Sex and the Single Vampire

was about to kiss him until his fangs rattled. We both stopped and looked at the gold ring on the floor.

Christian stilled, his arm tense beneath my hand. I blinked, rather stupidly, I admit, but hey, I'd been through a lot. I was allowed to blink stupidly if I felt like it.

'Is that what I think it is?'

I nodded, staring at it, still blinking. Stupidly.

'Asmodeus's ring. How did you get it?'

'I don't know. It just suddenly came off his hand when I was trying to stop him from strangling me. I forgot I had it.'

Christian looked at me. I looked at him. Not stupidly, but with growing dismay. 'I can't, Christian. I can't.'

'It's a personal item, a talisman of power. Why can't you?'

There was nowhere to sit but the floor, so I sank down onto the cold stainless-steel floor next to the ring and wrapped my arms around my legs. I'd have to tell him; he would know the next time we merged. 'I fried my brain when I attacked the triumvirate. I tried, I really tried to deal with Eduardo, but it's gone, it's just gone, I can't do magic anymore. I couldn't even ward the door, and even a child can draw wards.'

Christian squatted next to me, his hands warm on my shoulders as he turned me to face him. 'Allegra, you haven't fried your brain. You've drained yourself, yes, but you haven't permanently damaged yourself. You can't; you are my Beloved. You are immortal now.'

'If I'm so immortal, why does my leg still hurt? And I bet you my eyes haven't changed.'

'Being granted immortality does not mean your physical flaws are obliterated.'

'It's also no guarantee of the quality of brainpower. Part of my brain is dead, Christian, the good part, the only part of value. Now all I have left worth anything is my blood.'

His fingers brushed a strand of hair out of my face with a gesture so tender it made tears come to my eyes. 'Do you honestly believe that I would pick a woman who had nothing to offer me but a means of sustenance?'

'You're just trying to be nice and make me feel better,' I accused. 'You're going to say something sweet and endearing and wonderful that will melt my heart and make me see things that I'm too stupid to see now, aren't you?'

'Yes,' he said, then tilted my chin up and kissed me. Tell me who you are.

'Allegra Telford,' I said, obstinately refusing to give in to the intimacy he wanted from me.

That is your name; who are you?

'Your Beloved.'

That is what you are; who are you?

'Someone who appreciates you in bed.'

Allegra, he sighed into my mind.

'Oh, all right. I'm a Summoner. Or at least, I used to be before I burned up my Summoning equipment trying to overcome Eduardo.'

And did you overcome him?

'No.'

Is he here now?

'No, the demons got him. I'm assuming they did; I doubt if anyone could have survived the horde that Asmodeus called up.'

Then you overcame him.

'Indirectly, maybe. Hey, are you supposed to be nibbling on my neck while you're grilling me?'

I can do anything I wish to do. I am a Moravian Dark One.

I waited for the other shoe to drop.

And you are my Beloved.

By which, I assume you're implying I too can do anything I want?

His fingers slid up the curve of my waist to cup my breasts. Anything, he breathed into my mind as I turned my head and found his mouth.

You have to feed. You are weak, and we need your strength right now. Blood is all I can offer you; please take it.

His tongue was fire in my mouth. The flames licked down my chest, filling me with need and hunger. You have so much more to offer, Beloved. I believe in you. I believe you can do anything you desire.

He merged with me then, his thoughts filling my head, my soul cleansing his, our hearts beating in time. His faith glowed bright, absolute faith in me, in my abilities, in us. I smiled as I kissed him, tears streaking my cheeks even as I slid my arms around him, his strength no threat to me, but an aid, a protection, a part of my life that I knew I wouldn't want to be without.

He pulled my hand forward and pressed the ring into it. Do it, Beloved.

I stared at it, doubt tugging at me.

I know you can.

The underlying power in magic, as I have said before, comes from the belief of the practitioner in her own abilities. If you don't believe, the magic won't work. I looked from the ring to Christian's eyes, those beautiful dark eyes that now were smiling at me, full of love and pride and quiet expectation that made warmth bloom inside me again.

'Will you still love me if I fail?'

'I will always love you, no matter what you do.'

I held on to the belief he poured into my mind as I set the ring down onto the floor, patting my jeans until I pulled a crumbled piece of chalk from my hip pocket. Christian's hand rested warm and solid on my back, a reminder that I was not alone as I drew the circle. It was odd, this knowledge that I could be myself, be everything I had fought for, and still be a part of Christian, but I had no more time for introspection and other mushy types of thought, no matter how enticing they were.

I had a demon lord to send back to hell.

'Why is it never easy with you? Why must you insist on making even the simplest of matters difficult?'

A dull thud from the door reverberated around the small, soundproofed room.

I'm not being difficult; I'm being practical. Now bite me!

'I do not need to feed.'

The door shuddered as another thud, louder this time, echoed into the room. The sword Christian had wedged into the door frame clattered against the metal, giving warning it was about to be dislodged.

Yes, you do. They drained you; I can feel how weak you are. Drink!

'I will not take from you when you need all your strength.'

I'm not so hung up on my own independence that I don't realize that your strength is an integral part of mine, Christian. Either you drink my blood this very minute, or I won't do a thing about closing this circle. I figure those demons are going to break through in about five seconds, so either you bite me now, or forever hold your peace.

His fangs pierced the hollow of my throat, sharp needles of pain dissolving into a sensation of intimate ecstasy. He drank deeply, making my head spin with both the pleasure of his feeding and the power that surged through him as my blood gave him new life. The door shuddered, thought about giving, but changed its mind at the last minute and held solid once again. I knew the next blow the demons made would destroy it. It was now or never; either I believed in myself, or I didn't.

I turned my head and bit Christian's thumb, squeezing his finger over the circle until three drops of dark red blood landed next to Asmodeus's ring. Christian's tongue was warm on my neck; then he pulled away. I wiped the smear of red from his lips, using my blood to trace a binding symbol in the middle of the circle, my finger tingling with the familiar sensation of power.

'Asmodeus, sixty-seventh spirit of Goeth, commander of the thirty legions, I Summon thee by the power of thy own talisman. Come forth and be bound under my hand.'

The demons were gathering for another assault on the door; I could feel their intentions pounding against us. Christian stood and prepared to defend me.