Chapter 220
Jorick led Katelina to their box. He tucked her inside and wrapped his arms around her. Sleep came only because he gave it to her.
When she woke the next evening, still in her coat, hat and shoes, she felt terrible. Her eyelids were swollen and puffy, her wrist ached and her throat was raw. Memories hovered at the edge of her consciousness, waiting to swoop in like birds of prey and pick her apart.
Jorick woke soon after her. He lay so still that she wouldn't have known he was awake if it hadn't been for his slowly increasing heart rate and the brush of his cool breath against her cheek. The dark silence cradled them, just as Jorick's arms held her, protecting them both from the things they'd have to face outside.
She closed her eyes, content to stay in his arms and pretend that nothing else existed. The minutes drifted past and the sounds of the other vampires seeped through the box. Soon, they could hear snatches of conversation. The indistinct words were followed by shouts of outrage and horror. Katelina squeezed her eyes shut against it. The news was spreading. Rachel was dead. She'd followed Kale and left nothing behind but a few scattered ashes.
"It'll be all right," Jorick murmured in her ear, his lips a caress. "I'm sorry. I didn't want you to see that, but she was right, there was no one else." He tightened his hold, as if he was trying to absorb her suffering.
"I know. I kept trying to make her stop. She wouldn't listen to me. She just kept saying she couldn't live without him. And she kept talking about him, just like everything was normal, only it wasn't."
Flashes of last night's horror flitted behind her eyes and suddenly the dark, closed box was a trap instead of a sanctuary, holding her inside and drowning her in terrible visions of Rachel's blackening face and of the harsh smell of burning flesh. "It was horrible!"
"I know," he said softly. "I've seen it before. It isn't a pretty way to die."
He was right, but at the same time he was so far off the mark that it made her sick. "Isn't pretty" didn't come close to describing it.
A loud rap sounded on the lid of their box. Jorick gave an aggravated sigh as Oren called, "Jorick! Are you still in there?"
"We can't hide forever," he murmured and combed his fingers through her tangled hair. "We'll have to face them eventually."
She nodded against him. Oren banged again, and repeated his question, his voice booming.
Katelina flinched at the violence in his words, and Jorick snapped, "Yes! Where else do you think I'd be?"
No answer came. Jorick hugged Katelina tightly. "We'll leave tonight or tomorrow, depending on what we do with Thomas. You may have to drive."
She nodded again. She'd do anything to get away from that place.
When she'd wiped away her tears, Jorick threw the lid aside and slid out of the box. He helped her out and she looked at the assembled vampires. Cold dread spilled through her. Oren and Joseff stood at the front of the loosely assembled group, both scowling. The other faces were filled with mixed looks of outrage, surprise and curiosity.
Katelina looked away. Her eyes landed on a lumpy blue tarp against the far wall. Three rusty buckets stood near it, full of dark liquid. She didn't remember seeing any of it before.
Oren cut into her thoughts. "What the hell happened? What does Joseff mean that the human murdered Rachel?"
Jorick snorted contemptuously. "It means he's an idiot!"
"I saw it!" Joseff stepped towards them. "When I tried to save her you stopped me! I knew no good would come from having you here!"
"I would expect no less," Fabian muttered. His hard eyes settled on Katelina and stabbed her with his dislike. She could only stare back, her mouth open. She'd expected questions and anger, but not accusations! How could Joseff say such a thing?
She looked from one face to the other, trying to gauge their reactions. Loren looked uncertainly from Joseff to Jorick, as did the twins. Luna and Saeed appeared emotionless as usual. Micah grinned broadly. It wasn't the kind of smile that made Katelina feel better. "I thought you promised I was first?"
"See!" Joseff screamed. "She's threatened others and we all know that she murdered Kateesha!"
Jorick snarled. "She did you a favor when she stayed with Rachel and this is how you repay her?"
"Since when was murder a favor? I swear I'll kill that bitch!"
Jorick's nostrils flared. Katelina cowered behind him, her eyes wide with shock. "If you try to touch her, I'll cut out your heart, you filthy piece of-"
Torina made a small coughing noise and moved to stand next to her brother. "I hate to interrupt all your male posturing, but how did she murder Rachel?" She examined Joseff skeptically. "Last I looked, the human was pretty weak."
Katelina bit back anger. She supposed it was Torina's way of saying she was innocent, but there were better ways to phrase it.
Joseff's head snapped towards the redhead. "Of course you'd take her side since she's your coven's pet!"
"She is not!" Fabian shouted. "She's nothing to do with any of us except Jorick, and he isn't in our coven!"
"I don't care who she belongs to!" Joseff yelled. "All I want is her blood!"
"Why?" Jorick asked coldly. "Because you can't admit that Rachel would rather go to her grave than be with you?" Joseff snarled and would have lashed out, but Saeed caught him around the middle and held him.
"I do not believe that the human would harm Rachel," the dark vampire said solemnly. "There are ways to deal with grief. Blaming another is not one of them. We have much to discuss, and there is no time to spend fighting. Hurting someone else will not bring Rachel back. Do not tarnish her memory with harsh words."
"She fucking killed her! I saw it!" Joseff trembled from raw anger and pain. "I heard Rachel screaming! I saw her on the ground! I saw-" he choked off and looked away.
Luna stepped forward and laid a hand on Joseff's arm. "I did not know Rachel, but I trust Saeed's judgment."
Joseff jerked away as though she burned him and struggled loose of Saeed. "Of course you do! Kateesha's little minions all stick together, don't they?" His wild eyes swung towards Alex and Yaul. "You're all fools! I won't spend another night in this den unless she's put to death like she deserves!"
"Then I suggest you find somewhere else to sleep," Jorick replied.
Katelina couldn't understand how this had happened. It was just another reminder that she didn't belong with them.
Alex cut in, "Saeed's right. We need to finish Thomas and dispose of him, and it appears we have plenty of ashes to clean up in the yard-"
The slap was so hard that it echoed through the basement and made Alex stumble. "You bastard!" Joseff yelled, his hand still extended.
Yaul grabbed his wrist and twisted. "Don't you touch him. You're not our Master, and you have no fucking right!"
"I have every right! This coven is mine!" Joseff snarled.
"No," Yaul's voice shook. "This coven was Rachel's. I'd have followed her, but I won't follow you, not like this." He glanced at Saeed. "What do you say? Are you with us, or him?"
Saeed shook his head sorrowfully. "I must go where my heart tells me." His dark eyes landed on Joseff. "Your path is not mine."
"Cowards! You're just afraid of them!" He gestured wildly towards Oren and Jorick. "You make me sick! What should I expect from Kateesha's leftovers?"
The three growled, and even Luna stirred. Katelina hid behind Jorick, anticipating a fight. Oren derailed it, "Let's deal with Thomas, and then we can go our separate ways."
"He's mine to kill!" Joseff took a flying leap over the haphazardly arranged boxes and landed next to the lumpy tarp. He flung it aside with a flourish and Katelina had to bite back a scream at what was underneath.
