Denise took in a slow breath. "And just yesterday, Web held a knife to my throat. Oh God, the memories that must have been caused you - "
"Yes," Spade said tightly.
Her hands were warm balms on his shoulders. "You've leaving something out. Giselda wouldn't have been alive to tell you those kinds of details."
Spade's gaze didn't waver from hers. "We learned them after Crispin and I captured the bastards and forced them to describe everything they'd done to her."
Giselda had been avenged to the fullest, but as Denise would know all too well, revenge didn't take away the pain.
Spade touched her face. If this was his chance to make her understand, he wouldn't hold anything back.
"I managed to get through Giselda's death, but I wouldn't make it if I had to suffer through yours."
Her eyes brightened with tears. "As I said, I don't want to lose you, either. What if...I stayed human, but I didn't age and I was harder to kill?"
Only one thing could be responsible for such a state, but he had to be sure. "You'd be willing to drink my blood?"
His voice was calm, belying his raging emotions. Denise nodded, reaching out to touch his neck with a light stroke.
"Yes."
Spade couldn't help it - he clutched her to him, relief pouring through his veins in an almost tangible sensation. If Denise drank from him every day, even a small amount, it would be enough to extend her life indefinitely. She could still be killed with more ease than a vampire, but with his blood, she could also be raised as a ghoul, were she to meet an untimely end...
"Does this mean we're good?" Denise managed breathily.
He set her back, his relief turning to joy. "Yes. And I'm incredibly in love with you."
She heard those words as if they echoed all through her. In love with you, in love with you, in love with you. Happiness as she never thought she'd feel again swept over her, making Denise smile even as Spade's face became blurry through her tears.
"I love you, too," she whispered.
Her breath caught as Spade crushed her to him, rising and twirling her in a circle until her legs swung crazily. Denise laughed even though she could hardly breathe from his tight, possessive embrace.
"I never thought I'd feel this way again," he whispered in her ear. "Oh, darling, I feel like you've brought me back to life."
His words were so reminiscent of how she felt that she choked back a sob. She'd felt that terrible, deadening emptiness for only fifteen months. How had Spade stood it, feeling it for almost a hundred and fifty years?
Guilt wormed its way inside her immediately after that thought. Shouldn't it have taken her longer to love someone again? It had for Spade. Was she a bad person to feel this way so soon?
Spade set her back on her feet, gently smoothing her hair away from her face. "You'll always love him," he said, as if he'd read her mind. "That doesn't die just because he did, or because you now love me. Your love for him is part of who you are. It's a beautiful part, Denise. Don't be sad of it, and I will never be jealous of it."
Denise's eyes overflowed again. Spade was right. Randy and Giselda had made them who they were. Now they would leave the horror of their deaths behind, and, moving on, take only the best parts of them into the future...
"I want you to know if it was possible for me to change back to human, and that's what you asked of me, I would," Spade whispered. "There isn't anything I wouldn't do to be with you, Denise. I'm sorry I can't give you the normal life you wanted, but I promise to adore you every day for the rest of your new one."
"I love you," Denise choked, smiling when he kissed her with a passion and hunger that bent her spine back.
Three hard, loud bangs, followed by a bellow of "Open this door!" had her jumping in the next second, startled.
"What the hell?" Spade muttered, letting her go to fling the door open with a scowl.
Ian stood on the other side.
"What is wrong with you, banging on like that?" Spade demanded.
Ian cast a wicked look at Spade, who wore only his shirt, and then one at Denise as she hastily closed her robe.
"Paybacks," Ian said succinctly. Then he walked away, whistling.
Spade watched Denise clear her plate, closing her eyes as she scraped off the last bite of banana cream pie. She had such a look of bliss on her face as she swallowed, Spade made a mental note to take a large slice upstairs with them later. And then spread it across his skin.
Crispin glanced up from his computer. "Mencheres is here."
Spade rose, not sensing him yet, but trusting that Crispin was correct. Since Mencheres had shared his power with Crispin almost a year and a half ago, his friend could feel the other vampire much sooner than anyone else.
After another minute or so, Spade felt the first sweep of energy in the air, faint at first, but distinctive, as Mencheres's power reached out and found him. Something inside Spade clicked, a form of acknowledgment he'd recognize anywhere, even if he were among thousands of vampires. It grew stronger as Mencheres neared, until Spade could sense the other vampire's emotions as well as the swirling, electrifying aura that distinguished Mencheres as one of the most powerful vampires in existence.
Such was the tie between Spade and Mencheres, the vampire who sired him.
Spade opened the door himself. In another minute, a silver Aston Martin rounded the corner of the driveway. When it stopped at the house, a black-haired Egyptian vampire climbed out with a grace that was impressive even for the undead.
"Spade," Mencheres said, a smile creasing features that looked younger than Spade's were, even though Mencheres was well over four thousand. "I can see you are happy again. I'm glad."
Spade enfolded Mencheres into an embrace, used to the sizzling vibration such close contact elicited. His sire always felt like a walking lightning bolt.
"I'm very happy," Spade replied, wishing the same for Mencheres. But sadness emanated from his sire, darkening his features with more melancholy than anyone who looked like he was in his early twenties should carry.
Denise hung back in the doorway. She'd been nervous about seeing Mencheres again. The last time had been that fateful New Year's Eve, but Spade needed his sire if he wanted to get the demon-bone knife with the least amount of danger.
"Hi," Denise said, looking so outwardly calm that if Mencheres couldn't scent her unease - or read her mind - he'd never know of it.
"How lovely to see you again, Denise," Mencheres greeted her, bowing.
Crispin welcomed his co-ruler more coolly than Spade had. He still hadn't entirely forgiven Mencheres for his secrecy with Cat last year, but Crispin also knew how necessary Mencheres's presence was. Web would be expecting an attack, so he'd be prepared, but even Web's best defenses couldn't stop Mencheres's powers. The mega-Master vampire could freeze dozens of vampires into complete immobility with his telekinesis. With Mencheres's help, Spade could stroll up and take the knife from Web without the other vampire even being able to blink to stop him. The only reason Spade hadn't brought Mencheres on the raid to get Nathanial was that there wasn't time for his sire to arrive.