Chapter 516
Two days later they were still at The Guild with no trial, no Joseff, and no dismissal. Rather than drag the human Xandria in front of vampires, Katelina stuck to the apartment watching TV. A special on the Heartless Killer, a Canadian child murderer who mutilated his victims, caught her attention. But, after half an hour, the crime scene photos were too disturbing, and Katelina flipped the show off.
"There's never anything on," Xandria said. "That's why I make up stories in my head. It's like writing a book just for me."
Katelina didn't know what to say, so she changed the subject to one she'd wondered about. "How did you meet Sanjay?"
If Xandria was surprised by the shift in topics, she hid it. "I was with a group of vampire hunters in Zimbabwe. When they went after Sanjay, he killed everyone else and I talked him into keeping me as a slave. I don't think he cared one way or the other, but he admitted later I was useful."
So Jorick was right. "Vampire hunters are a thing?"
"I guess. Muzi's parents were killed by vamps when he was younger, so he devoted his life to trying to kill them. It was kind of a sad story, and I didn't have anything else to do. Pacha's new coven threw me out, so I was kind of mad at vampires, anyway."
"Pacha?"
"She was a friend of mineor I thought she was. We ran away when I was sixteen and had a great year roaming all over. Then she joined that new coven, and they didn't want non-food humans around."
"You didn't want to be turned?"
"I was all for it at the time, but Pacha didn't want the responsibility. I was 'fun' but not 'forever fun', or something like that."
Ouch. "I'm sorry."
Xandria brandished a cigarette. "Hey, not your fault. I heard they got wiped out later, so I guess it's karma. I just don't know if it's good karma that saved me, or bad karma that killed her." She blew a puff of smoke. "I used to have a bunch of her paintings in a locker at a train station but they got stolen. She was good. You might not like her stuff, but it had real emotion. Like the painting in Loren's room."
There was a noise at the door, and Jorick came in with a new book. He brushed a kiss across Katelina's lips, then dropped onto the couch next to her. "Oren called today."
"He finally found a place?" Katelina asked with mixed interest.
"I guess." Jorick cracked the book open and breathed in the smell of the pages. "Nothing like new literature."
"Hopefully it's better than that TV show." Xandria finished her cigarette in a long drag and stabbed it out in the ashtray, ignoring Jorick's glare.
A knock sounded on the door. No one moved, and Xandria finally opened it to reveal Verchiel.
"Hello!" The redhead slipped into the room. "Did you miss me?"
"No." Jorick made a show of lifting his book in front of his face.
Katelina tried to remember where Verchiel had been. That was right. Joseff. "Did you find him?"
"Of course." Verchiel flopped into a chair. "He resisted arrest, but he came along after I persuaded him." He brandished his fists menacingly.
Katelina conjured an image of Joseff, his dark eyes aflame with hatred. "Where is he?"
"In a cell, of course," Jorick muttered from behind his book.
"Right across from that green eyed whisperer, Gadriel." Katelina looked blank and Verchiel prompted, "You remember. The last time we were here, before we left for Munich. He tried to kidnap you from the shopping center. He got sentenced to six months after we left."
A memory rose to the surface. A pair of emerald green eyes pulled her into a crystal prison. She'd come to and found herself being led by an unknown vampire. The remembered terror prickled at her and she brushed it away. "Yeah."
"Anyway, I imagine Joseff's trial will be tomorrow." Verchiel looked to Jorick. "How's your report coming?"
Jorick turned a page noisily. "It's finished and turned in."
Katelina looked surprised. "When?"
"Today." Jorick peered over the top of the book. "How long did you think it would take them to write? We were only gone three months."
Verchiel chuckled. "I bet you left out a lot. But, I haven't started mine yet, so who am I to judge?" He yawned loudly. "I suppose I should head back to the ol' apartment, order a drink, hit the hay." He stood, looking from one to the other, as if waiting for someone to object. "Okay then. Have a good night."
He hung in the door and a black blur zoomed past him into the room. Katelina leapt to her feet, but was knocked back down as what felt like a thousand knives sliced her skin.
What in the hell?
Katelina pressed a hand to her bleeding arm as Jorick swept to his feet. The blur bounced around like a pinball, then zipped into Xandria's bedroom. Verchiel shook his head, and disappeared after it. A loud snarling came floating back, then a pop, and the hiss of escaping air.
"So much for the air mattress," Jorick muttered.
The streak zoomed back. As it passed, Jorick snatched it up. The thing screamed and howled, but fell still. Jorick turned to face Katelina. Dangling from his hand was a black cat, its fur ruffled and its stare malevolent.
A vampire with long copper hair and a freckled face appeared at the door. His cartoon t-shirt and slouched shoulders made him look young. She'd met him before. It was
"Aine!" Verchiel sauntered out of the bedroom, straightening his hair. "What's up?"
Jorick watched the kid through narrowed eyes, and Verchiel explained, "He's one of the newer Executioners. He got assigned right before Malick's big revolt."
"I know who he is. I'm curious about what he wants."
Aine cleared his throat and tapped the doorframe with the toe of his boot. "Um. I was looking for my cat."
Katelina absently rubbed the claw marks on her arms. "You mean that monster?"
Aine sighed and shuffled inside. "Salem. What have you done now?"
Jorick pushed the animal into the young Executioner's arms, and resumed his seat. "See it doesn't happen again."
"Y-Yes, of course." Aine made a motion like a salute, the cat clutched tightly with his other arm. "I'm sorry." He backed toward the door. "It won't happen again."
Jorick motioned him out. The Executioner bobbed and hurried away, closing the door behind him.
"And that's why Eileifr wants rid of Jorick. You don't see Aine cowering to anyone else, except Ark."
Ark. The leader of the Executioners.
"Aine's not a bad kid," Verchiel added. "Though I don't know where he got a vampire cat."
Katelina's eyes went wide. "The cat's a vampire? Are you serious?"
"Why not? The dog in the office is. Don't tell me you never noticed."
Katelina brushed the information aside. "You can make your pets immortal?"
"Weren't you listening? Of course, you have to have permission from The Guild, otherwise the animal can get confiscated. They can't risk an unknown vampire pet getting loose."
"What about passing on powers? If you turned a cat would it be super-fast?"
Verchiel frowned. "I don't know. I've never tried it. Have you, Jorick?"
"No." Jorick lifted his book and noisily turned a page. "You were leaving?"
"Right. Yes. Leaving. Have a good night and I'll see you tomorrow."
Katelina and Xandria returned his wave, but Jorick only muttered, "I certainly hope not."
