Blue-Blooded Vamp

Considering that less than a year ago, those same beings had been on the brink of annihilating each other, it was an odd but not unwelcome sight.

“What do you say, Red?” Adam asked, holding out a hand toward the dance floor.

Two hours later, I escaped. My hair hung in sweaty ropes around my face, the hem of my dress was in shreds, and I hadn’t felt so good in months. Adam stayed behind to take Zen for a spin around the floor, so I grabbed a seat at a nearby table.

Before long, Giguhl sauntered up carrying two flutes of champagne and wearing a goofy, satisfied grin. He handed me a glass and clinked his to it before taking a seat beside me.

We sat quietly for a few moments, letting the sounds of the party swirl around us. Less than a year ago, the future had been a huge, black question mark hovering on the horizon. But now it rolled out in front of us like the first rays of the sun at dawn, full of promise and hope.

I looked at Giguhl and thought about the first night we’d met. Adam had sent the demon to test my skills. Giguhl had introduced himself by way of an applewood arrow through my chest. And now I’d just served as best man at his wedding.

On the journey to becoming best friends, we’d survived countless battles, hairpin turns, misunderstandings, and tests of faith. But each of those challenges had forged our relationship with bonds stronger than blood. And I was damned proud to be his friend.

“How’s it feel to be Mr. Valva now?” Apparently, demons didn’t get married often, but when they did, it was customary for the male to take the female’s name.

Giguhl leaned back in his chair and clasped his hands across his midsection. “Don’t have any complaints so far.” Something in the distance caught the demon’s eye. “Hey, Red? Check it out.”

I turned and immediately spotted the objects of his interest. Nyx and Slade were sitting at an out-of-the-way table with their heads close together. Something about their body language told me they weren’t talking about business. I took a sip of my drink and decided it was a good thing. Nyx had thrown herself into her new role in the vampire government to distract herself from Tristan’s loss, but from the looks of things, Slade was more than happy to help her move on.

Adam approached and saw where Giguhl and I were looking. “Good for them.” He took the seat on the other side of me and kissed my hand.

“So when do you head to Irkalla?” Adam asked Giguhl. He and his bride would be honeymooning in the underworld.

“Tonight, just after the party. Lilith’s insisting on holding a demon mating ceremony immediately to consecrate our unholy union or whatever,” Giguhl said. “Adam said you guys are going down, too?”

I nodded. “Maisie’s having some trouble with the vampire uprising in the Bloodlands, so I’m going to go help her. We won’t be there long, but I’m hoping I can fit a visit in with my parents and Vinca.”

“I’m glad your dad finally got over himself about the whole love spell thing.”

“I don’t think Phoebe gave him much choice,” I chuckled. “Especially when she reminded him that love spells can only make you attracted to someone. They can’t create true love or keep two people together. That’s all a conscious choice.”

Adam shot me an intimate smile. “Damn straight.”

Valva came and plopped into Giguhl’s lap. She planted a loud smacking kiss on his lips. “How are you, Mr. Valva?”

“Better now,” he said, pulling her closer.

“When will you guys get back from your honeymoon?” Adam asked.

“Couple months, tops.”

My mouth dropped open. “That long?” I hadn’t been separated from Giguhl that long since the day he barged into my life.

Valva waved a golden hand. “It would have been longer, but we need to get back to prepare the nursery.”

I frowned at her. “What nursery?”

Valva didn’t notice that her new husband had gone very still. “For the babies?” She rolled her eyes like I’d said something stupid.

My stomach dropped. Giguhl closed his eyes and muttered a curse.

“Who’s having babies?” Adam said, shooting me a tense glance. I shook my head back because I had no freaking clue either.

Valva looked at Giguhl. “Didn’t you tell them, honey?”

“I wanted to wait until after we got back, sugar knuckle.”

In a voice as calm as I could manage, I said, “Tell us what, exactly?” I picked up my champagne, prepared to chug my way through this.

Valva pursed her lips and gave her husband a look that clearly indicated he would not enjoy his wedding night if he didn’t spill the news. “Adam, Sabina,” Giguhl said, his tone reluctant and not a little nervous. “I’m knocked up.”

I sputtered a mouthful of champagne across the table. “What?”

“Wait.” Adam held up a finger. “Don’t you mean Valva is pregnant?”

Valva shook her head. “Gross, no.”

“Giguhl?” Adam said, his tone growing alarmed. “What the hell?”

I put my head in my hands. “I’m so confused right now.”

My minion took a deep breath and leaned forward. “It’s true. I’m carrying our first litter.”

“But how?” I held up a hand. “Wait, I’m not sure I even want to know how that’s possible.”

“It’s simple, really,” Valva said, ignoring my plea to remain ignorant of the inner workings of demon procreation. “Female demons have two sets of equipment.”

Adam closed his eyes. “I know I shouldn’t ask this, but I can’t help myself. Do males have both as well?”

“Um, hello? How many times have you two bitches seen me in my magnificent naked form? The answer is no. The only tool I’m sporting is the mighty Pitchfork.”

“Then how are you—” I stopped myself.

“Gods, Sabina, don’t be such a prude,” Valva said. “It’s just a matter of me implanting a sperm packet in Giguhl’s ass womb.”

All the blood rushed from my face. Adam’s face was slightly green and he swayed woozily. “Are… are you happy about it?” I whispered.

Giguhl pursed his lips, thinking it over. “You know, I kind of am. We didn’t plan on it, but I think it could be pretty awesome to have a gaggle of little Vanity and Mischief demons running around.”

“How many makes up a gaggle, exactly?” Adam said.

“Half a dozen, usually. We’ll know more once I’m further along and my teats come in.”

I bit my lip to keep in the hysterical laughter bubbling up in my throat.

Luckily, Adam had a better poker face. “And how long until these little miracles make their appearance?”

“Four months!” Valva said.

I dropped my glass.

“But don’t worry, Red,” Giguhl rushed ahead. “Once we wean them off the teat, they’ll move back to Irkalla.”

“How long?”

“A thousand years, give or take.”

After the happy couple departed for the underworld and all the guests had returned to the respective centers of power, Adam and I stood on the balcony watching the sun rise.

My body was exhausted from the party but my head was buzzing. “I can’t believe we’re going to have six demon spawn running around here for a millennium.”

Adam shrugged. “Look at it this way—they’ll keep Giguhl and Valva so busy they won’t have time to cause trouble.”

I turned to the mancy and lifted an eyebrow. “Yes, but we’ll be outnumbered.”

“Not for the first time,” he reminded me.

“True.” I leaned over and kissed his cheek.

We fell silent as we watched the sun finally crest the horizon. “You know, it just occurred to me that the first time we met was during the last harvest moon,” Adam said.

I looked up. “That’s right. At Ewan’s bar. You were sitting across the bar trying to look so mysterious.”

He smiled. “You totally checked me out.”

“Right,” I said. “As a potential enemy.”

“I remember the moment I saw you. You marched in with a huge chip on your shoulder, daring every vampire in the room to challenge you. Begging them to let you prove yourself.”

I stilled, remembering that night. It had been only a couple of hours after I’d killed David. I’d walked into Sepulcher looking for a fight. And I’d found one. A swaggering vamp had approached me and called me out for killing his brother years earlier.

“When you killed that guy, you smiled.” Adam’s tone was quiet. Not judgmental, just matter-of-fact.

“I did?”

He nodded. “But you know what else I noticed?”

I swallowed hard against a rush of emotion that rose out of nowhere.

“You were standing in the middle of a packed bar surrounded by vampires who either despised you or were afraid of you. You tried to look like you enjoyed their awe, but something in your eyes caught me off guard.”

“What?” I whispered.

“Loneliness.”

Tears sprang to my eyes. It had been months since I’d felt that hollowed out feeling. The weight of solitude, which, along with self-loathing, had been my only companion. But now the memories flooded in and with them, the visceral pain of rejection and self-inflicted isolation.

“I guess I was pretty fucked up.” Funny talking about it now—that old life felt decades in the past instead of a little more than a year.

“A little maybe,” he said. “But also brave and brash and proud. I was fascinated from the moment you stormed into that room.” He tilted my head up and wiped the tears from my cheeks. “And the longer we’re together, the more fascinated I become.”

I kissed his lips, savoring the sandalwood musk of him as it combined with the smoky scent of autumn leaves and the flavor of whisky on his skin. “You’re pretty fascinating yourself, mancy.” ns class="adsbygoogle" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true">