Demon Moon

had to zoom in pretty close to tell. Whoever forged the ID for you did an excellent job. But this one is a real photo, and a real license; it was taken two weeks ago in a Los Angeles DMV. A replacement for stolen ID, or so this person claimed.”
    His brows drew together, but there was no surprise in his tone when he asked, “A demon?”
    Savi nodded. Only demons and Guardians could shape-shift, but there was little danger of a Guardian trying to impersonate him.
    “Fuck,” Lilith said. Savi glanced over at her; Lilith was still on the other side of the room, though now she sat on the sofa arm. Hugh sat on the cushion next to her; Michael and Selah remained standing. “What’s the damage?”
    Swallowing, Savi turned back to Colin. “So far, seventeen million siphoned from your established accounts into newly opened bank accounts. Credit cards to a P.O. Box, and the physical address given is always Norbridge Medical. The Navigators? Fifteen of them through Norbridge.”
    The corners of Colin’s mouth turned down, and the cords of his neck stood out as if he’d had to quickly suppress a violent reaction. “He’s using the vampires to watch me? And my acquaintances?”
    Behind her she heard Lilith and Hugh talking with Michael, their voices tight with quiet alarm, but she ignored them.
    “Apparently,” Savi said. “What do you want me to do about the money? I can freeze the accounts, transfer it back.”
    “Fuck the—” Colin closed his eyes, pressed his mouth shut. “It’s nothing. Pin money. And he’ll know we’re aware of his activity if you stop the accounts. Where is he now?”
    “Here. Transactions began showing up in San Francisco last week. Some of them must be yours, but not all of them. I need you to tell me which ones are legitimate, and I might be able to get a better fix on his location and activities. I’ve got a list here; the ones I’m certain are bogus I’ve separated here.” She showed him a section flagged with a sticky. “The legitimate ones are clipped together here—and these are the ones I have questions about.”
    He stared down at the papers for what seemed an endless moment, then looked back up at her. Fatigue and apology had drawn his skin tight. “I can’t do it now, sweet.”
    “I know. It’ll wait until after you wake up.” She hesitated, then added, “Colin, he must’ve seen you, been around you at some point within the past month or two. Maybe in your house. He couldn’t have created such a perfect replica based on description, and there are no photos anywhere to give him reference. Even his hairstyle is like yours is now.”
    Hugh said, “Perhaps your self-portraits?”
    Colin gave a small shake of his head. “Those that survived have been crated since the fire. I’ve only had them taken from storage in the past week.”
    “And he’s always painted his hair in an early-nineteenth-century style,” Lilith added. “He loves that image of himself—probably because it’s the last one he saw.”
    Colin threw Lilith an amused glance before closing his eyes again. “Bloody hell. I should have realized. Those blasted vampires that followed us, and the female in the alley—” He cut himself off, shook his head again. “Careless,” he muttered and his chin dipped forward to his chest.
    Savi automatically laid her hand against his cheek to steady him. Faint stubble rasped against her skin as he turned his head, pressed his lips into her palm.
    Her throat ached at the vulnerability exposed by the simple caress—his and hers.
    Inertia. Momentum. Perhaps it was already too late.
    “Colin,” she said quietly. “Go home. Come over to Hugh’s tonight, and we’ll go through these then.”
    She felt his smile against her hand. “This is much more pleasant than what awaits me in my daysleep, Savitri. I’ll take a minute more, even if I humiliate myself by toppling over.”
    She bit her lip. Vampires had lucid dreams during their daysleep, but she’d only heard them described as pleasant. The dreams drew from the last strong emotion during waking—which, for vampires, was usually the drinking of blood. Or sex.
    But she couldn’t stop herself. “Chaos?”
    He raised his head, and her throat closed at the bleakness there. “Yes.”
    Perhaps she could give him something else. She slid her hand around the back of his neck and tugged. “Kiss me good night,” she said, and allowed a smile to curve her lips. “I’m saving your fortune.”
    Disbelief