Chapter 587
Katelina stumbled back, waving the dust out of her face. Jorick and Jamie had leapt to the right and Verchiel to the left. Andrei and Annabelle had pulled up short just in time. The vampiress leaned heavily on her husband, the visible half of her face painted with terror. Wriggling limbs stuck out from under the heap of debris, vampires who hadn't reacted fast enough.
The cloud of dust hung like fog. Through it Katelina could see the shadowy shapes of figures. Someone crashed through the cloud and slammed Jorick back against the rubble. It took Katelina a second to recognize William. His pirate costume was torn and his black mask was askew.
Jorick threw him aside and pulled to his feet. Jamie kicked William's legs out from under him and pointed his sword at his chest.
From the chaos came a vampiress dressed as a saloon girl. She pulled a dagger from her corset and stabbed Jamie. Her running force sent her barreling past, but left the blade buried in his left shoulder.
Jorick flung her back. He raised his hand to strike, when Yuki charged like a furious black swan. She caught Jorick with her shoulder and knocked him backwards. The saloon girl used her freedom to attack Jamie. The Executioner, who hadn't had time to pull the dagger free, slashed with his sword.
Verchiel jumped to help, but a fourth assailant leapt in from the melee, black mask torn and dress dirty. It was
"Anya?"
The blonde snarled. Katelina had a nanosecond view of the vampiress' fist slamming toward her, then the flash of the foggy room as she flew backwards. She slammed into something and a cry tore from her lips.
She struggled to come to terms with what had happened and where she was. The ceiling spread above her, marred by holes in the plaster. They reminded her of the chandelier, of the way the ceiling came down with it. The rope wasn't cut. No one could have made it come down, plaster and all. No one except Kali.
As if she was back in time, she saw a flash of the entryway mirror, saw the reflection of a figure in a dark dress.
And then Ren saved me.
But why? Why would Kali try to crush her? Why would her underling disobey her? Unless that was part of the plan.
Ren's chilling voice whispered through her memory, "We could all be great friends." Just what Kali wanted, Samael's "chosen one" and Sarah's Blade of Nu-Gua. The sword she'd gloated over possessing only moments ago.
Oh holy fuck.
Katelina jerked to her feet and looked hurriedly for her friend. The cloud of plaster dust was still thick, and she swiveled and waved the particles from her face. She saw the pile of rubble that had caught her; part of the castle. The four towers toppled in all directions. Splintered wood and tattered velvet was all that was left of the throne's dais.
A moan sounded. Something moved. A hand. With a quick glance in the direction of Jorick and the others, she hurriedly dragged away beams of wood until she could see the red head of Rangvald.
"Are you okay?"
He spit out a mouthful of blood, then helped dig himself out. He pulled free of the mess, and his eyes darted around, no doubt seeking Petta.
"I haven't seen her," Katelina shouted.
The dust started to settle and the air cleared. Fleur joined the Executioners, her shirt torn and her leg bloody. A group of seven vampires, all in black masks, attacked. Brandle, as disheveled as the others, pushed one of the attackers aside and joined. At first Katelina thought he was with them, but when he threw William across the room she realized he was fighting on their side.
Against his friend.
Annabelle worked furiously at digging out the door. Andrei stood over her, wrestling with one of his black masked guests. Another black mask. Another combatant. Were they in league together? Was that what William was recruiting for? But why was he gathering a group? To fight Jorick?
Katelina picked up the dented shield-shaped coat of arms. Made of metal, it could be useful as both shield and weapon. She carried it toward the Executioners, stepping over bits of rubble and prone bodies.
As she moved, she focused her attention on the orchestra area. Samael was on the ruined island, his hand extended. Katelina felt the wave of his anger smash through her and staggered.
The twins stood among the chaos, their spears at the ready. In front of them was Kali. In one arm she clutched Sarah's unconscious figure, her other hand raised.
Katelina felt the draw of power, the manifestation of Samael's will, as he gathered psychic energy around his hand. While the assault built, Kali sent small missiles of invisible power flying. One slammed into the floor at his feet. Another went wide and hit Saul's servant Trevor, the vampire who'd attacked Sarah over Kai. Like Borne he went back in a spray of blood and lay limp, scarlet pouring from his ears and nose, his organs liquefied.
Samael released his attack, but Kali dodged away. The energy missed her and slammed into Tol. Katelina cried in surprise as his head exploded in a rain of blood and brains.
Ren screamed and charged Samael, ready to impale him with his spear. With a wave of the ancient's hand, his attacker was thrown back. Another flick of his wrist sent a ball of energy that crumpled Ren to the floor, blood running from his eyes and ears.
Kali looked over her dead followers. "Do you know how hard it is to train them properly?" She focused on Samael and a strange smile curved her lips. "I tire of this game. I've already said my goodbyes. Perhaps this time you'll accept them, or do I need to drive the point home?"
She met Katelina's eyes. The chaos of the room disappeared, replaced with a dark shining prison.
"I warned you not to wander alone."
The voice. It was the same one she'd blamed on the twins. Sarah was right. It wasn't them, but Kali. Not Kali. Lilith.
"If you prefer. Come child. Surrender to my will. Surely you're no harder to control than a lion."
Lion. Leo the lion. "-He's friendly and well behaved...Someone was controlling him."
"Wouldn't it have been fun to get rid of your annoying guard? No matter, he is as useless as all men in a crisis."
"Release her!"
The last voice was Samael's. With it, the room came roaring back. Katelina shook her head to chase away the effects of the woman's gaze.
"Next time, I'll keep her."
Her threat made, Kali headed for the door. Katelina reached the Executioner's battle. Torn between joining them and watching the ancients, she hovered on the edge, her attention on Samael as he readied to throw another attack.
William bowled her over, knocking the shield from her hands, Verchiel on his heels. He disappeared and reappeared a few feet away. The redhead did the same. Jorick pushed Anya to the ground and bounded to Katelina's side. He pulled her to her feet, but before he could check on her, Anya was back, screaming and driving a forked dagger into his stomach.
Katelina tackled the vampiress and slammed her fist into the blonde's face. She readied to strike again when the room shook. Plaster and wood rained down from above. Katelina buckled under the sudden onslaught.
When the roaring stopped, she tried to come to terms with what had happened. The ceiling had fallen in. She was still on top of Anya, her face inches from the vampiress' bleeding nose.
Jorick's voice sounded close to her ear, "Are you all right?"
She realized the weight on top of her wasn't rubble, but Jorick. At the last second he'd thrown himself over her.
"I'm not!" Anya roared. "Get off of me! I swear"
"You swear nothing." Jorick shifted and an avalanche of wreckage tumbled noisily. "I had no idea William was still desperate for an uprising."
He pulled free and tugged Katelina out of the debris. She brushed herself off, and glared as Anya stood. The vampiress dropped into a stance, ready to attack. Jorick knocked her back in a heap.
"Stay down or I'll kill you next time."
Katelina laid a hand on him, her eyes on his bleeding stomach. "Are you okay?"
He nodded as the others unburied themselves, shaking off dust and surprise. The couch from the sewing room stood on end, partially lost in the mess.
Katelina chanced a quick look up to see that the floor above had caved in. She saw a slice of pale blue wall and a chair that hung over the giant opening.
Under the hole stood Kali. She held Sarah in one arm, but her attention was on something at her feet. As the dust settled, Katelina saw a tattered purple fairy wing.
Estrilda.
