Chapter 506
Jorick was called to a debriefing with the Scharfrichters and Executioners. Katelina gave him a tight hug before he left. Though the message seemed straightforward, she was worried. She, Jorick, and Jamie had disobeyed the H?here Rat's orders by following Sorino, then Jorick killed his master. She imagined him sentenced to prison in the dungeon. She could file an appeal, of course, and point out that Malick was evil, but would it do any good?
To take her mind off it, she tidied the room. The wrinkled Ziploc bag caught her attention. She fished out the silver cross and started to shove it in her pocket, an unlikely good luck charm, but stopped. Jorick knew she carried it, so why hide it?
She had to pick up her "witness" dress in the shopping center. While she was there she purchased a chain for the cross. The photo hut reminded her that she'd dropped off her disposable camera. She collected the prints and they headed back to their room. Xandria flipped through the photos, while Katelina looked over her shoulder. There was one of their rooms in Munich. The inside of a plane. The aurora borealis in Finland. An Uzbekistan skyline. Mountains in Egypt. A group of them huddled around a campfire in the African jungle.
"Hey look!" Xandria held up a photo of herself and Katelina from the Persatuan in Indonesia. "Remember this? Right before the attack?"
Katelina nodded absently as she fought the silver cross onto its new chain. She hung it around her neck and wondered if Jorick would notice.
Xandria brandished a picture. "That's a good shot of Jorick. He's hot, in an intense intimidating kind of way." She stuffed the photos back in their envelope. "I know this is going to sound stupid, but can we look for Sanjay?"
Micah's insistent knock on the door saved her from commenting. The bald vampire burst into the room. "Hup, hup. Let's go. Time to get your lazy ass kicked."
Her first reaction was to tell him to fuck off, but Sadihra's words came back to her. The vampiress was right. She didn't want to depend on someone else.
Xandria declined to join them, and it was late in the evening before Katelina staggered back to her room. Jorick sat in the chair, his nose in a book, Xandria noticeably absent.
"How'd the debriefing go?"
"We have orders to return to the United States," Jorick said without looking up. "They agreed to postpone it until after the wedding. Eileifr seems perturbed."
"Probably because you keep ignoring his orders."
Jorick gave a noncommittal shrug. Katelina worked up the courage to ask, "What did they say about Malick?"
She thought she saw a cloud pass over his face. It was gone before she was sure. "What should they have said?"
"Nothing. I just thought-Never mind."
She peeled off her shirt and his eyes moved from her breasts to the necklace. "Is that-?"
"Yes," she challenged. "So?"
"Nothing." He looked back to his book.
"Where's Xandria?"
"She's with Etsuko. Oren took them to look for her previous master. Apparently he wasn't captured. He's probably dead."
"How did Xandria take that?"
"I wasn't there. Oren mentioned it when he stopped by to ask if you were ever going to take care of your human yourself." He smirked over the top of the book. "He has a point. If you can't be responsible then you shouldn't own a pet."
"She's not a pet! She's a human being."
"I'd argue the point but-"
She threw her bloody shirt at him.
Xandria joined them for dinner. Katelina didn't need mind reading to notice her morose mood. She thought about asking if she was okay, but sensed an uncomfortable conversation coming; one she wasn't ready to deal with. Right or wrong, she wasn't sorry that Sanjay was dead. The vampire was responsible for blowing up the guilds in Turkey, Indonesia, Cambodia, Uzbekistan, Syria, and India. His bombs, and the attacks that had only been possible because of his bombs, had killed hundreds of vampires and humans alike. By helping the Children of Shadows, he'd helped Malick gather the army that butchered a house full of Samael's descendants in Tajikistan, then rolled over Samael's complex. If anyone deserved death, it was Xandria's master.
***
It was ten to midnight the following evening when Katelina and Jorick arrived in front of the Administrative Offices. A small group had already gathered, including Hethin and Wolfe. Katelina looked at the witness' casual clothes and wished she'd stuck to jeans. Despite Sadihra's advice, she'd let Jorick talk her into a knee length white dress that showed cleavage. She'd never been sexy before. Being a vampire didn't make any difference.
"Of course you're sexy," Jorick whispered in her ear. "You're the sexiest woman here."
Somehow, she doubted that.
Sadihra arrived one minute to midnight. Wolfe squeezed her hand and they followed the couple inside. A carved counter took up most of the space and a door on the back wall opened on a corridor.
The vampiress behind the desk led them to the Negotiation Room. Carved paneled walls and a heavy wooden table ringed in chairs made it look official. A vampire in a modern suit welcomed them, then motioned them to sit.
The official smiled warmly. "Are the masters present?"
Two vampires that Katelina didn't recognize stood up. She could feel their years hanging around them. Were they Sadihra and Wolfe's makers? When they introduced themselves as honorary masters, she decided they weren't.
"And those who wish to join in union?"
Wolfe moved to the front of the room. Katelina felt Sadihra's hesitation. The vampiress met her fianc¨¦'s eyes, then joined him.
The official brought out a roll of paper and carefully unfurled it. "We are gathered today to witness this contract between Wolfe von Richter, fledgling of Anslem, and Sadhira's honorary master Schorsch, fledgling of Cordiva, concerning the union of Wolfe von Richter, and Sadihra, fledgling of Dominik.
"By the statement of this contract, Wolfe von Richter will now pay the symbolic bride price of six silver coins to Schorsch." He paused. Wolfe drew a bag from his pocket. He handed it to one of the older vampires.
Schorsch shook out the coins into his palm. "The bride price has been received and accepted."
The official nodded. "Do we have the champions?"
Hethin and a dark haired Scharfrichter stood.
"Have the champions reached an accord?"
The dark Scharfrichter pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and read, "We have. From this day forth, master Dominik, here represented by Schorsch, will waive all rights of ownership to his fledgling Sadihra. From this day forth she will reside with her husband, Wolfe von Richter, and his master, here represented by Grimald, fledgling of Kesh."
The official turned to the honorary masters. "Is this arrangement accepted by the masters?"
"It is," they said in unison.
The official laid the paper on the table and handed Schorsch a pen. "With this signature, honorary master Schorsch does represent master Dominik, whose whereabouts are unascertainable, and in his name does relinquish all claims to his fledgling, Sadihra, from this day forward."
The vampire signed the paper with a flourish, then handed the pen to the next. The official continued, "With this signature, honorary master Grimald does represent master Anselm, deceased, and does now claim for him all allowable rights to Sadihra, in so far as she is the bride of his fledgling, Wolfe von Richter."
Grimald signed the paper then handed the pen to Wolfe.
"With this signature, Wolfe von Richter, fledgling of Anselm, does legally bind himself to Sadihra. From this day forth they will live together in the chosen coven."
Wolfe added his name, then handed the pen to Sadihra. Panic was on her face, but when she met Wolfe's eyes, she smiled.
"With this signature, Sadihra, fledgling of Dominik, does legally bind herself to Wolfe von Richter. From this day forth she will live with him, a full member of his coven, with all rights assigned to such a status, and will hitherto take his name as her own, being known as Sadihra von Richter."
Sadihra signed her name then met Wolfe's eyes again. The smile brightened. Her fear melted away.
"And now the witnesses will sign."
When everyone had scribbled their signatures, the official looked over the contract and announced, "This document is legal and binding, and may only be broken by a ruling of the court. Congratulations and best wishes."
Everyone broke into applause. Wolfe and Sadihra thanked the official, then their wedding parties. When Sadihra shook Katelina's hand, she saw the relief in the Scharfrichterin's eyes, as if a weight had been lifted from her, though she didn't understand it. If she didn't know better, she'd have sworn Wolfe was influencing her.
Except he can't.
Sadihra caught Katelina and Jorick before they could get in the elevator. "You and your friends will both join us for the Polterabend the night before the wedding?"
Katelina hesitated. "Is that another vampire thing?"
"No, it's a German tradition. Though we're not German by blood, we've lived here long enough that we might as well be. Besides, it's fun."
"Um-What is it?"
Sadihra laughed. "It's a party."
A party before the wedding seemed strange, but so did two weddings. She agreed, and thanked the Scharfrichterin, then hurried into the elevator.
"That was weird."
"No weirder than other marriage customs."
"If you say so."
Jorick lifted the cross from her chest. "You still have this." She nodded and he sighed. "Why?"
"I don't know. I've told you before, it's sort of like a good luck charm."
He dropped it. "For all the luck it's brought."
"Maybe. Or maybe things would be worse."
He started to reply then pulled her to him. She laid her head against his chest. "Have you heard anything about Samael?"
Jorick tensed. "Why do you ask?"
"I meant about him attacking Lilith, or smiting ruin on the countryside. He said he'd found her."
"When?"
"In China, before he left. He read it from Ishkur's mind."
Jorick made an unhappy noise. "He thinks he found her. Who knows if she's really where Ishkur thought she was. No doubt she can mask herself, as Samael can."
"I don't understand why Ishkur hasn't gone after him."
"Maybe he has. I haven't seen him."
She started an impatient reply when the doors swished open. Jorick pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Enough of that. We had best find where your pet has wandered off to."
