Dead Roses for a Blue Lady by Nancy Collins Page A

demon noticed Judd. "Got yourself a new renfield, I see."
    "Shut up!" Sonja hissed, her aura crackling about her head like an electric halo.
    Mai lifted his hands, palms outward. "Whoa! Didn't mean to hit a sore spot there, girly-girl."
    "Sonja? Is this guy bothering you?" Judd was hovering at her elbow. He gave Mai a suspicious glare, blind to the demon's true appearance.
    "No. Everything's cool." Sonja turned her back on the grinning demon and tried to block out the sound of his laughter echoing in her mind.
    "Who was that guy?"
    "Judd—"
    "I know! I promised I wouldn't pry into your past."
    Sonja shrugged. "Mai is a—business associate of mine. That's all you need to know about him, except, no matter what, never ask him a question. Ever. "
    They walked on in silence for a few more minutes, then Judd took her into his arms. His kiss was warm and probing and she felt herself begin to relax. Then he reached for her sunglasses.
    She batted his hand away, fighting the urge to snarl. "Don't do that."
    "I just want to see your eyes."
    "No." She pulled away from him, her body language rigid.
    "I'm sorry—" "I better leave. I had a nice time, Judd. I really did. But I have to go-"
    "You'll call me, won't you?" "I'm afraid so."

    Why don't you fuck him? He wants it bad. So do you. You can't hide that from me.
    The Other's voice was a nettle wedged into the folds of her brain, impossible to dislodge or ignore. Sonja opened the refrigerator and took out a bottle of whole blood, cracking its seal open like she would a beer.
    Not that bottled crap again! I hate this shit! You might as well go back to drinking cats!
    Wouldn't you rather have something nice and fresh? Say a good B negative mugger or an O positive rapist? There's still plenty of time to go trawling before the sun comes up... Or you could always pay a visit to lover-boy.
    "Shut up! I've had a belly full of you tonight already!"
    My-my! Aren't we being a touchy one? Tell me, how long do you think you can keep up the pretense of being normal? You've almost forgotten what it's like to be human yourself. Why torture yourself by pretending you're something you're not simply to win the favor of apiece of beefsteak?
    "He likes me, damn it. He actually likes me."
    And what exactly are you?
    "I'm not in the mood for your fuckin' mind games!"
    Welcome to the fold, my dear. You're finally one of us. You're a Pretender.
    Sonja shrieked and hurled the half-finished bottle of blood into the sink. She picked up the cardtable and smashed it to the floor, jumping up and down on the scattered pieces. It was

    Create PDF files without this message by purchasing novaPDF printer ( http://www.novapdf.com ) a stupid, pointless gesture, but it made her feel better.

    She kept calling him. She knew it was stupid, even dangerous, to socialize with humans, but she couldn't help herself. There was something about him that kept drawing her back, despite her better judgment. The only other time she'd known such compulsion was when the thirst was on her. Was this love? Or was it simply another form of hunger?
    Their relationship, while charged with an undercurrent of eroticism, was essentially sexless. She wanted him so badly she did not dare do more than kiss or hold hands. If she should lose control, there was no telling what might happen.
    Judd, unlike Palmer, was not a sensitive. He was human, blind and dumb to the miracles and terrors of the Real World, just like poor, doomed Claude Hagerty. Rapid exposure could do immense damage.
    To his credit, Judd had not pressed the sex issue much. He was not happy with the arrangement, but honored her request that they "take it slow."
    This, however did not sit well with the Other. It constantly taunted her, goading her with obscene fantasies and suggestions concerning Judd. Or, failing to elicit a response using those tactics, it would chastise her for being untrue to Palmer. Sonja tried to ignore its gibes as best she could, but she knew that something,