Torina’s answer was as cool as Jorick’s, “Then we will die with him.” Without another word, she swept from the room.
Jorick shook his head remorsefully. “She is so certain my assistance would make the difference, only because she’s never seen the others. Compared to the High Council, I’m a child, and Oren and the others are even less. None of us have a chance against them.” He met Katelina’s eyes and forced a strained smile. “Come. Oren said they haven’t cleaned out the kitchen since they took possession of the house. Perhaps there’s something edible.”
Katelina wanted to make him talk about Oren, but that wasn’t the way he dealt with things. He preferred to brood alone, so she agreed and followed him silently to the kitchen. She squeezed his hand, to tell him she was there if he wanted her, and then turned her attention to the food. The perishables in the refrigerator were spoiled, but the items in the cupboards and freezer were still good. Silently, she thanked the dead old woman as she used her dishes and groceries to make herself spaghetti that didn’t come from a frozen carton.
Traven’s vampires returned. They used another door, so she was spared their company. She didn’t trust them any more than Jorick did, and she wanted even less to do with them. But unless Jorick could read their mind from a distance, they’d have to confront them, and the sooner the better. Once it was done they could go home.
When her meal was ready she sat down at the table, and Jorick took the chair next to her. Before she could start a conversation, Loren and Oren walked in.
The blonde eyed her spaghetti and wrinkled his nose, though Loren didn’t seem to mind. He plopped into one of the kitchen chairs and kicked his feet up on the other. In an over-casual voice he brought up the topic Katelina had been thinking of, “Are you gonna go talk to Traven and the others soon?”
Jorick shrugged. “I suppose I can do it now, so long as both of you stay with her.”
“Who is it you distrust?” Oren asked. “You’ll be with Traven’s coven.”
Jorick gave a mirthless chuckle as he stood. “I think we both know the answer to that question.” He laid a hand on Katelina’s shoulder. “I’ll return shortly. Enjoy your meal.” He brushed a kiss across her forehead and left for the basement.
Katelina watched him go, and turned back to her food. No one was going to spoil it for her, not even Oren. To be fair, he didn’t try. He only leaned against the counter wrapped in a gloomy silence, like a foggy day in May. Loren, on the other hand, was chatty.
“So who is it he doesn’t trust? Micah?”
Katelina shrugged, but Oren answered, “Among others.”
They both waited. When he didn’t clarify, Katelina commented, “I don’t think he trusts anyone.” She swallowed a big bite of spaghetti and added, “And Alistair is still out there.”
“He’s not here,” Loren objected. “We’d have seen him.”
“You didn’t last time.”
Loren looked thoughtful. “There has to be a way around that invisible stuff, right?”
They both looked to Oren. “I don’t know. I’ve never dealt with a phantom before.”
The conversation died. Outside, the wind howled and Katelina watched the snow swirl through the window. She squinted at the shadows, fruitlessly seeking for a human-like figure. Maybe Loren was right. Maybe Alistair wasn’t there.
She finished her meal and had just stacked her dishes together when she heard something slam. She looked up sharply to see that her vampire babysitters were also alert. Oren sniffed the air uncertainly and then snarled, “We have guests!”
Katelina’s stomach dropped out from under her as Loren leaped to his feet. Then, Micah stormed into the room, his fists clenched at his sides. “It’s Anya.”
“What?” the other two vampires demanded in unison, Oren’s face angry and Loren’s surprised.
Micah jerked a thumb over his shoulder. “I just saw her getting out of her car with three guys. One of them is that black guy Des, the one Torina was fuck-”
Oren cut him off. “And what could they want?”
Micah rolled his eyes. “Probably to fucking start trouble. I say we kill them before they reach the door.”
Anya. Kale said Alistair was in Anya’s coven. “Is Alistair with them?”
“How the hell should I know? I don’t know what he looks like!”
She started to describe him when Oren held up a silencing hand. “We’ll find out soon enough.”
He turned for the dining room and Micah started to follow, but stopped at the doorway. “Are you coming or not?”
“We’re supposed to keep an eye on her,” Loren explained.
Micah snickered and grabbed Katelina’s arm, ignoring her protests. “Then we’ll watch her in there.”
She struggled, but Micah tugged her effortlessly into the dining room. Fabian was already at the front door. He opened it and had to jump back to avoid being run over by Anya and her followers. The four charged into the room, heads snapping side to side and eyes alert. Anya looked just as Katelina remembered. She was tall. Her frame was thin and muscular and called to mind an action movie heroine. Her blonde hair was secured in a bun at the nape of her neck and her sharp eyes moved around the room.
Des was next to her, broad shouldered and somehow more imposing. His hair was cropped short against his skull, and his eyes were bizarrely hidden behind a pair of sunglasses, despite the fact that it was night time.
Katelina didn’t know the other two. One had short red hair, and she thought she might have seen him at her makeshift trial. The other’s hair was chin length and chestnut and his expression was disagreeable, though not the terrifying cold of Alistair's. Relief flooded her. The lunatic wasn't there.
Anya glared at Fabian and cut right to the point. “Where’s Traven?” Her eyes landed on Oren and she frowned. “I thought you were executed by The Guild.” The only regret in her tone was that he wasn’t really dead.
“How kind of you to come when you thought us in the grave.” Jorick entered the room, Traven and Jorge behind him. He stopped next to Katelina and caught her free hand in his, then turned his attention to the visitors. “As you can see we’re both very much alive.”
“So it seems.” Anya’s bitterness was poorly disguised. Her gaze flicked to Traven and left no question about where the information had come from.
“And now that you’ve found us alive?” Jorick pressed. “I assume your errand was to pick up the remaining members of Oren’s coven? Or are you looking for Alistair?”
“Is he here?” Her expression soured. “You can keep the worthless piece of-”
“He already left.” Jorick met her eyes and a smile tickled the corners of his lips. Katelina guessed that he’d found something amusing in the vampiress’s mind.
Anya picked up on it, and sneered. “Enjoying yourself?”
“Are you? It seems you’re having a hard time holding your coven together.”
Anya growled in her throat and Des peered over his sunglasses to give Jorick a warning look that went ignored.
“The ones worth keeping are still there,” she snapped finally. “Not that it’s any of your business.”
Oren met her hard gaze. “What do you want with Traven?”
As if in answer, the suave vampire swept forward and bowed low to her, then he turned and addressed the rest of the room. “I am afraid our dear Anya acted upon unconfirmed information.”
“And what was she planning to do?” Oren’s voice and eyes were cold.
Anya jerked her head towards Jorick. “Why don’t you ask him? Isn’t that what The Great Jorick does? He sweeps in and reads others hearts before he retreats to his lair. Of course, whether he tells the truth or not is another matter.”
Jorick’s face stayed neutral and he said loudly, “She intended to kill anyone who wouldn’t follow her, and then she would join Traven’s attack on The Guild.”
At his words, Traven stepped away from the blonde vampiress and held up a hand to silence Fabian�
��s roar of anger. “I had nothing to do with her plan. I merely relayed the information that the Executioners had taken Oren, and that I thought his coven would fall to his sister.”
Fabian interrupted furiously, “No, it would have fallen to me! I’m next in line!”
“It doesn’t matter who is in line, what matters is that Traven cannot keep his oaths.” Oren narrowed his eyes at the elegant brunette. “If you wish to join with her, then do so and I release you from any false promises you made to us.”
Traven sniffed and plucked at his velvet coat. “I assure you, that was not my intent.” He turned his sparkling gaze to Jorick. “Since your friend is so adept at plucking the thoughts from another’s mind, he can plainly see what my intentions were.” His eyes narrowed. “As I can now plainly see why he is here. You thought to use him to discern our motives, perhaps?”
“I happened here by chance,” Jorick interjected.
Des snickered. “I know how your chance encounters come to happen.”
“Do you?” Jorick turned towards Oren and relayed with a certain mechanical tone, “Traven assumed Oren would be killed. He knew that Oren’s coven would not follow him, but he thought that since they had once allied with Anya, they might follow her. Traven is looking for strength and numbers to aid in his attack, nothing more. He didn’t plan to betray anyone.”
“Thank you.” Traven bowed stiffly. His cold tone belied his grateful words. He straightened up and met Oren’s eyes. “I have broken no oaths.”
Anya snorted with disdain and turned to Des. “This was obviously a waste of time. Let’s go.”
He nodded in agreement and the four vampires turned and started out the door. Katelina heaved a sigh of relief. They were leaving.
And then Micah blew it.
“Des, you still hangin’ out with the traitors?”
The black vampire stiffened and his hands clenched into fists at his side, Katelina prayed he’d keep walking. He didn’t.
“Micah, you still thinking with your dick?”
“Better than letting my girlfriend think with hers.” Des spun around and Micah’s eyes flicked to Anya’s crotch. “You guys have measuring contests, or what?”
Des snarled and leapt forward. Katelina dodged behind Jorick, but Micah stood his ground. He caught Des’s fists in his hands and stopped him in his tracks. Micah’s arms bulged with the effort. Then he lifted Des in the air and flung him across the room. He crashed into the wall in a shower of plaster and broken cat photographs.
“You son of a bitch!” Anya’s redhead companion lurched towards Micah. Loren threw himself between them. The first blow hit him in the face and sent a spray of blood that made Katelina gasp. The second blow went wild and Loren used the moment to knock his attacker’s legs out from under him.
Des was on his feet again, and he tackled Micah from behind. The bald vampire, distracted by his young friend’s fight, went down like a sack of bricks. Des got two punches to the back of Micah’s head before he gave a loud grunt and rolled over, throwing the black vampire off.
Meanwhile, the angry vampire with the chestnut hair had joined his coven mate; two against Loren. Fabian, still near the door, flung himself into the fray. The chestnut haired vampire caught him in the stomach and knocked him backwards where he crashed into Anya. They fell in a tangle of shrieking limbs and nearly pulled the door with them.
Des and Micah were both up and slowly circled one another. Blood trickled from the corner of Des’s mouth and his sunglasses were missing. His hands convulsed as if they’d strangle the life from the thin air if necessary. Micah seemed outwardly calm, even amused, though rage burned in his eyes. They were two almost-friends on opposite sides of a disagreement, and they looked like it.
Anya threw Fabian off and got to her knees. She grabbed him by a handful of his hair and jerked him back, exposing his neck as if she was going to bite it. Luna, who had been previously lurking in the doorway, gave a cry of outrage and plowed past Loren and his attackers. She tackled Anya and the two rolled out the door and onto the snowy porch in a snarling, growling heap.
Though Jorick had doubted Loren’s abilities, the teen vampire managed to dodge both the redhead vampire and his chestnut haired companion. He even got a couple of jabs in. Fabian, now free, punched the redhead in the kidneys, and then kicked him in the back of the knees. He went down, but he took Fabian with him.
Des threw a punch at Micah. Like last time, he caught it and threw it aside. The action wrenched Des’s arm, and pain flashed across his face. However, he was undeterred and came at him with the other fist. It connected and Micah reeled back. Des took advantage of the opening to land another punch, this time to Micah’s face. The next punch missed its target and Des’s fist slammed into the wall.
Anya shrieked from outside, and Katelina could just see through the door that Luna had her on her face in the snow. Her bun had loosened into a ponytail that Luna wrapped around her fist and used as a handle to slam the other vampiress’s face into the porch. There was something surreal about the scene; the action heroine face-down with the petite, silvery blonde on her back. Although the snarl on Luna’s usually peaceful face was anything but dainty.
Loren grappled with the wiry, chestnut haired vampire. They both bled, but neither looked ready to yield. With a cry of delight, Loren saw an opening and took it. His fist slammed into the other vampire’s chest and knocked him backwards. He tripped and landed on Fabian and the redhead, and the three wrestled free of one another.
Katelina clutched desperately at Jorick and stared with wide eyes at the commotion. Predictably, Traven stood just behind her, and something in his eyes said he’d happily use both her and Jorick for a shield if necessary. Jorge was behind him and slowly worked his way towards the kitchen doorway, his expression terrified. Katelina wondered if he understood English. Did this make sense to him, or was it all a confused blur of violence and meaningless words?
Jorick caught Oren’s eyes, but the blonde looked away. Jorick snorted contemptuously, then took a step forward and roared, “Enough!”
It was the redhead who punched him.
**********
Chapter Twenty-One
The punch had barely landed before Jorick grabbed the redhead’s arm and snapped it. The vampire screamed, and Jorick threw him into Des. The black vampire stumbled backwards, but stayed on his feet. He shoved the redhead away and his eyes shot to Jorick. His rage seemed to double as they took in his expression.
“I said enough!” Jorick’s fury was palpable, and Katelina shrunk back from it. So did everyone else.
When silence had fallen Jorick cleared his throat loudly. “Unless you want me to finish this, I suggest it ends, now!”
Des dropped from his defensive stance and took a step back, though he snapped, “We’re not scared of you, Jorick.”
“I don’t care if you are or not.” He wordlessly brushed Des aside and looked through the doorway. “Luna, enough. Let Anya up.” His expression stayed hard, but amusement flickered under his words. “The same for you, Loren and Fabian. You’ve made your point.”
Luna stood swiftly. Ever the lady, she neatly brushed herself off and straightened her hair before she marched back inside and helped Fabian up.
Free, Anya jerked to her feet. For a tense moment Katelina thought she might attack. Then, a voice sounded from the living room doorway and drew everyone’s attention.
“What in the hell’s going on in here?” Torina looked over the scene; a hole in the wall, broken kitten photos, an overturned chair and several bleeding vampires. Then her eyes landed on Des and she seemed to freeze. Several emotions flickered over her face before cold veneer took possession. “I see the leftovers have come begging for scraps at the door.”
“Hardly.” Anya wiped the snow from her clothes and glared daggers. “We came seeking a funeral, but it seems The Guild refused to carry out justice. Of course, that’s nothing new. Apparently, Jorick can use his human any way he pleases. It helps to
be Malick’s fledgling, doesn’t it? Funny, I wonder how he’s going to war against them when he’s so obviously still tied to them.”
Jorick addressed Torina, anger barely concealed in his dark eyes. “They were just leaving. If it weren’t for Des’s help in the past, I’d have already thrown them out the door.” His focus flicked to the dark vampire. “It’s a shame that you’ve made the choices you have.”
Des’s lips curled back from his teeth. “I chose the path that seemed right to me.”
“Then go walk it somewhere else,” Torina replied acidly, then she turned her back on the visitors. “I have better things to do than listen to pathetic trash mutter pointless words.” Anya hissed, but Torina ignored her and sashayed from the room, her head held high.
Micah’s face revealed an internal debate. It was settled quickly. He wiped his hands on his jeans and started after her, though he paused at the doorway to say, “I don’t give a damn who you helped before. If you’re still here when I come back, I’ll snap all of your fucking necks.”
“Like you could!” Des called, though Micah was already gone.
Anya’s underlings drew towards her, the redhead nursing his broken arm. Oren studied them and then said, “If there is nothing else, I believe Anya and Des have more important places to be?”
“Yes. I don’t keep company with those who betray their own.” She turned her attention to Traven. “Be wary of Jorick and his human, you’d be surprised the things he uses her for.”
Traven bowed graciously as she swept out into the swirling snow, the other three on her heels. Katelina opened her mouth to shout an insult after them, but Jorick squeezed her hand and shook his head. He was probably right, it wouldn’t do any good. The logic did little to soothe her ruffled fury.
Wordlessly, Oren shut the door. His amber eyes were filled with weariness and worry. As if an afterthought, he flicked the locks into place.
Amaranthine Special Edition Vol II Page 26