Demon Moon

sunlight enough to make him squint, not enough to burn. “No.”
    Michael leaned back, observing the busy human foot traffic, the flow of government employees in and out of the building. He wore linen trousers and a tailored shirt as a concession to the public, but his sandals appeared castoffs from a poorly produced gladiator film.
    “Before I left, Lilith informed me that the latest raid was successful. Seven vampires; there cannot be many more under his control. You have taken the community well in hand.”
    “I’ll add my self-congratulations to yours when Dalkiel has been destroyed.” Colin studied the Doyen’s profile. Savi’s efforts had uncovered almost every avenue of concealment the demon had taken, and his only remaining hold on the vampires was their fear. There was little left for Dalkiel to do in San Francisco but to pursue his revenge. “If he manages to destroy me, however, you’d do well to ask Castleford to continue training Fia and Paul. They could take my place, with assistance from Darkwolf and his consorts to form a council.”
    “And if Dalkiel does not?” Michael’s gaze moved from the people to the bubbling fountain in the concrete courtyard.
    “I will stay sixty years, perhaps.” He could not think beyond that time; Savi would age beautifully…and he could not conceive of a life here without her. “And if what Savi fears comes to pass, and we are exposed, I’d be an unlikely spokesperson for any community. So I will establish a council regardless; cameras do not flatter me as well as they do others.”
    “Others, such as a demon who was elected to human government office because of his performance on-camera.”
    “Yes.”
    Michael turned his head; his eyes were hard, his gaze like onyx. “You would not.”
    “I am myself surprised by the lengths I’d go to to keep her with me; a demon has no sexual need. There’d be no danger of the bloodlust forcing from me what I don’t want to give anyone but her.”
    “So you would take his blood, and your blood would be the trade? He’d most likely find a way to kill you. Rael is adept at bargaining; you are not.”
    “I may die, yes. His liege is embroiled in a war against Lucifer; he would accept the power it can provide Belial. I would have five hundred years, I think, before he would kill me. That is time enough. “
    “Are you attempting to force my hand?”
    “Yes. It would be unfortunate if you lost your only access to Chaos.”
    Michael smiled, and it moved like ice through Colin’s veins. “You are mistaken; Belial wants nothing of Chaos. Only to return to Grace. Rael would probably kill you the moment you stepped into his office, or play with you for his amusement.”
    “We shall soon see.”
    “Perhaps,” Michael said after a moment of silence, “you are not so poor a bargainer. But you did not have to go to these lengths.”
    Colin relaxed slightly. “You denied Savi’s request to visit Caelum. You don’t have to honor my free will, and may take me to Chaos at any time; but I know Guardians too well. You prefer choice over force. So I’ll go willingly, if you allow her access to Caelum whenever she wishes it.”
    “Caelum is not for humans,” Michael said. “Nor for vampires.”
    “I daresay that in essence, we are not truly vampire or human. And it did not affect her poorly when she was.”
    “Perhaps.” Michael watched him; without waiting for an invitation, he sent a psychic probe through Colin’s mind, then eased away. He could have no doubt of Colin’s resolve, no doubt that this was not a bluff. “Very well.”
    “Take her for her protection upon my next daysleep,” Colin said. “I’ll not have her terrorized by Dalkiel again.”
    “A pair of novices can be sent to the house.”
    Colin shook his head. “I confess it is not only for protection; I need to make amends before she leaves. It is best done there, where the injury was given.”
    The Doyen’s hard mouth softened. “For that reason alone, I would have agreed to this.” Michael stood, lifted his face to the sky, his eyes closed as if soaking up the weak sunlight.
    “Would you have forced me?”
    “Yes.” With a sigh, Michael looked at him again. “A Guardian prefers not to impose upon the free will of any being, but when it is a moment of necessity and it does not break the Rules, we are often more men than angels—and perhaps more demonic than human.”
    Colin nodded, and watched as the Doyen walked slowly across the