Chapter 461
With a growl, Sushel dropped back to the bench. "If that's all you wanted you can leave. As Fethillen said you chose a new life, and are no longer one of us."
"Because you made me unwelcome!"
"Did you expect less? Was it not your brother who murdered Ken? He has yet to pay for that but he will. You all will."
"Enough!" Fethillen snapped. "Ume has joined her brother and it is over. Ken is dead because it was Ken's time to die. There is no other reason." She looked back to Ume. "You have chosen a new life. It would be best for you accept it and leave your old ties behind."
Ume dipped her head. "You are right. It's just-You're still my master."
"Not any more. I released you."
Sushel made a smug sound and Katelina glared at him. She remembered his attempt at revenge; the one that had gotten Ume kidnapped and Quenby killed.
The door opened and Burton called, "Visiting hours are over for the night. Come back tomorrow."
With a grateful bound, Katelina hurried into the hall, but Ume stopped at the threshold. "Blood is thicker than oaths. You may have released me, but you will always be my master."
"Lovely sentiments." Burton pulled her into the corridor and locked his prisoners in. "Come on."
He led them back the way they'd come. At the heavy door he motioned Ume through and pulled Katelina back. "I'd be careful if I were you."
Here it was. He was going the threaten her. Except she was sick of threats. "Excuse me?"
He scowled. "The Kugsankal wanted you for something. They rarely change their minds."
Before she could ask for further details, he practically shoved her on. "Move it. My shift is over, and I'd like to go to bed."
At the cubby, he returned the key and removed their handcuffs. Another guard leaned on the wall, no doubt his replacement. Burton saluted him, then pushed the two girls back into the lobby where Dante was just coming around the desk. He gave them a heart melting smile. "I hope you had a great visit."
Katelina felt her cheeks heat. Ume nodded and murmured, "It was fine."
The waiting room door opened and a familiar redhead walked in, hands in his pockets. "Ume! Kately! There you are."
Katelina stifled a groan. "What are you doing here?"
"I came to see how you were doing." He winked at Dante. "I can take them from here."
"You all have plans? That's a shame."
Katelina had a sudden mental image of pale naked limbs twisted together and her pulse raced.
"Maybe another time," Dante added.
"You never know." Verchiel put his hand in the middle of the girls' backs and steered them out the door. "Come, come. It's getting late."
For a moment Katelina thought about arguing. They weren't that busy and Dante was gorgeous. Once she hit the hall the desire disappeared and left her feeling confused and embarrassed.
Verchiel grinned. "Well, well, a cupid. I haven't run into one of those in a long time."
"A what?" Katelina muttered.
"A cupid. Come on, didn't you notice how unbelievably attractive he was? More than usual, even for vampires? How you couldn't stop looking at him?" He leaned close and whispered in her ear, "How you thought about licking him?"
She pulled away. "Ugh! I did not!"
"You're the only one then."
Katelina's eyes bulged. "I thought you liked girls?"
"I do. To be fair though, when sex is primarily based on blood-let's just say blood doesn't have a gender. Besides, when you're faced with a cupid that good, what are you going to do? In case you haven't guessed, that's their gift. They're like a whisperer, except they just affect the part of your brain that has to do with physical attraction and sexual desire."
Katelina flushed and looked away. "Ume's hard to mind read, so she should be hard for whisperers, or cupids, to manipulate."
"You noticed she wasn't drooling as much as you were. It's a good thing I showed up or God knows where you would have ended up, or what you'd have been doing." He waggled his eyebrows lewdly.
She smacked his arm. "Just why did you show up, anyway?"
"I stopped in to see old grumpy boots. After I found out you'd done a stupid thing like visiting Fethillen I thought I'd better make sure Ume didn't end up in prison with her." He turned serious. "I know she was your master-"
"Don't worry," Ume said. "She made it clear."
"Ouch. Wanna talk about it?"
"No, thank you." She offered him a smile. "I appreciate your coming, though."
They stopped in front of the elevator and he ruffled her hair. "Hey, what's a big brother for, huh? You know, this sibling shtick might be kind of fun."
Verchiel split off when they reached their floor, but Ume walked Katelina to her room.
"I want to thank you for coming with me. I know it seemed strange, but I couldn't think of anyone else."
"No problem." She managed a smile. "Don't let her get to you with all that 'set free' stuff. I'm sure she cares about you."
Ume shrugged. "For better or worse, I have a new life."
"It's not that bad is it?"
"No, not bad. I miss Sibila, but I will always grieve for her, no matter where I am. And there have been moments when I miss the regimentation of my days, and our purpose. Even in the darkest moments, after Sibila was killed, there was still 'the purpose.' Not that Loren and Micah do not have a purpose of sorts, but it's not the same. The battle isn't their own."
"And yours was? I thought Memnon and the Father of Shadows were Fethillen's enemies?" Katelina realized how that sounded. "Sorry."
Ume's words came slowly. "You don't need to apologize. In a way you're right. Memnon died long before I was born. For two hundred years I have had that purpose pressed on me, driven into the cracks of my mind, until I forgot that it wasn't really mine. That's the reason Fethillen can never let it rest. That purpose has kept her alive for more than five hundred years. Without it she has nothing."
"She has friends."
Ume shook her head. "I've said before that I wouldn't call the Black Vigil a family. Fethillen, especially. She is above ushas always been above us. She sails her own sea and we watch from the beach. Sometimes I don't think she cares about any one, least of all us." Her smile was brittle and fake. "Never mind. It's late. I will see you later and thanks again."
Katelina watched Ume go and shook her head. Thank goodness it was bed time. She didn't think she could deal with anymore weirdness.
