Chapter 134
Jorick shoved a weapon into Katelina's hand. "Stay back!" he shouted and flung her away from the impending fight. Surprised, she skidded and crashed into the bookcases. An invisible shower of books fell around her. She crouched and shielded her head against the avalanche.
After the last book landed with a thud, she stayed on all fours. Her ears strained in the darkness and her imagination filled in the visuals. She'd seen enough vampire battles to know what one looked like.
Something crashed loudly and she jumped. She squeezed the weapon tightly, ready to defend herself, but something was wrong. It wasn't as heavy, or as metal, as it should be. She felt it experimentally, only to discover it wasn't a weapon at all. It was Jorick's flashlight. "A flashlight? How's that going to help?" Then she figured it out.
She fumbled for the switch and the beam of light snapped to life. She swept it through the room to see Hectia on top of the desk, her coat at her feet. Her hands were wadded into fists and her red lips were pulled back from her sharp teeth.
Jorick put out minimal effort as he grappled with the newbie vampire. However, the young one had flung aside his parka and his face was screwed up in intense concentration. The red headed vampire stood back, the long club balanced casually in his hands as he watched the proceedings.
One of the large bookcases lay broken on the floor, books scattered around it like a pool of blood from a fallen monster. Jorick hopped up on it. He caught his opponent's arm and twisted it effortlessly. The loud snapping noise was drowned out by the vampire's scream.
"Verchiel!" Hectia cried. "Help Drew!"
Verchiel, the redheaded vampire, took a cautious step forward, but made no move to join the battle, even when Hectia snarled and shouted, "I said help him!"
Though he only had one good arm, Drew charged Jorick again. With an expression that bordered on amusement, Jorick lightly stepped out of the way, and then spun so fast that Katelina missed the motion. When he reappeared, he was holding the vampire by the throat and smirking. "Is this really necessary, Hectia?" He nodded towards the redhead. "Your friend doesn't seem interested in joining."
"Damn it, Verchiel! He can't do it on his own."
"I see that," Verchiel agreed. "But, as he just asked, is this necessary? If someone else has a claim on this den, then it's theirs. It's too big to heat anyway."
"I deserve this! It's mine!" Hectia stamped her foot like a child. "You promised to help me!"
Verchiel sighed heavily. "Fine, Hectia. I did at that." He turned his attention towards Jorick, and brandished his weapon. "You'd better put him down. He's too young for you to mess with."
Jorick snorted contemptuously. "Yes he is, but even a young one can stab you when your back is turned." Drew struggled as Jorick pried the fireplace poker out of his good hand and held it up. "I'll kill him, Hectia. This is your last chance."
Not to be beaten, Hectia leapt off of the desk and grabbed the club from Verchiel. She charged at Jorick, swinging it above her head. Jorick rolled his eyes and dodged her. As he did, Drew twisted loose. With a savage cry, he lunged for a piece of broken bookcase.
He never made it.
Jorick rammed the poker through his back with a sickening, crunching sound. Drew's body jerked stiff, his eyes wide and eerie in the harsh beam of the flashlight. Then, he slumped forward. Dark blood gurgled out of his mouth and ran down his chin.
Drew's body was barely on the floor before Hectia threw herself at Jorick, screaming obscenities and beating him about the head. Verchiel grumbled and half tackled her. He wrenched his weapon from her hands and cast her aside. "You're going to get hurt," he snapped irritably and dodged Jorick's swinging fist. He jumped back from the raven-haired vampire and twisted the club in his hands. With a loud click and a swish, it broke in two and became a hard lacquered scabbard and a short sword that made Katelina think of a ninja movie.
Hectia picked herself up from the floor and glanced at Katelina and her trembling flashlight. Jorick followed her gaze and snarled, but Hectia quipped, "I don't fight with children. However, my honor demands your blood."
Verchiel slowly drew closer to Jorick. Both men were crouched and ready to spring; Jorick with his fireplace poker and Verchiel with his odd sword. "You know, Hectia," the redhead said conversationally. "I really don't see a point to this. So he helped kill Claudius? Look at it this way, if Claudius was still alive you wouldn't have this house to fight over, and you'd have never gotten to know me."
"He killed Drew!" She pointed to the body slumped only a few feet away. "Isn't that reason enough?"
"I only killed him because he attacked me," Jorick reminded her. "I gave you both several chances."
Verchiel agreed, "He did. He offered to let him go if you'd just call him off."
Hectia cried in wordless frustration. She grabbed a large book and flung it at Jorick. It missed, so she grabbed another one. "Damn you! I deserve this!"
"That's not up to me." Jorick looked past them and met Katelina's eyes, conveying a reassurance that made her think he had a trick up his sleeve. Undoubtedly he'd kill the two quickly. "If you talk to Oren I'm sure he'll be more than happy to release you from the bond to his coven. Then you can go where you will, instead of hiding."
Hectia raised the book. "So you're looking for me?"
Jorick's muscles remained tense, but his face relaxed. "Not you in particular, though I suspected someone was lurking around."
Hectia looked ready to shout, but instead she dropped the book to the floor. Her eyes wandered to the slumped bleeding body of Drew. "He was only three weeks old," she said hollowly. "Three weeks."
"You should have known better," Jorick admonished. "A newborn is weak."
Her tone turned bitter and she glared at her supposed ally. "I thought he'd have help!"
Verchiel was slowly relaxing as well; his sword gradually lowering an inch at a time. "I promised to help you, Hectia, not him. Besides, he whined all the time. It's not much of a loss."
"Maybe to you!" She spun her attention back to Jorick. "Fine, I'll speak to Oren, but I swear-"
Jorick interrupted her. "Yes, yes, you'll get revenge. I'm sure you will. In the meantime, I have other things to do."
Verchiel relaxed. He slid the sword back into the scabbard and twisted it until it clicked. "More vampires to flush out?" he asked with odd cheerfulness.
"I hope not." Jorick dropped down off the broken bookcase and walked to where Katelina was still crouched in the corner. He offered her his hand and she blinked at him questioningly. How could it be over when both Hectia and Verchiel were still standing? Jorick motioned to her encouragingly, as though it was an answer, and she let him tug her to her feet. He wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her to him. "It's fine," he murmured softly.
She nodded against him, but found no words. Jorick took it as an agreement and turned his attention to the other two. "Get the body wrapped up and we'll dispose of it. Then I'll take you to call Oren."
"Call him?" Hectia asked.
"Yes." When no one moved, Jorick added impatiently, "Now would be nice."
Verchiel snickered, and twisted his sword-club apart. Katelina flinched and clutched Jorick. The redhead laughed at her reaction and walked to the windows where he neatly severed the heavy drapes. One-handed, he tossed the heap of cloth to Hectia. "Wrap him up." Then he snapped the sword back together and stashed it in his coat.
Hectia caught the drapes, a look of distaste on her face. "Why don't you?" Her gaze swung to Jorick. "Or you. You killed him."
"You made him," Jorick answered indifferently and Verchiel smirked in appreciation. Hectia grumbled and surrendered herself to the grim task while Katelina choked on disbelief. It was one thing to be calm after killing someone who was a threat, but Drew was supposed to have been a friend of Hectia's. Were vampires so cold and unfeeling? If she was dead would Jorick be amused?
"Hardly." Jorick squeezed her tightly and started to say something more, when he was interrupted by Verchiel.
"He was no friend of Hectia. She turned him because she planned to make her own coven. She didn't even know him until she happened upon him three weeks ago."
Used to Jorick, it took Katelina a moment to realize the implication behind Verchiel's words - he was answering her thoughts! Her eyes went wide and she stared at him in horror. Jorick, on the other hand, surveyed him with cold interest.
"Yes." Verchiel responded, though she wasn't sure to whom. "I can, but it comes and goes." He flashed Jorick a fanged smile. "I'm sure it isn't nearly as developed as your abilities, of course."
