Chapter 182
Jorick's face stayed neutral and he said loudly, "She intended to kill anyone who wouldn't follow her, and then she would join Traven's attack on The Guild."
At his words, Traven stepped away from the blonde vampiress and held up a hand to silence Fabian's roar of anger. "I had nothing to do with her plan. I merely relayed the information that the Executioners had taken Oren, and that I thought his coven would fall to his sister."
Fabian interrupted furiously, "No, it would have fallen to me! I'm next in line!"
"It doesn't matter who is in line, what matters is that Traven cannot keep his oaths." Oren narrowed his eyes at the elegant brunette. "If you wish to join with her, then do so and I release you from any false promises you made to us."
Traven sniffed and plucked at his velvet coat. "I assure you, that was not my intent." He turned his sparkling gaze to Jorick. "Since your friend is so adept at plucking the thoughts from another's mind, he can plainly see what my intentions were." His eyes narrowed. "As I can now plainly see why he is here. You thought to use him to discern our motives, perhaps?"
"I happened here by chance," Jorick interjected.
Des snickered. "I know how your chance encounters come to happen."
"Do you?" Jorick turned towards Oren and relayed with a certain mechanical tone, "Traven assumed Oren would be killed. He knew that Oren's coven would not follow him, but he thought that since they had once allied with Anya, they might follow her. Traven is looking for strength and numbers to aid in his attack, nothing more. He didn't plan to betray anyone."
"Thank you." Traven bowed stiffly. His cold tone belied his grateful words. He straightened up and met Oren's eyes. "I have broken no oaths."
Anya snorted with disdain and turned to Des. "This was obviously a waste of time. Let's go."
He nodded in agreement and the four vampires turned and started out the door. Katelina heaved a sigh of relief. They were leaving.
And then Micah blew it.
"Des, you still hangin' out with the traitors?"
The black vampire stiffened and his hands clenched into fists at his side, Katelina prayed he'd keep walking. He didn't.
"Micah, you still thinking with your dick?"
"Better than letting my girlfriend think with hers." Des spun around and Micah's eyes flicked to Anya's crotch. "You guys have measuring contests, or what?"
Des snarled and leapt forward. Katelina dodged behind Jorick, but Micah stood his ground. He caught Des's fists in his hands and stopped him in his tracks. Micah's arms bulged with the effort. Then he lifted Des in the air and flung him across the room. He crashed into the wall in a shower of plaster and broken cat photographs.
"You son of a bitch!" Anya's redhead companion lurched towards Micah. Loren threw himself between them. The first blow hit him in the face and sent a spray of blood that made Katelina gasp. The second blow went wild and Loren used the moment to knock his attacker's legs out from under him.
Des was on his feet again, and he tackled Micah from behind. The bald vampire, distracted by his young friend's fight, went down like a sack of bricks. Des got two punches to the back of Micah's head before he gave a loud grunt and rolled over, throwing the black vampire off.
Meanwhile, the angry vampire with the chestnut hair had joined his coven mate; two against Loren. Fabian, still near the door, flung himself into the fray. The chestnut haired vampire caught him in the stomach and knocked him backwards where he crashed into Anya. They fell in a tangle of shrieking limbs and nearly pulled the door with them.
Des and Micah were both up and slowly circled one another. Blood trickled from the corner of Des's mouth and his sunglasses were missing. His hands convulsed as if they'd strangle the life from the thin air if necessary. Micah seemed outwardly calm, even amused, though rage burned in his eyes. They were two almost-friends on opposite sides of a disagreement, and they looked like it.
Anya threw Fabian off and got to her knees. She grabbed him by a handful of his hair and jerked him back, exposing his neck as if she was going to bite it. Luna, who had been previously lurking in the doorway, gave a cry of outrage and plowed past Loren and his attackers. She tackled Anya and the two rolled out the door and onto the snowy porch in a snarling, growling heap.
Though Jorick had doubted Loren's abilities, the teen vampire managed to dodge both the redhead vampire and his chestnut haired companion. He even got a couple of jabs in. Fabian, now free, punched the redhead in the kidneys, and then kicked him in the back of the knees. He went down, but he took Fabian with him.
Des threw a punch at Micah. Like last time, he caught it and threw it aside. The action wrenched Des's arm, and pain flashed across his face. However, he was undeterred and came at him with the other fist. It connected and Micah reeled back. Des took advantage of the opening to land another punch, this time to Micah's face. The next punch missed its target and Des's fist slammed into the wall.
Anya shrieked from outside, and Katelina could just see through the door that Luna had her on her face in the snow. Her bun had loosened into a ponytail that Luna wrapped around her fist and used as a handle to slam the other vampiress's face into the porch. There was something surreal about the scene; the action heroine face-down with the petite, silvery blonde on her back. Although the snarl on Luna's usually peaceful face was anything but dainty.
Loren grappled with the wiry, chestnut haired vampire. They both bled, but neither looked ready to yield. With a cry of delight, Loren saw an opening and took it. His fist slammed into the other vampire's chest and knocked him backwards. He tripped and landed on Fabian and the redhead, and the three wrestled free of one another.
Katelina clutched desperately at Jorick and stared with wide eyes at the commotion. Predictably, Traven stood just behind her, and something in his eyes said he'd happily use both her and Jorick for a shield if necessary. Jorge was behind him and slowly worked his way towards the kitchen doorway, his expression terrified. Katelina wondered if he understood English. Did this make sense to him, or was it all a confused blur of violence and meaningless words?
Jorick caught Oren's eyes, but the blonde looked away. Jorick snorted contemptuously, then took a step forward and roared, "Enough!"
It was the redhead who punched him.
