Chapter 580
It was near sun up when Sarah leaned in and suggested they work on costumes tomorrow. "Kali said we should go as warrior women."
Katelina hadn't intended to go to the ball, let alone dress up. "I don't have any clothes that would work."
"I'm sure we can borrow something. If not from Kali than from Annabelle or some of her friends."
"I don't know. I'm not sure they feel friendly toward us."
Sarah opened her mouth, as though to ask why, then shut it. "We'll manage. See you tomorrow."
Just as she promised, she was waiting for Katelina at breakfast. She gulped her glass quickly, then disappeared to "look for costume parts."
"I'm not dressing up," Jorick said firmly. "I'll be working."
"So will I," Jamie said.
Verchiel grinned. "I wouldn't mind a costume. What are you going as, Kately?"
She groaned. "Sarah wants to go as warrior women."
Verchiel's grin grew. "That sounds fun. Tight leather and tiny crop tops."
Jorick smacked him in the back of the head so hard his teeth clattered. "Don't even think about it."
"Maybe I was admiring a mental image of Sarah?" He rubbed his injury and tried to look innocent before he turned to Katelina. "You might ask some of the performers for clothes. I overheard guests doing that."
"You'd think they'd have brought costumes with them," Katelina muttered.
"Nah, this is part of the tradition. It makes it more fun because they get to work together." Verchiel studied her. "You're not a team player, are you?"
"No, and she's never going to be," Jorick replied coldly, though Katelina felt he meant something different than Verchiel.
Jamie cleared his throat. "With the ball tomorrow we have a lot of shipments today. I thought you might help out with those."
"They aren't like the shipments for the Feast, are they?" Katelina demanded.
"No," Jorick said. "There's no mass murder planned. As for the shipments, let Verchiel do it. He needs something to occupy his mind."
Jamie sighed. "He's supposed to be investigating."
"I am. I just have some of the staff left, then Kali, and the twins."
"You still haven't questioned them?" Katelina asked.
"I couldn't find them after lunch, and they aren't the only ones. Your friend Sarah's doing a good job of playing hide and seek. I'd guess she spent the day with Kali, Tol, and Ren."
"She spends time with Des too," Katelina muttered.
He shrugged. "Couldn't tell you. Her mind is nearly impossible to read."
Katelina frowned. "You said last night that it was loud."
He lowered his glass ominously. "I did, didn't I?" He met Jorick's eyes. "That's a lot of progress overnight."
Katelina looked back and forth between them. "What are you implying?"
"Nothing." Verchiel stuffed his hands in his pockets. "Just commenting on what a fast learner she is. Pity you aren't that speedy."
Fleur joined them. Jorick nodded to her and asked with amusement. "How did your evaluation go?"
"Just lovely." Fleur took an angry drink. "I always love Dardenima checking up on me."
"If she doubts your ability, why did she assign this to you?" he asked.
"She didn't. Jacob did."
Jacob. The one who told Fleur not to investigate.
"She has to contradict everything he says," Fleur added. "She's just jealous that he isn't interested in her."
Katelina caught the implication: he wasn't interested in Dardenima because he was interested in someone else. And since Fleur and Jacob weren't allowed to go on assignments together, Katelina bet it was her.
Jorick pressed, "I thought she was the captain?"
"She is. Jacob is the co-captain. She was on a mission at the time, so it was up to him to make assignments."
Jorick asked casually, "Will she be back?"
"I hope not." Fleur snickered. "Andrei sent her packing. She suggested we lock the place down, the day before the ball. He told her under no circumstances and, when she threatened to use her position, he told her he'd go over the Assembly's head to the U.S. Guild." Fleur's amusement turned to a full-fledged laugh. "I told her not to cross him."
"He cares more about his party than someone murdering children?" Katelina demanded.
Jorick scoffed. "The Guild only cares because it's raised a ruckus in the media. If the culprit burned the bodies, or buried them quietly, they'd never investigate."
And yet Annabelle acted as if it was a taboo.
"It's not considered very nice by some vampires," Jorick said patiently. "Just as some humans object to eating exotic or unusual animals, but there are those who enjoy it guilt free. Dog, for instance."
"Why are you always drawing human-animal parallels, like we're barnyard creatures?" No, not we. They. Why couldn't she remember that?
"I'm trying to explain it so you understand."
She bit back a reply and let it go.
***
After breakfast, Katelina met Sarah in the hallway with Annabelle and Trivila. What she could see of the masked vampiress' smile looked hollow. "You're welcome to join us in the sewing parlor to work on your costumes."
Though Katelina wanted to decline, a look from Trivila told her not to. "Thank you."
Sarah held up an armload of cloth. "I found some possibilities."
"Oh good."
Being cloistered in the sewing room didn't improve Katelina's enthusiasm. The air prickled with animosity. Every time she looked up she saw Marna or Trivila glaring. That Sarah was oblivious seemed impossible, but her friend continued on as though nothing was wrong.
Sarah shook out a pair of sparkly turquoise leggings. "I'm not sure these look very tough. Maybe if you want to be a fairy warrior."
Katelina looked up from untangling the three borrowed belts. "I'm not wearing those."
"Why? You'd look cute." She laid them aside and fished out a tiny shirt Katelina suspected came from a stripper. "This could be sexy."
"Sexy was never my thing. You're better at it than me. I prefer in-the-background."
"I know, but Jorick might appreciate you trying something more attractive once in a while."
Katelina pulled a belt loose and set it aside. "I don't think he cares."
"Of course he cares. He's a man. All men care. They want you to look good."
Katelina felt heat rising to her cheeks. It wasn't as if she'd ever been beautiful. "Jorick isn't that shallow. He loves me for me, not for how I look."
"Said no man, ever. They pretend to love you for your mind but in the end it's all about how much you weigh or how perky your breasts are."
Katelina scoffed. "Maybe that was just Brad."
A poisoned silence followed. Katelina looked up to see Sarah's thin lipped expression. The forgotten fight in the ballroom was suddenly between them. Katelina tried to bury it again. "Or most of the losers I dated."
Sarah let it go, but the skin around her mouth stayed stretched. Her movements were jerky as she pulled out another pair of pants for inspection.
