Sex and the Single Vampire

ghost?'

I set the keeper in the circle, my strand of hair laid across the doll's neck. 'I've never actually done this, so I'm not sure if it'll work or not. Theoretically it should, but who knows?'

The ribbon was used to bind the doll's hands behind its back. I dug into my bag until I found a length of plum-colored cloth wrapped around a long silver object.

'That's gorgeous. What is it?'

I held it up so Roxy could see the figures of two lovers entwined on the top. 'It's a hatpin, really, one of the old-fashioned kind. A wizard friend of mine made it for me. I use it for spells, though.'

'Cool. Does he take orders?'

I shook my head, glanced over to make sure Sebastian and Raphael were all right, then sketched a binding ward and closed the circle, the keeper and my hands within it. Using the hatpin, I pricked the doll's heart.

'This pin pierces your heart, I see, so let it now be bound only to me.'

'Wow, magic,' Roxy said, her eyes huge.

I snipped the ribbon binding the keeper's arms, signifying the spirit's bindings to Guarda being destroyed. 'Threads your body first entwined, now find you are bound to mine.'

'Why do spells always have to rhyme? I mean, it makes for some fairly bad poetry.'

'It gets worse, I'm afraid,' I told her as I wove the strand of my hair into the ragged, twisted cloth that made up the doll's hair. 'As I am now part of thee, so you will answer only to me.'

Roxy groaned.

'Last one.'

'Good. I don't think I could survive much more. You really need to take a couple of poetry classes before you do this again. I'm thinking something along the lines of an ode would help.'

I used the hatpin to prick my finger, pressing the drop of blood into two marks on either side of the circle. 'With my blood I do command you to heed my call and stand.'

'Oh, that was so lame—Hey! It's working!'

I pulled my hands from the circle as the air within turned opaque, first light gray, then darker, until the image of a small girl in Victorian dress shimmered in the air:

I grounded the spirit. 'What is your name?'

'Honoria Entemann.'

Roxy blew out a low whistle.

'Honoria Entemann, do you wish to be Released?'

I swore tears glittered in her ghostly eyes. She hugged the ghostly image of the rag doll to her chest and nodded. 'Please.'

I stood up, traced the ward of protection, and sprinkled ginseng all around the spirit, focusing my mind and speaking the words of Release. With my eyes closed, I summoned every last ounce of will to urge the spirit to move on.

'That was interesting. Is it actually supposed to do something?'

I opened my eyes. The teary-eyed ghost still stood before me. I swore under my breath and carefully stoppered the ginseng.

'Yes, it's supposed to do something, but I don't have time to figure out what went wrong. Esme, I Summon you.'

Esme materialized before us. 'Oh, my, you've sneezed up another one! What an adorable, sweet child! Where did you come from?'

Honoria threw herself at Esme and sobbed.

I limped over to the bed. 'I didn't Summon her; I cut her loose from Guarda. Are Joy and the others all right?'

Esme stroked Honoria's head. 'Yes, she's fine. She beat Antonio three hands in a row at strip poker, but I don't think he minded much. Jem decided to pierce his tongue, but something went wrong and now it's gone missing.'

I blinked. 'The piercing stud?'

'No, his tongue. He's most vexed about it, too.'

I took a deep breath and pushed from my mind the thought of a disattached ghostly tongue. 'I tried to Release Honoria but didn't have any luck, and I have to go save Christian just as soon as I talk to Sebastian and figure out what's holding Christian there, so if you could just take care of her for a bit…'

'I'd be delighted to. Come, little one. I have the most amazing thing to show you. It's called a television, and if we're lucky, Buffy the Vampire Slayer will be on BBC 2…'

Their forms evaporated as I gently touched Sebastian's head. 'I think that's probably enough.'

Slowly he pulled his mouth from Raphael's wrist, his tongue giving it a final flick as he gently released the arm.

'Wow,' Roxy breathed, looking at the faint twin puncture marks on Raphael's wrist. The marks dissolved into nothing as we watched.

I eyed Sebastian. He still looked awful, but at least his skin had lost the grayish cast. 'Rest for a minute; then I need to talk to you.'

His eyes drifted shut.

Roxy and I managed to get Raphael onto the armchair next to the bed. I covered him up with a blanket, and quickly ran downstairs while Roxy stayed behind to watch over Raphael and Sebastian.

She looked up as I set a plate of pound cake and a glass of apple juice next to Raphael for when he woke up. 'You know, I used to think this whole Dark One world was so fascinating, but I have to admit, it's a bit freaky seeing a vampire drinking your friend's blood.'

I put my hand on Raphael's forehead and opened my mind up to him. I'm not very good at sensing people's emotions, but he didn't seem to be in any distress. 'I think he's okay; Sebastian was careful. Raphael probably won't even know what happened unless you tell him.'

She looked faintly sick. 'Think I'll pass on that.'

I glanced at Sebastian. He was watching us now, his eyes the clear blue of a summer sky, a faint flush of color on his cheeks.

'Can you talk?'

His throat worked as he nodded. 'A bit.'

He had an accent, but one that sounded slightly different from Christian's. More French, perhaps.

Roxy winced at his words. 'Ow. Sounds like you're gargling glass.'

I agreed, but felt little remorse in questioning him. I had done what I could to tide him over until he could be helped properly; now it was his turn to help me. 'Did you see what happened to Christian when he went in to rescue you?'

He shook his head, lifting one fragile hand to touch his eye. 'Couldn't see. Blind.'

'Oh, I'm sorry. But you can see now, yes?'

He nodded.

'You do know that Christian saved you?'

His lips stretched into what must have been a smile, but just looked terrible with him so emaciated. 'Yes. Knew he would. Brothers.'

I stared. Christian had never mentioned a brother, other than having lost one when he was young. 'Christian is your brother?'

He shook his head, his long fingers fumbling with the cloth until he found the area over his heart.

'Oh, I see, he's the brother of your heart. Well, good, then you understand why I'm so concerned about him. Is someone holding him?'

Pain filled Sebastian's blue eyes. 'Didn't know. Hadn't thought he'd come back so soon.'

'Who? The person who captured you? Is that who has Christian?' The air in my lungs seemed to thicken until I couldn't draw a breath.

Sebastian's throat worked as if he had a hard time saying the word. 'Asmodeus.'

My blood froze solid. Now I was not only not breathing; my heart had stopped as well. It was amazing I could still think. Then again, perhaps I was delusional. Perhaps I had just imagined that Sebastian had named the demon