Chapter 114
Katelina limped through the dark underground tunnels behind Jorick. He held the captured vampiress in front of him, both a shield and guide. As they moved, he sent her a stream of silent instructions.
"Stay behind me. Should anything occur, let me deal with it. Despite her words, I will use her as a shield if need be. They may strike her, but it will delay them a few moments. Keep your knife ready just in case and make no sound. The younger a vampire, the less keen their vision and hearing. This one isn't very old or she'd have spotted you immediately. Remember, the younger ones are also weaker. If you must fight, go for one that looks fresher and more human than the others.
"Once a vampire has been immobilized they'll begin to heal, but the process is slow. Deeper wounds require rest or blood to heal, as do multiple bones, though a strong vampire may fight on even with their bones broken. Wait until I've rendered them useless and then attack them. Use your knife at an angle to slide between the ribs if you can, or try to go under the armpit and through the lung. If you strike the very center you must be forceful, or the sternum will deflect your blow."
She nodded absently to his directions and made mental murmurs of understanding; anything to stave off the sick dizziness that threatened to consume her. She thought briefly of stopping and hiding in a tunnel, but she dismissed the idea quickly and chastised her weakness. She was going to keep going no matter what, until she saw Jorick kill that evil bitch Kateesha with his own hands.
They turned from the main tunnel into an offshoot that headed steadily downwards. As they went, the air around them warmed, and the sounds of Oren's battle faded away. Meanwhile, the hatred from their prisoner grew until it was almost a solid thing. She stayed silent, Jorick's knife pressed against her spine, as she led them ever deeper into the underground labyrinth and nearer to its queen.
They turned a sharp corner to find a heavy metal door. Pale light leaked around the edges but, after the long dark of the tunnels, it was like the sun to Katelina. In the brightness, she could now see their guide. The vampiress had black hair in a messy bun and a face that could have been beautiful, had her lips not curled back in a snarl to reveal gleaming fangs.
They came to a full stop and Jorick nodded at the door. "Open it," he commanded.
The vampiress' snarl turned into a sick smug smile and she laughed. The cold sound sent shivers up Katelina's spine, but the words that followed terrified her even more.
"There's no need, Kateesha already knows you're here."
The heavy door jerked open and vampires surged through it, their hands like claws, ready to tear and rend. Jorick threw his prisoner into them. She was right; they cut her down like she was one of the enemy, but the resulting clash did delay their advance. Jorick used those few seconds to fling Katelina as far behind him as he could. The force of his efforts sent her skidding, and she had to catch herself on the wall to keep from falling.
"Stay back!" he shouted and a wave of his regret washed over her. Though she couldn't hear his thoughts, she knew what they were: he wished he'd left her at the motel, safe in the world she belonged in. But, he was wrong. She didn't belong there anymore. She tried desperately to communicate that to him. For some reason it was infinitely important he knew she was there by choice.
If he understood, he didn't have time to comment. The narrow tunnel quickly filled with Kateesha's guards. They were all fangs and weapons, and threatening snarls. And then, over the top of it, Kateesha's laughter sounded high and cold. Katelina froze, paralyzed by the sound.
Kateesha's caressing voice whispered in her mind, "So Jorick brought you to me, did he? What a fine present. How I'll enjoy making him watch as I rip you apart piece by piece."
"No," Katelina hissed and gripped the soiled knife tightly. Her eyes skipped involuntarily to Jorick, who was too busy to return her gaze. However, he flung a vampire down the corridor towards her. Bones crunched loudly as it came to a stop near her feet.
"The heart!" Jorick commanded silently and she quickly dropped to her knees beside the incapacitated vampire. His eyes rolled wildly and he tried to move, but he couldn't. She forced herself not to think as she jammed the silver knife into his chest again and again. At last, the blade found its way between his ribs, and she jerked it out again quickly. Blood gushed, thick and dark, and she pulled back involuntarily.
The smell and sight made her sick, so she looked to Jorick for comfort, only the corridor was a blur of indistinguishable motion. Then, one of Kateesha's guards broke free of the pack and grabbed Katelina's arm. She cried out, and Jorick quickly spun around and pulled him away. In a motion that looked far too easy, he snapped his neck and smashed his brains against the wall. He slammed the struggling creature into the wall twice more. Bones snapped loudly. Satisfied, Jorick wordlessly flung the body towards Katelina and then turned to his next two opponents.
The vampire slid to a halt near her, and she hurriedly knelt next to it. The sight made her stomach heave; sharp ribs gouged through the skin of the torso, and twisted limbs twitched sporadically. "Not real," she murmured to herself. "These aren't real people. Not real, not real." She tasted bile in her mouth, but the mantra enabled her to carry out her grim work without throwing up.
The next vampire Jorick threw to her wasn't quite as broken as he thought. Katelina raised the knife, and the half crushed creature emitted a shriek that made her recoil. It snatched at her with what was left of its fingers. She jerked to her feet and pulled away, but the ruined vampire latched onto her leg, dragging behind her as she tried to escape, its limbs crushed from the waist down.
"Stop!" he lisped.
Katelina kicked at it and something gave way. Warm blood splashed up her leg, and she gagged helplessly. The thing screamed and released her, and she stumbled into the wall and retched violently. She looked up in time to see Jorick meet her eyes. He stood amidst the carnage, casually crushing the heart of his last foe in his gory hand. Though victorious, his face was smattered in red, and his nose ran blood down his face. Both his jeans and shirt were torn to reveal freely bleeding wounds that horrified Katelina.
His concern washed over her, and her cheeks tinted deep red when she realized he'd seen her being sick. She wiped her mouth furiously, then spun back towards the ruined vampire. He lay on the floor, curled in a ball of agony, his hands wrapped around his ruptured torso. This was his stupid fault! If he'd just die like he was supposed to!
With a fierce growl, she dropped to her knees behind him and hacked at his back, hoping to get to his heart. The thing made an unintelligible noise, and lashed out, just as Jorick shouted in her head, "Watch out!". But, instead of "watching out", she looked up at him.
The crushed vampire took advantage of the distraction and grabbed her face with his ruined hand. Still strong despite his injuries, he slammed her head into the floor. Pain shot though her skull and stars erupted behind her eyes. She slashed wildly with the knife while the vampire scrabbled desperately to find her eyes.
And then Jorick was there. He kicked the thing and sent it sailing down the corridor, where it crashed into the metal doorframe. Wordlessly, he caught Katelina's arm and righted her quickly. "I'll finish him."
