Chapter 683: Honeymoon Havoc, Part 3
Maeko left Sharon on the air mattress in the guest room, as Jorick had decided to call the old junk room. The amenities included some stacks of boxes, an old bicycle, and two air mattresses. It wasn't what Katelina called luxurious.
"It's like camping!" Maeko had assured them when they'd shown it to her. "It is perfect."
But of course she'd say that.
Katelina didn't understand the quiet conference the vampiress had with her boys. They spoke in rapid Japanese, breaking now and then to nod. If they'd been human, she'd have been able to pull a sense of meaning from their words, a kind of low level mind reading. As it was, she was able to guess enough, added together with their facial expressions, to give her the gist. Hikaru and Takeshi cautioned against involvement - they were visitors in a foreign country, set to leave in two days. Did they want to risk casualties, or entanglement that might delay them? Maeko, meanwhile, assured them everything would be fine, that they worried too much, and that it was their duty to help.
Though Katelina hated to say it, she almost agreed with the guys.
Sharon stayed in the basement for the rest of the evening. Verchiel returned with his bright orange sports car, restored from his previous adventures. Though Jorick hinted the redhead should go, he insisted on bedding down there. "Easier if we're all together, isn't it?"
Katelina changed into her nightgown and slid into bed next to Jorick. His body was stiff, and his eyes hard. She sighed and ran a soothing hand over his naked chest. "It's not that bad, is it?"
He caught her hand and kissed it before he said, "Yes. It is. Is this how you want to spend eternity?"
She faltered. "What do you mean? With you? Of course."
"No, not me." He rolled toward her. "This." He motioned to indicate the house and its occupants. "Surprise guests. Endless conflicts that have nothing to do with us." He scowled. "That idiot always popping up to interfere."
"You're not going to get rid of Verchiel easily."
"I've noticed." Jorick's voice turned to a low growl, "I thought marrying you would be enough claim to free us of him. I can see I was wrong."
"Oh Jorick, don't start that again." She slipped her arms around him. "It's not like that. Didn't you hear what Sharon said? He considers you his friend."
"In that case, he's stupider than I thought. I humor him to suit you. But one day, Katelina, when he finally crosses the line-"
"He won't," she promised with a kiss. "Now I'm tired, and we have that meeting tomorrow."
Jorick muttered a response that she ignored as she snuggled close to him. "Goodnight. I love you."
He relented and tightened his hold on her. "I love you too, little one."
***
Katelina woke the next evening and dressed. Maeko and the others were waking as she headed past their room. She hesitated at the top of the stairs, hand on the closed door. She felt the last of the sun disappearing outdoors, and waited until it was gone. The last thing she needed was to get burned.
By the time she headed into the house, Maeko had joined her, lugging a doll dressed in an identical outfit to her own. As they waited for the men in the living room, the diminutive vampiress said, "Kate-san is a good person."
Katelina jolted at the non-sequitur. "What do you mean?"
"Kate-san does not wish to be involved, yet she is, and she convinces Jorick-ue to join as well, because she cannot stand by and refuse to offer help." Maeko broke into a grin. "Just as Jorick-ue can never refrain, though he desires to. It is a good match."
Before Katelina could reply, Verchiel joined them, dusting off his coat. "That guest coffin in the basement needs aired out. I see why no one else used it."
"I wondered where you were going to sleep," Katelina said without interest.
Jorick and Maeko's boys were there a moment later, Sharon trailing behind, looking dejected. They headed out in a group, but split up to hunt. Verchiel clamped a hand on Sharon's arm and said with too much cheer, "We'll go together, shall we?"
As they headed off, Jorick murmured, "She was planning to run."
"From who? From us?" Katelina asked. "I thought she wanted our help?"
"I believe Sharon-san's idea of help was for one of us to murder her master," Hikaru observed.
Maeko nodded. "Verchiel-san's idea may be the better way, though death is an option if we need it. Come. I thirst." She motioned to her men and headed off.
"The best way would have been to leave her in the citadel," Jorick muttered, but the look in his eyes didn't match his words.
***
When they'd fed, they met at the front porch. Verchiel surveyed the group and said, "I don't want to sound bossy, but it might be better if the human stayed here."
Ryuu looked to Maeko. The vampiress cocked her head, as if turning it over, then gave a crisp nod. "Also, Ryuu-chan, here." She handed him the doll she carried. "Nadine-chan will be happier here, as well. She does not like conflict."
Ryuu nodded. "I will take care of Nadine-san."
Maeko beamed, then turned to the others. "Are we ready?"
"Actually," Verchiel began.
Maeko giggled. "Of course. We will join you later."
The redhead gave a crisp nod. Then, taking Sharon's arm, he motioned Katelina and Jorick after him.
Katelina refused to move. "Why are they joining us later?"
"In this way, Eli-san will think there are only four of you. Should violence become necessary, he will be surprised by the addition of three more to Sharon-san's side."
"It's a pincer movement," Verchiel said. "Which will be great as long as none of them are mind readers."
"They aren't," Sharon assured him, a hopeful gleam in her eyes. "You're going to kill them after all?"
"Only if we have to," Verchiel said. "But it would be better to work it out amicably, don't you think?"
As they started away, Katelina asked, "Why are we meeting at Loren's, again?"
"Neutral territory," Verchiel replied. "It's down the beach a bit, and, since it's familiar, we'll have the advantage."
Katelina wasn't sure about that, but she followed along, until the single-story house came into view. A lumpy tarp in the driveway covered the motorcycle Micah had been working on. A squashed tin can rusted in a dead flowerbed, and a lump of fur on the air conditioner turned into a cranky cat that hissed and ran when Verchiel rattled the door.
"Micah and Loren still aren't back?" Katelina asked with a frown. They'd last seen the pair at the citadel, the night of the wedding.
"Apparently not." Verchiel gave a satisfied nod, and Jorick crooked an inquisitive eyebrow.
Ignoring them, Katelina pressed, "Where are they?"
Jorick shrugged. "I'm not Loren's keeper. He can do what he wants."
Katelina shoved her hands in her pockets. "Are we meeting Eli inside?"
"No, no," Verchiel said. "I just wanted to make sure no one was here. Never trust vampires not to hide back up somewhere."
Like we're doing with Maeko, she thought.
They followed Verchiel around to the beach side of the house. The redhead checked the time on his phone. "They should be here soon."
Jorick sniffed the air. "I smell them already."
Katelina tried to imitate him, but the cacophony of smells was too much. She concentrated, weeding out the ocean, the house, the cat, the dead plants, the fallen leaves, and a thousand and one other scents, until she came to some she didn't recognize. She could sense the immortality in them. As she focused, she thought she could feel gender; three males and a female, but she couldn't explain how she knew that.
"It's just vampiric senses," Verchiel said. "Don't question it too much or you'll end up like people who become aware of their tongues."
"What?" Jorick demanded.
"You know. You can't feel your tongue. Heck, you don't even notice it's there most of the time. Then suddenly you think, 'Gee, if my tongue is so sensitive, why don't I feel it all the time?' and then you do. Feel it, I mean, and you're suddenly aware of the fact that it barely fits in your mouth, that it's brushing against your teeth, and the whole thing becomes terribly uncomfortable until something distracts you from it." He looked at their blank faces. "You've never done that before? It's just me?"
Jorick rolled his eyes, and Sharon huddled in on herself. "Is this really necessary?"
Verchiel sighed. "You could run, but what's the point? Anger as soon fed is dead. Let Eli have his moment, let him posture and shout, and get his fill. Starve him out, and he'll only get madder and madder. He'll come after you. Maybe you can to hide for a while, but eventually he'll find you, and the longer it takes, the angrier he'll be. Then what?"
Her voice shook with terror, "I could worry about that when the time comes."
Verchiel turned to her, all trace of joviality gone. "When you're alone, with no one to help you? Think about that for a minute."
