Chapter 615
As Baltheir said, he didn't live "in town". He wasn't even near it. Oren's giant blue car thumped over a potholed road that was more mule track than thoroughfare. With suspension from 1960, Katelina spent more time bouncing than sitting.
She was grateful when they parked in front of a small weather-worn house. Technically in decent shape, it needed a coat of paint and, in a year or two, a new roof. A smattering of small outbuildings said it was an old farm house, though from the size Katelina wondered if it was the farmer's, or farmhand's.
Baltheir threw the door open and motioned them into a small cramped living room. Three vampires sat on a worn couch and chair. Dressed in long robes with wide sleeves, they looked like something from a fantasy movie or ancient temple. Katelina could feel their years, like she could feel Brandle's.
It was sad to think of vampires who'd lived hundreds of years stuck there. The room's shabbiness went beyond the sofa and chair. Bookcases and half a dozen side tables were buried under piles of magazines and newspapers. A trash can overflowed with empty cat food cans.
Baltheir has a pet?
As if to claim the title, a fat black and white cat waddled in and fixed them with a baleful stare. Katelina stared back. It let out a meow before turning and disappearing the way it had come.
"Patches likes ya," Baltheir announced.
Patches. That explained why he was in town during the attack: buying cat food.
"I'll make the introductions." Baltheir pointed to a thin vampire with short dark hair and a purple robe. "Gaius." Then a blond with broad shoulders and a heavy jaw, whose robe was red. "Trefor." Last he pointed to a brunette in a cobalt blue robe. He looked maybe nineteen, with high cheekbones and pretty features. " Zander."
Baltheir turned to his guests. "This is Jorick, Oren's master, Oren, who lives yonder, and Jorick's mate."
The three seated vampires nodded, their gazes guarded.
"They're here to take a look at the fella in the basement," Baltheir explained.
"There's not much to look at," Gaius said.
"True, but Jorick and Oren are dream stealers. Who knows but they might find somethin'. It's this way then."
Baltheir clumped through a low doorway. As Katelina followed, she felt the gaze of the old ones. She glanced back to meet Zander's sparkling eyes.
He really is quite beautiful.
She looked away quickly, afraid he'd heard the thought. As she moved through a small tiled kitchen, she realized he couldn't have. If they were mind readers, Baltheir wouldn't need Oren.
She tugged Jorick's sleeve. "I thought all old vampires could read minds."
"Of course not, little one. With age comes new talents. There's no guarantee mind reading is one of them. However, mind readers tend to live longer, for obvious reasons, so there's a higher percentage of them among ancients."
They stopped in a utility porch where Baltheir opened a cellar door in the floor. The smell of earth and damp rolled up the stairs. It wasn't the kind of place she'd want to be trapped, brainless or not.
They followed Baltheir down into a room dug from dirt. Katelina could sense the life in the basement. One, two, three, four, and more. She realized most were insects and earthworms; things crawling beneath the surface.
There was one life stronger than the others. She looked to the far corner of the room where an axe leaned. Something was heaped next to it and, as they drew closer, Katelina realized it was the vampire.
Or what was left of him.
A bloody t-shirt trailed away where he was missing from the waist down. One arm was stretched out, the other gone below the elbow. His head looked like someone had removed almost everything above his eyebrows. Vampirism had regrown the skin, but not the hair, leaving his misshapen head bald. His perfect facial features hung slack, his jaw open. His seemingly sightless eyes stared at nothing.
"I told ya there wasn't much left," Baltheir said.
"There might be enough." Jorick stepped up. Katelina watched as he gazed thoughtfully at their subject. With nothing else to do, she thought it might be a good chance to practice. You couldn't get much more open than a damaged brain, could you?
She looked into the vampire's eyes and reached out, picturing Sarah and Estrilda. Her body tensed, waiting to drop into his memories.
Nothing happened.
Not to be deterred, she tried again. The vampire's eyes went wide. He made a strangled, high-pitched noise, like a pig to slaughter. The sound turned into a scream as he writhed and slapped the floor with his good hand
Oren covered his ears. "Make it stop!"
"I'm trying!" Jorick shouted.
More animal than human, the shrieks sent goosebumps shivering up and down Katelina. She knew instinctively that it was the kind of horrible noise no one was ever meant to hearit was wrong.
Like those soldiers knew that Samael was wrong.
The sound strangled off. Jorick stepped back, shaking his head. "Nothing but raw instincts. Fear." He glanced at Katelina. "I'm surprised you didn't drop into it, considering your usual sympathies."
"I might have, if it hadn't started screaming. The noise threw off my concentration."
"We won't gain anything from it," Jorick said. "Best to kill it and be done."
Baltheir grunted. "I was afraid of that." He hefted the axe and swung the blade into the monster's chest. Blood splattered. Katelina jumped back, arm up to protect herself. The damaged vampire's eyes went wide. He wriggled, and slapped the dirt in time to his strange, pained squeals.
Baltheir swung a second time, sending out yet another splatter. The monster fell lifeless. "Better go get some bags, I reckon." Their host headed upstairs.
Katelina peered at the gaping chest and the slowly spreading pool of scarlet. "I'd ask if that was necessary, but I know what you'd say."
Jorick nodded. "I'm not sure it was sentient anymore. Death was merciful."
Oren wiped his hands on his slacks. "I suggest we clean up, then head back to the den."
"Unless Katelina wants to see her mother," Jorick said.
"With all the roadblocks and human soldiers running around?" Oren asked. "Is it worth it?"
Jorick looked ready to snap back, but Katelina silenced him. "Oren is-" she couldn't bring herself to say "right", so she settled for, "The nurse told me there's no change. If Mom wakes up they'll call Verchiel, and he'll call Sorino. Unless that happens, there's no point in going."
Oren tugged an invisible wrinkle from his shirt. "Yes. Well. See?"
