“Why not?”
“Who would you even call?” he asked, starting the engine—a process Maddox became fixated on.
“Kivsey gave me her number, so I could call her if needed,” she suggested almost absently, riveted when he put the jeep into gear. “This doesn't look too different from the cars I drove.”
Knowing where this was going, Stephan dictated, “You're not driving my jeep.”
Maddox grumbled in annoyance. “You're no fun.”
“Nope, so just forget about it.”
“Such a stick in the mud,” she muttered. “What if something happens and I need to drive?”
“You won't,” he returned certainly as they pulled out of the lot. “Just stick with your computer lessons for now. That's more important.”
“Yes, and Kivsey is much more open-minded when it comes to teaching, so I suppose I'll just ask her for driving details, too.”
“Whatever floats your boat.”
The vampire was now shaking her head, probably at his obstinance. But she neglected to comment on it, musing aloud instead, “I wonder how long it'll take me to learn again.”
Stephan kept his gaze on the road, but was also curious over the same thing. Maddox certainly seemed inquisitive enough to seek her answers with fervor, just as she was so eager to learn of her sire's fate.
The thought prompted him to ask, “So Mathias is pretty old, right?”
“So old he doesn't remember his earlier life,” Maddox replied. “Or he says he doesn't. He may have simply wanted to keep me from asking too many questions.”
“Why? You think he's ashamed of something?”
“Possibly, or he just wanted to protect me. Being one of The Five made it difficult for Mathias to decide to turn me to begin with. I could be used against him if anyone learned the truth, and he didn't even tell me he was one of them until we'd been together for about a century.”
That sounded like a reasonable precaution, prompting Stephan to ask, “Then why did he turn you?”
“Honestly? I think he was just incredibly lonely. He'd refused to turn anyone for so long because he feared what an enemy might do if they learned someone actually held meaning to him.” Following her answer, she smiled and qualified, “It also helps that I'm very charming.”
Yet again, Stephan found himself hiding a smile, agreeing with her assessment completely. There was no denying she had charisma—and it was exasperating.
Of all the people he'd met since joining The Bastion, only a handful occasionally made him feel like smiling. But a vampire almost had him doing so regularly.
Furthermore, Maddox was painting vampires in an entirely new light, or proving that some of them had at least a sliver of integrity. For instance, he could understand Mathias' reasoning for keeping such a secret from his daughter all too well, but Maddox made the story sound so … normal, like the problems were equivalent to that of any human family, simply with a supernatural twist.
So fucking weird.
Stephan just hoped their family bond was a strong one, otherwise this trip could've been for nothing.
“You think your charm will convince him to help find Lillian?” he asked curiously.
“You think he'd have to actually be convinced?”
“Maybe not. I'm just skeptical about such an old vampire agreeing to help a mortal organization, even if his daughter's in on it.”
“True,” she conceded. “Mathias may want to take matters into his own hands. But he could also offer help as a thank you for freeing the both of us.”
If the majority of vampires Stephan had ever run into actually cared to show gratitude, it would've been easier to believe her. But questioning it now was pointless. They'd both have their answers soon enough—saying they even found Mathias at all.
As if on cue, Maddox chose that moment to ask, “South Carolina?”
She sounded confused, and he glanced over to see her looking through the window at a passing sign displaying the state as being fifteen miles away. “What's wrong?”
“Shouldn't you be heading north?”
“No, Page South Cemetery is in Georgia.”
As soon as the words were out of his mouth, Maddox narrowed her brows, asking, “You found me in Georgia?” At his nod, she shook her head. “Mathias and I went to rest in Virginia. King's Forest Cemetery.”
Now it was Stephan's turn to be confused—but his bewilderment soon faded as he suggested, “Lillian moved you.”
Sighing, Maddox slouched back in her seat. “Great. That makes it even less likely that we'll find Mathias.”
The tone of her voice caused him to inquire, “But you still wanna go?”
“Yes. I know it's farfetched, but I can't leave any stones unturned.”
Stephan honestly couldn't blame her. If she'd been moved, why not Mathias? Of course, the ancient vampire could've been relocated to the other side of the world entirely, and if so, there was no way he'd be able to help search for Lillian because they'd have to actually find her before having a single clue about where to look.
The thought made him grumble. Just like all matters concerning vampires, things were proving to be needlessly complicated.
But Stephan guessed that just meant they were right on track.
13
♦ ♦ ♦
Page South Cemetery certainly wasn't a pinnacle of the civilized world.
Even the dead laid to rest there were probably complaining about the accommodations. Whoever was tasked with keeping the cemetery maintained must have forgotten the graveyard existed. Some headstones were broken or overgrown with foliage, and the pathways were dotted with litter, much unlike the well-kept cemetery where Maddox had gone to rest seventy years prior.
Following Stephan as he led the way to where she'd been entombed, she mused aloud, “I wonder why Lillian brought me here.”
“Maybe she had to perform that ritual you mentioned somewhere remote, and wanted to wake you up once it was done to gloat while you burned.”
That was definitely possible—saying Lillian hadn't already accomplished the ritual before she'd potentially died. Maddox also wondered if that ritual was the very reason she'd been killed. Perhaps someone learned of her plans and successfully prevented her from gaining such power, or a random enemy just got lucky enough to pick her off.
But of all the feasible scenarios she could think of, none were more satisfying than the thought that the ritual itself hadn't worked, causing Lillian to fry the moment the sun rose. Oh, if only!
Maddox grinned at the thought. Such a fate would've been completely poetic, though she didn't have the time to really enjoy it before Stephan asked a question.
“So tell me something. When you found out about this ritual, did you ask Lillian to join in on it?”
Quirking a brow, she answered without pause, “No.”
“Why not?”
“Why would I?”
Stephan sent her a look that said she should know why.
Exhaling low, Maddox expounded on her answer. “Of course I'd like to walk in the sunlight again, Stephan. But I don't know everything her ritual involved, nor would I need the headache of having such an ability.”
“Headache?”
“Yes, just think about it. A vampire who could walk in daylight? If I didn't keep it a secret, I'd be swarmed with assassins, or mercenaries trying to abduct me for an interrogation about how it was accomplished. So no, it wouldn't be worth it. I'm quite happy moonbathing, thank you.”
As they neared an old mausoleum up ahead on their path, Stephan silently conceded the point by inclining his head. It was questionable whether or not he actually believed her claim, but Maddox was thankful he didn't simply dismiss it because he thought all vampires would jump at such an opportunity.
Nevertheless, such thoughts came to a halt the moment they entered the old, rundown burial chamber.
The place was a mess. Tombs had been torn open with marble coverings laying on the floor in pieces—and it se
emed the culprit was still present as the sound of a crash suddenly emanated from the main chamber at the opposing end of the hall.
Maddox peered down the darkened corridor silently while Stephan grabbed the shotgun hidden inside his coat to have ready. Whoever was there didn't sound entirely happy because a masculine growl echoed not long after the crash.
Focusing her full attention on the larger chamber beyond the connecting hallway from which the sounds were emanating, Maddox warily moved forward. But she and Stephan only took a few steps inside before an unfamiliar man appeared at the opposing end of the corridor.
He was well-dressed in a black suit and tie, and his dirty blond hair was neatly slicked back across his head. But more importantly, Maddox could tell from the scent of his blood that he was a vampire. Oh boy. This should be interesting.
The fact that he'd apparently been opening graves made Maddox wonder if he was actually looking for her, or even Mathias. But whatever the reason for his visit, he didn't seem to be perturbed by their presence as, upon spying them, he offered a casual greeting complete with a French accent.
“How surprising. I didn't think this graveyard received many visitors.”
Maddox exchanged a considerate gaze with Stephan, and decided to converse with the man just to see what he had to say before making any judgments. “Neither did we. It's rather rundown, wouldn't you say?”
“Indeed,” the stranger returned. “May I ask what brings you here?”
“You may, but we're not inclined to answer without a proper introduction.”
“Ah, where are my manners?” he began, walking toward them. “My name is Antoine Giroux. I'm a magistrate of the Kalar, investigating the disappearance of several of my faction mates, also magistrates.”
Coming to a stop about five feet from where they stood, the vampire looked both of them over and added, “There's much evidence suggesting they convened in this graveyard a few nights ago, and there's quite a bit of ash surrounding the sarcophagus ahead.”
“Here?” she asked, genuinely surprised. Just a few nights ago, Kalar magistrates had gathered in the same cemetery where Lillian moved Maddox's coffin?
Were they here because she'd planned to perform the ritual for them? It was too convenient to think otherwise, and if those magistrates had disappeared, did that mean Ignacio was telling the truth about Lillian's death after all?
Whatever the case might prove to be, Giroux had torn the place apart looking for his own answers, and their presence probably looked incredibly suspicious to the magistrate.
Still, Maddox maintained an air of civility. You always catch more flies with sugar. “This seems like an awfully strange place for them to come at random. Do you know if there was a motive?”
“That is what I was trying to discern when you arrived.”
“I see,” Maddox returned, then decided to introduce herself—albeit with an old pseudonym. “I'm Marla Granger, and this is Pete, my … ,” trailing, she coquettishly suggested, “friend.”
Giroux offered a pleasant smile, going so far as to take her hand and place a kiss to the back of her knuckles. “A pleasure.” To Stephan, he added, “You're lucky to have such a beautiful mistress.”
Maddox could only imagine Stephan taking exception to such an assumption, but surprisingly, he played along. “Luckiest bastard you've ever met.”
Giroux must have found his commentary amusing, or he was simply humoring them, because he grinned and remarked, “Indeed. It's not every day I envy a mortal. So, Miss Granger, why have you come here? Official business?”
“No, it's personal,” Maddox answered honestly. “We're looking for someone, a non-factional vampire we heard was using this cemetery as a resting spot. But we knew nothing of any meetings taking place here, so I'm afraid I can't offer anything to your search.”
Giroux only looked partly convinced, suggesting, “Perhaps this person you seek is responsible for what happened? Or knows who is?”
“I wouldn't dismiss the possibility. How many magistrates were involved?”
“Eleven. So as you can imagine, I'm very interested in knowing how such a large group was overcome.”
This just keeps getting better. Now Maddox was convinced that Lillian had tried to perform the ritual here. The promise of walking in daylight permanently was the only thing that could draw so many magistrates to such a random cemetery—it was just a question of who, or what, had stopped them. Mathias?
It was possible that her sire had killed them if Ignacio was telling the truth. But at that moment, the truth behind his involvement didn't matter as much as the fact that Giroux probably believed whoever Maddox came to find was responsible, and may try to detain them for questioning.
Furthermore, the magistrate likely had a few friends in hiding nearby, which left her and Stephan in a precarious position.
Yet, as she was preparing for the worst, Giroux straightened his tie and inclined his head, stating his intentions to leave.
“Now if you'll excuse me, other matters call my attention. So I wish you the best of luck in finding your friend. Though … as you can see,” he added with a brief glance around the mausoleum, “I've already checked and found no traces that anyone, vampire or other, has been hiding in this cemetery. Adieu.”
Naturally, Maddox felt an overwhelming sense of doubt over his sincerity. Factional vampires never left things at such a simplistic state, particularly not with the death of so many magistrates involved. That was a slight no faction would endure without retaliation, meaning that if Giroux was leaving, he was very likely planning to follow them.
So allowing him to go was out of the question—at least, not without gaining some type of edge—and when he started to move, Maddox acted quickly.
Using a technique Mathias taught her, she discreetly allowed her left hand to phase into mist and pass through Giroux's coat pocket as he walked by. Not all vampires knew how to make just a single part of their body change into that form, but she was fortunate to have a sire with some very obscure tricks up his sleeve.
As her hand passed through, she searched for whatever objects were present to snag, enveloping a rectangular shaped item that felt decidedly like a wallet. Because it was inanimate, she had no trouble seizing it, and the wallet turned into mist with her appendage and passed through Giroux's clothing completely.
The magistrate was none the wiser.
With her hand reforming as he walked away, she clasped both together behind her back, discreetly slipping the flat item into her pants' pocket while turning to watch as Giroux exited the mausoleum. Outside, a mist was building up, meaning she'd been right all along—the magistrate hadn't come to Page South alone.
The waiting cloud consumed Giroux's image, then drifted from sight, leaving the area completely devoid of people.
As soon as they were alone, Stephan pointed out, “You know he's just gonna come back to bite us in the ass, don't you?”
“Perhaps,” Maddox conceded, knowing better than to mention anything more when there was a good chance that someone was eavesdropping. “Just help me check these chambers to be certain so we can go.”
With a nod, Stephan did as she asked, joining her to have a look at the main chamber of the mausoleum where they realized that whatever lies Giroux might've told them, he was honest when he said he'd checked the place thoroughly. There wasn't a single tomb that hadn't been opened, and strangely enough, all of them were empty.
It seemed the cemetery was just as devoid of the dead as it was of the living, and the only tomb that remained closed was a sarcophagus at the center of the chamber.
As they approached it, Stephan mused aloud, “Why didn't he open this?”
Maddox shrugged, grasping the heavy marble lid in an attempt to push it aside, but it wouldn't budge. That's when she realized the lid wasn't actually a lid, nor was this a true sarcophagus. Instead, it was just a large piece of granite with decorative carvings on the top surrounding the bust of a woman's face.
&nbs
p; Stephan echoed Maddox's thoughts aloud. “I don't think this is actually a grave. The whole cemetery looks like nothing but a set up.”
“I agree. Some faction probably built it to have a safe place to sleep, and this sarcophagus is just a prop added for realism.”
Such things weren't uncommon, and explained why Page South was abandoned—the vampires who'd used it were likely dead now, or had simply moved on.
But Maddox was less focused on that, and more concerned about Mathias. It was disappointing not to find him, but things weren't entirely hopeless. Lillian may have left him in King's Forest Cemetery, or released him like Ignacio said.
Perhaps he'd even been the one to stop her at this very graveyard, never knowing his daughter was sealed in one of the compartments nearby—which could also explain why he never freed her.
Either way, it was something to ponder, and Maddox silently lifted a hand to wave Stephan along, thinking it was a much better idea if they spoke further on the matter in his jeep to keep unwanted ears from overhearing their conversation.
Stephan didn't hesitate, exiting the cemetery with her to return to the side of the rural road where he'd parked his vehicle.
Once they were both inside, Maddox remarked, “Whatever this place was for, it's clear something happened here a few days ago. The only question we need answered is whether or not it involved Lillian or Mathias.”
“Doesn't seem to be much of a chance of that.”
“Why not?”
“Lillian's a Rymid,” Stephan explained. “So why would she be with Kalar magistrates?”
“Oh! I never told you, did I?”
“Never told me what?”
Turning sideways in the passenger's seat, she answered, “When I overheard Lillian speaking of her plans in 1943, she was conversing with a Kalar magistrate. My best guess is that she was offering the ritual as a form of alliance, or she'd lost faith in the Rymid. Either way, it's a solid tie. Lillian brought me here of all places, and she was conspiring with the Kalar seventy years ago. Now we find out a group of them was killed here? It can't all be a coincidence.”
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