Sex and the Single Vampire

thought of what I had asked from my friends.

'I'm sure they'll be all right, Allie,' Joy said thoughtfully. 'I doubt if this Asmo-whoever had time to do anything to them. It sounds like he was awfully focused on you and Christian.'

I sniveled a noncommittal answer into Christian's black sweater.

'Yeah, and besides, they were smart ghosts,' Roxy added. 'Well, that Jem character wasn't the brightest bulb in the pack, and that wrinkled up Welsh woman was not working on all six thrusters, but other than that, they were a pretty sharp bunch. They wouldn't let themselves be phantomized.'

I sniffed and breathed in Christian's lovely scent. It made me feel better just knowing that even if I were guilty of the eternal damnation of six ghosts, at least he'd suffer with me.

Or something to that effect.

'We will go back to the house as soon as the sun is down,' Christian said softly in my ear. 'We will search for any sign of your ghosts.'

I nodded and sniffed again and made an effort to pull myself together. Christian sat and tugged me down onto his lap as everyone asked questions, hashed over the events, and heaped huge quantities of praise on Christian and me for our quick thinking.

I was utterly miserable.

'Hullo? Anyone home? Oh, hullo again, Joy, Roxy. You must be Raphael. Do you know that your eyes are yellow?'

'Amber, not yellow,' Joy corrected Noelle.

'Really?' She tilted her head and examined Raphael. 'If you say so. Allie, I was checking through the remains of the house for any signs of demons and imps, and I found this.'

She held out her hand, the shattered remains of her amulet scattered across her palm.

'Oh, Noelle, I'm so sorry, I meant to tell you that I'd lost it. It cracked under the strain of Asmodeus's power. I'm sure it was a one-of-a-kind amulet, but I'll do everything I can to replace it.'

'Don't worry; I have a drawerful of them. After all, it's not the amulet; it's what goes into it.'

I gave her a watery smile. 'Have you met Christian?'

I tried to get up so he could greet her, but he held on to me with one hand and offered her another. She said something about it being nice to finally meet him, then asked, 'What happened to the Dark One who was in the big bed?'

I leaned back against Christian and let myself drift along with his silken voice.

'Sebastian recovered from his ill treatment, a circumstance that leaves me profoundly grateful for your help. I understand you arranged for several units of blood to be fed to him.'

'We weren't sure if he'd like it if it weren't on the hoof, so to speak, but he didn't seem to mind,' Roxy said. 'In fact, he guzzled it all down pretty quickly. Made a world of difference in him, too, didn't it?'

'It did,' Joy agreed.

'He left me a note before he left, asking me to thank you for your kindness,' Christian added.

'Oh, he's left already?' Noelle asked, disappointment tinging her voice. I stopped wallowing in sorrow and took a good, long look at her. 'That's a shame. I've never met a Dark One, present company excepted, and I was looking forward to interviewing him as to the nature of werefolk in Moravia.'

'Were what?' Raphael asked suspiciously. Joy shushed him.

'I would be happy to—'

'No, you wouldn't,' Joy said quickly, interrupting Christian. 'You have lots to do. You have Allie to get settled, and the Trust to dismantle, and all the other stuff. I'm sure you won't have time.'

I pushed myself forward on Christian's legs, bristling at the way she told him what he could do. 'If Christian wants to—'

'He doesn't want to, though, do you, Christian?' Joy said, her eyebrows wiggling meaningfully.

Raphael groaned and pulled her back from where she had been leaning forward. 'No. I absolutely forbid it. One was enough. No more. We're going to have a quiet life from now on.'

'Of course we are,' Joy said, absently patting Raphael's leg.

I looked at Roxy. She grinned at me. I looked at Christian. He looked thoughtful. Noelle just looked confused. I knew how she felt; I was as confused as she was.

Is it so that all women are born matchmakers? Christian said into my mind.

I looked again at Noelle, an idea dawning in my mind, a slow smile curving my lips. 'I'm afraid Joy is right, Noelle. Christian is going to be very busy for a long while. But I'm sure any of his friends, his Moravian friends, would be happy to help you with your book.' I turned to look at Christian. 'Didn't you tell me that Sebastian had gone to track down the other Trust houses and check them for victims? That means he'll be in the country for a bit.'

'Allegra…'

I ignored the warning note in Christian's voice and smiled again at Noelle. Roxy and Joy smiled with me. She backed up a step under the onslaught of so much smile wattage.

'I'm sure he'd be delighted to talk to you when he returns.'

'Erm… yes, that's a possibility. Well, it's been lovely, but I must be on my way. Mummy has been called to a terrible Hecatoncheires outburst, and I promised I'd help her.'

'Hecatoncheires?' Roxy asked. 'What's that?'

'A nasty little monster with fifty heads and one hundred hands. Ta, everyone! Oh, Allie.' Noelle stopped at the door and turned back toward me, reaching into her pocket. 'Before I forget, I found these as well. I thought you might want them back.'

Six filthy, stained, dust-, dirt-, and plaster-laden bobbles glowed softly in her hand.

'The ghosts!' I leaped up from Christian's lap, scooping the bobbles gently into my hand. 'They bobbled themselves! They're all here!'

Noelle smiled. 'I told you they would be helpful.'

'And smart.' Roxy nodded.

I set the bobbles carefully in a blue-and-green Venetian glass bowl and called the names one after another. 'Esme, Antonio, Jem, Alis, Honoria, Mr. Woogums, I Summon you.'

They all appeared, all their dear forms, even the petulant little Honoria looking relatively pleased at being called forth. Jem, the possessor of the sat-upon bobble, was a bit worse for wear, but at least he could talk again.

'Borrowed a tongue,' he told me. I didn't want to know where he borrowed it from, so I just thanked him for his help, and told him how happy I was to see him again.

'I was never in my life so frightened; you simply have no idea what it is to throw oneself willy-nilly at a demon lord!' Esme told Roxy. 'I was vicious, though; I truly was. I berated him soundly for his cruel actions, and then I lectured him—yes, I did!—about the state he'd let his hair and fingernails get into. 'Just because one is an inhabitant of hell does not mean one has to let oneself go,' I said to him. Well, that gave him something to think about, as you might well imagine!'

Antonio watched with sad puppy eyes as Christian, who had been listening to Jem tell how he had Asmodeus in a headlock, followed by a mangier move, strolled over to me and slid his arm around my waist. 'You 'ave given yourself to him, corazón. I was sure you would save yourself for me. We would 'ave found a way to be together.'

'I gave my heart to Christian before I Summoned you, Antonio. You knew there could never be anything between us.'

Antonio's lower lip pouted for a moment, then sucked itself back in as he straightened up and smoothed down his doublet. 'You will have girl children. Lots of girl children. One of them will grow up and see me and know that she is mine, yes?'

Christian started to protest, but I stopped him. 'I'm sure any daughters we have would be smitten with you, but you can't mean to stay here, Antonio. I'm positive I can Release you; it's just a matter of having the time to figure out the proper quantities of ginseng. Now that the threat of Asmodeus is taken care of, I can devote myself to working out the problems so I can Release you.' I waved a hand to include the other ghosts. 'Release all of you.'

'No! Oh, my dear, you wouldn't do that to me! To us!'