"I like to gamble, and the casino people keep chasing me off," Theresa said as she accepted her fresh beer. "It's weird. I can get a mixed drink without a problem, but they won't let me play cards or shoot craps for long. They're totally prejudiced because I'll always look like this."

A roar went up from the crowd viewing the current fight, and the vampire watched with idle interest as bright-red blood dripped from a bite mark on the shoulder of one of the combatants. She'd heard that demon blood could make you sick if you tried to drink it, even when it looked the same as a human's. Droplets splattered onto the floor of the ring.

"I wonder if it's fight to the death. They didn't have a place like this in Hollywood. Think they've got a big pit out back where they bury the losers?"