Chapter 305
When Katelina was pink and nearly over heated, they climbed out of the tub, dried and dressed. She was happy to have her clothes again.
Maeko escorted her to what Katelina thought of as the living room. It seemed larger than it had yesterday, though it might have been an illusion as only Jorick, Verchiel, Oren, Torina and Neil were present.
Verchiel stood and stretched. "Now that Kately is all clean and shiny, is it my turn?"
Maeko bowed. "If Jorick-ue does not wish a bath."
Jorick motioned the idea away and Verchiel clutched his chest in exaggerated grief. "I see how it is. I only get a bath if the fearless leader doesn't want one." Jorick rolled his eyes and Verchiel snickered. "I should see if that tasty bit of German crumpet would like to join me. Water conservation and all." He gave them a wink and then disappeared.
Katelina rolled her eyes and moved towards Jorick. "Where is everyone?" Had Micah and Loren made it back? Or Kai and Sorino?
"Micah and Loren are outside smoking," Oren answered crankily.
"The Executioners are outside," Torina added with a toss of her head. Katelina wondered if the vampiress had tried her luck with Cyprus and failed.
She thought of the scream they'd heard last night. "What about Kai and Sorino?"
"They're- somewhere," Jorick said disinterestedly. "Did you enjoy your bath?"
Oren snorted and Katelina turned pink.
"Perhaps while the others are gone is the appropriate time?" Maeko asked, her eyes on Jorick. He nodded and she excused herself from the room. She reappeared carrying her broken doll. Sorrow glittered in her eyes as she looked at the shattered face. "A small sacrifice."
Katelina shifted uncomfortably. "You could probably glue it."
"Oh no, it's too late. You can't bring her back from the dead."
The statement was so bizarre that Katelina couldn't think of anything to say. Maeko didn't seem to mind. She moved in front of Jorick and reached through the doll's shattered face to pull out something wrapped in white cloth. She handed the bundle to Jorick. He opened it to find a dark, meaty lump that looked oddly moist, despite its supposed age.
"Is that the real one?" Katelina asked suspiciously.
"Yes." Jorick rewrapped it and then handed it back to Maeko. "Malick should know by now that he has a fake, or else he will very soon. We should leave tonight."
"I have other dens," Maeko said. "Or perhaps we could seek the clan?"
Jorick hesitated. "I suppose so."
"I know you are not fond of cities, Jorick-ue, but sometimes the best place to hide is in plain sight." She handed Hikaru her broken doll and the linen wrapped heart. "Please bury her and pack my other friends, Hikaru-san. We will need to leave soon."
He bowed himself out, just as Ryuu appeared with a tray of food for Katelina. Though most of it looked unfamiliar, it was artfully arranged and none of it had eyes, so she dove in. She was nearly done when footsteps pounded down the corridor. Cyprus skidded to a halt and announced, "Senya is coming."
Jorick swept to his feet, his hands fists at his side. "Where is she?"
Cyprus shook his head. "It will be an hour, maybe more."
Katelina started to ask how he knew, then realized it was his demon eye ability. But, if he could see that- "Why didn't you tell us we would be attacked on the mountain?"
"Because I didn't know where you were going. I have to have something to concentrate on. I can't just open myself to the universe." He turned back to Jorick. "This isn't a good place for a battle. We should go before she gets here."
Oren stood, his amber eyes flashing fire. "I'd rather kill her than run."
"Yes," Jorick agreed. "But not tonight. We stand to lose too much." He turned to Katelina and helped her to her feet. "Get your luggage, little one, and hurry."
Katelina scurried away without argument. Senya was terrifying enough, but the memory of the wind walkers' attacks was even worse. She wasn't sure they'd survive against them again.
In the small room, the shelves of dolls stood empty. Katelina could only assume those were the friends Maeko had wanted packed. She didn't have time to dwell on the vampiress' strange habits, and threw her energy into pulling on her smelly coat and gathering her purse and suitcases.
Jorick met her in the hall and took the luggage from her. Cyprus stood in the nearest doorway, talking to Maeko. "-so take everything with you that you can't bear to lose."
"My friends and my papers are all that I need. The rest will have to be lost." The vampiress cast a regretful look around the house.
Cyprus nodded. "At least the graves will confuse her when she digs them up to find only dolls."
Maeko looked horrified, but Jorick pulled Katelina past them before she could comment. In the entryway they pulled on their shoes and then hurried outside. Maeko's two cars were waiting, trunks open, but Katelina doubted they could all fit.
"Not comfortably," Jorick agreed as he threw the suitcases into the trunk. "But if they try it can be done."
Katelina and Jorick climbed into the backseat to find Hikaru already behind the wheel. Ryuu was jammed next to him in the space between the seats. Neil sat in the passenger seat, his nervous eyes bouncing around the countryside, as if expecting the attack to come at any moment.
Maeko appeared, looking pale and shaken. She gave them a false smile and slid into the car on the other side of Katelina. Her pink puffy coat had been traded for a furry white one that was decorated with pompoms. "Are we ready, Hikaru-san?"
He started the car just as Oren yanked open the front door. The glare he gave Neil could have withered trees, and the vampire guard scooted over. Oren jammed inside so that the four front seat passengers looked like a set of unhappy Siamese quadruplets.
Jorick's door jerked open. Sorino forced Kai inside, so that the boy was practically in Jorick's lap, and quipped, "Safe journeys."
"There's no room!" Jorick shouted, but Sorino slammed the door.
"We should go," Maeko said and slid over as far as she could. "Cyprus-san said an hour, and that was some time ago."
Jorick grumbled and stuffed Kai between himself and the door, as Hikaru pulled the car onto the road. They hurtled down the winding mountain and Katelina clutched Jorick's arm and mashed her eyes closed. She didn't want to see the impending car wreck.
"Kate-chan shouldn't worry. Hikaru-san is a capable driver."
Katelina nodded, though her twisting stomach didn't really agree.
