Chapter 79
Near dawn, Jorick rented two motel rooms. Loren disappeared to his as quickly as he could, and Katelina decided to take a shower. By the time she got out, Jorick had the furniture stacked in front of the window and was already in bed. She wasn't sure if that was his way of saying he didn't want to talk, or if he was just tired. Either way, she slipped in next to him and tried to find sleep herself.
She was only partially successful, so when Jorick woke her the next evening she tried to ignore him. Not to be deterred, he shook her again.
"Katelina. You need to get up and get dressed. If you want, you can sleep in the car, but we need to go."
"Why?" she mumbled into her pillow. "You have a tea party to go to?"
"No, but the sooner we leave the sooner we'll be home."
"What's the difference?" But he pretended not to hear her and instead busied himself with the packing. When he didn't comment she added, "I'm sick of riding in the damned car."
He didn't look up from his work. "I know, but it's only three or four more hours and then we'll be home."
"I don't think you understand how sick of it I am. My back hurts, my legs hurt. My hips hurt, even my neck hurts! There's no music to listen to, it's too dark to see the scenery, and it isn't like you guys are having a conversation! It's like being dead, only more uncomfortable!"
He tossed the last of her clean clothes on the bed for her. "Only three or four more hours and then we'll be home."
It took all of her effort not to throw the blue jeans back at him.
***
Despite his lack of verbal acknowledgement, Jorick took the backseat. Katelina thought about thanking him for the effort, but the front seat was just as uncomfortable. Besides, his mood made him somewhat unapproachable.
It was exactly that mood she contemplated for the duration of the trip. Jorick had been decidedly unhappy since meeting with Oren. She assumed it was over Loren's imminent departure, but she wasn't sure. It wasn't like she could ask him with Loren right there. No, she'd have to wait until they got home.
But, when they got home, they hadn't even gotten the bags out of the backseat before a small silver hatchback with a broken antenna and tinted windows pulled into the driveway. When Jorick saw it, he went from relaxed gloom to rigid anger.
Katelina stood next to Loren's car uncertainly. The teen vampire joined her, and both of them watched as Jorick loped towards the newcomers
"Who is it?" she whispered.
"I don't know."
The silver car came to a stop. As Jorick reached it, the back door opened and a figure dressed in a long, hooded cloak climbed out and moved to meet him. Katelina squinted and, though she couldn't make out the features, she was certain it was a woman.
"She looks like she's out of one of those elf movies," Loren whispered, and Katelina had to agree.
"Jorick," the woman began, but she got no further.
"What are you doing here?" he demanded.
She was visibly unsettled by his reaction, and straightened her spine in compensation. "Can't we make a social call? We were in the area."
"Of course you were." His tone turned false polite. "Unfortunately this isn't an opportune moment. I'm afraid we'll have to postpone this get together, um-." he broke off.
"Kariss," she filled in darkly. "I assume you remember me?"
"Vaguely," Jorick acknowledged. "I believe you were once at Oren's?"
"Jesslynn's," she corrected sharply. "She was the one who ran the coven."
Jorick ignored her remark. "It's been wonderful to see you and-" he glanced to the front seat. "-your friends. Again. However, I'm very busy. I've just returned from a trip and I'm rather anxious to unpack."
"Yes, I know, and that's why I'm here." She moved past Jorick and headed for Katelina and Loren. "You're not the one I'm looking for."
Before she'd taken more than three steps, Jorick seized her arm and spun her back towards him, a growl in his throat. "What do you think you're doing?"
The front doors of the car popped open and two males leapt out, obviously ready to defend the woman, but she called to them, "Adam, Nirel, stop!" She glared up into Jorick's face and wrenched her arm free. "I'm here to see your young fledgling."
Jorick snorted contemptuously and stepped back from her. "If you mean Loren, then you're mistaken. He's none of mine."
Something flickered across Loren's face, perhaps hurt, but he didn't comment.
Kariss gave Jorick another angry look before she resumed her walk towards them. "I realize that you're overprotective, Jorick, but rest assured I have no business with your human." She came to a stop before them and swept back her hood. Her face was pale and smooth, and wisps of brown hair escaped from an intricate up do. Her large blue eyes fastened on Katelina, curiosity shining in their depths. She continued to stare much longer than was polite, and Katelina shifted uncomfortably, like an item on display.
Jorick came up behind Kariss and cleared his throat noisily. "Your business is with Loren." He reached around her and caught Katelina's hand. "Come, little one. We'll leave them to it."
He tugged her towards the house and she went willingly, though she couldn't help but glance back at the other four vampires.
"You're more than welcome to come, too, Jorick," Kariss called. "You don't need to stay here and babysit."
Jorick paused on the threshold, clearly annoyed. "I'm not babysitting."
The cloaked vampiress moved towards them, but Jorick pulled Katelina into the house and purposefully shut the door.
Katelina peered through the window at the small car. "Who is she?"
"I don't know. Some friend of Jesslynn's." He rolled his eyes. "Apparently she's recruiting for Oren now."
"Recruiting?"
He didn't have time to answer before the door opened and Kariss seemed to float inside, completely uninvited.
"Go away," Jorick told her flatly. "If you have business with Loren then go to his house and leave me in peace."
Kariss let her eyes flick around the room, but then settled her attention on Jorick's angry face. "Would it not be better for you to come with us and leave him here to watch over your human? Or do you not trust him?"
"I trust no one to take care of that which is my responsibility. It's a lesson I learned long ago, at a dear cost, and I have no intention of learning it again."
"It was more than a century ago," Kariss argued. "Nearly my own lifetime. Things are different now."
"No," Jorick stated firmly. "The only difference is that I'm held by no oaths this time. Take Loren, if you want him, but leave me alone."
Kariss frowned. "But he's young. He lacks strength. How much good can he do? Surely you owe it to him to go in his stead?"
There was a small noise, and Katelina looked up to see Loren standing in the doorway, his face a storm cloud ready to burst. She started to remark on his presence, but Jorick talked over her.
"He's not my responsibility. I owe him nothing. He's chosen his path, and he walks it alone." His eyes flicked up and met Loren's, though he still spoke to Kariss. "You can tell him that when he's done with his adventures I may still be here, assuming he survives."
"Fuck you!" Loren shouted, then spun and stormed across the porch and towards his car.
Kariss floated between them like a confused butterfly, but then she made up her mind and hurried towards the door. She paused at the threshold long enough to say, "If you change your mind, you know where we are." And then she was gone.
Jorick muttered something under his breath and made a show of locking the door. "There, that should keep them all out. I haven't had this much company in fifty years!"
Katelina stared at him in disbelief. How could he be so completely insensitive? "That was a little harsh."
He peered out the window, as if checking to make sure they'd really gone. "Excuse me?"
"Loren. That was a little harsh, don't you think? He was standing right there. He heard you guys say that stuff about him. Maybe he's sick of hearing how he's useless and weak, and stupid and plain. Maybe some people want to be acknowledged as something besides 'your responsibility'!"
Jorick looked at her in confusion. "But he isn't my responsibility. I never said-"
"No, you never said, you only tell people what they can think and where they should go and what they should and shouldn't do. That is if you tell them anything at all." She suddenly realized that she wasn't talking about Loren anymore, and wondered if she ever had been.
"Did it occur to either of you that I'm trying to protect you?"
"Maybe we don't want to be protected."
Jorick blinked stupidly and she shouted, "Oh forget it!" and stormed to the basement and shut herself in the bedroom.
