“How is she doing?”
“Better than I expected, but she’s still so upset. I mean, her mother just died and she’s going through all of this guilt over how she feels. I don’t expect her to get through this without a few more upsets.”
“I know how she feels, in a way. When Zara died, I felt such a mix of emotions. For so long, I didn’t care if she died. Then I found out what really happened, and I wanted her to be here for me, but it was too late. I don’t ever want it to be too late again with anybody else. You know what I mean?”
Sandy nodded. “I know what you mean. I’m struggling with that myself. Max has broached the subject of marriage.”
Grateful for the sudden change of subject, I clapped my hands together. “You two are perfect together!”
“Well, you certainly don’t have any opinions on the subject, do you?” She laughed. “I’m not sure, but he says he’d be happy to make a life with me and Jenna. We’d make quite the blended family, wouldn’t we?”
“Can I give you a piece of advice?” I asked. Without waiting for an answer, I added, “Think very carefully before you say no. Don’t lose one of the greatest things that has happened to you in a long time. He’s a good guy, Sandy. And you two make a great couple. And Jenna loves you both to pieces.”
“I’m thinking about it,” Sandy said. She gave me a little smile as she started the ignition. “And yes, he is a great guy.”
SUNSET WAS RUNNING about 6:20 in the evening at this point, and right on the dot—even before Aegis was up—I was on the phone to Essie. Shar-Shar must’ve heard the urgency in my voice, because she put me right through without trying to play gatekeeper.
“Essie, I know who our killer is. Who the vampire is. I need your help. And I guarantee, you’re going to want to help me when you hear this.”
“Oh, really?” Essie sounded intrigued. “Do you want to talk in person, or will the phone do?”
“Oh, this needs to be talked about in person, in private. As soon as Aegis is ready, we’ll be over.” I paused for a moment, then added, “This one scares me, Essie. And with good reason.”
“When the famous Mad Maudlin is scared of a vampire, then whoever he is, he’s big and bad. I’ll be here. I’ll see you in about an hour?”
“An hour it is.” I ended the call just as Aegis came through the basement door.
“Hey, love,” he said, sweeping me into his arms for a tender kiss. “How are you feeling today? How’s the vertigo?”
“I’m feeling good, the vertigo’s gone, but we have to talk. And we have to talk to Essie again, and we’re headed there within the hour.” I wrapped my arms around his neck, reveling in the feel of his body against mine. Now that the vertigo was gone, I was hungry for him. It’d been too long, and I wanted the smooth chill of his skin next to mine. “Are you interested in something quick before we go?” I gave him a crooked grin and licked my lips.
“I’m always interested in something quick with you, although I prefer stretching it out,” he said, a salacious smile on his face. He slid his hands up my back slowly, pressing against the material of my sweater. “If we are going to have any fun at all, let’s get upstairs. I think we can manage something in less than an hour. It only takes fifteen minutes to get to Essie’s.”
“I don’t think it will matter if we’re a few minutes late.” And so I took his hand, intending to lead him upstairs, but he picked me up and carried me up to the bedroom.
Chapter 12
AS WE ENTERED the bedroom, Aegis gently kicked the door shut with his foot. He carried me over to the bed, depositing me gently on the comforter and then, using his phone, switched on the stereo. A blast of music filled the room and we were surrounded by the siren songs of Shriekback and the Kills. We both liked edgy music, and sex made it even better.
I looked up at him, my blood boiling through my veins. His scent, his eyes, the feel of his hands, the silhouette of his broad chest, the low throbbing of his voice—everything about him made me hungry for his touch. I had never found a man so compelling. Not even Tom, I thought, then brushed the thought away. Why compare? Finally, with Tom, it felt like the past was the past and the present was the present, and I could focus on my relationship now without dragging him into it.
Aegis stepped back, his entire focus centered on my face as he slowly unbuckled his belt. He was wearing black jeans that cupped his ass, and a low V-neck sweater that was a brilliant cobalt blue. He was a gorgeous man, as beautiful as the god to whom he had been bound. And knowing he was a demigod, that his father was Hermes, made me wonder just how brilliant and beautiful the gods really were.
I slipped off the bed, lowering myself to my knees in front of him. “Let me do that,” I said in a husky voice, my breath heavy in my chest. I pushed his hands away and began to slowly lower his zipper, inch by inch by inch. He let out a faint moan, dropping his head back as his cock sprang to attention. I took him in my hands, pressing my lips to the tip of his shaft. He pressed forward, gently, as I tightened my lips around him. By now I was used to the chill of his skin, and sometimes when we used flavored lubricant as a toy, it was a lot like sucking on a Popsicle. Only so much sexier.
“You give great head,” he said in a throaty voice. “Don’t stop, please don’t stop.”
“I have no intention of stopping,” I said, running my tongue up and down his length. His pre-cum was salty, even though he produced no actual semen. “You taste good.”
He reached down, gently holding me by the sides of my head as he thrust harder. I began to work him faster as he slid between my lips, forcing them apart with his girth.
“Babe, would you mind tit-fucking me?” His voice was ragged now.
I knelt back, then made my way up on the bed, pulling my shirt off as I sat down. I reached back and unhooked my bra, tossing it to the side as my boobs bounced gently. He stepped toward me as I leaned forward holding my breasts together, rubbing the nipples as I formed a channel around his cock. Placing his hands on my shoulders, he began to thrust up and down as I tightened my breasts around him. I glanced down, staring at the head of his cock as it rose and fell between my breasts, licking my lips as I anticipated that lovely shaft driving itself inside me.
“I’m going to come, babe,” Aegis said with a grunt.
I leaned back, spreading my arms as he aimed his cock at my breasts, coming hard. With most men, I wasn’t particularly fond of the cum shower, but with Aegis it was different. I loved giving him pleasure, just like he loved giving me pleasure. I slowly rubbed my breasts, spreading his essence over me.
“You drive me crazy, woman,” he said, stripping off his shirt and his pants. He had to stop to take his boots off first, giving me time to undress. I had barely wiggled out of my panties when he landed on the bed next to me, hard again, and grabbed me by the waist. He laid me back, whispering, “I want to eat you out. I want to taste you. I love your smell, I love your taste. I love everything about you.”
I bent my knees, spreading my legs. Aegis slid between them, spreading my lips wide as he leaned in and began swirling his tongue against my sex. He knew how to make that tongue work, how to exert just the right pressure to drive me out of my mind. I moaned as the sex haze washed over me. All I could think about was his tongue on my clit, and how I didn’t want him to stop, how I could barely breathe. As I shifted, he pressed harder and I gave in, coming so hard that I let out a peal of laughter, throwing my head back as I reveled in the release.
Aegis joined me, barking out a low throaty laugh, and he crawled up, his eyes focused on my face. He cupped my breasts and squeezed, hard, and I let out another cry. Pain mingled with pleasure, and I growled, so hungry for him that I caught hold of his waist and pulled him down beside me. I rolled him over and straddled him, sliding down on his cock, relief spreading through me as the length of his shaft penetrated deep.
“Now I get to ride you,” I said, leaning forward. “Buck up, cowboy.”
 
; He held my waist and rose to meet my downward thrust. As he sped up—vampires had amazing speed and stamina—I raised one hand over my head in a fist and let out a loud cheer.
“Yes, that’s my stallion!” I laughed again, grinding against him. “Fuck me, bloodsucker.”
“You want fucked? I’ll give it to you good, witch.”
His eyes gleaming, he rolled me over and drove deep inside me as I wrapped my legs around him. And then one of my favorite songs came on—“Sour Cherry” by the Kills—and I lost what little reserve I had left. I began to stutter, and then let out a shriek as I came again, harder than before. Aegis continued to drive as I spiraled over the crevice, falling into an orgasm so hard it gave me a cramp in my side. Before I could ask him to pause so I could ease the spasm, he groaned again, leaning his head back as he came once more, shuddering into my arms.
As the music continued to blare, we held each other, riding the waves of our passion, creating a private little bubble in a world that was too fraught with danger.
SURPRISINGLY, WE HEADED out the door only ten minutes later than we should have. A quick shower together left us fresh and clean, and I was happy to find I could walk down the stairs by myself without getting too dizzy. But the memory of what I was facing swept over me. For a little while I had been able to forget, but now that it was dark outside and anything could be lurking in the shadows, a sudden shaft of fear struck me.
“I’ll be right back.” I ran back upstairs.
In the back of my closet was a small chest. I opened it and stared at the silver spike that lay there, gleaming softly in the light. I slowly withdrew it and the matching sheaths, one of which held my dagger. I strapped them on, one to each thigh. As I slid the dagger and the spike into place, it felt like a shadow from the past washed across me and I realized that—no matter what happened from now on—I had to let the part of myself that had been Mad Maudlin back in.
As I returned downstairs, Aegis took a quick look at my legs, and then into my face. He stood there, unafraid, and opened his arms as I snuggled deep into his embrace, cautious not to touch him with the silver. His jeans would protect him, to a degree, but I didn’t want to hurt him at all.
“I have some things to tell you, on the ride over.”
“I figured as much,” he said with a whisper. “Let’s go. And if she bitches, then she can come outside to talk to us by the car.”
ON THE DRIVE to Essie’s, I took a deep breath and told Aegis about Fata’s return. He listened in silence, until I came to the part where she had freaked out about me loving a vampire.
“She tries to stake me and she’s got a fight on her hands,” he said. He meant it. Aegis could bluster like any man, but there was an edge that came into his voice when he was serious. “I won’t have her browbeating you, either.”
“Be cautious, love,” I said. I hated to admit it, but Fata scared the hell out of me. “She’s part water elemental and, as such, has incredible strength and power. But she came to deliver a message to me. I have to be grateful for that. And that leads us to my second piece of news for the day. And why I broke out my stake and dagger. The vampire running around killing people? I know who it is.”
Aegis glanced at me, then back at the road. “Who?”
“Apparently the Arcānus Nocturni has decided I’m too much of a threat. They woke up Dracula and sent him after me.”
Aegis screeched to the side of the road, parking abruptly on the shoulder. “You’re fucking with me, right? Fucking Transylvania Dracula?” But by the shaking of his voice, it was obvious he knew I wasn’t joking.
“That would be the one.” I shook my head. “I talked to Auntie Tautau. Sandy and I went over there after Fata decided to go sightseeing. We can’t ask her to leave until it’s time, and we won’t know when that is until it happens. As for Dracula, I’m going to have to walk softly on this one. If I take him down, I’ll be killing a cultural icon, and that’s never a good thing.”
Aegis was silent for a moment. The only sound in the car was the sound of my breath. Finally, he said, “This is one of those damned if you do, damned if you don’t situations. If the Arcānus Nocturni went to the trouble of waking him up, then you’re on their radar in a really bad way. They mean business. I can guarantee you, we can’t possibly take on the entire organization. Their members are spread worldwide, hidden right out in the open. These are vampires whose lineages extend thousands of years, even before I was turned.”
My breath felt caught in my throat. I stared through the window into the darkness.
“You’re just a ray of sunshine, aren’t you?”
Aegis was right. The Arcānus Nocturni were scattered worldwide, and they were all but invincible. With the power their members had, and with no clue of how many of them existed, our best chances were to try to fly under the radar. But now, I was on their shit list.
He said nothing for a moment, then reached for my hand.
“Maddy, I’ll stand beside you. Hell, I’ll stand in front of you if you want. But we can’t just go on hope that this will blow over. We have no choice but to destroy Dracula. And yet, if you do, well…as you said, you’ll be destroying a cultural icon. One of the fathers to the vampire race. Destroying Lucifer—”
“Please, call him Luke.”
I didn’t even want to think about Lucifer. A messenger for the gods, he had gone too far out among the stars and returned with vampirism. The illness had fallen on him while he was deep in space and he carried it back. And the goddess Nyx had forced him out of the sky, throwing him down to earth much like Apollo had tossed Aegis out after turning him into one of the Fallen.
Luke had been there when we had destroyed the village in Romania. He escaped, and had tracked me down, out for revenge. But Aegis and I had prevailed, and he was dead, a pile of dust that scattered to the winds. Of course the Arcānus Nocturni wasn’t going to forgive that. He had been one of their greatest members. And I was responsible for his death.
“Whether we call him Luke or Lucifer or Lucian, the fact remains that by destroying him, both you and I cemented our places on their hit list. We had best get over to Essie’s and tell her the news.” He started the car again, shaking his head. “I suppose we owe Fata Morgana a debt of gratitude for letting you know. But it feels like we’re sandwiched between her and Dracula, and I’m not sure which one I’m most afraid of.”
“On that matter, I totally agree with you.” And still, I felt like a traitor for saying so.
AS WE EASED into Essie’s driveway, I wondered how she would take to me being armed. When I stepped out of the car, I heard a gasp from the shadows.
“Are you crazy?”
I recognized that voice. “Hey, Ruby.”
Ruby had helped Essie kidnap me at one point, and we had developed an uneasy regard for one another. I had the feeling that Ruby could easily turn out to be like Aegis—a vampire with a conscience. But as long as she lived in Essie’s nest, that wasn’t likely to happen.
I knew she felt the silver. “I’m armed because I need to be armed,” I told her. “Essie will understand when I tell her what happened. But I need to go in feeling protected. I give you my word of honor I won’t hurt anybody in there who doesn’t try to hurt me. Witches’ oath.” I held my left palm upright and tapped it with my other hand. A universal symbol among witches and those who knew them that we had given our oath.
“All right, but I don’t guarantee she’s not gonna bite my head off. After she bites yours off.” Ruby slipped out of the shadows into the floodlight that spread across the driveway. As usual, she was dressed in jeans and a turtleneck. She was tall and slim, and must have been in her thirties when she was turned. Her long hair was the color of burnished copper and she had pulled it back into a braid. Her pale skin and eyes seemed almost translucent in the brilliant floodlight.
“Well, come on. Let’s get this over with.”
I found it oddly comforting that she walked in front o
f me, seemingly unafraid. I honestly didn’t want her to fear me—at least not as long as she was on my side. If Fata could see me now, she would probably turn in disgust and run back to the waves on which she had come.
Aegis wrapped his arm through mine, tugging me closer to him. The brooding look on his face told me he was worried.
As we entered Essie’s house, I blinked. She had redecorated since the last time I was here. It had been a goth fantasy house, but now the walls were painted a pale blue, and the furniture had been changed out to New England cottage-by-the-sea. I forced myself to keep a straight face. The thought of the Vampire Queen of the Pacific Northwest living in a New England Cape Cod–style cottage seemed awfully strange.
Ruby led us into the parlor, motioning for us to sit on the navy and white print sofa. She vanished out the door after telling us to stay put, and a couple moments later, Essie entered, sans her usual guards.
“Ruby tells me that you’re wearing some very interesting weaponry.” Essie gave me a long look, her gaze fluttering to my thighs. “I see she wasn’t exaggerating.”
“You’ll understand when I tell you why we’re here. I don’t feel safe without my weapons right now.”
“Do you mean in my house in particular?”
Oh great. I had just insulted her.
“No, Essie. I do not mean just in your house. I told you on the phone that I know who the vampire is who’s been murdering people. Do you know the name Fata Morgana?”
Her eyes widened. A crimson ring formed around her irises. “Are you talking about the Fata you use to run with? I know of her. I know all about your connections with her, because I’ve looked into your background.”