Chapter 569
Sarah was waiting in the dining room. She nodded to Jorick and gave a cursory, "You're all right?" but Katelina didn't think she looked very concerned.
What do you want her to do? Hang off of his arm?
She didn't have an answer to her own question, so she drank her dinner silently. After a couple of glasses, Jorick asked, "How did the weapon sale go?"
With the excitement of the lion, Katelina had forgotten all about it. She tumbled out the story and Jorick frowned. "Let me see it."
Sarah pulled the dagger from her purse and, though Jorick leaned close, he stopped short of touching it.
"Don't tell me you believe that crap, too?" Sarah asked.
He seized the handle. "I didn't say I believed it." He hefted the weight and examined it. "But Andrei is nothing if not clever. He's made fortune after fortune. If he's willing to give away money to be rid of the thing, there's a good reason. Perhaps not the one Sorino gave you, but something."
Bishop and Graham leaned close, but neither volunteered to touch the blade.
"You think Sorino knows more than he's saying?" Katelina asked.
Jorick tested the weight of the weapon. "Most likely there's someone looking for it, the real owner, for instance. Claudius wasn't scrupulous, nor was he as suave and connected as he thought. He may have stolen it or unknowingly purchased it as a stolen item. I'd guess that neither Andrei nor Sorino want to cross whoever the real owner is."
"If Sorino's worried then it must be someone old, and someone who isn't invited to the party," Katelina guessed.
"If that's true, then Andrei could have thrown it in the lake," Sarah objected.
Graham and Bishop looked suitably horrified by the idea and Jorick said, "Maybe. Except he's superstitious. That he celebrates the Night Goddess Feast proves that. I doubt he'd want to risk it, in case the curse is real. Claudius was killed, after all. Andrei would have to transfer it to someone and Sorino is right, anyone who'd pay the kind of money its worth would know what it is, and they probably all know who's looking for it. I imagine he'd hoped to make a profit initially, but when he realized he couldn't, he was willing to do whatever was necessary to be free of it."
Jorick handed it back. "I'd be careful trying to sell it. You'd have better luck giving it to some dupe and letting them deal with it, because chances are the real owner isn't looking to purchase, or have a reasonable conversation."
"Don't look at me," Bishop said quickly.
"Or me," Graham added.
Katelina ignored them. "You're saying the real owner is likely towhat? Kill her for having it?" Jorick nodded and she gasped. "And you want her to pass that off on some innocent person?"
He shrugged. "You were fine with it when you thought it was just a curse."
"That's different. A curse is an intangible 'maybe' kind of thing. But an angry owner-"
"Is a curse of sorts," he replied. "Do what you want. I've given you my advice."
Katelina poured a third glass, wishing it had something stronger in it. "No wonder Annabelle thought you'd be alarmed if she asked what Andrei gave you. There isn't a way to say 'Did my husband pawn a cursed/stolen object off on you?' without alarming someone. I wonder if that's what they were fighting about?"
She told Sarah about the snippet of conversation she'd overheard. "Annabelle said, 'How could you? You know what that is!' But I never heard him answer. I bet she was lecturing him."
On one hand it was nice to know, but it was vaguely disappointing. She'd hoped it was something to do with William or the murderer.
Fleur rushed through the door and made a beeline for them. "Jorick, we just got a call. Your Executioner was in a car wreck."
Jorick stopped from his own thirds. "Is he all right?"
"Well enough to have someone call, but past that I don't know. Cornelius said the person sounded mechanical, like a whisperer was doing a bad job controlling them."
"Ark's better than that. He must be severely injured." Jorick abandoned his glass. "Have you told Jamie?"
"He asked that we pick your guy up. The wreck was about an hour from here."
Jorick looked like he might argue, then relented. "All right." He brushed a kiss across Katelina's forehead. "I'll be back, little one. And don't worry about Ark. He can feed on whoever he's got there, and more blood and rest will fix him."
"I wasn't worried about him," she replied.
Jorick chuckled. "Your concern for humanity doesn't extend to him? You're a confusing person, little one." He gave her a wink, then followed Fleur out the door.
Ark might be only an hour away, but by five a.m. they still weren't back. Katelina started to imagine terrible things. Maybe Ark was missing limbs. Or maybe Jorick and Fleur were in an accident too. It was well known that Ark was supposed to arrive by lunch time. Maybe someone caused the wreck on purpose. It wasn't far, so whoever butchered the children could have snuck out and done something.
She paced circles and chewed her lip. Maybe the culprit stuck around to get Fleur and Jorick too. Jorick insisted he could handle himself, but could he really? Brandle was old. Though he seemed friendly, he was powerful and he'd admitted older vampires were crazy. Maybe that was what he and William were up to. Maybe they weren't stalking Jorick, but killing children.
Then who set the lion free?
Her imagination ran away on a wild bloody rampage. In her mind's eye she saw Jorick, his chest a gory frozen hole like the boy's, his heart gone and his face ashen and shriveled.
Kolli stuck his head in the door. "HeyAre you all right? You look-ill."
"I'm fine. Just thinking."
He smiled. "That can be dangerous. I thought you'd like to know the Executioners are back."
Her terrified imagining disappeared. She resisted the temptation to throw her arms around Kolli's neck and settled for a murmured, "Thank you," as she dashed past him.
Jorick was in a small entryway off one of the side doors. He wiped mud from his boots and shook rain drops from his dripping hair. She launched herself into his arms, ignoring the cold clingy wetness of his clothing.
He returned her hug. "Hello, little one. Are you all right?"
She pulled back to look into his face. "I was worried about you."
He scowled darkly. "I'm not the one you should worry about."
Fleur banged through the door, also soaked, her expression annoyed. She jerked her sodden coat off and flung it toward a hook.
Katelina started to ask what was wrong, but Fleur snapped at Jorick, "You'd better get that Executioner under control."
Ah. Ark was being an ass. What a surprise.
"Talk to Jamie," Jorick replied flippantly. "He's in charge."
Fleur growled and stormed off without wiping her shoes.
Katelina watched her go. "Wow, he must have really pissed her off. I guess he wasn't as injured as you thought."
"He's injured," Jorick said. "Unfortunately not badly enough."
So much for being glad they sent the focused hard working guy.
The door opened and Porter half carried Ark through the door. His black coat and clothes were shredded. Bloody bandages were wrapped around his arms and one leg. What looked like someone's shirt enveloped his head, with only a shock of bloody hair sticking out.
Katelina covered her mouth and Jorick pulled her away before she could speak. They were farther down the corridor when she whispered, "His head?"
"It's-cut up. He'll heal, but for right now he needs that to hold it together."
"Oh my God." She imagined skin and muscle sliced from the bone. "What happened?"
Jorick gave an impatient grunt. "He hit a moose."
"Seriously?" After all her sinister theories, it was just a giant bit of wildlife. "You'd think a vampire could avoid it."
"Wouldn't you?" Jorick asked. "I don't know about you, but I'm tired."
With a nod, she followed him upstairs.
Sarah met her in the hallway outside their room. "Kate. I have a plan."
With a shake of his head, Jorick pushed past them into the bedroom.
Katelina ignored him. "To catch the stalker?"
Sarah nodded. "I think you're right about the lion. That was no accident, and I've been thinking about that chandelier. You were supposed to go through there with Jorick on your way to bed. What if that was the first attempt? Except you ruined their plans because you were with the twins."
Katelina hadn't thought of that.
"It's only a matter of time before they kick in the door and kill you both in your sleep. Jorick doesn't want to do anything about it, so we need to, before you end up a casualty of his pig headedness."
Though Katelina couldn't agree more, she didn't know what to do.
"We'll catch them at it. I think they're using that secret staircase. One of us will hide in there and the other one will wait here."
Katelina looked up and down the hallway. "Where?"
"Remember when we practiced your mind reading? There was all of that discarded furniture. Mixed up in it was a big cabinet, kind of like a wardrobe. Tomorrow we'll put it against the wall next to my door. There was also a chest. We'll put it near the stairs in the secret passage."
"Don't you think they'll notice us moving furniture around?"
"I doubt it. No one will be up here at night, and when they come to bed, who's going to pay attention to furniture?"
"When are we doing this?"
"Tomorrow."
After Sarah disappeared into her room, Katelina headed into hers.
"About time she thought of that," Jorick commented. "It's the obvious idea."
"Obvious except there's no naturally occurring places to hide. I think William will probably see the cupboard and smell whoever's in it. As plans go it's one of the worst."
Jorick laughed. "I can't disagree. But you never know. Stranger things have worked."
