Chapter 495
Katelina woke before the others. The first thing she did was check the cargo pocket of her jeans. She felt the hilt of the dagger and relaxed. Sorino hadn't robbed her while she slept.
A pale strip of sunlight leaked around the edges of the door. An unnatural compulsion to approach it grew until she couldn't shake it off. She slipped from the safety of Jorick's embrace and tiptoed across the room.
She stopped just short of the door, her shoes at the edge of the light.
"You cannot cross the threshold," Samael's voice said inside her head.
"Not anymore," she whispered.
"It is no matter. The sun is sinking. The others will wake soon."
She nodded and twisted her hands apprehensively.
"You need not fear. Nothing can touch us inside these walls."
She edged closer, as if to press the urgency. "Malick is bringing an army."
"So long as he remains outside these gates he will live."
Katelina tried to fight her impatience. "You don't understand. He's coming to fight you. He wants to defeat you to prove how powerful he is. He's already taken the crown from the True Council."
"I care not for his trinkets. He has no power here."
"Yes he does. You can kill his army, but how many will they kill first? Your servants? The Scharfrichters? The Gu¨¬zish¨¯u? All those guards armed with guns?"
"They are inconsequential."
She banged the door with her frustrated fist. "How can you say that? They're alive, just like you, with thoughts and dreams."
"Did you feel that way when you defeated the Black Vigil? How many have you killed, or helped to kill? Life is death and death is life. One cannot exist without the other. To live one must consume the living. To die one must have lived. It is a cycle that cannot be broken. To mourn for its completion is futile."
She pressed her forehead against the time worn door. "Yes, but-" But what?
Jorick woke with a gasp. She looked to see him sit up, seeking her. Their gaze met and he relaxed. When he reached her side, his dark eyes moved to the door. "Do you need something?"
Samael's rich, melodic voice flowed through the wood. "This is my palace, child. I go where I will."
"Katelina does not belong to you."
"Jorick!" she whisper-yelled.
"Nor to you," Samael replied. "She is a moment's diversion that you will grow weary of. What will you give her but heartache, in the end?"
Jorick grabbed her hand and wove his fingers tightly with hers. "Do not presume to tell me what I will or will not do."
"I presume nothing. I can see your heart and mind in completion; a puzzle whose scope is so large that you yourself cannot view its entirety. It is no matter. All will be what it will be. When your party has woken, you may hunt for food in the grasslands. There are deer and other animals. Leave the servants untouched. They are mine."
Though there was no sound, she felt him drawing away. "When will Malick get here?"
"Before the moon has risen."
His answer meant nothing, but there was no point in pressing the issue. He was already gone.
***
The sun had set by the time everyone woke. They agreed to split up in search of food. "Meet here in an hour," Wolfe commanded. Though most of the vampires rolled their eyes, an hour later everyone but Sorino and Kai were gathered back in the building.
Jamie looked suspiciously at Lurid. "Where's your friend?"
The dark vampire shrugged. "No idea. We were together, then I turned around and he and short-stuff were gone."
"The coward probably ran away." Micah scoffed.
"More likely he's skulking among the historical artifacts," Wolfe said darkly. "I fail to understand why you trust him."
"I don't." Jorick glanced at Xandria, and Ryuu. "The next order of business is to feed the humans and find somewhere safe to put them."
Katelina cursed silently. How in the hell could she forget about Xandria's food? Only a couple weeks ago she'd lamented the lack of vampiric concern. Now she was doing the same thing.
Maeko fed Takeshi some kind of rodent, and the servants appeared with food and canned soda. When Xandria and Ryuu had eaten, the servants returned to "take them to safety." Xandria glanced back to Katelina. Whatever she saw made her shrug and follow them.
"Takeshi-san will go with them," Maeko announced. "Should enemies get by us, he will defend the humans."
Though the vampire looked better than he had the night before, he was still paler than usual. He rose with help from Hikaru, and Ryuu helped him walk. The make-shift tourniquet was gone from his ankle and they could see that the skin had grown over the stump in a smooth, perfect cap, like Loren's left arm.
Oren cleared his throat. "Etsuko you should-do the same."
The vampiress bowed. "As Oren-sama wishes. I will do my best not to disappoint."
She moved quickly to Takeshi's other side. Together she and Ryuu led him out of the building.
Jorick cocked an eyebrow at his fledgling. Oren muttered something undecipherable and looked away.
As soon as the others were gone, Verchiel laid out a small wrinkled park map.
"Where did that come from?" Micah asked.
"The airport." He broke into a grin. "Don't you guys ever check out the brochures? I have some good ones of the Forbidden City and some museums in Beijing if anyone's interested." No one replied and he pointed to a spot on the map. "I think Samael made some changes. There are supposed to be food stalls here, but I didn't notice them on the way in."
"That's probably where the rubble in the gates came from," Jorick said.
Jamie laid out strategy. Wolfe's forces were scattered around the outside of the walls and in the town, hoping to ambush Malick. While the Scharfrichter, Gu¨¬zish¨¯u, and guards were busy dying, the rest of them were supposed to wait at the different gates inside the compound, in case Malick and his goons broke in. Katelina mentioned that Samael had shored them up, so it was more likely the attacking forces would hop over the wall. Wolfe brusquely pointed out that from good vantage points near the gates, they could keep their eye on a large area.
Wolfe assigned teams of two to each gate. Though no one said it, Katelina knew they were counting on Samael to rip apart anyone who slipped past them.
Wolfe's radio crackled to life. Someone shouted a string of German. Katelina could hear yelling in the background. The words choked off with a cry. Though Wolfe called for them to answer again and again. Nothing came.
Malick had reached the blockade.
"Tor!" Wolfe shouted into the radio, then stashed it savagely on his hip. "That was not the planned road block. He's less than twenty minutes march from us."
Katelina stopped from saying, "I told you so."
"Go to your assigned places. Choose high vantage points. None of you has a radio. Communication will be scarce. There will be no way to notify each other of last minute changes, so stick to the plan."
Micah gave Wolfe a mock salute and they broke apart. Katelina could hear the Scharfrichter on his radio, "Malick is on his way. Stay close to the gates. Tell B squad to fan out through the streets. Send C squad to gate number three. D squad-"
"Do you think his strategy will work?"
"No," Jorick answered.
