Maggie Winnock sat on the bench nearest the door in the foyer. She felt empty as she watched uniformed officers and plainclothes detectives swarm over the corridors. They were questioning everyone there. They'd also tied off the area that contained the doctor's corpse, waiting for forensics to arrive. Henry was just down the hall being questioned by the lead detective in charge and every so often he would turn his concerned gaze her way.
It warmed her almost as much as the coat he draped over her shoulders and the mug of hot tea he'd handed her before being dragged away. She watched him as he answered questions and couldn't help but reflect that Henry looked as good disheveled as he did dressed to a polish. Right now his hair was mess, his white shirtsleeves were rolled up and he'd long since pulled off his bow tie and stuffed it in his pocket.
She watched his mouth moved and then moved her gaze to his eyes. Pain clutched at her chest. He looked so…bleak.
Michael had also come to and was now speaking with another officer on the far end of the room; his aunt at his side standing guard. Maggie felt a thrill of satisfaction when she saw his swollen jaw and black eye.
She wasn't one to usually condone violence. She couldn't begin to remember how many times she'd scoffed at Henry and Jasper when they were enraptured with some brutish manly display of testosterone that had her rolling her eyes. However, when Henry had decked Michael…
That fluttery, completely feminine reaction to an alpha male protecting what was his had yet to leave her. She was annoyed with herself that she felt this way and at the same time she regretted stepping away from Henry when he tried to embrace her. She still had no idea why she did that to him.
All she knew was that for a split second she was afraid of him and at the same time incredibly aroused. It had been too confusing and she'd known instinctively that if she collapsed into his arms like she wanted she might never want to stand by herself again. Her will was weak when it came to him. He could have so much power over her if she let him and those emotions frightened her. Sighing, she took a deep breath and inhaled his scent from his tux jacket. His scent around her caused liquid heat to pool in her stomach. She sat up and stiffened immediately when she realized what she was doing.
This was ridiculous. Yes, seeing Michael was a shock and yes, he did fling some hateful words at her, but she was made of sterner stuff than this. She was not one of those girls that swooned like some overly dramatic Victorian maiden. She was intelligent, self reliant, and able to look after herself. To prove it she looked across the room and right at Michael. He was staring back at her with such a look of malevolence that she gasped.
She ignored the trembling in her fingers and refused to look away. He mouthed something and when it registered she broke eye contact. She could feel herself hyperventilating and used every once of inner strength she had to get herself back under control.
Fear was a bitter pill to swallow and she loathed herself for allowing him to get to her. She couldn't shake it though because what he'd said rocked her universe on its axis.
You're mine, Maggie. I can take you anytime I want.
Henry looked across the room at Maggie noticing how white she'd suddenly turned. With a muffled oath he followed her gaze to a smirking Michael. He clenched his fists. He wanted to hit him again. He was so involved in his murderous thoughts that he missed what the detective had just said to him. Forcing his mind back he asked.
"I'm sorry sir, what was that?" Detective Winston gave him a stern look.
"I said that we are done here. If we have anymore questions for you we will be in touch." Henry nodded and moved to head towards Maggie. The detective caught his arm.
"If I were you Griffin, I'd stay away from Stansville. I would hate to have to throw you in jail because of that little prick."
Henry grinned and nodded, but he made no promises. He wasn't in the habit of making vows he had no intention of keeping. The detective let him go and Henry quickly made his way over to Maggie. She started a little when he suddenly knelt down in front of her and seemingly without his permission his hand reached out, cupped her cheek. He ran his thumb over her cheekbone. Maggie inhaled sharply and quickly grabbed his hand moving it away. He winced and she frowned. His expression turned guilty and she narrowed her eyes as she turned his hand over. When she saw his blood crusted knuckles she hissed out a breath.
"Of all the boneheaded, Neanderthal moves," she muttered. He smiled, sheepish and then sobered.
"He deserved it Maggie. In fact he's lucky to be alive." Startled dark brown eyes shot to his and collided with hazel. The look in his eyes was one she'd never seen before. He looked dangerous, almost feral.
"Henry," she warned. "Don't you dare. He's human excrement and he's not worth it."
His expression softened and then went hard again. "He'll be fine as long as he never comes near you again. If he does though…"
She stiffened. "I can take care of myself." An enigmatic look clouded his features.
"I know that Maggie, but a very good friend of mine once told me that it is a warrior's duty to protect what is his. I consider you very much mine, Maggie Winnock."
The depth of his confession rocked her as did the hint of steel and vulnerability in his eyes. Strangely, the thought of belonging to Henry didn't distress her as much as her feminist sensibilities screamed at her that it should. It wasn't like Michael's claim. Michael's claim was about ownership. Even if she had never seen the scales beneath his camouflage she would never have been anything more than a possession to him.
Henry's claim was about emotion. He cared for her, trusted her, respected her, and didn't want anything to harm her. In short, he wanted to protect her. Her heart warred with her mind. Her heart wanted to accept what he was offering and see where it took them, but her mind reminded her that she had plans for her life. Plans which were important to her; plans that she wasn't sure she could compromise.
It was the desire to test the bounds of those plans that led her to the disastrous decision to date Michael in the first place. It was at the end of her junior year before school let out for the summer when she over heard one of her classmates talking. To this day, thanks to her photographic memory, she could recite the entire conversation verbatim.
"Did you see Paula's nose? Talk about a hack job. She should really get her money back."
The male in the group groaned. "Man, I don't want to talk about that Sienna, I want the scoop on that fine piece over there." The girl scoffed. "Maggie Winnock? You don't stand a chance."
"Why? She got a boyfriend or something?"
"The Ice Queen? Hell no, the boys here aren't that crazy." She sighed. "Look Devon, you're new here so let me give you some friendly advice. That is the most driven, anal, obsessive compulsive, and uber smart girl at this school. I've never known her to date anyone long term. She sometimes goes to a casual dinner here and there, but that's it. Sorry sweetie, but you don't have the balls to thaw her. I don't think anyone does, not even her boys Griffin and Bartlett. How they don't have perpetual freezer burn I'll never know."
It was the first time she'd paused to take a good, hard look at her life plan…and found it lacking. Maggie realized that the girl was right. She'd gone on casual dates here and there but never developed anything serious with anyone. At first she dismissed the thought as a silly aberration. What did she care what the brain dead masses she called fellow students thought?
She'd done her summer internships and hung out with Jasper and Henry when she could, but in the back of her mind she couldn't dismiss what she'd heard. Then she'd met Michael. Henry and Jasper had hated him, she'd known that, but he was good looking, smart, confident in the way of corporate CEOs, and he had seemed to like her a lot. So when he'd asked her on a date she'd said yes and they'd had a good time. He'd been charming and funny and his goals for his life seemed to seamless align with her own. So she'd agreed to go out with him again and before she'd known it, she had a boyfriend.
Maggie had enjoyed the attention. He was her first real boyfriend and the novelty of the experience overrode a lot of her misgivings. It also let her ignore something she'd only realized a couple weeks ago. It let her ignore her changing feelings for Henry. Then Michael had shed his false skin and revealed the snake beneath and now everything was so confused and out of balance. It had been mortifying for her that Henry was the one to find her in the Doum rooms, which was why she refused to discuss how the incident had affected her with either him or Jasper. She would not appear weak in the eyes of her two best friends.
Maggie's eyes met Henry's and she felt a tremor of fear dance along her spine which she concealed. She wanted to plead with him to let her handle Michael when a familiar voice interrupted.
"No, no, don't let me interrupt. I'll just wait by the car like a good little grossly underpaid servant."
Henry looked up and grimaced. "Sorry Jasper, the police detained us longer than expected. Thanks for coming though."
His cousin shrugged. "Yeah well, what good does sleep do me anyway? Especially since you have agreed to take on dish duty for the next month for my willingness to sacrifice my much beloved REM cycle.
Maggie looked from one boy to the other. "What favor? Jasper what are you doing here?"
"Henry called me. It seems I'm to be your escort home fair lady."
She turned confused eyes on the boy still on his knees in front of her. "All right, what's going on?"
He sighed and motioned Jasper closer so his voice didn't carry.
"How familiar are you with Aztec creation myth?"
Maggie frowned. "Which part? That is a complex mythology."
"The beginning; more specifically the part about Tezcatlipoca."
"According to Aztec myth it took the creator gods five times to create the world due to petty bickering and war between the gods. The first creator god, Tezcatlipoca, after being usurped, transformed into a jaguar and destroyed the world."
Henry nodded.
"When I was in Mexico with Dr. Sorreson he confided in me that he was looking for a specific artifact. Aztec religious practices were all about the power of sacrifice. The ancient Mexica people, which were the proper name for the Aztecs, believed as Maggie stated that it took five times to create the world. What's unique about this belief is that the world was created because the gods were willing to sacrifice themselves so that humans could live. Once the world was created the god Quetzalcoatl retrieved mankind's bones from the underworld and added his own blood to give humanity life."
Jasper interrupted. "So what does this have to do with Dr. Sorreson's artifact?"
"I was getting to that. Unlike other religions these were not free sacrifices. The Aztecs believed that the sky was an ongoing clash between light and darkness and in order to keep the sun moving across the sky the warrior sun required that they repay their gods blood for blood so that the sacrificed would rise up and help the sun in its ongoing battle with its eternal foe. They knew that one day the sun would lose. It was inevitable, and then the world would end."
Maggie piped up. "Henry, this is all very fascinating but like Jasper said, what does this have to do with whatever it was that Dr. Sorreson found?"
"Dr. Sorreson had been trying to prove a theory that he'd found compelling circumstantial evidence to support but nothing that would prove it absolutely. He found minor religious artifacts that led him to hypothesis that a fringe group formed. A cult if you will. This cult believed they were chosen to ascend with the gods the day the sun finally blinked out and rule with the dark in chaos. In order to expedite this occurrence they committed an atrocity. They trapped the essence of the first creator god in an idol, a golden jaguar. I think that is what Dr. Sorreson was going to revel tonight if he hadn't been killed. I think he found the idol."
"And someone has taken it." Maggie concluded. Henry nodded grimly. She frowned, puzzled.
"I assume you're staying because you want to take a look around but why call Jasper here just to take me home? We could stay and help you."
He wouldn't meet her eyes and she instantly became suspicious. "Henry, look at me." Reluctantly he did.
"Is there a reason you don't want me and Jasper here?"
Henry knew that whatever he said in the next few minutes would simple tick Maggie off but she wasn't leaving him much of an option.
"Dr. Riker was Dr. Sorreson's partner on that dig. I need to talk to her."
"What does that have to do with anything? Why…" she trailed off as it dawned on her and her eyes narrowed. Her voice was a low, angry hiss.
"This is because of Michael isn't it? Because she's his aunt. You don't think I can handle being involved in this. Well let me just tell you something Henry Griffin. I am not some weak, overly emotionally damsel in need of rescuing. So I wasn't raised in the jungle and can't wrestle a tiger to the ground and kill it with paring knife. So what? I'm smart and resourceful and I'm not afraid of Michael Stansville III."
She was getting louder as she ranted and people were starting to look. Henry frowned, pulled her to her feet, and propelled her towards the doors. Jasper watched; wide-eyed and wisely stood back, outside the line of fire. Jasper followed them discreetly as Henry took Maggie outside. He let her go when they cleared the doors and she rounded on him with a punch she'd learned in her martial arts dance class. He easily caught her fist. Furious, she tried to pull free but he wouldn't release her.
In a low voice he said. "Maggie I don't think you're weak. I think you're amazing. But you just tried to hit me. This proves that you're not your normal rational, analytical self. You are too close to this Maggie. Coupled with the fact that you won't talk about it and keep trying to pretend that you're fine what else am I supposed to do?"
She tugged free again and this time he let her go.
"You could trust me to know when I've hit the wall. But I guess that is just too much to ask of one of my best friends. Come on, Jasper. Take me home."
She turned and walked away, heading down the front steps. Jasper approached Henry and clasped his shoulder.
"You know Casanova; I think you're technique needs some work."
Henry shrugged him off. "I'm sorry Jasper. I knew she'd be upset but if I can't help it. She is never going to be in the same room with Michael again if I have my way. I've got to talk to Dr. Riker. I'll see you at home." He started to walk away. He was almost to the front doors when Jasper's voice stopped him.
"Henry." He paused. "I understand how you feel. I wanted to kill him too, but I've known Maggie longer than you have. You can't treat her like she is made of glass. She'll only resent you for it."
"I know that Jasper. Believe me, I know that, but I can't…" He'd been about to say that he couldn't seem to let go of the churning rage in his gut but he couldn't force the words to come. Every time he saw Maggie; his courageous, confident, intelligent, Maggie, cringe in fear or jump at a shadow, he wanted to kill Michael all over again. It was enough to drive him crazy.
Knowing Jasper was right didn't help anything. He sighed, resigned to his fate. If it came down to being with Maggie or keeping her safe, Henry would choose her welfare every single time. She'd hate him but at least Michael would never get to her again.
"I'll see you at home Jasper."
Jasper nodded and watched two of the most important people in his life walk away from each other. He sighed and followed Maggie. He didn't know how two such smart people could be so stupid.