Chapter 667
Katelina hurried down the hall. She took the stairs as fast as she could. Halfway up, she stopped to catch her breath. Her shoulder burned all the way to her hand, and she was so thirsty. She needed a little sip, a taste-
She tensed when she heard someone running down the stairs, but relaxed when she saw Brandle. His face was flushed, and his shirt was torn. Blood ran down one arm, though she couldn't see the wound.
"What's going on?"
"I could ask you the same thing. Jorick sent me." He frowned. "Sorino ran back here, growling like a madman."
Katelina flinched involuntarily. "Kai-and Torina-" She looked away from Brandle's shock. "We were attacked by William and a woman."
He closed his eyes and sagged. "It was only a matter of time before he killed for her. He's no stranger to it, but I'd hoped-"
"He was after the kids. He thought Lilith would reward him for bringing them back."
"Borrowing her power is all he cares about," Brandle said sadly.
A crash sounded from deeper on the floor. By unspoken agreement, they drifted toward the noise. Another crash came, followed by a roar that could only be Micah.
They hurried down the hallway, and zagged around the corner. Down another corridor, around a second turn, Katelina saw the bald vampire. He swung his fists at thin air. Blood ran from a cut on his cheek, his fury a black wave that rolled over her and stole her breath.
She pushed away the foreign emotion, then rushed to join him. With a curse, she realized she'd left her dagger in the room. A nearby fire extinguisher would have to do.
She wrenched it from the wall in time to be bowled over. She had a millisecond view of William before he disappeared.
"What the fuck are you doing, Lunch?" Micah swung at the spot the vampire had been.
"Trying to help you." She pulled to her feet.
Brandle hefted his own blade. "William! Enough."
The vampire appeared long enough to swing his sword. "I warned you. If we met again we would be enemies."
Brandle spun, trying to face him. "Don't do this, William."
Micah grabbed a handful of the blond's shirt. "I don't give a shit if he's your goddamn lover, for what he did, this fucker dies!"
One of Zander's scriptures popped in Katelina's head: Blood answers blood. It was damn well going to now.
Brandle wrenched free. Micah launched himself at William. The wind walker disappeared to pop up behind Katelina. He sliced at her shoulder, cutting in where he'd stabbed her before. She cried out and stumbled forward as Micah swung for him.
William vanished, then materialized long enough to stab Micah in the back. He pulled the sword and evaporated again. Micah spun in a circle, swearing and swinging. Katelina stumbled back to press her shoulder against the cool wall.
"William," Brandle's voice was a hard warning. "Don't make me fight you."
The wind walker appeared a few feet away. His dark hair was mussed, his face remorseless. "Then don't. Join us, Acwellen. Kali will welcome you."
Micah lunged, but William disappeared again.
"You know I won't," Brandle called.
William popped up at the other end of the hallway. "Then you'll die, old friend."
Brandle sighed. "No, I'm afraid you will."
He disappeared. Katelina gaped at the place he'd been. Micah came up short, his fists swinging uselessly as he spun around.
"What the fuck?"
Of course, she reminded herself. He's a phantom.
William reappeared in front of Micah, his attention on the spot Brandle had disappeared from. "Cute, Acwellen. But it doesn't impress me."
Micah punched the vampire in the back of the head. William gasped in surprise, stumbled, and cried out, bent nearly double. He reached down to his stomach and wrapped his hands around something Katelina couldn't see. Like a hologram in a movie, an outline blinked on and off. Then she could see Brandle in front of him, his blade buried in his friend's torso.
"I'm sorry," Brandle said softly. "But you didn't leave me any choice. I won't go back to the days before The Kugsankal, to the chaos, the constant horror."
William choked and spit out a mouthful of blood. "You're a traitor." He made to pull away, but Brandle held him with his free hand while he jerked the blade straight up, cutting a line through his chest. William's eyes bulged. He stiffened, then went limp, like a sack of potatoes.
Brandle pulled away and let him go. The vampire crumpled to a heap on the floor. Katelina saw the regret on the warrior's face. She felt his sadness, but she couldn't embrace it. The bastard more than deserved death.
"You don't have the history with him," Brandle said softly. "I fought alongside him many times. My viewpoint is different than yours."
Verchiel's words came back to her, "It all depends what lens you look through."
I'm looking through the one that's happy to see him gone.
The hair stood up on the back of Katelina's neck, and someone barked a quick "eep". She spun so fast it hurt, to see Angelica standing at the end of the hallway, her hands over her mouth. Next to her, holding her back, was
"Sarah."
Micah kicked William's body. Angelica broke free and ran to crouch down next to him protectively. "Oh, God. William! William!" She looked at Brandle and sagged. "Why?"
"Because old friends don't mean much to him." Sarah marched with purpose, to stop just out of reach. "Or to any of them."
Angelica gave a sort of strangled sob. "You were stupid, William. So bloody stupid."
Sarah hauled her to her feet. "Kali gave us orders."
Angelica jerked loose. "She gave you orders. I was only here because of him. If he's dead, I'm done."
Sarah scoffed. Though she spoke to Angelica, she met Katelina's eyes. "You're like the others."
"Sarah, stop this." As Katelina's said it, she felt like Brandle, pleading with William to quit before she had to do what he'd done; before she had to murder her friend.
Except she's not your friend anymore.
"I already told you what you have to do." Sarah sneered. "It's me or Jorick."
Micah laughed. "You're a dumb bitch if you think that's gonna work."
"No one asked you, asshole!" Sarah glared at him, then snapped her gaze back to Katelina. "Me or Jorick." When Katelina didn't answer Sarah said, "That's what I thought, but it's okay. Kali will take care of him. If Ishkur hasn't."
Katelina looked to the ceiling, as if she could see to the rooftop battle. Sarah took advantage of the distraction. She charged, slamming Katelina into the wall. Pain exploded in Katelina's stomach as Micah ripped her attacker away.
Katelina saw the bloody blade in Sarah's hand. She looked down to see scarlet blossoming on her shirt.
Micah lunged for Sarah as another blast rocked the building. He stumbled. Sarah hopped away and took off down the corridor.
Micah started for her, but Brandle caught his arm. "If she's leading you anywhere, it's a trap."
Though the bald vampire growled, he stopped. "How many do they fucking have?"
"There's Gret and Inget," Angelica said. "Threbold was killed earlier."
"If Gret and Inga are those redheads, they're both dead," Micah said.
"Then there's just Sarah."
