Chapter 23
Jorick dropped his eyes for the first time since she'd taken the sandwich from him.
"I asked what you're staring at?" she pressed.
"Nothing," he answered quickly and crossed his arms over his chest.
Her eyebrows arched inquiringly. "You're staring."
"So? You forget I haven't eaten in a long, long time." He continued to watch her, a sort of morbid fascination on his face.
His comment made her wonder how old he really was. He appeared to be in his early to mid-thirties at the most, but if he was immortal he might be any age.
"How long?"
"Too long." The words sounded like a sad sigh. He straightened up and quietly changed the subject, "Oren is getting ready to go to the meeting. We should know something by the end of the night."
"Are you going with him?"
Jorick shifted. "Yes and no. I'll leave with him, but-" She waited expectantly and he finished, "Oren's contact is not my contact. I won't be at the actual meeting."
"Ah. Are you sure that's a good idea?"
He gave her a puzzled expression. "Why wouldn't it be?"
Her stare said, "duh!" but he didn't seem to get it. "Um, haven't you ever watched a spy movie? The one with the enemy contacts has them for a reason."
"Are you suggesting that Oren-"
"Is planning to betray you? Yeah, I am." She finished her sandwich and tossed the wrapper in the trash.
"Why on earth would he do that? It's his war."
"I thought you said it was his wife's. If I had a wife like that I'd play the enemy camp, too."
Jorick chuckled. "Jesslynn is- not what I would choose in a mate, but to suggest that-" He laughed again. "I think you've watched too many movies."
She shrugged it off, but she wasn't convinced. There was something about Oren that put her on guard, and her instincts were usually right.
Sure they are. That's how I ended up here with a vampire.
***
Jorick stayed and talked to her about nothing in particular; the weather, the book she was reading, whether Jesslynn would really look good in the white dress. He was just getting ready to leave for Oren's meeting, when the door opened and Jesslynn's son poked his head in.
"Alexander," Jorick greeted the child.
He took the acknowledgement as an invitation and came in, the crazy woman-child right behind him, though Katelina wasn't sure if she was a protector or a pet. The pink corduroy overalls and pastel striped shirt made her look more a child than ever, as did the vacant smile on her face. Alexander climbed onto the bed and, as if taking a silent order, she dropped to the floor at his feet.
"What do you want?" Jorick met the boy's eyes, but Alexander refused to look away, his face stubbornly set. Katelina didn't know if there was some psychic battle of wills going on between the two, or if it was just a common stare down, but in the end the child surrendered.
"I have come to see the human," he said simply, his eyes on his lap.
"Why?" Jorick continued to stare at him as if trying to silently communicate his authority. His spine was straight and his stance was one of a wary warrior expecting an attack.
"I wish to speak to her," Alexander replied quietly. His lack of information made Katelina nervous, especially with the blonde woman-child seated so close.
"The human belongs to me," Jorick said sternly, which drew an incensed look from Katelina. "You must ask my permission first."
"Fine. May I have your permission?" His voice was tight, annoyed, like a whiny child who's been told he can't have an ice cream cone unless he asks nicely. Katelina shuddered, realizing she'd just compared herself to food. Somehow, given the nature of the house's occupants, it was an unsettling thought.
"It depends," Jorick replied. "Do either of you - " he glanced at Bethina for the first time since she'd entered the room " - intend to spill any blood?" His glare seemed sufficient to see through to their souls, let alone what they were thinking.
Alexander looked perturbed by the insinuation. "If you mean do we intend to bite her the way mother did, then the answer is no."
"I suggest that you don't." Jorick glanced toward the door uncomfortably.
Katelina tried to communicate her silent thoughts to Jorick. She didn't want to be left alone with them, not under any circumstances. She fought the urge to cling to Jorick and beg him to take her with him, despite the fact she knew he was one of them.
The thought unsettled her further, so she dismissed it by telling herself that he'd never tried to drink her blood. That made him safe - a lot safer than these two. Alexander might be a child, but she was sure that in his nonhuman state he'd be stronger than she was.
However, she refused to actually throw herself at Jorick, and his obsession with the door made it clear he didn't have time for a discussion. He made Alexander swear oaths against causing her any harm and, after threatening both the vampires' lives, he left hurriedly.
Alexander waited, then stole quietly across the room and peeked out into the hallway. Satisfied, he closed the door and nodded to Bethina. She stood obediently and took up a guard post in front of it, which made Katelina all the more uneasy.
Alexander climbed back on the bed and studied Katelina. His scrutiny made her feel even more uncomfortable, but he broke it by asking gravely, "Do you want to play with us?"
She stared at his small, pointed face in surprise. She found it hard to believe that the pale strange vampire child, who only spoke to certain people, had gone to all that trouble just to ask her to play?
"What?"
"I asked if you would like to play with Bethina and me," he repeated patiently. The woman child smiled at the mention of her name. "It's been awhile since we've had anyone new to play with. I like playing with humans. You always have such interesting ideas." He smiled so that his miniature fangs gleamed.
"Oh?" Katelina swallowed. She found herself wondering if Bethina's position was to guard anyone coming in or to keep her from getting out, which was what the logical portion of her brain told her to do.
"Oh yes!" he enthused, oblivious to her discomfort. "In fact, our newest game came from a human - it's called dungeon. It's a lot of fun, I promise! We haven't gotten to play it in a long time," he added sadly but then perked up instantly. "Do you want to play?"
"How do you play this game... dungeon?" she tried to keep her voice calm, though she wanted to scream. My God, how had she ended up practically babysitting child vampires?
"Oh, it's simple. We go down to the dungeon and torture the prisoner."
The premise sounded horrible and she could guess which of them would be the prisoner. "I'm not supposed to leave the room," she said quickly. She hoped that would be sufficient, but she doubted it. The excuse that an adult "wasn't allowed" to do something rarely held any water with children.
"Oh. All right," he sounded disappointed, but the expected wheedling didn't come, as if Jorick forbidding her from something was perfectly normal. "It's just as well," he added morosely. "I saw the dark woman leave the day before yesterday, and I think she took it with her. They were all talking about moving it."
"Moving what?"
"The prisoner," Alexander mumbled, more to himself than her. "We need Patrick - "
He got no further before Katelina gasped, "Patrick?"
"Yes, he's the one who made the game up. He had some other good ones, didn't he Bethina?" The vampiress nodded and Alexander asked almost sadly, "I wonder when he's coming back?"
Words escaped Katelina. He couldn't possibly mean her Patrick, could he? What would he have been doing there? No, she told herself firmly. It couldn't be the same Patrick. It had to be a coincidence.
"Blocks," Bethina said suddenly, and the single word brought Katelina back to the present.
Alexander looked thoughtful and then nodded his agreement. As if by silent order, Bethina hurried out of the room, presumably to fetch the toys.
Left alone with the boy, Katelina fought the urge to ask him about Patrick. It would do her no good to delve into it, and she knew it. As a distraction she chose another topic of conversation. "Who is she?"
Alexander looked confused and then seemed to realize what she meant. "That's Bethina," he answered and shrugged his small shoulders.
"No, I mean is she related to you? Before she became..." she still couldn't say it. She wondered if she had a mental block?
"Oh. She was my friend." He sighed sadly. "She used to make up the cleverest little songs and she was so funny." He smiled wanly. "She used to come babysit us sometimes, and then she got a permanent job here. Mother liked her because she didn't 'cause trouble'. Of course, I just thought she was fun." His voice dropped to a serious whisper, "I'll tell you a secret if you promise not to tell anyone. Especially not Jorick."
"All right," Katelina replied slowly. She wasn't sure she wanted to hear the secrets of a vampire child.
