Chapter 605
The Executioners led them down corridors, to a sitting room populated with vampire guards in gray uniforms. They all stood quickly, but Jamie motioned them back into their seats.
"You have a full complement," Jorick said dryly.
"Two each," Ark said. "Except for Verchiel."
The redhead shrugged. "No offense to anyone, but I travel better alone. I can do my own paperwork."
The nearest guard looked irritated. "With respect, sir, we do more than that."
"Of course you do," Jamie said. "Most of these guards are dream stealers or whisperers. They handle interrogations and amend memories, the same as we do."
A sound came from the doorway. Katelina turned toward it. A vampire stood uncertainly at the threshold. A long black coat looked new. Dark hair framed Middle Eastern features. Eyes like mahogany snapped from one figure to another. The Executioner medallion glinted around his neck.
"Come in," Verchiel called cheerfully. "This is Obrad. He's the newest Executionerthe replacement for Jorick. As luck would have it, he's a whisperer, too." He clapped the newcomer on the back. "Speaking of Jorick, that's him, and his girlfriend, Katelina."
The Executioner nodded uncomfortably as Verchiel introduced everyone, ending on Des. "They're not as scary as they look."
With a snort of contempt, Jorick turned to Ark. "What have your interrogations revealed?"
Jamie took a seat on a dusty antique sofa. "We found a few people from ground zero who saw Lilith. Most of those survivors are at the hospital. That was Verchiel and Obrad's area, so they might be able to tell you more."
The redhead winked, and Katelina wondered if that was why Brad still remembered seeing Sarah. Surely that was a detail the Executioners would wipe. Had Verchiel left it on purpose? Or just not done his job?
"There wasn't much," Obrad said quietly. "Those that saw anything had quick flashes. We've identified Lilith and a few of her followers."
Brandle cleared his throat. "Which ones?"
Obrad tugged a paper from his pocket and scanned it. "Anya, fledgling of Josephus; Zachariah, fledgling of Horace; William, fledgling of Henry."
"Who's Zachariah?" she asked Jorick. "I don't recognize the name."
"He was at the ball," Jamie said. "Blonde hair, beard. He did nothing notable, except join Lilith at the end. I doubt you noticed him."
Brandle shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "What were they seen doing?"
Obrad shook his head. "Not much. Anya and Zachariah attacked a woman. William was spotted among rubble for only a moment."
Brandle nodded, though he didn't look comforted.
"What about Samael?" Jorick asked. "Did anyone see him and Lilith fighting, or the outcome of the battle?"
Ark shook his head. "No, but we haven't processed everyone. There were many at the hospital we couldn't get to, and I'm sure there are evacuees we still need to speak to."
"Did anyone see Sarah?" Katelina asked.
Jamie shook his head. "I didn't."
"I thought your mom's boyfriend did?" Verchiel mentioned casually.
Jamie looked sharply to the redhead. "Where did he see her?"
"On Mom's porch," Katelina answered. "Just before they were attacked."
Des perked up. "Alone?" Katelina nodded, and his eyes glowed. "That might mean she's escaped, otherwise, she'd be locked up somewhere, right?"
Ark scowled at Verchiel. "It's a possibility, one I'd have more input on had I been informed."
"I'm sure I put it in my report," the redhead said innocently.
Katelina waved it away. "But if Sarah escaped during the fight, where is she?"
"Lilith might have recaptured her," Jamie said. "Or she could be hiding."
Katelina caught her breath. Could they be that lucky? Could Sarah really be hiding somewhere in town? Could she have Estrilda with her?
If she does, and the Executioners find her-
Though she hadn't been listening, Ark was talking, "-tomorrow we'll have more answers. Either way, we need to finish fixing their memories."
No, no. If they were digging in peoples' memories, and saw Estrilda- "Do you need to? No one would believe them. You've blamed the attack on terrorists; the news blamed it on terrorists, the internet, and on and on. Unless they have footage-No. Even if they have footage, they'll end up with an article on one of those conspiracy theory websites. A handful of foil hat people will say it was real-life superheroes or aliens. Mainstream media, and all the sheep who hang on its every word, will ignore it because no one wants to deal with something that defies rational explanation, or means we need to rethink the way the world works."
Jorick nodded. "She's right. Though interviews will still help. Maybe someone knows where they've gone."
Katelina tried to telegraph "shut up", but he didn't seem to get the message. Luckily, Ark yawned.
"Excuse me. It's getting late. You're welcome to stay the day here. As you know, there are plenty of coffins in the basement."
Though Katelina and Jorick knew the way, they followed the Executioners through a pair of broken French doors, into a ballroom. One wall was painted in hyper realistic murals that included Adam, Eve, and Lilith from the old biblical legends. Sadly, the paintings had received the same treatment as the fountain, this time in bright yellow that included devil horns, tails, and circles around all the people's "naughty bits".
The opposite wall fared no better. Mirrors that had once reflected dancers were spider webbed with cracks. Broken vases were scattered on the floor, remnants of the missiles thrown by vandals.
"Luckily, they didn't find the secret door," Verchiel said as they stopped before a hidden panel. The redhead pressed a spot on the wall. The door sprang aside. Bits of broken glass shivered free and tinkled to the floor.
"It doesn't look like you'll be able to use this for much longer," Brandle observed.
"Not in the present condition," Ark agreed. "I've put in a notice to The Guild to have this place dealt with. Since everyone who was in line for it is dead, they'll either auction it off or demolish it."
Katelina knew that several of Claudius' coven members were still alive, but she stopped from correcting him as they headed down the staircase to the cellar. Though untouched by the vandals, time had not been so kind. A layer of dust covered the wooden boxes and the floor. The last time Katelina was there, she couldn't see past the wavering edge of the flashlight beam. Now she could see everything, including open doors that led to other box filled rooms.
While they worked out where everyone would sleep, she explored doorways, stopping in a dead-end room. Instead of wooden boxes, a cage sat in one corner. Several pointy instruments were in another. Long heavy chains and shackles snaked across the floor to pool in the middle, waiting for prisoners that hopefully would never come. Stains on the floor said they'd held plenty before.
She touched the wall with her fingertips, as if she could feel memories in the mortar, but there was only the cool touch of bricks and her imagination to say what might have happened there.
Her eyes moved to the cage. One of her memories surfaced. In the basement of another den, Claudius stripped her, looking for tracking devices, then stuffed her inside a larger, rustier version while he decided what to do next. She wished again she'd been able to torture him before he died.
"Little one?"
At the sound of Jorick's voice she forced a smile. "Just looking around."
"Not a pleasant place to explore." He caught her hand and brought it to his lips. "If you're ready, the others are going to bed."
Katelina grabbed his arm. "Wait. Do you think Sarah escaped?"
"I don't know. One person might have seen her. That's not a lot to go on."
"But if she did, do you think Estrilda could be with her? What happens if Ark, or Obrad, or one of the guards see her in someone's memory?"
"I doubt they'd recognize her for what she is," Jorick soothed. "As Brandle said, she looks more like an old lady. They'd have no way of knowing from a nanosecond memory she was a vampire. There's a chance they've already seen her and didn't realize it."
The idea was comforting, but- "Maybe you should go with them tomorrow."
Jorick choked on the idea. "Excuse me? I thought"
"I know, I know. I'm not talking about joining them, just volunteering for a day. You're a whisperer, and they're obviously overloaded. You could say you want to help out, then you'd be there if they find anything."
"You want me to monitor all of the memories that ten vampires go through? I can do a lot, Katelina, but that"
"Not all ten. Verchiel and Jamie would know her, and they wouldn't say anything. It's the rest of them, especially Ark."
Jorick ran a hand through his hair. "I don't know that I can do what you're asking of me."
"I'm just asking you to try. Please."
She saw the surrender in his eyes. "While I'm doing that, where will you be?"
"I'll go see mom first, then I might try to look for Sarah and Estrilda. They could be hiding somewhere in town. If they are, we don't want the Executioners to find them first."
Verchiel's voice came from the doorway, "I don't think there's much worry about that. Obrad and two of the guards cataloged the destruction last night. Other than that, we're leaving it up to human authorities to dig through the mess. We have our hands full with survivors."
"Des will want to go with you," Jorick warned.
She nodded. "I know. But, I think he'll be too distracted with Sarah to pay Estrilda much attention. If not, like Brandle said, Sarah can probably convince him to keep his mouth shut. Or you could kill him."
"That escalated quickly," Verchiel said. "Just to let you know, Jamie's thinking the same thing."
The Executioner strolled through the door. "What am I thinking?"
"That Jorick should help us out tomorrow."
Jamie and Jorick's eyes met. Katelina felt the silent conversation. It ended with a nod, then Jamie said, "Ark will likely fuss, but he needs the help right now. He already sent for another group of guards."
Katelina bit her lip. Another group. How the hell would Jorick keep an eye on all those whisperers and all those memories?
I'm just asking him to try.
