Amaranthine Special Edition Vol II

by Naylor, Joleene

  “That was disgusting,” Katelina muttered as she flicked the menu open and glanced through it.

  “What?”

  She lowered the menu and stared at him with incredulous eyes. “You can’t tell me you didn’t notice.”

  “Notice what? You mean the waitress?”

  “Yeah! Did you see all those scars? Gross! If I looked like that I’d wear a turtleneck!”

  Jorick blinked in surprise. “After the truck stop, I thought you were angry she was flirting with me.”

  Katelina snorted. “Not with that mess. Who’d go after that?” When he didn’t immediately answer she added, “They’re disgusting, right?”

  Jorick shifted uncomfortably. “There are some vampires who find that…” He cleared his throat. “Attractive.” Her eyes bulged and her mouth opened, but he went on. “It’s the same as some men find women without panties appealing. Scars like that say that they’re willing.”

  “Willing?” Then she got it. Jorick had once explained to her that vampires could have sex just by drinking one another’s blood. The rest was unnecessary; just like when they made love, the orgasmic sensations were really mental manipulations. “That’s the grossest thing I’ve ever heard! Ewww!” She jerked the menu back up and glared at it. “I don’t know whether to be more disgusted that she was soliciting you, or that she’s advertising herself as a piece of meat. ‘Come chew on me! I taste good!’ How nauseating!”

  Jorick chuckled softly. “It’s no worse than the things humans do to attract one another.”

  “But she is human! That’s what makes it so gross.” Jorick gave her an inquisitive look and she demanded, “Do you find that attractive?”

  “Hmm. What?” Jorick’s face looked innocent enough but something subtle shifted in his eyes, like a man forced to answer the “am I fat?” question.

  “I said do you find all those great, lumpy scars attractive?”

  “Of course not. Only yours.”

  She slammed the menu on the table. “Mine? I don’t have a mess like that!”

  “Of course not. I only meant that were you in some terrible accident and ended up like that, I’d still find you attractive.” He sighed and dropped the smooth facade. “I’m not attracted to the waitress, all right? Can we please let it go?”

  Just then the waitress returned. She took their order and winked at Jorick. He nodded politely, and then she left again. Katelina had another round of insults to share about the hussy but another vampire approached their table. There was something familiar about him, though Katelina couldn’t place him immediately. He had long blonde hair pulled back in a smooth ponytail and green eyes that scanned them appraisingly.

  “So it’s true?”

  Jorick glanced up at the newcomer as if deciding whether to answer or not. “Hello, Beldren.”

  Beldren. That was a name Katelina recognized. He was one of the Executioners who’d come to their house looking for Oren, and then to the motel room with Senya. The memories made her blood run cold.

  “Jorick.” He nodded and ignored Katelina completely. “I heard you were summoned.”

  “Yes. However the invitation was rather lacking.”

  Though no one asked him to, Beldren took a seat. “I heard they sent Verchiel.”

  Jorick growled low in his throat; a mixture of disgust and anger. “Who is he?”

  “He replaced Mary after the uprising in Arizona. 1920-something. Malick is fond of him, though I think he’s a bit flash and unpredictable.”

  “He’s certainly something,” Jorick snarled.

  For the second time that night Katelina stared at Jorick with horror. How could he calmly talk to an Executioner? Especially one who’d helped Senya? There was no way he could claim Beldren’s allegiance had changed!

  “You dislike him?” A small smile tugged at the corner of Beldren’s mouth. When Jorick didn’t answer, he changed the subject. “Why were you summoned?”

  “I’d like to know.”

  The waitress reappeared with Katelina’s dinner and, much to her disgust, Beldren ordered a drink for himself and Jorick. She wanted to scream at the absurdity of it all, though she doubted anyone would listen. The waitress was back in a flash with two glasses of crimson liquid. She batted her eyes at the vampires, who both ignored her, and then scurried off with an air of disappointment.

  The blonde Executioner sipped his “drink” and Katelina tried not to gag. She glared at Jorick, and though he gave her what amounted to an apologetic look, it didn’t stop him from doing the same. Disgusted, she stared at her plate and tried to pretend they didn’t exist.

  Beldren set his glass on the table. “There’s a rumor you’ve been summoned concerning a certain mythical object.”

  Jorick nearly choked. “You’re joking.”

  “No.” Beldren leaned back in his chair and toyed with his glass. “For some reason, there’s a group of relic hunters who seem convinced you have it.”

  “Have what?”

  Beldren looked at Katelina as if she’d just crawled out from under the table and asked for their autograph. Jorick, on the other hand, rolled his eyes. “It’s a childish legend concerning Lilith.”

  The name conjured memories of the too realistic mural in Claudius’ ballroom. She remembered what Jorick had said, that some of the Old Ones thought she was the mother of all vampires. “What about her?”

  “I told you, it’s childish.” She stared at him inquisitively and he surrendered. “According to the legend, the biblical version of creation only tells half the story. God created four people instead of only two; Adam, Eve, Samael and Lilith. Adam loved Eve, and she him but, while Samael loved Lilith, she coveted Adam. To make an otherwise long story short, eventually Samael seduced Eve to hurt Lilith, and when she found out she laid with Adam. As punishment God kicked them out of Eden. Lucifer was overjoyed at God’s anger and so he rewarded Samael with immortality, which Lilith demanded he share. Afraid of the damage this could cause, God struck them both barren, but for whatever reason allowed vampirism to be passed from one to another by blood. It’s because this immortality was granted by Lucifer that it is imperfect and that a vampire craves blood and must avoid sunlight, etcetera.”

  That was a story Katelina had never heard before, though she thought it would make a good movie. “What’s the relic?”

  Jorick rolled his eyes and Beldren answered for him, “The Heart of the Raven: Lilith’s heart.”

  “The Raven?”

  “According to legend Lilith could transform herself into a Raven, while Samael could turn into a bat. Sound familiar?” Katelina nodded and Jorick went on. “Once they were thrown to the earth, Lilith left Samael and wandered the world, turning mortals into vampires as she pleased. Samael, on the other hand, was very selective and gave the gift to only a few he called his wives. According to some versions of the story, he discovered what Lilith was doing and, in a jealous rage, ripped out her heart. He couldn’t bear to actually destroy it, and so it survives to this day. If you believe those things,” he added with disdain.

  Beldren spoke to Jorick. “And if you listen to rumor, it’s said that Malick had located the heart and had it in his possession. Until you left, that is. They say you stole it to get back at him.”

  Katelina remembered Traven’s outburst. “Where is it? ...It disappeared at the same time you did! You can’t fool me!” Was that what Traven was up to?

  She meant to communicate her brilliant epiphany, but Jorick didn’t seem surprised at the rumor, so he’d probably already connected it. He knew everything, after all. Or thought he did.

  “If that were true, Malick would have come looking for it immediately.”

  “Maybe.” Beldren’s eyes shifted away subtly. “Unless he found it more entertaining for you to have it.”

  Katelina interrupted them. “Why would anyone want it?”

  “Power. Supposedly,” Jorick added. “They claim that if someone drinks from it, they’d be turned into a god like being but
it wouldn’t work. A vampire doesn’t get more powerful by drinking another vampire’s blood. That only matters when you’re turned. Young masters create weak fledglings, old masters create powerful fledglings. There are exceptions, of course.”

  Beldren looked suddenly amused. “So how is your fledgling?”

  “Angry.” Jorick arched his eyebrows but didn’t comment on the subtle insult.

  “No doubt Malick will like him that way.” Beldren took a sip, drawing his drink out. “Senya was furious when Malick gave Verchiel the task of bringing him in.”

  “I can imagine, especially since she’d been looking for him.”

  Beldren’s eyes gleamed, and Katelina thought of a pair of gossipy hens. “She was never assigned to find him. Zuri and I were supposed to bring him in. She was supposed to handle Kateesha and the human problem. You saw how that went.”

  A sardonic smile flickered over Jorick’s lips. “I heard. She didn’t get near her.”

  “Exactly. The battle lasted all of thirty minutes, including your fledgling’s ill timed attack, and then Kateesha sent one of her underlings out and agreed to turn over the human if we withdrew. Senya accepted the terms because the Council made her. In that stronghold Kateesha could have withstood a siege for months, and rumor was that she had some kind of powerful weapon. Though it was a remote location, it was too populated for a battle like that. The Council’s orders were to avoid something public at any cost, even if it meant leaving the human with Kateesha. The deal was at least a partial victory. Malick wasn’t pleased, of course. I suspect he was hoping for something drawn out and bloody.”

  “He always enjoyed a fight,” Jorick agreed. “How did the Council hear about her human in the first place?”

  “A complaint was filed that she’d kidnapped her, I assume through human channels. She was ruled too high profile to leave with Kateesha. Honestly,” Beldren’s voice dropped and he leaned across the table, towards Jorick. “I don’t know. At the time, it seemed rather ridiculous. Malick pushed it through, and the Council agreed, though as I said they ruled secrecy more important than recovery. My guess is that Malick was hoping to bring Kateesha back. I’d wager that was also the reason he wanted your fledgling; to bring you back.”

  “What would he want with us?” Jorick’s tone was carefully casual.

  Beldren leaned back in his chair, the secrets told. “To keep his children under his thumb. What else?”

  “If he wanted us so badly, he could have ordered you to bring me in.” A smug light in Jorick’s eyes said that Beldren couldn’t really do it.

  Beldren shrugged, though he seemed to note the challenge. “I assume he wanted to give you a chance to crawl back on your own. When you didn’t, he sent Verchiel to bring you.” Something in his tone implied that if the redhead could bring both Jorick and Oren by himself, they’d have been no trouble for him and Zuri. “Of course I can’t say for sure.”

  “No one can, except Malick.”

  They turned to other gossip, none of which interested Katelina. After Beldren left, she gave up any pretense at eating. As if the terror of tomorrow’s meeting wasn’t bad enough, spending time with a vampire who’d tried to kill them, and then an Executioner, had pretty much turned her into a jangling mass of nerves. She didn’t understand how Jorick could be so calm.

  “Are you finished?”

  She looked up from her plate. Whether sensing her terror or reading her thoughts, Jorick reached across the table and captured her hand. “It will be all right, little one. I promise.”

  She nodded in agreement, even though she knew neither one of them believed it.

  **********

  Chapter Thirteen

  Jorick pushed the two beds in their room together. He snuggled next to Katelina and fell asleep while she speculated what the meeting with Malick would be like. Jorick’s words kept running through her head, growing more terrible with every repeat:

  “He makes what I do look like a child’s game. If he chose, he could destroy your mind in a moment, without flinching at the effort.”

  How was she supposed to face that? The thought of someone so powerful made her insides quiver like jello. Despite the sickening horror, sleep eventually found her, whether on its own or with help from Jorick she didn’t know. For once, she didn’t care.

  It was Jorick’s warm voice that woke her the next evening. “Little one, your food is here.”

  She opened her eyes to find him perched on the edge of the bed, a soft smile on his lips. The faint smell of soap clung to him. He’d changed his clothes, though the new ensemble was just as black as the other had been. She met his dark eyes and tried to pull some measure of comfort from their depths. His smile grew and he wrapped his cool hand around hers. “It will be all right. We can worry about it later. For now, your breakfast is here.”

  Though she’d rather hide under the pillows, she climbed out of the bed and followed Jorick to the lounge area where a plate of eggs and hash browns sat on the table, happily steaming. Oren was crouched before the open closet, rifling through the black gym bag. He gave her a disapproving look as she dropped into one of the chairs. She wondered if her cutesy pajamas offended him, or if he was just in a bad mood in general.

  The food was good, but her stomach was too nervous to want it. When she went to the bathroom to dress, there was still more than half of it left on her plate.

  A vampire brought Oren and Jorick each another decanter of blood. Though they asked, he knew nothing about their coming appointment. After he left, time seemed to stand still. Each annoying second crystallized into an eternity. Jorick tried to keep Katelina calm and Oren paced the room in continual circles; a caged lion waiting to be released. She was ready to scream by the time the knock finally came.

  Jorick was on his feet before the sound faded, and Oren had the door open. Katelina’s reactions were slower, but she hurried around the bed when she heard Jorick growl. Over his shoulder, she could just see a shock of bright, crayon colored hair.

  Verchiel’s voice floated pleasantly past them. “And a good evening to you! If you’ll come with me, I believe Malick would like to see you.”

  Katelina’s insides turned to ice. She wasn’t strong enough to face this. She was too weak and too scared. A strangled noise escaped her lips as she drew back a step and shook her head.

  Jorick moved to her. The anger in his eyes quickly melted into reassurance. He took her trembling hands in his, his fingers strong and safe. “It will be all right. I promise you.”

  “No, no it won’t.” Her voice was dry and too high; strange in her own ears. “Jorick, I can’t.”

  Verchiel stepped past Oren, grinning broadly. “Of course you can.”

  Jorick cut him off with a snarl. “This doesn’t concern you!”

  “Yes it does,” Verchiel insisted cheerfully. “I was sent to fetch you. Now come along, Kately, we don’t want to keep Malick waiting.” He turned serious. “It only irritates him when people are late.”

  Jorick’s eyes snapped fury, but he focused his attention on Katelina. Gently, he laid a hand on her arm and captured her gaze. A soothing feeling spread through her and erased the cold tension. Her heart rate slowed, her fists unclenched and her shoulders relaxed. She stared into the dark orbs of his eyes, slowly drowning in the silky depths, and leaving her fear behind. Everything ceased to exist except the warmth spreading from the deep seas of comfort and she let the tides carry her away, even though she knew the feelings didn’t belong to her. For once, it didn’t matter.

  Jorick took her hand and led her out of the room. Verchiel and Oren spoke. She couldn’t understand what they said and she didn't care. Like a zombie, she let Jorick guide her down the corridor to the shiny glass elevators.

  Verchiel inserted a key into a slot below the numbered buttons and pressed the blank button next to it. In answer to Jorick’s unasked question, he said casually, “He wants to speak to you in his chambers.”

  Katelina’s warm feeling faded as sh
ock rippled over Jorick. He gained control of himself and it quickly returned. She sank into it gratefully.

  The elevator dropped under the atrium and stopped. The view through the glass walls was only the silver of the elevator shaft. The doors opened and Verchiel led them out into a long, dark corridor. The walls, ceiling and floor were all black, shiny marble. The stone was so dark that it seemed to suck up the glow from the overhead lights. The only break from it was the bright, blood red trim that bordered the top and bottom of the wall, like bizarre stripes on a field of night.

  Two vampires in long, black cloaks stood guard just inside the hallway. Their faces were unreadable. Verchiel gave them a vague nod and moved past them, as though they were just pieces of the décor.

  He led the group down the dark hallway, past the occasional door. Their footsteps echoed around them. With each moment, they got louder to Katelina, as the calm mist thinned and panic ate away at the edges of her consciousness.

  They stopped before one of the doors and Verchiel rapped loudly. He nodded towards Katelina, his eyes on Jorick. “It’s quite fascinating, how you do that. I wonder if she’ll appreciate it when she realizes it.”

  “It’s none of your business.”

  “For once, where the human is concerned, I agree,” Oren muttered. “You’d do well to keep your eyes and opinions to yourself.”

  “Hey, hey.” Verchiel held up a hand. “I’m just admiring a real craftsman at work, that’s all.”

  Jorick made a noise of disbelieving contempt. The conversation not only filtered through to Katelina, but made a strange sort of sense. Black butterflies fluttered in her stomach. Though she clutched desperately at the numbness Jorick had offered, it slipped away from her mental grasp. She turned questioning eyes to him, pleading silently for it to return.

  “I’m sorry,” he said softly. “Malick won’t allow you to be under my influence.”