Chapter 600
Jorick glared, but she motioned him quiet. "What do you mean 'we'?"
"There's been a battle. A big one. If I had to guess, I'd say Lilith and Samael were involved."
Katelina's heart stopped. "You're sure?"
"I can't be sure yet. I just got assigned to go deal with the aftermath. They're sending all the Executioners who are dream stealers or whisperers, and a bunch of guards. We're heading to the airstrip and should be at ground zero in a couple of hours. If the pictures are anything to go by-I don't know anyone else who can cause this kind of destruction. Whole houses were destroyed. It looks like bombs except-"
"Except there weren't any bombs." Katelina remembered the masquerade; the way Lilith and Samael threw invisible balls of power that ultimately brought down the ceiling. "Do you think they were fighting each other?"
"I'd guess so, but I'm not there. We'll collect testimony before we wipe the humans' minds."
"Okay. Where is it? Where are you going?"
She could feel his hesitation. "It's better if you hear it from me."
"Hear what?" Katelina's veins ran ice. "What is it Verchiel?"
"Ohio," he said softly. "It's in Ohio, Kately."
Ohio. Where Katelina had grown up. Where her mother lived. "Where in Ohio?"
"Kately, your mom-"
Katelina's grip tightened on the phone. No. No. Not- "My mom?"
Jorick laid a hand on her shoulder. Concern flashed on his features.
"What about my mom?"
"Her address-it's on the list of ones affected. A local contacted us with information. All we have is what he told us, and what the human news is running. Thank God Ark was close by and able to stop some of it from leaking out, but the rest of us need to get going. He can't do it all on his own."
She couldn't process it, couldn't connect the implications. "You're saying Lilith and Samael-that they had a battle in my home town, that my mom-"
"Kately, I'm sorry. I have to go. I'll see you guys there. You'rewhat?Still in Canada?"
"No. It was a dead end. We're in Michigan."
"Good. Then you're close. You should be able to make it tonight, right? I have to go, but I'll see you when you get there. And I'll find out about your mom. I'm sure she's all right."
When Katelina couldn't find words, he repeated, "I'll see you later. Bye."
Though the phone went dead, she held it to her ear, as if waiting might conjure good news. Better news.
Mom.
"What's going on?" Des asked impatiently. "We're not all mind readers."
Katelina ignored the vampire and dialed the number she'd known since childhood. The normal rings didn't follow, only the beep of a busy landline.
"We know where Lilith and Samael areor were," Jorick said quietly.
"Shit," Katelina muttered and tried again. And again, with the same result.
When Sorino cleared his throat expectantly, Katelina clutched the phone. "I need to call my mom."
"Obviously, the lines are down," Sorino said. "That's to be expected."
He was right. With a resigned sigh, Katelina relinquished the device.
"Okay, where are they?" Des demanded.
"Ohio," Jorick replied.
Katelina exploded, "But why are they fighting there of all places? There's an entire country. Why would they pick my hometown?"
"Maybe because it is your hometown," Brandle said. "No doubt it's a message, meant to tell you that the casualties will be on your side. I imagine, up to now, any war you've fought was directed at Jorick, but I think you'll find this one is aimed at you. You're the one who woke Samael, the one who has the connection with him. You're the one Lilith perceives to be his partner."
"What?" Des glanced back. "I'd heard that she woke him up, but why would she be his partner?"
"To wake him up, she had to give him blood. A better way to say it would be that he took it, so afterwards he healed the damage by giving her his blood," Sorino explained.
"Whoa, whoa, wait. Isn't he an ancient? She was still human then, right? How did that not change her into a super vampire?"
"Who's to say it hasn't?" Sorino asked mildly. "Luckily, the effects of the blood were lessened because he'd fed on several of Malick's followers between being woken and healing her. But it's had the consequence of linking the two of them; a link, I understand, that has remained even after she was turned to a vampire."
Katelina didn't like being discussed like someone who wasn't there.
"Fuck," Des muttered. "That explains a lot, like why Samael was at the party, and why Lilith took Sarah. If she thinks Jorick's pet is part of the war, then she'd try to hurt her. But if Samael is supposed to be with us, or at least with Katelina, why attack her town?"
"I imagine Lilith lured him there," Brandle said.
"Yes," Des said impatiently. "But why didn't he lure her somewhere else? If he cares so much about Jorick's pet, why ruin her home if he could help it?"
Katelina was sick of the whole conversation. "Because he doesn't. Samael's mad at me. At the ball, he was going to kill Lilith through Sarah. I stopped him. We're not partners. I doubt he considered my feelings."
"So they're both our enemies?" Des asked.
"Maybe. I don't know. I don't want to talk about it."
"It's important," Des insisted. "We need all the information so we know what we're doing and why. I realize the rest of you are mind readers, but I'm not, and I'm tired of fighting in the dark. I wouldn't be here except I want to rescue Sarah."
"Yes," Sorino mused. "We're back to that again."
The conversation died. Brandle ensured it would stay dead by turning the radio on. Though Des shot him an aggravated look, Katelina was grateful. She had enough to worry about without Des judging her. Hopefully, Verchiel was right, and her mom was safe.
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