Chapter 592
Katelina stared into the motel's bathroom mirror. Blue eyes held prism colors she wasn't used to. Long blond hair fell past her shoulders in salon perfect waves. Her pale skin looked airbrushed. She was like a magazine version of herself.
That's what vampirism will do for you.
Vampire. That's what she was now, thanks to a near death experience that forced her friend Micah to turn her. Two months later, she'd almost reconciled to the idea of it all.
At least I'm finally pretty.
Jorick would argue, but that was what a boyfriend was supposed to do. Even one with fangs and five hundred years on the clock.
A knock came on the door, followed by the vampire himself. Long black hair hung down his back, and warm dark eyes looked her over. Jorick smiled, then pressed a kiss to her forehead. "Taking another bath?"
She cocked an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean? You shower a lot."
"Not every day." He chucked her chin affectionately. "Never mind. Go ahead. I'll get the luggage gathered up."
When he'd slipped out the door, she disrobed and climbed in the shower. She knew it was pointless; vampires didn't sweat, didn't produce the thousand and one oils that made daily bathing important for humanity. She continued the ritual out of habit, or maybe some kind of determination to pretend.
As the water ran over her, she thought about everything that had happened since she'd met Jorick; from fighting Claudius to killing Malick, Jorick's megalomaniac master. When she met Jorick she was a different person; a saner person by the world's standards. She didn't believe in vampires, or monsters. She'd never killed anyone, never had her life threatened, never tasted blood or watched immortal children burn in a bonfire. Less than a year later, she was one of the monsters she thought were fictional. She'd seen more than she wanted to remember, done more than she wanted to think about but, thanks to Jorick and her friends, she'd grown as a person. She was no longer the terrified, cringing woman screaming from behind Jorick. Now she could grab a bookcase and beat their enemies to death.
If only Sarah had been as lucky.
Her best friend had been turned by a true monster, suffered untold horror, only to escape and find out that everyone had moved on without her. Though Katelina tried to help, it made things worse. Now Sarah was in the clutches of an ancient vampiress who was probably torturing her for the fun of it.
We'll save you, Sarah. You and Estrilda.
A vampire child, Estrilda had been kidnapped at the same time as Sarah. Katelina had promised her parents that they'd find her, too. Hopefully she and Sarah were together, and still alive.
And hopefully we'll get them back tonight. They were halfway through following a set of directions that would take them to Lilith's secret Canadian den. Last night, they'd landed at the "closest" airport, then walked to the motel. Today it was a two hour drive to what Katelina imagined was a sprawling mansion, complete with chandeliers, towers, and a dungeon where Sarah and Estrilda were kept. They could charge in, kill Lilith's minions, and rescue the two of them. Though Katelina doubted it would be that simple, she could hope.
Finished with her shower, she climbed out to dry and dress. If everything went according to plan, they'd be back at Andrei's tonight. Tomorrow they could head for home, Sarah in tow. What happened after that was anyone's guess.
Katelina gave the foggy mirror a last look, then headed into the room where Jorick paced by the door, the luggage packed. Chipped furniture was still stacked in front of the windowput there the night before to block the sun. Rumpled beds and stained carpet looked no better after a day of sleep. She was sure if she looked under the bed she'd see beer cans, empty cigarette packs, and maybe a dead hooker.
Jorick offered her a smile as she stuffed her pajamas in the suitcase. "Feel better?"
She shrugged. It wasn't as if a shower could really take away all her worries, no matter how much she wished it could.
Someone knocked on the door. Jorick opened it to reveal Des, a dark vampire with close cropped hair and a goatee. He nodded a greeting. "We got a van."
Katelina was grateful to hear that, but she looked away without comment. When she first met Des, he'd fought on Oren's side in a coven war. He'd quickly decided Jorick was a traitor and left, throwing vague threats after him. Though he'd since admitted he was wrong, he'd never apologized to either of them. Katelina had a hard time believing he was on their side.
If he could read her mind, she was sure he'd say, "I'm not on your side. I just want to find Sarah." That attitude made things worse. She was pretty sure that, if it came to it, he'd happily sacrifice either of them to get what he wanted.
She and Jorick headed out the door where the van was waiting. Rental tags said it was legal. She wondered how, with no mental abilities, he'd rented a Canadian van without a Canadian driver's license.
"He didn't go alone." A tall thin vampire stepped from behind the van. Long brown hair hung past his shoulders. His velvet suit, complete with frilled ruffles, looked as out of place as his jewel topped cane. It was Sorino. For reasons Katelina didn't understand, he was determined to tag along.
"You're lucky I did," Sorino replied. "Or you wouldn't have a plane."
Katelina ignored his mental intrusion. "There won't be any relics. Nothing for you to collect."
Sorino sniffed disdainfully. "How do you know? The den of Lilith. The so-called mother of the vampires. I imagine there's something worth looking at. Besides, I'm not coming only for financial gain. One must be amused."
Des stepped toward them. "Speaking of amused, Sorino, where's your pet?"
"He has a name," Katelina snapped. "It's Kai."
Sorino chuckled. "Still worried about human rights? An odd position for a vampire. Nonetheless, Kai will be along any moment" he broke off as one of the motel doors opened. "There he is."
A boy of sixteen or seventeen appeared. Long blond bangs hid most of his face. Though he was bundled up against the chill, Katelina knew what was under the bulk; scars. Like a crisscrossing road map, the boy was marked everywhere, even his forehead. She was never sure if it was something Sorino had done, or the rogues Kai'd been saved from. Truthfully, she didn't want to know.
With a nod of greeting, Kai hurried to the van with the luggage. Katelina caught the scent of his blood and her stomach growled. It smelled like roast beef, like spaghetti, like a sandwich slathered in mustard. All the things she'd craved when she was starving.
Just a taste, her instincts whispered. To get you by. Sorino does it all the time
No!
She forced the desire down and saw Sorino smirk. A mind reader like Jorick, he'd probably heard her thoughts.
Des interrupted her internal struggle. "Is that other guy coming?"
As if in answer, Brandle stepped out of his room. Katelina could feel the years that hung on him, years that his youthful appearance belied. Long blonde hair, a beard and moustache, a scar down the right side of his face, and a milky white eye, made him look like some kind of TV Fantasy warrior, while the mischievous twinkle in his good eye said not to take anything for granted. He certainly didn't look more than fifteen-hundred years old.
Des put one foot inside the vehicle. "Finally. Can we go?"
Sorino chuckled. "Your sense of urgency is interesting. You're desperate to charge in as the shining hero and save your damsel in distress. Last I looked, she was hardly yours. You've known the woman for two weeks."
Des spun back. "It's none of your business."
"Perhaps not, but have you considered that, once she's rescued, she may not want to go with you?"
Des bared his fangs and growled low in his throat. "Stay out of my head."
Brandle moved between them. "Enough. We need to work together, right?" He looked back and forth, settling at last on Sorino. "Des fancies himself in love with the girl, and so what? Let him be. I find your motives more deeply in question than his."
Sorino chortled. "Mine? Forgive me if I've forgotten why you're here?"
Brandle laughed and clapped the snobbish vampire on the back. "I don't believe I ever told you." He shot Katelina a wink. "What is it they call the front seat? Rifle? No, shotgun. I call shotgun."
Des made an impatient noise. "I don't care where you sit, just get in."
Brandle did as instructed, but tossed back, "I assume we're going to feed soon?"
Sorino slid into the back seat. "I've been taken care of." He shot a meaningful look at Kai as the boy settled next to him.
Katelina bit back a disgusted comment. They'd only say what Sorino did with his human was none of her business, as if Kai was a pet, or a toy. That was the way they looked at humans, as little better than talking cows. She wondered how Jorick had made the distinction with her.
"Who says I did?" Jorick asked with a chuckle.
She rolled her eyes and settled into the middle bench seat next to him. Kai's scent wafted uproasted chicken and vegetables. She groaned. Could she condemn Sorino for doing something she wanted to do? Then again, there was a difference between them. She held back. He didn't.
Why should he?
She glanced to the backseat, though she wasn't sure which of the whisperers has sent the thought. Sorino? Jorick? Even Kai was capable of it, thanks to the vampiric blood he'd ingested over the years. Traveling with them, she needed to practice shielding her mind.
"Are we ready?" Des fired the van up. By Andrei's calculations, there were only two hours left of the trip. She checked her neon pink fit watch and did the math. Assuming they didn't take long to feed, they could be at Lilith's den by eleven. She just needed to get through the car trip without killing one of them.
