Chapter 298
The road was too narrow for a car, but it was smooth enough. Like the walk from the airplane to the Russian city, the vampires would speed ahead, only to stop so that Katelina and Kai could catch up. Though Jorick walked with her, it was only Sorino who didn't seem annoyed at the slow progress.
They came around a bend in the road to find the rest of the vampires sheltering in a nook of rock. Micah rolled his eyes. "Are we plannin' to get there today or what?"
Katelina glared at him. "I'm walking as fast as I can!"
"Yeah? Then maybe you and your human buddy should have stayed behind, huh?"
Jorick arched a cold eyebrow. "It's none of your concern where she goes."
"I don't give a damn where she goes, so long as she ain't holding me up!"
Verchiel gravitated towards them. "Why are you in such a hurry? Do you have a tea party to attend?"
"Don't talk to me, Executioner." Micah spat on the ground at his feet, then took a long drag from his cigarette. "One of you filthy dogs was bad enough, but two-"
"Is delightful?" Verchiel suggested. "I'm sure that's what you were going to say, isn't it?"
Micah looked on the point of correcting him, but Loren grabbed what was left of his cigarette and smashed it out with his heel. "Aw, come on, now that they've caught up let's get going."
"What in the hell do you think you're doing?" Micah roared. Loren grinned and took off and, with a final snarl at Jorick and Verchiel, Micah followed. "Hey! Pipsqueak!"
Katelina sagged against the rock. "What an ass. I should have let The Guild execute him."
Sadihra was crouched nearby, building a miniature snowman. "How did you stop his execution?"
"After the attack on the Citadel, the council executed the leaders of the three covens who'd attacked - or they were supposed to. Since Oren wasn't there they decided to kill the second in command instead, and for some reason they thought it was jackass over there."
"And you corrected them?" Sadihra asked with interest.
Katelina's cheeks flushed as she realized what the consequences for correcting the High Council could have been. "Yeah."
Maeko was suddenly there, her bizarre doll strapped to her back like a papoose. "How is Kate-chan doing?"
"Fine," she mumbled.
"Wonderful! The way will soon get rougher, and then the road will disappear altogether, I am afraid." She glanced towards Kai and Sorino. "It may be necessary for someone to carry Kate-chan and Kai-san."
Verchiel made a low noise in his throat, as if volunteering and Jorick turned his frosty gaze on him. "Katelina and I will be able to manage without a problem."
Sorino flicked imaginary lint from his coat. "As will Kai and I."
Maeko clapped her pink mittened hands. "Oh good! Then, shall we go?"
As Maeko had promised, the road grew rougher and steeper. The previously gentle slope had made the road seem flat but, with the new terrain, Katelina was aware they were moving upwards. As they climbed, the wind got colder and stronger. It whipped her hair around her face and lashed her cheeks with the strands.
The vampires were waiting again near the mouth of a craggy cave crusted with lichen and dead vines. Katelina ignored the remarks and dropped onto the ground in an exhausted heap. Her legs and feet ached, and even her shoulders were sore. She wasn't built for exercise or long, cold excursions, rather for watching movies and drinking margaritas.
"You can't die on us yet, Lunch. We may need you for a snack!"
She was too tired to chastise him, so she let Jorick snap, "No one is going to drink her blood. Is that clear?"
Micah's next remark was lost to the wind, but she didn't care. "Just ignore him," she panted to Jorick. "He's not worth the effort."
Maeko stopped next to Katelina and announced, "After such a long hike, perhaps we should rest for a few minutes?"
"We have been resting," Micah called. "While we waited for the snails to catch up."
Katelina ignored him. "Yeah, a rest sounds good."
The girl clapped her hands and hurried away, as if to organize a social engagement, and Katelina flopped back to the ground. Sorino motioned Kai to sit as well, and he dropped next to her, his knees pulled to his chest and his breathing even.
His lack of fatigue, even with a pack on his back, made her feel less friendly. "You're in better shape than I am."
He shrugged his shoulders and stared past her into a dark gorge. If she held her ragged breath, she could just hear the sound of rushing water; a waterfall?
Suddenly Kai lifted a finger and pointed towards the black. She followed with her eyes, but all she could see was patches of snow and scraggly, dead vegetation. "What?"
"Monkeys," he said quietly.
She sat up slowly and squinted, but she still couldn't see them. Either Kai was teasing her, or he had better eyesight than she did. Hell, the kid could manipulate minds like a vampire, so he could probably see like one. No wonder he wasn't tired.
***
What was left of the road disappeared, and the slope soon turned into a sheer climb, bordered on one side by a roaring waterfall. Katelina stared up the rocky face in despair. There was no way she could manage it, and she didn't relish the idea of trying to hang onto Jorick's back while he did.
"Need some help?" Verchiel called and offered her his hand.
Jorick's answer was indistinguishable over the pounding of the water, but Katelina could guess the gist of it. She batted Verchiel's hand away and shook her head. Suddenly, sitting at Maeko's house with a hodge-podge of vampires seemed like the better option.
Sorino adjusted his coat and met Kai's eyes. Katelina imagined that they were having a silent conversation, and Kai's nod seemed to prove it. The boy wrapped his arms around Sorino's shoulders and climbed easily up his back, until he rode piggyback style. It was obvious to Katelina that they'd done it before.
Her own clumsy attempts to crawl up Jorick left her cheeks pink, but she made it. When Jorick teased, "Are you settled yet?" she snapped back with, "It would have been faster if you'd crouched down, like Verchiel does!" Jorick went stiff and she realized her mistake, but she didn't try to take it back.
Micah glanced quizzically from the cliff to Loren, as if offering his help, and the teen shook his head. Micah cocked an eyebrow, then shrugged and jumped onto the rock face. He looked like a lizard as he worked upwards. Loren took a deep breath and, after an uneasy glance from his missing left arm to the incline, he made a running leap. Katelina watched his awkward ascent; each time he had to move his hand there was a moment where he hung, supported only by his feet. She wondered why he'd refused Micah, but supposed he wanted to do it himself. She knew too well how annoying it was to be the weak one.
The others started up. Though Sadihra didn't appear built for exercise either, she easily scaled the wall, passing Maeko and Hikaru. Verchiel waited for them to clear the first few feet and then he imitated Loren's running start only, instead of climbing, he seemed to teleport from one place to the next as he bounced his way upwards.
Sorino followed at a slower rate. Though burdened with Kai, the tall vampire moved like a lean panther. Katelina watched their progress and wondered bitterly, God, have they all been practicing rock climbing without me?
Jorick adjusted Katelina's weight and moved forward. As he reached for the rock, a long, low cry sounded from above them and she looked up to see something crashing down the mountain. Jorick cursed and leapt out of the way as the screaming missile landed in a heap where they'd been standing only a moment before.
It was Loren.
Katelina stifled a cry and dropped from Jorick's back to run to the teen's side. He lay in a heap, his arm and leg twisted at an odd angle and a gash in his forehead. Had he been human, he'd probably be dead.
