Chapter 446
Katelina woke and quickly closed her eyes against the bright light. Her body ached and her gums felt like they'd been cut to ribbons. Her throat burned. She sought for memories and came up with the cell in Malick's basement. There was someone at the door
She sat up with a cry. The room rolled and her stomach twisted. She tried not to wretch. Her eyes adjusted to find the fountain room in Malick's secret oasis. A couple of pots were overturned. The plants and dirt were trampled across the tiles, and a splash of blood decorated one wall. She rubbed her head and remembered the attack. Jorick coming to save her.
As if summoned by her thoughts, she saw him kneeling next to her. His long dark hair was wild around his face and blood was smeared on his pale cheek. Loren stood behind him, splattered with gore and wearing a pained expression.
She opened her mouth to speak when lightning tore through her. The pain was worse than anything she'd felt before. She could hear someone screaming, but she wasn't sure who it was.
Jorick wrapped his arms round her. "Shhhh, little one. It's okay. Shhhhh."
The pain lessened and she curled into him. She thought she might go crazy if she didn't get a drink. His heart beat in her ear and for some reason the sound made her thirstier. "Water," she croaked desperately. "Jorick, I'm thirsty."
Loren volunteered, "I'll go find something."
Jorick nodded, then turned back and brushed hair back from her face. "It's all right, little one." The terror in his eyes said differently. His fear infected her. Oh god, had they maimed her? She looked down to see her ruined, blood-stained clothes and all of her limbs. She tested her feet and hands. They were healed. If she was better why did she hurt so badly?
Hot agony shot through her and she buried her face in Jorick's chest. As the agony subsided she was aware of someone speaking.
"cleaned out the basement. This one's still alive."
She blinked to see a grim faced vampire. His long lion-colored hair was pulled back in a ponytail and his amber eyes flicked from one person to the other, landing finally on her. It was Oren, Jorick's fledgling.
"You-" Oren trailed off then cleared his throat. Strange expressions followed one after another; shock, concern, and finally a sort of uncomfortable neutrality. "About the prisoner?"
Oren pointed to a limp body at his feet. It was Malick's lackey, Braydon.
"Kill him," Jorick said dismissively.
For some reason Katelina wanted to object. Uncertainty held her tongue, and it was Oren who said, "He might be more use alive."
"Fine, leave him." Even as he spoke, Jorick's attention was on Katelina.
Oren wiped blood from his chin with an exasperated sound. "I realize you're preoccupied, but if you could tear yourself away for a few moments, we can decide what to do. I'm sure Etsuko or Loren could keep an eye on her. It isn't as if she requires your presence to complete the change."
Change.
With that word a black terror seized Katelina, as dark as the fears in Jorick's gaze. She ran her tongue over her sore gums and stopped at her teeth. Instead of her tidy, human canines she had fangs.
The full connotation hit. She gave a strangled cry and pulled away from Jorick. "Oh my God! What have you done? You made me"
"Katelina, stay calm." Jorick drew her back into his arms.
"Stay calm?" She struggled to be free. "You didn't even ask me! You didn't"
"Would you rather be dead?"
She choked on the word. "Boris healed me. I was better." Unless there'd been something internal, something she hadn't noticed.
The thought disappeared as another spasm shook her. She dropped against Jorick with a sob. When the pain subsided she saw Loren zip through the door, looking pleased. "We found a human!"
A tall broad shouldered vampire with white hair stalked into the room. She recognized him as one of the Scharfrichter from Munich. Marching before him like a prisoner was Xandria. As they drew closer, Katelina caught her scent. Xandria smelled like roasting turkey after a month's fast. Katelina's throat and chest tightened. Seconds passed. Xandria ceased to be Xandria, just a container, a glass that held what she needed; soothing liquid to quench her horrible thirst.
Katelina was dimly aware of ripping away from Jorick, of tackling Xandria to the floor, of biting into her. She gulped hot soothing liquid down her throat. It tasted metallic, but at the same time was so much more. There was cherry coke and chicken, salt, carrots, fear, anger, life.
She was torn away and left chomping at thin air. The world started to filter back as she fell limply in Jorick's arms. She wiped her mouth and looked at her hand to see blood.
Xandria lay on the floor, eyes wide with horror. Hethin, the white haired Scharfrichter, tugged her to her feet and gave her a handkerchief to press to her bleeding neck.
"My master will be back for me," Xandria said. "And Kate's master. He'll, uh, he'll-"
"He'll what?" Jorick demanded.
"Crap. I don't know." Xandria sagged. "He's going to be mad that one of you made her a vampire, that's for sure." She looked at them hopefully. "Are you going to make me one?"
Jorick dismissed her with a motion. "Kill her, unless you think she's important."
Xandria. Everything snapped into place and Katelina cried, "No! Don't kill her!"
"Then tie her up," Jorick muttered. "We'll deal with her later."
Xandria shot Katelina a look that seemed to say "Thanks. Sorry I can't do anything for you in return." Katelina wanted to reassure her that everything was okay, but she couldn't find words because she wasn't sure it was.
Hethin led Xandria away. Oren waited half a heartbeat then said, "We're nearly finished cleaning the place out. Should we follow Malick? We can send for the planes and have them here in a few minutes. Sadihra said that there's plenty of fuel on the premises."
"No. We won't catch him, and a plane is no place to finish the ordeal."
"It was good enough for Etsuko," Oren snapped. "Never mind. Perhaps we can find a clue as to Malick's next move. I'll have Micah and Loren search. Torina can help, and I'll find someone to burn the bodies of the dead-"
He kept talking but his words smeared together in a long nonsensical drone. Katelina's fiery thirst was back. With it came trembling weakness. She wanted to call out to Jorick, to ask him what was going wrong, but her tongue wouldn't work. Oren kept talking, moving in slow motion, then he blurred. The colors ran and turned black at the edges. The vampires' conversation disappeared into the sound of blood roaring in her ears. Though she fought against it, she slipped into darkness.
