Chapter 171
"Hey, Kately!" Verchiel grinned. "I thought you guys were clearing out last night?"
At the sound of his voice, Oren leapt to his feet and stormed towards them. He jerked the door out of Katelina's hands and nearly knocked her over. "Unless you have official business, I suggest you leave."
Verchiel held up his hands in a gesture of peace. "Well, you're just as friendly as Jorick! Is that an inherited trait?"
Oren's fists clenched at the comparison, and Katelina had a sudden vision of Verchiel getting punched again.
"Do you need something?" she asked quickly.
He put his hands behind his head, the picture of casual innocence. "I just thought that since Jorick was busy, you might be bored."
"She's none of your business," Oren snapped. "Go away."
Verchiel didn't move. "So Jorick has you babysitting? That has to be annoying."
"Go away," Oren repeated with more venom in his voice.
Verchiel shrugged. "All right. I had no idea you enjoyed spending time with little Kately so much. But, if you're resigned to waste your time as a second class babysitter, then far be it from me to interfere. I just didn't peg you as the kind of guy who'd let someone slough demeaning tasks off on them."
"Demeaning?" Katelina cried, hands on her hips. "What's that supposed to mean?"
The damage was done. Oren growled threateningly in his throat, but took a step backwards. "I am not babysitting the human. I just don't like you. I don't give a damn what she does."
"Good, then you won't mind if I borrow her?" Before either of them could object, Verchiel tugged her out the door and down the hall. He slowed when they reached the elevators. "You can thank me later."
"For what?" She jerked her arm loose. "Do you have any idea how pissed Jorick's going to be?"
Verchiel looked stunned. "Wow! What did Jorick do to you guys last night? Took all the rebellion out of you."
"He didn't do anything! And I'm not rebellious!"
"Oh, yes. I can see that." The elevator doors swished open and he pulled her inside. "Vampires or humans?"
"Humans," she snapped without thinking.
"Ah, come on. There's more fun downstairs on the first floor. Can't you suck it up and deal with them?" He broke off and snickered. "Suck it up. Good one."
"Oh, you're right. Being surrounded by a bunch of bloodthirsty vampires sounds like a great time!" She crossed her arms over her chest, her eyes on the floor of the Atrium as it grew closer and closer.
"They're not all bloodthirsty. In case you haven't noticed, most of us can control the insatiable blood lust, at least in public. I mean, it is hard not to just attack you right here, with all that luscious blood, but-"
"Yeah, whatever." Her eyes narrowed. "What are we doing, anyway? What are you doing?"
His surprise was overdone. "I'm rescuing you, of course! Jorick's gone to see Malick and left you alone with the gloomiest vampire ever born! It was only a matter of time before you'd have to commit suicide out of sheer, naked depression. I couldn't have that on my conscience, now could I?"
"Right, like anyone here in The Guild has a conscience!"
"Of course we do! But I think you meant here in the Citadel. The Guild refers to the group of officials, the Citadel to the place."
"Whatever." The last thing she wanted was language corrections from a vampire. "Why do they call it The Guild, anyway? Isn't that a group of wizards or blacksmiths or something, like a union?"
"I think it's officially a group of likeminded individuals. In this case it's probably just a bad English translation, but it gets the point across."
The elevator stopped and the doors swished open on a broad hallway floored in brick colored tiles and hung with evergreen garland. The Christmas decorations shocked her enough that she let Verchiel tug her to a nearby pair of glass doors.
"What's with that expression? You look like you stepped on a fork."
"No, it's just that the Christmas stuff is surprising."
"What? You think we don't celebrate Christmas?" He gasped in mock offence. "What do you take us for, savages?" She rolled her eyes and he laughed. "Ah, we celebrate it as much as anyone else. It's all glitter, lights and tinsel nowadays anyway. If you like that sort of thing you should see the Christmas trees in the shopping plaza." His eyes suddenly lit up. "I know! I'll take you on the grand tour!" She made a disagreeable noise, which he took as an agreement. "Great. We'll start in the Atrium!"
He opened the glass door and pushed her inside. She had to admit the scene was impressive. Strategically placed columns rose stories high to reach a glass ceiling. With the sun long gone, she knew it was electric light that shone through and imitated a skylight.
The floor was stone, not that she could see much of it for the plants, pots, trees and various benches, tables and lounges. The sound of water was everywhere. There was a large fountain in the center of the room, and a six story high waterfall that cascaded down the back wall that ran over large stones and landed in a basin, gurgling and swirling.
Verchiel followed her eyes. "Come on." He led her across the room, past several groups of vampires, and came to a stop next to the waterfall. A fine mist of water kissed her skin and she could see different coins flashing in the basin, like shiny fish scales.
"I thought only people did that," she murmured absently.
"Vampires are people, and people are vampires waiting to happen."
She turned away from his logic and watched the water. She wished she had a coin to toss in.
"Here."
She looked up to see Verchiel holding out a penny to her. "Don't say I never gave you anything."
"A penny?"
"What do you want? A quarter?" He cocked a ridiculous red eyebrow. "What are you planning to wish for that's so expensive?"
"Nothing." She turned the penny over in her fingers and wondered what her wish should be. With a sudden flash of inspiration, she wished that she'd never have to come back to the Citadel again.
The penny plinked happily to the bottom of the pool, and Verchiel watched it settle among the others. "What did you wish for?"
"If I tell you it won't come true."
He gave her a fanged grin. "It won't come true anyway. This is a waterfall, not a wishing well." She glared at him and he took her arm again. "Come on, I'll give you a tour of the shopping center next. It's kind of like a mall."
"You have a mall?"
"Of course. Where else would we buy things from? There's a bunch of stuff here. A movie theatre, some kind of girly spa thing, a couple bars-"
She interrupted him. "Bars?"
"Yeah, why not? What do you think everyone does here all day? Just sit in their rooms and stare at the wall? There's a whole city in here. That's the point of it."
"I guess." The idea of being in the center of a vampire city made her very uncomfortable. It wasn't something she wanted to think about.
They reached the Atrium doors, when suddenly Verchiel stuffed her behind a potted tree. She tried to protest, but a singular and very urgent desire to be silent washed over her, and she couldn't fight it.
"There you are," a familiar voice snipped. Just the sound of Senya was enough to make Katelina shiver, though she sounded distant.
Verchiel's voice also seemed far away. "Well hello there. Can I help you?"
"I'm looking for Jorick's little bit of human fluff. His fledgling said she was with you."
"Hmmm, what? Sorry, but no. I don't have her."
Senya growled low. "Don't lie to me, I can smell her."
"Can you?" There was an odd delight in his voice. "Oh, I bet you smell my jacket. I had the misfortune of letting her wear it earlier. Here." Katelina could hear him pull it off. "Have a smell."
"Ugh! Get that away from me!" Though she couldn't see them, she imagined Senya batting at the coat. "Where is she?"
"I believe she went to the movies. She was adamant about watching that mushy chick flick. You know, with all the crying and sisterhood and crap? I tried to talk her out of it, but-." He trailed off and then continued. "So, we went our separate ways."
"Did you really?" There was disbelief in Senya's tone. "Fine. But if I don't find her quickly, I'll come back for you."
"You do that!" he called cheerfully. "Good luck!"
Katelina got up the nerve to peek through the green branches just in time to see Verchiel waving goodbye. As she'd thought, he stood several feet away from her. He meandered pointlessly towards a bench and sat down. After a moment he stood, stretched and then, suddenly, he was next to her.
She jumped and clutched her chest. "My God, how do you do that?"
"Super vampire skills. Now, come on. Unless you want to run into Senya, I suggest we hurry."
For once, she didn't argue with him.
