Dangerous Dalliances (Maxwell Investigations)

by Ibanez, Dawn

  A heavy sigh escaped Madison. “I figured there was something you were saving me for. Or, you were watching over me and thought I was entertaining.” She shook her head and turned away from him. “I never really tried to look at why anyone did anything for me.”

  Death watched how she tried to close herself off. With a wave of his hand Madison’s demon disappeared, and a scene from long ago appeared. Madison stood as a confused five-year-old in a black dress holding her mother’s hand. “This was when I knew you were special,” Death said softly.

  Sadness entered Madison’s eyes as she looked at the all-too familiar cemetery. “I don’t need to see this,” she said softly. When he ignored her, she turned her back. “I know what happened. I was there.”

  “You wanted your grandfather back so badly that at the age of five you brought him back.” Death waved his hand again and the scene disappeared. “It was the first time my magic was used with unconditional love.” When Madison looked at him, a small smile crossed his face. “You were the first woman ever to be given my magic. Necromancers before you raised the dead for power, or their own gain. Even when they said it was for love, if who they brought back was different in any way, they would spurn them.” Death walked over to Madison and gently took her face into both his hands. “That demon was all of the pain and anger you kept hidden from the world, but you are all of the warmth and love I hid away.” When she started to shake her head, he replayed her fight with Dylan. He watched the horror that crossed her face when she saw the blade cut into her neck. “Your sister believes she killed you.”

  Madison panicked as she grabbed onto Death’s cloak. “You can’t let her think that!” she screamed. When he looked at her, she pulled his face level with hers. “It will destroy her. Tell her you took me; tell her I was too far-gone and that it was the demon she killed. Dylan can’t know that I came back, even for a second.”

  “It’s too late,” Death whispered. When her knees started to give out from under her, he wrapped his arms around her. “Your sister has already been judged. She knows the mistake she made.”

  Madison slowly tried to pull herself together. Thankfully, Death stayed silent as she wrapped her arms around her body and moved away from him. “You’ve killed her,” she said in a choked voice. When his crimson eyes continued to watch her, she shook her head. “But you don’t care, do you?”

  “I care more than you realize.”

  Tears poured from her eyes as her temper snapped. “Then why tell her?” Madison asked. “I’m dead anyway. I opened the Gates to Abaddon for a petty reason. Everything we’ve tried to keep from normal humans is now out in the open. I’ve killed countless people, my family hates me, I killed my husband, scared my children. You didn’t have to tell her! You could have let me die!”

  Death lunged forward and wrapped his arms around Madison. “This is why,” he whispered in her ear. As she continued to cry, he ran his fingers through her hair. “You feel the loss of every death. You understand the consequences of your actions, or inaction. Would you have rather I stole you away when you were a child?” He sat on the floor with Madison in his lap. “If I had done that too many people would have suffered a life without you. One of which is my own son.”

  Madison pulled away from him and looked into his eyes. Her breath caught when she started to see a resemblance. “No,” she whispered in shock.

  He gave her a familiar smile and shrugged. “Just like you, I have reasons for what I do, or don’t do. I’ve come to a decision and am ready to declare your judgment.”

  Madison stayed wrapped in his arms as something in the room shifted. She gasped when she was lifted away from Death and pulled into Dylan’s strong embrace. Her hands were trembling as she touched Dylan’s hair. “Dylan?” she breathed.

  “I know you’re okay,” Dylan whispered into Madison’s ear.

  The Nephilim watched as Lily and Siobhan also stood with Madison. Death watched the way Madison slowly withdrew into herself and frowned. Before he could say anything, Conquest stepped forward and flared his wings.

  Lily gasped when she saw Barry and Jimmy holding Tina back. She also spotted Casper and Athol standing close by. She turned to Famine. “What’s going on? Why are they here?”

  “Your sentence is about to be passed. These people are here as witnesses,” War said simply.

  Conquest stepped in front of Siobhan and tilted her face to his. “Girls, you are all a conundrum,” he said honestly. “You each have different motives for doing what you have done. Each of them may be warped, but they were from the heart.” Conquest looked at Lily. “None of you needed the seals. You were all strong enough to reach our powers without them. And even with as blurred as we made the prophesies, you were able to figure out most of it.”

  Death gently pulled Madison forward and looked into her eyes. “I rule that you, Madison Maxwell-Davenport, will reside on Earth as my successor. After the changes your body has gone through, you will be referred to as an Angel of Death. But know that over time, you will also become Nephilim.”

  Madison lowered her head and nodded. When Death gave her an understanding smile, she squeezed his hand and stepped back.

  Famine looked at Lily and smiled. “I rule that you, Lilavanti Dallas, are stuck with me.” When her frantic eyes sought out Barry, Famine continued. “I will leave you on Earth as my successor. You can live happily with your Mate. Over time you will also become Nephilim.”

  Conquest looked at Siobhan for a long moment. “You have a noble heart,” he told her at last. “Not everyone would take on the Unseelie King simply to avenge their mother. I rule that you will remain on Earth as a Conduit. You will have access to my power. But I cannot grant you full status as a Nephilim.”

  She looked at Conquest and gave him a small smile. “I understand,” she replied.

  War stepped turned to Dylan with a frown on his face. Before he started to speak, Death cleared his throat. Honey colored eyes narrowed for a moment before a sigh escaped him. “You have to work on your temper,” he said in a growl. “Even though your heart was in the right place, you were blind to the outcome until it was almost too late. I rule that you will be my Conduit. I will let you access my powers to train. If you prove yourself worthy, then I will name you my successor.”

  Dylan nodded as she looked at the tall man. As much as she hated to admit it, he was right. She could have killed Madison without a thought. “That’s fair,” she said softly.

  Death stepped closer to Madison and pressed a kiss to her forehead. “Raise the boys up to be like you,” he whispered. “It won’t be easy, but they have so much potential.”

  Madison nodded before moving away from him. Her hands started shaking when Tina wrapped both of her arms around one of hers. She kept her eyes focused on the ground when she pulled away from her mother. “I can’t,” she whispered.

  Tina’s heart broke as she looked at her daughters. “I understand,” she said before moving over to Dylan.

  Famine rolled his eyes when he saw the way Barry swept Lily up in his arms. “You two are going to give me cavities,” he said sourly. When Lily laughed at him, he waved a hand through the air. “You all better return. There is quite a mess for you to clean up.”

  Siobhan frowned as she looked at Conquest. “What about the Gates?” she asked quickly. “We don’t know how to close the Gates.”

  Famine smiled at the dirty look Lily gave him. “They have been closed since we brought all of you here,” he said easily. His smile brightened when Lily’s expression went from dirty to downright nasty. “We have a responsibility you know.” He backed up a step when Lily was about to approach him.

  Barry grabbed her arms and pulled her against his chest. “Let’s just get back and figure out the mess at home,” he said softly.

  Lily sighed as Barry’s hands ghosted up and down her back. “One day I think I’m going to hit him,” she said turning away from Famine.

  Conquest held back a smile as the area around them slo
wly started to change. It appeared he and his brothers had all found reasons to check in on Earth more often. He looked to his left and saw the Metal Worker and the Siren that called them forth. As expected, both men turned and ran to the group of women.

  Death stepped back and took note of the way Madison tried to back away from everyone except Siobhan. He knew she would punish herself worse than he could ever devise, but for some reason, he hadn’t expected her to start now. He stepped forward and touched her shoulder. “I’m going to take Madison home,” he told the small crowd. “There are a few people there that she needs to see.”

  Tina nodded as she continued to watch Madison. “We’ll be by later to check on you, Sweetheart,” she said softly.

  Madison forced a smile to cross her face, but she couldn’t look at her family. “That’s fine,” she said in a small empty voice.

  Dylan went to Madison’s side and tilted her face up. She heard the chaotic thoughts running through her sister’s mind, and felt her heart break. “I don’t blame you,” she said before hugging her again.

  Madison stepped away from her sister and closer to Death. “I blame me,” she whispered before vanishing.

  Tina pressed her lips together and looked at the rest of her children. “Alright, let’s go after one thing at a time,” she said lowly. She looked at Conquest. “You said the Gates are closed, so does that mean people are still under attack?”

  War looked around and sniffed the air. “Not like before,” he said with a shake of his head. “You can all go rest for now. The demons still running loose are looking for places to hide now.” He looked at Dylan and gave her a small smile. “You’re going to have fun chasing them down. Think of it as practice.” Before Dylan could respond, he vanished.

  Conquest shook his head before turning to Athol and Siobhan. When he looked at his Conduit, a small sigh escaped him. “I will go to Abaddon and install another Unseelie King,” he said lowly. His eyebrow arched when Athol stepped forward.

  Siobhan grabbed on to her brother’s arm. “No,” she said quickly. “Don’t you dare,” she hissed.

  Athol ignored her. He looked into Conquest’s eyes and straightened. “I can take his place,” he declared.

  Conquest’s eyes narrowed for a moment. He noted the way Siobhan frantically whispered to her brother and shook his head. “You will stay where you sister can have access to you,” he decreed. “When Siobhan and Lily killed your father, they put markers on their backs. With her royal blood, Siobhan will have every demon stuck in Abaddon after her. She would never be able to see you again. So no; I will not do that to her.”

  Siobhan looked at the Nephilim. “Thank you,” she said in a whisper.

  Conquest looked at his remaining brother and nodded. “Hopefully we will see you all under better circumstances.”

  Lily looked at them and felt the oddest urge come over her. “I have a penthouse you can use,” she said quickly. When both Famine and Barry looked at her oddly, she blushed. “There’s a lot of room, and when they’re here we can be at my apartment. Really it’s usually vacant.”

  Barry felt a slow smile cross his face. Once again Lily was providing for those around her. “Yeah, just drop us a line and we’ll have everything ready for you.”

  Conquest looked at Famine and laughed at his brother’s confused expression. “Thank you, Lilavanti. We may just take you up on that offer.”

  * * * * *

  Troy looked up from his cell phone when the doorbell rang. Hours passed since he last heard from Victor, Alex or Casper. The evening news ran story after story about Demons running wild, or the fact that magic was real. Troy stood and glanced at Leigh. “Keep an eye out,” he said lowly.

  Leigh nodded before crossing the room and going to where the twins were drawing. As she sat between them, she smiled and lifted Aiden into her lap.

  Troy left the living room and frowned when a familiar scent came to his nose. Without a word, he ran to the door and threw it open. “Madison,” he whispered as he looked at his wife.

  It pained her to look at him. Tears filled Madison’s eyes as he stepped closer to her. “Everything’s over,” she said softly. When he started to nod, she wiped away the tears that started to run down her face. “I’m sorry.”

  He took her face in his hands and covered her mouth with his own. Troy pulled her close and frowned as she started shaking. “There’s nothing to forgive,” he breathed against her lips. When she started to sob, he moved to wrap her in his arms. That was when he noticed the tall man dressed in all black. “Who are you?” he asked stepping in front of Madison instead.

  She curled her hands into his shirt. “He’s a friend,” she said in a whisper.

  Death looked at the wolf and smiled. “Just making sure she made it home,” he said before disappearing.

  Troy blinked once before turning to his wife and lifting her into his arms. He pressed a kiss to her temple and carried her into the house. “I was so scared for you,” he told her.

  Madison kept her arms wrapped around his neck and fell silent. Her mind and heart were all being pulled in different directions. She wanted to be with her family, but she knew she didn’t deserve them. As things stood, she didn’t even know if anyone would accept her apology.

  Troy carried her into the living room and sat her on the sofa. He pulled away just enough to look at the twins and grab his phone. “Kayin, Aiden, Mommy’s back,” he said softly.

  Kayin jumped to his feet and ran to Madison’s side. Before she could say anything, he climbed into her lap and kissed her cheek. “It’s okay, Mommy,” he told her. He smiled when she gently ran her fingers through his hair. Kayin lifted his head and looked at his twin. “Aiden?” he questioned with a tilt of his head.

  Aiden frowned as he stood and ran out of the room without looking at Madison.

  She sighed and leaned her head on Troy’s shoulders. “It’ll take time,” she said when she saw the hurt look on Kayin’s face. “I did a lot of bad things.” Kayin looked at her and she pressed a kiss to his forehead. “Aiden can be mad at me for a while.”

  Leigh stood and went over to the family. “I’ll keep an eye on him,” she said. When both Troy and Madison nodded, she looked at Kayin and held out her hand. “Do you want to help?” she offered. When she saw the skeptical look in his eyes, she leaned forward and pressed a kiss to his hair. “Actually, you can help best by getting Mommy some of those cookies she likes. I’m sure she’ll stay right here while you get them.”

  Kayin turned to Madison and stared into her eyes for a long moment. He then moved away from her. “I’ll be right back,” he said before running to the kitchen.

  Leigh gave Madison a small nod of respect. “We’ll talk in the morning,” she said before going off to find Aiden.

  Madison moved away from Troy slightly. When she felt his frown, she folded her arms over her chest. “It may have been a mistake coming back here,” she said in a whisper.

  “The hell it was,” Troy growled. When she looked at him with wide eyes, he gently tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. “We love you. If you can’t heal with us, where can you?” he asked softly.

  She looked into his eyes for a long moment. “I was told that my body went through some changes. I’m not a mage any more. I’m a full-fledged Angel of Death now.” Madison saw the slow frown coming to his face and stood. “I could lose it again. The next time it could be worse, and there’s no coming back from worse.”

  Troy stood and wrapped her in his arms. “We’ll deal with it,” he said softly. Before she started shaking her head, he kissed her hair. “Do you know why I went with you?” he asked.

  Her arms tightened around him. “No,” she breathed against his skin.

  “I didn’t want you to think no one cared,” he confessed. When she looked up at him, he shrugged. “I knew you would come back to me. When you did, I didn’t want you to think I was angry with you, or that I didn’t trust you. I knew that you would want to close yourself off and hide
away. It would kill me if you felt like you had to hide what you did from me too.”

  Madison hid her face in his shirt as a sob escaped her. He was right. If she had her way, none of them would know anything that she did. But instead, he stood by her side and helped her, until she betrayed him. “Are you and Kayin alright?” she asked in a whisper.

  “We’re fine,” Troy said as he rubbed her back. “He healed me, then we kept him in bed until a little before dinner.” When her bloodshot eyes looked at him, he gently kissed her lips. “Everything is taken care of, Madi,” he told her. “You can let go and rest. Everything else we’ll figure out in the morning.”

  Chapter 19

  Tina’s eyes scanned her backyard as people gathered in her home. While it was crowded, she and James couldn’t hold this meeting at Dylan and Crispin’s estate. It was bad enough she was sure Victor was going to make an appearance. This was something that she would have to handle as the leader of the Council.

  If she chose to remain on the Council.

  A sigh escaped her as she turned to the four men and two other women entering the recreational room in her home. They were all mages, and they had all been kept in the dark when the horrors of the past few days occurred. The random thought that she may not have to quit crossed her mind. These six had the power to kick her out.

  One of the men, a Metal Worker by the name of Brian looked at the way James stood protectively next to his wife and frowned. “I think it is safe to assume you know what’s been going on,” he said darkly. When Tina’s lips pressed together, his breath hissed out between his teeth. “Damn it, Tina. We had a right to know. We could have prepared...”

  “Prepared what?” one of the women, Mia asked. Her heavy Bostonian accent cut through whatever he was about to say. “Even if we had advanced warning, there’s nothing saying that our Keepers wouldn’t have been slaughtered.”