Chapter 241
Katelina and Verchiel left yet another store in time to see a tall, thin vampire leading a young man on a chain. The youth had a thick black collar around his neck and messy blonde hair that hung in his eyes. It wasn't hard for Katelina to tell that, unlike the others, he was still human.
Whether the boy was willing or not, the sight made her uncomfortable. "Can we go?"
Verchiel's eyes flicked to the pair she didn't want to look at. "Ah, Sorino's back. And he's still carting that kid around."
She didn't want to know, but Verchiel continued anyway. "He's been leading him around for years. I expect he's waiting for him to grow up enough to bother with. According to the stories, he found the kid overseas somewhere; the lone survivor of a Rogue attack. The kid certainly has enough scars to make it plausible, though I always imagined those were Sorino's doing."
"He keeps him on a leash?"
Verchiel nodded and she shivered. It sounded sick and bizarre to her. Almost as sick as hanging out with a vampire who attacked you only the day before.
Verchiel changed the subject. "Are you hungry?"
She nodded and they started to the door when she saw a familiar figure striding towards them. The anger swimming in Jorick's dark eyes made her pause. Verchiel seemed oblivious.
"Hullo! Did Malick let you out early?"
Without a word, Jorick swung at the redhead, who dodged neatly out of the way.
"What kind of a greeting is that? Here I am, babysitting your human and-" He side stepped another blow. "Really!"
"She doesn't need you to babysit her!"
"On the contrary. Better me than someone with less noble intentions." He gave Jorick a broad grin and suddenly appeared behind her.
Vampires stared with open curiosity. Sorino and his boy on a chain moved towards them.
"Stop it," Katelina begged. "Please. Everyone's staring."
Sorino interrupted her.
"Is that you, Jorick?" He came to a stop near them and his dark eyes moved from one to the other. He suddenly noticed Jorick's silver medallion. "This is a surprise."
Jorick made a low noise in his throat and glared past him to Verchiel. "Yes, it is. If you'll excuse me, I have some business to attend to."
Sorino went on as if he hadn't spoken. "I didn't know you were back. We've only just returned from Brazil, ourselves. If you're not set on killing Verchiel right now, I'd like to borrow him. I'm sure you can rip his heart out tomorrow."
"Yeah, I'll keep overnight. I'm not going anywhere." Verchiel flashed Jorick a grin and then mussed Katelina's hair. "You two run along now, Jorick has a lot of things to shout about and he doesn't want to do it here."
Jorick's face twitched and he raised a threatening fist. "Stay away from her, or I will rip your heart out." He caught Katelina's arm and dragged her away. She glanced over her shoulder to see Verchiel and Sorino talking affably, though she couldn't catch their words.
***
Jorick's stony silence lasted even after they were back in their bedroom. Katelina threw the bags on the bed and demanded, "Where have you been? I was worried about you!"
"Were you?" Jorick asked coldly. "I thought you were too busy."
"You're the one who was gone on a fucking pout and left me here alone! After all that shit with Malick, you just took off!"
"And why shouldn't I? Excuse me, Katelina, but I don't really want to watch you give yourself to him!"
"Give myself? Maybe you missed it, but that's not what happened! My God, you make it sound like I had sex with him!"
His eyes glowed. "And what do you think it was? I told you before how it works with vampires!"
"Don't start that! I've been bitten by other vampires, and I wasn't having sex with them!"
"And you didn't drink from any of them!"
She stepped back and bit her lip. He was right, but... "I don't remember drinking from him!"
"So it doesn't count? You don't remember when we do it, either, but that counts? You can't have it both ways!"
"Damn it, Jorick! You said yourself it has to do with intent! I didn't have those intentions, and neither did he! For the love of God, he was just starving!"
"How the hell do you know what his intentions are? I don't! I don't know what he's thinking and I don't know what he wants with you!"
And there it was. Jorick, the all knowing, didn't know. And he couldn't stand it.
She tried to sound calm, but failed. "He doesn't want anything with me! And even if he did, you're the only one I want, you moron!"
Jorick's anger flickered, like a light bulb with a faulty connection. "Then why are you always with him?"
"I'm not always with him. We've only been here two days! Yesterday Malick took me there, to punish you, and today I just didn't want to be alone! Did you ever think that I get tired of waiting by myself for you to come back?"
"Yes! That's why I encouraged you to spend time with Rachel!"
That wasn't the reply she expected, but she fired back, "And look how that turned out!"
"It's not my fault!"
Tears sprang to her eyes. "Yes it is! You knew what she was going to do and you didn't stop her! You could have warned me, or Joseff, or fucking manipulated her mind so she didn't do it!"
"And the minute we left, or my influence slipped, she'd have killed herself!"
"But then I wouldn't have had to see it!" She turned away. "Damn it, Jorick! How much do you think I can take without a break?"
Jorick moved to stand behind her, but didn't touch her. "I warned you that my world isn't a pretty one. I'm only trying to protect you. I don't trust him."
She wiped her eyes savagely. "He isn't going to kill me, if that's what you're worried about."
"Death isn't the only way to lose someone!" He clamped his mouth shut as if he'd said too much.
She turned to face him. "You're not going to lose me. You couldn't get that lucky."
He caught her hand in his. "I've heard that before. You don't know what will happen."
"Neither do you."
He relented and pulled her to him. She nuzzled her face in his chest and he wrapped his protective arms around her. "I'm-sorry for leaving this morning. I didn't realize it upset you. I wasn't-thinking clearly."
"And for the scene at the mall?"
"I'm not sorry for that. When I get my hands on him, I'll make him pay for feeding on you."
She sighed. "I don't think he knew what he was doing. It was Malick's fault, not his."
"Perhaps," Jorick agreed thornily. "But I can't rip Malick's heart out, so Verchiel will have to suffice."
"You know that's stupid logic, right?"
He didn't answer.
