Chapter 515
They met Oren in the upper corridors, a sour expression on his face. "I assume they're finished with us, since we have to pay if we want to stay."
"Sounds like it," Jorick agreed. "You seem disappointed."
"Why would I be? We're checking out today."
Katelina wished they could say the same. If it wasn't for Jorick's stupid report-
"Where will you go?" Jorick asked.
Oren's frown deepened. "I'd thought to use Micah's den until we found a new one, but he and Loren are staying here."
Katelina jolted in surprise. "Why?"
Oren shrugged and went on, "We'll find a suitable place until something more permanent can be procured. I assume you'll be here?"
"Only for a day or two," Jorick replied.
Oren nodded. "I'll call with the new location."
They stood in uncomfortable silence. Finally Jorick said, "Safe travels. If you'll excuse us? Breakfast."
Oren gave a stiff nod, and they parted ways. Katelina waited until they reached the restaurant to say, "That's it? After everything we've been through you just tell him 'safe travels'?"
"Did you expect a speech?" Jorick smiled. "I could compose a poem of farewell, if that would suit you better? I thought you'd be happy to see the last of them."
Katelina glared at the tabletop. "I didn't say I wasn't happy. I just think you owe him a thank you."
Jorick rubbed his chin, eyes twinkling. "I never thought you'd say I owed Oren anything."
He had a point. After all the times Oren had been an ass, how could she feel the slightest twinge of melancholy?
After breakfast they got their IDs. Like a driver's license, they had photos taken and cards made up. Xandria moaned about her bad hair, but Katelina secretly enjoyed her own photo. It was the best looking ID she'd ever had.
When they headed back to their apartment, they discovered Micah waiting in front of the door to the Executioner block. "About damn time."
"What do you want?" Jorick asked. "You and Loren are free to leave."
"Think we're gonna stick around a bit." Micah popped an unlit cigarette into his mouth. "Seeing as how we're all here, I figure it's time for Lunch's training session. The information desk said there's a public gym. So go get changed, unless you wanna fight in that get up."
Katelina looked to Jorick to object. Instead, he shrugged. "You might as well. There's nothing to do until we feed your human again." Jorick swiped the keycard and pushed the door open. He paused and met Micah's eyes. His tone turned heavy with an edge of threat. "This lasts until we're ready to leave, then it's done."
Jorick was already through the door when Micah muttered, "We'll see."
Katelina's training session was the same as usual. Micah showed her fighting moves and made her spar with him. When he insisted she quit trying to punch him and lift weights, her first reaction was hell no, but to her amazement she lifted them easily. Since Micah had been the one to turn her, she'd inherited his titan ability, giving her strength she wasn't used to.
He crossed his arms and nodded approvingly as she hefted yet another ridiculous load of weights. "Good. You're stronger than I thought."
"Barely." She dropped the bar back on the catches. "You're killing me."
"Not killing you, saving you. You should fucking appreciate it. You'll be ready for anything. If some bitch wants to start trouble, you gotta show them who's boss. That means you gotta know what you can do and what you can't."
"I can't keep this up."
"Yeah you can. Quit being a whiny bitch. Again."
With a frustrated grunt, she hefted the bar and imagined slamming it into Micah's bald head in a spray of blood and brains.
No, not brains. Sawdust. That's all he's got up there.
When he finally called it a day, he patted her roughly on the back. "You're getting better, kid. You're not gonna beat me yet, but you can almost hold your own."
She rubbed her sore shoulder. "I held my own in the battle with Malick's goons."
He laughed. "You ain't gotta lie to me, babe, I was there." She glared and he relented. "You did better than usual, but you got lots of room for improvement." He nodded toward Xandria, perched on a piece of exercise equipment, flipping through a magazine. "If you're planning to keep her, you better start her training. We just lost our helpless human. We don't need another one."
Katelina lowered her voice. "I don't know what we're doing. Jorick wants rid of her, but she's been with vampires and The Laws say she can't join the general population."
"Give her to someone else. And don't look at me," he added hastily. "Last thing I need is some helpless human chick. Though Loren has an eye for her."
Katelina's eyebrows shot up and Micah gave a rough chuckle. "You ain't noticed? I thought women were sensitive to that shit. Mainly I think he's got an eye for anything with a pair of t"
She kicked him in the leg hard enough to knock him back a step. "Watch your mouth." Then she turned to Xandria. "Are you ready?"
After a shower and a change, they went back to the restaurant for an uneventful meal. It was on their way back when they ran into Beldren.
Jorick nodded to the Executioner's long black coat. "On assignment?"
"What else? I volunteered to help Zuri with the retrieval, but I suppose Eileifr saw he could assign me something more annoying."
"Retrieval?" Katelina asked.
Beldren gave her a long look down his nose, as if trying to decide whether she was worth answering. "Thomas."
Katelina stiffened, and Beldren turned back to Jorick. "I imagine you're looking forward to the trial. It's a pity I'll miss it."
"What trial?" she demanded.
Jorick gave Beldren a hard look and caught Katelina's hand. "We'll discuss it later."
The blond Executioner laughed. "You didn't tell her? How did you plan to get away with it? You're good Jorick, but not that good." Beldren forced his chuckles down to a snicker. "I'd best go. Don't want to keep feuding covens waiting. Have a good evening."
The Executioner barely disappeared before Katelina ripped her hand from Jorick's. "I thought you said you weren't in trouble?"
He gave an aggravated sigh. "It isn't my trial. It's Joseff's. And I didn't tell you because I knew you'd act like this."
Her hands went to her hips. "Like what?"
"Like this. Angry, accusing, suspicious. Everything will be fine. Zuri has gone to get Thomas, a message was sent to Anya, and your redheaded clown is bringing Joseff in. If all goes to plan they should be back tonight or tomorrow. The trial will follow the next day. Then we'll leave."
"Assuming your reports are written."
"They will be. Speaking of that, I should check on their progress. Would you like to come with me, or go back to the apartment?"
"Can you avoid getting arrested or drafted by yourself?"
He gave her a wink. "I'll certainly try."
