Chapter 158
Jorick opened the door and the three filed into the room. The floor was covered in short wheat-colored carpet and in place of a window was a large painting. There were two twin beds on opposite sides of the room, with three medium sized coffins between them. A door across from the last bed presumably led to a bathroom, while the area next to it and across from the coffins was set up with a couch, a table and two chairs like a miniature lounge area. A second door stood partially open, revealing a closet.
Oren glared around hatefully and all but kicked the door closed. "A friendly visit? Of course, guards always accompany you on a friendly visit!"
"It could be worse." Jorick released Katelina and laid the suitcase on the nearest bed. For the first time in days, Katelina peeled off the stocking hat and the long black coat.
Oren threw his bag on the table and dropped into one of the chairs, a heavy scowl on his face. "Could it? Despite the polite pretenses I have no illusions about how this will end."
Jorick sighed. "Perhaps. When you're faced with Malick, we may all be in trouble." His dark eyes registered worry that ran deeper than his voice admitted. "We can discuss it later."
Oren started to object, then stopped. "Of course. I imagine you'd like a moment." He snatched up his black bag and stormed sourly to the bathroom. "I'll take a shower, shall I?" Then he disappeared.
Katelina glared at the spot he'd vacated. "He's in a good mood isn't he?"
Instead of responding to her, Jorick swept her up in his arms and crushed her to him. She stifled a noise of surprise and then clutched him tightly, as if he'd somehow disappear. He buried his face in the tumble of her golden hair and nuzzled her neck. His lips moved against her throat, nudging the collar of her shirt away to linger delicately over the mark he'd left. He squeezed her tightly for a moment, then hesitantly released her and drew back to gaze into her face. "You're all right?" he asked softly. "He didn't hurt you?"
"I'm fine, now." She took a deep breath and let his musky scent fill her nostrils and drown out the memories of last night and the horrible little room.
He flinched as he read her thoughts and his face clouded with anger. "Don't worry. He will pay for that."
Her eyes dropped to his chest. "I suppose in the scheme of things he wasn't that bad." How could she defend Verchiel after he'd kidnapped her and locked her up for the night?
Jorick stiffened at her words and she looked up at him quickly. "I mean he could have tied me up and left me in the trunk, or not gotten me any food or -"
"And he could have left you alone! It wasn't necessary for him to lay a hand on you, let alone take you! Do you have any idea what I went through for the last two days? Not knowing what his intentions were?" He faltered and stepped away from her. Regret flickered in his eyes, as if he'd said more than he intended to. He quickly regained his composure and the cool mask slipped back over his face and hid his feelings.
Katelina let it pass. "You really can't read his mind?" She'd come to rely on the fact that he always knew what was going on and found the lack of it disconcerting.
"No. I can't. He isn't the first. I've encountered others over the years, like Kateesha, though usually I can guess their intentions. But this one-" he shook his head helplessly. "He makes no sense to me."
"Me either. One minute he's friendly and the next..." she trailed off and shrugged her shoulders. "Like, he helped get you out of jail."
"Of course he did," Jorick snapped and then softened. "He was sent to fetch us, even then, but he needed Oren. Malick called for all of us." He looked away from her and she suddenly remembered the invitation Verchiel had mentioned. She waited to see if Jorick would tell her about it. Instead, he changed the subject. "Tomorrow, Malick may wish to speak to you alone."
Something in his tone scared her. "How bad is that?"
He met her eyes and held them. "Malick is much, much older than anyone you've ever encountered, and infinitely more powerful. He makes what I do look like a child's game. If he chose, he could destroy your mind in a moment, without flinching at the effort."
Fear murmured at the edges of her consciousness, but in Jorick's presence it couldn't take over. As long as she was with him she felt that everything would be all right. "He wouldn't- I mean he won't do anything, will he?"
It took Jorick a moment to answer. "I don't know. Eileifr wouldn't say much, and I have limited access to his thoughts. He kept repeating that it was for Malick to reveal. I assume it's over Kateesha." He closed his eyes. "He obviously sent the Executioners to attack her and regain that human before you killed her, so it may be that she'd finally earned a death sentence even from him. However, since the Executioners did not actually harm Kateesha, it may be that he struck a deal with Senya, as he did with me in the past."
Katelina knew what he was talking about; in the 1860s The Guild had ordered Jorick to kill Kateesha after she and a partner wiped out a coven for no reason. Malick agreed to release Jorick from his blood debt and let him go home to his then wife, Velnya, if he let Kateesha live. Jorick took the deal, though he got home to find his bride murdered by the local human population.
Jorick continued to mutter to himself and then shouted in frustration, "I need more information!"
She cleared her throat and decided to tempt fate. "I assume that the invitation didn't have any details?"
His face froze and then furious understanding crashed over it. "What else did that buffoon tell you?"
"Only that the paper wasn't from the electric company and that the summons was probably the reason you were in a hurry to get out of the country."
Jorick snarled, though she knew it wasn't directed at her. "He's correct. And no, the 'invitation', if that's what you want to call it, didn't give a reason. It only said that Malick requested our presence." His dark eyes burned. "I didn't tell you because I saw no need to worry you over it!"
She sighed and let it go. "It doesn't really matter, now. I wish you'd warned me. I wouldn't have been so adamant about seeing Mom, but I guess you had good intentions."
A knock sounded on the door, effectively ending the conversation. Jorick answered it and returned with a tray bearing two decanters of crimson liquid. He set the tray on the table and quickly drained one of the bottles, his eyes on Katelina.
She glanced away and tried not to think about what he was drinking. When she looked back he was blotting his mouth with a napkin. He offered her a wink and then moved quickly to the bathroom door. "Dinner has arrived, best hurry before it grows cold."
A muffled answer came from within and Katelina dropped onto the closest bed. "Are we all sharing a room?"
"Apparently." Jorick took a seat next to her. "We don't warrant the good accommodations, or at least I hope not." His eyes skipped around the room.
"I don't know, it's nicer than most of the motels you pick, and it has room service."
Jorick smirked. "Wait until we've tried to order your food to say that."
The bathroom door opened and Oren emerged in a pair of blue jeans and an open shirt that revealed the flat planes of his toned chest and stomach. Katelina's cheeks flamed and she quickly dropped her eyes to the floor. She heard him sit in one of the chairs and drink his meal, but she refused to look at him. She felt guilty enough for having noticed him at all.
There was a clink as he set the bottle back on the tray. "Are you two finished?" His bitterness was ill-disguised by his friendly words.
"I suppose," Jorick responded. "Unless you'd be willing to sit in the closet for an hour?"
Oren gave a snort of contempt. "Hardly. I'd rather not be here, as I'm sure you're aware."
"Think of this as reconnaissance, or a deterrent."
Katelina glanced up to see Oren's dark scowl. "I will have my revenge, Jorick."
"Or your death." He waved it away. "It doesn't matter. This is not the place to discuss it."
"No," Oren agreed. "Nor in front of the present company."
Jorick's tone held a warning. "You can no more hide your thoughts from Malick than she can."
Oren settled back into the chair and crossed his legs. "We'll see," he said, a scarcely veiled threat in his eyes as he gazed at Katelina. "We shall see."
