Demon Moon

The nosferatu killed her last year; I was only with her for a month. These are my friends. He asked me to turn them.” Fat tears rolled down his cheeks, but he hadn’t yet blinked or looked away from Colin’s face. “ You aren’t him.”
    Colin smiled, clasped his hands loosely in front of him, his elbows on his knees. “No. I’m not him. Why would you follow a demon?”
    Denver shook his head, the movement abbreviated by Lilith’s tight hold. “A vampire. Like us, only stronger. We’d all heard of him. He’s been here for a long time. And he feeds us; those who don’t have anyone else. And the bloodlust doesn’t make us…make us—”
    “No. A demon.” Colin raised his head, met Lilith’s eyes. Dismay was written across her face. Only too obvious what had happened: the demon had taken advantage of those vampires without a partner. Those who faced expulsion from the community for breaking its rules, and who were likely too young and ignorant of any other options available to them.
    But there were other, more important Rules to follow.
    “You tried to murder humans, Denver. My consort’s grandmother. Her brother.”
    “Tainted humans. He said their blood will kill us, and we made a bargain.” His tears fell faster. “And the others are vampire slayers.”
    “A little old lady?” Lilith growled the words. “You’re fucking joking.”
    Denver broke into harsh sobs. Colin studied his terrified face, pushed away the pity. “Pull him up, Lilith. I want a sip.”
    The clatter of claws announced Sir Pup’s return; two vampires dangled from his enormous jaws. Alive, though unconscious. Colin would deal with them next.
    Denver looked at the hellhound, and a squeal of fear lent a pathetic note to his cries. Colin lifted his hand to the boy’s neck, flicked his fingers against his racing pulse.
    The boy fell silent, torn between terror and desire. Behind him, Lilith grimaced and turned her head.
    “I’m not going to kill you,” Colin said, then smiled coldly. “Unless you struggle and bloody my sweater.”
    Lilith backed away with an expression of wry gratitude. After such a warning and the horrifying specter of the hellhound, the boy wasn’t going to move.
    “I do intend to teach you a lesson. I’ll show you what awaits anything that makes a bargain with a demon. And when I’ve finished, I’ll put you into Agent Milton’s tender care.” His smile faded. “You and your friends will be extremely helpful, and answer any questions we have, won’t you?”
    Lilith’s eyebrows knitted. “Colin—”
    “It’ll be punishment enough, Lilith,” he said, his voice hard. He returned his attention to Denver and repeated, “Won’t you?”
    Denver nodded, took a deep breath as if to prepare himself.
    Preparation was impossible. Colin tilted his head and sank his fangs into the boy’s neck. Blood, thick and young and heady. He forced away the pleasure of it.
    And called up Chaos.

    The gentle murmur of voices alerted Colin to Castleford’s arrival. Sitting on his heels, his elbows braced against his knees, Colin lifted his head and watched blearily as Lilith wrapped her arms around the other man’s neck. Castleford hugged her tight. He’d replaced his bloodied shirt with some hideous tunic a Guardian had likely created for him.
    And Lilith melted softly against him.
    Colin hadn’t vomited in almost two hundred years—not since the drinking binge that had followed news of Anthony Ramsdell’s death on a Spanish battlefield—but he thought he might at that moment.
    He rested the back of his head against the brick wall behind him and let the cold stone support its pounding weight. What a bloody ridiculous mistake channeling memories of Chaos had been, though he couldn’t completely blame his headache on that realm. If he ever again had to punish a trio of idiots, he’d remember to seal their mouths shut first. Denver had screamed shrilly into his ear, as had the third boy.
    But they’d learned their lesson well—and if they remained awake long enough, wouldn’t forget its effects…even if they didn’t remember the actual feeding.
    Nor would they forget Sir Pup carrying them through the city to SI’s holding cells; Lilith had only told the hellhound to avoid being seen, not to be gentle with them. It was no more than they deserved.
    Savitri’s tearstained face rose in his mind, her trembling hands as she’d held her grandmother.
    Chaos had been much less than they’d