Chapter 644
Katelina woke with a start. Samael's final words shouted through her head. She needed to call-who? The hospital wouldn't give her information. She didn't have Brad's number. Should she call every nursing home in the area? If she found the right one, would they tell her anything?
She checked her watch; it was after eight and the fit function said she had a heartbeat of seventy-two. Even if she knew the nursing home's numbers, the night staff would tell her to call back in the morning.
"This sleeping all day is a pain in the ass!"
Jorick stirred from the opposite couch. He gave the gasping breath that signaled he was awake. She wondered if she did that. She hadn't noticed it, but she wasn't sure he knew that he did.
He sat up and rubbed his head. "Were you shouting?"
"Yes. Sorry. I had another dream. Samael said I needed to get back to Ohio while we still have time, but he didn't explain what he meant."
"I hate to sound pessimistic, but I think the meaning was clear."
"That's what I thought. How many more have to die? I wish I'd never woken him!"
"Samael?" Jorick moved to sit next to her. "He may have been the catalyst, but he's not the cause. Had you not woken him, someone else would have, and this would still happen one day."
"But not to us. Not to Sarah and Mom and Estrilda and-" She broke off and buried her face against him. "It would be someone else suffering, not us."
"I know, little one. But who's to say they'd be able to handle it? Another might have taken Samael up on his offer, then you'd have both him and a queen with limitless powers. Who's to say what they'd do together? They might destroy the world. Then all the people you love would die, and you'd still be suffering."
"So it's better to suffer in the epicenter than on the edges?" She couldn't hold onto the sarcasm. "I'm sorry. I know you're trying to help. I'm not sure anything can."
He met her eyes. "I can think of some things that would. But for now, finding your mother will have to do." He kissed the tip of her nose. "Come, let's feed."
Since the stored blood was gone, they hunted. Jorick charmed some gophers that left Katelina feeling worse. When they got back to the complex, she packed and wished she was still mortal enough to enjoy tequila. It was the perfect time to drink a bottle or two.
She didn't share her dream with the others. What was the point? She hadn't learned anything of use, and she didn't feel better. She felt worse.
The ride from the complex to the airfield was cramped and boring, though not as cramped as it could be. We have two less people.
With that depressing thought, she followed the others through the airport and eventually out to the small plane. When they took off, she leaned back and closed her eyes without bothering to pray they didn't crash.
They were mid-flight when Verchiel climbed into the seat in front of her, his chin propped on the back. "You seem morose."
"You think? We failed at everything we said we were going to do. We didn't save Estrilda. We didn't save Sarah. We didn't kill Lilith. We got Des killed. God, has anyone notified his mother?"
Verchiel scratched his head. "No. I guess we should, to be polite."
"Yeah. I think she'd appreciate it."
He tugged his phone out, then stuffed it back in his pocket. "After we land I'll use the app to look up her number. They've been in the same place for years. It should be in the database."
The vampire app mapped where all the vampires in North America livedor was supposed to. Verchiel had pointed out discrepancies before.
"Hey!" He covered the pages of Jorick's book with his hand. "You're going to let her be depressed?"
Jorick growled low. "Her mood isn't your concern."
"I dunno. It's not like you're doing much about it."
Jorick growled again, deeper and more threatening. Verchiel backed off, hands in the air. "I'm just saying, maybe put the book down and talk to her."
The redhead walked away. Jorick looked to Katelina. "Do you want me to close the book and talk to you?"
She started to say, "Obviously," but then she thought about it. She didn't want to talk. She wanted to stew in her misery. "There's nothing to say."
"You're sure?"
She nodded. With a satisfied grunt, he went back to his story.
***
It was two in the morning when they got to Oren's house. After the phone conversation she'd overheard, she expected some kind of romantic reunion between Oren and Etsuko, but they only exchanged nods.
I guess he really hasn't changed.
It was oddly comforting; the thought of a romantic Oren was disturbing.
Though they couldn't call random nursing homes that late at night, they could look for Brad. "When we were here for Easter, he still had his apartment. Sarah was staying there. There's a chance he's gone back there now that-" Now that mom's house is gone. The words stuck in her throat, so she left it with a shrug.
Micah looked thoughtful. "Brad was that preppy pretty boy that schmoozed all over your mom at Easter?" She nodded. "Eh, I'm up for checking it out, as long as I get to have a snack while we're in town. Those gopher things weren't filling."
Katelina asked, "Who are you going to snack on? There's a curfew, and you can't eat Brad."
"I'll find someone. Look, you want a ride or not?"
A few minutes later, Katelina climbed into the back of Micah's black sports car. Jorick took the front passenger seat, in case they needed to get past anyone. And it was a good thing, because the roadblocks were still up.
Jorick got them through easily, and into the town. A lot of the mess was cleared away; windows were boarded up. Stacks of cut up trees and rubble waited on corners to be collected.
Brad's building was in a part of town that had been spared. Katelina let out a breath of relief to see it intact.
"Okay, kiddies," Micah said. "I'm gonna go with you, coz I'm curious about this shit, then I'm gonna go for a walk, if you get me."
"Don't do us any favors," Jorick muttered sarcastically.
"Be nice," Katelina hissed. The last thing they needed was for Micah to get pissed and leave them stranded.
She dragged Jorick into the building. The lobby light hummed as she checked the names on mailboxes. She pointed to number thirty-three. "His name's still here, though that doesn't mean anything."
"Are we gonna knock on his door, or are we planning to run reconnaissance first?" Micah asked impatiently. "Number thirty-three, right? I remember what he looked like, so if you don't wanna go, I will."
"No, I'll go." Katelina pushed past him and up the stairs. On the third floor she made a right turn, then headed down the hallway. The carpet was as hypnotic as she remembered. Two tone burgundy, the pattern looked like rows of little moustaches.
She stopped in front of door thirty-three and knocked softly. No answer came. Before she could knock again, Micah shoved in front of her. "Let me show you how to wake someone up, huh?"
He pounded on the door. He paused a second, listened, then repeated. In between pounding, Katelina heard someone shuffling around inside. Finally a voice called, "All right! All right!"
The door opened. A sleepy eyed Brad peered back at them. Gone were the bandages on his head, but his arm was still in a sling. "Who are" he broke off. "Kate? What are you-?"
She pushed Micah aside. "Where the hell is my mother? The hospital said they moved her, but they won't tell me where because I'm not the primary contact."
"Damn." He rubbed his head and yawned. "I didn't tell them they couldn't"
"I don't care. Just tell me where the hell she is!"
"They moved her to Green Valley."
Katelina knew the place. Sarah had worked there in high school. "Why?"
Brad stepped back and motioned them inside. When Katelina didn't budge, he sagged against the doorframe. "She hasn't woken up yet, Kate. They said her brain hemorrhaged, that's why they did surgery. Now there's brain damage-" He closed his eyes. "They said it could be weeks or months before she wakes up. If she wakes up. God." He shrank. "I don't know how the hell we're going to pay for all this."
"Seriously? You're worried about the money?"
Brad opened his eyes. "Yes, Kate, I am. She'll need physical therapy, and God knows what else. I'm going to school. I only work part time. Excuse me for trying to be responsible and figure this out. It's not like you're around to pitch in."
Jorick pulled her back before she could reply. "Thank you, Brad."
She jerked loose. "No, not 'Thank you, Brad'. How about"
Micah cracked his knuckles loudly. "Ignore him, girlie. Preppy thing like that ain't worth your time. We'll send Xandria to handle him." He guffawed at his own joke.
Brad blinked. "Um-who are you?"
Katelina realized he was staring at Micah's teeth. She quickly grabbed the bald vampire. "He's leaving, and so are we."
"Yeah, of course," Brad called as she pulled them down the hallway. "Let me know when you want to deal with some of this like an adult."
Katelina flipped him off before dragging Micah around the corner and down the stairs. She didn't stop until they hit the lobby, then it was to let out a long string of curse words.
Micah glared at her. "Are you done? Why the fuck didn't you let me snack on that jack ass?"
"Because her mother needs someone to look after her," Jorick said.
"No, because it would make a mess." Katelina turned to Jorick. "Can you get us into Green Valley?"
***
The nursing home sat in a little valley, next to the park. Katelina always assumed that was where the name came from, though the doves on the sign gave it a religious connotation.
Despite the late hour, Micah stopped in the visitor parking. "I'm getting a snack here." He climbed out. "That was the fucking deal to drive you. I ain't a free taxi service."
"You're going to drain some poor old person?" Katelina demanded.
"I was thinking one of the staff, but whatever."
"No," Jorick said and slammed the car door. "Wait out here."
"But"
"You're not a whisperer," Jorick said. "You can't erase their memory. What do you want? A nurse saying she was attacked by someone who drank her bloodand no doubt on camera? The town is hysterical enough without your adding to it."
"What the fuck? Look here"
Jorick rounded on him. "We don't have time to mess with this. If you want a snack you can get one on the way home."
He strode toward the entrance. Katelina followed, shooting a warning glance back to the bald vampire. He'd better not take off, or she'd kill him.
