Dangerous Dalliances (Maxwell Investigations) (8 page)

Madison
gently touched the girl’s face. “And you gave it to your daddy?” she asked
softly. When Dori nodded, she leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her
forehead. “You’re a good girl,” Madison praised. She stood and turned back to
the book of notes. “Did you know anything else about the seals?” she asked.

“I
used to have dreams about a crown, the dragon, a cross and a coin. I didn’t
tell my mommy or daddy. Grandfather said that too much would be changed if I
did.”

Madison
smiled at the girl.
“Second door to the right.
You can
get a shower and try to sleep. I’ll make sure you stay safe,” she promised.

Pan
frowned at the girl as she jumped to her feet and ran out of the main room.
“What are you really doing Madison?” he asked.

She
looked at him with a bored expression. “I have no army. No real allies except
Siobhan. I need knowledge.” She picked up a small legal pad and pen and quickly
wrote on it. “That little girl has more than her fair share of it.”

“So
you’re going to gather information through her and then what? Kill her? Keep
her as a pet?”

Madison
swung her hand. She growled as her nails clawed into the side of his face. “Do
not touch her,” she ordered. Her voice changed as she glared at the man her
parents had entrusted her to so long ago. “Dori is scared, and under my
protection.”

Pan
held the side of his face as he pulled the life from the plants in the
penthouse. He glared at Madison as his face started to knit together. “Are you
forgetting your place, Madison?” Pan straightened to his full height as he
slowly approached her. “Do you not realize that I am the one that taught you
how to use your magic?”

Madison
was expecting him to lash out. Her bored expression didn’t change as she
blocked and countered his grab with a punch of her own. When he stumbled back,
she frowned at him. “
You’re
forgetting
your
place, Gramps,” she said
sharply. “I’m Death. Horseman of the Apocalypse trumps teacher any day. So if I
say that child is under my protection, she is off limits.”

Pan
stood still as Madison snatched up her pad and pen. Just as she was about to
turn, Siobhan walked into the penthouse. She looked from Madison to Pan and
smiled. “Family argument?” she asked. When neither answered, her smile widened.
“Does that mean I can watch?”

Madison
turned to Siobhan. “I have a niece in my room. She’s not to be hurt. Gramps
doesn’t want her here, and so I’m ignoring him.”

Siobhan
nodded as she sat on the sofa. “Does she know anything useful?”

“Tons,”
Madison said before sitting beside her fellow Horseman. “Her mother was the
Himura Oracle. If that didn’t make her powerful enough, her father is my
brother Jimmy. Our aunt was the Maxwell Oracle. If trained right, this little
girl could learn to govern fate.”

Siobhan
slowly nodded. “Or she could rip apart the very thing that holds the human race
together.” She looked at Madison for a moment before smiling. “Either way, it’s
win/win for us. I don’t see a problem with it.”

Madison
nodded as she tapped her pen against her pad. If Jimmy had what was supposed to
be Dylan’s seal, then there was almost no way she was going to be able to get
to it.
At least not yet.
She frowned as she looked at
the words written on her paper. From what Dori said, they would have to look
for a statue and a cross. “In the morning, we’ll go looking for that cross,”
she said before circling the word.

Pan
frowned as Madison stood. “Why not go after the statue? You know your brother
has it.”

Madison’s
expression was cold as she shook her head. “You are such a disappointment,
Gramps,” she said lowly. “We aren’t going after the statue because Jimmy would
have given it to Dylan by now. To make sure it didn’t break and unleash War,
she would reinforce it. If she couldn’t do that, she could transmute an
indestructible box around it. If we want her seal, we’re going to have to push
her to break it herself.”

Pan
shook his head. “She would never do that.”

Madison
shrugged before turning to go to her room. “If I hand her Crispin’s heart, she
would.”

* *
* * *

Dylan
looked up from her laptop when the doorbell echoed through the house. She stood
as a frown crossed her face. It was Jimmy, but there was no real reason for him
to be stopping by her house so late. When she reached the hallway, her face
paled. Both Jimmy and Crispin stood in the hall. Her husband’s face was closed
off, while her brother was seething. “What happened?” she asked walking over to
them.

Jimmy
shook his head as before looking at Crispin. “Do you have any old jewels
around?” he asked.
“The older the better.”

Dylan
went to her brother’s side. “What’s going on Jimmy?” she asked. While he stayed
silent, she entered his mind. A gasp escaped her when his rage struck her. She
looked into his eyes. “Talk to me,” she requested.

“She
took my daughter,” Jimmy growled. He reached into his pocket and gave Dylan the
small statue Dori had given him. “Madison killed everything in an entire
neighborhood and took my daughter.
Probably for that.
We think that may be your seal,” he told her. When he saw Dylan’s face close
off, he growled in his throat. “I love her, but
Dyl
,
she took my baby girl.” He then looked at Crispin. “Do you have any old gems?”
he asked again.

“What
are you going to do with them?” Dylan asked dully. She knew exactly what he was
going to do, but she wanted to hear him say it.

Jimmy
looked at her. “You know that the older a gem is, the more powerful the
guardian inside of it.” He glanced at Crispin before focusing on Dylan again.
“I’m going to get my daughter back and kill Madison.”

Dylan
looked at Crispin for a long minute. He had slowly been resigning himself to
the possibility of Madison’s death, but it still wasn’t something any of them
wanted to hear. She looked out of the door and saw Barry and Casper’s cars
pulling up to her home. She scanned Casper’s mind and felt tears gather in her
eyes. With a deep breath, she wiped her eyes. She would have to be the one to
take the lead on this.

“I
need the oldest of the diamonds. After that, Jimmy can have the rest,” she said
to her husband. When he frowned at her, she held up the little statue in her
hand. She had felt the power of it humming since Jimmy placed it in her hand.
“This is one of the seals we needed to look for. I don’t want to risk
transmuting it, but I can encase it in diamond. Nothing can get to it then.”
She stepped closer to Crispin and touched his hand. “I’ll be safe.”

Crispin
swallowed before pressing a kiss to her lips. “I’ll go and get what you both
need,” he said before turning and walking deeper into the mansion.

Jimmy
paced away from Dylan as he tried to keep his temper in check. “If she’s hurt
Dori, I don’t know what I’m going to do.”

She
didn’t have any answers for him. Dylan looked at her brother. “Don’t think
about that right now. Since Madison took her, we have to work on the assumption
that she needs her. That should keep Dori out of harm’s way.”

“You
hope.”

* *
* * *

Casper
found his brother in a small room under the wine cellar. He watched silently as
Crispin opened a satchel. They both cared about Madison, but they also knew how
dangerous the woman could become. “I didn’t know you still had that,” he said
motioning to the diamond necklace Crispin uncovered.

Crispin’s
gaze remained on the piece of jewelry. “She wanted me to hold onto this until
you married,” he confessed. “It was supposed to be your bride’s something old.”
He lifted it into his hands and examined the jewels. It was already considered
a priceless work of art. Crispin looked at Casper with haunted eyes. “Will you
let me give this to Dylan?” he asked.

Casper’s
lips thinned as he looked at his brother. Out of the three Solomon children,
Crispin had always been the closest to their mother. The beautiful woman hadn’t
wanted her family to worry about her while she dealt with mortals that had been
too afraid to have Vampires in their midst. While he and Crispin had gone on a
mission for the Council, someone had gone into their father’s castle and killed
their mother. “Give it to her,” Casper said. “We need to keep her safe if we’re
going to even try to get through all of this.”

“Even if it has to end for Madison?”
Crispin
asked. Casper’s feelings had never been a secret. His life revolved around
Madison. Since his return to America, he had done everything short of moving
into her home to be a part of her life. He even formed a friendship with her
husband.

Casper
nodded slowly. “She wouldn’t want this,” he said darkly. He looked at his
brother with serious eyes. “If it comes to that, we will have to do what’s
necessary. She would kill any of us with a thought. We may have to do the
same.”

“And after?
What would
you do?”

Casper
looked at his brother for a long moment. He then nodded before turning to
leave. “What would you do, if it were Dylan?”

Sunlight
drifted into Lily’s eyes. She moaned softly as she woke and started to stretch.
Her eyes snapped open when she felt Barry’s arm draped over her waist. A
relieved sigh escaped her when she realized she still wore her pajamas, and he
was lying on top of the covers. She turned to him and couldn’t fight the smile
that crossed her face. Without thinking, she leaned over and pressed a kiss to
his lips.

A
groan escaped Barry as he tightened his arms around Lily. When he came back to
the penthouse, she had been asleep on the sofa. It had been all too easy to
lift her into his arms and carry her to her bedroom. But after he had her
tucked into bed, he couldn’t make himself leave. “Good morning,” he said before
burying his face in her neck.

She
cuddled into him. “What time did you get in last night?” she asked curiously.
“And is everything okay?” The bliss that was beginning to surround her quickly
fled when Barry turned and glared at the ceiling. “Barry, what happened?”

He
turned his head and looked at her. “Madison kidnapped Jimmy’s little girl,” he
said lowly. When Lily gasped, he shook his head and turned his attention back
to the ceiling. “She also killed everything in the surrounding neighborhood. We
have a few people trying to put a spin on things, maybe a massive gas leak. At
worse, we’ll have a Starter come in and blow the place to make it more
believable. But Jimmy’s ready to kill Madison, and from what Casper told me,
things are only going to get worse.”

Lily
sat up and looked at him. “We’ll figure
all of this
out,” she promised. She then pressed a kiss to his cheek. “After we get
dressed, we can start searching for those seals.”

Barry
sat up with her. “Jimmy had one. Dylan said it was hers.” He ran his hand over
his head and tried to clear the sleep from his eyes. “She told me that if we
find your seal, take it to her. She can transmute diamonds into a seamless box.
Then the seals would be protected from being broken.”

Lily
nodded as she pulled a teal sari out of her closet. “That sounds like a good
idea. And sometime this afternoon I want to stop by the hospital,” she said as
she turned to her chest of drawers. “Eric is awake and I want to spend some
time with him. Make sure he’s okay.”

Barry
smirked as he put the sari back in her closet and pulled out green tunic and a
pair of black leggings. When she turned around, he smiled innocently. “Just
trying to help,” he said with a shrug.

She
smiled sadly at the clothes. “Luna gave me those after she and Daddy were
caught,” she told him. “She didn’t know that I was really trying to hide my
appearance. She just thought that Daddy had horrid taste in clothes.”

Barry
lowered his eyes for a moment. “You don’t have to wear them,” he said in a whisper.
“I know you aren’t comfortable talking about Mathias and Luna.”

When
he reached for the clothes, Lily grabbed them. She looked at him for a moment
before letting a muse escape her. “If I don’t talk about him, it’s because the
last time any of you saw him, he was being a jerk. You all only know him as a
deceitful opportunist that your sister had to kill and Luna was the tragic
victim of the evil Incubus, Cord. I knew them all when they were different, and
I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.” She stepped around him and allowed a
sigh to escape her. “But you know what? I think you and Sloane are right. It’s
time for me to change, and neither Daddy nor Luna would want me to just hide
and stuff clothes in a closet.” She smiled at Barry before walking into her
private bathroom.

Barry
stood still for a moment. Lily was changing before his eyes and he couldn’t be
prouder of her. A smile crossed his face as he left her room and started for
the kitchenette. He quickly snatched up the phone and dialed for room service.
“Yes, I would like breakfast brought up to the penthouse,” he requested.

“Would
Miss Dallas like her usual?” the woman’s voice asked over the line.

Barry’s
eyes widened. “Yeah, sure,” he answered. “That would be great.” He then looked
towards Lily’s room before lowering his voice. “What is her usual?”

The
voice chuckled kindly. “Miss Dallas always orders a vegetable egg white omelet
with turkey bacon and hash browns on the side.” When Barry groaned, she
laughed. “Is there anything you would prefer sir? We can fix anything you
want.”

“Yeah,
I’ll be fine with a regular sausage omelet and some real bacon on the side.
With some coffee and maybe some tea for Lily.”

“It
will be ready within 20 minutes, sir,” the pleasant woman replied.

“Thanks,
I’ll see you then,” he said before disconnecting the call. He took a deep
breath before going over to where he left his suitcase. It was time for him to
start getting his day rolling. A shower, change of clothes and good breakfast
would go a long way in making him forget his worries. With a glance back to
Lily’s room, he shook his head and started for the stairs. If they were going
to take things slowly, he would have to give her space.

Barry
carried his bag to the second level of the penthouse and took the time to
appreciate the décor. Whoever designed it must have had Mathias in mind when
they created this space. The old world elegance was something that the deceased
man radiated. Barry found himself in the master bedroom and saw the closet
still open from the previous night. He ignored the full closet and placed his
suitcase on the bed. All he needed were his toiletries. Then he was going to
see about that shower. Hopefully everything could wait until he and Lily were
fully awake.

* *
* * *

Madison
walked into the small apartment and made her way to the single bedroom. As
expected, her foster son slept covered in sweat and his blankets around his
ankles. She expected the nightmares of what happened to his to start to fade,
but that still hadn’t happened. Crimson eyes looked around the room and
Madison’s lips tilted down in a scowl. A picture of Alex and his ex-girlfriend
Claudia sat on the nightstand. She walked over to it and slammed it face down.
Her eyes caught the way Alex’s body flinched. “Wake up,” she ordered.

Bleary
eyes opened.
“Mom?”
Alex questioned as he rolled over.
When his eyes adjusted, he jumped to his feet and wrapped his arms around
Madison. “Are you okay? Everyone’s been worried about you.” He looked her over
and frowned when he saw that her eyes were dark red instead of the brown he
remembered. “What did they do to you?” he questioned.

She
smiled at him. “You’ve always been such a good boy, Alex. Have I told you how
proud I am of you?” she asked.

He
shook his head slowly. “Not lately,” he answered. When she shrugged and started
for the front of the apartment, he moved to follow her. “Does Troy or Aunt
Dylan know that you’re here?” he asked carefully.

“Nope.”
Madison sat
on the sofa and looked at him. “I wanted to talk with you first.” She motioned
for him to sit next to her and smiled when he did as he was told. “Did they
tell you what happened to me?”

Alex
swallowed as he looked into Madison’s eyes. “They said that you were taken so
you could become one of the Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Aunt Dylan said that
she was supposed to be War, and you’re Death.”

Madison
nodded. “That sounds about right. My seal was broken, and now it’s time for
things to change.” When she saw the way his face paled, she laughed. “I’m not
here to kill you, Jailbait. I want you with me. The people that I’m working
with are powerful, but not too bright. I want thinkers on my side.”

Alex
lowered his head as he felt his heart rip in two. His former bodyguard tried to
tell him that she would try this. She would come to him and she wouldn’t be the
same woman that taught him how to talk to the dead. “What are you planning?” he
asked in a whisper.

“Are
you with me?” she asked.

Alex
licked his lips and took a shaky breath. “There was a time when I would have
followed you into Hell, blindfolded and without question.”

“And
now that time’s past?” Madison straightened as she watched him.

“What
about Rory and boys?” Alex asked in turn. “What about Troy? Do you know he’s
going crazy because you’re gone?” He paused when her eyes turned brown for a
moment. “Mom, there’s no need for any of this. You can go home and everything
will be fine.”

She
shook her head and stood. “Nothing’s going to be the same.
Ever
again.”
Her eyes glowed red with disappointment. “You know all about
that. Once certain things are out of
Pandora’s box
,
they can’t go back in. I will not go back in.”

Alex
shot to his feet and grabbed her hand. “Mom, wait!” His eyes went round as she
spun him around and slammed him into the wall. He screamed out in pain as she
pinned him with his arm behind his back. “We only want to help you.”

“I’m
fine,” she said with a growl. “It’s those that choose to stand against me that
have a problem.” He screamed again when she felt his arm dislocate. Her eyes
were dead as he fell to the floor holding his arm. “You don’t want to stand
with me, fine.” She knelt in front of him and made him look at her. Some part
of her heart screamed in pain at the look of anger in his eyes. “I don’t need
you to follow me into Hell, Alex. I’m bringing it here.”

Just
as she pulled her hand back to knock him out, Madison heard running footfalls
quickly coming down the hall. She smiled as she backed away from her foster
son. She knew who was about to come crashing into the apartment, and it would
really save her a trip if she could rattle him as well.

Troy
crashed into Alex’s apartment and stumbled to a stop when he saw Madison take a
step away from Alex. “Madison,” he breathed. He then frowned when he saw the
nearly crazed look in her eyes. “Sweetheart, what’s going on?”

She
shrugged. “I wanted Alex to help me with my plans of tearing the world apart
and he said no. I was only expressing my displeasure.” An evil smile crossed
her face as she looked at her husband. “Are you going to stand against me too?”
she asked.

Troy
kept his eyes focused on his wife. They all knew she wasn’t acting like
herself. And when he got her back, she would throw this moment in his face. He
slowly approached her. “I’d go with you anywhere, Maleficent,” he said quietly.

Madison
looked into his eyes for a long moment. “You’ll leave the kids?”

He
shrugged. “We can get them whenever we want. Until then, my mother’s got them
all.”

“And
you would help me?” she questioned. “I killed about twenty people last night,
and you would still stand behind me?”

“The
priest said through good times and bad. So yeah, you’re stuck with me.”

Madison
stepped closer to Troy and carefully wrapped her arms around his body. A smile
crossed her face when his arms wrapped around her. “Then let’s get out of
here,” she said before they vanished.

Alex
sat with wide eyes as two large men came into his room. It was easy to
recognize his former Vampire bodyguard Donald, but he couldn’t place the other
man with him. As his friend knelt over him and started to inspect his arm, Alex
looked at where Madison and Troy had stood only moments before. “This isn’t
good,” he whispered before darkness claimed him.

* *
* * *

The
morning air was crisp as she walked along the well-worn path. Ever since coming
to this city, this park seemed to draw her like a moth to a flame. Siobhan
reached a familiar park bench and sat for a moment. People were trying to get
in their morning jog passed her by. Mortal fixation with fitness always
fascinated her. But then, she never encountered a fat Fae.

Just
outside of the park’s perimeter, even more people moved around. Everyone was in
such a rush to go nowhere. They had jobs they hated, families they despised,
some lived in filth and slaved away just to make ends meet.

All
of it was going to change. Once she and Madison figured out how to open the
Gates of Hell, all of these cattle would bow at her feet. Then they would live
as she and her fellow Horsemen desired.

Something
drew her out of her musings. Siobhan tried to pin down what caught her
attention, but it was fleeting. With a small frown, she stood and left her park
bench. It was simple for her to make her way down the busy street. A few humans
stared at her, but it was something she was used to. The only difference
between these mortals and her subjects back home was that this crowd in front
of her didn’t seem to have any problem openly gaping at her.

In
no time, Siobhan found herself in front of an antique dealer’s store front. She
peeked through the glass and saw a little old man speaking with a tall dark skinned
male. Siobhan smiled as she opened the door and entered the store.

Both
men looked at her when a small bell chimed. The older man smiled as he waved
her deeper into the shop. “Good morning, I’ll be with you in one moment, Miss,”
he said pleasantly.

Siobhan
smiled in acknowledgement before taking in the appearance of the small store.
The lighting was soft and relaxed. Various pieces of art were scattered around
the walls along with figurines and clocks. She hadn’t known what to expect when
she came in here, but for some reason she was oddly at peace. At least until
the soft tones of conversation started to drift to her.