Amaranthine Special Edition Vol I

by Naylor, Joleene

  Katelina’s eyes bulged. “What? You’re not defending her?”

  “No, no!” He rushed to explain himself. “She only does things that are of benefit to herself. What benefit could she possibly gain from hurting you?” Katelina’s mouth opened, but he kept talking. “She killed Arowenia and sent you to Claudius because she knew we’d rescue you. She just wanted to advance the war.”

  “And can you read her mind?” Katelina demanded angrily. “Because that’s not what she told me! She said–”

  “Yes, I know what she said. And no, I can’t read her mind. But this isn’t a music hall production. The villain isn’t going to reveal their master plot to the victim. I know her well enough to say she’s got what she wants, or will have as soon as she’s taken what’s left of the coven.” He met Katelina’s gaze. “Trust me.”

  “I do trust you! It’s just... what if you’re wrong?”

  He rubbed her chin with his thumb. “I’m not.”

  “But...” she trailed off with a sigh. How could she say “It’s just that I have this nagging feeling” without sounding stupid? Maybe Jorick was right. Maybe Kateesha had only told her that because she thought it would upset her. Hell, none of the vampires made much sense anyway. Still, the sense of foreboding refused to go away.

  She let it go and asked weakly, “You’re sure we have to go?”

  His face grew grim, and he tightened his arms around her. “Yes. I’m sorry, but I owe Claudius now, and I always repay my debts.” He opened his mouth to say something further when a knock stopped him.

  “It's me,” Oren's voice floated through the door before it opened and the golden vampire came in, a fast food bag clutched in one hand and a soda in the other. “I have no idea what you humans eat.”

  She took the offered bag and sat gingerly on the edge of the bed. The scent of French fries and cheeseburger wafted up into her face and she savored the smell. Last night she hadn’t been hungry but today she was ravenous, and so without any shame she stuffed several fries in her mouth at once.

  Oren’s nose wrinkled in repulsion. “And they say we're disgusting when we feed.”

  She glanced at him sharply and thought about mentioning that she hadn’t invited him to watch in the first place. Instead, she settled on saying, “I'm starving.”

  “Obviously.” He turned to his friend. “I'm not staying to watch this, Jorick. When it's finished, we'll be waiting.” He shuddered and moved quickly out of the room.

  She swallowed and looked up at Jorick. “What? It’s not that bad?”

  His only answer was laughter.

  When she'd finished, Jorick rounded up the others and they climbed into the giant car. Torina and Oren sat up front, and the other three were in the back as it had been before. The tension inside the vehicle was thicker than the fog gathering outside, and they all gave in to it. The uncomfortable silence seemed almost like a sixth passenger that was hogging the conversation. The only things that kept it from being unbearable was the muttering of the engine and the swish of the windshield wipers cutting back and forth in their fight with the ever gathering condensation.

  Katelina’s watch said that only a couple of hours had passed, but the trip to Sorem felt interminably long, and if she thought she’d be happy to see the place she was wrong. It was another small, dingy town that looked as if it had been abandoned a few years ago and left to squalor and decay. She stared in disbelief through the window and wondered why vampires never lived in modern metropolises. Wouldn’t they fit in better in a bustling city than a decaying little village? She turned to Jorick, tempted to ask him, but the impenetrable silence was too hard for her to break. Oren, on the other hand, had no problem.

  “We probably have seven hours until dawn.” His voice seemed too loud against the quiet.

  Jorick nodded and patted Katelina’s leg reassuringly. “That’s plenty of time – assuming we can find them.”

  Torina wrinkled her nose and stared at the dilapidated houses that seemed to walk past them as they drove. The pink streetlights reflected in the misty fog and gave the whole place an unreal, nightmarish quality. “Considering the size, it shouldn't be too hard,”

  “You'd think that,” Oren murmured, then fell silent.

  They drove in circles around the wet little town, all of them looking through the windows at fog that refused to lift. A single gas station was open. Its neon lights were like an oasis in the dense, dark place, but by the car’s third circuit of the town it had closed. The large green, glowing sign shut off as they passed and plunged the parking lot into darkness that made the whole night seem bleaker.

  It was the fourth circuit when Jorick suddenly whispered. “Wait.” The brakes squealed as Oren stopped the car. The raven–haired vampire stared out the window at a squat, blue house. “Yes. I think we've found it.”

  Kateesha wound down the window and stuck her head out. She inhaled deeply and, for the first time since they'd gotten in the car, she smiled. “I can smell Claudius from here.”

  Katelina looked at the sad little house and the windows stared back at her, blank, dark and empty. Weeds grew around the base of the structure, and the yard looked unkempt with brown grass at various lengths; heaps of autumn leaves gathered in every little hollow. She wondered how he could have known. Had he smelled Claudius, as Kateesha claimed she did?

  Oren met Jorick’s eyes. The two men nodded at one another, then Oren slowly edged the car forward. They moved three blocks down and pulled into the parking lot of the gas station, where they parked next to a large green dumpster.

  Wordlessly, the doors opened and the car’s occupants disembarked into the mist. Katelina stood next to the vehicle uncertainly. She rubbed her naked arms and wished for one of Oren’s long sleeved shirts. The smell of frost was in the air and she had to concentrate to keep her teeth from chattering as she watched the four vampires stretching and apparently preparing themselves for what lay ahead.

  Oren reached back into the car and pulled several cloth wrapped parcels from between the seats. He handed them out, keeping the longest one for himself.

  Katelina watched as he un-wrapped it to reveal a long machete with a carved wooden handle. She glanced to see Kateesha and Torina each holding short, shiny daggers.

  Jorick opened his to find a long, thin dagger. He gave it a satisfied nod and stuffed the cloth wrapping in his pocket.

  “This should be adequate,” Kateesha agreed and Torina gave a silent nod.

  “Good,” Oren slammed the car door. “I’m afraid I left most of my weapons stash elsewhere.” He gave Jorick a pointed look. “I believe someone burned the house down on top of it?”

  “Yes, well.” Jorick brushed his comment aside. “I’m sure these will do.” He narrowed his eyes and looked at the other three. “Claudius is mine.”

  “Yes,” Kateesha purred. “So you’ve said. Only don’t forget our arrangement.”

  “I’m sure we won’t,” Oren replied. “I doubt you’d let us.”

  “Someone has to keep you focused,” Kateesha said pointedly, looking straight at Jorick. “Otherwise some of you are likely to forget their promises altogether and just disappear.”

  Jorick growled low and Kateesha laughed. “Oh come now, you know I’m right. It’s so much easier to do when things get… complicated.”

  Oren kept his face expressionless. “Enough, Kateesha. We need to discuss our plans.”

  “What plans?” Torina asked, brandishing the dagger menacingly. “We just kill everyone we find.”

  “Yes,” Oren responded impatiently. “But we need more than that. For instance, what about the human–” he cleared his throat and amended it. “Katelina? Is she going with us or staying in the car?”

  Torina gave her a quick once over. “She should stay with the car.”

  Kateesha walked around to stand next to them, smiling. “Oh, I agree.” She ran a hand over Katelina’s arm that made her shudder. “She'll be a burden once we’re inside”

  Jor
ick narrowed his eyes at the dark temptress and she removed her hand. “And should they attack the car, who will defend her? Who’s going to stay behind?”

  “Why would they attack the car?” Kateesha purred.

  Jorick wrapped his arm around Katelina and continued to eye Kateesha meaningfully. “You can never tell. I thought she'd be safe the other night, didn't I?”

  Annoyance crept over Kateesha’s features. “You should never have agreed to do that favor for Patrick. Look at what it's gotten you in to.”

  Katelina flinched at the name and Jorick scowled. “I’m not ‘into’ anything I don't wish to be – you're the only one who wants things differently.”

  Kateesha sneered haughtily. “You let protecting the human go to your head! You were only supposed to guard her, not fall in love with her. Did Patrick know?”

  Katelina looked at her feet, her heart sick. She didn’t want to hear this right now. She needed to believe in Jorick; to trust him, and how could she with half formed suspicions running rampant through her mind?

  But Jorick didn’t answer, and Kateesha’s eyes lit up at his silence. “He knew, didn't he?” she laughed and licked her lips delightedly. “How positively delicious! What a conversation that must have been! I'll bet you didn't shed any tears when you discovered he was dead, did you? Freed up his little human lover for you to…”

  “Enough!” Jorick roared. “You might as well get over your pathetic dreams, Kateesha. Nothing in this world will ever make me want you.”

  Her eyes popped in outrage and then narrowed to slits. Her lips curled back until she was no longer beautiful, but ghastly. “You probably killed him yourself so you could have her! Why? Look at her! Look at her!” She jabbed a long nailed finger in Katelina’s good shoulder. “She's nothing extraordinary! She isn't even pretty! It’s just because you crave a lost soul to look after! You have to have some pathetic, powerless creature to take care of in order to feel strong!”

  “I did not kill him Kateesha,” Jorick hissed coldly. “But if you do not keep your thoughts to yourself, then I may kill you.”

  “I do not fear you, brother. You’re far too busy picking up stray animals to be of any real threat.”

  Oren stepped between the pair with his arms held up. “Stop this! We have allied ourselves and, no matter what the reason, we have taken oaths. Let us now fulfill them. There will be time to kill one another when Claudius is dead.”

  Kateesha laughed hollowly. “You're just hoping for help in your new war against The Guild, Oren. But if you think Jorick will assist you, you're mistaken. He cares only for himself – and his new obsession.”

  Jorick growled, but Oren answered her, “My reason does not concern you, Kateesha.” Though his voice was controlled, it was obvious he was finding it difficult not to shout. “Enough of this squabbling, we need to move out.”

  “What about her?” Torina asked and nodded to Katelina.

  “She comes with me,” Jorick said firmly. “And that’s final.”

  Oren nodded crisply. “Then let us go.”

  With those words hanging in the thick air, the five of them headed off into the night towards the small, dirty house.

  **********

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  The vampires moved soundlessly while Katelina fought her way through the tall, wet grass, and tried to be quiet. Now and then her movements would jolt some injury and remind her of last night’s terror. Each time it happened, her heart would flutter like a trapped bird in her chest. Again, she wondered what she was doing walking back towards Claudius after she’d barely escaped him. But, stolen glances at Jorick fortified her.

  The lot was overgrown and water droplets clung to the dry weeds like fragile jewels, pearlescent in the street light’s gleam. The house was small and squat, and the siding peeled loose in places. Stains ran down the walls from the windows; empty eyes that had been weeping from loneliness, leaving trails of rusty tears.

  The world was wrapped in the thick cloak of fog. Three old, bare trees stood as lonely sentinels, their leaves heaped at their feet and branches barely stirring in the heavy air. She could almost hear her own heart beating in the oppressive gloom that seemed to permeate everything, including her soul.

  The thick quiet of night was soon broken by the sound of shattering glass as two vampires came crashing through one of the darkened windows. They landed on the damp grass in a spray of glittering shards, their fangs bared and knives shining in their hands. At the sudden noise, a dog in the distance started a threatening, guttural yap interspersed with growls.

  Jorick caught Katelina and pulled her towards him while Oren leapt forward. He took one of the vampires while Torina pounced on the second. There were groans and grunts, and an animalistic growling reminiscent of the dog in the background. Jorick dragged Katelina with him as he quickly stepped back and started around the other side of the house. Kateesha followed them like a wraith as they left Torina and Oren behind.

  No one challenged them as they walked swiftly to the back of the house. There they found a weathered cellar door held up from the grass by a thin lip of crumbling concrete. Jorick caught Katelina’s arm and shoved the long, thin dagger into her hand. “Stay away from the fighting if you can,” he whispered urgently. “But if you cannot, then go for their hearts. Their skin is tougher than yours and harder to pierce, but perhaps you can manage to hold them off at the very least.”

  “But don’t you need this?” she asked with concern.

  “No, I’ll be fine.” He offered her a reassuring smile. “I’m strong enough I can make do without it.”

  “You’re sure?” He nodded and Katelina tried to believe him. She looked at the weapon gripped in her hand with confused uncertainty. She’d never used a dagger before. Her heart lodged itself in her tight throat as she contemplated having to do so.

  Jorick squeezed her tightly and met Kateesha’s eyes. After a series of short signals between the two, Kateesha swung the heavy cellar door open. It had barely cleared Jorick’s head before he flung himself down the set of dirty stone stairs, his face twisted in a snarl.

  Kateesha laughed. “He is stupid!” She lowered her gaze to Katelina, her voice still filled with delight. “You will die before this night is over.” Katelina tried to hide her shock and Kateesha quickly followed the raven–haired vampire down the stairs into the dankness below.

  Katelina stared after her and her stomach twisted painfully. Jorick was wrong. It hadn’t been just to push the war forward. Kateesha had had a much darker purpose than that.

  Noises drifted up the stairs; grunts, hisses and clangs. A window shattered on the other side of the house, doubtless more vampires coming outside to fight Oren and Torina. Katelina rubbed her naked arms against the cold, uncertain what she was supposed to do. She’d come to decide that basements were bad places. They held things like Michael, baby sized coffins, and torture chambers complete with giant cages. Regardless, she didn’t want to stand in the open waiting for a vampire to come crashing through a widow, out of a bush, or from behind a stand of matted grass to tackle her.

  She gave the eerie yard a last glance before she started down the stone steps. A half wall bordered the top of the stairs, and she pressed herself against it. She could only see a small swath of basement, but vampires fought over the smooth, cement floor, snarling and growling.

  Jorick was fighting hand to hand with two vampires dressed in black, flinging first one to the floor and then the other. His fresh, white shirt was already stained with blood, and a splatter of crimson decorated his pale face. Meanwhile, Kateesha was locked in battle with a longhaired woman in a mini skirt who had two small knives gartered to her upper thighs. Two dead vampires lay on the floor, blood pooling beneath them in sickening puddles, their chests savagely ripped out, leaving only an empty, jelly-filled cavity. Katelina shuddered as she remembered Jorick telling her to go for the heart. Apparently he took that very seriously. She closed her eyes to banish the sight and wondered why Jori
ck had brought her there.

  She tried to disappear into the wall among the cement and shadows. Despite her efforts, a slender woman in pants and a crop top spied her. She snarled and charged towards the stairs with her hands clenched and her bright red nails ready to attack.

  The world around Katelina froze for the few seconds it took her to understand what was happening. She gripped the hilt of the dagger in her white knuckled hand and tried to ready herself.

  Jorick saw the woman and quickly plunged one hand into the chest of the vampire he was fighting while he slammed her in the back with his other arm. She went sprawling and landed on her stomach. She skidded a few feet with a cry of surprise and anger.

  She stood and, with a snarl, threw herself towards Jorick. They crashed into each other and her painted talons raked his perfect face. The distraction allowed the remaining black clad vampire to grab him from behind and throw him into one of the stone walls.

  Katelina cried out as Jorick fell to the floor. She waited for Kateesha to interfere, but the vampiress paid no mind to his struggle. Determined to help, Katelina hurried thoughtlessly down the rest of the stairs, her dagger held aloft in her shaking hands. Jorick stood and his eyes grew wide as he saw her and what she intended to do. He opened his mouth to shout, but Katelina didn't see it. Her eyes were focused on her target.

  The woman in the crop top stood with her back to Katelina, so she took the opportunity to leap on her. The woman tried to spin around, but Katelina hung on, one arm wrapped around her neck. The vampiress roared in anger, and Katelina thrust the dagger into her back like she’d seen Bren and Senya do to Bethina, but the dagger didn’t go in all the way. She froze in surprise, and the woman easily shook her off and let her fall to the floor.

  “What in the hell?” She grabbed Katelina by her hair and easily dodged the flailing dagger.

  Jorick furiously wrenched the woman loose from Katelina. She fell to the floor again and looked up in time to see Jorick tossing the woman’s limp body aside.