It stayed locked.

I looked around the small, lead-lined room and felt the hair on the back of my neck rise. In a corner stood a metal table, confinement straps dangling over the sides. It wasn't the table that was so horrible; it was the imprinted fear and anger and pain that clung to it that had me clutching Christian.

"Did they do something to you there? Did they torture you there?"

He said nothing but his eyes darkened. I leaned into him, merging my mind with his, reading there all that he had suffered as Eduardo had drained his blood from him, gloating over Christian, taunting him, tormenting him with the knowledge that he could not save me.

But you did, I told him as I rained kisses down on his face. You saved us both; I see that now. I didn't understand at first, but now I know why you gave yourself over to Asmodeus. You knew it was the only way to make him believe I would not sacrifice myself for you.

He stood passive for a moment, taking my love, letting it seep into the parched corners of his soul; then his hands were on me, fitting me tightly against his body, his lips searching out mine as I welcomed him into my body, my heart, my being. His tongue teased mine, tasting me, remembering me, immediately going into an arrogant, ordering-my-tongue-around mode that melted me against him.

"How long do you think they'll keep us locked in here before they figure it out?" I asked breathlessly.

He started backing me toward the far wall. "Long enough," he answered, nuzzling my neck. I let my legs go all boneless, running my fingers through his long, silky hair…

"Drat." I unclenched my hand in order to use both hands on Christian. A small, metallic ping sounded just as I was about to kiss him until his fangs rattled. We both stopped and looked at the gold ring on the floor.

Christian stilled, his arm tense beneath my hand. I blinked, rather stupidly, I admit, but hey, I'd been through a lot. I was allowed to blink stupidly if I felt like it.

"Is that what I think it is?"

I nodded, staring at it, still blinking. Stupidly.

"Asmodeus's ring. How did you get it?"

"I don't know. It just suddenly came off his hand when I was trying to stop him from strangling me. I forgot I had it."

Christian looked at me. I looked at him. Not stupidly, but with growing dismay. "I can't, Christian. I can't."

"It's a personal item, a talisman of power. Why can't you?"

There was nowhere to sit but the floor, so I sank down onto the cold stainless-steel floor next to the ring and wrapped my arms around my legs. I'd have to tell him; he would know the next time we merged. "I fried my brain when I attacked the triumvirate. I tried, I really tried to deal with Eduardo, but it's gone, it's just gone, I can't do magic anymore. I couldn't even ward the door, and even a child can draw wards."

Christian squatted next to me, his hands warm on my shoulders as he turned me to face him. "Allegra, you haven't fried your brain. You've drained yourself, yes, but you haven't permanently damaged yourself. You can't; you are my Beloved. You are immortal now."

"If I'm so immortal, why does my leg still hurt? And I bet you my eyes haven't changed."

"Being granted immortality does not mean your physical flaws are obliterated."

"It's also no guarantee of the quality of brainpower. Part of my brain is dead, Christian, the good part, the only part of value. Now all I have left worth anything is my blood."

His fingers brushed a strand of hair out of my face with a gesture so tender it made tears come to my eyes. "Do you honestly believe that I would pick a woman who had nothing to offer me but a means of sustenance?"

"You're just trying to be nice and make me feel better," I accused. "You're going to say something sweet and endearing and wonderful that will melt my heart and make me see things that I'm too stupid to see now, aren't you?"

"Yes," he said, then tilted my chin up and kissed me. Tell me who you are.

"Allegra Telford," I said, obstinately refusing to give in to the intimacy he wanted from me.

That is your name; who are you?

"Your Beloved."

That is what you are; who are you?

"Someone who appreciates you in bed."

Allegra, he sighed into my mind.

"Oh, all right. I'm a Summoner. Or at least, I used to be before I burned up my Summoning equipment trying to overcome Eduardo."

And did you overcome him?

"No."

Is he here now?

"No, the demons got him. I'm assuming they did; I doubt if anyone could have survived the horde that Asmodeus called up."

Then you overcame him.

"Indirectly, maybe. Hey, are you supposed to be nibbling on my neck while you're grilling me?"

I can do anything I wish to do. I am a Moravian Dark One.

I waited for the other shoe to drop.

And you are my Beloved.

By which, I assume you're implying I too can do anything I want?

His fingers slid up the curve of my waist to cup my breasts. Anything, he breathed into my mind as I turned my head and found his mouth.

You have to feed. You are weak, and we need your strength right now. Blood is all I can offer you; please take it.

His tongue was fire in my mouth. The flames licked down my chest, filling me with need and hunger. You have so much more to offer, Beloved. I believe in you. I believe you can do anything you desire.

He merged with me then, his thoughts filling my head, my soul cleansing his, our hearts beating in time. His faith glowed bright, absolute faith in me, in my abilities, in us. I smiled as I kissed him, tears streaking my cheeks even as I slid my arms around him, his strength no threat to me, but an aid, a protection, a part of my life that I knew I wouldn't want to be without.

He pulled my hand forward and pressed the ring into it. Do it, Beloved.

I stared at it, doubt tugging at me.

I know you can.

The underlying power in magic, as I have said before, comes from the belief of the practitioner in her own abilities. If you don't believe, the magic won't work. I looked from the ring to Christian's eyes, those beautiful dark eyes that now were smiling at me, full of love and pride and quiet expectation that made warmth bloom inside me again.

"Will you still love me if I fail?"

"I will always love you, no matter what you do."

I held on to the belief he poured into my mind as I set the ring down onto the floor, patting my jeans until I pulled a crumbled piece of chalk from my hip pocket. Christian's hand rested warm and solid on my back, a reminder that I was not alone as I drew the circle. It was odd, this knowledge that I could be myself, be everything I had fought for, and still be a part of Christian, but I had no more time for introspection and other mushy types of thought, no matter how enticing they were.

I had a demon lord to send back to hell.

"Why is it never easy with you? Why must you insist on making even the simplest of matters difficult?"

A dull thud from the door reverberated around the small, soundproofed room.

I'm not being difficult; I'm being practical. Now bite me!

"I do not need to feed."

The door shuddered as another thud, louder this time, echoed into the room. The sword Christian had wedged into the door frame clattered against the metal, giving warning it was about to be dislodged.

Yes, you do. They drained you; I can feel how weak you are. Drink!

"I will not take from you when you need all your strength."

I'm not so hung up on my own independence that I don't realize that your strength is an integral part of mine, Christian. Either you drink my blood this very minute, or I won't do a thing about closing this circle. I figure those demons are going to break through in about five seconds, so either you bite me now, or forever hold your peace.