Dragon Blood

Chapter 47

"Sweetie?" Madeline's worried face brought him back. "I really think you should go home. You've had way too much to drink."

He shook his head, stopping almost as quickly. "I'm just going to splash some water on my face." he muttered. "I'll be out in a minute."

She frowned. "Okay. But, please, no more alcohol tonight."

"Deal."

She stood up and walked back towards the event. It took an effort for him to get off the bench and stumble into the bathroom and into a stall where he promptly threw up every drop of alcohol. Somehow, Jager always did taste better coming up the other way.

He heard the bathroom door open. Shit, shit, shit, he swore to himself. It would not look good for the host if someone caught her son completely drunk barely an hour into the event. He stood perfectly still and quiet, hoping the person would just go away. He heard someone laugh. "Don't tell me you've passed out, man."

Maddox almost ripped the door to the stall off. He would recognize that voice anywhere, but he did not believe for a second that he was here. But there he stood. Christian Churchill leaned casually against the sink, his arms crossed over his chest and a cocky smirk plastered across his face. "What the fu-" He couldn't be seeing this. This had to be a hallucination. Church was still in the hospital with a big-ass crater in his chest! "How are you..."

"Here? Alive?" Church chuckled. "Dude, you wouldn't believe me if I told you. I have seen some crazy shit in the last two days."

Maddox leaned against the wall heavily, blocking Church from seeing his hand creeping to his waistband for his gun. Something was wrong. Really wrong. "Okay," he said slowly. "Like what? And what are you doing here?"

Church's eyes danced with excitement. "I'll show you." he looked like he could barely hold back. "You just need to come with me."

"Where?"

"I can't tell you. You have to trust me on this."

Maddox would have laughed if every hair on the back of his neck wasn't standing on end. Trust Church? He barely trusted Church before what he did to Rhia. He was rash. Impulsive. He treated the job like it was his own personal power trip. The number of times internal affairs had come to Maddox about Church was enough to make anyone think he was a rat.

Church sensed his hesitation and laughed again. "Your dad said you'd be suspicious."

Maddox's eyes narrowed further. "My father?"

"Dude, would you relax? He's not here, he's not going to show his face when the Counsel's dogs are here." He snickered at his own bad shifter joke. He glanced at his watch and straightened up sharply. "Shit, we're running out of time. Look, long-story-short; Richard and Captain Landon are a part of a government operation to study the Ancients. They want to bring us in, but we have to go... like... now."

Holy shit. He was right. He was fucking right!

"Landon's alive?"

"No, he's dead as a goddamn doornail, thanks to those bastards. Richard and I vouched for you, Maddox, don't make us look like idiots. Are you in or not?"

"I'm in."

As he said it, the entire building trembled and the lights above them flickered. "Then we've got to go. Keep up."

Church pulled open the bathroom door, leading him out to the hall. "What about my mom?" Maddox hesitated.

"It's been taken care of, let's go!"

Maddox chased after Church, praying to every and any god out there that Rhia would be safe with Nolan and Atticus.

~