Chapter 671
Katelina sagged against Jorick. Brandle approached Inanna and Utu. Though she couldn't hear his words, she saw his respectful head bob.
Oren slid out from behind a crushed couch to crouch next to them. "Can you walk?"
Jorick touched his leg, but nodded.
"Good. I'm going to get Torina. Find Micah and have him procure a vehicle."
Get Torina. Oh, God. He still didn't know. She didn't want to be the one to tell him, but it would be worse if he found her dead on the floor.
"Oren?"
He turned back impatiently. "Yes?"
She swallowed and looked to Jorick. Though his face betrayed nothing, she knew he could read her mind, knew that he knew. "About Torina."
Oren's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "What about her?"
Katelina swallowed hard. "We were attacked. By William and Gret. William wanted to take the kids back to Lilith."
When she faltered, Oren stepped toward her, eyes glittering dangerously. "And?"
"TorinaWilliam broke the lamp and-" Jorick squeezed her hand encouragingly and she spit out, "He stabbed her through the heart."
Oren stared, uncomprehending.
"She's dead," Jorick said softly.
"What?" He looked between them, took a useless step, then retreated again. "What?"
Katelina cringed. Before she could explain, Oren babbled, "Torina-? My sister-?" His face hardened. "Where is she?"
"Upstairs," Jorick said.
Oren spun on his heel and strode away.
Katelina tugged at Jorick's shirt. "Does he understand"
"Yes. He understands she's dead."
"But he didn't say anything. He didn't shout or cry or-"
"That will come later."
Glass crunched. She spun, half expecting to see Oren was back. Instead, it was Verchiel. His coat was beyond salvaging. His skin, almost as red as his hair, was bubbled with blisters, some that ran blood. He held his phone gingerly out from his sunburned ear.
When he spoke, his lips cracked, leaving blood on his teeth. "They're still hereno. Never mind. They just disappeared."
Katelina looked to the street. Brandle and Zander headed toward the building, Inanna and Utu were nowhere to be seen.
Though she couldn't make out the words, she could hear Ark's voice answering from the other end of Verchiel's phone conversation.
When he stopped, Verchiel said, "Let me get this place evacuated, then you can have them blow it-Right. Only us, as far as I know-All right. Yeah."
He hung up and started to shove his phone in his coat pocket, only it was gone. With a sigh he stuffed it in his jeans. "They're going to blow the block up."
"To get rid of the evidence," Katelina muttered.
Verchiel nodded. "I guess they're having a hard time stopping drones and whatnot from flying over, so we need to hurry."
"Where are we supposed to go?" Jorick demanded.
"He said to cut over a block through the alley. It should be sheltered from the worst of the sun. There'll be a car waiting."
Jorick stood. He tested weight on his broken leg, then recoiled. Leaning heavily on a chair, he offered Katelina his good hand. She let him tug her to her feet. Pain shot down her arm and across her midsection.
"Loren is upstairs with the kids, and Sorino-" She couldn't bring herself to mention Kai or Torina, but she knew Verchiel would see it in her mind.
The redhead nodded. "I'll get them if you want to find Micah? He's probably hiding from the sun. I'd start in the basement."
She looked at Jorick's one-legged stance. "I can do that, though I want my luggage from upstairs."
"I imagine everyone wants their luggage," Verchiel said. "I'll see what I can do, but I'm not a pack mule." He gave her a wink, then turned to Jorick. "Why don't you take a seat and bask in your victory?"
Jorick scoffed. "What victory?"
"You killed Ishkur." Verchiel gave a smile that looked more painful than cheery. "We'll meet up here."
He hurried away. Katelina moved to kiss Jorick, then hesitated. If his skin hurt half as much as hers-
He pulled her to him by the front of her shirt, claiming her mouth with his cracked lips. He released her with reluctance. "Go find him. I'll be here."
She nodded and licked her lips. The coppery flavor left her throat screaming for more; for real living blood. If only she could find some.
She pushed the thought off and headed for the basement. Most of the hotel was in good shape; the battle had only ruined the front fa?ade and destroyed the buildings across the street. Verchiel'd mentioned blowing it up to hide the evidence. That seemed like something the Mexican Executioners would do.
Except they wouldn't wait to evacuate everyone.
The lock was busted on the basement door. Verchiel was right, someone had been through there, and broken doors were Micah's specialty.
She leaned inside, intending to shout, but the cool darkness beckoned her with soothing fingers. She shuffled down the stairs. The farther she went, the better she felt, as if some primeval need to be buried in the earth was finally satisfied.
The rooms were narrow and filled with junk. She moved through them carefully. "Micah! We're ready to go!"
She stopped to listen. There was no answer. Maybe he wasn't there? She reached out and felt someone nearby; a living presence hiding in the shadows.
He's probably asleep, she thought and pushed on. She rounded a corner, jumping back as a figure leapt out, swinging.
"Sarah?" She gaped at the woman who stood, wheezing and furious, holding a length of pipe like a bat. As insane as it was, she'd forgotten about her. "The battle's over. Lilith is dead and"
Sarah swung the pipe. "What does that have to do with us?"
Katelina hopped away. She knocked into a pile of plastic crates that fell in a rattling avalanche. "It means we're done. There's nothing for you to fight for anymore."
"Are you serious? This isn't a movie where the minions lose their will when their master dies. This" she motioned between them "has nothing to do with Kali, or Samael, or anyone except you and me."
Katelina unconsciously laid a hand to her stomach where Sarah had stabbed her earlier. "What do you want? To kill me?"
"To kill both of us."
