Demon Moon

with beings who look like angels, and once were human.”
    “Yeah. Protection from demons and nosferatu is fine in the short term, but it’s humans and their reaction you’ll have to really worry about.” Savi glanced at Arwen, then Darkwolf. “And it’s important not just to have that link to Caelum and SI, but to keep the current partnership and bloodsharing structure. Now, feeding from humans isn’t allowed, but primarily for reasons of secrecy and community security. But if you start to think yourselves above them, feeding from them or thinking it’s okay to kill them, you’ll appear nothing more than parasites. The panic and the backlash upon public exposure will probably be bad enough—but add in vampires who think like demons and nosferatu, treating humankind with disdain, and you’re going to have seven billion people hunting you down. Those aren’t good odds.”
    “You think about this far too much,” Colin said, pressing a kiss against her temple.
    She smiled, arching her brow as she turned to look at him. Though his voice had been teasing, his gaze was dark, speculative. “Someone has to. It’s going to happen. And though it will help that vampires were once human, and some might have family living who’ll stand up for them, the only real defense is to set up the vampire communities like they are model minorities: self-sustaining, yet still economically valuable in the greater human society. And, to all appearances, safe.”
    “That’s fucked up,” Gina said.
    Colin grimaced, tilting his head back to stare up at the ceiling. “It will chafe, won’t it?”
    Savi patted his leg. “Don’t worry. With luck, it’ll only be that way for a century or so.”
    He looked down at her and grinned, but it faded when Arwen asked, “And will you be feeding from humans in a century or so? Are you going to turn her?”
    “No,” he said softly, holding her gaze. “I can’t transform her; my blood would kill her.”
    She sighed and leaned back against him. Every vampire in the club likely felt the hollow despair in her psychic scent, but there was no point in concealing it. “And I can’t be transformed; I’d probably die.”
    Gina looked between them, a furrow of confusion on her brow. A touch of pity around her lush mouth. “That’s fucked up, too.”
    “Yes,” Colin agreed.



CHAPTER 22

    Humans are anchored to Earth, but may be teleported to Caelum or Hell. It takes a ritual or sacrifice for a human to resonate with a Gate, allowing them to move between realms without being teleported. The same may be true of nonhumans, but I haven’t been able to convince anyone to tell me exactly how—or to show me the symbols that complete the ritual .
    —Savi to Taylor, 2007

    Colin waited with barely restrained impatience as Levitt checked the exterior security cameras in anticipation of their exit. All in all, their first foray had gone well. Eventually, he’d have to thrash someone rather than simply threaten it, but it wouldn’t be that evening. When Savi and he had left Darkwolf’s party, they’d still been tense and slightly confused; Colin imagined they’d discuss the situation the whole of the night, agreeing on what an ass he’d been, but eventually coming to the same conclusion: he’d be more valuable helping the community than fighting them.
    It was unfortunate he’d resorted to the threat of violence; unbelievable, how quickly his control had deteriorated.
    Apparently, Savi had come to a similar conclusion. Beneath the bulletproof headgear, her eyes were amused—and dark with anticipation. “Charm and bloodlust don’t mesh well,” she observed.
    The corners of his lips lifted in a wry smile. “No, indeed.” Luckily, it was a tactic he only needed to use once. They’d no doubt he was a vampire. “In the future, I’ll feed prior to leaving the house.”
    Levitt gave his all-clear signal, and the locks clicked open.
    “We could do it in the car.”
    Christ. He was so desperate for her, he probably wouldn’t last the distance to his house. But he refused to succumb to his bloodlust in the parking lot, where Levitt would see Savitri tupped by an invisible man on-camera.
    He shouldn’t have given Paul and Fia the suite as their living quarters. He shouldn’t have—
    The odor of fresh blood struck him a second after he opened the door and stepped outside, Savi’s hand in his. He paused, his body blocking hers from attack. At her heels, Sir Pup barked a warning and