Chapter 396
Though the prisoner swore he could take them to what was probably Malick's base in Namibia, Fethillen refused to change their plans. They would go first to the summer headquarters and then to Namibia from there. "We will need everyone if we want to defeat The Children of Shadows once and for all." The look she shot Jorick said that she counted him among their weapons.
The weather was warmer at their first refueling stop. Jorick and Oren bought bottled water and a variety of vending machine food. Though it was a foreign country, the snack food was the same. Katelina said a prayer of gratefulness and as the helicopter lifted off she sorted through the goodies. Etsuko was too polite to pick anything herself, and Katelina had to guess what she'd like and dole it out to her. She gave the Russians a share. They stared at it for a long time before they tried it.
"I doubt they've had Cheetos before," Verchiel commented.
Other than the food, the trip was cramped and uncomfortable; not just physically, but emotionally. Katelina could feel Sushel's dark angry eyes on her, as if he knew she'd told Fethillen. She imagined a thousand different scenarios where he crept up and killed her, and she suspected he was imagining them as well.
When they finally landed she gave a sigh of relief and snatched up her bag. She followed the others out of the helicopter. The air was warm and calm, almost too calm, and in the distance she saw a slow march of mountains. She looked around quickly on familiar surroundings; the airstrip was barely scratched out of the desolate land. Three buildings, four light poles, and three giant gas tanks made up the amenities, and coming out of one of the building was a lean figure. He had a long face and horn-rimmed glasses perched on a thin nose. His Arab style robes and the patterned cloth tied around his head made him look like a British tourist dressing the part of the locals for fun.
It was Hector.
That was why she'd recognized the name. They'd been to Hector's airstrip when they'd come to Egypt to buy the scroll from Thadimus; the scroll that had directions to the Raven Temple.
"Welcome, welcome!" Hector greeted them with a wide fanged smile. "Only the one coven this time? No worries, there's plenty of room. Though we have pilots waiting for their charge to arrive." He broke off and his eyes landed on Jorick. "Well hullo there! Are you here with Fethy or are you off to Thadimus again? Sorino went to see him a week ago, but I think he's planning to leave sometime tomorrow." He jerked his thumb toward the hangar.
Fethillen looked suspiciously from one to the other. "Jorick is traveling with us. I had no idea you knew one another."
"Oh, I wouldn't say knew, in the strictest sense," Hector replied cheerfully. "I've had the pleasure of his custom before. Enough chat! You will be staying, yes? It's after two, local time, so under four hours until sunrise. Come, come, let me get some refreshments for you. And of course if you'd like to freshen up there are bathing facilities."
All the weirdness and suspicion disappeared with those words. Katelina barely listened to anything until she was in the bathroom with the door locked and a stubborn Jorick leaning against the chipped sink.
"You want me to take a bath in front of you?" she demanded.
He rolled his dark eyes. "You have sex with me, Katelina, I've seen it all before. I don't trust Sushel enough to leave you alone right now. I might not have fully cracked into his thoughts, but what I could pull up was venomous and threatening. You've gotten spoiled with too many friendly vampires and forgotten what nasty ones are like."
She wanted to ask who that would be, but she supposed by comparison Oren and the rest were friendly.
With a sigh of resignation she peeled off her dirty clothes and climbed into the shower. It wasn't as embarrassing as usual, and she wondered if she was starting to get used to the feeling of his dark eyes roving over her naked body.
The shower curtain was thin and she could see his motionless silhouette through it. She scrubbed quickly with her miniature soap and then used as little shampoo and conditioner as she could get away with. They were probably going to be stuck with the Black Vigil for a while, so she might never make it to a store again.
She reached to turn the knob off when she noticed Jorick's silhouette was missing. Before she could call for him, the curtain opened and she fell back with a cry.
Jorick popped into the shower with a laugh. "Relax, little one. It's only me."
She clutched her chest. "My God! You scared the crap out of me, especially after that lecture about unfriendly vampires." She glanced down the length of him to find nothing but silky skin and a thick erection. "What are you doing?"
He leaned close and nipped at her neck playfully. "What does it look like?" He took her hand and guided it down between his legs. "We might not get a chance to be alone again."
"I'm not sure I'd call this alone." She let him press her back against the tile wall. "Hector and the whole army are just out there."
"But they're out there," he murmured. "And we're in here." He trailed kisses across her jaw. "Just the two of us." He paused to suck her earlobe and then whispered, "Alone."
His breath sent delicious shivers up and down her spine and she relaxed against him. The shower splashed over them and she kissed the water droplets off his shoulders. He moaned softly and her heart fluttered, delighted she could draw that sound from him.
He kissed his way down her neck and she leaned her head back to give him better access. He reached the scar of her mark, hesitated, and then moved on to her shoulder, shifting against her so his swollen manhood pressed into her leg. She snaked her hand down again and wrapped her fingers around it. His moan was deeper this time and he moved back to give her more room.
His eyes fluttered closed and she watched his face, the way his eyelashes lay against the perfect smoothness of his cheek, the soft curve of his gently parted lips, the way his nostrils flared with his pleasure.
He pressed her against the wall, kissing her passionately. She opened her mouth to let his tongue slide inside. Hot and moist, it jousted with hers, and she made a soft sound of desire. He traced a finger down her side, and goose bumps followed. She was aware of each water drop as it hit her skin, warm and somehow erotic as it ran in tiny rivulets down her body.
He slipped his hand down her wet slippery stomach to the soft center between her thighs. She moaned in surprise and delight as he delved into her moist heat, and opened her legs wider, encouraging him to do more.
He stroked her and she bit back her cries of ecstasy, afraid the others would hear. Her hand dropped away from him. In her selfish passion she didn't even notice.
His tongue teased her neck, tracing his mark. She heard the catch in his breath as if he was holding back for her sake.
She arched against him, moaning for more, aching for the exhilaration it would bring. She clutched his back and her fingers dug into the well sculpted muscles, trying to bodily press him into her. She lost track of the world amid the sensations; too many details to see the whole. The sound of the water, the heat of his body, the swelling, screaming need pumping through her, the desire to wrap his skin around her and disappear.
"Jorick," she sobbed softly. "Please. Please."
She wasn't sure what she was asking for, but he understood and swiftly bit her. She gasped and stiffened, but the pain disappeared, replaced by pleasure. It radiated from the bite outwards, lapping through her body in waves of tingling warmth. Everything vanished and there was only the rapture, the swirling colors, the whispering voices. She arched her neck, as though to encourage him to bite deeper, but still she ached for something more. Needed something more. The feel of him, the taste of him. His body, his blood.
She tilted her head, desperate lips reaching for his hunched shoulder. He shifted, moved closer, and her mouth found his skin. Her tongue swept over the smooth, perfect texture and then she bit. The hot spicy flavor flooded her mouth and her last connections with reality snapped. She was lost on crimson colored waves of passion and pleasure that built and built until they exploded in a final shimmering shower of ecstasy.
Jorick released her and pulled away from her reluctant mouth. He nuzzled her face with his, dropping soft kisses over her cheeks, her nose, her chin, her ears. Her eyelids fluttered open to see him gazing at her with dark, satisfied eyes. He slid his arms around her and pulled her naked body to his, pressing until her breasts flattened against his hard chest and his face was buried against her neck.
Reality settled around her. She licked her lips and tasted him there. She'd bitten him again. For a moment she started to get upset, but as quickly she dismissed it. Hell, Jorick didn't seem to care, so why should she?
"I love you, Katelina."
She sighed and held him tighter. Not only did he not care, but maybe he even liked it. "And I love you, Jorick."
