Aegis nodded. “I kept to myself, hiding in the night in the bigger cities, moving on before anybody ever figured out that the Fallen were among them.” He paused. “Tell me about Tom.”
I smiled softly, remembering.
“Tom had a voice as sweet as yours is dark. He could sing, and so we posed as wandering minstrels, staying in each village a month here, a month there, until somebody would notice that things had a way of happening around us. When you’re a witch, magic is as natural as breathing. You can’t just turn it off.”
I worried my lip. “Long story short, because the story lasted for years, one night we were out in the woods and we thought we were alone. We didn’t realize we had been followed by a group of vampires.”
Aegis froze. “Crap. I didn’t know that. What happened, Maddy?”
I closed my eyes, pausing by the fireplace as I leaned my head against the wall. The smell of fresh cedar from the boughs swagged across the wooden mantel filled my senses.
“I keep these memories locked away because they’re as fresh as they were then when I take them out to examine them. Tom and I in the woods, making magic together, weaving a spell to heal one of the village girls who reminded Tom of his niece. She would never know why her leg healed up so quickly—and her parents would attribute it to prayers. But we would know, and most important, she would live and grow strong. Life for the handicapped was usually a death sentence during those days.
“The sparkles of magic were bright that evening, brilliant and flaring around us in a silence brought about by the weight of the energy. Everything seemed suspended in a lovely haze, and then it collapsed as the vamps descended. Tom was closest to them, and they caught him. As he struggled, he screamed for me to run, to get away.
“I didn’t want to, but he summoned up every ounce of power he had and I turned to find a unicorn standing beside me, a bright Fae warrior on its back. She reached down and grabbed my arm, hauling me up with her, and we were off, vanishing into the mists. The next moment, we were in a Barrow Mound, and I curled on the floor, weeping.”
Shaking, I gulped down a deep breath, then sipped from my wine and crossed to the window, staring out into the snow.
“When they let me out, I realized that twenty years had passed by. The Fae had kept me with them that long, so that I would be safe. Oh, legends had grown up around my disappearance, but I don’t know if anybody really believed it. I cloaked up, disguising myself, and began to search for Tom. I found out that he had been turned. He was a vampire.”
Aegis rubbed his forehead. “Maddy.”
The pain I kept suppressed in a little box in my heart welled over the sides and I started to rock back and forth, holding myself, trying to push back the angry tears.
“I still loved him, even more than before because he had saved me. Tom had used every ounce of his power to summon the warrior—she owed him a favor—to make certain I escaped. Time in the Barrow moved indeterminably and when I left, it was as though only a day had passed for me. Twenty years, but to me, it felt like twenty hours. I emerged from the Barrow to find Sandy waiting for me. She told me Tom was one of the fiends, feared like few other vamps. In that moment, I truly became Mad Maudlin.”
“You hunted them down?”
“Oh, yes.” I met his gaze. “I sought them out, all right. Together with Cassandra—Sandy—and Fata Morgana, I raged through the land, seeking every vampire I could. They feared me, they whispered my name in secret. I killed so many of them, driving the plague of vampires back from the towns. Even the witch hunters gave me a wide berth, terrified to anger me. I took out my share of them, too. But the vampires? I shadowed them. Haunted them. I destroyed every one of their hiding places I could find. I drove them into the sunlight. And then, I ran wild. Sandy and Fata and I decided that we would bedevil the demons. We would make them understand what it was to fear.”
“When did you stop?” His voice was soft and I suddenly realized that, if anybody would understand what I had been through, it was Aegis.
“We found a huge nest of them—an entire village. I encircled it with flames. Then, as the sun set and the vampires began to rise, I sent the flames inward and destroyed every single vamp there. We fought, of course—there were some who got through the flames—but between the three of us, we devastated them. When I realized that my Tom had not been there—I thought he was—I broke. I had wanted to free him, and it seemed like that was the one vampire kept from me.”
I was weeping now, not wanting to face Aegis.
He quietly held out his arms. I wanted to run to him, to bury myself in his love, but the guilt overwhelmed me. I had lost my love to the vampires, and now…now I was falling for one. Mad Maudlin would have killed Aegis on sight, but I had fallen in love with him.
I let out a shuddering breath and straightened my shoulders. “That night ended my hunting days. We left the village and the three of us lost ourselves in a whirlwind of parties and booze and drugs. I did my best to sever myself from the carnage. I tried to leave my anger behind, which meant leaving my love for Tom behind. Because the pain of losing him—the horror of knowing he was still out there, killing for blood—had almost driven me out of my mind.”
“But you never really quit loving him. And you didn’t harm anyone who didn’t deserve it.”
I studied the floor. “I still love him, even though I shoved that love into a tiny corner of my heart and taped a caution sign over it. But he was vicious, he was vicious—like Rachel. He became a crazed monster. If I saw him today, as much as it hurts, I’d stake him. Because Tom turned into a fiend set on destroying others.”
“You have nothing to apologize for. You did what you needed to.”
I shrugged. “I know. And to be honest, I don’t regret my actions. I won’t be a hypocrite and wring my hands and say I’m so sorry. The only thing I truly regret was losing my Tom, and never being able to send him to rest.”
He pulled me to him, holding my shoulders gently as I looked up at him, tears streaming.
“You have to understand this about me, Aegis. I’m not ashamed of what I did. Of what I was. I hunted your kind. I killed them with glee and joy in my heart. I played judge, jury, and executioner willingly. Given the choice, I’d do it all over again. I am Mad Maudlin, and I can’t ever deny the truth of what I did. Because she’s still a part of me, like it or not.”
“Do you miss that wild ride?” A faint smile crinkled at the side of his lips. And in those words, I distinctly heard that he—too—had his own wild past.
I gave a hoarse laugh. “Not so much. And I wasn’t alone, thank gods. Sandy was with me, and Fata Morgana. They had the foresight to rein me in when it became necessary. And afterward? We partied like it was 1999.”
Aegis seemed to be digesting everything I had just thrown at him. “I’m glad you told me. We all have our baggage. We’ve all done things that aren’t so pretty.” He paused, then asked, “You remember when I told you that Apollo threw me out because I dared to love one of his servants whom he also took a shine to?”
I nodded. “Yeah, but I know that you don’t like to talk about it, so I try to leave it alone.”
He hung his head. “I wasn’t entirely truthful. Mostly, but not completely.”
“What did you do?” I looked at my glass. It was empty and I wanted more wine.
He took my glass. “Let me refill these and then I’ll tell you. I promise, it wasn’t horrible, but it wasn’t good, either.” As he headed into the kitchen, I returned to the sofa, where I curled up in the corner and stared at the flames burning in the fireplace.
It felt good, actually, to have that off my conscience. Keeping that secret from him had been weighing on me. I didn’t want him to think I was someone I wasn’t—someone with a crystal clear past. He was a vampire. I had killed his kind ruthlessly. But regardless of what he decided to do, I had been truthful with him.
Aegis handed me my glass, along with a sandwich. “I tho
ught you could use a little something to eat. It’s ham and Swiss.”
Just that small act told me that he wasn’t ready to throw in the towel on us, at least not yet. Gratefully, I accepted it, biting into the spicy mustard. “Thank you. I needed this.” Pausing to chew, I waited until he was sitting down again. “How do you feel about what I told you?”
“You mean, that you were a famous vampire hunter? That you killed scores of the Fallen?”
I nodded, holding my breath. The flames in the fireplace crackled and popped in the silence that hung between us.
Aegis caught my gaze and held it. “I’m glad you finally decided to tell me. I’ve known since I first met you and I’ve been waiting for you to talk about it. But I didn’t want to push you.”
“What?” I jerked, straightening up. “You knew?”
“Yes, love. I knew. And what you did. It wasn’t just out of revenge. You saved thousands of people from being hurt. The vampires then, they were a lot less civilized. Most of them didn’t give a damn about humans.” He paused, then reached out. “Maddy, love. I knew all about your past. That doesn’t change how I feel about you.”
I held his hands in mine, gazing into his eyes, suddenly realizing that he was accepting me—all of me. It was almost too much to take in. Feelings warred within me, and I managed to push them to the side for a moment. I had to examine them one by one, to sort through the mosh pit of emotion that was racing through me.
Swallowing, I whispered, “So, tell me your dread secrets, my love.”
He seemed to understand, because he smiled, just the corners of his lips lifting. “My turn, then. Here it is my most dreadful secret. It’s true that I fell for a servant of Apollo. And that she returned my love. I don’t know what we thought would eventually happen, but we were doing our best to keep it hidden. But Theo, a man I thought was my best friend, found out about us. I don’t know whether he was jealous, or whether he was just in a mood, because he told Apollo about us.”
I sucked in a deep breath. “Betrayal’s never easy.”
“No, it isn’t. And for a long time, his actions broke my belief in friendship. Apollo sent Astra and me into the dungeons while he decided how to punish us. I had other friends, though. One of them let me out with my promise that I’d return to my cell before Apollo found out. I snuck into Theo’s room while he slept and I killed him.” Aegis’s smile vanished. “I was willing to face Apollo’s wrath, but Theo had put Astra in danger. For that, I could never forgive him. I slit his throat while he slept.”
I had actually expected much worse. “What happened next?”
“I stood by my word and went back to my cell. The next day, Apollo turned me into one of the Fallen. He never mentioned Theo’s death. And part of my punishment was that I never found out what he did to Astra. I’ve done many cruel things since then, but I don’t take harming others lightly. Theo, however? I do not regret killing him. Sometimes, I wonder what happened to Astra. Then I think, perhaps it’s best I don’t know.”
As he fell silent, I squeezed his hand. “We’re a pair, aren’t we? Mad Maudlin and Aegis the Fallen.”
He leaned down, his lips seeking mine. “I love you, Maudlin—whether you’re mad or not. From now on, no hidden secrets. I know other parts of our lives will come up. Secrets we might not think important will come to light. But if these are the worst, then we’re weathering the storm well.” And with that, he laid me back on the sofa and began to undress me.
Chapter 8
HIS LIPS WERE soft against mine as he brushed my hair back from my face, his fingers lingering on my cheek. The flames from the fireplace brightened, the sparks crackling as they consumed the wood. My breath caught in my chest, and I shifted, allowing him to slide his hands beneath my shirt. A cool ripple raced up my spine from the chill of his fingers. I still wasn’t used to his touch, and part of me hoped I never would be. The thrill was still new and even though old loves were often the best, that vibrant sense of still being in the Getting-to-know-you phase appealed to me on so many levels. I slid my legs apart, the material of my jeans chafing at me as he nestled his hips between them. I moaned softly.
“I want to feel your skin against my fingers,” I whispered. “I want to touch you, to feel you inside me.”
“Do you want to go up to your bed?” His voice was muffled as he buried his nose in my hair, nuzzling my neck.
“No. Here, by the fire.” I didn’t want to traipse all the way upstairs. The sofa was comfortable and all I wanted was to ride him, to connect body to body, heart to heart.
He pushed himself away from me, sitting up, and began to strip off his shirt. I scrambled to my knees, yanking off my own top. As I unbuckled my jeans and stood to shimmy out of them, Aegis tossed his pants across the room, then threw several of the large sofa pillows on the floor.
Turning to me, he stood at full attention, a lascivious look spreading across his face. Oh, he was smoking, all right. One look was all it took to make my blood pulse heavily in my throat. His chest was taut, his muscles finely developed but he wasn’t too bulky. Just the right amount to fill out a muscle shirt nicely. He had a thin layer of hair on his chest and I was grateful he had never shaved it because I liked my men with a little chest hair, not all smooth and shiny. Although bald wasn’t bad…a bald scalp was one thing. A blank chest devoid of hair was another.
Shaking my thoughts away from his chest, I followed his muscled abs down toward the V of his waist, biting my lip as my gaze reached his groin. My mouth watered as I took him in, all firm and swollen, waiting for me.
“Is that all for me?” I whispered, suddenly realizing how corny I sounded. I blushed, hoping I hadn’t destroyed the mood.
“Oh, Maddy, it’s all for you. Want me to give it to you now?” His eyes were twinkling and he looked ready to laugh, but then the energy shifted and he began to stalk me around the room. I backed away, not afraid, but daring him onward.
“You want me, come and get me.”
We had played this game before, though it really wasn’t a game. He was the hunter and I was his quarry, and yet the hunter was actually the hunted.
Gaze locked with his, I slowly crept around the sofa. Aegis responded, darting around the other way. I paused as he headed toward me, then sidestepped to behind the desk, my blood racing as he grunted and shifted direction.
“You can’t get away from me,” he said, his eyes bright.
“Ah, but are you worthy to catch me?” I ducked behind the chair and around the other side as he made a lunge for me. “Come on, show me what you’re made of.”
We went on this way, cat and mouse, vampire and witch, lover and lover until I was panting, aching to feel him inside me. He was hungry, I could feel it—not for my blood but my body. As I rounded the sofa, he leapt over the top, landing in front of me. I turned to run, but he caught me in his arms, pulling me toward him, and I melted, my breasts heavy and aching for his touch. As I pressed against his chest, he swept me up in his arms and tossed me on the pillows that we had scattered in our foreplay. I leaned back on the thickest, bending my right knee and ever so slightly spreading my legs.
“Touch yourself,” he said, his voice rough.
My sex was wet and I reached down and slowly trailed my fingers over the thatch between my legs. “You mean like this?”
I fingered myself, slowly circling the raised nub of my sex, luxuriating in both the feel of my finger and the sense of him watching me. Conscious of my breasts, I began to breathe rhythmically as I picked up the pace. I raised my other knee, spreading my legs wider as I reached lower, sliding one finger inside me as I let out a little moan.
Aegis dropped to his knees, staring. I brought my other hand up to trace one of my nipples, pinching it so hard that I gasped. Closing my eyes, I focused on my body, my breath quickening as I became more aroused.
“You’re so fucking sexy, Maddy.” The hunger was thick in his voice, and I recognized it as both desire and t
hirst. Witches’ blood was an aphrodisiac to vampires, almost an intoxicant. Aegis had never drunk from me, but I knew he fought the longing.
“If I’m so sexy, what are you doing way up there?”
That did it. He dove for me, burying his head between my thighs as he pushed my hand out of the way. His tongue fluttered over my clit and I arched my back, gasping as he quickened the pace. The frantic lapping drove away all thoughts of anything but the feel of his tongue rasping against me, the roughness jolting me toward a climax that I didn’t expect so soon. I came, almost spiraling out of my body, then slammed back in as he came up between my legs to grasp one of my breasts between his lips, worrying the nipple like a dog might worry a favorite bone. He pressed his cock against me, and all I could think about was feeling him inside me.
“Fuck me, Aegis. Fuck me, now.”
As I arched up toward him, he drove himself inside me, swiveling for better position. I wrapped my legs around his back, pulling him tighter. He was thick and hard, cool as ice and the chill penetrated my body as he hunted, thrusting as deeply as he could. I squirmed beneath him, dizzy from the pleasure.
But still, I could sense what he wanted—to drink from me. To taste my blood.
“Aegis—” I started, ready to capitulate, to give him what he so very much wanted.
“No,” he whispered back, stopping inside me, holding me close. “I know what you’re going to say. Don’t even think about it. I refuse to drink from you. Maddy, I want you, all of you, but I won’t take anything from you that you aren’t ready to give. Blood is the most sacred of elixirs. It’s life force and energy. I won’t take that from you unless…until…” Pausing, he leaned down and kissed me, long and deep. He lingered on my lips, reaching up to softly caress my cheek. “Love me, Maddy. Love me and let me love you, and that’s enough.”