Chapter 207
Forty minutes later, Katelina was bathed, dressed and in the passenger seat of Kale's car. In her pocket was a wad of money that Jorick had pressed on her. She almost asked where it came from, but then decided she didn't want to know.
Rachel started the car and stared at the dashboard as though it was a puzzle to be solved. Katelina cringed as she ground the manual car into gear and took off down the driveway.
"You'll have to excuse me, I don't drive very often. Kale usually does it."
Katelina stopped from asking why he wasn't driving this time, and contented herself with a long, elaborate prayer that begged God to spare her life.
After a harrowing forty-five minute trip, Rachel pulled the car to a stop in front of the super chain store. "They sell paint here, right?"
If they didn't, she'd have lied. "Yeah."
"And groceries? I haven't bought food in a long time."
"Yeah. They have everything here."
"Wonderful! Then what are we waiting for?"
The store was bright and glittered with Christmas baubles. Sanitized holiday music played over the loudspeakers and big signs warned "We will close at midnight so that staff may spend the holiday with their families".
"It's so cheerful, isn't it?" Rachel asked as she grabbed a cart. "I'm sorry I was quiet on the drive in. I was concentrating. So, how was your night?"
"Uncomfortable," Katelina replied automatically. She quickly corrected, "I mean fine."
"I think your first answer was the honest one. I bet you find it very cramped. Kale and I in one box is a tight fit, and he's smaller than Jorick." She giggled. "Sometimes a small man can be handy. They're easier to jam into little places."
Katelina stuffed her hands in her pockets. "Jorick isn't easy to jam anywhere."
"No, I imagine he isn't. He's very stubborn."
"Yeah. He's getting better, though. He let me turn his stupid shrine into a library."
They stopped before a display of Christmas ornaments and Rachel said, "I had no idea he was the religious kind."
Forgotten bitterness crept into Katelina's voice, "He's not, unless you count worshipping his dead wife."
"So it's true then? I've heard stories, but I thought they were just rumors. Who would let themselves be burned alive?" Rachel looked abashed. "I'm sorry, that was rude, wasn't it?"
Katelina had thought the same thing before. "Jorick claims she fought back at the end, but it was too late. I don't know why he was so obsessed with her. She sounds pathetic to me."
While they shopped, the story of Velnya's letters tumbled out, made easier by Rachel's encouraging comments. As Katelina finished, she reached in her pocket and found the familiar silver cross. Rachel turned it over in her hand before she gave it back.
"It's pretty, but why did you keep it?"
Katelina stuffed it back in her pocket and stared at the cart full of Christmas decorations. "I don't know. I hate her, whether it's fair or not, because I sometimes think he wishes she was still alive." Her voice cracked and Rachel nodded encouragingly. "At the same time it seemed- wrong. He burned the letters and the pictures, and the painting got ruined in the attack. It just felt like-" She blushed. "It's stupid."
Rachel patted her shoulder. "It seemed wrong that she'd be completely forgotten?"
Relief swept through Katelina. Rachel had guessed it, so she didn't have to find the words. "Yeah. That's all that was left of her, those few things and Jorick's memories. It's just kind of sad." Fears whispered in her mind and asked what would happen when she died.
"It is sad to think how many people are forgotten, but I suppose that's the way it happens sometimes." Rachel's smile seemed falsely bright. "I'm sure there are others who knew her. She had to have been turned by someone."
Katelina snickered. "Traven and Jeda. She was Jeda's sister."
"Really? I didn't know that! Traven's that ruffled man that's allied with Oren."
"Yeah, that's him."
They stopped before a paint chip display and Rachel selected several colors. When her choices were made, she said softly, "You shouldn't be embarrassed about your sentimentality. It's probably something Jorick likes about you."
Katelina gave an uncertain laugh. "Sure, and he also likes that I'm illogical, weak and whiny."
Rachel patted Katelina's hand. "You forgot nagging. All men say those things about women, hon, just like we say men are stubborn, idiotic asses sometimes. They can't help it any more than we can. They get set in their ways, and it takes a long time to train them properly. Kale still has teething problems now and again."
"You love him a lot?" Katelina flushed. She sounded as blunt as Rachel.
"Yes, I do." She stared past the paint chips, a wistful look in her eyes. "He's so kind and gentle. I think I loved him the moment I first saw him. He was dressed to the teeth, looked a perfect Southern gentleman, though his accent gave him away. He never could get the hang of a good southern drawl."
Her face hardened. "I was so unhappy that night. Thomas turned me and took another lover right after. He enjoyed making me watch, I think. And then he had that stupid gala and expected me to dress up and smile for all his guests. He found it amusing to parade me in front of them and then contradict their every polite compliment. It was like a sick game to him, and I'd had enough. I was on the veranda, plotting how to escape. I didn't know how to survive on my own and I was terrified of being alone. That's when Kale showed up."
Her voice grew soft as she drifted away into her memory. "Oh, he was beautiful. He just came strolling out and offered me his handkerchief. Of course I was trying to pretend I wasn't crying, so I ignored him. Without so much as a by-your-leave, he started blotting up my tears. I thought I was going to faint on the spot." She sighed sweetly. "And then he asked 'What ungodly occurrence could cause such a beautiful lady so much unhappiness?' That just made me cry all the more. I suppose that's a stupid story, isn't it?"
The words popped out before Katelina could stop them, "It's like a Hallmark movie!"
Rachel's brow wrinkled. "A what?"
"Oh, they're usually kind of sappy, romantic movies. Family oriented stuff, mostly."
"Family? I assume you mean suitable for children, but I doubt that. There was a lot of blood between that night and the one when I was finally with Kale. I'll never forget what it was like to be free of Thomas and know that Kale and I could be together." She closed her eyes, savoring the long ago moment. "I was so giddy and nervous, I felt like a virgin on her wedding night! Not that that was the case." She gave Katelina a suggestive wink.
"Did you ever get married? Oh, I guess that would be difficult since you're..." Katelina coughed and looked away quickly.
Rachel laughed. "Not really. There are a few vampire priests out there. A church won't burn down because we step foot in it."
"I - I didn't think. . . ." Katelina stammered, but Rachel went on.
"No, we were never married officially. As far as I'm concerned, though, we are." Her hand tightened around the color cards. "That night, Thomas killed Kale's younger brother and another of his friends, but Kale never held that against me. He's always said the blame was Thomas's because he refused to release me when he was asked. If he had, they wouldn't have had to attack and no one would have died. Still, I wouldn't change anything. I let go of it long ago, though now-" Dark anger blossomed in her eyes. "Now I hate him all over again for what he did to Kale -for what he helped them do to him."
Katelina thought of the sharp instruments hanging in the lab and shuddered. She imagined that it had been Jorick, and not Kale. The idea made her sick - as sick as the memories of Saeed holding Jorick down while Kateesha gloated over him.
"I understand."
"I imagine you do. You've lost more than one person, haven't you? There was Michael's brother, and then your friend."
Katelina stiffened and her insides turned to ice. "What?"
"I didn't see any of it," Rachel said quickly. "And neither did Kale. It was Claudius and his war council, if you want to call them that. I just heard about it." She seemed suddenly uncomfortable. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have mentioned it."
Rachel was right; she shouldn't have. However it was too late, and suddenly Katelina couldn't look at her. "What - what did they do to Sarah?"
"I don't know. As I said, I didn't see it." She took a deep breath. "I wish I could say that it was over quickly but we know that's a lie. Troy really enjoyed those things. He liked to drag it out as long as possible-"
"Stop!" Katelina's hands compressed to fists at her sides. "Just- just stop. I- I don't want to know." She tried to blink the tears away.
"I'm sorry. I wish I could offer you more, but nothing I can say or do would bring her back. What's done is done, and regret and hatred only hurt the person who holds onto them, not those it's aimed at."
Though Katelina nodded, she couldn't fight the bitter taste of remorse that settled in the back of her throat.
