Chapter 684: Honeymoon Havoc, Part 4
The approaching vampires came into view and Sharon whimpered. As Katelina's bizarre senses had told her, there were three men and a woman.
"The tall one with the dark hair and cold eyes is Eli," Verchiel whispered. "He's only about two hundred years old, give or take a decade. The shorter one with the blue coat is Robin. As for the other two-"
Katelina tried to remember the names Sharon had used. "The woman must be Dilana." She squinted at the other's perfect hair and square jaw. "And the good looking guy must be Zeke."
Jorick made a low noise, so she added, "He's not as good looking as you, of course."
"No," Verchiel agreed. "Your hair is much better."
Jorick's growl turned ominous, but Katelina ignored it to concentrate on the newcomers. As Verchiel said, Eli had dark hair and eyes like ice crystals. Tall with broad shoulders, he walked with the assured gait of someone who was rarely challenged. Robin's blue coat hung to mid-calf, and blonde hair fell in his narrow, pointed face. He pushed it back to reveal a sneer as chilly as Eli's eyes.
Of the other two, Zeke's model perfect face was unreadable, while Dilana's annoyance was telegraphed in her short choppy movements, and the curl of her lip. Dark hair was pulled back in a French braid, and heavy makeup made her eyelids shimmer.
"Oh, God," Sharon moaned and cowered behind Verchiel. "Please. Please let me just run."
Verchiel squinted towards the vampires. "She'd only catch you. She's a wind walker, isn't she?"
"Yes," Sharon sobbed. "And a tracker. Like Eli."
"Then you don't have a chance," Jorick muttered.
The vampires came to a stop a few feet away. Katelina could almost feel their calculations as they sized them up. Eli and Dilana had open hostility on their faces, while Robin looked more smugly amused; a child who'd brought daddy to yell at the principal. Zeke, however, stood in the back, his eyes cast down. Dilana glanced back to him, snarled, and grabbed his shirt in a quick shake that was obviously meant as some kind of reminder.
Eli stepped forward. "There you are Sharon. You've been a naughty girl."
The woman whimpered and practically crouched behind Verchiel.
Eli held out his hand. "Come now, and we'll go home."
Verchiel squared his shoulders, though his tone was good natured. "I understood that you had released her."
"As I told you last night, I didn't," Eli snapped. "She still owes a blood debt."
"Are you sure?" Jorick crossed his arms and bored his gaze into Eli's skull, no doubt picking through his memories.
Eli snarled. "Dream stealer. Search my memories if you like. You won't find what you're looking for."
"I could," Jorick assured him. "However, I already have it from him." He nodded to Zeke. "You released her. Whether you meant it or not is your problem."
Katelina shot Jorick a questioning look, and he added, "He was being sarcastic, and she knew it. But he uttered the words, 'Your blood debt is paid'. The intent is irrelevant."
Eli stepped closer. "The intent is everything. You said yourself she knew it wasn't real."
Katelina frowned. That wasn't quite the story Sharon had told them last night, was it? Though, the more she thought about it, the more she realized Sharon had barely explained anything. Just as Verchiel hadn't.
Jorick shook his head, his focus on Eli. "As long as the words were spoken, she's free. Now go, and don't return."
Jorick turned his back, as if to walk away. With a snarl, Dilana seemed to disappear, and reappeared behind Verchiel, grasping for Sharon, but Verchiel had already pushed her to safety. Dilana made an exclamation of surprise, and Verchiel sent her sprawling on the beach.
She swept to her feet, dusting sand from her clothing. "Stay out of this."
"I'm afraid I can't," Verchiel said.
"Why? Are you her new lover?" Dilana sneered at Zeke. "See how quickly you're replaced?"
The vampire looked up for a second, then down again; so quickly that Katelina couldn't catch the emotion that flashed behind his eyes.
Jorick grabbed Dilana by the arm and flung her towards her friends. She hit the sand and rolled, pulling up to her feet with a roar.
"I told you once to go," Jorick said. "Consider this your final warning."
Eli motioned Dilana to wait and strolled towards them. "Or what? I know for a fact that Sharon is useless, which means there are three of you and four of us. Though you might be old," he jabbed a finger at Jorick, then at Katelina. "She isn't."
His tone turned false friendly. "But come, do we need to fight? Is it worth it for one you have no attachments to?"
Verchiel moved to Sharon's side. "It's less about attachments and more about keeping my word."
"Then you should have gotten the full story before you gave it," Eli said.
"Oh, I have the full story." Verchiel tugged his sword from inside his coat. "You turned her about thirty years ago, kept her as a slave, the same as Dilana has done with Zeke. But when Sharon and Zeke fell in love, Dilana got angry."
The vampiress hissed. "Sharon lies."
Verchiel studied his blade. "She didn't tell me." He met Zeke's eyes for a moment before the handsome vampire looked away. "You punished Zeke. Sharon went to Eli, begged him to intervene. In the ensuing conversation he sarcastically told her that they were both released from their blood debts. Sharon grabbed it and decided to run. Zeke refused, because he knew this would happen and was afraid of more punishment - worse punishment. Sharon left without him, and fled to the citadel. After a few weeks there she started to relax, even made some friends, and why not? Eli doesn't like The Guild. Since his disagreement with them a few years ago, he'd rather cut off his own foot than travel there. But Sharon didn't take Robin into consideration."
The vampire in the blue coat crossed his arms, looking ready to comment, but Verchiel went on.
"When Eli couldn't find her, he guessed she was hiding at the citadel, so he sent his friend Robin - a friend who had no connection to the previous Guild unpleasantness. Robin found her, as they thought he would, and now we're here. Have I left anything out?"
Katelina gave Sharon a sideways glance. It certainly wasn't the story she and Verchiel had implied. Had he known the truth before now? If so, why didn't he mention it? Was he afraid they wouldn't help if they knew she was really a runaway?
