Chapter 549
Katelina followed her host into the hall to see Marna in a dark blue bikini that matched her midnight eyes. Trivila appeared, her ash blonde hair piled on her head and her red bathing suit straight from the fifties, flirty ruffle and all.
They filed through the house and down to the basement. The pool room was deserted. Bright lights played across the water's surface and threw zigzag shadows on the ceiling and the overhanging leaves of the jungle plants. Annabelle slipped in first and got comfortable in the shallows. Marna jumped into the deeper end with a splash that sent Trivila skittering back, hands to her hair. "I don't want to get soaked."
"Then you shouldn't be in the pool." Marna dove back under, like a dolphin.
Trivila shook her head and climbed in next to Annabelle. Katelina followed uncertainly. Sarah shadowed her so closely that when Katelina stopped, she crashed into her.
"There's nothing to be nervous about," Annabelle said with a laugh at the pair. "No one will harm you."
Katelina wanted to say she was fine, but there was no point when talking to a mind reader. It was like being naked all of the timeand Sarah wondered why she wanted to learn to do it.
They took places on the other side of Annabelle. Eventually Sarah sucked up enough courage, and joined Marna.
Just as Katelina started to relax, a trio of vampires sailed through the door. The man was tall and pale with a dark ponytail, while the woman had caramel colored skin and long locks pulled back by a band that matched her swimsuit. At her elbow, wearing a baggy pair of trunks, was Des.
The man nodded politely and smiled. "Do you mind if we join you?"
"Not at all," Annabelle replied.
Des' dark eyes stopped on Katelina. "I should have known you were here if Jorick was."
"Des," the older male snapped. "I told you to leave your petty squabbles behind."
He scoffed. "They're hardly petty. But you're right. She's just a pawn."
The dark woman grabbed his arm and gave him a hard look until his shoulders slumped. "I'm sorry, Mother."
She telegraphed a warning, then released him and turned to the pool's occupants. "I must apologize for my son. He allows his passion to cloud his judgment."
Trivila smiled at him from under heavily lashed lids. "Don't we all sometimes?"
Des made a noise in his throat, but some of the hostility melted from his face. He hesitated between the two ends of the pool, then finally dove into the deeper end with a splash.
His mother and her lover, as Jorick called him, took places in the shallows. Annabelle made a round of introductions that labeled him Demetrious and her Diana. Katelina could feel the years that hung on him, but Diana didn't seem much older than Des.
They made polite conversation while Des swam with Marna and Sarah. When Diana's eyes moved to Katelina, she tried unsuccessfully to disappear into the pool.
"You're the mate of the Executioner Jorick?"
"Yes," Katelina mumbled.
"And his fledgling, no doubt," Diana added.
There was no point in correcting her, so Katelina murmured agreement. It was nice to know someone wasn't a mind reader around there.
Not long after, they dried off and changed for dinner. Katelina thanked Annabelle. Her hostess insisted the pleasure was hers, and reminded Katelina about the upcoming feast. "Tell your mate you do not wish to be present. If he knows anything of the Night Goddess rituals he will understand."
As they headed for the smaller dining room, Sarah asked, "What are the Night Goddess rituals?"
"I don't know. I've heard the name before but I can't remember where."
When she mentioned it to Jorick, he said, "You heard it from the Father of Shadows. Memnon and the Children worshipped her."
Katelina thought of the blade packed in the bottom of her suitcase. Gold with a blue jewel, it was a sacred dagger, used to make sacrifices to the so-called goddess.
"So you're saying a feast to honor her-"
"Probably involves killing someone," Jorick confirmed.
"What do you mean, probably? You were an Executioner for four hundred years. You can't pretend you don't know."
He sighed. "Fine. Yes, it involves killing someone."
"Why didn't you say that?"
"I was trying to protect you. I knew what your reaction would be."
She shook her head and moved on. "You aren't going to let them do it?"
"So long as there's nothing illegal about it."
"Nothing illegal? Are you listening to yourself?"
"Katelina, have you forgotten what I do? What I've done? Your offense at death is precisely why I tried to keep you sheltered, and you objected to it. You wanted to live in reality. Reality is death. If you don't want to be coddled, then it's time you faced that."
She couldn't think of words that didn't sound ridiculous, so she settled for giving him a dirty look, then pushed her way to the refreshment table. She downed two glasses before she found him locked in conversation with Fleur.
"I'll be back tomorrow. They want me to check it out."
Katelina's curiosity was piqued. "Check what out?"
"They found dead children in a nature preserve thirty miles north east of here. The kids went missing from Churchill Falls a few days ago, so it's more likely human on human, but since I'm in the area, the Assembly wants me to look at the bodies to be sure."
Missing children found dead. Katelina shivered as she remembered yesterday's news cast. "Isn't it kind of late to go to the morgue? It's after three."
"That's the perfect time; while they're closed." Fleur checked her phone. "The sun won't rise until after six and, with these clouds, a little later. But it's still not enough time to get back until tomorrow night."
"Then tomorrow you can cover my shift," Jorick said firmly.
Fleur rolled her eyes. "I'm on Assembly business. It isn't as though I'm having fun."
"The point is moot. If you want me to cover your shift tonight, you'll have to agree to do mine tomorrow. It's as simple as that."
Fleur growled, but Katelina could sense her weighing her options. "Fine. But not tomorrow, in case I'm not back in time. The day after." Jorick nodded, and Fleur added, "I'll remember your unwillingness to help out."
"Go ahead. You can think about it the day after tomorrow while I'm enjoying myself." He gave her a wink and caught Katelina's arm. "Come, little one. It appears we have an extra shift tonight."
Katelina followed Jorick on his rounds. They swept through the lower rooms, then up to the second floor, then the third, and back down again. As they neared a corner on the second floor, Jorick forced them to a sudden stop. With a smirk, he pulled Katelina into the shadow of a doorway.
Before she could ask what they were doing, she saw Anya pushing Thomas down the corridor, ranting.
"I thought this would be good for you. I thought maybe we could find someone to help you, but do you cooperate? Do you show any indication of wanting help? I can't do everything for you, Thomas. You're lucky to be alive. It's about time you started appreciating that."
"I'd rather be dead!"
The words screamed through Katelina's brain, forceful enough to make her flinch. She looked to Jorick, and his subtle nod said she was right: she'd heard Thomas' thoughts.
"It's so loud even non-mind readers should be able to," Jorick murmured with amusement.
Anya carried on as she turned the corner, but her patter died with the word, "You."
There was a pause, then Katelina heard Des' voice. "Hello Anya."
"Don't 'hello' me as if you didn't help Jorick get away with this."
"Give it a rest, Anya. Jorick isn't my favorite person, but he didn't do this. He isn't the kind to torture. He'd have just killed your brother. This is on Joseff. Even the High Council lady said so."
"She can say anything she likes, and how the hell can we prove her wrong? It's all smoke and mirrors and bullshit." Anya's voice trilled hysterically. "But don't think that absolves you. You admitted you let them take him because he wasn't 'worth fighting for'. Maybe he isn't worth it to you, but he is to me. He's my brother, my god damn responsibility, and now I'm stuck with this forever!" Her voice cracked. "He can't even talk. He only gurgles and moansand it's your fault!"
"Look, I get it. It's easier to blame everyone else but him. It's easier to say it's all a sham than admit you were wrong. Hell, I wanted to say the High Council lady was full of shit, because it means we were all wrong about the traitor, but truth is she's got nothing to gain. From what I gathered, Jorick ain't her baby. They're kicking him out of the Executioners because he won't follow orders. They stuck him on this as his last gig. Even you can't pretend playing security guard is fun. It's punishment detail."
Punishment detail? Was Jamie being punished for not coming back right away?
Des went on, "The truth is Thomas screwed up, and you're paying for it because you refuse to let him suffer for his actions."
"He has suffered!" Anya shouted. "He spent three months buried in the dirt like a corpse, mangled and starving. God damn, Des, how much suffering do you think he deserves?"
"That depends on how many sins you want him to atone for. Look, we've all made mistakes, babe, and, when they come crashing down, I for one am not gonna whine and bawl and beg to be saved. I'll get what I have coming, and so will you."
"And Jorick?" Anya demanded.
"Everyone has to pay someday."
"I'm paying now." There was a banging sound, as though Anya forced Thomas' wheelchair around something. Her voice came as a sarcastic sneer. "Good seeing you, Des."
As she clunked away, Katelina heard Des mutter, "You too."
