Page 81 of Cold Curses

My stomach revolted, and I retched until my body was empty.

When that was done, I reassessed. I hurt, and I was dizzy. But I was me again. Because monster had attacked me from within to keep me from doing something wrong. Maybe because it knew I would regret it. Maybe because it feared we wouldn’t survive punishment for the violation.

And I was grateful for the help.

We’re even,I told it.

And passed out.

* * *

I couldn’t look him in the eye.

The CPD and an ambulance arrived, both called by a human security guard who had apparently been monitoring the lobby from behind a locked door. Couldn’t blame him for that, but I bet he was rethinking his career choice.

I sat on the back of the open ambulance, feet dangling, while the EMTs checked my pulse and asked me inane questions to ensure I’d recovered my senses. Theo stood nearby, arms crossed and face inscrutable as he watched us. And I really wished I could have scrut-ed it, because I couldn’t manage eye contact with someone I’d nearly drunk from, even if only because I’d been under the influence of demon magic.

“You’re fine,” one of the EMTs announced, snapping off his gloves.

“Blood?” asked the second, offering me a bottle. Did they keep it on board ambulances now in the event of vampire emergencies?

“Ombud-involved incident,” the other EMT said, packing away gear. “We have it ready just in case.”

“Thank you,” I said. “I appreciate the gesture, but I’m not…” I didn’t want to say “hungry.” “In need,” I finished. The thought of blood held zero appeal.

“Your call,” the second EMT said, and put the bottle back in a cooler in an interior side panel.

Theo walked closer. “Could you give us a moment?”

The EMTs nodded. “Sure,” said the first. “Need to write this up.”

They left us alone in simmering awkwardness.

“I’m so sorry,” I said, looking at my hands. “It was demon magic—the predator thing—and I couldn’t control myself.”

There was silence for a moment, and I braced myself to be dumped as his partner.

“I’m not mad at you. I’m worried.”

That had me looking up. “What?”

“I know that wasn’t you. You don’t even like to drink from bottles in front of people because it might freak them out.”

That was true.

“Besides, you did control it. You reined it in, and that looked like it hurt. But you hit that wall really hard. That sound—I’m not likely to forget that anytime soon. And yes, I know you heal. But still…he tossed you across the room. And didn’t break a sweat doing it.”

His fear was the same as mine: that even an immortal like me wasn’t enough to stop the demons.

“I’m okay. The demon magic was tough. But yeah, I’ll heal.”

“And in the meantime, you look like you’ve been through a war zone.” He took my hand, frowned at the bruises that had bloomed in ugly colors. “Just…be sure to tell Connor I didn’t do this.”

For the first time in a while, I grinned. “He’ll know. You’re a hell of a partner.”

“Tell him that, too. Just in case.”

* * *