Chapter 652
When everyone had left the kitchen, Oren caught Jorick's elbow. "What do you plan to do with her mother while we're gone?"
"So you're coming?" Jorick asked.
Oren was quiet a moment. "Yes. You helped me with my battles, even after we'd achieved our original goals. I'll help you finish yours." Jorick nodded and Oren repeated. "What about her mother?"
"I don't know," Katelina admitted. "I guess they can go back to Brad's apartment."
Oren looked irritated with himself. "They're welcome to stay here, for the time being. Not forever, but until we return. Her partner can have one of the rooms upstairs. I'll have Micah move his junk out of it."
Junk? Did he mean the stuff the bald vampire had stolen from Claudius'?
Oren went on, "Etsuko has volunteered to help her adjust. Though Katelina will have to teach her to hunt eventually." He gave her a pointed look. "In the meantime, we prefer to drink from bottles, so it shouldn't be an issue."
Katelina was too shocked to reply, so Jorick said, "Thank you."
"You're welcome." He shifted uncomfortably. "I can't say that the timing or circumstances are ideal, however, I do understand the-duty to share immortality with one's family, however inconvenient."
Of course he did, Katelina realized. It was what he'd done; taken it back to his wife and sister. They'd even gone so far as to turn his brother-in-law.
"It's a different time," Jorick said. "When I was turned you gave up your mortal life family and all to essentially be reborn as an immortal."
Yes," Oren agreed. "But as you said, it is a different time."
***
Katelina left the two men to pack. She was halfway through when she remembered her shower puff in the upstairs bathroom. She thought about sending Jorick, but with no idea where he was, it was easier to go herself.
As she headed down the upstairs hallway, she overheard Xandria. "I know you're leaving tonight, so I had to tell you now, just in case. I mean, you're going to a war. Something might happen and then you'd never know how I feel."
Katelina wasn't sure whether to smile or not. They were a weird couple, but at least Loren would be happy.
Except the voice that replied didn't belong to the teen. It belonged to Zander. "I don't understand."
Xandria gave an exasperated sigh. "You're not a monk, are you? Or a eunuch? I'm trying to tell you that I'm attracted to you. I know I'm just a human, but I think there might be a spark between us."
Katelina's jaw tightened. So there it was. Even after they'd warned her, Xandria couldn't resist throwing herself at the beautiful immortal. What had she once said? Have fun or go crazy? It was a philosophy she apparently lived by.
"I apologize if you have mistaken my intentions," Zander said uneasily.
"You're saying you don't have any feelings for me?"
"If by feelings you mean those of a carnal nature, than no. I am sorry."
Xandria made an unhappy noise. "Me too."
Katelina felt the stab of the woman's disappointment and tried not to enjoy it. It served her right.
***
Two hours later, Katelina stood in the living room, her suitcase packed at her feet. "We'll be back soon, Mom. I know you want to go look around, but things are crazy in town. There are roadblocks and curfews. They've arrested people as terrorists. If you're caught running around after nine, they might arrest you. You can't be out in the sunlight or"
"I know how it works, Kately. I've seen the movies."
"It isn't like the movies. The sunlight thing kind of is, and you need to drink blood, but you can't hypnotize anyone, and you can't fly, and you can't turn into a bat, and garlic won't kill you and"
"Kately! Stop. Your redheaded friend made me a list." She flashed a piece of paper. "Brad and I agreed to accept your friend's offer, and stay here. It's not much farther to Brad's school or work. I assume I've lost my job."
"Even if you haven't, you can't go out in the daytime! I just said-"
"I know. I heard you. I was only musing aloud, dear. That young woman, whose name starts with an X, she's volunteered to help Brad clean up the property. I wish I could, but I understand about the sunlight, and the curfew." She gave Katelina a hug. "Don't worry about us. You just stay safe." She pulled back to meet her daughter's eyes. "I hope you can help Sarah. I suppose we all have the capacity for darkness. Maybe some people's circumstances bring it to the surface. There was a reason she saw therapists, sweetheart, even before the vampires. I know you love her. So do I, but I love you more. If it comes to a choice between you, I'm sorry, but save yourself."
Her mother pressed a kiss to her cheek and released her. "All right. Off you go."
At the door, Katelina glanced back to Oren. He stood stiffly in front of Etsuko, his voice so low Katelina could barely hear him.
"be back soon. If they get to be troublesome-"
"Oh, no, Oren-sama. I will enjoy the company. And it will take my mind off your absence."
"Yes-well-Make Xandria help you. She doesn't do anything all day except smoke, watch TV, and have relations with Loren."
Not if he finds out about Zander, Katelina thought.
"I thought Loren-san was accompanying you." Etsuko said.
"He is, so that will leave a hole in her schedule. Feel free to fill it with something useful. Dusting, perhaps."
"Please do not worry for us. Oren-sama will face many dangers and will need to concentrate on those."
Oren cleared his throat. "We'll be fine."
Etsuko stepped a little closer and clutched Oren's shirt. "Please, be careful."
Katelina felt Oren's hesitation. Finally, he tugged her hand free and folded it in his. "We will return, Etsuko. I will return."
Katelina thought she saw the shine of tears in Etsuko's eyes. Oren lifted her hand to his lips. Before he kissed it, Jorick tugged Katelina out the door.
"Come, little one. Let them have their moment."
"I wasn't-" But she was. "It's bizarre to see Oren-"
"To see him what? In a relationship? Not really. He was married for nearly two hundred years."
"Yes, but I didn't see much of it. Jesslynn was killed a few days after I met her. Besides, he didn't have a relationship like that with her. Did he?"
"Once upon a time. Most romances begin soft and caring. It's time that hardens them." He led her to the rental van and opened the door. "After you."
When everyone was loaded up, they headed to the airport. Despite the warning to leave their humans behind, Sorino sneered at the idea of leaving Kai in someone else's care. Katelina suspected he was more worried about losing his mobile snack station than the boy's welfare.
Katelina spent the flight to Phoenix trying to stay calm. Why couldn't she live in a tiny European country? The kind of place you could cross in a day by car? Why did they have to travel hundreds of miles all the time?
Thanks to the time zones, when they landed, they'd gained two hours. Though they'd been in the plane for more than three, local time said it was only an hour and a half since they'd left.
The airport was small, though larger than the one in Ohio. A stucco building advertised a restaurant that was closed. They waited outside for Sorino's rental van to show up. Micah smoked, and Katelina gazed toward the mountains. Smaller than some she'd seen, they looked like something straight from a Wild West movie.
I told Micah the west was out here.
