Ravi the Succubus: Maddox

Chapter 2: Reunion

May, 2006

No! Impossible!

Ravi was smiling down at him bedside.

Maddox threw off the covers, sprang from the bed and retreated from her. He hated how high-pitched his voice sounded as he mewled, "You said I was free! You let me go, damn you!"

Ravi sighed, "I know, but I missed you."

"What? You missed me?"

She nodded. There was a shy smile on her face.

Ravi was dressed in a light clinging yellow tank top and tiny black shorts. Her sneakers were light yellow as she came around the bed toward him. Her choker was black lacy fabric and she was wearing a silver bracelet and dangling silver earrings. As usual, she looked amazing.

Maddox was trapped. He thought about grabbing for the firearm in the top draw of the nightstand but trying to shoot her probably wouldn't do him any good.

Ravi stopped a few feet away from him. Her large eyes were calm. She actually appeared happy to see him. Maddox stared at Ravi in disbelief. He had convinced himself that he was finally rid of her. Yet here she was. It was like a nightmare from which he couldn't wake up.

Ravi smiled sweetly, "Aren't you gonna give me a hug?"

Maddox shook his head.

She looked hurt, "Not even a handshake?" Ravi extended her hand toward him.

He recoiled from her, upsetting the lamp on the nightstand, "Stay the fuck away from me!"

Ravi pouted.

Maddox tried to keep his voice low, "You let me go. We had a deal!"

"Yes. You're right."

He didn't care why she was back, he just wanted her to leave him alone, "Then what the fuck are you doing here? I won't be your slave again. You might as well just kill me."

Ravi's voice was small and whiny, "I'm not here to scare you or to take you back into my custody. I just wanted to see you."

Maddox wasn't phased, "Okay. Fine. You saw me, now please leave."

Ravi sighed, "No."

Despite his efforts, Maddox's voice rose with frustration, "No?"

"No," Ravi played with her hair, "I want to visit with you. Friendly like. I promise not to touch you or try to seduce you. I just want to spend some time with you."

Maddox couldn't believe what he was hearing and he didn't hold back, "You think that after all the shit you put me through that I want to spend time with you? You humiliated me! You made me do things that were shameful and emasculating!"

Ravi put her hands behind her back and looked down at the floor, "I was only cruel to you because you pissed me off. I treated you badly to punish you. Normally, I would never treat anyone so terribly but at the time, you deserved it."

"And now we're even. I don't want anything to do with you."

Ravi frowned at him, "I let you live. I spared your life. You owed me for spying on me and trying to expose me. I was punishing you so that eventually I could forgive you and it worked. I'm not mad at you anymore. I won't ever mistreat you again, okay?"

Maddox didn't believe a word she was saying but he didn't have much choice in the matter, "Fine."

"I just want to be friends."

"How do I know I can trust you?"

"I never lie."

"Fine."

Ravi smiled at him, "You are positively adorable when you sleep."

He sighed, "Thanks, I guess."

Ravi turned and walked toward his bedroom door. Her legs and rear looked amazing in the tiny black shorts, "I've never been to Tucson before. Will you show me around?"

Maddox shrugged, "I guess so."

"Why so glum? Let's have a good time. This time its my treat."

"I'm not really in the mood. I'm still recuperating from your abuse."

Ravi gave him a sad face, "Aw poor baby. Was I too mean to you?"

Maddox nodded.

Ravi walked over to him and gave him a warm tight hug around his waist. She felt and smelled great. "I'm sorry," She muttered, "I really am."

Maddox wrapped his arms around her slender shoulders, "Its okay. I forgive you. Sorry for spying on you."

Her voice was muffled against his chest, "Its okay. I told you, I'm not mad at you anymore. I'll never mistreat you again. In fact, I'll be the best friend you've ever had."

Their embrace lasted a few seconds then he said, "Where do you want to go first?"

There wasn't much opened on a Sunday but they still managed to see Old Tucson. The old western themed park was packed full of old movie sets, eateries, a stage coach, a replica of a Native American village, a place to pan for gold, a train ride, several saloons and of course, gift shops. Ravi seemed delighted at the historical site. The other patrons spent as much time admiring Ravi's beauty as they did everything else. Ravi was definitely eye-catching. She seemed oblivious to their attention. After they had spent hours enjoying themselves, Maddox was hungry. He said, "I know you don't eat or drink but you frequent restaurants and grills. Why is that?"

Ravi grinned at him, "I like the way food smells."

"What happens if you actually consume food?"

She sighed, "I get nauseous and throw it up."

Maddox was sympathetic, "So you can only feed through sex."

Ravi said, "Its not so bad, is it?"

They dined at a restaurant near downtown, Ravi sat close to him and pretended to eat off his plate as if they were lovers. Afterwards, she wanted to go out to a bar so he took her to a small establishment called The Well. It was still early in the evening around 730pm. The sun was just setting; the sky was dark blue striped with orange and purple near the horizon. They were barely out of the car before Maddox noticed Ravi had stopped walking and was staring at the building strangely.

He asked, "What's wrong?"

She said, "There's a Vampire here."

"Shit. How do you know?"

"I can smell it."

Maddox wondered what a Vampire smelled like. To Ravi's sense of smell, multiple times more powerful than his own, would a Vampire smell ancient? Would it smell like blood? A rotting corpse? He didn't ask because he was more frightened than curious, "We should leave."

Ravi shrugged, "Why? I'm sure it already knows I'm here."

"That doesn't matter. I'm scared shit-less."

"I'll protect you. Let's go."

Maddox's stomach was in knots, "I'd really rather not."

Ravi flashed him a beautiful smile, "I won't let anything happen to you. If anyone is going to use you as food, its going to be me."

"Wonderful."

The bar had a Karaoke DJ playing a large variety of songs. Currently, a thin kid that didn't look old enough to drink was on stage doing a decent job of singing a country song that Maddox didn't recognize.

The Well was somewhere between a dive and a respectable bar. There were three pool tables, two dart boards, a dance floor, a massive bar with over a dozen bar stools and the stage. The décor was mostly western and Mojave themed artwork.

The lighting was subdued but the music wasn't too loud. The crowd was mostly younger people with some middle-aged patrons mixed in. The overall ambiance was desperate. They were a few people just there to enjoy themselves but most were looking for a willing participant for sex.

Maddox followed Ravi to the bar and she ordered two drinks. He was surprised that she ordered him a Screwdriver. How did she know what he liked?

Ravi leaned close to be heard over the music, "Let's sit in the back."

"Where is the Vampire?"

"I don't know. I haven't spotted it yet."

A horrible thought crept into Maddox's mind. He imagined a thin, wispy creature, skin pale, translucent from the lack of blood, skin rotting and receding exposing bone structure and teeth, seeking his blood, a black tongue lolling in hunger, bony arms reaching out for him, mouth opened, fangs exposed, wanting to feed, shambling towards him slowly from behind. Maddox spun around in fear and only saw bar patrons busy having fun.

Maddox once again followed Ravi. Several young men tried to get her attention but she ignored them. He became aware that nearly everyone in the bar was checking Ravi out.

Ravi slid into a booth.

Maddox told her, "You're attracting a lot of attention."

"Of course."

"Don't you think we should lay low?"

"Don't be silly. I want everyone to notice us. Public attention will lower our chances of this going bad."

Maddox silently prayed that their situation would not 'go bad'.

He was being watched.

Maddox became aware that someone was staring at him, watching his every move. As he turned and scanned the neighboring tables and the crowded dance floor, he started to hear his own heartbeat. His heart was pumping strong, the muffled thudding was in his ears, drowning out the music. His heartbeat tempo increased slightly and he watched in amazement as everyone around him slowed down. Slow-motioned, the dancers' hair slowly cascaded, their arms smoothly moving, hips shaking gradually, their feet gliding.

What the hell?

Bizarrely, it appeared as if every patron in the bar was moving to the rhythm of his pulse beating in his ears. As his heart rate increased a little more, his co-patrons further slowed, their movements were crawling. Directly across the table from him, Ravi seemed to be frozen in place. Only her eyes were slowly moving as she scanned the bar.

Maddox's heartbeat was so loud in his ears, he was afraid it would explode. The thundering pound of every pulse was like a sledgehammer striking solid earth. A few seconds went by.

Suddenly the thundering in Maddox's ears stopped and people started to move normally. The music resumed at its regular volume.

Maddox saw an incredibly beautiful blonde girl seated next to him. It was as if she had just appeared out of thin air. The newcomer had locked eyes with Ravi completely ignoring Maddox as he stared at her.

Ravi didn't seemed surprised to see the girl.

With a casual movement, the girl suddenly seized Maddox by his left hand in her right. He immediately tried to withdraw but she held him fast. Her cold grip was like a vise. She was much stronger then he was.

Maddox was filled with dread.

The Vampire had finally appeared.

"Pleased to meet you," Ravi said casually, "I'm Ravisha. You can call me Ravi."

The blonde smiled, "My name is Francesca."

Maddox didn't know what to say. He ceased trying to escape Francesca's iron grip and just held his breath watching both women.

"Will our meeting be hostile?" Ravi asked sweetly.

Francesca keep staring. Her accent was French, "Not unless you want it to be."

"Then release him."

"Not yet."

Ravi leaned closer, "Know this. If you hurt him, I will attack. I will show you no mercy."

Francesca's eyes never wavered, "Then I must be very careful not to take his life. Right here. Right now."

Francesca's grip tightened and his hand was on the verge of being broken. Maddox bit his tongue to prevent himself from crying out.

Ravi leaned back in her chair, folded her arms over her chest and glowered, "What do you want?"

Francesca wasted no time, "This is my city. Leave it immediately."

"You think you can claim an entire city for yourself?"

The blonde nodded, "Of course."

"Ridiculous."

"Do not mock me. I am trying to settle this peacefully."

"You're being unreasonable."

Francesca never blinked, "You know the rules. Too many of us in one area is risky. Our chance of exposure is increased. Since I was here first, you must leave."

Ravi scoffed, "Who made this rule?"

"The Dhelfoi."

Maddox wondered who or what were the Dhelfoi but he kept quiet. His hand was beginning to throb in Francesca's powerful grip. Sweat broke out on his brow.

Ravi said, "I'm only visiting. I will leave in a few days."

"No. You will leave now."

Although pale, Francesca was strikingly beautiful. Her porcelain skin accentuated her honey blonde hair and deep blue eyes. Her make-up was black eye-liner and black lipstick. Her fingernails were also painted black. She was dressed in tight black leather despite the evening being so warm. Francesca had the look of a party girl, someone looking to have a good time everywhere she went but Maddox was terrified of her.

Francesca's strength was incredible. Pain shot up from Maddox's hand up his forearm and into his armpit. She was crushing his knuckles and fingers. Maddox's eyes were tearing up from the agony but he didn't make a sound. He felt, if she wanted to, Francesca could crush his hand to dust and rip his arm off.

Ravi's voice remained calm. She smiled, "There is always room for compromise. Why can't we reach a mutual agreement?"

Francesca's eyes narrowed, "I know you. Your reputation. I don't want anything to do with you nor do I want you fouling up my city with your vile behavior."

Ravi smile vanished.

Francesca wasn't finished, "You Coitus Demons make me sick. These humans are cattle, food for the slaughter. Yet you lie with them, breed with them."

"You drink their blood!" Ravi snapped.

"And you bring them to climax like a concubine. Draining them of their essence."

Ravi scoffed, "You bring them to ecstasy with your mouth whenever you bite them. I don't see much difference. We both use them for sustenance. Don't look down on me for my eating habits."

Francesca grip relaxed and Maddox sighed in relief.

The Vampire's eyes were blazing with hatred, "Leave this city immediately or I will kill you and your mate!" She stood up from the table and walked out of the bar.

Ravi took Maddox's injured hand in both of hers and gently massaged it, "Poor baby, are you okay?"

"I'm fine. What are you going to do?"

"About what?"

Maddox made an impatient sound, "About the Vampire, damn it!"

"Shh, let me worry about her."

"But she said she'd kill me too."

Ravi kissed his hand, the feeling was starting to return to it, "I told you already, I won't let anyone hurt you."

"She almost broke my hand."

"Okay. I admit that you got a little hurt, but I wasn't going to attack her in public just for squeezing your hand."

In the past, Maddox constantly put his life on the line for the sake of a good story. Risk taking was part of the job and he was no coward. This situation was completely different. Maddox's life was being threatened by a force beyond his control and he had no choice in the matter.

Maddox felt as though Ravi was dragging him down the rabbit hole, deep into a world that made no sense, where he could easily be killed. He wanted to put the brakes on, wanted to stop this descent into madness; he wanted his normal life back.

Ravi wasn't going to leave. Maddox had learned her personality over the time he had spent with her. She was fickle, easily distracted and indecisive. Yet, once she made up her mind about something, Ravi would not easily change it. She was stubborn and rebellious like a child. Since Francesca had ordered her to leave, Ravi would stay just to spite her.

"I think we should go on a trip," Maddox said, immediately regretting it. He should have been more convincing, leading up to the subject delicately to try and sway her. He had simply blurted out his idea like a fool.

Ravi smiled and shook her head, "I just got here, now you want to leave? I haven't finished seeing Tucson and I'm not leaving until I do."

Maddox felt as though a nail had just been driven into his coffin.

He decided to change tactics, "I haven't ever asked you for anything."

Ravi met his eyes, "No, you haven't. What does that have to do with anything?"

"I really want to go away with you."

She beamed her crowd-pleasing smile at him, "You mean somewhere alone together? Somewhere romantic?"

"Sure." Maddox reached across the table and tenderly touched her face, gently traced her lips with a fingertip.

"Okay."

Hallelujah!

Ravi's voice was husky, "After I feel that I've seen everything in Tucson, we'll go away somewhere amazing."

Shit.

Francesca Toulouse was born in 17th century France in a small town called Fonce while Louis VIII was still King. She grew up a farmer's daughter, working the land, feeding the livestock, fetching water, mending clothes, sweeping, cleaning and washing clothes. Her entire life she dreamed that she would leave the mud hole of the farm and move up into the big shining city of Paris.

Francesca Toulouse didn't want to be a farmer's wife. She wanted her own career designing dresses and tapestries for royalty. The materials needed, classes required and opportunities for a tailoring career were in Paris.

Her lofty dreams were forced upon her when she was nineteen. Francesca had just refused to marry a sensible suitor and since she had turned down three before him, her parents were furious at her. Her argument was falling upon deaf ears. Her parents were old-fashioned and their traditions dictated that she marry and have children. Without any other recourse, she ran away from home, heading West towards Paris.

That's when Francesca met Octavius Murphries. He was traveling at night on the lonely road as she was. At first she was frightened but he was so charming, so funny and engaging that she agreed to travel with him. Francesca was impressed by how handsome and regal he was. They rode their horses all night, finding a warm glade to rest during the day. When she awoke in the afternoon, Octavius had vanished but his horse was still tied with her own so she decided to wait for him to return.

Octavius returned at nightfall. As she had met him on the road the night before, he suddenly appeared as if out of thin air. She immediately noticed that his manner was different. He was serious, speaking to her in clipped sentences and he didn't seem particularly eager to continue their journey.

After Francesca decided to carry on without him, he stepped close to her. She froze, thinking he meant to kiss her. It would be her first kiss. Francesca closed her eyes, tilting her head back, breathlessly waiting to feel his lips upon hers.

She felt his mouth on her and he bit deeply into her flesh between her neck and shoulder. Francesca was racked with pain but only for an instant. Octavius was sucking on her skin and with each draw, she was elevated to a dizzying ecstasy she had never felt before. Her knees buckled but he held her fast, his lips never leaving her. He kept sucking and through the rippling waves of pleasure, she realized that he was greedily gulping down her blood.

Francesca could not pull away from him, her strength was leaving her so she gave into the delicious pleasure that she felt throughout her entire body. She gasped and moaned against her will, grinding her body against his. She even ran her fingers into his hair and pulled his mouth tighter against her neck.

Then Francesca died.

Her life was extinguished, snuffed out like a candle but re-lit shortly afterwards as Octavius fed her some of his blood. From a shallow cut on his wrist, he dripped his blood onto her face as she lay prone. As the warm fluid dripped into her open mouth, she drank it as fast as she could, never tasting anything so delectable. The drops of blood ran down her throat, Francesca was again gripped with sexual pleasure. She groaned and lapped at the dripping blood but he removed it.

Octavius announced that she was now a member of the Undead. A Vampire.

Then he vanished.

Francesca was so angry that Octavius had abandoned her that she killed his horse, breaking its neck with one blow, nearly decapitating the poor beast. The horse toppled, blood spewing.

Francesca's anger dissipated as she was overwhelmed by a sharp stab of hunger. She needed blood. Nearly hysterical, she realized she had killed the horse not out of anger but out of desperation. The need for blood consumed her, completely taking over her senses. The long way she had traveled from her home on horseback was covered in a matter of hours. She arrived outside her home, entered and fed on her mother and father.

In the aftermath, Francesca's grief was unbearable. In a blind fit of hunger, she had destroyed the two people she loved most in the world. She had since spent centuries trying to find Octavius Murphries but was never able to. Even now, four hundred years later, she still wanted to kill him.

Francesca paced in the foyer of her mansion. The same blistering anger she felt for Octavius was mirrored towards the Succubus. To have such a beautiful, distracting woman on her turf would send any predator into defensive mode. This was her city and no one was going to encroach upon it.

What worried her most was Ravi's powerful essence. On the surface, the Demon was flawlessly beautiful but underneath she was battle-scarred and hewed by combat. Even the aura radiating from Ravi was immensely potent; she was a true warrior.

Francesca had spent most of her time feeding, politicizing among humans and growing her wealth. Only on a rare occasion did she get into confrontations. Against Ravi, Francesca was a greenhorn entering a battle arena to face a veteran gladiator.

The Succubus had been willing to compromise but Francesca had allowed her anger to overpower her common sense. Regrettably, she had turned down any chance of a peaceful resolution.

Francesca paced nervously.

Vampires were very powerful beings. Francesca possessed many skills and abilities she could use to destroy her enemies but she wasn't sure she could easily defeat Ravi. She sensed that Ravi had done battle with many Vampires in the past and had won most of them. She was probably well aware of Francesca's available tactics.

The Succubus was still trespassing after she had been threatened. Francesca didn't have a choice. She couldn't turn back now. Confrontation was her only recourse.

For the first time in many years, Francesca felt the heavy weight of fear clamping down on her. The battle loomed in the near future. She was going to war with an ancient enemy, more shrewd, cunning and more experienced than she was.

Francesca decided to get ready.

The Probe was a four story building set directly in the heart of downtown Tucson. Set at an angle to the rising sun in the East, the rectangular structure avoided most of the direct rays thereby allowing the interior, aided by a powerful rooftop air-conditioning unit, to remain relatively cool. The numerous geometrically universal windows were all tinted dark, outlined by white against dark gray brickwork.

Maddox had left early Monday morning to get to work an hour before the offices opened. He wanted a chance to talk to his former Editor Emery Hammerman about getting his position reinstated. He parked in the adjacent parking structure and walked to the elevator to ride up to the street level Lobby.

There was a security desk where he was met by the guards with general amity. One of the guards escorted him to the third floor to Emery's office. The middle-aged bald Editor was delighted to see him, "Well kiss my own ass, Maddox! Welcome back. Good to see you!"

They shook hands vigorously, "Good to see you too, Emery. How have you been?"

"Same day, different stink. Have a seat, Maddox. You want some coffee?"

"Not right now, maybe later. I really wanted to talk to you about getting back into Investigative Journalism."

Not much had changed in the last year. The Editorial Department still boasted the dull gray carpet, cream colored walls, white florescent lighting, dark gray furniture, rubber plants, motivational artwork and the light cubicles.

Emery plopped down in his chair. He was a short beefy man, not fat but definitely not slender. His forearms were thick, his hands heavy-knuckled and his entire body was covered with thick dark hair, everywhere except the top of his head. Emery's receding hairline was legendary. The strip of remaining hair sat so low on his head that he looked like an old monk from the dark ages. Some of his colleagues referred to him as Friar Tuck.

Emery grinned, "Shit, Maddox, I told you when you left that you always had a job here. I meant it. Anytime you're ready to come back, you're more than welcome to do so."

"Do I get my old office back? My salary?"

Emery frowned, "I would think so, but you're going to have to confirm that with Sparky."

Valerie "Sparky" Quinn was the Chief Editor of the Probe and both Emery's and Maddox's superior. She was a tiny petite woman with a fierce personality and natural flaming red hair. Her ferocity had earned the respect of her peers and subordinates because she didn't take shit from anyone. Sparky was tough but fair. She was equitable to people who worked for her and had earned their respect. Due to his prior arrogance, Maddox had a few run-ins with Sparky in the past. He felt she wasn't to fond of him so his stomach sank when he realized that she would be overseeing his rehiring.

Maddox smiled thinly, "Can't you talk to Sparky on my behalf, Emery?"

Emery chuckled, "Nope. Sorry Maddox. I have been specifically instructed to direct you to Sparky upon your return. Its out of my hands, bud."

Shit.

Sparky's office was in the Northeast corner, a sprawling luxurious modernly decorated space with a full sofa, a compact bar, a small library and a massive desk behind which, Sparky appeared tiny. Behind the laptop and desktop monitors, she looked like a small pilot operating a massive spaceship.

Maddox had walked right in since the door was opened and Sparky's assistant hadn't yet arrived.

Without looking up, Sparky said, "Maddox, welcome back. What can I do for you?"

He walked closer to her desk, admiring her office. She had good taste in décor, another reason Maddox had always found her attractive. Sparky had lived in Arizona for more than fifteen years but she still spoke with a slight Boston accent which became more pronounced if she grew angry.

"Good to see you, Sparky," Maddox said.

She finally looked up as he got to her desk. She flashed him a controlled smile. Sparky had hazel eyes, lustrous shoulder length hair, fair skin and almost no wrinkles. Despite being around Maddox's age in her mid-forties, Sparky looked at least ten years younger. She was petite but her body was well curved and toned due to a strict regiment of martial arts and Yoga training. Maddox had never seen her out off her business attire, but any woman who could fill out slacks and skirts the way Sparky did, had to have a great body underneath.

Maddox was nervous but he managed a smile, "I was told to come see you about getting my old job back."

"Oh yes. I'm afraid I can't help you there. The position was eliminated due to a shift in the Editorial Department. I'm sorry."

He didn't know what to say, "Eliminated?"

Sparky nodded, "Corporate down sizing."

Maddox ran a hand through his hair, "But I was told that my job would be safe."

"You were told that by Emery, not me. Things have changed since you've left. We've grown more aggressive in collecting scoops. There are a lot of hungry newcomers in Editorial Department. We had to make room for them."

Maddox was stunned that she was so obtuse about his plight. He lived in Tucson. There were a limited amount of opportunities in the area since most places were already well established. Her expression was neutral. He couldn't tell whether she was enjoying his pain or not.

Maddox sighed, "So I guess that's it then."

Sparky stood up and came around her desk, leaning against it close to him. At five feet tall, even in her heels she barely reached the height of his shoulders, "I know this sucks, Maddox. I just wish you were a little more flexible in your preferences."

"What do you mean?"

Sparky's makeup looked professionally done and her fashion rivaled Ravi's. She was wearing a pin-dot, form fitted, sleeveless dress with a matching blazer. He had never stood so close to her before. She was a beautiful woman. Her perfume was intoxicating and Maddox found himself enchanted by her.

Could Sparky be a Succubus too?

Sparky said something that he missed because his attention was focused on her beauty but he caught the last half, "In other words," Sparky explained, "You'd have to change jobs, but trust me, its considered a promotion. You'd definitely make more money."

Maddox stammered like a fool, "Uh, okay."

"Are you feeling alright, Maddox? You're flushed."

"Yeah, I'm fine. Will I still be able to travel and look into big stories?"

Sparky nodded, "To be honest, I've always believed you were our best investigator. I was very upset when you left although I can understand why. If you're willing to take on more responsibility, the job is yours."

"I'll take it."

"Good. Can you start today? They've got their hands full and could use all the help you can muster."

"Hell yeah. Thanks, Sparky. I owe you dinner."

She said simply, "I don't go out with my subordinates, Maddox."

He felt deflated, "I understand."

Sparky smiled and slapped him on the back, "Okay then. Get to work."

Maddox wasn't sure what department Sparky had just assigned him to so he asked, "So, do I get my old office back?"

"It's been empty since you left so you can move right back in. You can get caught up to what's going on by your secretary."

Maddox was pleased, "I have my own secretary?"

Sparky was still smiling, "If there's one thing you can learn from me, Maddox, take care of your secretary. Treat them right and their loyalty is priceless."

"I will. Thank you so much, Sparky."