Two weeks before Christmas, Fabian flew into our new location in a derelict waterfront factory with the news we'd been waiting for.

"Denise picked up the charges and she is on the boat."

"Thank God she managed to get away," I breathed. "How'd she do it?"

"Wraith would not consent to let her leave no matter what excuse she fabricated, so Denise turned herself into a duplicate of your cat and meowed at the door until one of them let her outside. They never knew it was her."

Faint wonder tinged Fabian's voice at Denise's shapeshifting ability. It still bowled me over, too, and I'd seen her do it several times.

Ian chuckled. "Clever poppet."

I was too keyed up to comment on Denise's smart improvisation. Bones was below in the former boiler room, slumped in his chains, locked in a battle of wills against a creature that could be thousands of years old. So much of his willpower focused on his internal struggle that he couldn't spare the energy to stand. Fifteen days of this while not allowing himself a moment of sleep had taken a brutal toll.

It had tormented me to watch the demon eat him up from the inside out while not being able to help, but finally, I could act. Not a moment too soon, either. Even with his extraordinary willpower, I didn't think Bones could make it much longer.

"Then let's get this show on the road," I stated. "Fabian, you know what to do. Ian, summon Balchezek. I'll get Bones."

I went downstairs, my heart clenching when I saw his dark head bent forward on his chest. His eyes were closed, and not a muscle twitched on his tall frame. Inwardly, I sighed. He'd fallen asleep. I knew it would happen soon. It had been a miracle that he'd held out this long, especially since Bones had no idea that we were waiting for a specific date to act. How could we tell him when that would only be alerting the demon, too? He'd been fighting with no end in sight, and his body had at last given out.

Well, maybe we'd be lucky and he'd sleep so long that we'd have the demon beaten before he woke up and she took over-

His eyes opened, startling me. They settled on me in what looked like an unfocused manner.

"Kitten?"

"Bones?" I replied with the same amount of question in my voice.

"Mmm." That was his only response, as if more words were too much for him.

Was it still him? He might have had his eyes closed for concentration; I'd seen him do that before. But in his current state, I'd be amazed if he could shut his eyes and not sleep. Or had he been asleep and this was the demon pretending to be exhausted so I'd think Bones was still at the forefront?

I had to be sure. "What was the first thing I said to you when we met?" The demon had infected his body, but Bones had confirmed that she didn't have access to his memories, just like he knew almost nothing about her.

He didn't reply, just kept staring at me with that unfocused look in his eyes. I shook his shoulder roughly, chains rattling under my touch.

"Come on, Bones! What was the first thing I said to you when we met?"

Even as I spoke, I drew my gun out of my pants. I kept one on me at all times now, knowing it was only a matter of time until I had to shoot him.

"Hallo handsome," he mumbled. "Want to fuck?"

Relief coursed through me and I put my gun back in its holster. Those were the words I'd said when I was an inexperienced vampire hunter looking to entice Bones outside so I could kill him. What I'd lacked in charm I made up for in bluntness.

"You have to hang on a little longer," I told him as I began to unwind the chains that tethered him to several pipes. "We're moving to another location."

"Kitten, I can't . . . do this anymore."

The words sliced through me like a dozen silver blades. He sounded so awful that all I wanted to do was cradle him while he slept for three straight days. This was too much. I wouldn't have held out half this long. It was horrible to ask anything else of him, but even though it was unfair, I had to push all my tender feelings aside.

"You need to do this," I said sharply. "We're not safe here and we need to leave. Don't you dare fall asleep and let her attack us now. I thought you loved me."

I hated myself for every word. If I were Bones, I'd tell me to fuck off and then I'd start snoring. But he shook his head as if to clear it and then somehow forced himself to stand even with hundreds of pounds of chains coiled around him.

I'd never loved him more-or been more determined to boot that she-bitch inside him back to hell. "That's right," I went on while mentally promising to make this up to him. "Stay alert."

I kept up a steady stream of conversation that only a drill sergeant would consider encouraging as I removed most of the chains but kept his arms locked to his chest in a metallic version of a straightjacket. Then I stuck some earphones in his ears and put a black hood over his face with a final brusque admonition for him to stay focused. Heartless bitch, table for one! I thought, but if things went according to plan, he'd be free of the demon tonight. As my last step of preparation, I duct-taped an iPod to his chains and turned it up. Loudly.

Thus blinded and deafened, I led him up the stairs to the first floor. It would have been quicker if I carried him, but an abrupt "no" from under the hood stopped me when I started to lift him. Male pride survived even a fortnight's lack of sleep and a demon's merciless assault, it seemed. That was fine. Bones could be cursing me up one side and down the other as an ungrateful bitch, and if it gave him strength, I'd cheer him on.

Ian stood next to a bloody series of symbols, Balchezek on the other side of them. Good to know he still responded promptly to his supernatural pages. A plastic container the size of a purse was at the demon's feet, and he hefted it with a smile.

"All right, fangers. Let's put the baby in your friends to bed!"

My thoughts exactly.

Very few people were in this derelict section of town, which was good. If anyone saw us leading a hooded, chained man to the car, they'd call the police and report a kidnapping. But, thankfully, no one stopped us as we sped off toward Ocean Isle Beach, where a boat waited for us on the stormy waters of the North Carolina coast.