Chapter 373
Jorick and Oren arrived some time later and Jorick took Katelina to the restaurant for a late lunch. The atmosphere was tense.
"Have you heard why they won't let us leave?" a thick accented voice asked their dining partner.
"No one will say. Only that details will follow later."
The first slammed a fist on the table. "How much later? I left my coven in the hands of my brother and I need to get back!"
The table on the other side of them was much the same. A vampiress, an older vampire in a top hat, and a human girl who looked about fourteen were locked in angry conversation.
"I heard they're expecting an attack!" the woman said emphatically.
"If that's true, they should let us leave before it comes," the man replied. He looked sharply toward Katelina and Jorick, as if he'd caught them eavesdropping. Katelina looked away, but not before she felt the telltale spark in her mind of someone poking around. Jorick growled and the vampire turned back and whispered to his companions.
"He saw something about the Children of Shadows in your mind," Jorick said quietly.
Katelina stared at her plate. "I don't know why they won't just let everyone out."
"I doubt most of them planned to go anywhere until they were told they couldn't. The best way to make a person want something is to tell them they can't have it," he quipped.
They went back to their room, but Katelina was restless. What if Cyprus really did attack them?
She tried to keep her mind off of it by watching television, and finally Jorick suggested she call her mother. "Talking to her irritates you and you forget everything else."
Though it was one a.m., the time difference meant her mother was probably having dinner. It took her several tries to figure out the international call, but finally she had her mother's familiar voice on the line.
"Hey, Mom, it's me. Wanted to give you a call and say hi."
"About time. Where have you been?"
Katelina groaned. "I told you we'd be gone for a while. Jorick's business, remember?"
"I'm sorry, I didn't realize you meant a month. Are you home now?"
Katelina hesitated. "No, we're in Germany."
"What are you doing in Germany? My God, I thought he did some kind of computer thing."
"They have computers here, too. I guess you didn't get the package from Russia?"
"What package?"
Katelina gave an exasperated sigh. "I sent you a package while we were in Russia. Keep an eye out for it."
"What were you doing in Russia?"
Katelina ignored the question. "I'm going to send you some photos too, so you can see we're fine. The first bunch is from an island in Indonesia. Someone Jorick knows rented it. It's a long story, but anyway"
"Oh my God, he sells drugs."
It took Katelina a moment to figure out what she meant. "No! Jorick doesn't sellI told you!"
"That's why he lives in a van and has friends who can rent private islands? I saw a movie about this kind of thing, Katelina. Those are dangerous men. I knew there was something suspicious about him the minute I met him. He may be good looking, but it takes more than that-"
Katelina groaned while her mother went into her usual tirade. She was trying to decide whether to hang up and blame the connection when the rant stopped abruptly.
"I'm sorry, honey, but I have to go. I have a date and I'm going to be late."
A date. "Not with-"
"Yes, with Brad. We've been over this. Send the photos when you get a chance and I'll look for the package, but I swear to God if there are drugs in there"
"It's knick-knacks!"
"Well then don't tell me or you'll spoil the surprise. I'll talk to you later, all right. Call more often. Love you."
"Yeah, I love you too."
And then she was gone.
"That was short," Jorick commented.
"She has a date with Brad." The name came out like sour milk and Katelina dropped onto the couch. It wasn't that she didn't like Brad. She did. She'd liked him when he was dating her best friend, but now that he was dating her mom it was just-
"It's wrong," she muttered. "She's almost old enough to be his mother."
Jorick raised his eyebrows, but let it drop.
Micah's appeal took place the next day. Der H?here Rat met in a private room. Katelina and Jorick waited in an antechamber with Oren, Torina, Loren, and, surprisingly, Verchiel. She wanted to ask about Ume, but not in front of the others.
The door opened and a guard handed them a piece of folded paper sealed with red wax.
Jorick snapped it open and skimmed the contents. "He's to be released tomorrow. 'It is the ruling of this council that as stronghold guard Burton was found in error, the accused cannot be held solely responsible for the violence, and so his sentence is commuted to two days, to finish on the evening of February, 11th-'" He broke off and then picked up again, "This judgment is final and may not be appealed."
"Well that's that," Oren said with satisfaction.
Loren heaved a sigh of relief. "I've been worried about what they'd do to him."
"Probably nothing he wouldn't like." Torina laughed, and then stood and stretched provocatively. "I'm in the mood for lunch. Anyone care to join me?"
Verchiel didn't jump at the chance, so Loren enthusiastically took his place. "I will."
Torina chucked him under the chin. "Aw, you're only a little vampire-ling. But I suppose even a boy needs to grow up sometime." She gave her brother a wink, and then took Loren's good arm. "You can buy."
The doors closed behind them and Oren commented, "At least I won't have to pay for her."
"It was your idea to turn her," Jorick reminded him. "I did warn you not to."
"Yes," Oren said dryly. "And some days I wish I'd listened."
***
They ate lunch in the restaurant. Katelina was halfway through her roast beef sandwich when Sadihra appeared. Her expression was neutral, but her eyes were worried. She whispered something in Jorick's ear, then motioned him to follow and left as quickly as she'd come.
"What was that?" Katelina asked.
"There's been another attack." Jorick stood. "I'll be back."
Katelina started to follow, but he waved her back to her chair. "Finish your lunch. Oren will look after you."
"I don't need looked after!" she called as he hurried away. She glared at the sandwich as though it was at fault. "Why can't I go?"
"That's the problem with dating the hero," Verchiel quipped. "He's always busy being heroic, and you're left on your own."
"Who said he's the hero?" Oren asked coldly.
"He thinks he is." The redhead grinned. "I can babysit if you'd rather go look for your sister."
"Hardly." Oren fidgeted a moment with his empty glass, and his amber eyes moved to the door. "I need to take that- human some food, I suppose."
"Etsuko? Yeah, you don't want her starve to death." Verchiel gave Katelina a wink.
"She's not a pet," Katelina snapped.
"I dunno." Verchiel leaned back in his chair. "Humans make good pets, and the best part is they don't need collars and tags since they can tell people where they belong when they get lost."
Katelina kicked him under the table, and he laughed. "At least the good humans do."
Oren fidgeted a moment longer, then announced, "I assume you can behave yourselves in public long enough for me to take the human some food?" He gave Verchiel an extra hard look.
The redhead held his hands up and wiggled his fingers. "No touchy? Ah, now you've taken all the fun out of it."
Katelina kicked him again and Oren said, "Yes, that is exactly what I mean. I'll be back."
He strode purposefully toward the front counter, and Katelina watched as he rang the bell and made his order.
"It's kind of sweet, isn't it?" Verchiel said.
"What is?"
"How he's taking care of her."
Katelina choked on her tea. "Are you joking? He treats her like crap!"
Verchiel cocked his head to one side. "Nah." He emptied his glass and plunked it on the table. "No. I haven't talked to Ume."
"What?"
"Earlier." He met her eyes, all the humor gone from his face. "You wanted to know if I'd talked to her yet , and no, I haven't. I imagine we'll take her with us when we leave, so I'll have plenty of opportunity."
"Why would we take her?" Katelina wanted to, but hadn't figured out how to accomplish it.
"Because she's a member of the group who's hunting our new favorite enemy. Best to join forces with them, don't you think?"
"You've put some thought into this."
"Not really. Genius like that comes naturally." He tapped the side of his head. "So what do you say? You wanna blow this joint before Mr. Gloom-n-Doom gets back and go find a private broom cupboard somewhere?"
"Only if I'm stashing your body in it." she said, then took a savage bite of her sandwich.
