Circus of the Damned by Laurell K. Hamilton

back, lips barely caressing my mouth, “I know.” Her lips pressed into mine, a gentle kiss. She smiled with our lips still touching.
    The door opened, nearly pinning us to the wall. Yasmeen stood up, but kept her hands around my shoulders. We both looked at the door. A woman with nearly white blond hair looked wildly around the room. Her blue eyes widened as she saw us. She screamed, high and wordless, rage-filled.
    â€œGet off of her!”
    I frowned up at Yasmeen. “Is she talking to me?”
    â€œYes.” Yasmeen looked amused.
    The woman did not. She ran towards us, hands outstretched, fingers curled into claws. Yasmeen caught her in a blurring moment of pure speed. The woman thrashed and struggled, her hands still reaching for me.
    â€œWhat the hell is going on?” I asked.
    â€œMarguerite is Yasmeen’s human servant,” Jean-Claude said. “She thinks you may steal Yasmeen away from her.”
    â€œI don’t want Yasmeen.”
    Yasmeen shot me a look of pure anger. Had I hurt her feelings? I hoped so.
    â€œMarguerite, look; she’s yours, alright?”
    The woman screamed at me, wordless and guttural. What might have been a pretty face was screwed up into something bestial. I’d never seen such instant rage. It was frightening even with a loaded gun in my hand.
    Yasmeen had to lift the woman off her feet, holding her struggling in mid-air. “I’m afraid, Jean-Claude, that Marguerite is not going to be satisfied unless she answers the challenge.”
    â€œWhat challenge?” I asked.
    â€œYou challenged her claim to me.”
    â€œDid not,” I said.
    Yasmeen smiled. The serpent must have smiled at Eve that way: pleasant, amused, dangerous.
    â€œJean-Claude, I didn’t come here for whatever the hell is going on. I don’t want any vampire, let alone a female one,” I said.
    â€œIf you were my human servant, ma petite , there would be no challenge, because once one is bound to a master vampire, it is an unbreakable bond.”
    â€œThen what is Marguerite worried about?”
    â€œThat Yasmeen may take you as a lover. She does that from time to time to drive Marguerite into jealous rages. For some reason I do not understand, Yasmeen enjoys it.”
    â€œOh, yes, I do enjoy it.” Yasmeen turned towards me with the woman still clasped in her arms. She was holding the struggling woman easily, no strain. Of course, vampires can bench press Toyotas. What was one medium-size human to that?
    â€œSo what exactly does this mean to me personally?”
    Jean-Claude smiled, but there was an edge of tiredness to it. Was he bored? Or angry? Or just tired? “You must fight Marguerite. If you win, then Yasmeen is yours. If you lose, Yasmeen is Marguerite’s.”
    â€œWait a minute,” I said. “What sort of fight, pistols at dawn?”
    â€œNo weapons,” Yasmeen said. “My Marguerite is not skilled in weapons. I don’t want her hurt.”
    â€œThen stop tormenting her,” I said.
    Yasmeen smiled. “It is part of the fun.”
    â€œSadistic bitch,” I said.
    â€œYes, I am.”
    Jesus, some people you couldn’t even insult. “So you want us to fight bare-handed over Yasmeen?” I couldn’t believe I was even asking this question.
    â€œYes, ma petite .”
    I took a deep breath, looked at my gun, looked back at the screaming woman, then holstered my gun. “Is there any way out of this, besides fighting her?”
    â€œIf you admit you are my human servant, then there will be no fight. There will be no need for one.” Jean-Claude was watching me, studying my face. His eyes were very still.
    â€œYou mean this was a setup,” I said. The first warm rumblings of anger chased up my gut.
    â€œA setup, ma petite ? I had no idea Yasmeen would find you so enticing.”
    â€œBullshit!”
    â€œAdmit you are my human servant and all ends