There was no sign of Dee and with each passing second Madeleine grew increasingly nervous. Brian held her close now, they swayed in time to the music and the light in the room seemed dim now.
Something made her step in a little closer to him, his hands pulled closer around her hips. Brian smiled down at her, “You seem to be getting more comfortable,” he said.
“I guess you could say that,” she let out a nervous giggle.
He ran the back of his hand down the side of her face, “I can’t believe someone as pretty as you is this nervous.”
“I work a lot,” she said, “there’s a lot of us and the hours are long but the awards are spread kind of thin.”
“Not used to the attention?” he asked.
“I’m more used to getting overlooked,” she said.
“Well tonight I think all eyes are on you,” Brian replied.
Madeleine let the contents of her lungs escape and laid her head down against Brian’s chest. She closed her eyes and for the first time since they’d started dancing she wasn’t tense. Madeleine hadn’t considered herself human for a while now. But for the first time in her life she felt wanted.
“Brian,” she started as she let her hand flatten against his chest, “Thank…”
He shook his head, “Stop right there.” They continued to dance and he brought his face close to hers and she fought back and forth in her head with the issue of pulling away or not.
Madeleine’s eyes fell closed it seemed on instinct and their lips met. Her mind raced through everything that could be wrong with this situation. But with the lengthening warm sensation on her lips the thoughts melted into nothingness and even the mission faded from her mind.
Now she threw her arms up around his neck and pulled back some, a hungry look in her eyes. Maybe it was the Patron acting on its own. But as he started to suck on her neck she twisted her head off to the side and let him.
Her hands poised in his curly hair and her chin resting on his shoulder she felt her body tingle slightly. Despite the pleasure, something told her to open her eyes.
When her sight returned she found Dee standing in front of her with a huge smile plastered on her pale face and Angel next to her in all her fashion-model style glory. Now Madeleine sighed hard, “Brian—we need to stop.”
He rose off her neck, “Was I too forward?”
“Not at all,” she said, “My friends are begging me to go.”
Brian nodded, “That’s understandable,” he said, “Can I see your phone?”
She dug down into her pocket and handed it to him, he pulled his phone out too and started the Bluetooth contact information sharing feature. She accepted it and sent hers in return, “When do you go back to Houston?”
“Tomorrow,” Brian told her, “To tell the truth I should be headed back too.”
Madeleine kissed him on the cheek, “Before I go you need to meet my friends,” she pulled him by the hand to turn around.
It was as if he knew this was them, “Nice to meet you both, ladies.”
“This is Angel and Dee,” Madeleine said, “Meet Brian.”
Angel smiled wryly, “Well hello there Brian,” said Angel, “Looks like our little Madeleine here lucked out on the dance partner draw tonight.”
He just smiled, “I know you’ve got to go Madeleine, but I’ll call you tomorrow.”
Madeleine smiled, “I’ll answer.”
He nodded to Angel and Dee and hugged Madeleine before walking off and out of the club. Almost the second he was out of earshot Dee ran up “Oh my God Madeleine—you could have so got some.”
“Jesus, must you be so crude?” asked Madeleine.
“I’m not being crude—I mean you can’t tell me that you danced with him all that time and you didn’t at least feel his…” Dee said but was cut off.
“Stop right there!” Madeleine fought to keep herself under control.
Angel pushed in between them, extending her arms out to move them apart, “Ladies…let’s not forget that if you start fighting in my club I’ll bring you both down a peg.”
It was the truth, Dee’s powers had been useless here, but for some reason Angel’s still worked.
Dee glared at her, “How come your powers still worked?”
Angel stepped out from between them, “Despite all your powers, Seraphim—you’re no God, there are limitations and even things that can stop you all together.”
Madeleine caught hold of Angel’s shoulder and she was popped in the fingers with an electric shock, “Ouch, why did you…”
“Up to my office if you want to continue this,” Angel said, “We can’t discuss these matters down here in the club.”
Dee and Madeleine nodded to each other as Angel started off through the crowds of people. The lights began to strobe as they walked and everything appeared as if it were a flipbook. They moved between the crowds of dancing people, getting bumped at basically every turn.
They made their way up to a staircase that was roped off on the side of the club. Another burly bouncer stood guard there. He waved them past as they followed Angel up the black metal staircase. The banister clanked and rocked as Dee tapped her hand on it lightly.
The door at the top of the stairs was set right into a wall with no hallway or floor around it. It opened into the club office. Angel’s office. It was a reflection of her. The décor so lavish and fancy with a padded deep maroon carpet. The curtains, the desk, all the furniture was designer.
Angel sauntered over to her desk and hopped up onto the desk crossing her slender legs over each other. With her hands pressed down into her lap she smirked wide with her gray eyes narrowed, “In here we can speak freely of course,” she dragged her hand back through her blonde waves.
Madeleine approached a slender table lined with pictures of Angel posed with celebrities, she stared down at them, “Looks like you’ve added some.”
“Yeah, that’s nice kiddo,” Angel said, “But that’s not what we’re here for.”
Dee plucked her cigarettes out from between her breasts and flipped the top of the box pulling out a slender stick and sticking it in between her lips. She placed the tip of her finger against the business end of the cigarette.
“Dammit,” she hissed, “I don’t have a lighter and my powers…”
“I got it,” Angel aimed her index finger at the cigarette and zapped the tip with a bolt of electricity until it lit.
Dee took a long drag and then exhaled.
“You’re welcome, doll.” Angel said.
“I’m sure that Dee told you why we were here already?” asked Madeleine.
“She didn’t really have to—I could have guessed that sooner or later someone would do this,” Angel said.
“Do what?” Madeleine walked back to the center of the room now.
“Go after the power of the Great Old Ones,” Angel said.
“It would seem these Old Ones are old news,” Madeleine said putting her hand against her chin. “How come it is I’ve never heard them uttered up in the Palaces?”
“Maybe no one likes to talk about their past failures?” Angel said, “Lets face it mistakes can blemish any record.”
“God doesn’t make mistakes,” Dee said in a puff of smoke.
Angel’s smirk increased in intensity, “Hm, that may be so,” she said, “But that doesn’t change the fact that we’re all in danger.”
“But what is this danger?” asked Dee, “What’s doing this?”
Angel started to pick at her nails, “If I had to guess I would say its probably Charon…”
“Charon?” Madeleine seemed confused.
Angel hopped down off her desk and heaved a sigh, “You Nephilim…it must be hard to have not lived all the Millennia we full bloods have.”
Dee slammed her hand down on the back of a chair, “It must be hard knowing God put you out of Heaven because you’re full of yourself.”
“How many times do I have to tell you, he didn’t put me out—he told me stop being so selfish or leave so I chose the latter,” she said.
Madeleine pressed her hand to her forehead, “Charon…who is he?”
Angel strolled up the room running her hands down the sides of her dress as she moved to a small table with bottles of wine and scotch lining it, “He’s a half-breed, like you—but immensely powerful, cunning and with a vengeful lust for power.”
“Power for what?” Dee asked.
“He’s got a hatred for God and Lucifer alike—I think that either of them could have easily told you who was behind all of this,” Angel said. Madeleine and Dee stared on in confusion, “What? They’re keeping you in the dark once again? Well that doesn’t surprise me.”
“We didn’t realize that it was any one person,” said Madeleine.
“The demon attacks, the bad weather, the constant wars—when Hell sneezes the whole world catches a cold, Honey,” Angel said, “The warning signs are there, Charon is trying to raise a rebellion in Hell.”
Dee gasped her hands together behind her back, “Correct me if I’m wrong,” she started, “But isn’t that how Hell came to be in the first place?”
Angel nodded, “Yeah, the exact same way.”
“So why isn’t Charon afraid he’ll just cause them to make some kind of crazy second Hell?” asked Madeleine.
“Now that I haven’t figured out yet,” Angel said, “There isn’t really anything Satan can do besides fight.”
“He doesn’t have the power to create a dimension of that magnitude,” Dee said.
Angel let out a short sigh, “Look I can’t be bothered to try and plot out what’s going to happen next for the both of you,” she pushed her hair back, “If you want my help with all of this you’re going to need to give me time and you’re also going to have to take a little trip.”
“We don’t have time for your pompous games, Angel,” Madeleine said.
The expression on Angel’s face was completely serious, “No game, I just happen to know where Amandah ran off to,” she paced across the room, “Amandah has been doing heavy work with the Council lately because there’s been something big going on—recently a small team of the American Council left bound for Moscow.”
“There’s been trouble in the Vampire Council lately?” asked Madeleine.
“It would seem there’s been a lot,” said Angel, “Although they’re so secretive that even I don’t know what kind of trouble they’re in.”
“Maybe we’ll be able to offer some help,” Dee said.
“The Vampires don’t like others meddling in their affairs,” Angel said.
Dee sighed, “You told me something about a Priest earlier, for the Great Old Ones.”
“All I could give you is a name, and right now you don’t need a name—you need a location,” Angel said, “And right now only Amandah can give you that.”
“What will you be doing?” asked Dee.
“Working my end of things,” Angel said, “I can’t just stand by let an Apocalypse happen on my watch,” she paused. “But if you’re going to go to the Council you’re going to need a wardrobe change.”
“What?” Madeleine seemed shocked.
“Come with me,” Angel gestured.
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