Chapter 660
A knock came at the door. Torina motioned Katelina to handle it. Her first impulse was to say, "Do it yourself," but she was on her way out. It would be a good excuse to escape.
She looked through the peephole to see Verchiel dressed in fresh clothes, his wet hair gelled at the usual odd angles.
"Helloooo," he called.
"Oh, it's him." Torina leaned back in the chair. "Tell him to go away."
Katelina readied to do that, when she heard another door open. She shifted to see Jorick stalk down the corridor, his face a thundercloud looking for a target. Verchiel gave him a smile so fake she could see through it.
"Why are you still here?" Jorick demanded.
"Where else would I be?" the redhead asked.
"With the rest of them."
Torina moved to join Katelina at the door, her eyes glittering with curiosity.
Verchiel stepped back. "It's interesting. Until a few weeks ago you were one of them. Now you act like they're the enemy."
"Aren't they? That Jamie would talk Katelina into"
"Jamie didn't talk Katelina into anything. We both know she already felt that way. You're just mad because you can't control her."
Katelina gritted her teeth. How dare he drag her into this as a distraction. The issue was himnot her. She went for the doorknob, but Torina caught her hand and whispered, "Let them fight it out."
Jorick growled. "I'm not trying to control her; I'm trying to protect her!"
"From this angle, your protection looks like chains."
"They would to you." Jorick sneered. "But I'm not holding her back from you, if that's what you think. She's where she chose to be."
Verchiel's reply was cold. "I never said she wasn't. I think it's interesting how much you fear me."
Jorick pressed his face near the redhead's. "I don't fear you!"
"Of course you do. You're afraid I'll trick her and take her away. If I wanted to take her, Jorickreally take herI'd have done it a long time ago. I've had plenty of opportunities. And there was a point where she might have come." He leaned forward, stretching until his nose was barely two inches from Jorick's. "Once she did, I could have filled her so full of my blood she forgot you ever existed. But I didn't. I didn't even try. I've let you posture, let you play the macho protector to impress her, but it ends. You're not better than me. If you're calling the shots, it's only because I let you. You take my casual attitude for weakness. It isn't. It's because I don't care most of the time. But let me remind you, I'm every bit as much an Executioner as you, from the same bloodline. If it comes to it, I will do what needs to be done. Are we clear?"
"I don't fear you, or the rest of your friends."
"And I'm not afraid of you. As for my 'friends', I assume you mean Ark and the rest. Yes, I called them, not because they told me to, but because there was no reason not to call them. You're planning to get in the middle of a battle between ancients. You can use all the help you can get, unless you plan to widow Katelina before she's a wife?"
Jorick snarled. "The last help I need is The Guild butting into it."
"Why? What do you think Eileifr's going to do? Drag Katelina off to the citadel?" His chuckle held no mirth. "That's it, isn't it? You think those are my orders; that I'm supposed to haul her to some controlled environment and use her to lure them. As if I would."
Katelina caught her breath. Was that-Would they really? And would it work?
"You said yourself you're every bit an Executioner. You'll follow your orders. Don't deny them. I may not be able to see into your mind, but I can read Ark's and Jamie's. I know why he wanted her to stay involved."
Verchiel crossed his arms. "It might have been suggested. It wasn't an order, only a consideration. I don't think it will make any difference. Lilith hasn't shown an interest in Kately, and Samael as much as told her to stay out of it. As for Jamie, he agrees with me. He wasn't trying to lure Katelina anywhere. You should know him and Ark well enough by now. If that was the plan, they'd take her and leave you to catch up."
Jorick's eyes glittered dangerously. "They know I'd kill them."
"I think you'd try, but I doubt they're holding back out of fear. You're strong, Jorick, but the world doesn't revolve around you."
"I never said it did."
"No, you don't say it, you expect it. Jorick, the mighty Hand of Death, the terror of the immortal world, ready to swoop in, dealing destruction at a moment's notice, like the anti-hero from an action movie. But you're no more the main character than I am. You're only a small piece of the world. You and Katelina would be a lot happier if you'd get over yourself and your inflated sense of self-importance."
Jorick growled, and Verchiel shrugged. "But you won't. I only hope she can keep putting up with it, for your sake."
The redhead started down the hallway, then tossed back, "I meant what I said. I'm done taking it."
He disappeared from view. Jorick hesitated a moment, then stormed down the hallway. Katelina couldn't see where they went, but a door slammedprobably Verchiel'sand the other set of footsteps continued.
Katelina sagged back, trying to process what she'd heard. "I hate to say it, but Verchiel's right. Lilith isn't like Malick. She's not interested in causing trouble for fun, or using me to torture Jorick. We're like ants to her. I don't think we're much more to Samael. If we get crushed along the way, oh well, but neither of them are going to go out of their way to bother with us."
"He's also right about Jorick's inflated sense of importance." Torina went back to her seat. "But then he feeds into it. Hovering around you only proves to Jorick you're that much more desirable. He can say he hasn't taken his chance all he wants, but I doubt it was honor that held him back. Either he wasn't interested, or he knew better."
Katelina didn't want to discuss the dynamic between herself and Verchiel. "I should go talk to Jorick. Calm him down."
"If you think it's best," Torina said. "I find it's good to let them stew now and then, allow them to come to their own conclusions."
"Men's conclusions are usually the wrong ones."
Torina gave a genuine laugh. "At last we agree on something."
Katelina wasn't sure that was such a good thing. She gave a half wave and hurried out into the corridor. The footsteps had gone in the opposite direction of their roombut that led to a stairway. Did Jorick go outside for some air, or maybe a snack?
A sign pointed to the right that said "Roof Top Pool". If she were looking for somewhere to clear her head, that would be more likely than outside on a busy street.
She followed the signs and let herself onto a rooftop patio. Tall buildings blocked two sides, and a fence-like barricade the third, giving it a feeling of privacy, even in the open air. A lighted pool glowed, ringed in chairs and large plants. There was no sulking vampire, no dark angry shadow.
Damn. Maybe he went outside looking for food.
