"Bruises heal," she shrugged, passing him the second glass and unfastening her sandals, putting her bare feet up on the stone rail around the balcony, curling her toes. "A friend of mine, another vampire, said some of her blood would heal me faster. But we don't know what else it would do, since I'm not human. And, if I died with it in my system..."

She gestured, with the glass. "I said it's okay. I have a sore throat. That's fine."

The nightmares were less fine.