Chapter 184
The blizzard died down. Oren called a meeting with his coven to discuss the move to the new den. After everyone had been assigned tasks, they split up.
Katelina hurried back to the bedroom to fetch the suitcase. Micah was inside, strapping down the lids on the coffins. He paused from his work. "So old Jorick's really going, eh?"
"God willing." She was still afraid Jorick would change his mind. He'd added so many stipulations that she wouldn't believe they were leaving until they were actually home.
Micah snorted his disapproval. "You're not even interested in the outcome? Sometimes I wonder about that whole Kateesha thing. Everyone says you did it on purpose, but I bet it was a fucking accident."
He was too close to home. "Oh shut up! I swear I'm going to invest in a vampire staking kit!"
He gave a throaty laugh. "Really? I'd like to see that. I doubt it would work. You're too weak to punch through the ribs. One of these days when I get bored, maybe I'll let you try." He laughed loudly as she muttered under her breath. "Such words for a lady."
Oren appeared in the doorway. "Let her be. You have things to do, Micah."
"And so I do." He straightened up and stepped towards her, his hands on his hips. "All right then, pathetic human. Since you and Jorick are too cowardly to hang around and actually get your hands dirty, I guess this is goodbye. If we're all lucky, maybe you'll catch pneumonia and we won't have to see you again."
Her eyes bulged in fury as he patted her roughly on the head. Then he heaved the prepared coffin onto his back and carried it out of the room.
Oren busied himself with another coffin and she waited impatiently for Micah to clear the hallway. When he'd completely disappeared, she snatched up her suitcase and hurried through the door.
Jorick was in the ruined living room with Loren, and she stopped at his side. The teen vampire looked from one to the other. "I guess have a safe trip and all that. The roads are probably pretty bad after all that snow."
"You'll be driving them too," Jorick reminded him.
Katelina thought that was his way of telling the young vampire to be careful. From the nod and the smile, Loren seemed to agree.
Oren appeared and Jorick met his eyes, as if imparting some final communication.
The lion-maned vampire nodded his head in acknowledgment. The smile he gave Jorick was tight and fake. They both pretended not to notice. "Until we meet again."
"Yes." Jorick offered Katelina his hand. She took it gratefully and he led her into the dining room where Jeda was waiting near the door.
"Hello," he said politely, with every intention of walking past her, but she caught his arm and drew him to a stop.
"Jorick, will you not reconsider?"
Katelina ground her teeth and fought the urge to physically pull Jorick away from the house and the temptations it offered. Why in the hell couldn't they leave him alone?
He gave Jeda a half smile that was meant to be apologetic but failed. "I'm sorry. Whether good or bad, Malick is my master, Jeda. Even you cannot forget that."
She frowned and released him slowly. "As you know, I do not believe that you asked your human to drink from Kateesha. You are many things Jorick, but you would not gamble recklessly with the life of one you love."
Though Katelina didn't understand why she was bringing that up, Jorick nodded his head as if it was a normal comment. "I appreciate that estimation."
"Neither does Traven believe it, but he will use the fact that others do to his advantage, if he can."
Curiosity glittered in Jorick's eyes for a moment before it disappeared behind his carefully composed mask. "Why do you tell me this?"
She held her head high. "As you have no doubt discovered, he keeps his secrets and plans close. After the centuries, I can guess at them. I suggest that you are very careful, Jorick, or you will find yourself caught in a snare."
Jorick took the information without any outward sign of surprise. "I don't suppose that you could be more specific?"
"I'm afraid not. Though know he will only use it at need, and only as a distraction."
A vague comprehension dawned on Jorick's face though Katelina was still puzzled. "Use what? He and Oren are up to something, aren't they?"
Jeda seemed unsure whether to answer or not. "No. The time will come and he will arrange it all in secret, and Oren will perhaps find out after it is over with. And I will not tell him or any other beforehand." Her chin rose a notch. "I do not tell you to betray Traven, nor that you may get the upper hand on him, but so that you may avoid it altogether."
Jorick bowed his head to her. "And I thank you. I will not betray your confidence."
"I did not think you would." Jeda's eyes gleamed with an inner passion and she drew her shoulders back so that she resembled an ancient queen. "Long have we known one another, Jorick, though never well. Regardless, we masters have a duty to one another, though it has been forgotten and discarded as the 'old way'. If we do not resurrect the old ways, we will soon find ourselves adrift in a sea of chaos that The Guild can only control by fear and murder. The masters need to draw together if there is any hope, not murder one another until there are only fledglings left. Though an immortal must flow and bend with the times, lest we break, still we must not forget that some things should remain eternal and uncompromising, lest we become as fluid as water and are diluted until there is nothing left."
Jorick nodded, but declined to verbalize agreement. "Until we meet again."
"Yes." She inclined her head. "May you and your human find safety to weather the storm that may come your way."
Jorick nodded. Then, he opened the front door and tugged Katelina out into the winter night. Her mind raced with too many questions and answers, all of them scrambled like a connect-the-dots puzzle.
"So what was all that?"
Jorick cut her off, his voice still emotionless. "We'll discuss it later."
She understood, so she stayed quiet and let him lead her towards the car. He went first, cutting a path through the waist deep snow and she struggled along behind him. She silently cursed winter and everything that came with it.
Jorick had to unbury the car and practically force the doors open, but soon she was safely deposited in the front seat. He used the vehicle like a snowplow and, though she doubted his success, he conquered the driveway and got the car to the road. Luckily, Anya had been through first and they were able to follow her tracks.
Jorick didn't speak until they reached the salted highway, and then he only said, "All right."
It took her a moment to realize he was ready to discuss her questions. She wasn't sure whether to be annoyed or not. "How do you and Jeda know one another?"
Jorick looked at her as if she'd gone insane. Something shifted in his eyes, and he turned his attention back to the road. "She is - was - Velnya's sister." Katelina's insides froze at that name, though he went on. "They were already turned when I met them. Jeda was married to Traven and Velnya was the third wheel. Enough about the past. Where's your tirade? That Oren is a traitor. That he's plotting something."
The previous conversation left her feeling vaguely sick. "No. Who would he betray?" Slowly, she gained volume. "What I want to know is Traven's plan."
Jorick shook his head. "I don't know. I couldn't invade Jeda's mind after she'd come to warn me."
Katelina snorted in disbelief "No, of course not. You can read mine whenever you want, but God forbid you use it for something useful."
A smile danced at the corners of his lips, but refused to manifest itself. "There is a time and a place for such things, Katelina. Besides, she only has suspicions. They would be murky at best and based only on her experience with him, not facts."
She refrained from saying that murky ideas were better than nothing. Hopefully, they were leaving Traven and his mysterious plan behind, though she doubted it.
