Chapter 118
Jorick was alive. Or so Oren said.
Katelina flung herself at him, shouting again, "Take me to him!"
He neatly sidestepped her. "In due time. First-"
"No!" She noticed Oren's uneasiness and her joy flickered as she suspected a lie. If Jorick were alive he'd have answered her mental cries. He'd have never left her alone in agony. "I want to see him now. Unless you're lying."
He stared at her as if she was something foreign on his shoe. "Why would I lie? What could I possibly gain?"
"Maybe to try to keep me under control? How am I supposed to know what you're up to?" Her face turned hard and she crossed her arms over her chest stubbornly. If he wanted to play games, then she could play games too. "If he's alive then I'll answer you after I've seen him."
Oren threw up his hands in exasperation. "Fine! You want to see him, then see him! And when they say he gave you your answers, be it on your head!" He started towards the door and then spun back around. "I'll take you to him, but only because he asked to see you as soon as you woke, not because you've demanded it! I don't bargain!"
He strode through the door and Katelina followed him cautiously. The corridor was dark, but made of stone instead of the cement of the higher tunnels. Oren's pace was brisk and Katelina had to hurry to keep from losing him in the twisting passageways. They passed many doors, all closed and some with light leaking from under them, but they were never the door Oren sought.
As they headed deeper into the labyrinth of old stone passages, Katelina's mind ran in circles as confused as the honeycomb of tunnels. She alternated between excitement and fear. Would Jorick really be at the end of this? If not, then what would be there? Oren was stronger than she was, so why didn't he just force her to do what he wanted? Was it because he felt compelled, by his blood debt, to do as Jorick had commanded and protect her? Was he leading her to a room where vampires with no such compunctions would finish her off?
Oren finally found the door he wanted, and stopped so suddenly that Katelina collided with him. He grunted in surprise and jerked away from her with a scowl. "If you're under control now, perhaps we can get on with this?"
He jerked the door open with no fanfare and she peered inside to see a small room. Flickering candles were scattered around, and their light revealed a table littered with papers. Chairs sat around it at odd angles, and a trunk sat in one corner. In the center of the room, was the only thing in the world Katelina cared to see.
Jorick was there, dressed in what were obviously Oren's clothes. His raven hair cascaded over his shoulders in a waterfall of night and his pale face was weary, but his deep eyes shone as he looked at her.
Without a thought, she dashed into the room and crashed into him. He wrapped his arms around her and she buried her face in his chest. Her tears returned, unbidden, and she clutched the material of his shirt, afraid that if she let go he'd disappear in a wisp of smoke, like a half forgotten dream.
He stroked her face gently, then moved his hand up to tangle in her golden hair. "Shhhhhh," he murmured softly as he cradled her against him. "It's all right."
Oren spoke from his position in the doorway. "You don't need to glare at me like that, Jorick. I haven't done anything to her."
Katelina looked up and let her eyes drink in her lover's face. "I - I thought you were- dead." The last word was scarcely more than a whisper, as if uttering it would make it true.
Confusion registered in Jorick's eyes and then he glared at Oren. The blonde vampire sniffed disdainfully. "I told her no such thing. Her brains are clearly addled."
Jorick ignored Oren's final statement and turned his attention to the woman in his arms. "No," he said softly, his hand on her cheek and the trace of smile on his full lips. "I'm not dead." When she didn't answer he prompted, "You're all right?"
She nodded and wiped her tears with the back of her hand. "I'm - I'm fine."
"I was worried about you." He searched for something in her face. "I wanted to come and see you, but they demanded I stay here or they'd kill you." His jaw worked and his dark eyes burned. "If anything had happened to you because of them-"
"Well it didn't," Oren said as he finally stepped over the threshold. "I told you it wouldn't."
"Mmmm." Jorick's gaze flicked to the blonde vampire. "I don't doubt your intentions, Oren. Your mind is lain naked to me, but it's not so with some of the others."
Oren stopped just inside the door. His posture betrayed how uncomfortable he felt. "I know. But, I gave her my protection and I'm still their leader, until something can be resolved." His amber eyes flicked around the contents of the room and he cleared his throat noisily. "Did you find anything?"
"Yes," Jorick answered, holding Katelina tighter. "However, now is not the time."
Oren drew a deep, agitated breath. "I suppose you want some time alone with your-" he paused. "With her?" he amended with no remorse.
Jorick nodded his head and absently stroked her hair. "Yes, as a matter of fact, I do."
Oren looked more than a little annoyed. "You know what they'll say."
Katelina stiffened fearfully against Jorick and wadded his shirt in tight fists. She didn't want to be taken back to that room and left alone again. She tried to communicate this to him, but there was no response. Still, perhaps he heard her because he said calmly, "Let them."
"She wouldn't answer me," Oren added, suspiciously.
Jorick tilted her head up and forced her to meet his eyes. Whatever he saw in their depths made him nod to himself. "She will later. She's been through enough without having to face the inquisition."
Oren's eyebrows shot up. "I'm hardly the inquisition. I only asked her a single question."
She tried to bury herself in Jorick and he ruffled her hair comfortingly. "Later, Oren."
"Fine. Do as you will, but I'll be back." He turned abruptly on his heel and strode from the room, pulling the door shut behind him with a resounding bang.
Jorick's eyes lingered on the door until Oren's footfalls faded away, and then he looked back at Katelina. "No one hurt you?"
"No." She gazed up at him, an irrepressible smile on her lips. The giant ball of fear in her stomach melted away like snow in the summer sun and left her so full of joy that she felt stretched taut, ready to burst. Everything would be all right now because Jorick was there and alive!
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