Chapter 107
"Senya," Katelina whispered and clutched desperately at her towel, as if it would save her. What was she doing there - what were Executioners doing there - in their motel room?
Jorick was on his feet and planted in front of them in an instant. His dark eyes snapped flame and he demanded furiously, "What do you want."
Senya regarded Jorick haughtily. "We're looking for Oren."
Jorick gave an impatient snort. "He isn't here, so get out."
"You're very demanding, all things considered."
Jorick ignored her and looked to Beldren. "If you're so desperate to find him, then why didn't you apprehend him at the last battle? I hear you were there."
Senya's eyes narrowed dangerously. "Yes," she snapped. "We were. However, we had other priorities."
Jorick was just a little too smug. "Like staying alive? I didn't realize you were so weak they'd pose a threat to you."
Senya's face tightened with cold fury, and she looked past him to where Katelina stood, eyes wide and white knuckled hands gripping her towel. "Maybe your human knows where he is?"
Katelina stumbled backwards until she found smooth wall behind her, a scream trapped in her throat. She remembered her last interrogation by Senya at Oren's house; remembered the way the vampiress had delighted in the deaths of the children and servants.
Jorick sent Katelina a wave of comfort, then drew himself up and snarled at the Executioner. "She doesn't know anything."
Senya's half smile was terrifying. "I'll be the judge of that. Beldren, Zuri." She snapped her fingers. "Hold him."
Zuri moved to comply, but Jorick dodged away and kicked his leg out from under him. The Executioner stumbled, and landed on one knee. He lunged again, and Jorick grabbed one of the shabby chairs and swung it with enough force to shatter it against the vampire's broad back and knock him to the floor.
Fear held Katelina against the wall, and left her unable to move or even scream. Senya stood, one hip cocked impatiently, her arms crossed over her chest and her attention focused on the fight while Beldren, the Executioner with the blonde ponytail, stood behind her, his face impassive to the point of near boredom.
Zuri threw aside the remnants of the chair and climbed to his feet. He dusted himself off and glared at Jorick as though he was going to eat him, then he sprung towards him. Jorick dodged again and grabbed another chair, only he hurled this one at Senya. The vampiress let out a cry of surprise, and threw her arm up just in time to fling it away.
The chair shattered when it hit the floor. Zuri growled low in his throat and tackled Jorick to the carpet. Though he roared and tried to throw the Executioner off, Zuri held him, his arms bulging and his teeth gritted with effort.
"You might as well stop thrashing, Jorick," Senya commented as she prodded Jorick's leg with her foot. "He's physically stronger than you."
Jorick's anger burned through Katelina's mind and, though she couldn't see his face, she could imagine the expression. "If you touch her, Senya-"
The Executioner held up a hand to silence him, her attention already on Katelina. "I'm only going to talk to her, Jorick. You worry too much."
Jorick snarled something unintelligible, and Senya made a show of stepping over him and Zuri as she crossed the room. Katelina took one look at her and, with a strangled squeal, dashed for the bathroom. She was barley through the doorway when Senya caught her by a handful of her hair and jerked her backwards. She cried out and grabbed the doorframe to keep from falling.
"God dammit Senya!" Jorick roared.
Beldren cleared his throat loudly. "Senya?"
"What?" the vampiress asked innocently and released her. Katelina stumbled forward, slipped on the damp bathroom floor and landed on her knees. Senya stepped blithely through the door and bent over her like a vulture. "Now let's have a little chat, hmmmm?"
"Senya!" Jorick bellowed from the other room.
"We're only talking," she called back and then leaned close to Katelina's ear. "For now," she whispered.
Katelina shuddered and clutched her towel. Her eyes darted around the tiny room, looking desperately for a weapon, but there was nothing. There was a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu about the moment that left her feeling weak and terrified. "Jorick!" she creamed silently.
"She has nothing to say to you!" Jorick shouted, and then his silent voice whispered through her mind, "I'll be loose in a moment. Right now, tell her that you don't know anything."
"I don't know anything," Katelina repeated, her voice high with panic, as Senya gripped her bare shoulders and squeezed. If Jorick was going to get free he'd better do it soon. "Oh God, I swear I don't know!"
"She doesn't know!" Jorick shouted, and another wave of red fury splashed through Katelina's consciousness. "Is this what Malick sent you to do? Or aren't you supposed to bring Oren in before he attacks precious Kateesha?"
Senya muttered something under her breath, and slowly released Katelina's shoulders. "Malick didn't say why he wanted him, Jorick, as I'm sure you know." She made a low noise in her throat, her face still too close to Katelina's, and whispered, "However, you escape again, human. Maybe next time you won't be so lucky."
Katelina's insides spasmed like jelly, but Senya stood and marched out of the bathroom. "All right," she snapped. "You can get off of him, Zuri." Katelina peered around the door frame, to see the broad vampire stand. He was only half erect when Jorick shot up, and knocked him to the floor with a blow to his chin.
Zuri bellowed in anger and surprise, but Senya only came to a stop near them and rolled her eyes. "Get up, Zuri." Her angry gaze shifted to the impassive blonde. "And thanks for your help, Beldren."
"I didn't feel it was required."
"No," Jorick snarled. "It wasn't, and neither was any of this." His eyes stayed on the vampiress, but his mind demanded silently of Katelina, "You're all right?"
She nodded dumbly, then forced herself to think a more verbal, "Yes."
"Who's to say what's required?" Senya asked, unaware of their silent conversation. "You gave us trouble, so I had you restrained. There's nothing wrong with that." She flashed him a fanged smile that made Katelina's skin crawl. "After all, no one got hurt, did they?" She packed enough innuendo into the single word to fill Katelina's mind with horrible visions.
Jorick came to stand in front of the Executioner. His voice was a low rumble in his throat, "Yet. But if the three of you don't leave immediately-"
"There's no need to threaten anyone," Beldren interrupted. "We have far more important things to do than stay here."
"Other people to harass?" Jorick asked sarcastically. "In that case, go annoy them, and leave us alone. If I see the three of you again, things will go very differently."
"Yes," Senya agreed, her cold eyes alight at some nasty thought. "They will." Then, she tossed her head arrogantly and marched towards the door. "Come along!"
Zuri brushed himself off, glared angrily at Jorick, and followed her outside, but Beldren hung back for a moment. His face was unreadable, his gaze hooded by disinterested eyelids, but something in his stance betrayed his curiosity. "I'm starting to wonder why Malick's so interested in seeing your fledgling, Jorick."
Jorick didn't answer and, with a final glance, Beldren strode from the room. He was barely gone before Jorick hurried over to Katelina and helped her to her feet. His eyes smoldered, and his lips were pressed together into a tight line of anger. "You're all right?"
"Yes." She nodded along to the word, though her pale face made her seem like a liar. "Will they really stay gone?"
"I don't know," he answered honestly. "They've gone to look for Oren, but I doubt they'll find him. Never the less, I'm going to follow them."
Katelina grabbed his arm. "You're leaving? You can't be serious?"
"You'll be fine," he said gently, and guided her towards the bed. "I'll be right behind them, and should they head in this direction, I'll bypass them and be back first." He gave her a reassuring smile. "Trust me."
"Yeah, sure," she muttered and let her shaking legs drop her onto the bed. "And when Senya slits my throat, or Kateesha sends her goons?"
"You'll be fine," he assured her again, his tone more urgent. "If I'm going to follow them, then I need to go."
"Right, of course. Go. Go." She waved her hands with the words.
Jorick glanced from her to the door, indecision on his face, and then he gave her a quick, regretful kiss and promised to return, before he disappeared, hot on their heels.
Katelina shuffled to the door, locked the locks, then buried herself under the bedclothes, as if they could somehow keep all the horrors at bay. She didn't know who she more afraid of now; Kateesha or Senya, but she suspected they'd both be in her dreams.
