Blood Debt by Tanya Huff

perils of the modern vampire,” Celluci muttered.
    Tony grinned as he stepped forward. “And that’s my point. You guys are modern vampires. I mean this not sharing a territory stuff probably made sense back in the Middle Ages when villages were only like a couple hundred people and more than one vampire would be kind of noticeable, but this city has nearly three million people in it.”
    â€œHe has a point,” Vicki allowed. “There’re probably as many people in this condominium complex as in a good-sized village of the 1500s.”
    â€œBut it is my city . . .”
    â€œJeez, Henry, you’ve never even been to West Vancouver. There could be another vampire, six ghouls, and a family of aliens over there for all you know, and you already said cities can be divided. That has nothing to do with this.
    â€œLook, it’s an attitude thing.” Tony stopped just outside the perimeter of the triangle. “You’ve said it yourself, Henry, times don’t change you, so you have to change with them or be left behind. And when you get left far enough behind, well, the next thing you know, you’re spreading your towel for that last suntan.”
    â€œLast suntan?” Vicki repeated with an incredulous look at Henry.
    â€œI never said that.”
    â€œMaybe not those exact words,” Tony admitted, “but that was what you meant.” He grew suddenly solemn and fixed both Vicki and Henry with an intent, worried stare. “Change or die, guys.”
    After a long moment, Vicki shrugged. “Look, I’m not trying to take over your territory, and there’s plenty of food here for both of us, so we can’t logically be a threat to each other. There’s no reason we can’t put up with each other for the duration.”
    â€œListen to your blood and tell me you believe that.”
    â€œI’m listening to my brain, Henry. You should try it some time.”
    He growled. She echoed it. They each took a step forward.
    â€œHEY!” Celluci’s voice didn’t so much cut through the tension as smash it aside. “Get a grip! I expect this sort of thing from mongrel dogs but not from two supposedly sentient people.” No longer able to blush, they both suddenly became interested in the toes of their shoes. “Times change. Change with them, or admit you can’t and stop wasting my time—I’ve a hell of a lot less of it than you do.”
    Gaze still on the floor, Vicki murmured, “Tell you what, Henry. I promise to not go on a childish rampage through your territory if you promise to let go a little.”
    â€œIt won’t be easy.”
    â€œNothing worthwhile ever is.”
    â€œOh, spare me,” Celluci muttered.
    Henry stepped away from the window and Vicki backed up, carefully maintaining the distance between them. He paused for a moment, as though testing their relative positions. When neither of them seemed inclined to move closer, he said, a little wearily, “I’ve got the supplies you’ll need to secure that window down in my locker. Why don’t you two check out your accommodations while Tony and I go get them?”
    Barely suppressing the urge to snarl as he went by, Vicki nodded, not trusting her voice. Celluci took one look at her face and pulled her carefully to his side. She jerked her arm free but remained close, using his scent to mask Henry’s.
    â€œThere,” she said when the door closed and they were alone, “that wasn’t so bad. We’ve definitely made progress.”
    â€œSo unclench your teeth.”
    A muscle jumped in her jaw. “Not yet.”
    When it seemed that time enough had passed to give them a clear path out the door and down the hall, they made their way to number 1409.
    â€œJesus H. Christ.”
    â€œOn crutches,” Vicki added.
    The walls had been marbled. The windows wore four different types of swag. The furniture