The temperature in the room dropped like someone opened a freezer door and just left it.

Shion's claws were fully extended.

Her fangs caught the light, glinting like polished ivory.

She wasn't posturing this time. She was on her feet and ready to rip something apart, and that something was Murasaki.

The succubus, for her part, didn't flinch or back down a single inch.

She stepped forward, hips swaying with deliberate grace, the violet shimmer in her hair catching the sickly glow of Obie's overhead light.

Then, her wings appeared, flickering behind her back like shadows that hadn't decided whether or not they wanted to exist yet.

Her eyes flicked to me and I saw it. Pure, raw jealousy just behind her irises.

Her lips curled in a way that wasn't a smile. More like a dare.

"Hey you two," I said, stepping forward between the two of them. But my voice cracked. "Don't do this! Not here. Not now!"

Behind me, Obie was practically bouncing in his recliner.

"Neh! Don't listen to 'im, girls! Let's see some blood!" he barked. "Come on, ya vampire! Show that big-tittied lass what yer made of!"

My mouth dropped open.

"Obie!" I shouted, glaring at him. "What the hell? Would you just not?"

He grinned like he'd just been given permission to light fireworks indoors.

I saw Inego poke his head in from the foyer, then he reached for his wand.

Across the room, Arclose, Edin, and Nightmage scrambled up.

"Hey! Hey! Shion! Stop!" Arclose was practically begging. "Not in the lodge! Watch the damn curtains! Don't let any sunlight in!"

He scrambled over towards the window, trying to catch the curtains.

"Oi, lass, ya can't fight in 'ere!" Edin pleaded.

Nightmage sat up and grabbed his own wand.

"Do not fight inside this place! Nightmage growled.

He looked like he was actually being responsible for once.

"Look, if you two are going to murder one another, at least take it to Dick's Discotheque or downtown! Don't do it in my damn nap zone!"

Shion pointed straight at Murasaki's nose.

"I will slash that pretty little face of yours! Don't think for a second that I won't!"

Murasaki was about to add even more fuel to the fire, but I spread my arms between the two girls.

I tried not to think about how I was literally standing between a vampire and a demon.

"Shion! You absolutely can't fight! You know what'll happen if Crescent Moon Academy finds out!"

Her eyes flickered towards me, anger making them flash a sickly green for a moment.

"What do you mean?" she asked, her voice strained with rage.

I shook my head, barely believing that she'd forgotten.

"They'll strip your entire identity and brand you! Shion… you'll end up as one of the noppera-bō!"

That hit her.

Her jaw tightened, fangs retracted a little, and her shoulders relaxed slightly.

But not my much.

Murasaki put her hands on her hips and laughed, a low, musical sound that was too beautiful for the room and not comforting whatsoever.

"Oh darling," she said, shaking her head in disbelief. "Look at you, protecting a—a corpse!"

Shion moved forward, but I put my hand around her wrist. She took a small breath, as though reconsidering, and simply stood beside me.

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"You demonic little bitch," Shion muttered. "Why don't you just get the hell out of here?"

Murasaki's violet eyes darted from Shion and then to me before narrowing.

Then, I felt a sharp pull in my chest. I gasped, and Murasaki's lips curled into a smile.

"Leave?" she asked, her voice faux-sweet. "Really? Shion, don't you remember what I said? Your boyfriend promised that he'd never leave me!"

She grinned victoriously, and I had to shut my eyes as the pull in my chest intensified.

Then, Shion tried to shove her way past me, so I squeezed her wrist.

"You can't!" I said.

But she slid her wrist from my grasp.

"Ryu," Shion said, her voice trembling with fury. "Get out of my way."

But before the vampire could lunge, Murasaki took three graceful steps past her and stood right beside me.

Instantly, I felt the tension in my chest vanish.

The succubus reached out, her fingers landing on my shoulder. Possessive.

Claiming.

"What's the matter, Shion?" Murasaki muttered, just loud enough for the vampire to hear. "Afraid of losing face?"

Shion's eyes burned like wildfire.

I swore the air itself vibrated between the two of them.

I needed to end this now.

Thinking quickly, I pulled out my cellphone.

Lah Lah popped up straight away.

Ryu? You okay? I swear, the tension around you is thick as a brick.

"Lah Lah, I need a favor. Check to see who paid for recent repairs to Shin'yume-sou. Should be for a door," I sent as a text to my AI on my burner phone.

My screen flickered, and Murasaki looked over.

"Darling? You're not texting another girl are you?"

Shion laughed darkly.

"What's the matter? You insecure or something? Your competition is right here."

I sighed, shaking my head.

"You two, just knock it off already, okay? I'm doing something important here."

Aha! I found it! Kagehime Manto-san.

I had the name of Murasaki's dad. Now, I had to execute my desperate half-baked plan.

"Lah Lah, get a hold of Murasaki's dad, Manto. Tell him that his daughter's flaunting her powers all over campus and threatening people."

My cellphone's screen flashed and made a noise like a dying arcade box.

Ohhhh, sounds scandalous. I'll let the old guy know. Let's see how this goes.

I put my phone back in my pocket.

When I looked up, I saw that everyone in the room was watching me.

"What the hell did that prove?" Nightmage asked.

Obie sat back in his recliner with a heavy sigh.

"Well, damn it, lad! Ye got me all worked up for nothin'. Didn't even see the vampire throw a single punch."

Then, Murasaki's phone began to ring, a sultry jazz number that could've played in hell's classiest bar, and her shoulders tensed.

She answered it, trying to sound composed.

"Hello?"

Then her eyes grew wide and her mouth dropped open.

"Daddy?! Oh my gosh! I was—"

The voice on the other end was unmistakable, even though the static.

Deep.

Furious.

A man used to commanding shadows.

I could faintly hear more yelling on the line before Murasaki hissed.

"Yes… fine, Daddy. I'll—I'll see you soon."

She ended the call and turned to face me.

Her wings trembled, and then faded, along with her horns and tail.

Her pride seemed to reassemble itself piece by piece, and she smiled at me, but it stopped far from her eyes.

"Well played, darling," she said. "But… don't think this changes anything between the two of us. You made me a promise."

I opened my mouth to protest, but she shook her head.

"No, Ryu-kun, you listen. You promised that you wouldn't leave me. But…"

She sighed deeply, and looked like she was choosing her words carefully.

"What you said earlier… you're right about me, okay? I've got to go away, to see Daddy. He's… upset, but I'll be back soon. I'll explain everything."

She hugged me quickly, and I felt her lips graze the side of my face as Shion growled. Murasaki giggled and dashed out the lodge door.

"Try not to miss me too much!" she said as she ran.

I exhaled finally, not even realizing how long I'd been holding my breath.

"Oh my god, she's exhausting," I said.

Inego stepped into the room.

"Oi, you dumbass! You think she's exhausting? Maybe a bit draining? She's a succubus, mate! That's her entire gig!"

Shion stood beside me again, and put her head on my shoulder.

"Blondie… why the hell did you come here?" she asked softly. "Why? What was the point of all that?"

She didn't sound angry. Just disappointed.

Which hurt worse.

"I told you, specifically, that I'd be back," she said.

I swallowed hard.

"I didn't mean to. I was heading to the bus tunnel with Inego. We'd just left the onsen when Murasaki found us. She, um, sort of dragged herself into this."

She arched an eyebrow.

"And you brought her here? Is she suddenly a lost puppy?"

I winced.

"Yeah. I hadn't meant to come here. Like I said, we went to the bus tunnel…"

She nodded.

"That's where, you know, Arclose, Edin, and Nightmage and I were until Obie came and got us."

Obie grumbled.

"Yeah. Could at least say thanks ya know…"

Shion moved her head from my shoulder and looked me in my eyes.

"Why'd you make her a promise?"

I knew she was going to ask me that, and I didn't have a good answer.

"Listen, it's not because I feel anything for her. I swear," I said.

It was a good start.

"But… I know this sounds crazy, but I believe Murasaki when she says she's lonely. Under her stupid seductress bluster, I think she's… I think she's a good… um… person?"

Somehow "good demon" sounded really dumb.

Shion's expression hardened.

"You think she's a good person? She's a hunter, Ryu. You made a promise to a creature who lives off desire and connections, and you promised her that you'd be around."

She crossed her arms, but she didn't look away.

The silence between the two of us stretched, full of things neither one of us knew how to say.

Finally, she sighed.

"You trusted me once, Blondie. Look where that got you."

I looked up, meeting her green eyes.

"Right? And I don't have any regrets."

That made her freeze.

Slowly, her arms lowered, and she took a step forward.

"Gods, you're such an idiot."

I wrapped my arms around her, and she hugged me.

"Yeah, I know. Seems like that's kind of my thing."

I felt her cuddle against me, and then—sharp pain.

Her fangs sunk into my neck.

"Damn it, Shion," I groaned.

I held her as she fed, and when she was finished, she pulled away and wiped my blood from her mouth with the back of her hand.

"You're impossible," I said, covering her bite marks.

She smiled faintly and pulled a bandage from her purse.

"And you love me anyway," she said.

Yeah. Damn it. I did.

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