Demon Blood

called for transformation: self-sacrifice while saving the life or soul of another from a vampire, demon, or nosferatu. With the Gates closed, there were fewer demons now, and Belial’s demons weren’t focused on tempting humans. Lucifer’s demons concentrated on their individual ambitions rather than collecting souls to fuel Hell’s throne. And they were all careful around humans, so that they didn’t risk breaking the Rules—and calling a nephil, who would slay them.
    She felt lost, again. This wasn’t what she’d expected to hear when she’d come. Not at all.
    Alejandro crouched beside her. “Has something happened, Rosalia? We have not heard from you since you took the vampire.”
    Although that was Alejandro’s subtle way of asking about Deacon, he wasn’t why she’d come. Belial’s demons were.
    Belatedly, she also realized why Jake had brought Irena and Alejandro to her. With Michael gone, Irena—the oldest Guardian and the fiercest warrior—must be leading them. And so Irena and Alejandro were who she needed to speak with after all. “I’ve come to discover if you know anything about Malkvial.”
    He nodded. “We have heard some.”
    “Do you know his human identity?”
    “No. Do you?”
    She shook her head. “Tell me what you know.”
    Alejandro rose to his feet again. “We’ve intercepted communications between other demons. They all play against each other for position, but Malkvial has taken a platform: He wants to slaughter the vampire communities and harvest the blood.”
    Rosalia couldn’t hide her surprise. The prophecy stated that vampire blood would kill the nephilim, which in turn would put Belial on the throne. Unsure how that blood was supposed to be used, Belial’s demons had been courting many vampire communities. But just to kill the vampires and store the blood for their use?
    Oh, the demons would like that, wouldn’t they? Killing instead of courting. Grimly, she asked, “Is there any news from the demon Sammael?”
    One of Belial’s demons was bound by a bargain to give the Guardians a daily ration of his blood. Living demon blood could feed a vampire without a partner, and so Special Investigations kept it on hand for emergencies. But the Guardians also received information through the demon.
    “Aside from the blood, he gives nothing to us but lies.” Irena’s lips thinned before she said, “Are you returning to us? You have been outside the corps for a decade. We need you, Rosalia. There are not enough of us.”
    No, there weren’t. And with Lorenzo dead, she had no excuse for limiting herself to Rome.
    Rome was not where the nephilim were, anyway. “I have one task to finish before I can dedicate myself completely. But if I am needed, I will be available.”
    She stood and produced her card. Irena took the information, but didn’t look at it before passing it to Alejandro.
    “Rome?” he read.
    “Yes.”
    Irena frowned at her. “What have you been doing? There are no vampires left there, and your brother is dead.”
    Rosalia might have been taken aback if the past few minutes hadn’t taught her to expect Irena’s bluntness. “But that was not all I did. I owed the Church—I have worked for them. For many years.”
    “Doing what?”
    Irena’s lips had curled into a sneer. Obviously, she was not a fan of the Church.
    “Listening. But they do not concern themselves with kings and emperors so much, and so I do not exist to them anymore. I never have officially, anyway. But now I do not exist even unofficially.”
    “You spied for them?” Alejandro asked. Rosalia thought he was amused, but wasn’t certain. He was a difficult man to read.
    “Yes. And trained vampires to do the same.”
    That surprised them. He and Irena exchanged a quick glance.
    “Did Michael know?”
    “Oh, yes. Of course. After all, I reported the Church’s interests to him.”
    Irena threw her head back with that loud laugh. Alejandro didn’t smile, but stroked his goatee in a gesture that was familiar from Rosalia’s days as a novice, when he’d tutored her with swords. She’d thought of it then as his silent laugh; two hundred years had not changed that.
    When Irena’s laughter faded and she could hear herself speak again, Rosalia continued. “But now that I am back with you, I would like a territory to protect, if possible. I prefer Europe.”
    “That will work,” Irena said. “But you’ll have to take all of it.”
    Perfect. “I will.”
    Alejandro’s