Chapter 648
Normally Katelina would have argued, but if Torina was actually going to be helpful- "I'm coming."
She followed Torina and her mother back to the library. Though her mother hesitated at the door, Torina soothed her through. Katelina wondered if she had some whisperer abilities. It made sense, since she was from Jorick's bloodline.
Torina set Katelina's mother on the weight bench. "I understand what you're going through. I was once there myself. However, I don't know how to break it to you gently. At least I had some notion there were supernatural forces at work."
"Supernatural?" Patricia looked to Katelina. "What is she talking about?"
Torina tapped her chin. "Do you know what a vampire is?"
"You mean with fangs and blood drinking? Like the movies?"
"That will work for now. Jorick, your daughter's boyfriend, is a vampire."
Katelina cringed. This wasn't the way she'd imagined it. "Torina"
The vampiress waved her to silence while Patricia struggled with the revelation. "Vampires aren't real."
"Unfortunately, they are," Torina said. "You've never seen Jorick in the daytime, have you? You've never seen him eat anything. When he speaks he hides his mouth."
Her mother straightened. "I've noticed that. Like a criminal. Like he's always afraid someone might overhear. And he doesn't exist. I mean, obviously he's here, but he has no 'paper trail' as Brad calls it. He doesn't turn up in internet searches. Brad paid and finally found an expired driver's license under Jorick Smit, but the social security number is a fake."
Torina nodded. "He's a vampire, and vampires try not to leave a paper trail, lest someone notice they never age."
"But-" Patricia stopped. "All right. I'll go along with this for now. He's a vampire."
Torina nodded. "He made your daughter a vampire. Show her, Katelina. Smile for her."
Her mother narrowed her eyes. "Well?"
It was a terrible way to reveal the truth but, with no other option, Katelina displayed her fangs.
Her mother surveyed her dispassionately. "False teeth?"
"No," Torina said. "Those are her real teeth. Just like yours."
"Mine? I don't" Patricia broke off as she touched her own fangs.
Torina nodded. "For whatever reason, your daughter decided to make you one of us; a vampire."
Her mother's eyes dropped to her hands. She turned them over, examining them. Katelina hadn't taken the time. Now that she did, she could see the difference, especially in her skin. The wrinkles were smoothed. Gone was the gray pallor and dead dry look. Her hair, though not quite the right shape thanks to the missing layers, was glossy with highlights Katelina'd never noticed before.
"It's a shock," Torina agreed. "My brother sprang it on me unexpectedly."
Katelina thought of Torina's story about being attacked. That probably had been a shock.
Patricia looked to her daughter again. Her little girl lost eyes made Katelina's stomach clench.
"I'm sorry, Mom. I should have thought it through better. But you were in a coma, on hospice. You didn't look like you'd last the night. I couldn't let you die."
"This is a dream," Patricia murmured.
"If you want to believe it's a dream, go ahead," Torina said. "After a century or two you'll either be stuck in the longest nightmare of your life, or you'll learn to accept it."
Verchiel stuck his head in. "How's it going?"
"You!" Patricia reached to push up her glasses. "Where are my glasses?" She squinted, then her eyes went wide. "I can see without them!"
"That's part of vampirism, I'm told," Verchiel said.
She waved him to silence. "I need a drink. Do you have any tea?"
"I don't think you can drink tea anymore," Katelina said slowly.
Verchiel tapped his chin. "She might be able to, if she doesn't use sugar or milk. It's only water that's been strained through tea leaves. However, I think you'll find some nice, tasty blood would be much thirst quenchier."
Patricia wrinkled her nose. "No. I don't think so."
"Go get her a drink," Torina ordered.
"I'll go." And Katelina was out the door before any of them could stop her.
Jorick met her in the living room. "How's it going?"
"Is she calm?" Oren demanded. "I won't have her tearing the house up and trying to attack"
"Yeah, yeah." Katelina said. "It's going about like you'd expect. She thinks she's dreaming."
"You left her alone with Torina and Verchiel?" Jorick asked, amused.
Katelina eyed him suspiciously. "You've been listening in?"
"Not really," Oren said dismissively.
"I have," Jorick said. "She wants tea."
"Better to get her blood and be done with it," Oren said.
Micah pushed between them. "What the fuck? You're letting the Guild dog educate her? Isn't there some shit about how I own your fledglings?"
"No," Jorick snapped. "You released her from the blood debt. What she does is none of your business."
"I don't think I released her, grease stain. You said I did but"
Katelina moved around their squabbling and into the kitchen. Etsuko stood at the counter, pouring scarlet liquid from a bottle into a pink plastic glass.
"This will be less distressing for Patricia-san. She will not have to see the color of the blood."
"Thank you." Katelina leaned on the counter, eyes on the crimson contents. "Do you think I made a mistake?"
"Kate-san is referring to turning her mother?"
She nodded. "Jorick thinks I did. He didn't say so, but he was mad about it. I know that's why he refuses to help."
"Kate-san's intentions were good."
"They said she was going to die. I couldn't let that happen. She's my mom." A strange thought occurred to Katelina. Etsuko had been a human slave to a Japanese coven, raised by vampires. "Where's your mother?"
Etsuko gave a small shrug. "I have never met my mother. Though I can imagine the connection Kate-san has with Patricia-san. It would be difficult to see her suffer and not wish to help."
"Exactly." Katelina deflated a little. "But did I help, or make a mess of things?"
"Only the future can tell the outcome of actions."
"Right." Katelina tightened her hold on the glass. "I'd better take this in. Thanks."
Back in the library, her mother was still seated on the weight bench. Katelina handed the drink off. Her mom sniffed it suspiciously, then gulped. She blinked at the empty glass. "What..?"
Katelina took it back. "Jorick swears that goes away and you'll learn self-control eventually."
"He's right," Torina said. "You don't see me drinking like that."
"It's a pity." Verchiel grinned. "I think it's kind of attractive. The desperation, the gluttony, the desire, the"
"Shut it right there," Katelina warned.
Patricia looked from one to the other. "All right. I've had enough of this. Kately, where is the phone? I need to call Brad." When no one moved, she barked with more authority, "Where is the phone?"
"Mom"
"It's in the kitchen," Torina said.
Katelina rounded on the vampiress, but Verchiel offered a smile. "Sorry, Kately. I have to agree with Torina. What were you planning? To leave him wondering where she went? That worked well last time."
Katelina knew what he meant: Sarah. "It worked fine. You notice how fast he moved on. He'll make a website. In three months he'll be living with someone else."
The slap made Katelina stumble. She held her cheek and stared at her mother.
"That's enough, young lady. I'm tired of your opinions about my relationship."
"And I'm tired of your opinions about mine. I'm tired of you saying Jorick is a bum or a criminal, or that we live in a van! You don't know anything about it. You want me to accept Brad, but you can't accept Jorick."
"If he's such a good honest man, why did you have to run away to be with him?"
"I ran away because vampires were after me!" Katelina snapped. "The same fucking vampires that kidnapped Sarah and tortured her nearly to death. I got lucky and Jorick kept that from happening to me. But yeah, that makes him such a bad guy. And you know what else? He had a job! He was a fucking Executioner! A vampire policeman. Is law enforcement good enough for you? Of course they enforce the law by killing everyone, but hey, whatever works. And you know what else? He doesn't own a goddamn van. Oren borrowed it so we could haul everyone to a vampire war. Yeah, that's right, I was driving them to attack a coven that time I stopped by. Jorick, and Oren, and Torina, and everyone else were asleep in the back because it was the fucking daytime! And we weren't overseas for a computer job. We were overseas because Jorick's master was a psycho who killed hundreds and Jorick stopped him! Malick had nuclear launch codes and took over a silo in Russia. If it wasn't for Jorick, you'd be in the middle of a god damn nuclear holocaust! So if you want me to quit insulting Brad for sitting around moaning about his supposed girlfriend, then jumping into bed with you, maybe you should quit saying crap about Jorick all the damn time!"
Her mother gaped and finally strangled out, "You watch your language."
Verchiel took hold of Patricia's arm. "Come along, dear. I'll show you to the phone."
He led her out. Katelina shouted after them, "What in the hell are you going to tell him? There are laws you know. Laws!"
She threw up her hands and dropped on the weight bench.
"Don't worry." Torina smoothed her dress. "If anyone knows about the Laws, it should be an Executioner."
Without looking up, Katelina muttered, "That's what I'm afraid of."
