Chapter 463
When Micah finally called it a day, Katelina lay on the mat like a dead creature. Micah tossed her the last bag of blood, but she didn't have enough energy to open it. After watching vampires hop up mountains and walk for hours, she thought they didn't get fatigued. Why in the hell was she so tired?
"You're only a fledgling." Jorick crouched next to her. He opened the bag and held it out. "Endurance comes with age. Besides, you've done more today than in a week of mortality."
Micah stood over her, hands on his hips. "When you were human, you'd have been worn out after the first go round. You did pretty good, slave. We'll see if you can do better tomorrow."
"She's done," Jorick snapped. "You got what you wanted. Release her."
"Nope." Micah picked up the cooler and strode for the door. "See you tomorrow, Lunch."
Jorick growled and made to go after him, but Katelina grabbed his arm. "Just forget it. It's not like there's anything else to do until we find Malick." She dropped her head back to the mat. "I just have to live through it."
The bruises on Katelina's body disappeared with the bag of blood. She stopped at the room to check on Xandria, but found only a scribbled note that said, "Took your human for a walk. Promise to bring her back. V"
Jorick wadded the paper up. "And good riddance. He can spend his time trying to get her clothes off instead of yours."
"He doesn't Oh never mind." There was no point in arguing. She took a quick shower and grabbed the disposable camera from the Ziploc baggy. So much had happened since she'd taken the photos that she didn't remember them anymore, only that they were for her mother, to prove that Jorick wasn't a bum and she wasn't living in a van.
The public area of the stronghold was like a shopping mall. The corridors were lined with stores, entertainment, and even what passed as a coffee shop. They dropped the camera off to be developed, as they had on their previous visit. Last time Jorick had had to fill out the paperwork in his name, but this time she was allowed to do it herself. With immortality came recognition. It was like turning eighteen all over again.
She used Jorick's account to buy clothes, including some work out gear that was probably going to be uncomfortably tight. She didn't understand why women had to wear skimpy clothes to exercise. She'd worn floppy sweatpants and huge t-shirts back in her gym days, and been just fine.
Jorick ducked into the book store, as though the rows of jacketed tomes could soothe his fury. Katelina flipped through a few racks, but nothing caught her eye. They left with five paperbacks that Jorick said he hadn't read before, and headed back to the room. Katelina took a shower and changed into new jeans and black sweater. She found Jorick dressed in clean clothes and immersed in one of the books.
She dropped onto the bed and clicked the TV on but he gave a heavy sigh and slipped a piece of paper into the book to mark his place. "No time for that. We have a dinner invitation."
She turned the screen off. "With who?"
"Wolfe. He sent a message while you were in the shower." He pointed to his make-shift bookmark.
"Seriously? Yesterday he threatened to fight us and today he wants to have dinner?"
Jorick cast a regretful look at his book. "I doubt it was his idea. More likely Sadihra's. But we need information, and if they have any-"
Though he trailed off, Katelina knew the rest. Maybe they'd found Malick. She repeated that to herself over and over as they made their way to the restaurant, and as the attendant led them to the VIP room where Sadihra and Wolfe were already seated at a table. At their approach, the blonde Scharfrichterin stood. Wolfe remained seated, his expression the usual cold veneer.
"We're glad you could come." Sadihra sat only after they had. "How did your training go?"
Wolfe cleared his throat noisily, as if trying to stop his girlfriend from discussing a sensitive topic, but she went on, "I hope the room helped. It's one of the older ones that the Scharfrichter use, but I thought it would be good enough for what he had in mind."
"It was great. Thanks." Katelina flashed a false smile and tried not to notice the fury in Jorick's eyes. "How are you?"
The waiter interrupted with menus. Jorick ordered glasses of blood for the two of them, and Wolfe followed, ordering for himself and Sadihra. She gave him a look that said, "I can handle it myself," but didn't comment.
The waiter left and Jorick got to the point. "Have you found Malick?"
Wolfe's reply was an incredulous snort, and Sadihra fidgeted with the napkin. "Actually, I did not invite you to discuss business, rather something personal."
If they'd been on a sitcom, crickets would have chirped in the ensuing silence. Sadihra scrunched the napkin uncomfortably and finally Wolfe snapped, "We're getting married."
Sadihra held up her hand to show off a plain gold ring. Katelina realized that her gaping response was wrong. She nodded to the jewelry and tried to get her face under control. "I thought he said getting married? It looks like you already did." She felt bad at her reaction, but it was such a shock she hadn't had time to pull anything else together.
Sadihra shook her head. "Here we do not have two rings as you do, only the one. It depends which hand you wear it on as to what it means."
Jorick interrupted the explanation. "What does that have to do with us?"
Wolfe's irritation seemed to double. "Apparently Sadihra wants your-ex-human to participate."
"He has six witnesses," Sadihra explained. "I'm one short." She cleared her throat. "Of course, we could always cancel it."
"No!" Wolfe quickly composed himself and said in a calmer tone, "I already told you, if you want the-ex-human in the ceremony, then she can be in the ceremony."
"I don't have anyone else to ask. You know I don't have a coven, and you have already claimed some of the ones I would have chosen." Sadihra's voice got louder, "All this wedding business. We have more important things to worry about."
"More important than our future?"
"There's a madman on the loose. If he isn't stopped, there may not be a future."
"If we wait until the perfect moment, then it will never come," Wolfe argued back. "There will always be some calamity"
Katelina shifted uncomfortably and sent a desperate look to Jorick. Surely he could do something to stop their argument.
"If I wanted to," he mouthed.
The waiter saved the day. Once he'd gone, they sat around the table sipping their blood. Katelina still wasn't used to it, and had to force the glass to her lips. After that, instincts took over, and she drained the scarlet liquid in a long, hungry gulp.
Wolfe's eyebrows went up, but Jorick dismissed it with a gesture. "Fledglings."
"She's fine." Sadihra slammed her own empty glass on the table. "If you don't want to be involved, Katelina, I don't blame you. I keep questioning it myself."
Wolfe growled low and Katelina forced a smile. "No, no. it's fine. Witness. Great." She paused. "What does a witness do?"
"You stand there," Wolfe said. "I assume you can handle that?"
Katelina started to reply, but Sadihra interrupted. "It is tradition that the bride and groom each have an equal number of witnesses. The idea was that they were from your coven, and were present to watch over you and make sure that your partner's coven didn't harm you or interfere in the wedding. Just because a marriage was approved by your master didn't mean the rest of the coven agreed."
"Of course no one is going to be attacked now," Wolfe said. "It's a ceremonial position, like your American bridesmaids."
Katelina thought she could handle that. But would she and Jorick still be in Munich at the time of the wedding, or would they have to come back. "Uh, when is it?"
"As a witness you will need to be present for both the signing of the contract on March twenty-second, and the Binding Ceremony on the twenty-fifth. That is less than a month away. I still need a champion, and the contract needs finalized." Sadihra gave Wolfe a dark look. "One of us may have to take time off to get it arranged."
Katelina suspected which of them it would be, despite the fact that it was clearly Wolfe's idea. She wasn't surprised that he was pushing marriage. The two Scharfrichter had been estranged for years after Cyprus had wedged his way into a love triangle and then been thrown out of the stronghold. Wolfe had only recently gotten Sadihra back. No doubt he meant to keep her. Katelina felt that marriage was an extreme way to do it. She knew that Jorick had been married before, to Velnya, but he'd been so busy trying to make Katelina immortal that he'd never brought it up to her. Now that that was out of the way, would marriage be next?
"dress."
Katelina shook herself back to the present to catch Sadihra's last word. "Sorry. What?"
"She asked when you wanted to look at dresses," Wolfe snapped.
"Um, I guess whenever." As Sadihra had said, there seemed like more important things to do than dress shopping.
"Good. The day after tomorrow." Wolfe downed the last of his blood.
"After her training," Sadihra added.
"Yes, after her very important training." Jorick's sarcasm was thick enough to be almost tangible and Katelina groaned.
It seemed it was their turn to fight but, before they could, Wolfe announced, "The Black Vigil's trial was today. They were found innocent of destroying the Children of Shadows."
Katelina wondered if Ume knew that. "Were they released?"
"Yes, though I doubt they'll stay long. I'm surprised they haven't gotten in touch with you yet." The Scharfrichter gave Jorick a pointed look. "Don't deny you're hoping to use them against Malick."
Jorick finished his drink. "I'm not denying anything."
"Have they contacted you?"
"I thought you knew everything that went on?"
Wolfe scoffed and looked away. "Hardly, or I wouldn't have asked. You might also like to know that der H?here Rat has decided not to try the rest of you for your antics in China, or for your involvement in the revolt last month. Your official notices should go out tomorrow. I suggest you stay out of trouble in the future. They're running out of patience, and the United States' interference can only do so much."
Katelina felt a rush of relief. Jorick took the news with a nod, then pushed back from the table. "Unless you have anything else to discuss, I believe Katelina and I will retire to our room."
