Chapter Eighteen

Katelina opened her eyes and rolled over to find
herself face to face with the corpse of Arowenia. Her throat was
red and gaping and the blood had become a congealed jelly that made
Katelina’s stomach heave. She coughed and tried not to throw up. As
she struggled, she discovered her arms were bound behind her back
and that rope bit painfully into her naked ankles.
“Awake, are you?” the vampire hissed near her ear.
She shuddered as she smelled his breath – the scent of blood and
death.
“You know,” he commented as he stroked her head
sarcastically. “Claudius is going to be so happy to see you. His
favorite little pet is dead, and here you are, another golden
haired thing with terrified eyes.”
She winced, but didn’t say anything. She had nothing
to say, and even if she did, she knew it would only make them bash
her bruised face into something else. She could feel the tightness
of her swollen nose – was it broken? Her eyes felt strange, too –
puffy – and a soft ringing played in her ears like the echoes of
her screams. There was no way she was going to survive this.
The driver’s voice called back to them loudly,
“Won’t be long now.”
The vampire next to her snorted and she squeezed her
swollen eyes shut, as if that would make the world disappear.
Questions poured through her mind; what had Kateesha meant about
Troy and Patrick? Who was Kateesha’s daddy? Obviously Troy wanted
to escalate the war with Oren but… But why did he need her?
Kateesha had said she’d kill her and leave him with nothing to give
to the boss. Was she supposed to be some kind of present? Like a
consolation prize? “Sorry, your girlfriend is dead, but have this
to torture instead?”
Torture. That was what Jorick had said would happen
to her, and he was probably right. She was either going to die
painfully or be turned into a slave for Claudius.
Terror replaced her questions. The acrid stench of
blood and fear filled her nostrils. Arowenia’s body bounced around
as they drove over bumps. Katelina tried not to look at it, but as
soon as her eyes closed, they’d pop open again, determined to see
where she was and what was happening – as if seeing could somehow
help her.
The vampires in the front seat talked softly between
themselves, indistinguishable words in deep tones. She thought
again and again that she’d tell Claudius everything; tell him how
Kateesha had made her bargain and murdered his mate, but she knew
that it would do no good. Troy was right, he’d never believe her.
She was sure he’d rather believe his enemy had done it than that
his own men were involved. People were that way. They liked to pick
and choose which truths they accepted.
The van crunched across gravel and came to a stop.
She heard the door swoosh open, and looked up in time to see Troy
reaching for her. He grabbed her waist roughly and pulled her out
of the van, despite her struggles, then heaved her over his
shoulder. She hung down his back, upside down, with only glimpses
of scenery beneath his arm.
The air stroked her cheeks, cool and charged with
the energy that predawn hours always brought; the feeling of
promise and hope. But as she was bumped along she knew there was no
hope left. Tears welled in her eyes and she tried to blink them
back. For the second time in so many days, images of her life
danced behind her eyes. She could see her mother standing next
to the large tombstone of her father, flowers in her hands and
jewel like tears on her cheeks. A large green tree grew behind the
house and she sat in its branches eating a banana, her six year old
legs swinging in the air. Music played softly and balloons shone
with a kaleidoscope of colors as she stood next to the gym wall,
her hands sweating as she watched her first real crush dancing with
another girl.
She choked back a sob and tried to banish the
memories, though she knew she’d never relive them again.
The gravel lot gave way to a set of cement steps.
She heard a metal door scrape open loudly and then they plunged
inside. She fought to lift her head and saw a half-naked woman
staring at her curiously as they moved away from her and down a
brick hallway.
They started down another flight of stairs. The
vampire’s footfalls fell in rhythm with her pounding heart. Fear
tasted bitter in her mouth, but she forced herself to swallow it.
She was going to die, but she wouldn’t die as a coward.
This final thought gave her a strange sense of calm.
The finality of accepting her situation and surrendering to it made
things seem somehow clearer. She took a deep breath and resolved to
be brave no matter what.
The stairs ended and more concrete flashed beneath
her, as well as several pairs of feet. She was carried into a
well-lit room and unceremoniously thrown to the floor. Tears of
pain filled her eyes, but she forced them away and struggled to
lift her head.
The room was a large one, like an open basement
complete with cement floor. A glowing chandelier hung above her and
in front of her sat a large wicker chair. Draped lazily in it was a
young man who might have been sixteen. He had blonde hair, cold
green eyes and a face made for boredom, snobbery, and cruelty. He
was flanked by two large men. A host of others were visible outside
the ring of light, all moving closer and gazing curiously at the
new prisoner.
“Who is she?” the boy in the chair drawled. His
voice was bored and peevish.
Troy answered from behind Katelina’s prone body,
“It’s Patrick’s human, the one Jorick’s claimed now.” He snickered
and prodded her in the side with the toe of his boot.
“Interesting.” The blonde stood from the chair and
walked towards her languidly. “What’s so special about her that two
men would go to such effort?” He walked around her in an
ever-tightening circle and finally bent down to examine her face
closely. He sneered in distaste and stood. “I’m disappointed. I
find her distinctly mediocre. Though perhaps she’s more appealing
without the bruises.”
She bit her lip to keep from saying anything as he
strode back to his chair and draped himself across it. He asked
disinterestedly, “Where did you find her, Troy?”
“She was in a motel room with Jorick and Arowenia.”
He nudged her in the side as a warning, as if he sensed her desire
to scream what a liar he was.
The blonde’s whole demeanor changed. His face was
suddenly alert as he swung into a sitting position. “Arowenia!” he
cried. “So you’ve found her at last?”
“Yes, Claudius, we did,” Troy answered. A set of
footsteps echoed in the large chamber. Katelina twisted to see one
of the other vampires from the van carrying the limp, white clad
girl.
Claudius leapt to his feet, his eyes glued to the
lifeless body that was borne towards him. The vampire stopped
before him and held her out. Claudius stared furiously from the
body to his servants. “What is this?”
Troy sounded almost sorrowful, “We were too late,
Jorick had already killed her. He ran,” he added and nudged
Katelina in the ribs. “Leaving this behind.”
Claudius bent over the dead girl, his face hidden
from Katelina’s view. “My Arowenia,” he whispered, his voice filled
with pain. He stroked her lifeless cheek gently, and then his head
snapped up and his eyes narrowed as he snarled. “He will die for
this!”
Turning from the body of his lover, he sighed
deeply. “Dispose of it as is proper.” He was obeyed instantly. The
vampire bowed his head and withdrew from the chamber.
Claudius dropped into the chair again. He quickly
composed himself, though he looked sulkier. He gazed at Katelina as
though she was something distasteful. His eyes were calculating as
he asked, “So, Jorick abandoned his pet?”
“Yes,” Troy replied without hesitation. “She slowed
him down.”
“All that effort only to abandon her? No, I don’t
think so. Something is wrong with that.” He drummed his fingers on
the arm of the chair thoughtfully.
Troy rushed to fill in the silence, a hint of
concern in his voice. “I assure you that is what – ”
Claudius held up his hand, signaling for silence.
“No, that isn’t it at all.” He stood and walked towards Katelina,
tapping his chin. “No, I think he had another motive for leaving
her. He knew we would take her. He knew we would bring her here and
how angry I would be. He had a reason for what he did. The question
is,” he caught her chin with the toe of his shoe and lifted her
face to look up at him. “The question is why?”
Troy hurried to answer, “Perhaps he was tired of her
– ”
Claudius narrowed his eyes disapprovingly. “I did
not ask you, I asked her. Why did he leave you behind?”.
His shoe pressed into her throat and she fought to
swallow the lump of bitter fear that had formed just above it.
Though he looked young, the fangs that glittered in his mouth said
he could be any age, and if he was someone the others feared, no
doubt he was old; very old. With age was supposed to come wisdom,
and it was obvious that he could see through Troy’s story. But
would he believe the truth?
“Well?” he demanded. “I don’t want to ask again.
What was Jorick up to?”
No, she decided. He wouldn’t. But maybe he’d
leave her alive while he tried to puzzle it out. A little time was
better than no time, which was what she’d have if he decided she
was lying.
“I don’t know.”
“Oh, you don’t know? Perhaps he’s using you to find
me, hmmmmm?” His eyes glittered at the new thought that entered his
mind. “Perhaps you have some sort of tracking device on you?”
She tried to shake her head, but it wasn’t very
effective. “No.”
He rolled his eyes. “Like I’m going to take your
word for it.” He let her chin drop to the floor and stepped back.
“Check her over.”
Hands gripped her roughly and hauled her upright.
She struggled, but with her wrists and feet bound she had no
chance.
Troy approached her. An evil smile played across his
lips. He stood before her and grabbed a handful of her t-shirt,
leering at the distorted Tweety Bird decal. In a single motion he
ripped it and pulled the ruined cloth away to leave her naked torso
exposed to the cold eyes of the onlookers.
A whimpering noise escaped her throat and his smile
broadened as she tried to find a way to cover her bare breasts. He
gripped her jeans and the sound of tearing denim echoed through the
chamber as he tore them from her body and flung them to the floor,
chortling at her cries of pain.
“Isn’t this fun?” he asked. His thumb caught the
edge of her underwear elastic and slid around the waist band.
“Shame it has to be so quick.”
“Get on with it.” Claudius crossed his arms over his
chest and tapped his foot impatiently. “This isn’t to amuse
you.”
“Of course, as you command.” Troy grasped the
delicate flowered undergarment and ripped it away to elicit another
cry from Katelina. He leered down at her pale body as she stood
before them all, naked and helpless. The cold air touched her
bruised skin like obscene hands.
“Check her,” Claudius ordered. His gaze flicked over
her lazily and he added meaningfully, “Everywhere.”
“As you command.”
She tried to draw away from Troy, but the rope and
restraining hands prevented any escape.
He snickered at her feeble attempts. “That won’t do
you any good.” He grabbed her shoulders roughly and ran his hands
over every inch of her. She shuddered in disgust and closed her
eyes against the humiliation while her face burned with
embarrassment and rage. A whimper escaped her lips as he jammed his
hand between her thighs. His breath was foul as he pressed his face
close to hers, his hands fumbling in her most private areas.
Snickering, he withdrew his probing fingers and stood back, leaving
her with her face bowed and her eyes full of tears.
“Nothing,” he said simply.
Claudius looked coolly from his servant to the
humiliated Katelina. “Hmmmmm....” He stood before her, hands
clasped behind his back as he studied her flushed form. “If there
is no tracking device then how is he following her here?”
“Maybe he isn’t?” Troy offered, while his
counterparts continued to remain conspicuously silent.
Claudius ignored his opinion completely. Suddenly a
little flame flared in the depths of his green eyes and his head
snapped around to his servant. “They’re not linked, are they?”
Troy balked visibly. “Linked?” He swallowed quickly.
“No, I don’t think so. No one does that anymore– ”
“Says who?” Claudius grabbed a handful of Katelina’s
hair and jerked her head roughly to the side. His eyes raked over
the mark Jorick had left. “It looks normal…” he trailed off, and
ran a finger lightly over the tidy puncture marks. “No,” he
repeated as he released her. “It looks like a normal mark to me.”
He began to pace in circles again, his forehead wrinkled. “No. He
expects me to do something... but what? Does he think I’ll let her
live? In that case I should kill her. Or does he think that I’ll
turn her and she can somehow infiltrate the coven? Or maybe he
thinks I’ll kill her and he can complain to the Guild about it?
Would that give him an advantage? Last I heard they were none too
happy with him.”
He took his thoughtful walk up again, signaling to
the vampires who held her arms. They released her and she crashed
to the cold cement floor. Unable to catch herself, her shoulder
jarred painfully as it hit the cement. Hot tears dripped down her
burning face as she struggled to remain brave like she’d promised
herself.
Claudius surrendered and threw himself into the
large chair. He gazed petulantly at the assembled vampires,
expecting one of them to have a revelation. “Did he say anything?
Maybe there was a clue?”
“No,” Troy answered quickly. “He just ran, not a
word.”
“Damn!” Claudius slammed his fist into the arm of
the chair. “I don’t know what to do with her! I hate this!”
He waved his hand dismissively. “Take her back and
lock her up somewhere while I think – no wait.” A sinister smile
spread across his face. “On second thought bring in the cage, and
put her in it. Maybe looking at her will inspire me.”
The vampires laughed at his apparently amusing idea,
but quieted down at a look from their baby faced master. “No one is
to kill her – yet. If Jorick thinks that her death would get me
into trouble, then perhaps there’s something to it. Summon that
Guild buffoon and we’ll find out whether Jorick holds enough favor
to make it a problem. Last I knew the laws were very loose
concerning human property, but they may have changed.” His features
fell back into their permanent sulk as he tapped the arm of the
chair. “If he thinks my killing her will make The Guild absolve him
of Arowenia’s death and call it even… No! I won’t allow that.”
A loud scraping noise filled the chamber; the sound
of something heavy and metal being dragged across the floor.
Katelina didn’t have long to wonder about it, before she was hauled
to her feet. A large rusty metal cage appeared, moved by a lone
vampire with short cropped red hair. Without looking at her, he
stopped the metal monstrosity near Claudius’ chair.
“Come on,” Troy hissed in her ear. He dragged her
towards the waiting cage and threw her into it. She fell forward
with a cry, unable to stop herself, and her face slammed into the
metal grillwork floor. Blood drooled from her nose to land in
dots.
Claudius looked up at the sound. “Oh,” he commented,
disinterested. “You can untie her now. She won’t be able to
escape.”
“Of course.” Troy roughly jerked the rope from
around her ankles and wrists. He grabbed a fist full of her hair
and leaned close to her ear to hiss between his teeth. “Smart girl.
Just keep quiet and maybe he’ll let you live.”
She pulled away and spit at him. He growled and
wiped his face. “Fucking bitch,” he murmured. He stepped out of the
cage and slammed the door with a resounding clang. She heard a
padlock slide into it and tried to roll over, but her body refused
to move. Her limbs had been immobilized too long and she could
barely wipe the blood from her nose.
Tears of fear slid from her eyes and she bunched
herself into a ball in the corner of the cage. She forced her arms
and knees to bend enough to cover herself and gazed out between the
rusty bars.
Claudius demanded someone bring him some
refreshment. They obeyed quickly and brought back a limp drugged
boy who might have been twelve or thirteen. Claudius wrinkled his
nose as he took the child on his lap, but after sniffing him he
smiled. Katelina winced and closed her eyes as Claudius’ fanged
mouth closed around the child’s throat. A single scream echoed
through the air and then there was only the sickening slurping
noise of the boy’s blood.
When the sounds ceased she dared to open her eyes
again, retching but unheeded. Claudius dumped the bleeding body on
the floor, the throat mangled and destroyed. Blood coated his face
and shirt and he licked his lips. He signaled for the others to
take the body away and clean the mess. As the boy’s remains were
removed, a vampiress in a dark blue dress handed Claudius a cloth
with which he cleaned his face. When he’d finished, another woman
unbuttoned his soiled shirt and a third, the one who had stood at
the door when Katelina first arrived, slipped a new one around his
naked torso and fastened it.
He waved the three women away and they bowed their
heads before they disappeared from Katelina’s view. They were
quickly replaced by four males, Troy among them.
Claudius straightened his shirt and glanced towards
Katelina’s cage and then back to Troy. “Was Oren there?”
“No,” the bald vampire said quickly. “Only Jorick.
There’s no proof he has any accomplices.”
“You think Michael lied?” Claudius demanded. “To me?
No, he told the truth. This is all Oren’s work, his attack, so to
speak. No doubt he believed that I would be as crippled without
Arowenia as he is without Jesslynn.”
“I heard the Executioners killed her,” one of the
others said.
“So I hear,” Claudius murmured disinterestedly. He
tapped impatient fingers on the arm of his chair. “If the idiots
had gotten there sooner they could have retrieved Arowenia alive! I
have half a mind to send her corpse to them! Of all the bumbling,
inept, stupid…” he trailed off into dark mutters.
The vampire who’d spoken a moment ago asked, “How do
you know she was ever at his den? Surely Oren is smart enough to
keep her in a less incriminating place?”
“Now you’re suggesting Michael lied?”
Claudius asked lightly. “Or do you suggest his brother lied to him?
Do you think he made up a false location, intending to go and
retrieve her himself and return her for his freedom? Are you
implying he intended to let his brother die for his sins?”
The vampire looked exasperated. “I don’t know what
I’m implying. I wasn’t here when you interrogated Michael.”
“You’d be sorry you missed it,” Troy commented,
snickering. “He screamed and begged– ”
“Enough.” Claudius motioned him to silence. “Michael
informed me that the plan was Oren’s from the beginning, as part of
our little war. He and Patrick were brought into it, so to
speak.”
Katelina tensed at the mention of Patrick’s name,
but she tried hard not to make her interest obvious. Did this have
something to do with what Kateesha had said?
“Rather they brought Oren into it,” Troy said.
“Michael said they were looking for a way out and bumped into
Jorick and – ”
“That will suffice,” Claudius snapped impatiently.
“The more direct version is that Patrick came to his senses and
wished to return Arowenia to me, however, Michael refused.” He
snorted. “Amusing since he presented himself to me as a humbled,
repentant thrall. Regardless, he caught his brother in the act of
leaving to carry out his plan of redemption. Whether by accident or
force, Patrick named Oren’s manor house as Arowenia’s prison. But,
when Patrick refused to abandon his quest, Michael killed him.” He
paused. “Or perhaps Jorick did. I hardly care. He was a toy I used
to torture Michael with, nothing more.”
Something strange moved across Troy’s face for a
millisecond, then disappeared. Katelina cringed back into the
corner as all of the implications crashed on her. Troy and Patrick
was too much to think about, let alone Claudius’ suggestion that
Jorick had… No, Michael had admitted to killing his brother when
she saw him in the basement. Hadn’t he?
“And you’ve contacted The Guild?” the questioning
vampire demanded. “You risked suffering your own consequences?”
Claudius looked bored. “Hardly. It was all above
board. The human, Patrick, was plainly marked. I have done nothing
illegal. I’m allowed to take anyone I deem worthy into my coven and
as my slave, so long as all the details are followed, and they
were. Even Michael was a legitimate fledgling.”
“Against his will,” the other vampire muttered.
Claudius dismissed the comment with a roll of his
eyes. “That’s what happens to those who try to blackmail me.” A
satisfied smile flitted over his lips. “It was his own fault. If
he’d simply taken care of the lawn as I hired him to do – ”
“Instead of nosing around, eh?” Troy asked,
grinning. “But you’re right, it was when he demanded you pay him to
be quiet – ”
“Yes, quite,” Claudius said impatiently. “He got
everything he deserved, and so will those who aided him.” He
glanced towards the cage. “The question now, is what to do with
Jorick’s human.” He smiled. “Or perhaps I should call her
Patrick’s? It is a curious situation. I wonder if they shared
her?”
Troy and a couple of the others gave an obligatory
chuckle, but offered no suggestions.
“Kill her? Turn her? Keep her as a pet? She’s not
beautiful by any means, but she is amusing.” He glanced towards her
again. “She’s very determined to keep her secrets to herself. That
has to be worth some enjoyment?”
“I say kill her,” Troy declared. “She’s too big of a
pain in the ass to be any fun.” He grinned at a sudden idea.
“Though killing her might be fun.”
“You’re blood thirsty,” the other vampire commented.
“If I didn’t know, I’d say you were in a hurry to see her dead. Why
is that?”
Troy balked and Katelina felt a moment of hopeful
satisfaction. Maybe they’d kill him!
“It’s his way,” Claudius said dismissively. “He
enjoys the kill. As for her, I believe I’ll wait until I’ve spoken
to that idiot from The Guild to make a decision.”
They all nodded and then their voices dropped as the
five began making plans for something that Claudius deemed
“important.”
Katelina listened intently at first, but their
voices were quiet and hard to distinguish from one another, not to
mention that they talked over each other frequently. What she could
discern still meant nothing because it was full of unfamiliar
names.
She tried to digest what she’d been able to
overhear, but her mind was too jittery to concentrate. All of her
nerves jangled inside as though ready to leap through her skin and
run away. If only it was that easy!
Silence fell and she opened her eyes in time to see
Claudius leaving through a low door on the side wall, followed
closely by the others. She looked around wildly, but there was no
one else that she could see. The large chandelier went out, and the
room fell into darkness.
She shivered from fear and cold. Her body ached and
her face was bruised and painful. She gingerly ran her hands over
its swollen surface to ascertain the extent of the damage. She had
at least one black eye and a large lump on her the right side of
her head. Her lips felt swollen and her nose was twice its
size.
She stretched her arms and legs slowly, biting into
her lips to keep from exclaiming. When the pain began to subside
she slowly stood. Once she had her balance, she threw one arm over
her exposed breasts and held tightly to the bars with the other.
She made a circuit of her confinement, rattling the bars quietly as
she tried to find some weak point to exploit, but nothing presented
itself. She sunk to the floor, defeated and blinking back tears.
Her hand wiped cruelly at her eyes while she berated herself for
her weakness and stupidity. Her angry internal tone couldn’t stop
the sobs that wracked her body. All of the pain, anger, and
humiliation of the last hours poured from her in a liquid shower of
tears. She squeezed her eyes shut and a vision of the twelve year
old boy swam behind them. His eyes fluttered open and closed as he
fought for consciousness against whatever they’d done to him.
When the tears began to subside, she slumped into
the farthest corner again, physically and emotionally exhausted.
She curled into a tight ball and leaned her head against the bars.
Waves of sleep washed over her but she fought them off and told
herself that she needed to be alert and awake if she had any hope
of living.
Her thoughts ran in circles and she came to the
sickening conclusion that Jorick was not going to save her this
time. She’d told herself this before, but hadn’t really believed
it. All night she’d waited, half expecting the door to burst open
and reveal him like a shining knight, but now she knew it wasn’t
going to happen. Cold disappointment slid through her stomach,
greasy and bitter.
Jorick. He’d gone to get her food and go to some
mysterious meeting. The last he knew she was waiting for him to
return. Would he even know what had happened to her? Why hadn’t she
done what he’d told her? Why hadn’t she stayed in the room? How
could she have been so stupid as to fall for Kateesha’s
self-confessed trick?
Katelina still didn’t understand exactly what had
happened. She decided that Kateesha had obviously implanted ideas,
or thoughts, into her head, but she didn’t know how she’d done it.
Jorick had said not to look into their eyes or else they could
trick her – and she hadn’t. She hadn’t even seen Kateesha until the
fog had begun to lift. How had she been able to do that to her?
Her stomach rumbled, but she ignored it. She pressed
her eyes closed and fought both fatigue and another round of tears.
How she wished that she’d never gone to that small dilapidated
house, never gotten that phone call, and never met Patrick. Tears
broke loose and she surrendered, letting sobs take her again.