Chapter 536
It was two hours later when Sarah joined them in the TV lounge. She dropped down on the couch next to Katelina and glared at Jorick and his book. "I suppose he dragged you up here?"
Katelina paused the show. "No. He isn't big on TV. He wanted to hang out in the library, but there were some women in there-Marna and a blonde who stared at him like she wanted to eat him."
"Trivila," Sarah said. "I ran into them while I was looking for you."
Cornelius appeared at the door, twisting his hat in his hands. "I apologize, sir, but there's a new bunch to interrogate."
Katelina groaned. Another hour of angry chattering and unhappy guards.
With a huff, Jorick closed his book and swept to his feet. "You don't need to come, little one. I'll be back."
Katelina relaxed and turned back to her TV show. It gave way to the news. Though it was Canadian, it was the same as usual. War somewhere. Record low temperatures in parts of the U.S. An out of season hurricane. A lost masterpiece recovered from what they believed was an undiscovered World War II bunker in Germany. A child found mutilated in Quebec led authorities to believe the Ontario Heartless Killer had moved. A hiker and a pair of kidnapped children from Churchill Falls, Newfoundland and Labrador, were still missing.
The show was winding up when a pair of dark eyed twins entered. With their black dresses and hair in Wednesday Adams braids, they looked like goth-girl poster children. They pulled a human teen behind them by a rope around her neck. Her hands were bound and her mouth gagged, her jeans and sweater torn. She stumbled to her knees and they dragged her into the room, laughing.
"Borne, we brought you a present." The vampiress faltered. "He's not here." She eyed Katelina and Sarah. "You're with the Executioners? Have you seen Borne?"
The human girl struggled and tried to grab the rope, but the second twin pulled hard enough to send her sprawling. Tears streaked her dirty face, and her body rose and fell with sobs.
Katelina felt the wash of her fear, sharp and cold, and her heart hammered in time to the girl's. She forced down the terrornot mine, not mineand stood. "What are you doing?"
The twins looked at her as if she'd gone mad. "We're looking for Borne," the first said with exaggerated slowness. "He has sandy hair and a sweater. Have you seen him?"
"He's in the blue lounge," Sarah replied without looking away from the television.
"Thanks." They started out the way they'd come. Their captive cast a terrified, pleading look back, as though sensing this might be her last chance for salvation.
With an irritated noise, Katelina bound toward them. "I asked what you're doing with her."
They stopped in the doorway and the first twin snapped, "Are you dim witted? We're taking her to"
Katelina pressed her face close, lips drawn back threateningly. "I heard you. But what is Borne going to do with her?"
The twin snarled, but pulled away. "What do you think?"
"He's going to kill her! What gives him the right to do that? She's a living, breathing person. Where did you find her?"
The second twin stepped up. "Since when was it illegal to kill a human? Geeze. If you're worried about anyone finding out, it's fine. She was hiking alone and got lost days ago."
Katelina thought of the missing hiker on the news. With a growl she ripped the gag away to reveal the girl's terrified, element ravaged face, the same face she'd seen on the news. "They're looking for her! She's on TV!"
The girl choked and rattled out unintelligible words through her cracked lips. Though Katelina couldn't understand, she knew the meaning. Don't kill me.
The first twin jerked the gag away from Katelina. "So? They're looking for her sixty miles from here. Unless you've got an Executioner emblem hidden under your shirt, and a legitimate complaint, mind your own business."
The second twin simpered. "You have to excuse them, sister. They're fraught with paranoia. If something goes wrong at this little shindig, they get the blame."
"Good for them." The first twin marched into the corridor. Katelina lunged after her, but Sarah pulled her back.
"What are you doing?" Stronger than her friend, she wrestled free. "They're going to kill her!"
"Of course they are. That's what monsters do." Katelina gaped, and Sarah dropped her eyes. "You know what we are, Kate. Why pretend to be anything different?"
"Just because we're- this, doesn't mean we have to be monsters. We can save her."
"How? Unless it is illegal?" Katelina deflated slightly and Sarah nodded. "She's none of our business. Come watch TV."
Katelina jerked away. "You can stay indifferent if it makes you feel superior, but I can't."
She charged out of the lounge and pounded down to the entryway where Jamie was surrounded by four angry vampiresses. Off to the side stood a vampire with long dark hair and a cape. What looked like magician's implements were scattered around the room, including a giant mirror that Graham experimentally stepped through and then back again, a delighted look on his face.
"Those are our orders," Jamie snapped to the women. "You can accept it, or take your things and go back to Bucharest." He caught sight of Katelina, and muttered, "Excuse me."
When he made his way to her she snapped, "Where's Jorick?"
"Seeing to something else. What's wrong?" She poured her story out. When she finished, he nodded. "They're correct. The human's capture won't raise suspicion, or compromise the coven. It's perfectly legal."
"So, you're going to stand there and-and let them kill her?" Katelina's voice shrilled and the chattering vampiresses looked toward her.
Jamie drew her away and lowered his voice, "I understand you're upset."
"You're damn right I'm upset! You have to stop them."
He made an uncomfortable noise. "I'm sorry, but she's already seen us. Do you understand? Even if I were to free her she'd be killed by The Assembly because unmarked humans"
"I know the damn laws."
"Then I don't know why we're having this conversation." She glared and he repeated, "I'm sorry. If she was willing to remain as a servant I might intervene, but she'd run away and they'd hunt her down. Her fate is sealed. Let her die quickly with as little terror as possible."
A soothing calm washed over Katelina. With a huff she pushed it away. "Don't. Where's Jorick?"
"I told you, he's elsewhere. Now if you'll excuse me, I have things to attend to." His grimace said the duties were no more pleasant than talking to her.
Elsewhere. As if that was helpful. Katelina squinted and tried to penetrate his thoughts, but nothing happened. Fine. I'll handle this myself. Impatiently, she stormed off toward the blue lounge where Sarah said Borne was. Inside there was only a vampiress on her boyfriend's lap, intimately practicing the piano. Katelina returned their dirty looks and hurried out. Where in the hell were they? She thought of Xandria's advice about hunting. Right. Smell them.
She stopped in a hallway and inhaled. A thousand scents assailed her. She fought the overwhelming crush to uncover the human blood. The smell was faint. She lost it more than once before it got strong enough for her to be sure. As it gained strength, she picked up speed, finally running down the basement stairs and into the swimming pool room. It was deserted. The chlorine burned her nose and she backed out quickly and started back the way she'd come. The scent of blood lessened the farther she went, so she circled back, confused. She paced the corridor and, just as she was ready to throw up her hands, saw a crack in the wall. On closer inspection she noticed a secret door that opened with a push.
The room inside was small with a curtained doorway in the back. Low moans sounded from it, and she threw the curtain aside.
The twins were stripped down to corsets and stockings, one's hair unbound, the other still in braids. A sandy haired vampire, clothed only in open pants, kissed one and fondled the other. Red blood streaked their skin and pooled around the teen hiker who lay half naked on the floor. Her arms were splayed out, her throat and stomach bleeding. Her expression was frozen in a mixture of ecstasy and terror.
The smell of blood choked Katelina. She backed away as her stomach clenched and her instincts screamed at her to drink before the body went cold.
No. I'm not a monster. I'm not a monster.
At the interruption the three looked up with confusion that melted into fury. The twin with the braids pulled away from her lover. "What in the hell are you doing?"
