Dangerous Dalliances (Maxwell Investigations)

by Ibanez, Dawn

Dori’s eyes were full of tears as she shook her head wildly. “I don’t want to leave,” she said again. She closed her eyes tightly and tried to call on her magic. “I’ll make myself see something.”

  “No.” Madison grabbed Dori by the shoulder and made her look at her. “Listen to me. Do not try to alter fate. Ever,” she ordered. “When you try, what you saw only comes out worse in the end. Promise me that you won’t try to force your visions.” Madison looked into the girl’s stunned eyes and frowned when Dori quietly reached forward and touched her cheekbone. “What?”

  “Your eyes,” Dori whispered. “I didn’t know they were brown.”

  Madison blinked as she stood and moved away from the child. “Let’s not worry about that right now,” she said lowly.

  Siobhan nodded as she looked at Dori one last time. “When all of this is over, I’ll come and see you again, Sweetheart. I promise.”

  Before Dori could do anything to stop her, Siobhan waved her hand in front of the child’s eyes. The Fae felt her own eyes filling with tears as Dori fell over asleep. “I didn’t know we were developing hearts,” she said quietly.

  “I didn’t either,” Madison said in the same tone. “Maybe between being trapped in Seals and then in us is finally taking its toll on these demons, spirits, or whatever the hell they are.”

  Siobhan nodded as she brushed Dori’s hair away from her face. “It’s possible.” She was silent for a long moment as she watched the child she had quickly grown to love. “Where are we taking her?”

  Madison walked over to Dori and lifted her into her arms. “I’m going to take her to the safest place I know,” she said simply. When Siobhan looked at her, she nodded. “She’ll be perfectly fine.”

  Siobhan looked away from Madison and grabbed her beer. Madison knew Siobhan was hurt. Dori was good for them. Madison could only hope that the girl found some way to cope with that happened to Tsukiko. She flashed them both to the one person she knew would keep the child safe.

  When Madison stepped out of her shadows, her eyebrow arched. She hadn’t expected to find Becca unconscious under thick steel blue sheets. The person she was really looking for stood up from his chair next to the bed and looked at her with hardened eyes. Madison adjusted her hold on Dori’s body and smiled at him. “Hello, Father.”

  Chapter 15

  The shadows rippled and revealed Madison standing alone with a young girl in her arms. Victor stood protectively in front of Rebecca’s prone body and regarded his foster daughter with cool eyes. “Madison,” he acknowledged. His eyes darted to the child she held before returning to her. “What brings you here?”

  Madison looked at the bed again and frowned as she looked at the small woman in it. “You turned Becca,” she said lowly. “What’s changed?” She stood silent for a long moment and smiled sadly as she brushed a kiss into Dori’s hair. “There was a time when I thought you would forgive me for anything,” she murmured.

  Victor nodded. “That was before you tried to make me have an aneurism.”

  She shook her head. “We both know that if I wanted you and James dead, you would have been.” A sigh escaped her when Victor’s eyes hardened. “I’m not here to attack you. I need someplace for Dori to be safe.”

  “So you brought her here?” Victor asked. “Why not take her to your parents? Tina is still in denial about your current state. She would welcome you both with open arms.”

  Madison walked over to the opposite side of the bed and gently laid Dori next to Becca. She brushed the child’s bangs away from her face before turning to Victor. “Because I need to open the Gates tomorrow, and she would want to stop me.”

  Victor shrugged. It pained him to watch her. From all accounts, Madison hadn’t been herself. But right now, she was more the woman he raised more than ever. “Opening the Gates into Abaddon isn’t a need, Madison.”

  She shook her head. “I remember right before my high school graduation, I stumbled upon Christine’s shrine. Crispin caught me, and he ranted about how I really didn’t have a place there. I figured if he didn’t want me, then you couldn’t want me either. That was why I ran away and ended up in that Gargoyle nest with Antonio.”

  Victor folded his arms over his chest as she looked at him with a broken smile. “He never told me why you left.”

  Madison shrugged. “I didn’t want him to. Not after Casper told me everything that happened.” She saw that Victor straightened, but pushed on. “He told me about the Succubi Queen wanting to bed you. Only you refused her because you loved your wife. She went into a rage and started a war between her subjects and yours, which is what started the hunts. One day when all of you were gone, Morrigan convinced the nearby villagers that Christine was going to lead them all to their deaths. So, they gathered in a mob and killed her.”

  Victor’s emotions were closed off as she spoke of his dead wife. “This all happened centuries ago. Why are you bringing it up now?”

  Her eyes turned from their normal cinnamon to blood red. “Because Pan is trying to bring that bitch back from her own Hell, and I want her bloody carcass at your feet,” Madison said darkly.

  His arms fell to his sides. She was starting to change in front of his eyes. Her soft skin started to become more skeletal, and her voice was slowly becoming more of a growl. “Madison, let me talk with the thing trying to control you,” he said simply. When wide cinnamon eyes looked at him, he smiled. “It is quite alright. I don’t want a fight. I just want to have a chat with Death.”

  Her eyes glowed red as a familiar smirk crossed her face. “And what makes you think I want to talk with you?” she asked in a demonic voice.

  “Because you want to know that you exist,” Victor answered. “If everyone is addressing Madison, then who is to say that you are real?”

  A low growl escaped her as she moved away from him. “What do you want? To plead with me to stop? I’ve come too far to just let myself remain trapped inside of some little girl.”

  “Madison is a powerful woman. You could have chosen worse.” Victor watched as she chuckled.

  “You are correct, I could have chosen worse. As it is now, we reached something of an agreement. If she upholds her end, she just may survive.”

  Victor’s eyes narrowed slightly. “What deals have you made?”

  She looked at him curiously. “Do you realize, everything she’s done, is for you?” she asked. “After the first time you and I met and she really started seeing what Pengfei was up to. Every move was to try and give you vengeance.”

  “Why? Christine’s death was centuries ago. Pengfei would not have been born.”

  “Wrong again,” the demon said happily. She crossed to over to the small bookcase and found a leather bound book. Before Victor could do anything, she opened it and easily found the page she was looking for. “Simply put, he lied. He’s a Necromancer, which means he can pull life from the very nature around him.” She smiled when Victor’s frown deepened. “He’s been around for nearly as long as you. He’s just been in hiding.” She turned the book around and saw a hand drawn picture of the Succubi Queen and her Mage consort. “We haven’t been able to figure out his level of involvement in Christine’s death, but he needs to die.”

  Victor looked at the picture held up to him. Morrigan was standing with her arms, legs and tail wrapped around a young Chinese man. His eyes narrowed as he saw the resemblance between the image and Pan. “He’s been killing people to keep himself younger,” he said lowly.

  “Now you get it,” Madison said before placing the book back on the shelf. As she walked around the room, Victor saw the way her form tried to shift from her natural human shape to something larger and more grotesque. “Pan and Morrigan are a small price to pay for being allowed to go home.”

  Victor’s eyebrow arched slightly. “You mean to say you have stolen my daughter’s life, made her kill a number of people, kidnap a little girl, and nearly kill her mate simply because you want to go home?”

  Crimson eyes glowed. “
Wouldn’t you?” she countered. As Victor continued to stare at her, she looked at the little girl on the bed. “It’s not like I have a home anymore,” Madison said softly. “Not after what I’ve done to Troy and the kids.” She turned to look at Victor. “Aiden hates me now. So after all of the smoke clears, I would like for you to look after him.”

  “Madison,” Victor said softly.

  “There are two Gates,” Madison confessed. “Morrigan and Pan will be at the one in Chinatown.” She shook her head when he moved toward her. “Dori can’t see beyond tomorrow. I know that can mean anything, but it could also mean that I have no future. Just make sure Troy and the kids know that I love them. And let everyone know that I’m sorry.”

  “Madison, wait,” Victor called. He barely held back a curse when she vanished from his room. His hands shook as he slowly inhaled through his nose. She was walking head first into danger, and he couldn’t help but want to protect her. Victor rubbed the back of his neck as he moved to the side of the bed where his cellphone sat. If there was a chance he could get his daughter back, he would have to make sure everyone was in the appropriate place.

  As he picked up the small device, Victor felt a pair of eyes on him. He looked over his shoulder and saw the little cherub Madison left behind. “Hello Midoriko,” he said with a slight bow.

  She returned the gesture. “Everyone calls me Dori,” she said softly. “You’re the Vampire King, aren’t you?”

  Victor smiled at the loaded question. “I turned the crown over to my son. I am the former King.”

  Dori nodded to herself. As she returned to her prone position, she wiped the tears from her eyes. “The Four Lords are going to end it all tomorrow. I’ve seen that much,” she said before falling asleep again.

  * * * * *

  Crispin watched as Dylan paced across their borrowed bedroom. After arriving at Dennis’s home and finding both Kayin and Troy sleeping peacefully, everyone thought it best to simple stay at the wolf alpha’s home. “I just received an email from Lacey. She and Antonio landed in Germany safely. She’s excited to see Claudia again,” he told his wife. “She’s also thrilled about making friends in Italy.”

  Dylan nodded as she folded her arms over her stomach. “We’re going to have to get her more fabrics. Just imagine all of the fashion tips she’ll have now,” she said lowly. When he nodded, she inhaled. “I just want all of this to be over.”

  Crispin moved from the bed and went to embrace her. “I know. But if we aren’t here to stop this madness, who will be?”

  Dylan closed her eyes as she buried her face against his neck. “I don’t want you with me tomorrow,” she said softly. She felt his body tighten and wrapped her arms around his waist. “This is Madison we’re talking about. You know that when she fights, she goes for weak spots. You’re my weak spot. You’re my weakest spot. I know she’s going to go after you first.”

  Crispin tightened his arms around her. “I love you,” he said into her hair. As she slowly relaxed in his arms, he pressed his lips into her hair again. “But think about something,” he whispered. “You’re my weakest spot too. Do you honestly think I could let you go into a situation this dangerous without being near?” He smiled sadly when she raised her head and looked into his eyes. “If the situation was reversed, could you stay behind? Or run away with Lacey?”

  Another sigh escaped Dylan as she reached up and ran her fingers through his hair. “I love you too,” she grumbled. When he started to laugh, she pressed a kiss to his lips. “But if you get hurt, I’ll never forgive you.”

  Crispin lifted her up as he kissed her again. “Same goes for you,” he breathed against her lips. He carried her to the bed, simply enjoying the feeling of Dylan in his arms. A flash of hurt crossed his eyes as he laid her back. “I need for you to be safe tomorrow, Sweetheart,” he said softly.

  Dylan caressed his face and frowned as she tried to scan his thoughts. In a moment, she knew who his thoughts were focused on. “I’ll be fine,” she said as she slowly unbuttoned his shirt. “I won’t let history repeat itself.”

  He instantly knew what she was talking about. “Her death destroyed us all,” Crispin said quietly. “Father was a shell of himself for decades. If something happened to you, I would be worse. I know I would.”

  Dylan tangled her hands in his hair again and looked into his eyes. “Let’s not worry about that,” she suggested as she kissed his neck. When he gave in to her charms, she shifted their positions so that she was on top of him. “Let’s just have tonight,” she whispered against his skin.

  Crispin lifted her hand to his lips and gently kissed her knuckles. “I think I can let you have your way with me,” he sighed.

  * * * * *

  Lily entered the room she and Barry shared and inhaled when she saw him sitting on the bed. “I thought you’d be asleep.” She walked over to the opposite side of it and sat with her back to him.

  Barry couldn’t help but smile humorlessly. “You’re going to keep avoiding me?” he asked lowly. When she turned to look at him, he reached over and brushed her hair away from her face. “You thought of something earlier, and it scared you. My guess would be that you don’t know if we would be able to get past your potential immortality. Am I right?” He laughed as her eyes widened. “I’m a cop, remember. If I couldn’t put that much together, I wouldn’t deserve my badge.”

  Lily lowered her eyes as she turned to face him. “It’s true,” she said softly. “Even if we survive this, I’ll stop aging soon. You’ll be able to hold out for a few years because of your magic, hopefully.” She ignored the way he frowned at the word hopefully and pushed on. “As selfish as it sounds, I don’t want a few decades with you, only to turn around and have to live another few centuries without you.” Her eyes were full of tears as she looked at him. “This connection between us should end now.”

  He stood and walked around the bed to where she sat. Without a word he took her face in his hands and kissed her passionately. When the tears from her eyes started to run down her face, he gently brushed them away. After a moment, Lily started to return his kiss. He lifted her against his body, relishing the way she fit perfectly against him. Barry moved away from her lips and looked into her eyes. “Do you really think that this is something that we can simply stop?” he asked before kissing her again.

  Lily gave in to his demanding kiss. She felt the way his body hardened next to hers and moaned softly. The soft sheets met her back when Barry laid her down on the bed. They pulled away from each other long enough to make short work of their clothes. When they were both completely naked, Lily opened her arms to him. “Promise me you’ll be safe tomorrow,” she breathed as he climbed over her.

  Barry tangled his hand in her hair as he kissed her passionately. He smiled at the feeling of her legs wrapping around his body. “Only if you do the same,” he said playfully. Before he could react, Barry found himself under Lily. He took a shaky breath as she trailed teasing kisses down his body.

  She moved down his body and allowed her nails to ghost over his muscles. A smile crossed her face as his body shivered. She closed her eyes as she lowered herself onto his manhood. Lily bit her lip when her powers flared. Barry’s hands were on her waist as he guided her lower on his shaft. His lips were on her neck kissing and nipping at tender skin. Once again, she was starting to feel drunk from feeding from him. She felt his magic surrounding her and at once her powers responded.

  Barry inhaled through his nose as he became bombarded with sensations that could only have come from Lily. He looked at her with clouded eyes as he felt her power pushing into him. The feeling of her body moving on top of his was intoxicating. Now she seemed to be adding her own pleasure to what he was feeling. Barry had no problem admitting he was slowly becoming addicted to her. “I love you,” he whispered. A smile crossed his face as she looked at him with glowing eyes.

  A slow blush crossed her face as his hands moved along her skin. The combination of his magic and her power made
her nerves raw and hypersensitive. Tears came to her eyes as she felt his emotions as clearly as her own. She kissed him frantically as she moved against him. Her claws scratched at his chest as she became dizzy on the duel sensations slamming into her. Lily was vaguely aware of her body shifting forms as everything became too much. She arched her back and cried out as her orgasm washed over her.

  Barry rolled over and pinned Lily under him. He could only groan and curse as his body lost control. His body shuddered over Lily’s as their combined orgasms slammed into him. “I’m sorry, Baby,” he whispered as he looked at her. He then blinked and smiled as his hands caressed soft pink toned skin.

  Lily returned his smile. “I’m fine,” she said softly. She shifted her back and frowned when she felt her wings trapped beneath her. “I shifted forms, didn’t I?”

  Barry laughed as he sat up. Unlike the last time they made love, he felt more energized than before. “I heard of making someone speak in tongues, even going bi-lingual. But shifting forms?” He caught her hand when she swung at him. “Hey, I think I’m entitled to have a big ego at the moment.” He shivered when he felt something ghost up his spine.

  Lily laughed as he eyes nearly rolled to the back of his head. “How are you feeling?” she asked softly. When he cuddled next to her, she stopped her ministrations with her tail. “Barry, did I take too much?”

  He shook his head and kissed her cheek. “No. But I do think you did something to me,” he answered. When she pulled away from him slightly, he ran his fingers through her hair. “I felt your powers pushing into me, and then my magic did something back. I think you bonded us together.” When her face started to pale, Barry kissed her nose. “You have no choice about Vegas now, Baby.”

  Lily looked up at the ceiling with a worried expression. “We can’t be bonded,” she said in a whisper. “I’ve never heard of such a thing.”

  Barry smiled and kissed her again. She groaned as he pulled her on top of him and lightly traced where her wings sprouted from her back. “Think about it,” he said softly. “Every other species has a way to lay claim to their true love. Why can’t Succubi?” he asked as he started to nibble on her neck.