Demon Moon

from again. The reek of their flesh and blood and fur rose on waves of heat.
    “They wouldn’t know the meaning behind each,” Castleford said. “Or which ones combined to form an effective spell. Lucifer didn’t share that knowledge.”
    “No, but the ritual was designed to allow them access to the Gates—”
    Shut up . Colin clenched his teeth, gagging against the stench. He closed his eyes, fought to hold on to reality. Mirrors. Not Chaos.
    Don’t leave me. Not here. Not alone .
    Her voice faint beneath the screams, Lilith said flatly, “It’s impossible.”
    And part of him left.

    “It’s impossible,” Savitri said. Her eyebrows lifted, as if daring him to defy her. “A tessellation made of circles?”
    Colin studied the arch, its cylindrical marble blocks, the lack of a keystone. Though no mortar had been used, the pattern interlocked as tightly as if it had been made of straight edges. It shouldn’t have been possible, and it should have fallen apart under its own weight—but it stood. Solidly, if her barefooted kick to the base had been any indication. “Apparently, sweet, it is possible.”
    “Hugh says that with Guardians and demons, appearances are almost always deceiving . Apparently the same is true of their homes.” Thick ebony lashes framed her dark eyes, made the curiosity and humor lighting them seem all the brighter. Strange that he could not read deeply behind them. She either had naturally strong psychic shields, as did many humans who repressed large portions of their natures, or Castleford had taught her to block .
    Given Castleford’s fondness for lecturing, Colin decided it was the latter .
    “Our brains aren’t processing something correctly,” she said, turning to examine the arch again .
    He preferred it when she looked at him. He’d noted that she was most likely to whenever he said something incredibly vain or affected. As he also preferred to make such statements, it was no hardship to draw her gaze .
    “ Your brain may not be, young Savitri. You’d do well to forget all that Castleford has told you; I determined long ago that Guardian aphorisms are exceedingly tiresome, either certain to produce mental cavities with their cloyingly sweet virtue, or destined to rot one’s mind with boredom—particularly when one has heard them endlessly in one form or another for two centuries. Indeed, I stopped listening long ago, and you’ll note my intellect is rather formidable.”
    “I’ve been taught to respect my elders, so I should let your blindness pass unremarked,” she said, glancing over her shoulder and drawing her upper lip between her teeth. It appeared ridiculously soft and moist when she released it. “But since you are two hundred years old and likely deaf as well, it can’t hurt to point out that your great age has obviously left you so mentally decrepit that you can’t see what’s in front of you. No wonder you pretended to be blind when we met; it was an outward manifestation of your inward deficiency.”
    He was certain he saw well enough, but he shouldn’t have been looking. He batted his eyelashes together. “But don’t you agree I have aged well?”
    “Apparently,” she said dryly. But her cheeks hollowed, as if she was biting the insides to keep from laughing .
    Then she took his hand, pulling him beneath the archway, almost skipping in her eagerness. He walked lightly along beside her, no longer suppressing the smile that had threatened during the whole of their conversation. She’d continually surprised him from the moment of his arrival in Caelum; he’d quickly discovered she was an extraordinarily intelligent creature, if also hopelessly naïve and trusting. She’d not shown fear when he’d flashed his fangs, nor when he’d told her to run. Instead she’d stared at him with her wide, curious gaze and asked if he was strong enough to open the doors of Michael’s temple .
    Then she had offered him a sip of her blood in return for his feat .
    Her questions had revealed she knew very well what a vampire was—even knew specifics about him that were different from others of his kind—yet she had risked being alone with him to experience the wonder of Caelum .
    And he could think of no other companion he’d rather have shared it with. Not Lilith or Castleford—not even Ramsdell and Emily .
    It was unsettling…but he could easily ascribe the foolishness of his reaction to Caelum .
    He glanced down as her steps slowed and they