Chapter 668
Katelina pressed a trembling hand to her stomach. Crimson oozed between her fingers. Watery panic flowed through her, even as she told herself she'd be all right. She was immortal. She couldn't bleed to death.
No. But I can end up drained and withered, and might as well be dead.
Micah noticed her injury. "Whoa, there, princess. You better go back to the room."
"Not until I see that Jorick's okay. I'm all right."
"For now," Brandle agreed. "Perhaps Sorino would allow" he broke off, though Katelina guessed the rest. "Allow you to have a drink from Kai." Except Kai was-
She pulled away from the wall, grimacing as pain shot through her. "Damn it. I thought vampires weren't supposed to hurt."
"Who the hell told you that?" Micah asked. "We might hurt less, but we still fucking hurt."
"Great."
Angelica stood. She gave William a last look, then turned to Brandle. "Okay, now what?"
"Now you decide whose side you're on," Micah snapped. "If you're with us, come on. But if you try to stab us in the back, I'll use your fucking spleen for a punching bag, whether your friend likes it or not."
What energy Katelina had was gone, so she made her way slowly to the stairs. Brandle, Angelica, and Micah stayed with her until she waved them on. "He can't fight Ishkur alone."
They took off, and she hobbled up the stairs. When she reached the top floor, her heart stopped. As though materialized from her deepest fears, Sarah stood waiting, the long knife in her hand.
"You always were slow when it came to stairs."
Katelina looked desperately for an escape. She'd told Jorick she wanted to deal with Sarah, that it was her responsibility. Now that it was here, she wasn't ready for it.
She could see the stairs that led to the roof. The door stood open. She could hear Zander shouting in a strange language.
"Go ahead and yell for Jorick," Sarah said icily. "Ask your hero to rush to your rescue like usual. Not that he'd hear you."
Katelina clutched the wall for support. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Do you hear him?"
Katelina strained her ears. She heard Zander, and Micah, and-
"But not him," Sarah said. "Both of your men are out of commission."
"Both?" Did she mean Samael? He wasn't her man, but had Lilith
"Don't play stupid. Jorick and the redhead. You can fool the others, but I know you. It's obvious you have feelings for him, and the way he hangs all over you-But then you would have them both fawning, wouldn't you? Perfect little Kate with her perfect little life."
"What the fuck are you talking about? No, you know what? I don't care. Maybe Jorick was right. Maybe Lilith didn't do this to you. Maybe you were always this twisted and bitter and-and-" She couldn't think of a suitable description.
"And cheated?" Sarah suggested. "Not given all the special little things that perfect pretty Kate had, with her blonde hair and blue eyes? Little Kate who ate ice cream and Cheetos and didn't need to exercise? Perfect little Kate who didn't notice when the boys flirted with her, or was she too good for them? Little Kate with her mommy and her perfect happy house, and everything she ever wanted handed to her."
"Fuck you, Sarah. My mother took you in."
"Your mother took me in. How kind of her to stoop low enough to help the little charity case. No, fuck you, Kate. Fuck you, and fuck her, and fuck Brad!"
Katelina was fed up. "You're jealous because in all the time you dated him, you couldn't get him to commit, but he's been with my mom less than six months and they're engaged. I guess that shows where you ranked."
Sarah's face twisted. With a snarl, she sprang. Katelina stepped to the side and tripped her. Momentum sent her tumbling to land in a heap.
"You-bitch." Sarah pulled up and turned back, her features unrecognizable. She wiped at one of her eyes, smearing her makeup. On the same side of her face, her curly hair was undone from its clip, lending her an off-balance appearance, one half a wild maniac, the other side the calm, controlled Sarah that Katelina had always known.
Katelina's anger flickered. "Sarah"
"Don't. I gave you a chancetwo chances. Him or me. You made your choice and you're stuck with it." She brandished her blade. "Did you know Kali has promised a reward to whoever brings her your heart? She wants to drink from it in front of him. That's why she's taking so long to finish him off; she wants him to know you're dead before she kills him."
Katelina caught her breath. That explained why the battle was dragging on. Two ancients who could level a city should have been able to kill one another already. "He wouldn't care. We're not like that."
"Oh, I know." Sarah wiped her dirty blade on her leg. "But Kali doesn't understand that. She still thinks you'll choose to be his queen. The jealousy is driving her mad."
"Jealousy? She left him."
"Do you blame her? She told me the story, how he wanted to cringe and hide and bow. Why? If we're thisif we're strong and immortalwhy should we bow to anyone?"
"You bow to her."
Sarah narrowed her eyes. "I bow to no one. Kali and I understand each other, in a way we never could, Kate." She motioned between them. "Kali knows what it is to be cheated, to be denied all the things you care about, to watch someone else get everything you want."
"Was that while she was running around pretending to be a goddess and demanding sacrifices? Or was it while she stuffed her husband in a box for four thousand years? Or maybe while she was butchering villages of people for the fun of it. She's evil, Sarah, and she's nothing like you!"
"You don't know her, and you don't know me."
Sarah bounced toward her, slashing. Katelina jumped back, grimacing as pain shot up her spine. She wished gone back for her dagger.
Micah's lectures came back to her from training sessions. "What are you going to do if there's no weapon?" He'd taught her to fight without one. She needed to quit whining and get on with it.
Sarah swiped. Katelina leapt back. She needed to get off the defensive. If she could figure out how.
She stumbled. The tip of Sarah's blade cut through her jeans and into her leg. The damage wasn't deep. She hurriedly hopped away before her former friend could get a better shot.
In Katelina's peripheral vision, she could see the stairs that led to the roof. If she could get to them, Sarah would have to break off her attack. If nothing else, she could charge onto the roof and into the sun. Without the benefit of Samael's blood, Sarah could withstand far less sunlight than she could.
Katelina felt Sarah's surprise and knew she'd seen the plan in her mind. Still, it was all she had, so she took off, Sarah on her heels. She made it to the stairs when Sarah caught her by the ponytail and hauled her back.
Katelina grabbed the railing as she went, shouting. Micah and Oren peered around the door frame, hunkered down in the shade, eyes wide in surprise.
Sarah pinned her to the floor, her dagger raised. Katelina wrestled under her, and pulled an arm free. Before she could hit her, Sarah disappeared.
Katelina sat up, blinking. Sarah was sprawled several feet away, Oren over her.
Oren?
Micah yanked Katelina up. She mumbled thanks, her attention on the other two. Sarah leapt up, ready to strike. Oren tensed. Katelina could feel his frustration and impatience looking for release.
There was a cry from the roof. Oren glanced back. Instead of attacking, Sarah raced down the hallway. Oren took a step after her, then waved her away.
