Chapter 542
Katelina headed to bed with the steady roll of thunder in the background. She chanced a quick peak past the drapes to see a sliver of light in the east. Raindrops, like silver glass, dotted the window. From the heavy clouds she knew there would be more.
She snuggled next to Jorick and let the howl of the wind sing her to sleep. She woke the following evening, relieved Sarah hadn't come for her in the middle of the day.
The morning flew by. There was entertainment scheduled for every hour. Katelina watched half of the dancer's act, and part of the magician's show. The tricks made her wonder if the vampire was practicing magic or using an illusionist's skill to make them think he was.
Lunch was standing room only in the small dining room. Katelina downed her glass quickly and tried to ignore Jorick's scowl. Sarah stood at her elbow, her empty glass clutched in her hand.
The room fell silent as Sorino swept through the door. Kai followed, wearing a puffy blue coat and his chain. Though their fellow staff stared, none questioned the overdressed vampire. He stopped in front of Katelina and made a show of unfastening Kai's leash. "I expect him to be returned in the same condition he's in now."
"Watch him yourself," Jorick bit back. "Katelina isn't your babysitter."
"She's already agreed." He smiled. "It's fortunate she doesn't have your disagreeable disposition."
With a half wave, he left, and the low buzz of talk resumed.
Jorick cleared his throat. "I know you think you can take care of yourself, but be careful. Some of these vampires are as powerful as Malick, and have no compunction about using you for their amusement, immortal or no, especially since you'll be in the presence of a human."
"We'll be fine. If anything happens, or we feel threatened, I'll come for you."
"Assuming you're able to." He brushed a kiss across her forehead and, with a final reluctant look, followed Jamie out the door.
When he was gone, Sarah's shoulders relaxed. "Where are we going? The TV room?"
"I thought we might take a walk." Katelina eyed Kai's coat. It was almost as if Sorino knew what she had in mind.
They headed through the house and out a side door. Katelina led them past a stand of naked trees, toward a group of outbuildings. She stopped at a sheltered spot where two sheds nearly met. Sarah continued several paces before she looked back.
"Are we taking a break?"
Katelina shifted her weight uncomfortably. She felt silly admitting the truth to Sarah, who was already accomplished at it.
Kai did it for her. "She wants a private place to practice mind reading."
Sarah narrowed her eyes. "You said you can't do it."
"I can't really, but Kai thinks with practice I might be able to."
"Why can't we do it indoors?"
Katelina absently rolled the hem of her shirt. "I prefer the privacy. My pathetic efforts are embarrassing."
"You shouldn't be embarrassed," Kai said. "Even Master had to learn."
Katelina cleared her throat noisily. "He didn't learn in front of an audience. Anyway, do you want to help me or not?"
Kai shrugged and sat down cross legged on the cold ground. Sarah glanced down at her skirt and bare legs. "I'll stand."
Katelina shrugged and sat opposite him, for once glad to be underdressed in jeans.
Kai brushed his hair back to reveal a set of emerald eyes and the face of a renaissance angel, marred only by a large scar on his forehead.
She wondered where he'd gotten it, but pushed the question away and held his gaze. He'd told her last time to "listen" with her mind. It was easier said than done. As she strained, she heard things around them: the lap of the lake, the naked tree branches rubbing in the winter breeze. Somewhere a door opened and closed. Soft voices murmured. Kai's heartbeat echoed like a kettledrum. His breaths rasped, and Sarah's pulse thudded evenly. Nowhere were Kai's thoughts. With each minute that passed, Katelina got more and more irritated.
"This is stupid."
Katelina broke eye contact to glare at Sarah. "If you don't want to be here, you're welcome to go inside. I felt bad for leaving you by yourself yesterday, but if you prefer that-"
Sarah jolted. "I didn't say anything."
"Right. I'm a lousy mind reader, not deaf."
Kai dropped his bangs and shook his head. "She didn't speak."
"I heard her-it sounded like her." Or had it? Katelina'd heard distant voices a moment ago. "I'm sorry. I guess it was probably whoever is over there." She motioned toward the house.
"It's okay." Sarah's eyes dropped and she slumped back against the building, arms crossed.
Katelina tried to concentrate again, but there was only the sound of laughter and the splash of oars on the lake. Someone was boating.
"Why is this so difficult?"
"You're trying too hard," Kai answered silently.
Maybe he was right. An hour more yielded no results. Though Kai had ingested a lot of vampire blood, he was still human, and his nose and ears turned pink in the cold. Katelina suspected that even if she could get to his thoughts she'd never hear them over his chattering teeth.
She swung to her feet, and started to tell Kai to do the same, when approaching footsteps veered in their direction. Sarah pushed away from the building, her boredom replaced with wary anticipation. As the steps grew closer, her brow furrowed.
The vampires came around the corner; a male and a female. She wore a glittering dress and heavy jewels, and he wore a tuxedo that hugged his frame. Their hard eyes and regal bearing looked as out of place as their formal attire.
The male spoke with a thick accent. "I knew I smelled a human, Callise."
"You win." The cadence of her words matched his, and made Katelina think of oil lamps and historical dramas. "You get the prize, Saul."
Saul snapped his fingers and a younger vampire hurried around the corner. Shaggy red hair and a stubbly beard made him look unkempt despite his expensive clothing. He bowed to the pair. "Master. Mistress."
"Who are you?" Sarah demanded.
Katelina dragged her back. "They're guests. We aren't supposed to engage them."
Callise looked down her nose at them, then turned to the redhead. "Trevor, be a dear and get Saul his prize, will you?"
Sarah jerked away and leapt at the guests. Before Katelina could reach her, Trevor had already thrown her back into one of the buildings.
Katelina looked from her fallen friend to the redhead and snarled. "You didn't need to do that. She's not a real threat to you."
Callise made a noise of disgust, and Saul waved Trevor on. The redhead lunged toward Katelina. With a grunt of annoyance, she dropped into a defensive stance, arms up, and mind already running through Micah's training.
"If some bitch wants to start trouble, you gotta show them who's boss." Right. She was damn well going to.
