Demon Forged

Deacon’s trapped expression, and she grinned. It widened when he turned his back to her.
    She vanished her mantle as she reached the booth. Though she recognized the dark vampire on the other side of the table, she shoved in next to Deacon. He bumped against Rosalia, who braced herself against the curve of the seat. Irena’s apology to her was answered with a quiet laugh.
    Irena half-turned toward Deacon, leaned her elbow on the table, and propped her jaw in her hand. “You’re an idiot. I told you to wait.”
    “I chose not to listen.”
    His pulse throbbed in his neck, his jaw was tense. Not trapped now, but angry. Maybe insulted.
    Good. A man without pride couldn’t be insulted. So Deacon had a bit left.
    The lights flickered before she could respond. Irena frowned, calling in a knife. When she saw Jake had teleported into the middle of the dance floor, Radha and Mariko at his sides, she vanished it again.
    Ames-Beaumont muttered, “Bloody hell. Shall we just invite all of Caelum?”
    “Oh,” Rosalia said on a quiet breath. Her eyes shone with moisture and joy radiated through her psychic scent. “Oh.”
    Irena got out of the way, but Deacon wasn’t quick enough. Rosalia scooted over him, her ass dragging across his lap. He tensed. Looked pained and hungry, all at once. His gaze remained on Rosalia as she rushed out to meet her friends.
    Interesting. He’d never looked at Eva or Petra like that.
    Irena dropped into the seat again. Jake strolled over, toothpick lodged in the corner of his mouth, his hands in his pockets. Savi looked up at him, her brow creased. “Was that you? The lights?”
    “Seems so.”
    “Your second Gift?”
    “Yep. Although I hope it turns out to be something a little better than making the power go on and off.” He rubbed his hand over his shaved head. “And that I’ll be able to control it soon, because computers haven’t been so great around me lately. You got my message about the church, and digging around in the financials?”
    Savi shook her head. “Apparently, we don’t need to.”
    “Why?”
    “It was the community’s church. Her brother’s, apparently. Lorenzo Acciaioli.”
    Jake sucked in his breath through his teeth.
    Irena frowned. “Did he know she was there?”
    “Knowing Acciaioli, there’s a damn good chance of that,” Deacon said.
    “Yes,” Ames-Beaumont agreed.
    Then he was better off dead. Irena glanced up at Jake again. “Were there any more nosferatu?”
    “Nope, and it’s just past dawn there now. If there were, none came back to the catacombs. I’m heading back in a second; Alice is there by herself.” He looked around, to where the three Guardians were embracing in the center of the dance floor. Tears streaked Rosalia’s cheeks, but her smile could have lit the room. “I, uh, guess I’ll be back for them later so I don’t break up their reunion.”
    Ames-Beaumont looked to Darkwolf. “A private room, I think.”
    The vampire left the table. Jake glanced at Irena.
    “One hell of a day, huh?”
    “Yes.” She’d seen worse, but she couldn’t argue with his assessment. “Be safe.”
    Though she felt the thrust of his teleporting Gift, the lights didn’t flicker when he disappeared. Then Savi laughed, her gaze on Irena’s hair.
    She reached up. Static stood each strand on end.
    “You need a ground,” Savi told her. “Try touching—”
    Deacon hissed as Irena brushed her hand against his, and a painful spark arced between them. She yanked her hand back, shook out the sting. That discharge had been a lot stronger than she’d expected.
    “I was going to say one of the metal pipes, but that works, too.” Savi leaned back into the cradle of Ames-Beaumont’s arm. “Deacon tells us he needs a partner.”
    “And he will get one, eventually.” Irena met Deacon’s eyes and lowered her voice until the music covered it from anyone not at that table. “But until you find someone suitable, someone you want ,” she stressed, “there are alternatives. I’ll give you the first here. The second, I’ll explain later . . . because there simply isn’t enough for everyone.”
    She thought she saw understanding in his face. He couldn’t know that the alternative was demon blood from a living demon. But he’d have realized that if an alternative was available and word of it became public, every vampire unhappy with their blood-sharing partners would want it.
    The Guardians’ supply was limited. Just one demon, who was bound