Chapter 420
Verchiel leaned against the counter and pulled on his socks. "I've been informed you're not allowed to leave this room. Talk about segregation. Still, it has to be better than being stuck in the secure place."
"I don't know about that," she said coldly.
He walked past her and flopped on one of the beds. "Not too bad. You should try it."
"No thanks."
He grabbed the remote from the nightstand and flipped the TV on. "Oh come on, I won't bite, unless you ask me to." He batted his eyes innocently.
"Right, and I asked last time?"
He scrunched his face up comically, as if straining to think. "I don't remember, exactly, but you did go into a prison cell with a starving vampire. That's pretty much the same thing."
"It wasn't my fault!" It was the same thing she'd said to Jorick over and over, and she looked away in a huff.
Verchiel snickered. "I didn't know you guys were still arguing about that. He's touchy, huh?"
"Yes, he is."
"Well you can stand over there if you want, or you can flop on the other bed. I don't care."
He flipped through the TV channels. Katelina stood stubbornly next to the bathroom, her arms crossed in defiance, but as the minutes passed it got boring. Plus it was hard to see the TV. She slowly moved across the room, a step at a time, and finally sat in one of the chairs by the table.
They were in the middle of a DIY show about how to lay tilessomething she thought would look nice in Jorick's outdated kitchen in Mainewhen someone knocked on the door. Verchiel hopped off the bed and started toward it. He reached for the nob when a horrific idea seized her. What if it was Jorick? If he found out that Verchiel had called himself her master, he'd kill the redhead on the spot.
She bolted for the bathroom and had barely barricaded herself inside before she heard the bedroom door open and Verchiel say, "Hello! To what do I owe this?"
It was Ume's voice that answered, "I wanted to talk to you."
"Come right in."
Katelina crouched next to the bathtub. The porcelain was still damp, and she jerked her hand away and steadied herself on the floor amidst a sea of discarded towels.
My God, he's a slob.
"How are you?" Verchiel asked his visitor.
"I'm fine. Let's get to the point. I left the Black Vigil, but it isn't what you think. I-you asked me what it was I wanted from you, and I've thought about it. I used to imagine you'd come back, and we'd go home, or find a new home, and things would be the way they were, but what that really meant was you'd take care of me. There was a time when I needed that, probably when we were human and maybe for a while after that, but I don't need taken care of anymore. My time in Munich showed me that. At first I was panicked. How could I survive without Fethillen to look after me? But it turns out I don't need anyone. Not Sibila, or the Black Vigil, or you. Loren invited me to travel with him and Micah, and I accepted."
There was a moment of silence and then Verchiel said cheerfully, "Good for you."
Katelina crept toward the door. Words were one thing, but she wanted to see their facial expressions.
"I wanted you to know that I don't expect anything from you. You don't owe me, and I would understand if you'd rather forget everything."
Katelina pressed her eye to the keyhole. Despite Ume's words, Katelina could see the vampiress' uneasy expression.
"Pshaw! You can't ignore it. It's not every day someone finds out they have a sister they forgot about." Katelina couldn't see him, but she imagined him grinning. "It might be fun, so long as you don't make me carry your shoes like Torina does Oren."
Ume's worry melted and she burst into laughter. "She makes him carry her shoes?'"
"Someone has to wait on her when there are no available men around. But if you spend enough time with them you'll soon see it for yourself."
Ume breathed a sigh of relief. "I feel better now. I was worried that-I don't know what I was worried about. I guess that this would end badly." She cocked her head to one side and studied him. "You don't have a coven, do you?"
"Nope. I never have. It was just me and Kateesha and then she took off and I sort of wandered around on my own. I mean, I fell in with covens here and there, but nothing permanent."
"Isn't that lonely sometimes?" He didn't answer and Ume said quickly, "Never mind. I should go. Loren's waiting and he looked terrified that I'd change my mind after I talked to you."
"I wonder if you would've, if I'd said, 'Come! Join me.'" It was Ume's turn not to answer and he rushed on. "All right. Have fun and if nothing else I'll see you once the explosions start."
Ume stood and adjusted her black shirt. "If they ever make their minds up about how we're conducting the defense."
"The Children of Shadows won't wait for them to decide. If they start before the decision is made I guess it's every vampire for himself. Or herself."
"You have a point." Ume tugged at her shirt again. "Okay, I'll just"
"Not without a hug!"
Katelina had a momentary view of Ume's wide, shocked eyes before Verchiel swept her up and squeezed her with enough force to break ribs in a lesser being. He let her go and Katelina could see his grin. "Have a good time with little Loren. If he gives you any trouble, come let your big brother know."
Ume took a step back. "Right. I will. I'll-" she broke off again and sniffed the air. Then she turned and sniffed again and again, an odd look on her face.
"Something wrong?" Verchiel asked.
"Yes. I smell" the look she gave him was a mixture of concern and warning. "I hope you know what you're doing."
They disappeared toward the door and Katelina dropped back. She could hear Verchiel say, "I never know what I'm doing, that makes it all the more fun," and then the vampires' words faded. What had Ume smelled? Was it her? Had she jumped to some horrible conclusion? It was the obvious one, but Ume should know better!
The bathroom door flew open and Katelina fell backwards. Verchiel stood in the doorway, hands on his hips, laughing. "You could've at least cleaned while you were in there. But, if you're done skulking around, they've finished with the tile and are installing the flooring now. You don't want to miss that."
