Chapter 452
They headed upstairs for a meeting with the others. When Katelina and Xandria fell behind, the woman whispered, "That Jorick guy claimed you? Your master is going to be furious."
"What? No. Jorick is my-boyfriend." She still couldn't bring herself to call him master.
"Shit. Seriously? When you were in Indonesia?"
"We were there to fight the Children of Shadows."
Xandria stopped to stare. "Holy crap, really? That's crazy! I have seriously been listening to Jorick-this and Wolfe-that for weeks. It figures the first sane person I meet is one of the bad guys."
"Cyprus was the bad guy," Katelina corrected automatically. The expression on Xandria's face stopped her from going further. "Never mind."
The others were waiting in the lunchroom. Katelina was barely through the door before a slinky vampiress sashayed inside. She stopped next to Oren, and gave Jorick and Jamie suggestive smiles. Then she noticed Katelina. "So it's true. Micah did what Jorick refused to."
Jorick growled a warning. "Torina."
The vampiress tossed her wavy red hair. "You should have done it long ago, Jorick. It's your own fault." She glanced at Katelina. "I suppose I should welcome you to immortality."
"Don't strain yourself," she muttered.
Torina cocked an eyebrow and touched Jorick's arm. "You'd best be careful. Now that you're not a pathetic human Jorick may lose interest."
It was the same worry she'd already had. That someone else also thought it-
"No, I won't." He purposefully moved the vampiress' manicured hand.
Torina leaned close to him, offering a view of milky cleavage. "If you ever get bored, you know where to find me." She laughed, and turned to her brother. "Oren, I'm hungry. Be a dear and get me some blood."
"Get it yourself, sister."
"Where's your little pet? Have her fetch it."
Katelina made to defend Etsuko, but Oren beat her to it. "Etsuko is busy elsewhere. She is not my pet. She's as immortal as you are, and your equal. I suggest you get used to it."
Katelina and Torina gaped identically. Before either could reply, Maeko bounced through the door. Hikaru and Takeshi followed, a teenage boy behind them. Maeko bowed a greeting and pointed to the teen. "Kate-chan remembers Ryuu-chan?"
Loren and Micah appeared next. Though the burly vampire had obviously had blood to heal his injuries, his face was still bruised and swollen. Torina hurried to him. "What happened?"
"He got what he deserved," Jorick snapped. "If everyone's here?"
"Starting without us?" Sorino asked as he breezed inside. With his long brown hair, pale tapered fingers, and perfectly pressed suit, he reminded Katelina of a movie villain. It didn't help that he led Kai on a chain.
"Kai!" Katelina hurried to him. "Are you okay?"
The boy shrugged, and Katelina guessed that Sorino had given him enough blood to restore him. The question was whether he'd given it in healing, as Boris had to her, or as a lover.
"Do you want to know?" Sorino purred.
Katelina's cheeks tinted pink and Sorino chuckled. "I believe Verchiel's sister is still missing."
As if that was her cue, a short raven haired vampiress hurried through the door. Katelina was surprised to see that she'd replaced her usual black ninja outfit for jeans and a sweatshirt.
Ume stopped next to her brother and nodded to Katelina. Though she didn't ask, Katelina could see questions in her violet eyes. If only she had the answers.
Jorick called the meeting to order. After an argument that left him growling in Micah's face, the vampires agreed that if one went to Munich, they all went. Torina didn't hide her displeasure, but she didn't push the issue.
With the decision made they split up. Micah and Loren went to "loot what they could." Ume volunteered to check on Etsuko and their laundry, and Katelina followed Jorick around as he made the final arrangements.
Human pilots appeared long enough to look nervous, then hurried away to prepare for takeoff. Less than an hour later, Katelina reluctantly climbed on board one of the two planes. Hethin followed, pushing Braydon before him. The brunette's hands were bound. His face an emotionless veneer.
Jorick made a low noise next to her. "Apparently the H?here Rat wishes to speak to him."
"You mean interrogate and imprison him?" she retorted.
"And why do you care?"
"I don't." Though he didn't reply, she was sure he knew about the blood. It didn't seem fair to her that something she didn't remember should affect her.
Like I don't remember being turned.
Sadihra appeared next, with Boris. The Russian didn't hide his unhappiness as he was taken to the back of the plane.
"I suppose they want him as well?" Katelina asked.
"Of course."
They took off. Despite her new immortality, Katelina tensed against the seat and mashed her eyes closed. Once the plane leveled out she relaxed a little. Jorick squeezed her hand.
"We won't crash."
"And if we do? You might survive but I" The words died on her lips. She wasn't human anymore. She was just as immortal as they were. Just as indestructible.
"You're younger," Jorick said. "And you're weaker. Though with Samael's blood-"
Xandria cleared her throat uncomfortably from the seat next to Katelina. They hadn't spoken since the meeting, and she didn't know what to say.
Xandria filled the silence for her. "What's the deal with all this Kugsa-someone?"
"The Kugsankal," Katelina said. "Or the True Council. It's made up of three ancient vampires. From what I've heard they mostly hang out in the basement in a sort of sleep-like existence, but they've woken up recently thanks to Malick and the Children of Shadows. Basically, each country has its own vampire government, but the Kugsankal are over all of them."
"They're like the emperors of the world?"
"Yeah, sort of." Katelina thought of her previous meetings with the trio. "They're terrifying."
"Like that old guy Malick?"
"Worse. They're even older."
Sadihra stood and announced, "We will have to remain in the plane for a few hours after we land, or risk the sun."
The assemblage murmured their agreement, and Jorick turned to Katelina. "Why don't you get some sleep? You could use the extra rest."
