“What things?”
Unlike the other vampires who clammed up when she started to ask questions, Loren seemed to enjoy sharing. “For one thing he wants Kale and his new coven to come here. He thinks they need some kind of official understanding.” He rolled his eyes. “It was as official as it can get without someone getting killed - though the main trouble was Anya’s group, and they’re not here now.” Katelina nodded her head, urging him to continue. “The rest of it is all conditions on what happens if they manage to kill Malick.”
Malick. Though there was no face registered in Katelina’s memory, the name still meant something to her. Not only was he the head of The Guild, but he was also the vampire who’d turned both Kateesha and Jorick; Jorick’s master.
She made a strange noise in her throat. “They want to kill him?”
“Of course. How else are they gonna overthrow The Guild?”
His logic was sound, but she suddenly understood Jorick’s tenuous position. Join his friend and help kill the one who’d made him, or side with The Guild and help kill his friend. No wonder he was so pissed off whenever Oren invited him to join.
Loren went on, “Anyway, long story short, I think Oren’s suspicious, and Jorick probably is too. I know he’s a grumpy ass sometimes, but he’s smart, you know?”
She nodded vaguely. Despite their past disagreements, Jorick was the one who’d found Loren and saved him from a band of rogue vampires. That had to form some kind of emotional bond, even a tenuous one.
Loren interrupted her thoughts. “I’m tired. I only stayed up to see what Oren was doing. I’m usually in my box by now.” He gave her a wide, fanged grin, clearly enjoying his vampire humor.
Katelina rolled her eyes and hitched up the armload of blanket. Acknowledging it would only garner more undead jokes. When she failed to react, he shrugged and led her to the door at the end of the hall. Inside it was dark and, instead of furniture, six hulking coffins took up most of the floor space. Loren deposited her suitcase and pillow in an empty spot against the back wall. She gave him a nod of thanks, and then set to arranging the bedding. He crossed to one of the more modern caskets and swung open the lid with obvious relish. She refrained from commenting that he slept in a bed at his house, and let him have his “creepy vampire moment”.
“Have a good day,” he said cheerfully and then pulled the lid closed with a satisfying snap.
“Yeah, you too.” Alone, she fluffed the pillows and stripped off her coat. It wasn’t worth changing into her pajamas, so she lay down fully clothed and waited for Jorick. It was stupid to send her off, and she intended to tell him so.
She was still awake when Jorick and Oren crept into the room. Jorick found her easily. He slid beneath the blanket and pulled her close. She rolled towards him, but waited until she heard Oren’s coffin shut before she whispered sarcastically, “Have a nice chat?”
“Yes.” He ignored her mood and grazed her cheek with his knuckles. “I’m sorry, but he wanted to speak to me alone. He’s afraid one of Traven’s members is a mind reader, and might be able to learn something from you if you know what I’m doing here.”
“But I already know why we’re here!”
He cut her off with a kiss, then released her lips. “Yes, I know, but once in a while you have to humor people, Katelina. You can’t always have your own way.”
“I suppose.” She didn’t completely buy his excuse.
He pulled her head onto his chest and absently ran his fingers through her hair. “Did you and Loren have a nice talk?”
She stiffened. Had he been poking around in her mind? His soft laughter confirmed it. “Stop that.”
“I have to do it every now and then.” He moved his lips to her ear. “Without your constant whirl of thoughts, I find it’s too quiet sometimes.”
She was semi-pacified by his excuse, however flimsy it might be. “I think you’re just nosy.”
“Perhaps there’s that too. Now, go to sleep, little one. We have an interesting day ahead of us tomorrow.” He broke off, then added, “And try not to think about anything important until I can determine if they have a mind reader or not.” He smiled thinly in the darkness, “It shouldn’t be too hard for you.”
He didn’t even grunt when she jabbed him in the ribs.
**********
Chapter Seven
Katelina woke to darkness. The coffins were shadowy monsters that loomed in the dusky room and reminded her where they were. Her spirit sank just a little at the knowledge, but she told herself that they wouldn’t be there long. Only a night.
Jorick was already awake. He led her to the master bathroom, where she discovered that the house had electricity and running water. Both were luxuries not always found in vampire dens. Despite her modesty, she didn’t want to be alone with vampires on the other side of the door, so she took a fast shower and pretended Jorick wasn’t looking. With no such concerns, he took his time bathing and then dressed in one of his all black ensembles.
Katelina watched him slide into his shirt. “You’re like a cartoon character.”
“How so?” He glanced in the mirror, but needn’t have bothered. Of course he looked perfect.
“You’re always in the same clothes. It makes you immediately identifiable. Like Lisa Simpson who always wears that stupid orange dress.”
He smirked and ushered her back into the bedroom. “I’ll take your word for it.”
She was going to give him an example he might understand, but Oren met them just outside the door. He looked from one to the other, and then let his gaze settle on Jorick. “Traven and his coven are still downstairs. I assume they’re waiting to join us until they’ve all risen.”
Jorick nodded his understanding and turned to Katelina. “I need to feed. Do you want to come with me or stay here?” The subtle shift in his posture betrayed his apprehension with the second option; an apprehension she shared.
“I can keep an eye on her,” Oren suggested, his tone unenthusiastic. “I understand that she was already with you, so you had no choice but to bring her.”
Katelina sniffed disdainfully. She wasn’t crazy about watching Jorick feed, but it beat being stuck with Oren. “No thank you, I’d prefer to go.”
Oren and Jorick both looked relieved and she moved to get her coat and stocking hat. As she climbed into her winter gear, a nearby coffin snapped open and the occupant sat up slowly, stretching and yawning.
“Jorick?” Micah’s voice floated from the darkness. “What the fuck are you doin’ here?”
“Visiting. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m afraid I have other obligations to attend to.” He met Katelina’s eyes and moved subtly towards the door.
Micah was not so easily dismissed. “I’ll come with you. I need to feed too.” He swung from his coffin, then stopped and sniffed the air. “You brought the human, again?”
Jorick scowled. “She has a name, and yes, she is here, and she’s coming with me.”
Micah laughed loudly. “Makes it pointless to hunt if you’re taking the game with you. But I guess out here you have to. Nothing worth eating for miles. Hopefully Traven’s bunch brought something.”
Oren made a noise of contempt. “They didn't even bring their own boxes. I’m sure we’re expected to feed them.”
“Fuckin’ rude.” Micah moved to stand next to Jorick. His eyes flicked from the raven-haired vampire to Katelina and then back again. “All right, let’s get going before I have to give your human a go.”
Jorick growled low in his throat but Oren said calmly, “He only does it to annoy you.”
“Whatever you wanna think,” Micah said cheerfully. “I don’t suppose Loren’s up yet?”
Oren nodded. “He already left.”
“The fuckin’ rat didn’t wait for me?” Micah smirked evilly. “Just wait, when we catch up to him-”
Jorick interrupted him. “Yes. Let’s go.”
The three made their way through the house and out the back door. The wind wa
s cold and blew tiny snow crystals into their faces. Katelina was the only one who seemed to notice, though neither of the vampires wore coats.
The dark sky spread above them like thick ink with no visible stars. An outside light illuminated a large patch of the back yard, but the yellow edges faded away into black long before it reached the trees. The bright light threw shadows across the snow, twisting the shapes into a world of unrecognizable silhouettes.
Katelina cringed as macabre thoughts filled her head, and Jorick caught her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. Micah, as full of bravado as ever, charged ahead of them, plowing up snow with his heavy boots and sniffing the air for Loren’s scent. As they entered the trees, the two vampires slipped into stealth mode. Even their movements were noiseless. Katelina tried to imitate them, but was unsuccessful. When she blundered through a low bush of thorns, she let loose a string of curse words about Mother Nature in general.
“Does she always make this much fuckin’ racket?” Micah complained.
“Yes!” Jorick tightened his grip on her hand. His reply didn’t make her feel better.
“Seriously, man, you should just drain her and forget it.” Micah grinned widely. “I’ll help.”
She didn’t need to be linked to feel the wave of anger that rolled off Jorick. He took a menacing step forward and then apparently thought better of it. “It’s only Oren’s protection that saves you.”
“Yeah, and I don’t like you either.” Micah jerked his thumb towards the sound of a gurgling creek. “Let’s see if we can find the pipsqueak.” Then he started off on his own.
The other two followed him reluctantly. Katelina stared at his broad back and imagined a large wooden stake protruding from it. If only she had a knife and knew how to whittle. “Why don’t we let him go alone?”
“I like to keep him where I can see him,” Jorick’s tone was savage. “I don’t trust him.”
“And I don’t trust you, Executioner,” Micah shot back without turning around. “Anyone who used to be a fucking dog of The Guild isn’t worth trusting.”
Jorick growled, but didn’t deign to answer.
Despite having Katelina with them, they managed to find a large buck nosing through the snow. His head snapped up as they drew close, and his wary eyes picked them out from the trees and underbrush. He stood perfectly still, waiting, his breath vaporous white clouds. Micah took a step towards him and he bolted in a spray of snow.
The tattooed vampire laughed loudly and bounded after the buck. Jorick hesitated and then barked, “Stay!” Before Katelina could open her mouth to reply, he’d joined the chase and disappeared from view.
“That’s nice!” she called after him. “Come. Go. Stay. No wonder they all call me your pet!”
Alone, she leaned back against a tree and huddled into her coat. Cold wind ruffled her hair and she wondered where global warming was. Scientists insisted the world was getting hotter but, shivering in the cold, that idea seemed very far away. If they said the earth was headed towards an ice age, she’d believe them.
Minutes passed and she hummed softly to alleviate the panic twisting in her gut. Jorick was taking a long time to return and her imagination supplied plausibly horrific reasons why. Perhaps the vampire coven from the basement was out and had started trouble, or maybe Jorick and Micah had gotten in a fight and Micah had won. She imagined the bald vampire creeping through the darkness, drawing closer and closer, his fangs bared as he prepared to strike her-
Something snapped. She spun around and searched the blackness. Her eyes frantically bounced from one shadow strewn patch to another. A coyote called loudly in the distance, and the hair on the back of her neck stood up. She licked her lips, and tried to quiet her pounding heart. Fighting for calm, she drew a tight, strangled breath.
Something moved; a patch of darkness that was shaped like a man. It took a step forward, and for a second she could see a pale face and a set of cold, angry eyes. Death was written in their depths; an icy cold death that stole her voice. Then it disappeared.
A hand grabbed her shoulder and a scream tore from her lips. She tried to fight off her attacker, but strong hands held her arms to her sides and pinned her to the tree. The bark was rough, even through her coat. Blood scented breath blew hot in her face and she imagined a thousand screaming horrors all piled together. Claudius’ basement. Kateesha’s stronghold. Nirel and Adam. Terror swirled behind her eyes and she kicked furiously, determined to get free.
“Chill out!” a familiar voice cried. “Before I have to get really violent.”
She froze, her eyes wide. Slowly, her assailant released her and stepped back, his hands in the pockets of his black hoodie and a delighted smile on his lips. It was Loren.
Fury left her speechless, but her face said everything. She raised a warning fist, and shook it mutely. Then, a black blur threw him to the ground with a snarl.
Loren landed in the snow, Jorick on top of him. “Hey! I didn’t do anything!”
Jorick growled in the boy’s face, his lips pulled back from his snapping teeth and his black eyes narrowed in inhuman fury. “What are you doing?” he roared.
“Being an idiot,” Micah answered from the shadows of the trees. He appeared a moment later, a cigarette hanging out of his mouth. The thin smoke curled around his head like a macabre halo.
Jorick muttered something unintelligible but swung to his feet. He brushed the snow off of his shirt with short, furious strokes. “I heard a scream.” His eyes moved to Katelina.
“I just snuck up on her,” Loren said sulkily as he stood and shook the snow off his clothes. “Overprotective much?”
Micah stopped next to the pouting teen and clapped a hand on his back. “Ah, he has to be. Traven’s coven is here, so it’s like leaving your lunch unguarded in a school cafeteria full of seniors.”
Loren snickered in appreciation, but Jorick moved to Katelina. He planted a kiss on her lips and teased, “Can’t I leave you alone for a few minutes?”
She shook her head. “There was someone here, before he showed up. They looked right at me.”
Jorick’s brow furrowed. “Where?”
She pointed to the trees. Loren followed her directions and looked around, but then he shrugged. “I don’t see anything. The snow’s churned up, but it’s that way everywhere from all the animals.”
Jorick sniffed the air and then stood still. She got the feeling that he was reaching out with a mental net, sensing for a foreign presence. “I can’t find anyone,” he announced. “You’re sure you saw someone?”
“I’m sure! He stared right at me and then disappeared!”
Micah and Loren exchanged glances and Micah chortled. “If Lunch is done with her hallucinations, then let’s head back.”
“It might have been someone from Traven’s coven,” she defended angrily.
“Yes, I suppose so.” Jorick didn’t sound convinced. He took her hand and led her back the way they’d come.
Loren and Micah followed, exchanging stories of their individual hunts. The bald vampire smugly showed off where the buck bit him before Jorick mentally subdued it. “It’s not as much fun,” Micah whined. “What kind of a hunt is it when your prey just fucking lies down?”
“Yeah, I know,” Loren agreed. “Sometimes it’s faster though.”
“I like to enjoy my meal.” A distant coyote howled again and he prodded Loren in the ribs. “Tomorrow we’ll find one of those.”
They were barely inside the house when a curvaceous red haired vampiress met them. It was Torina, Oren’s sister. She gave the three men a once over, and her seductive green eyes settled on Jorick. She laid a hand on his arm and whispered softly, “They’re finally awake.” The sound was so low that Katelina wasn’t sure she’d really heard it. Then, in a normal voice Torina said. “Hello boys. Been hunting without me, have you?”
“I’ll go with you if you want me to,” Loren offered hopefully, like an over eager school boy in a brothel.
“Down
tiger,” Micah cautioned. “She’ll eat you alive.” Torina pouted prettily, but he gave her an overconfident smirk. “What she wants is a real man.”
“Then she’s looking in the wrong place.” Jorick freed his arm from her and his voice dropped, “Have they gone to feed yet?”
“No. They’re only coming upstairs now.”
Micah snickered. “I told ya Lunch was hallucinating.”
Jorick growled low, but kept his attention on the redhead. “Katelina thought she saw someone outside in the trees.”
Torina’s full lips curved into a mocking smile. “If you didn’t find anyone then she probably imagined it. The mortal mind breaks so easily.” Katelina glared furiously and Torina pretended to suddenly notice her. “Speaking of the human, how quaint to see you again.”
Jorick dismissed the conversation. “Where’s Oren?”
“In the living room with the others.” Her voice turned honey thick with innuendo. “Are you sure you want to see him? I’d be more fun.” She laughed lightly and met Katelina’s flashing eyes. “Don’t worry. I’ve told you before, Jorick’s too boring for my brand of entertainment. I’m sure the two of you are just perfect together though.”
Before Katelina could reply, Jorick dragged her into the next room. “Stay quiet, and try not to think about anything.”
The lights in the living room illuminated a matching sofa and chairs, beige carpet, fussy pictures of cats and fruit, and eleven vampires. Oren stood behind the sofa, his face unreadable. Fabian, Oren’s dark haired brother-in-law, stood next to a pale, willowy blonde woman Katelina vaguely remembered as Luna. She was an ex-member of Kateesha’s coven who’d joined Oren after the last battle.
Katelina scanned the other eight, searching for the cold eyes she’d seen in the trees. They weren’t there. Maybe Jorick was right and she had imagined it?
Of Traven’s coven, the only one she recognized was Jeda. Her skin was smooth like marble and her large, dark eyes were fringed in heavy lashes. Her black hair was pulled back in an intricate roll. Tendrils dripped from it strategically and fell around her graceful neck. She sat on the couch, her spine straight. The folds of her dress fell around her feet so that she looked like a fairy queen from an illustrated children’s book.
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