She didn't fight the tears welling in her eyes, nor did she stop herself from reaching out to hug him again. “That's all I wanted, too.”
Mathias embraced her in a tight hold, and the immense love she had for him overwhelmed her—not to mention the relief of knowing he didn't hate or blame her for what happened. Finally, they could move on, and the only issue left in the way of complete satisfaction was Stephan's illness.
At the thought, a knock came to the bedroom door.
“That must be Stephan,” Mathias pointed out, parting from their embrace. “Perhaps he has good news.”
Wiping her eyes, Maddox nodded hopefully and went back inside, calling out an invitation.
Stephan entered a moment later, and as soon as he saw that she was on her feet again, he asked, “Are you okay?”
“I'm fine,” she answered, slipping her arms around him the moment she was within reach. “What about you? Did Wesley manage to help?”
Hesitantly, Stephan returned, “Sort of.”
“What's wrong?”
Quietly, he glanced over at Mathias, who stated, “I'll find out what's going on from Wesley so you can talk alone.”
“Okay,” Maddox confirmed, waiting until the door shut behind her sire before putting her full attention on Stephan again.
“So what hap—mmph!” she began, cut off when he leaned in and captured her mouth in a kiss so desperate and affectionate that her knees buckled. His mouth repeatedly slanted over hers, his hands splayed against her back, and when she let a moan and her fangs sharpened, he only deepened it, tightening his hold.
“You scared the fuck out of me,” he murmured between kisses.
“I'm sorry,” she rasped, clutching her fingers into the back of his jacket when his tongue rubbed into hers, making it difficult to pull away. But she finally managed, and repeated her question.
“What happened with Wesley?”
Groaning as if reluctant to stop their kiss, Stephan moved to sit on the end of the bed so that he could hold her gaze evenly, keeping his arms locked around her the entire time.
“I'm just gonna give you the worst news first to get it out of the way.”
“Alright,” she nodded, bracing herself.
With a deep breath, he began, “My time's up, Maddox. The serum wore off just after we arrived, and the last time I took it was about a week ago.”
Maddox clutched his sides more tightly, reminding herself that he hadn't given her the good news yet, so this development may not be dire.
“Wesley didn't cure it?”
“No. He has a cure, but only for vampires. It turns out that his stay in Sutrelle wasn't unconditional, and Mathias made him a deal that in exchange for sanctuary, Wesley would have to create one.”
Reaching into his jacket pocket, Stephan produced two vials of dark liquid—and his next statement was unexpected.
“This is it. Two vials for each of us.”
Staring at the items, she mentioned, “But it only works for vampires?”
“Right.”
The simple response said everything she needed to know.
Stephan wanted her to turn him.
“So I'm … turning you?”
Maddox's surprise wasn't unexpected. Even Stephan hadn't anticipated Wesley's suggestion that he be turned and then cured as a vampire. Then again, he hadn't been sure what would happen when he'd joined the alchemist in his lab, and initially denied the mage's idea.
But Maddox had access to a cure now, so the prospect of infecting her was no longer a major concern, making his turning a viable option.
Sighing, Stephan placed the remedies on an ebony stand next to the bed, explaining, “The epidemic in Ithria didn't happen until after Wesley came here. So he had no idea humans could contract the disease, and he's gonna develop a new cure now with the help of a magician named Heliger who's powerful enough that even Eradin sang his praises. It shouldn't take them long, but … there's no way to know if they'll succeed in time to save my life.”
Even as he spoke, a small line of blood trailed from his nostril that he wiped away while mentioning, “I've already had a few small nosebleeds, and it's only gonna get worse. Maybe not for a day or so, but soon.”
A few tears trailed down Maddox's cheeks with a broken smile gracing her lips. “Just when I thought things were going so well,” she breathed in an attempt at humor, but it was hard to tell if she was remarking upon his illness, or the method of curing him.
“Then … you don't wanna turn me?”
Stephan thought she'd jump at the idea, and it wasn't her reluctance that confused him. Instead, he was surprised by his own sense of disappointment over the thought of her unwillingness to forge a blood bond and make him a vampire.
Still, he'd been strangely at peace with the idea ever since he realized Maddox could be cured if she took his blood. He would've eventually allowed her to turn him anyway, so what the hell was the difference? They either waited a few years, or did this now, and honestly, he'd rather get it done.
“It's not that, I just … ,” she exhaled and pressed her forehead to his. “I thought we'd have more time, and I don't like the idea of you asking me to turn you just because there's no other choice.”
Her reply offered a measure of relief, and he whispered, “I know, and I don't like the idea of letting you get infected because of it, cure or not.”
“Are you sure there's no other way? We could wait to see if Wesley finishes before you worsen.”
“We're talking days, Maddox, at most,” he explained. “Wesley and Heliger are competent, but who knows what kinds of issues they'll run into.”
At that, Maddox lifted her head and regarded him curiously, her hands sweeping across his shoulders and up to cup his cheeks with one of her thumbs brushing over his lips. “You're acting very calm about all of this. Are you really so certain it's what you want? To bind to me for eternity by blood?”
The fact that she was asking what he truly wanted had Stephan slipping his arms from around her back to grasp her hands and press a kiss to each of her palms. Following the affectionate gesture, he pulled her into his lap and remarked, “I'm more worried about you getting saddled with me.” More playfully, he added, “I've been told I'm not the most pleasant person.”
Trying to hide her smile, Maddox retorted, “I'm serious, Stephan.”
“So am I. Could you live with me?”
For several long moments, she held his gaze, eventually whispering, “The bigger question is if I could live without you, and the answer is no. I love you too much and I want you.”
Hearing those words made Stephan feel better than he ever imagined he could feel, and if that was only a small taste of the kind of bliss he might experience being bound to her, then he was eager for a blood exchange.
Besides, it wasn't just a matter of saving his own life. He also needed to make certain she was well, and that their link never caused her any trouble.
“The ironic thing is that, until I met you, I was pretty much dead already.” Holding her gaze, he added, “But now, I wanna keep going for you, because of you. So do I wanna be eternally bound by blood?”
There was only one answer he could think of that would properly express his opinion on the matter, and he gave it with all the love and sincerity he could muster.
“You bet your sweet ass I do.”
“Stephan,” Maddox breathed, leaning up to kiss him—and the contact quickly grew fierce.
Without thought, he not only reciprocated, he also turned her over onto the bed, catching her throaty moan in his mouth as his hips became wedged between her thighs.
But Maddox rasped his name between kisses, requesting, “Wait.”
With a deep breath, he lifted his head to see her smiling languidly. “Before we do anything, would you mind touring the citadel? I still haven't left this room.”
He'd almost forgotten she'd been unconscious since their arrival, and would probably want to watch the sunrise in just a few hours as well. Stephan couldn't say he wasn't eager to witness her reaction to the event either, and nodded in agreement.
“I still haven't seen it all, so you got anything specific in mind?”
“Mathias said to watch the sunrise from the balcony, so I thought we could ask him to show us around until dawn if you feel up to it.”
Stephan smirked over her eagerness. “Excited?”
“Very,” Maddox gr
inned, sitting up as he climbed off of her. “Actually,” she added sheepishly, “I may cry.”
Chuckling, Stephan kissed her, mentioning on their way out, “Don't worry. I won't tell if you don't.”
36
♦ ♦ ♦
While touring the citadel, Stephan quickly learned that his hatred for vampires was solely reserved for those in the mortal realm.
There was nothing about the society he and Maddox explored together that even remotely called to mind his previous experiences. According to Mathias, humans and elves alike comprised the population of the nearby town, living in relative harmony together with the vampires present. Some worked in the citadel, but most had average jobs, such as farming crops or running various businesses, and Stephan shuddered to think what could happen to them if vampires such as Giroux managed to gain any type of foothold in Sutrelle.
As for the citadel, they toured its gardens, libraries, the courtyard, and the rookery where several adult griffins were nesting with their young. One of the babies happily crooned while her caretaker groomed her, and Maddox was so enthralled by the sight—and nearly every other facet of the citadel—that she had to be reminded of the coming dawn so they could return to the balcony for her first sunrise in nearly four centuries.
Sadly, by that time, Stephan was starting to feel worn down, but hid it from Maddox so she could fully enjoy the experience without worrying over him.
As they waited on the balcony with the sky growing brighter, she suddenly grabbed his hand, staring at the skyline with wide, golden eyes.
“Stephan … ,” she rasped just as the sun peeked over the snowy caps, rays of light illuminating the citadel around them, causing the mosaics on the walls to glint.
Squeezing her hand where he stood at her back, Stephan nuzzled her temple and asked against her ear, “Is it what you hoped for?”
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