Chapter 257
A thousand questions slammed through her head. What was happening? Where was Jorick? Where was Loren or Micah or Oren?
Verchiel picked through them and chose which ones to answer. "The guy with the tattoos is fine, and the other one will live for now. Injuries are not life threatening to vampires, only troublesome."
"His arm?" she murmured weakly.
"I'm afraid he's lost that. Vampirism only heals so much."
The lights in the corridors still worked. The atrium's main entrance glowed like a beacon of safety in a sea of blackness. As they drew closer she could see the remnants of the glass doors; chrome strips and a handful of shards.
She and Verchiel carefully picked their way around the bodies that lay scattered and broken. She could see their twisted faces, lit by the corridor's eerie glow. Blood leaked from their ears and noses and the sockets of their dull, bulging eyes.
The corridor was rapidly filling with both survivors from the atrium and those who were attracted by the commotion. The dead had been heaped against the wall to make space for the surging crowd of the living. Verchiel and Katelina plunged into the confused swirl. He tightened his hold on her arm and used his free hand to shove panicked vampires and humans out of the way.
Sorino stepped directly in their path. He gave Verchiel a chilling smile. "Things have gotten quite interesting. How does it happen that you are here with the lowly instead of with your fellows?"
"I promised Jorick I'd get her somewhere safe."
Sorino's smile grew. "Go no farther, my friend, for you have done your job." He laid a hand on Katelina's arm. "I shall watch over her for you." Verchiel hesitated and he added, "You have my word, I will not allow her to come to harm."
The building shook from another explosion. To Katelina's horror, Verchiel released her. He grinned and said, "Don't hurt the coat." Then he disappeared.
Sorino met her startled eyes. His gaze chilled her to the bone. "Come, child. We must find you a safe haven."
Kai waited for his vampire against a nearby wall, wearing his usual chain and collar. He wore an open short sleeved shirt that exposed his pale chest. Katelina looked away from the thick scars that crisscrossed his skin like tangled railway lines. She felt the familiar revulsion well up in her.
Sorino took the chain in his free hand and led Kai and Katelina down the corridor in the opposite direction of the mall, away from most of the other vampires.
They wound their way to a dark, narrow hallway lit in blue. At the end of it was a doorway draped in gauzy black cloth that made Katelina think of a shroud.
They ducked through it and Katelina squinted in the semi-darkness to find that they were in what looked like a nightclub. A stage sat at the far end, ringed in lights that flashed blue and purple. A bar was against one wall and several tables were scattered around. A handful of vampires lounged at the tables, glasses in their hands and boredom on their faces.
Two females and a male sat at the bar. She recognized the man instantly; it was Traven's friend with the beaded dreadlocks. Next to him was a woman with short blondish hair and tiny glasses. The other female's dark hair was cut in a straight line at her shoulders; so straight that it seemed fake. She sipped from her glass and watched Sorino approach them. "So, what's all the excitement?"
Sorino pointed to a barstool and commanded both Katelina and Kai to sit. The boy did so without question and Katelina followed because she didn't know what else to do.
Sorino took a stool and nodded to the three. "It appears that we are under attack, Jill."
The man snorted. "Looks like we picked a hell of a day for a meeting."
The blonde woman turned to Sorino, "By who?"
Jill interrupted, "Shouldn't that be whom?"
Grammatically correct or not, Sorino answered, "I am afraid that information was denied me, Iris, but I do know that our esteemed Malick has something to do with it."
The women's interest became more permanent and they leaned towards him, as if to catch his words before he'd spoken them. "What do you mean?"
Sorino tapped his fingers rhythmically. "I suggest that you ask the human. I believe that she had a front row seat."
At his words, the three vampires were suddenly aware of Katelina's presence. Jill turned her excited eyes to Katelina, but spoke to Sorino, "Who is she? One of Kai's friends?"
The black male squinted at her. "I recognize her. She's the Hand of Death's pet."
Iris looked surprised, "Where ever did you meet her, Lurid?"
"At Traven's, only a few days ago."
Jill grabbed Katelina's arm and demanded, "Tell me what happened!"
Hesitant words tumbled from Katelina's mouth. Jill hung on every detail, her hands clasped together as if to keep from clapping.
When she'd finished her tale, the vampires talked excitedly among themselves. Mentally drained, Katelina lay her head on the bar and let tears seep from her eyes. She thought she was beyond feeling, but the ache in her chest told her that she wasn't. She was overflowing with raw emotions and the after tremors of her terror.
A soft, accented voice interrupted her thoughts, "Yes it was horrible, but you survived. So, if you cry, cry not for yourself but for those who died."
She looked to see Kai staring at her intently, one green eye peeping through his messy blonde hair. "What?"
He cocked his head as if to say "I've already told you" and then focused his attention on his master.
***
The minutes dragged by. Katelina watched the colored lights and wondered if Jorick was all right. What about the others? Would The Guild really execute Loren and Micah? Sure, he was an ass, but he didn't deserve to die. And what about Torina? And Luna? And what about Verchiel. Was he all right?
The thoughts were like sticking hot pins in her stomach. It was more than she could take.
Sorino and his companions were wrapped in a deep conversation about an expedition to Peru when Verchiel slouched through the door and made his way to them. His hideous green shirt was torn and he was splattered with blood, but he seemed cheerful.
Sorino greeted him enthusiastically and offered him a drink. The Executioner declined. "I need to take her back to her owner before he gets too cranky."
"Surely you can spare a moment to tell us how the fight went? Her presence can't be that important."
"He gets nervous when she's off on her own. You should know all about that." Verchiel grinned and nodded to Kai. "I can tell you that all of the intruders are accounted for except one."
Jill suddenly perked up. "Are they going to execute them?"
"You're vultures!" Verchiel said with exaggerated disapproval. "They're being assembled in the atrium. The High Council will decide their fate soon, I should think. It's almost morning."
"Maybe we should go watch?" Jill suggested. Verchiel didn't wait for their discussion. He tugged on Katelina's arm and motioned her to follow him.
They'd barely reached the narrow hallway when she pulled him to a stop. "Is Jorick all right?"
"Oh yes. Physically."
Unnamed fears assaulted her. "What do you mean physically? What's wrong?"
Verchiel managed an almost sincere grin and ruffled her messy hair. "I'm sure everything will be fine. There's a small chance that they might take him into custody, but I wouldn't worry about it."
"Custody?" she echoed like a sick parrot. "Why? What's he done?"
"It may not be a matter of what he's done versus what he's not done. No one knows yet. I'm sure they'll have Celandine question him. It depends on whether he's strong enough to block her or not."
"Question him about what?"
"All but one of the war coven is accounted for. The one that's missing is Oren."
