Jules tipped his head toward the stairs. “How about now?”
“Sure. Now’s good.” She maneuvered her way around the boxes, brushed off the bottom of her long skirt, then followed them up the steps.
Sly heard a knock on his door and hoped it was Morgaine. He hadn’t seen her since the super had caught them in the basement. He had managed to encase himself behind the false wall with the still before Jules discovered it, but he’d almost keeled over from the fumes in there. Fortunately, he was able to slip out after he’d heard their footsteps climb the stairs.
Opening his apartment door, his lover looked up at him and smiled shyly. She carried a jar of clear liquid and a candelabra that lit her face and eyes with a soft golden glow.
“Hi, Morgaine. You look especially beautiful tonight. I was hoping you’d come to see me sooner rather than later.”
“Yeah, we need to talk.”
“Uh-oh. Conversations that begin that way are never good.”
She smiled. “It’s not one ofthoseconversations, don’t worry.”
“In that case, come in.” He stepped aside.
Morgaine had the most graceful way of moving he’d ever seen. If it weren’t for the swish of her hips, she’d almost appear to float. He caught a whiff of her patchouli oil scent. She had been toning it down since he mentioned it made his head swim. Maybe it wasn’t the fragrance. He felt a little lightheaded just looking at her in the candlelight.
He recognized the scent in the glass jar too. It was theirVampire Vodka.
She set the candelabra on top of his bookshelf. The entire living room flickered in the candlelight. She sat on his couch, and he settled in next to her.
“So what did you want to talk about?”
“This.” She raised the jar of liquid.
“Do you want to try another spell on it?”
“No. I don’t think it’s that simple or it would have worked the first or second time. Have you fed recently?”
He nodded. He wasn’t proud of it, but he refused to be ashamed of it either. When it came to live, human blood, he did what he had to do, and he coped with it the best he could—by looking for criminals. If they passed out, he did the city a favor.
“Why did you bring the moonshine, if it doesn’t do anything?”
“I thought you might like something to drink since we finished your Champagne. And I thought we should talk about the idea of selling it.”
“Oh.” He chuckled. “I never thought of it as just a beverage.” She handed him the jar and he took a sip. “Sheesh, that’s strong. I’ll have to buy something to mix with it.”
“That’s probably a good idea. I think this stuff has killed off a few too many of my cousin’s brain cells.”
“Oh, no. What’s Gwyneth done now?”
“Nothing. I just meant…in general.”
Sly smiled and leaned over to give Morgaine a kiss. She still seemed to need reassurance that he lovedher, not Gwyn—huh?Had he just used the word, love? Even if it was only in his head, it shook him.
He broke the kiss a little quicker than he had planned.Be careful, Sly. You don’t want to hurt her or yourself. This is only your first relationship since Alice died.
Deciding to get back to the subject at hand, Sly said, “The super came pretty close to discovering what we were up to. What do you think he’ll do, if he finds the still?”
Morgaine winced. “I checked into the legalities. I’m afraid moonshine is very much illegal to make and sell. I suppose he’d have to call the health department and have it shut it down.”
Sly shook his head. “We should have anticipated that before we considered it a possible income for me.”
“I don’t think we should give up yet. It really seems plausible that if wine can be made to temporarily cure vampirism, all we need to do is figure out the missing ingredient and preserve it in the moonshine. Besides, I know you really want to pay Merry rent and you need stuff like electricity and heat. I got so mad seeing how opulent your maker’s apartment was compared to yours.”
Sly raised his eyebrows. “What’s wrong with my place? I have what I need. Maybe you’d enjoy more decadent surroundings when you come to see me?”
