Chapter 545
When Katelina crept back to her room she still hadn't mentioned mind reading, nor could she think of a way to bring it up at breakfast. It shouldn't be hard. She'd known Sarah since they were young, but asking permission to poke around in her brain seemed too personal.
After breakfast Jamie caught up with them. Though his face was smooth, Katelina could feel his irritation. "We need to talk, Jorick."
"Oh?" Jorick asked innocently.
"Don't pretend you don't know. You told them to speak to me if they had any concerns."
Of course. Saul and Callise.
"Did they have concerns?" Jorick asked.
"Of course they had concerns. Sorino demanded a large cash settlement or else he'll press charges. I appreciate you dumping this on me."
Jorick shrugged. "You're the head of security. Did you really want me to handle it?"
They fell silent. Katelina imagined Jorick sending Jamie images of his preferred method for dealing with the snobby vampires. No doubt it involved their hearts crushed to pulp.
Jamie sighed. "No, you're right. I don't want you handling it. I'd prefer it didn't need handled at all."
"Then talk to Sorino about marking his human more prominently."
"Unless you want him to wear a name tag-" Jamie broke off. "Never mind. Just keep your fledglings under control." He cast a dark look at Katelina and Sarah, then walked away briskly.
"I'm not anyone's fledgling," Sarah muttered darkly.
Katelina stopped from correcting her.
A new group of entertainers arrived. While Jorick checked them in, Katelina and Sarah headed for the TV lounge. Three vampires from Andrei's coven were already watching a show, so they sat on the other end of the couch and tried to disappear into the leather.
The program ended and the news came on. They ran a short segment on the missing hiker. Her teary eyed mother acknowledged the search was winding down and thanked all the volunteers and agencies who'd tried to help locate her daughter. A photo of the girl flashed by, replaced in Katelina's mind by the scene in the secret room; the girl's throat torn, her pale half naked body spread out in a pool of her own blood. Anger flared through her. Sarah was right. It was crazy they could kill anyone they wanted unless they were "tagged", as if humans only had value as property.
The segment was followed by the usual; bad weather was coming their way. A helicopter crash killed three overseas. The two kidnapped children from Quebec were found dead at Watt's Point Preserve, their bodies mutilated and their throats cut. Another child was missing from St. Anthony. Though no one knew if it was related to the Heartless Killer, a map showed large red dots where he'd struck in Ontario and Quebec.
It was depressing, and Katelina closed her eyes against it. Sarah nudged her and nodded toward the door.
In the hallway, Sarah patted Katelina on the back. "You're always sensitive about stuff with kids."
"Am I?"
Sarah laughed. "You don't even know what bothers you?" She sobered. "It's sort of refreshing. We've been in opposite roles since you came back. I was always the one taking care of you...the one who understood how the world worked, who always explained it to you and protected you from all the nasty stuff. But now that we're- this, you've been the one taking care of me, the one who understands how this world works. It gets tiring. I'm not used to being the weak link."
"You aren't a weak link. You're probably stronger than me," Katelina said. "You can read minds without all this practicing shit." It seemed as good a time as any, and maybe it would make Sarah feel useful. "Actually, I wanted to talk to you about that."
She explained what Jorick said about starting with someone she was more familiar with. Sarah nodded slowly. "That makes sense. Though this mind reading thing isn't so great."
"But it is. Don't you see? It's the one big power all the 'real' vampires have. It's what makes them all super powerful, because they know what everyone's up to and what everyone likes, and when they're lying and-"
"It isn't like that. At least not for me. I can't read most of the vampires, and those I can, I wish I couldn't. As for knowing if someone is telling the truth- how? No one thinks 'I'm lying.' But, if you're determined, I'll help you."
Katelina heaved a sigh. "We need a quiet place."
"How about one of our rooms?"
The idea was sound, but when they got there the doors were open. A human servant bustled out with an armload of linens and jumped when she came face to face with them.
"I-I'm sorry," she stammered. "I can clean later."
Katelina waved her apology away. "No, that's okay. Sorry." The light in Sarah's eyes looked hungry, so she tugged her friend down the hall.
"Now what?"
"What about one of those big storage areas?" Sarah suggested. "Remember, from the tour?"
It was as good an idea as any and, with a nod from Katelina, they set off. In the largest storage room, they found a cozy place behind a tarp covered piano. They set up a pair of dusty overstuffed chairs facing one another.
"Kai said it's easier if I make eye contact."
Sarah looked thoughtful. "I never paid attention."
"Now who's the one who doesn't know themselves?"
Sarah grinned and they got comfortable. Katelina swallowed, met her friend's eyes and concentrated as she had with Kai. She reached out, listening as hard as she could. The sound of Sarah's heartbeat was soon deafening, and the giggle was so loud she jumped.
"Did it work?" Sarah asked.
"Not unless you giggled mentally." Katelina rubbed her head.
"No. I wasn't thinking of anything funny." She frowned. "Maybe it was someone else?"
Katelina tried again. She felt a soft buzzing at the back of her skull, an insistent sound, almost irritating, then
"You're trying too hard."
Katelina jumped and Sarah looked hopeful. "So?"
"Did you say I'm trying too hard?"
Sarah shook her head. "I was thinking about home, well, Ohio. About the tree in the back of the school."
Katelina slumped in the chair. "Yeah, it didn't sound like you. I guess I'm hearing people talk. How am I ever going to learn this?"
"It isn't easy for me, either," Sarah countered. "Being stared at is creepy."
"It's just as creepy doing the staring."
"Not that I think it has anything to do with you, but maybe you are trying too hard. Especially if you're listening so intently you can hear conversations from who knows where. You should relax."
The next two tries were fruitless, and on the third Katelina caught an excited, "Can you hear me?"
"Yes, I heard you!"
Sarah's confusion deflated her.
"You weren't-"
Her friend shook her head. "The tree again. I was concentrating on it."
Katelina threw her hands up. "I surrender. Maybe we're still doing it wrong."
Sarah shrugged. "I don't know. No one showed me how to do it, it just happened on its own."
"That's the same thing everyone says. I'd think I couldn't do it at all, except I have a couple of times. But I'm tired of messing with it, and I'm hungry." She checked her watch, and noted her heart rate was sixty-three. Fantastic. "It's lunch time, anyway."
