Chapter 620
She packed up and exited to find Micah waiting, clean clothes thrown over his shoulder. "You better have left some hot water. You ain't the only one in the house, you know."
She didn't reply, only skated past on a quest for Jorick. She came across him in the living room. After calling the hospital, they headed outside. The flower-scented night felt bleak. There was no change in her mother. The nurse said if she didn't improve, she'd be transferred to a different facility, though she didn't say where or how soon.
When Katelina told Jorick, he asked, "Do you want to go see her?"
"I don't know. If there's no change, what's the point? With the curfew, we've got five minutes to get there, get in, visit, and get out. Unless you can teleport, that's impossible."
"I can make them let us in," Jorick assured her.
"I know, but-" She'd feel worse staring at her for hours, not better. Unconscious, her mother wouldn't care one way or the other.
Though Katelina had the bottle of blood, she fed on a rabbit, then went inside, trying to forget its black button eyes. She mentioned her dream to Jorick. He used the house phone to call Jamie. After a short conversation, he leaned against the kitchen counter. "Jamie's going to look through their reports, see if there's been anything in the south, but it's a broad term."
"I know. And Lilith is shielding them. Hopefully, Samael can get close enough to narrow something down."
"Or maybe The Guild will come through." Jorick's tone implied he'd rather his connections found them than Samael.
Katelina heard a vehicle pull up, followed by the slam of car doors. Curious, she and Jorick drifted to the living room where Xandria opened the door on Baltheir.
"Hey, it's the old guy," she called.
"Watch yourself, missy. Oren needs to teach you how to show respect to your masters. In Jesslynn's coven you'd a been reprimanded for that."
Given what Katelina knew of Jesslynn, she suspected a "reprimand" would have been painful.
With a grunt, Baltheir clumped inside, followed by Zander. His long hair was unbound. Dressed in the same robe as yesterday, he looked like the prince from a fantasy moviea prince carrying a tatty old carpet bag.
At the sight of him, Xandria's eyes went wide. Katelina could feel his years like a mantle. She wondered how they affected someone who was still human.
Zander nodded a greeting. "As promised, my brother allowed me to come today."
"You're sure this is what you want?" Jorick asked. "As your brother said, it's not your fight."
"But it is. Lilith, as you call her, destroyed my home, my possessions, and the humans I am supposed to protect. If that does not make it my fight, what would?"
"You're joining us?" Xandria asked delightedly. "My name is"
"Xandria," Loren butted in unhappily. "I'm Loren."
"Zander." He nodded to them.
Micah leaned in the front door. "Hey, did you guys know there's someoneAh shit. It's that geezer again."
Baltheir gave him a hard look. "I'm leavin'. Tell Oren I said hello, and good luck."
He pushed past Micah. A moment later he was gone, leaving Zander behind.
Great.
Sorino swept in from the hallway. The annoyance faded from his face when he saw their guest. "Who is this?"
"I'd like to know that," Micah said.
"This is Zander," Jorick said. "He's joining us."
"A friend of yours?" Micah asked.
"A local." Jorick looked to Sorino. "Did you want something?"
He held up his phone. "Yes. Verchiel believes I'm your messaging service."
Katelina stiffened. "Mom?"
"No. Verchiel found someone named Maria Hernandez."
Sarah's mom. Katelina caught her breath. "Where is she?"
"Probably the morgue. She's dead."
"Dead." Katelina sagged. Sarah had already lost so much, and now her mother? How much could she take?
If she even knows.
***
When introductions were done, Etsuko shuffled Zander to the kitchen. Jorick pressed a kiss to Katelina's cheek, then wandered off in search of a book.
Torina waltzed into the room. "I heard we have a new friend."
Katelina nodded unenthusiastically.
"I'll have to meet him." Torina handed Katelina a paperback. "When Jorick's rejected everything in the library, give him this."
The cover's half-naked couple and swirling font set the tone for the story. Katelina wasn't sure she'd read it, let alone Jorick.
Torina flipped her hair. "If you're so sure, how would you like to make a wager?"
Xandria nearly clapped. "I love bets! What are you betting for?"
Torina studied Katelina. "She has to entertain me."
Katelina glared. "How am I supposed to do that?"
"I'll decide when I win."
Xandria lit up. "If Kate wins you have to let me play with your hair."
Torina blinked. "Excuse me?"
"You have such pretty hair," Xandria said enthusiastically. "I did Kate's for the German wedding. Come on."
"Fine," Torina said. "Because it doesn't matter. I'll win."
"Done." Xandria patted Katelina on the shoulder. "Go give it to him."
Torina pulled the book back. "Wait until he returns. He shouldn't be long. The book selection is very uninspired."
Katelina wanted to tell them to play with each other's hair and leave her out of it, but Jorick appeared, looking unhappy.
"Need something to read?" Torina purred.
Jorick stopped next to them. "Not in this house. I forgot Oren's only interested in the classics."
"His taste is rather dry. I just finished an interesting one." She held the book out and batted her eyes. "You can borrow it."
Jorick took it. He opened his mouth, closed it, then opened it again. Katelina silently prodded him: Say no. Say no.
"It's better than nothing," he announced. "Thank you, I suppose."
"What?" Katelina cried.
Jorick shot her a quizzical look and Torina smiled. "We had a little wager. Nothing to worry about. Off you go. Enjoy."
Though Katelina expected Jorick to intervene, he only shook his head and wandered away.
"I'll be damned," Xandria said. "I didn't think-maybe he'll learn a thing or two?" She nudged Katelina.
"I doubt he needs to," Torina said archly. "Now, what shall we do for entertainment?"
"I never actually agreed to this." Katelina said.
"Make Katelina over," Xandria said gleefully.
Torina snickered. "That would certainly take plenty of time." She lifted a section of Katelina's hair. "Though immortality has helped. All right. That would be entertaining. Come." She snapped her fingers and headed up the stairs.
Despite Katelina's protests, Xandria dragged her to an upstairs bedroom. Inside was a vanity table and a closet overflowing with clothes. Shoes were scattered and a chair was draped in dresses and lingerie.
"It's not much. We've been here less than a month." Torina eyed the eggshell walls. "It needs to be painted, for one." She pointed Katelina to the vanity stool. "Sit."
With an eye roll, Katelina took her place. Torina rifled through things, paused to study her, then went back to it.
Xandria shoved the dresses back and perched on the edge of the chair. "When you're done with her, do me."
Torina tensed, as if trying to decide whether to banish the human or humor her like a child. "Looking to impress Loren?"
"Or Zander." Xandria giggled. "He's smoking."
"I assume you mean attractive and not actually on fire?" Torina ran a brush through Katelina's hair. "Who is he?"
"Yeah, that means attractive," Xandria said. "He's the new guy, who just showed up. What are the chances he'd be interested in me? Pretty low, you think? I mean, he's ancient, right? Probably doesn't want to dip his stick in the human world?"
Katelina glared. "I thought you and Loren-?"
"Yeah, we have sex but-Oh. I get it. We're not a couple or anything."
Torina laughed like tinkling bells. "Does Loren know?"
"Of course. I mean-" Xandria trailed off and frowned. "You know, we've never talked about it. I didn't think he might-Huh. Maybe we'd better discuss it."
Katelina tried not to sound annoyed, "That might be a good idea, especially before you throw yourself at Zander. Loren already had his heart broken by Ume. He doesn't need it smashed again."
"Ume-" Xandria tested the name. "She was that Asian girl, right? Verchy's sister?"
Torina pulled part of Katelina's hair back. "Verchy?"
"Yeah, Verchiel is so formal. Anyway, she was the one who took off, right? Because Jorick killed her ex-girlfriend or whatever? When we were in China?"
It was actually Ume's master, but it was close enough.
"I knew Loren liked Ume, but I didn't realize he liked her that much. I don't want to hurt him, you know? Especially considering how sensitive he is over his arm. What happened to it, anyway? I asked, but he won't say. Was it before he was turned? If he was a vampire, they could have put it back, right?"
"Sometimes," Torina said. "If a limb is chopped off cleanly it can be reattached, as long as they have all the pieces, but this-It was a few months ago, when Oren led an attack on The Guild. Micah and Loren assisted one of our allies with explosives. When the coward prematurely set one off, Loren's arm was taken."
That was pretty much the way Katelina remembered it. Loren held the charge, ready to place it. A panicked Traven had hit the button too soon. Loren's arm, up to the elbow, had exploded in a spray of crimson.
"Wow." Xandria whistled. "I thought it was something stupid, like a car wreck he caused, but that's not his fault."
"No, it wasn't." Torina pulled back the sides of Katelina's hair. "He's an odd boy, or man, I should say. That child face fools people."
"Then they haven't spent much time with vampires," Xandria said. "But he is odd. I actually thought he was going to call everything off the other day, after you caught us. He was so embarrassed. I don't get it. Why are Americans so uptight about sex?"
"Probably because we were founded by Puritans," Katelina muttered, trying to banish the memories.
"Were you? I always thought it was prisoners. Or is that Australia? I don't know. World history was never my strong point. I liked writing better. Poetry was the best. And political science."
Not much of a poet, Katelina made a noncommittal noise.
"When I was a child we didn't learn the things they do now," Torina said. "Especially women. You didn't need to understand politics to run a household."
"I suppose not, but politics are really an extension of psychology, of understanding how people work. Don't you find that interesting?"
"I know how people work." Torina brandished a bobby pin. "I've seen them in all their stages, their innermost feelings exposed. What drives humanity is selfishness. Even the most selfless act has a secret selfish motive. Once you understand that, you realize how boring it all is."
She jabbed the pin with gusto. Katelina flinched. "You don't need to skewer me."
"I'm just getting started. Now hold still."
