Chapter 216
It felt like an eternity passed before the van pulled to a stop. The back door opened and the interior light snapped to life. Katelina shielded her eyes, then looked at her fellow passengers.
Just as Micah said, Thomas was bound and gagged. He was stuffed in the furthest corner, next to Saeed. Alex crouched over an unconscious Yaul, and tried to make him drink from a half bottle of leftover blood. Torina fussed with her dress and a canister of wet wipes. Micah had moved closer to her, a crude offer in his eyes. Rachel was curled into a ball, cradling Kale and wailing. Joseff sat behind her, his hands on her shoulders and his face twisted in a mixture of agony and fury.
The back doors opened on an abandoned gas station. Rachel stayed behind with Yaul and Kale, while everyone else climbed out. The vampires gathered in an informal group, but Jorick took Katelina's good arm and led her away.
"Don't you want in on the what-do-we-do-now conversation?" she asked as they stopped next to a rusted gas pump.
"Is it really necessary? We'll go back to Kale's and they'll deal with Thomas." He gingerly lifted her injured arm. "This may hurt, but I need to take a better look at it."
He pushed her coat sleeve up. It was enough to make her squeal. Her wrist was purple and swollen. It took all her willpower not to scream when he prodded it.
He checked her other joints; shoulder, elbow and fingers. She knew he was trying to help, but it hurt so bad that she couldn't take any more. "Enough!"
He released her and sighed. "I think your wrist is fractured. We'll need to set it. It should be all right until we get back to the den."
She wiped away tears. "Maybe I should go to the hospital?"
"Yes, well- We've tried that before. Besides, none of us are suitable to be seen in public." His voice dropped and she had to strain to hear it. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have left you next to the door alone."
"It's not your fault." She pressed her eyes closed. A scene played on repeat in her head; the knife jammed into Kale's chest and he stumbled backwards while Rachel screamed.
She forced her eyes open and asked, "Is Kale dead?"
"They're your enemies, remember?"
He was right. They'd all been in either Claudius or Kateesha's coven. It was possible that Joseff or even Kale had been present while she was held prisoner in Claudius' emergency den. It was even possible that they'd seen her huddled naked and miserable in the rusted cage. At Claudius' orders, they would have killed her, so why should she care?
But Kale had never done anything to her, and Rachel certainly hadn't. "No," she said quietly. "I guess-things-change."
He nodded, though he didn't look any happier. "Yes, Kale is dead. He was dead when he hit the ground. Thomas punctured his heart."
Her shoulders sagged. "You're sure? I thought it had to be completely destroyed?"
He touched her face. His fingertips traced the trails left behind by her silent tears. "Yes, I'm sure. It's the inside of the heart that has to be destroyed. A knife through the chest usually does that."
Katelina closed her eyes. "Poor Rachel. My God, what's she going to do now?"
Jorick made a soft noise in his throat. "You worry about Rachel, but have no pity for Oren?" She didn't have an answer for him, so he shook his head. "It doesn't matter. Come, they're done."
They climbed into the van to find Rachel where they'd left her. Kale's face was smeared in crimson and Rachel's arm was torn and bleeding. Katelina thought of Kateesha's stronghold; when she'd opened her own veins and tried to pour blood down Jorick's throat to save him. The memories twisted her stomach.
She settled into Jorick's lap. As the back of the van plunged into darkness, she felt calm envelope her. The screaming pain in her arm dissipated. The world fell away into a soothing blackness that wrapped her in warm arms and promised to keep her safe from everything so long as she stayed. For once, she intended to.
***
When Jorick woke her, they were parked next to Kale's dilapidated house. She blinked stupidly and tried to force the world into focus. Before she could, Loren helped her to her feet and guided her outside.
The cold air squeezed her like an angry fist. She shivered and tried to shake some warmth into her heavy limbs.
Where is everyone?
Jorick climbed out behind her and slammed the van doors. She swayed and Loren caught her. "Hey Jorick, is she all right?"
"She will be. It takes a few moments to sever the connection. It isn't good to end it suddenly after such a long time."
"Ah, I gotcha." Loren released her and stepped back when he was sure she wouldn't fall. "Do you really think Thomas will be okay in the basement?"
Why is Thomas in the basement?
"I doubt he could get out, if that's what you mean. With Kale's death, I imagine Rachel and Joseff will want him executed." He took Katelina's arm and led her towards the porch.
The door opened and Oren slipped outside. He walked past them, as though on his way to the van. Jorick stopped him. "I need your help."
Oren's amber eyes skipped from Jorick to Katelina and then back again. "With what?"
How did Oren get into the house so fast? Is that where everyone is?
"She's been hurt," Jorick said quietly. "Her wrist."
Oren snorted impatiently. "Give her some blood and be done with it. We have more important things to deal with."
Jorick shifted his weight from one foot to the other, his words reluctant, "I'd rather not."
"Why? It would be much faster!"
Oren's always in such a hurry, but then he likes to talk everything to death.
Jorick's lips pressed into a tight line. "Because she's had enough. It's only a fractured wrist. It just needs to be immobilized."
Oren sighed. "Do you have any idea how to do that?"
He just likes to hear himself talk.
"A general one." Jorick forced her sleeve back and, without warning, Oren poked her injury. The rose colored bubble popped and suddenly the world was crystal clear and full of pain. She let out a scream and tried to pull away. Jorick soothed her with nonsense phrases.
Oren repeated Jorick's examination, then pronounced her wrist broken. Between gritted teeth she hissed, "No shit, Sherlock!"
They ignored her, lost in a conversation about how to make a splint.
Loren and Micah banged out of the house, followed a moment later by Torina. She started for her brother, then stopped when she noticed Loren digging through the snow next to the house. With a devious smile, she made a beeline to him. Her lips moved, though Katelina could only hear the laughter that followed.
The door slammed and Yaul reappeared, now restored. He hurried towards the others, snickering. Katelina wanted to ask what they were doing, but she couldn't get a word in.
"Really, a simple splint should do, though it's been a long time since I've dealt with these things."
"It's been even longer for me," Jorick reminded him.
"I suppose so." Oren suddenly noticed the others. His eyebrows shot up as Loren stood and triumphantly waved something. "Is that a garden hose?"
Jorick rolled his eyes. "Yes, I believe it is."
Katelina watched as Micah took the hose from Loren and clapped him on the back. "What are they doing?"
"Being idiots, and I'm sure my sister's encouraging them."
Micah was still grinning as he turned the water spigot on full blast. The hose jerked and, with a hiss, water sprayed out. He pointed it at Torina, who shrieked and jumped back.
"He's lucky it wasn't frozen," Oren commented with no enthusiasm.
Katelina squinted towards them. "What are they doing? Washing the van?" And then Loren peeled off his hoody and t-shirt and tossed them aside.
Torina took the hose and Micah pulled off his leather jacket and bloody tank top. His laughter was coarse and boisterous as he kicked off his boots and let them land in a snow drift several feet away.
Yaul started stripping off. Loren went for his pants when Jorick cleared his throat noisily and moved to block Katelina's view. "Why don't you go clean up? When you get done we'll deal with the splint."
"I thought it needed done now?" Despite his new position she could still see the show. Loren was down to a pair of polka dotted boxer shorts and Yaul and Micah were both struggling out of their jeans. There was something mesmerizing about that much pale, gleaming skin.
Oren shrugged. "It shouldn't hurt, so long as you're careful. Unless you'd rather stand out here and watch the polar bear club."
"I think a shower is in order," Jorick said firmly. He steered her towards the house, just as Micah threw his jeans aside. As Jorick pushed her through the door, she heard Loren shout, "God that's fucking cold!" The whoops that followed made her think of large apes.
The atmosphere inside the house was more subdued, and the laughter that drifted in seemed to come from another world. Jorick deposited her in the bathroom and told her to hurry.
Hot water streamed from the shower head, noisy enough to block out everyone else. The peace was a double edged sword that left her cocooned with her thoughts. As she let the water wash away the dirt and blood, she saw the fight over again, complete with its disastrous ending.
Jorick's words played through her head, "They're your enemies, remember?" He was right. They were supposed to be, but somehow they weren't. They didn't seem like the storybook bad guys. They seemed-real.
