Victory Round (Maddox) TWENTY-SIX Victory Round MADDOX MADDOX STILL HAD a hard time breathing. His clothes were charred, and soot covered his hands and face. The smell of singed hair refused to leave. He poured a shot of the most expensive bottle Titus owned, an Archean brandy. Sword, similarly singed, sat next to Maddox at the bar in the Salon of Forgotten Gods, contemplating his own glass. Surprisingly, Maddox had lived through his first battle and carried his friend clear of the wreckage. Inspector Collette was less than pleased to see him, but Rebekah had made good on her task of explaining why such drastic measures were necessary. Inspector Collette smoked through her entire case of cigarettes as she took their statements, and the fire teams rushed buckets to extinguish the blaze. The case of criminal arson was closed as “self-defense—other” pending a later investigation. They were given a last warning not to assist and a firm hint that they did not want to be in the city when that investigation started.
