Chapter 685: Honeymoon Havoc, Part 5
Dilana stepped forward. "You forgot to mention what a spoiled, ungrateful bitch Sharon is."
"You're just jealous," Verchiel said. "Eli doesn't pretend to keep his fledgling as a true lover, only a body of convenience, but you like to pretend that Zeke is more. Pity he doesn't really feel that way."
A cloud of sand swirled. Dilana was suddenly in front of Verchiel, clutching him by the front of his shirt, the point of his sword pressed against her throat.
"I wonder which of us is faster," Verchiel commented. "You'd better call her off, Eli. I'd hate to have to kill her."
"As if you could." Despite her words, Dilana let go and jumped back.
"No one needs to die." Eli's reasonable tone didn't match the calculating cold of his eyes. "Come, Sharon. You've caused enough trouble. Do you want blood spilled over your childish tantrum?"
She looked from his face to his outstretched hand and shuddered. Katelina felt her revulsion, and the sticky sick feeling that settled in the pit of her stomach. Verchiel had said Eli used Sharon as a "body of convenience". Katelina suddenly understood what that meant. It was no wonder Sharon was terrified to go back.
Three figures appeared behind Eli and his allies; one shorter than the other two. Katelina recognized Maeko, Takeshi, and Hikaru.
Robin and Dilana spun toward the newcomers. Eli stiffened, his eyes throbbing with icy anger. "I see."
"You're outnumbered," Verchiel said. "And I should warn you, another Executioner is on his way. He might be under the impression you've threatened to attack Jorick and his mate, or something like that, so there's a chance he's bringing backup of his own. He's likely to attack first and ask questions later. Oddly, Jamie has a soft spot for his old commander."
Jorick made a low, derisive noise, and Eli snarled. "I could go to The Guild."
"You could," Verchiel agreed. "But we both know you won't."
Eli jabbed a furious finger towards Sharon. "She belongs to me!"
"I must argue with that assessment," Maeko said as she and the boys closed in behind them. Katelina noticed that Maeko had her pink handgun drawn, while Hikaru held a slender piece of wood like a bo staff. "Sharon-san is the fledgling of Eli-san, but not his property, and now he is going to release her officially."
"Like hell!" Eli shouted.
Verchiel's phone chimed a catchy synth-pop tune, and the redhead answered it. "We're on the beach near Loren's den. We have the guy and his accomplices cornered-What?...Hey, we can always use an army. Bring them on down."
Verchiel hung up and broke into a grin. "That was Jamie. I was right, he brought a few friends. Now, where were we?"
Eli roared. "This isn't the end of this. I will have her back!"
Jorick stepped forward. "Release her officially." Eli snarled, and Maeko and the others closed in. Dilana tensed, ready to spring at the diminutive vampiress.
"You might fight us, you might even take us," Verchiel said gleefully. "But you won't be able to roll over Jamie and the others. Do you really want killed - or arrested - to bring back Eli's slave? Aren't you happier now that she's gone and you have Zeke all to yourself?"
Dilana growled, but straightened and stepped away. "He's right. Sharon isn't worth fighting The Executioners."
"She's mine!" Eli bellowed. "You will fight them!" He grabbed Zeke and flung him towards Hikaru. "Kill him!" he screamed.
Dilana was suddenly there, between the startled vampires. "Zeke is mine to command, Eli! Not yours!"
"You're all mine!" Eli roared.
Robin stepped away from the conflict, eyes narrowed. "I may be your friend, Eli, but I'm not in your coven. I came along for a little fun, not to face Executioners. She's not worth that much effort."
"This has nothing to do with her!" Eli shouted.
"No," Jorick cut in. "It's a matter of principle now. He can't stand to lose, but either you walk away or suffer the consequences."
Dilana tugged Zeke away from Hikaru. "We're leaving."
Eli's fury mottled his face red. One minute he was there, and the next he had Dilana around the throat. He lifted her while she clawed at his hand, kicking wildly.
"You will go where I tell you to go!" He flung her hard enough that she bounded and rolled down the sloping shore, finally coming to a splashing stop in the ocean.
Eli pulled a barbed dagger and lunged at Zeke. Sharon screamed, but Verchiel held her back as Eli struck.
Zeke dropped to his knees, the blade buried in his back. Eli ripped it free and made to attack again when Dilana tackled him. They rolled, kicking and biting. Eli tried to grab her, but her wet clothes slipped from his grasp.
Maeko knelt to tend to Zeke. She checked the wound over then nodded to Jorick, as if to say the vampire would recover.
Sharon sagged and Verchiel patted her. He checked the time on his phone. "It should be over any second."
Katelina looked back and forth between the fight and the horizon, searching for Jamie and his army. No doubt Verchiel meant they were almost there. A cry rested her attention back to the combatants. Eli was sprawled in the sand, arms stretched out, head lolled to one side. Dilana rose from him, wiping wet hair from her eyes with one hand, and gripping the bloody dagger with the other.
Sharon covered her mouth, eyes wide. "Is he-"
Dilana spit on the prone body, then snarled, "This is your fault, Sharon. Don't think I'm going to forget it." She wiped the blade on her pants, and stuck the weapon in her belt. "Come, Zeke. Robin." She broke off when she realized both were already gone. "What-"
Maeko was also missing, but Hikaru and Takeshi remained. Hikaru readied his staff. "Your friend has gone. As Jorick-ue said before, you had best do the same."
She tugged the dagger free, but after running her eyes over the assemblage, she stuck it back and raised her hands. "Where is your wind walker?"
Katelina realized that Verchiel was also missing, though he'd left Sharon behind.
"Verchiel-san has gone to bring our allies," Hikaru said.
Dilana swore and stepped away, hands still raised. "And I suppose Zeke is with Robin?" When no one answered she sneered. "I can guess your game. Eli released him, but he was never Eli's to free. You can keep him for the time being. I'll claim him later."
Then she was gone, leaving her master's dead body bleeding in the sand.
Jorick shook his head and turned to Katelina. "Come, little one. Verchiel can clean up the mess."
"But where is he?" she asked, her eyes on the corpse.
Jorick made an impatient sound. "He took Zeke somewhere. Probably our house. It isn't as if it's a private residence."
Katelina felt a flutter of passive terror and looked to see Sharon, pale and trembling. "Are you all right?"
"Eli, he's-he's dead?" Katelina nodded, and Sharon's knees gave out. Jorick caught her with a grunt of annoyance. He tried to set her on her feet, but her rubbery appendages refused to hold her.
Verchiel popped up in a cloud of sand. "I'll carry her." He scooped the woman up, then zipped away.
The rest of them trooped back up the beach, leaving the dead vampire lay. After they rounded Loren's house, Katelina asked, "So where did Robin go?"
Jorick shrugged and Hikaru said, "Robin-san is not the kind to fight, but to throw threats and run away. We will not see him again."
"Just her," Katelina muttered.
"I doubt that," Jorick said. "Sharon and Zeke may have to deal with her in the future, but she's nothing to do with us."
Neither is Sharon, Katelina thought. But we were just involved in that.
Maeko's words came back to her, "Just as Jorick-ue can never refrain, though he desires to."
Right. He can never stay out of anything.
