Chapter 357
The flight was long and boring. Katelina bounced between clutching the arms of the seat, wandering to the bathroom, and raiding the kitchen for drinks and snacks. Each time Verchiel was stubbornly "at his post" and each time she ignored his attempts at conversation.
Boredom took its toll, and eventually she drifted off into dreams. She stood in heavy spring garden. A storm rumbled in the distance and the thunder made her jump.
"Do not be afraid."
She spun around to see someone standing in the shadows. His long black hair hung down his back and a soothing wave of comfort rolled out from him and enveloped her.
"It's not the thunder. It's everything else." Munich. Malick. Samael. There was so much to worry about, yet as the peace stole over her the worries drifted away.
"They cannot harm you. Nothing can."
She let her eyes roam over the heavy headed flowers, to the gathering clouds. "Because I'm dreaming?"
"No. Because I am here."
Her eyes snapped open to Jorick shaking her. "Katelina."
"Huh? What?" She blinked as the plane came into focus. "Sorry, I was having a lovely dream about you."
He gave her a suggestive smirk. "Perhaps when we get to the stronghold we can make it reality? Now fasten your belt, little one. We're preparing to land."
She didn't have the heart to tell him it wasn't one of those dreams. In a way it had been better because the peaceful, disconnected feeling had come with her into waking. Even as the plane descended, her usual panic was replaced with calm. It would be all right. He was with her.
When they landed, she was hurried off the plane, dragging her suitcase all the way. The winter wind smacked into her, and she recoiled, shocked back to reality.
A pair of SUVs and two vampires in long black coats and matching medallions waited impatiently, both Scharfrichter. They snapped quick salutes at Wolfe, who was the head of their force, then took charge of the prisoners. With a few quick words in German, they hurried their charges toward the vehicles, and motioned the others to follow.
The trip from the airport to the stronghold flew by. Soon they were in the city, surrounded by white multistoried buildings, whose cheery red roofs were kissed with snow.
They stopped before one where four vampire guards dressed in crimson uniforms waited. The Scharfrichter disembarked first, shoved the prisoners at them, and then motioned everyone out of the vehicles.
The front of the building was newly repaired, some of the paint whiter than the rest. Katelina thought it must be from the last time they'd been there. Malick had blown his way through, leaving smoking rubble behind, in a quest to speak to Jorick. In her mind, she could see the scene. Malick stood on the stairs, his face serene as he filled the hall with a throbbing noise and then, the noise had stopped and she'd fallen into his eyes; into the depths of some secret place where voices whispered aching words only her subconscious understood.
She shook herself back to the present and followed the others inside to a corridor. At the end was a large shadowy room littered with heavy furniture. A secret door in the back wall was already open, and Katelina could see into the next room where the guards and their prisoners waited. Three more guards were seated at tables with computers and security monitors, and a fourth spoke on the phone, obviously getting directions from someone higher up. He nodded along, and then motioned the guards and their charges through a second secret door.
Wolfe led the rest of them through the room with only a word and a gesture, and into a short corridor. Beyond it was a flight of stairs that led to the impressive entrance hall. Two stories tall and floored in white marble, the hall was flanked by pillars and arches. An information window had a sign that said "closed for the day" in various languages. Still, a human sat behind it, yawning and sipping a cup of coffee.
Two guards waited before the elevators, but the prisoners and their escorts were nowhere to be seen. Katelina wondered if they'd taken a different route once they'd reached the hall. It made sense, since the general vampire population traveled this way. Not that there was any "general population" to be seen. No doubt they were all tucked into their beds.
The heavy, crushing sensation Katelina associated with The Sodalitas built slowly, and when they reached the bank of ornate silver elevators it was as if she could feel hundreds of years of vampire authority weighing her down.
One of the guards saluted Wolfe, and murmured something in German. The Scharfrichter turned to his companions and explained, "Your rooms have been arranged, but there is a question of who to charge some of them to. Jorick and" he paused as if he'd forgotten Verchiel's name. "Verchiel will of course be guests of Der H?here Rat." He looked pointedly at Oren and Micah. "It is late, so the details can be sorted later. When you wake tomorrow you should come back here to the desk and they will handle the arrangements."
"It wasn't my idea to come," Micah said. "I was perfectly fuckin' happy on the island."
Oren cleared his throat stiffly and gave Micah a warning look. "We'll worry about it tomorrow."
The elevator chimed and the doors swished open. "We will not all fit inside," said one of the Scharfrichter who'd met them at the airport. "The guard will take part of you ahead and the rest can follow with the other." He motioned to the elevator's red velvet interior and Jorick gently tugged Katelina inside. Oren, Torina, and Etsuko followed, leaving the others with Wolfe. As the doors closed, Katelina caught the worried glance that passed between Wolfe and Sadihra. It was one that said she might be imprisoned this time tomorrow.
Katelina pressed herself against the back wall and wondered where that lovely calm, disconnected feeling had gone. She was left with the crushing, heart pounding terror of one who knew what lurked in the bowels of the stronghold: The Kugsankal, or True Council.
Jorick squeezed her hand. "It will be fine, little one. I doubt we'll see them."
She nodded, but felt no relief. It was as if the True Council reached through layers of earth and stone to press into her consciousness; as if Inanna, the cerulean eyed vampiress, was already digging into her thoughts and memories.
Get out.
The thought echoed through her mind and, as if a switch had been flicked, the crushing, clawing sensation ceased. She breathed a sigh of relief, and looked to see Jorick staring at her. He returned her nervous smile, but something like alarm slithered beneath the surface in his eyes.
Before she could ask what was wrong, the elevator stopped and the guard led them down the twisting, turning labyrinth of halls and corridors.
The guard finally stopped before a carved wooden door. "Jorick and human will be in this room." He held out a key, as if hoping whoever Jorick was would take it. Katelina snatched it and, though the guard cocked an eyebrow, he turned back to his clipboard. "Verchiel will be in the next room."
"He's not here," Oren said.
"Danke." The guard stashed the key and went on. "Oren and human will be down here."
He started to walk, but Oren didn't follow. "I don't have a human. This one belongs to a Japanese girl. She asked Jorick to take her on an educational trip. She's his responsibility, not mine."
The guard turned back, his brows knitted together. "Do you mean none of you are her master? She is traveling unaccompanied?"
Oren stiffened. "She's not unaccompanied. We're accompanying her! It's" He broke off at a warning look from Jorick. "Never mind." He strode forward and snatched the key from the guard's hand. "We'll sort it out tomorrow."
"Very good." The guard looked relieved and started back down the corridor. "I have a Torina, and a Micah and Loren who are further this way."
As their voices faded, Jorick took the key from Katelina and opened the door. "That was entertaining."
"No it wasn't. Poor Etsuko. It's like she's a pet dog no one wants and everyone's stuck with. Oren is such a jackass!"
Jorick pushed the door open and waited for Katelina to go in first. "He's not as terrible as you think. You notice he stopped when the guard hinted at repercussions." He gave her a wink. "You humans aren't allowed to wander off without your masters, you know."
"Bite me," she muttered as she walked inside. The room was as decadent as their last experience in Munich. A large bed was clothed in red satin and heaped with pillows. Red upholstered chairs sat between carved furniture. Instead of a second bed, a pair of coffins sat on low, polished platforms, in case the vampire guests preferred a more traditional sleep. Gilt framed paintings of trees and medieval figures hung on the walls. She knew from experience that one of them was actually a flat panel television. The painting would disappear, only to reappear on the screen when it was turned off. Modern conveniences with a classical appearance.
Before Katelina could peek at the bathroom, Jorick tackled her to the bed. She gave a strangled cry as he nipped at her neck.
When she got her head free she cried, "What in the hell are you doing?"
His expression was false innocence. "You said to bite you."
She pulled away with a roll of her eyes. "No wonder you and Verchiel are getting along better. You're turning into him."
She wasn't fast enough to dodge the pillow.
