Demon Moon

black-and-white photograph. He must have drawn it that morning as she slept lying on her stomach, her fingers curling into the pillow just beneath her chin, the pale sheet draped over her hips. Her limbs were sleek and toned, the material surrounding her luxurious; textured by his pencil, even the scars on her back appeared lovely, as if they’d been designed for her skin.
    Her lips parted on a sigh, and she glanced up at his face, saw the hopeful glint in his eyes, the uncertain half-smile.
    “I suddenly understand why you have so many self-portraits.” To be seen in such a way; it stole her breath. “Can I have this sketch when you’re done?”
    “Yes. Or I can paint two.”
    “Will you put yourself in mine?”
    He stared at her. “You’ve no idea the effect you have on me. If I trusted the bloodlust not to make its appearance, I’d kiss you senseless.”
    But he did not, taking back the sketch pad and flipping to the next page. His pencil flew across it before he turned the page toward her. The same scene, though more crudely rendered—and this time Colin was in the bed, dressed in a cape and tuxedo, leaning over her sleeping form with a rapacious grin and his fangs glistening.
    She bit her lips to hold back her giggles. “Naked.” And couldn’t contain them when his hand moved in a blur, drew a penis extending from the tuxedo’s now-open fly.
    Grinning a bit like his double in the sketch, he slapped the pad closed and tossed it aside, then took her hand. “I shall paint us reenacting the whole of the Kama Sutra .”
    “Or we can just reenact it.”
    “Both. Come along. We’ve much to do, and I have much to show you before night falls.”

    After the attack from Beelzebub and the nosferatu the previous year, Colin had apparently rebuilt with defense in mind. Every room and closet on the first and second floors had the symbols ready for activation and weapons hidden behind wall panels and in cupboards—even in the furniture.
    In the basement, once Savi had finished panting over the theater and shelves of DVDs, he led her to a small room that could have doubled as a bomb shelter, and that served as the heart of his security system.
    She took in the bank of video monitors, the computers, and fell in love all over again. “Does this work with the spell?”
    “The monitors and the security controls, but no outside communication. However, the spell shouldn’t be necessary; no demon could break through the steel walls or the door. Perhaps you might need it if you don’t have time to engage the locks, but even if the power’s cut, a generator will provide the backup.” Colin pointed to a metal cabinet. “Enough blood for three weeks, food for six. Oxygen tanks, if air runs low and the intake has been compromised.”
    “You’ve prepared for humans?”
    “Lilith, Castleford, and you. Anyone else I’d shove out the door.” He paused. “But for Auntie.”
    She chewed on her lip, thought it over. “So at night, when we are home, we have the symbols active over the entire house so that Sir Pup is free to protect Lilith and Hugh. And we’ll keep my bedroom spelled if I’m sleeping during the day, and Sir Pup available to you as a backup if Dalkiel decides to attack you.” That thought made her uneasy; she didn’t like that the demon would ever have access to Colin. As a human, she only had to fear the vampires; Colin had to protect himself from demon and vampires, night and day. “Can’t we leave the spell active at all times when we’re home?”
    He shook his head. “For portions of the day, perhaps, but the cleaning service needs access, and we should have a window of availability for Auntie or SI to reach us.”
    “I can clean. What if the demon shifted into one of their human forms to trick you?” She couldn’t imagine a demon doing something like that—it would consider a cleaning woman too low-caste—but then she hadn’t thought one would concern himself with the likes of her, either.
    With an arch of his brow, Colin said, “No.”
    “Snob.”
    “Yes.” His lips twitched, and he leaned back against the smooth steel wall. “And you’d be too exhausted after cleaning a house of this size for me to take advantage of you as I intend.”
    “Well, I wouldn’t do a very thorough job. You saw my apartment. Do you drink from your cleaning ladies?”
    “No. It’s bad form to eat the help. Would you prefer that I engage a cook for the duration of your stay?”
    “I can do