Free Demon's Kiss by MAGGIE SHAYNE Page B

Only moments later, she heard his return, caught his scent.
    Her cage opened once more. If she’d had the energy, she would have shifted again and tried to escape. But she was so tired.
    She opened her eyes, saw Jack come closer. He was hesitant, as if he were approaching an animal that might bite, which was probably wise of him, because that was what she was. His gaze kept lowering, sliding down her nude body, but he seemed to be trying to keep it from doing so. She didn’t feel any shame about her form, or any shyness. It was just a body, after all.
    He had a blanket and pillow under one arm, and a glass of red liquid in his free hand. He held the glass out.
    She took it, noting how quickly he jerked his hand back. Sniffing, she wrinkled her nose, but drank, too hungry to be fussy. Then she handed the glass back to him, and he gave her the pillow and blanket. She tucked the pillow under her head, spread the blanket over her and curled onto her side.
    â€œYou’re welcome,” he said, an odd tone in his voice.
    She frowned and lifted her head to look at him.
    â€œWhen someone does something nice for you, Foxy, it’s customary to say thank-you. And then they say, ‘you’re welcome.’”
    â€œOh. And you consider bringing me this blanket and pillow and that blood, to be nice? ”
    â€œWell, yeah.”
    â€œI’m being kept prisoner in a cage against my will. If you want to be nice, let me go.”
    He lowered his head. “Man, I can’t do that. Gregor would have my hide.”
    â€œThen don’t expect my thanks.”
    He shrugged, turned slowly and started to walk out of her cage, but then he stopped. “If you’d escaped tonight, you would have died, you know.”
    She frowned and looked up at him.
    â€œYou’re a vampire now. It’s almost daylight. If you go outside in the sun, it’ll burn you alive. We can’t tolerate it, Foxy.”
    She blinked three times, weighing his words. “Are you saying this so that I’ll be too afraid to try to run away again?”
    â€œWhy would you be? You’d just try it by night.”
    â€œAre you forgetting that I’m in this place where I can’t tell day from night?”
    â€œSure you can. When day comes, you fall asleep. It’s irresistible. You feel that coming on, you know it’s almost morning. When you wake again, it’s just past sundown. Understand?”
    Tilting her head to one side, she said, “Why are you helping me?”
    One corner of his mouth pulled into a half smile. “I have a weakness for pretty women. And you are a—Well, hell, you’re a fox.”
    She frowned at him, unsure why he was stating the obvious, but he just touched his forehead as if it were a way of saying goodbye and turned to leave her alone. He locked her cage again on his way out, though, the bastard.

6
    â€œT his thing is going to get us noticed—and probably killed—before we get within a dozen miles of Gregor’s band,” Reaper said, eyeing the vehicle Roxy had pulled out of her garage—where it had been, understandably, hidden—and parked in front of her house. He wore a look of distaste mingled with utter horror.
    The customized conversion van was something to behold, and while Seth believed Reaper was a miserable curmudgeon about a lot of matters, he totally agreed with him on this one.
    â€œNo,” Reaper said. “Absolutely not.”
    Roxy glanced at Seth, as if seeking a second opinion.
    â€œWell, it’s not exactly…inconspicuous.” He wondered for just a second if he would be just as tactful if she wasn’t such a hotty, then wondered why it mattered. She certainly didn’t seem to care.
    Shirley—and that was the van’s name, as its custom license plates attested—was yellow. Canary yellow. Its—her?—sides sported murals depicting fields full of sunflowers, and the rear window was