Fallen Hearts

by Angela Colsin

  FALLEN HEARTS

  THE CRUCIBLE SERIES BOOK 4

  • • •

  by

  ANGELA COLSIN

  • • •

  Copyright © 2015 by Angela Colsin. All rights reserved by the author.

  Published by Angela Colsin www.acolsin.wordpress.com

  Smashwords Edition

  Cover image designed by Angela Colsin.

  This story is a work of fiction. All characters, names, places, and events are either the product of the author's imagination, or merely used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual locations, events, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  This book is not for reproduction by any party outside of the copyright holder. Transmission of this publication by any means other than the intended e-book distribution is prohibited without prior written permission from the author.

  For any questions, concerns, and/or comments, please send an email to the author at angelacolsin@gmail.com or visit her blog at www.acolsin.wordpress.com.

  • • •

  ALSO BY ANGELA COLSIN

  Blue Moon

  Light of Dawn

  Strange Brew

  TO RITA & RAE

  You guys showed up in my life almost simultaneously, and in the short time I've known you, you've both been so supportive! Rita's encouragement for me to keep going while setting an amazing example of hard work is inspirational, and Rae's reassurances while listening to me bellyaching over plot holes helped to make this story possible.

  You're both amazing women, and deserve an even bigger shout out than this dedication offers!

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Preface

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  Author's Note

  PREFACE

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  Vampires: An immortal race of undead that rouse only during the hours between dusk and dawn, feeding on living blood to survive. Mortal blood is commonly consumed, though some immortal races, such as the fae, can also provide sustenance, while draconian blood is poisonous.

  Contrary to popular belief, a vampire's heart beats when they're well-fed, though the longer they go without blood, the slower its pace becomes until it stops altogether. Should this happen, bloodlust is triggered, a normally controlled state of being for vampires where speed and strength are enhanced, as well as predatory instincts.

  In the world of the supernatural, few races are as morally ambiguous as vampires. Theirs is a society divided into factions adhering to differing ethics, making it hard to know what vampire could be trusted—if any at all. These factions are run by a number of magistrates who keep order, and additionally report to The Crucible on the behalf of all vampires in the mortal realm.

  Divinian: Collectively referred to as the Aethrene, divinians are immortal holy warriors chosen and marked by the Pantheon to serve a specific deity's cause. Their abilities vary and are largely based on the deity served, but their common focus is the protection of mortals and maintaining order.

  Divinians can also appoint a votary—mortal disciples who have vowed to serve and obey—to assist in their causes. These votaries are granted abilities beyond a normal mortal's capacity, such as quickened regeneration, speed, and strength. Over time, if a votary's devotion is unwavering, they may eventually ascend to immortality as a divinian directly serving the Pantheon.

  The Aethrene make up the body of The Crucible, the overarching Order governing the mortal realm.

  Prologue

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  King's Forest Cemetery, Southern Virginia, USA

  1943

  Dawn was fast approaching—a vampire's least favorite time of night.

  “Where is he?”

  Maddox muttered the question aloud despite being alone in a mausoleum where she'd waited for hours now. Her sire, Mathias, was usually punctual, but tonight seemed to be an exception. Or I was just too late to contact him.

  After all, even in the form of mist, a trip from Las Vegas would take time. It would also be taxing—not that Maddox didn't have a damned good reason for calling Mathias to Virginia from the west coast.

  Not long after midnight, she'd learned of a power play taking place between two vampire factions that would have several ramifications for both vampires and humans alike if something wasn't done. But her opposition was a magistrate, meaning she'd need help before taking action.

  Thankfully, Mathias was available.

  Maddox's heels clicked against the marble floor like a clock ticking away the time as she paced back and forth before a row of sarcophagi. One gloved hand twisted the peplum of her navy blue dress as the other smoothed out the rolls crowning her head. While not typically one to fret in such a way, the situation was unique, and the coming dawn didn't leave much time for an in-depth explanation.

  Besides, it'd been nearly twenty years since she'd actually seen Mathias, and her need to be presentable for her sire was one many vampires shared.

  Still, her patience was wearing thin, causing her to mutter, “Damn it all.”

  “Damn what all? Hopefully not me. It would be rather redundant.”

  Maddox quickly spun to face the entrance of the mausoleum where she spied the very vampire she'd been waiting on leaning against the wall. Finally.

  “No, damn the fact that you're late,” she retorted sternly despite her relief.

  Obviously unaffected by her scolding, Mathias canted his head and quirked a curious brow. The casual look caused Maddox's harsh expression to slowly soften into an amused smile—one he returned.

  Seeing it, she chuckled and rushed toward him, heartened when he readily embraced her in a tight hug.

  “I've missed you, Mathias.”

  “And I you,” he started. “But, as nice as that is to hear, I don't think you called me all the way from Las Vegas just to see me again. Or, I hope you didn't.”

  “No, I didn't,” she answered without hesitation, standing back from their embrace. In the process, Maddox noticed that her sire looked healthy. His thick, black hair was smoothed back beneath a trilby and tied at his nape, and his silk, pinstripe suit was as fashionable as they came.

  But most importantly, his steady heartbeat proved he was well-fed, the flow of blood it provided offering his skin a deep, golden tone as if he'd spent hours in the sun even though he hadn't seen it in more than just a few millennium.

  Yet there was no time for idle chatter over how glad she was to see him in such good condition. Instead, she continued with her explanation—or as much of one as she could offer given the time constraints.

  “It's important, but we don't have time for much detail.”

  Mathias nodded in understanding, asking, “What does the matter concern?”

  Knowing w
hat he was about to say, Maddox muttered, “It's Lillian Deavlis.”

  Just as expected, the elder vampire let a loud sigh that bordered on a groan. “I warned you about her. Factional vampires can not be trusted, Maddox.”

  “I know, save the lecture for now. What she's doing is more than even you would expect to hear about.”

  Her sire's silver eyes regarded her with quiet contemplation as he waved a hand. “Give me what detail you can now. We'll discuss it in length at dusk.”

  Nodding, Maddox spoke quickly to save time. “She has a ritual that will allow her to walk in daylight permanently. She's just searching for the needed components.”

  Hearing this, Mathias straightened his shoulders, his gaze narrowing. “Permanently? Are you absolutely certain?”

  “Yes,” Maddox answered with confidence. “I don't have physical proof, but I overheard her talking with a Kalar magistrate. She's planning to perform this ritual for several of them, which also means she's betraying the Rymid.”

  Mathias' countenance became grim just as hers had upon learning of the plan earlier that night. She'd been out on the town with Lillian, a Rymid magistrate Maddox initially met a year prior and sometimes joined for a hunt whenever they were in the same area.

  But hunting with the magistrate wasn't done out of the need for blood, or even an interest in joining her faction. Maddox had vowed to never join the ranks of any faction, believing they were unnecessarily cruel in regards to mortals.

  It was a mentality that sorely needed to change amongst vampires, and she'd found an opportunity to institute such change in her association with Lillian. If there was even a slight chance the magistrate would listen, it could inevitably make things easier for mortals and vampires alike.

  Sadly, most vampires in the mortal realm not only belonged to a faction, they liked to recruit if conditions were favorable—or kill those they believed may eventually become opposition. So any vampire leading a solitary existence had a hard time knowing who could be trusted amongst their own.

  For this reason, Maddox had taken her time coming to know Lillian, who always seemed relieved to get away from factional politics, and even treated the mortals they came into contact with well. But that didn't stop Mathias from consistently reminding Maddox to be on her guard—and it seemed his concern hadn't been misplaced.

  Her night out with the magistrate had started smoothly. They'd visited a popular club in Norfolk to drink, mingle, and dance, but through it all, Lillian seemed … preoccupied. Yet, when asked about it, the magistrate convincingly claimed that nothing was wrong and accepted an offer to dance with one of the humans who'd taken a notable interest in her.

  Not long afterward, Maddox spied Lillian on the opposing side of the dance floor—and she wasn't with the mortal. Instead, the magistrate was speaking to another man in hushed tones.

  Normally, Maddox wouldn't have cared, but Lillian's strange behavior set off some warning bells, making her curious to know if she shouldn't actually leave the club at the earliest opportunity.

  So she'd quietly followed them out of the establishment to learn what was going on—and was glad she did.

  If any vampire faction, or even only certain members of one, could walk in the sun permanently? I don't want to think of the chaos that would cause.

  “Lillian said the Rymid are none the wiser to her activities,” Maddox explained, “but she still hasn't managed to procure the final component for this ritual.”

  “Do you know what component she needs?”

  “Yes, the Kalar she was speaking with mentioned that this realm was their best bet at finding a mortal born sun fae to sacrifice.”

  “A mortal born sun fae?”

  Maddox nodded, knowing very little about the fae besides the same thing every vampire knew—their blood was nearly addicting. But she also realized that they were immortal, which made the mention of a mortal born fae confusing.

  Mathias seemed to know more however, letting a sigh of breath as he offered a sage nod. “Good. That means we have plenty of time to stop her. Mortal born fae are rare.”

  Hearing this, Maddox's shoulders sagged in relief. She'd had no idea if there was time to stop Lillian or not, and even felt a little sheepish now that she knew the truth of the matter.

  “I suppose I called you out here for nothing then.”

  Mathias smirked, “I wouldn't say for nothing. The matter still needs to be dealt with, but it can wait until evening. I'll seek out someone we'll be able to work with to get this taken care of then.”

  As he spoke, the sky outside was growing lighter in color—and warmth. Both could clearly sense the coming danger of the sun, and Maddox pointed to the row of sarcophagi at the north side of the chamber.

  “These are the empty plots I use here.”

  All vampires took the time to set up resting spots in random places in case of an emergency during travel, and King's Forest Cemetery appealed to Maddox because it was well-kept and scenic—as well as located in a remote area just outside of a small town where few people visited.

  Nodding, Mathias walked over and used his strength to shift the heavy, marble cover of one tomb to the side.

  Wasting no time, Maddox slipped in, looking up at her sire to mention, “Why did you go to Las Vegas, anyway? That seems so random.”

  Sighing, Mathias answered, “I'll have to tell you tonight. Perhaps at your mansion. I still haven't seen it.”

  The prospect made her grin. Fifteen years prior, Maddox had her own home built in upstate New York, and she nodded eagerly. “Maybe you'd stay for a few nights?”

  “I'd love to,” Mathias smiled. “Twenty years is quite a long time for a father to go without seeing his daughter, after all. Too long.”

  Such a comment was high praise, and Maddox didn't take it for granted. Two decades were actually just a drop in the bucket of Mathias' five millennium long life span—but she knew he meant every word.

  “Tonight, then?”

  “I have business to attend first, but I'll be there once it's concluded,” he promised.

  Maddox nodded, wondering if it had anything to do with his random visit to Las Vegas. The last she'd heard from him several weeks prior, he was in northeastern Africa, but last night, Mathias called her at home to say he was traveling to a hotel in Nevada on urgent business.

  Whatever his reasons, it was just fortunate Maddox knew where to reach him, and with the sun rising, she put her questions on hold.

  “Good day, Mathias.”

  “Rest well, Sunshine.”

  She chuckled at his endearment as he closed the lid, shutting her eyes to the sound of Mathias' sarcophagus being open and closed only moments later—and suddenly realized she'd forgotten just how comforting it was to have him close by. Perhaps it was childish, but Mathias was her father, and seeing him again after the years they'd spent communicating solely through letters and, more recently, by telephone, reminded her of how much she'd truly missed him.

  Now they just had to wrap up matters with Lillian, and she couldn't wait to get started, sleeping peacefully throughout the day until her senses told her that the sun was setting, waking her from a restful slumber.

  Yawning, Maddox reached up to open her sarcophagus—but the lid wouldn't budge.

  Confused, she gave another push, then another, only to find that the tomb had been sealed tight, and no amount of effort, or even turning into mist, would allow her escape. Somehow, she'd been locked inside, cut off from the rest of the world, and the horrific thought was only surpassed by her worry for Mathias.

  Was he trapped the same way?

  Whatever the answer, as Maddox screamed his name and beat her fists into the lid, deep down, she knew why this was happening.

  Lillian.

  1

  ♦ ♦ ♦

  Somewhere Outside of Charlotte, North Carolina

  65 Years Later

  The consistent beeping of a heart monitor was the most irritating sound in the world to a man who w
ished he were dead.

  But it only stopped if Stephan fell asleep, and whatever the nearby IV unit was feeding into his veins had him steadily drifting in and out of consciousness with absolutely no clue as to where he was.

  It was incredibly disorienting, and upon waking, a bandage covering his eyes blocked his vision, literally leaving him in the dark. Yet he saw no point to removing it when that would only prove beyond a doubt that he'd been blinded during his ordeal.

  So he didn't even try, and besides, it was quiet, peaceful, meaning this new environment was a million times better than where he'd been.

  Not that it was possible to escape the memories of what had happened.

  Ellen.

  Despite his senses being dulled by the drugs coursing through his body, anguish over the loss of his little sister stabbed into Stephan's heart more potently than any of the physical pain he'd endured in that vampire lair. But how did I survive it?

  He could feel tubes taped to the back of his hand while flexing his fingers against what seemed to be soft, cotton sheets. It was a solid indication that he was now in a hospital—but the last thing he remembered was an unexpected explosion in the dark of an underground chamber, an explosion he was certain had robbed him of his vision.

  Creak.

  The sound of a door opening brought his thoughts to a sudden stop. Stephan grew completely still, sensing someone drawing in close just before the crinkle of plastic his hit ears—someone was checking his IV unit.

  “You're not awake, are you?” came a woman's voice.

  Unsure it was a good idea to let anyone know of his awareness, Stephan didn't respond, and after a few moments, the … nurse? … sighed.

  “Guess not. I'll just change your bandages.”

  Hearing this, Stephan remained motionless to see what he could learn without asking, hoping the woman would continue speaking under the assumption that he was asleep. Yet, as she stepped around to his side, she remained silent while pushing up the gauze wrapped around his head to remove the pads from his eyes.