Chapter 45
Jorick tackled Claudius to the floor. His hands scrabbled for Jorick's throat and cold laughter hissed through his pale lips. He threw Jorick off of him and climbed to his feet. "You fought your way through to retrieve your pet, how touching. What a shame the effort was wasted."
Jorick stood quickly and slammed Claudius back into the cold stone wall. "Hardly."
"If your goal was to fight a losing battle, then you're right, you were a success, but if it was to kill me, and rescue her, you'll fail at both. She's mine now, and unless someone stops the blood she'll soon be dead, like Arowenia. A just fate, don't you think?"
Jorick hesitated for a moment as his eyes skipped to her bleeding figure. Claudius took advantage of the distraction to grab Jorick by the shoulders and throw him away. He crashed into the empty metal cage, and both vampire and cage sprawled loudly across the floor.
Jorick rose into a crouch, growling. "Then I'll have to kill you quickly." He sprang, catching the side of Claudius and taking them both down into a heap on the floor.
Claudius looked surprised as his struggles came to nothing, then he called for his underlings. "Fools! He's down here! Down Here!"
Jorick snorted sarcastically. "I'm afraid they've been detained - permanently."
Claudius faltered. His mouth worked, but no sound came out. "You killed them all?" he asked in disbelief And then, as realization hit him, his fury swelled and crashed through the room like a dark wave. He fought back with renewed vigor so that they rolled across the cement, hands flailing, and blood splattering. They ripped and tore at one another like two male lions fighting to the death.
Katelina struggled to follow the fight, but her eyes were so heavy and they both moved so fast that part of the time she couldn't even see them. They'd be locked together in combat and then suddenly one of them would be across the room, picking himself up and charging while she'd missed the part in between.
She fought a wave of blackness and her eyes fluttered closed. Her breathing was shallow, and she had a hard time concentrating. She forced her eyes open again and saw Jorick circling Claudius, both of them bloody and furious. Her hand shook and fell away from her bleeding wound to drop numbly to the cold cement.
Her eyes closed again. "Jorick," she whispered, softly, willing him to save her from the sucking blackness. "Jorick-." But the darkness was faster than he was, and she was lost in it.
"Katelina? Katelina?"
She heard a voice calling her, and yet she didn't want to open her eyes; didn't want to see where she was or who the voice belonged to. Better to stay here where it was safe, where there was no pain and no fear.
"Katelina? Wake up."
The words were a command; an order she didn't want to obey. She fought against it, but she weakened under the crushing pressure to do as she was ordered. Her eyes opened against her will, and she winced immediately at the light. Slowly, the world came into focus. Above her loomed a pale face framed in flowing black hair. Dark liquid eyes stared down at her, filled with worry.
"Jorick," she whispered and reached a trembling hand up to touch his cheek. His smooth skin was warm beneath her fingers.
He caught her hand in his and brought it gently to his lips where he brushed a kiss across the back of it. "Shhhhhh, it's all right. I'm here."
"Yes." She murmured and leaned her head back into his other hand. "You came."
His voice was husky and tight with anger, "Of course. I came, as soon as I could." He released her hand and gently stroked her bruised face. His eyes snapped with a dark fury as he took in the details of her injuries.
She licked her lips and tasted blood; somehow spicy and enticing. She swallowed it and sought for more, but there was nothing.
I'm just thirsty, she thought, and she was thirsty, and tired, and in too much pain. But Jorick was there now, and it would be okay. That is, if he could forgive her. He'd warned her, but she hadn't listened - hadn't taken it seriously.
"I'm sorry. I didn't know anyone could do that. I didn't know she could use mind tricks that way."
Confusion creased his brow, but he shook his head to dismiss the statement. "It doesn't matter now."
She nodded, though the motion caused her pain. "Is Claudius dead?" She hoped Jorick had ripped him into bloody, unrecognizable shreds.
"No," Jorick replied sadly. "I had to let him go to save you in time." The ghost of a smile played on his lips. "We killed many of his followers, though."
Disappointment filled her. "What about the big bald one?" If anyone was dead then let it be him. This was his fault - his and Kateesha's.
"Troy?" Jorick asked in surprise. "Yes, he's dead. I ripped his heart out myself."
"Good." She tried to smile but it hurt too much.
Jorick mirrored her attempt and managed it better than she had. He wrapped his arm around her and brought her against him, holding her tightly. She clutched at him as she closed her eyes and fought off the sobs that threatened to tear through her.
A familiar voice sounded from behind Jorick, "We need to get going." Katelina's eyes flew open in surprise to find Oren standing a few feet away. His clothes were torn and coated in blood and his face was grim and empty.
As Katelina fought off a scream, Kateesha appeared behind Oren and laid a hand on his shoulder. Her red lips curved into a smile and her dark eyes gleamed. "Yes. We do."
Katelina's shuddered with fear as the dark demoness stepped forward. "Aren't you happy to see me?" Kateesha asked in mock innocence.
Jorick glanced over his shoulder at Oren and Kateesha, and gently laid Katelina on the floor. He pulled his long black coat off and carefully wrapped her in it before he scooped her up.
Katelina tried to ignore her throbbing body as he stood and shifted her in his arms. The pain from everything Claudius had done to her was still fresh, though not as sharp as it should have been. Her shoulder screamed when she was jostled, but it was the "inner" pain that hurt most. All of her blood vessels ached, and the underside of her skin trembled from the seizure-like state and the burning sensation that had coursed through her. Her mind still reeled from Claudius' invasion, and she was so weak. Somehow what he'd done to her body paled in comparison to the rest of it. She remembered him laughing at her "primitive fears" and saying that he could do something much more terrible to her. He'd been right, the mental assault had been far worse than the physical.
She licked her lips and found a small smear of blood. The salty tang tasted almost good, and again she wanted more. She thought vaguely that it must have to do with having lost so much.
Jorick interrupted her thoughts as he glanced towards Oren and Kateesha, his face impossible to read. "As you said, we'd best be going."
Oren took a step towards the stairs and then paused to warn them, "There may be others coming, Claudius had more than that in his entourage."
Jorick nodded his understanding and the three climbed the stairs. Katelina buried her face against his chest to blot Kateesha from her sight. She couldn't understand what the bitch was doing there.
They reached the top of the stairs and entered the corridor Katelina remembered from the night before. Instead of a hallway, it was really a long room that ran the length of a small building. The walls were exposed brick and the floor was the same cement as the basement. The wooden stairs that ran down to the basement were at one end, and the large metal door that led outside was at the other. In the middle was an open doorway that poured black smoke. The dark mist blocked out the ceiling's electric lights and filled the room with a suffocating stench that made Katelina gag.
As they drew near the smoking doorway Oren's redheaded sister stepped out of it. Her dress was splattered with gore and she licked blood from her fingers like honey. Her eyes flicked to the three vampires and she stated in a pout, "I can't find any more."
Oren looked around uncertainly. Worry crept over his features as his eyes swept the vacant room. "It's not right."
"I know," Jorick agreed and squeezed Katelina tighter. The four exchanged uneasy looks and then continued their way through the room and out the door. Once outside, the shining yard light bathed them in its strange glow that made everything look surreal. The blood that stained their clothing became deep black splotches. It somehow made it look cleaner and more sanitized.
Their feet crunched over the gravel parking area and stopped in front of the white panel van. Katelina's eyes grew wide with fear as memories slid over one another: the stench of blood, Arowenia's ruined throat, Troy's threats.
