Demon Moon

gun down my family.” She released a long breath. “I still get them—the anxiety attacks.”
    “I know. I see them, now and again. More often since you’ve returned from Caelum. You handle them well.”
    She smiled wryly. “Not really. If I notice it, I freeze up and have to stop myself from going. If anything frightens me, the same thing happens.”
    “Better than blacking out and running.” He stood, gave her the bar. She managed one lift before she had to put it down. “You were able to run when it mattered.”
    “On the plane? I guess. I thought it all out ahead of time; that probably helped. It wasn’t an involuntary reaction.”
    “Perhaps. Four hundred and fifty pounds looks to be your limit. We’ll test your speed at SI tomorrow.”
    She grinned, struck a bodybuilder’s pose. “What’s your limit?”
    “About three times that. Lilith, six times. Before you ask, I’ve never tested Michael, though he’s undoubtedly the strongest. Guardians’ strength varies according to age, but most novices can carry five tons.” His lips twitched when her mouth dropped open. “It’s very, very rare that such a weight needs to be lifted or moved. And when fighting, the dynamics change completely; strength is important, but factors such as speed and skill play a significant part.”
    Lilith’s strength was equivalent to normal vampires’. “What about nosferatu-born vampires?”
    “Usually, about halfway between a nosferatu and a vampire.”
    Usually , because there was an exception. “And Colin’s strength?”
    He’d been able to open the massive marble doors in Michael’s temple. She’d once estimated the weight of each slab: almost one hundred tons. All of it held up by the frame—but she hadn’t been able to produce enough force to overcome inertia and swing them on the hinges.
    Colin had, with little apparent effort.
    Hugh shook his head. “I don’t know. The few times I’ve seen him move faster than a stroll, I’d have put his speed in the range of a novice. He fought a nosferatu when we were attacked in his basement last year; he’d not quite the speed and strength, but equal the skill.”
    “Would he have lost?”
    “Perhaps he would’ve eventually fallen if Selah hadn’t teleported him out, but he held up well until then. Much better than I did,” he said with a wry smile.
    Savi looked at his neck; Michael had healed the nosferatu’s bite. No evidence of it remained. “So, is there anything else you haven’t told me?”
    “Aye. But I’ve no intention of sharing it now.”
    As there was a lot she hadn’t told him, either, she thought they must be even. “I’m off to the kitchen. Do you know if he’s coming tonight? I thought I’d give him another chance at DemonSlayer.”
    To Savi’s surprise, the vampire had shown up every evening since their agreement, and refrained from making a complete ass of himself. They’d spent the previous night playing a video game; Colin had rolled up his sleeves and appeared to enjoy it—though he’d been shocked when his preternatural reflexes hadn’t overcome her experience.
    And though he had a wicked competitive streak and had tried to cheat several times, he’d taken his defeat gracefully. She hadn’t expected it of him.
    Of course, being a good loser hadn’t prevented Colin from rolling his eyes toward the ceiling in exasperation when Hugh had pointed out that strength didn’t always win over brains and training.
    She glanced at him now, but instead of finding humor as she’d anticipated, Hugh wore a resigned expression. “I doubt he will.”
    “Oh. Why?”
    “A personal matter; he may tell you if you ask him, but I won’t.” His gaze leveled on hers. “You’re not avoiding him as you used to. Were memories of Caelum so painful?”
    Uncomfortable, she shifted on her feet. He’d known? “Yes.” She said the truth only because a lie was useless with him. “I thought I hid it.”
    “I’ve seen how you look at the painting,” he said, and she relaxed slightly. He hadn’t meant her encounter with Colin—but her answer was still true. “When I first became a Guardian, I looked at Caelum and thought: How could I ever want more than this?”
    “It’s overwhelming,” she agreed, her throat tightening.
    “Yes. In the beginning. After a while, it no longer had what I sought—but I can’t deny its beauty. It’s unfortunate you couldn’t stay awhile, as Colin did. Have you asked Michael if you can go