Demon Night

roughened. “You all right?”
    “Yes. Although it’s also a good thing I don’t have to pee anymore, or I’d probably have embarrassed myself when the senator showed up.”
    His face softened. “I’d have pissed myself about a hundred times over when that bullet busted through the window.” His gaze searched her features for another moment. “I got to head outside, clean up, talk to Hugh. You all right to stay here a few minutes?”
    Charlie nodded, watched him walk through the door, her heart pounding wildly. A bad guy. He would have killed a human, would have Fallen, would have had that blood on his hands—so that she wouldn’t have to.
    That man was crazy in love with her. She’d have bet anything on it.
    Bet anything and everything—and she was going to. She was certain, but it wasn’t enough. Because along with the love and the certainty was that same terrible need, and pretending it didn’t exist wasn’t going to make it go away, and denying it wouldn’t mean she was stronger.
    Getting what she needed was probably going to hurt, though. Hurt her…and hurt him.
    She lifted her cheek from Jane’s head. “Drifter? Where’s Sammael?”
    His voice carried across the lawn. “On the porch.”
    Frowning, Charlie looked out the empty window frame. If the demon was on the porch, then he wasn’t standing. “Alive?”
    Jane’s breath hitched.
    “Yes,” Ethan said, and Charlie repeated his answer for her sister, but held on to Jane’s wrist when she attempted to get up.
    Jane sat down again.
    “You’re going to stay with Sammael,” Charlie said, and it wasn’t a question.
    Jane’s throat worked, and she averted her face. Her eyes filled. “I know you don’t understand, but—”
    “I understand better than you think. I know exactly how hard it is to give up something you love, but that isn’t any good for you.” And thank God Ethan couldn’t qualify as bad for her, because she’d never give him up.
    “He’s good to me.” Jane still wouldn’t meet Charlie’s eyes.
    “I’ve seen that,” Charlie said, and looked down at her hands. “I’ve actually got it easy now that I’m a vampire. I haven’t had to fight myself at Cole’s since I’ve been transformed because I don’t crave anything except blood. And that’s not bad for me—it’s just food. Tasty food. It doesn’t even matter if I eat too much; psychic energy doesn’t have any calories.”
    Jane’s lips curved into a smile, and her slim form began shaking. “You’re nuts, you know?”
    “Yeah,” Charlie said softly, and waited for Jane to look at her. “I can’t come around to your place anymore. Not if you’re living with Sammael.” She watched the shattered expression fall over Jane’s face, felt her sister’s sudden hesitancy and pained indecision—and for an instant, Charlie almost left it at that. Almost pushed Jane into making a choice. But she simply couldn’t. “But I’ll always be available whenever you need me—or for whatever reason. Available after sunset, anyway. At Cole’s, mostly, or I can be a cheap dinner date, and a movie is always good, too. Because I’ll need to see you; I’d just prefer that it isn’t with Sammael. Maybe I’ll change my mind in twenty or thirty years. But right now?” She shook her head. “I can’t.”
    Jane pulled up her legs, dropped her face against her knees. After a long second, she said, “Okay.”
    “Fuck you,” Charlie said, grinning with relief. “I can’t believe it took you that long to agree.”
    “You scared me to death, made me think I was going to lose you. So fuck you.” Jane lifted her head. “ And you told Mark about my crush on Bruce Willis. Total breach of trust.”
    “Look on the bright side. Maybe Sammael will shape-shift, and you can be all ‘Yippee kai yay—’”
    “Oh, Jesus . Shut up.” Jane dropped her head to her knees again, turned her face so Charlie could still see her. Her brows scrunched together. “Speaking of, did you get my note, with the unicorn?”
    “Yes.”
    “So you know there’s another option for feeding.”
    “Yes,” Charlie said quietly, and her chest began to ache. Even the bullet hadn’t hurt this much. “And Sammael’s bound to give me anything I need if I ask for it. So if you could arrange to send a pint of his blood to my house every day, I’d appreciate it.”
    Jane’s expression became confused and pleased, all at once. “But I thought you’d be with—”
    Charlie cut her