Demon Moon

melancholy and hesitant—and he had taken a concoction designed to ease the pain from the initial attempt. Perhaps that interfered with the transformation? I shall rest easy, then: I am obviously not responsible .
    —Colin to Ramsdell, 1821

    Colin woke slowly, and the heavy weight upon his chest was not wholly unexpected. He’d fallen asleep with Savi lying still and silent in his arms, then dreamt he drowned in a sea of warm salt water, unable to draw a breath—unusual, but not inexplicable, as in deep daysleep vampires did not breathe at all. No, the torment had come from sensing her pain yet being unable to move or offer comfort.
    Bloody hell…there’d been none to offer. And God knew, he could have used some, too. The weight on his chest grew heavier.
    Where was she? He couldn’t feel her in the room, nor did his psychic probe detect her in the apartment. Even with her shields high, he’d have sensed her—but there was only the familiar presence of Castleford and Lilith…
    Lilith. Oh, Christ.
    “Get off,” he said, opening his eyes.
    Lilith grinned down at him from her perch on the center of his chest, her dark eyes and her teeth gleaming. She rested lightly on the balls of her bare feet, her leather-clad knees outspread and her hands against his collarbones, as if she could hold him down. “That’s so much better than ‘Fuck off, Lilith’ and ‘Sod off, Lilith.’”
    Colin glanced heavenward, but relief was not to be found on the ceiling. “Good God, this is my worst nightmare come true: I’ve woken up with you in my bed.”
    “ Savi’s bed. And it gets even better, bloodsucker,” Lilith said. “Hugh’s here to watch. He likes to see me work.”
    A single look confirmed it; Castleford stood by the door, leaning against the wall with his arms across his chest, regarding them with an unreadable expression.
    “As you are still wearing that corset, he’s probably the only one who likes to see you work.”
    Her grin widened. “Savitri liked it, as well. She kissed me, she liked it so much.” Her feet slipped to his sides; she straddled him and leaned down, her mouth just above his lips.
    He inhaled—and God, yes, almost imperceptible, but there: Savi’s sweet, tangy physical scent.
    “Jealous? She really appreciated my guns, gave me a nice hard smack…but apparently she didn’t appreciate your little pistol as much, because she left to go meet her suitor.” Her mouth flattened. “You know how she likes her men; she might be in another bed with him right now.”
    Colin’s gut clenched, agony tearing through his chest. Christ, but Lilith knew how to stab a man where he was most vulnerable, and in a location Colin had done everything he could to hide from himself.
    But slicing him open, leaving him raw and exposed was not enough for her demon tongue. “You’re so pretty, she was probably flattered that you panted after her. But a smart girl like that wouldn’t take long to realize you’ve more interest in your pleasure than hers, and that you’ll only sniff around until you get what you want.”
    “Lilith, you’re on the verge of damaging a bloody fine friendship,” he said tightly.
    “As are you.” Her eyes narrowed. “Why are you so tanned?”
    He flashed his fangs in a snarl. “Won’t you tell me how beautiful it is on me? Perhaps you can manipulate me into a confession about Caelum. That’s what this is about, isn’t it?”
    “No,” Castleford said quietly. “It’s about making certain Savi wasn’t crying over a demon. It’s Colin, Lilith.”
    Startled, Colin’s gaze moved back and forth between them. Then anger took the place of surprise. “Next time, shove me in front of a fucking mirror.”
    He sat up, and Lilith leapt lightly to the floor. He pulled a hand through his hair, threw the sheet back.
    “When was she crying? And how the bloody hell could you confuse me for a demon? He copied my face . You may not have psychic abilities, but you’ve two hundred years’ acquaintance and a sodding hellhound!” Walking around the side of the bed, he faced them and said softly, dangerously, “And why was she crying?”
    Castleford slid his hands into his pockets. His gaze skimmed Colin’s length, pausing briefly at his knees. “Sir Pup went with her, and if you were a demon and only pretending the daysleep, we didn’t want to alert you to our suspicions. That is also why we didn’t bring in a mirror, take a picture, or examine you physically. She said