Katelina woke and quickly closed her eyes against the bright light. Her body ached and her gums felt like they’d been cut to ribbons. Her throat burned. She sought for memories and came up with the cell in Malick’s basement. There was someone at the door—
She sat up with a cry. The room rolled and her stomach twisted. She tried not to wretch. Her eyes adjusted to find the fountain room in Malick’s secret oasis. A couple of pots were overturned. The plants and dirt were trampled across the tiles, and a splash of blood decorated one wall. She rubbed her head and remembered the attack. Jorick coming to save her.
As if summoned by her thoughts, she saw him kneeling next to her. His long dark hair was wild around his face and blood was smeared on his pale cheek. Loren stood behind him, splattered with gore and wearing a pained expression.
She opened her mouth to speak when lightning tore through her. The pain was worse than anything she’d felt before. She could hear someone screaming, but she wasn’t sure who it was.
Jorick wrapped his arms round her. “Shhhh, little one. It’s okay. Shhhhh.”
The pain lessened and she curled into him. She thought she might go crazy if she didn’t get a drink. His heart beat in her ear and for some reason the sound made her thirstier. “Water,” she croaked desperately. “Jorick, I’m thirsty.”
Loren volunteered, “I’ll go find something.”
Jorick nodded, then turned back and brushed hair back from her face. “It’s all right, little one.” The terror in his eyes said differently. His fear infected her. Oh god, had they maimed her? She looked down to see her ruined, blood-stained clothes and all of her limbs. She tested her feet and hands. They were healed. If she was better why did she hurt so badly?
Hot agony shot through her and she buried her face in Jorick’s chest. As the agony subsided she was aware of someone speaking.
“—cleaned out the basement. This one’s still alive.”
She blinked to see a grim faced vampire. His long lion-colored hair was pulled back in a ponytail and his amber eyes flicked from one person to the other, landing finally on her. It was Oren, Jorick’s fledgling.
“You…” Oren trailed off then cleared his throat. Strange expressions followed one after another; shock, concern, and finally a sort of uncomfortable neutrality. “About the prisoner?”
Oren pointed to a limp body at his feet. It was Malick’s lackey, Braydon.
“Kill him,” Jorick said dismissively.
For some reason Katelina wanted to object. Uncertainty held her tongue, and it was Oren who said, “He might be more use alive.”
“Fine, leave him.” Even as he spoke, Jorick’s attention was on Katelina.
Oren wiped blood from his chin with an exasperated sound. “I realize you’re preoccupied, but if you could tear yourself away for a few moments, we can decide what to do. I’m sure Etsuko or Loren could keep an eye on her. It isn’t as if she requires your presence to complete the change.”
Change.
With that word a black terror seized Katelina, as dark as the fears in Jorick’s gaze. She ran her tongue over her sore gums and stopped at her teeth. Instead of her tidy, human canines she had fangs.
The full connotation hit. She gave a strangled cry and pulled away from Jorick. “Oh my God! What have you done? You made me—”
“Katelina, stay calm.” Jorick drew her back into his arms.
“Stay calm?” She struggled to be free. “You didn’t even ask me! You didn’t—”
“Would you rather be dead?”
She choked on the word. “Boris healed me. I was better.” Unless there’d been something internal, something she hadn’t noticed.
The thought disappeared as another spasm shook her. She dropped against Jorick with a sob. When the pain subsided she saw Loren zip through the door, looking pleased. “We found a human!”
A tall broad shouldered vampire with white hair stalked into the room. She recognized him as one of the Scharfrichter from Munich. Marching before him like a prisoner was Xandria. As they drew closer, Katelina caught her scent. Xandria smelled like roasting turkey after a month’s fast. Katelina’s throat and chest tightened. Seconds passed. Xandria ceased to be Xandria, just a container, a glass that held what she needed; soothing liquid to quench her horrible thirst.
Katelina was dimly aware of ripping away from Jorick, of tackling Xandria to the floor, of biting into her. She gulped hot soothing liquid down her throat. It tasted metallic, but at the same time was so much more. There was cherry coke and chicken, salt, carrots, fear, anger, life.
She was torn away and left chomping at thin air. The world started to filter back as she fell limply in Jorick’s arms. She wiped her mouth and looked at her hand to see blood.
Xandria lay on the floor, eyes wide with horror. Hethin, the white haired Scharfrichter, tugged her to her feet and gave her a handkerchief to press to her bleeding neck.
“My master will be back for me,” Xandria said. “And Kate’s master. He’ll, uh, he’ll…”
“He’ll what?” Jorick demanded.
“Crap. I don’t know.” Xandria sagged. “He’s going to be mad that one of you made her a vampire, that’s for sure.” She looked at them hopefully. “Are you going to make me one?”
Jorick dismissed her with a motion. “Kill her, unless you think she’s important.”
Xandria. Everything snapped into place and Katelina cried, “No! Don’t kill her!”
“Then tie her up,” Jorick muttered. “We’ll deal with her later.”
Xandria shot Katelina a look that seemed to say “Thanks. Sorry I can’t do anything for you in return.” Katelina wanted to reassure her that everything was okay, but she couldn’t find words because she wasn’t sure it was.
Hethin led Xandria away. Oren waited half a heartbeat then said, “We’re nearly finished cleaning the place out. Should we follow Malick? We can send for the planes and have them here in a few minutes. Sadihra said that there’s plenty of fuel on the premises.”
“No. We won’t catch him, and a plane is no place to finish the ordeal.”
“It was good enough for Etsuko,” Oren snapped. “Never mind. Perhaps we can find a clue as to Malick’s next move. I’ll have Micah and Loren search. Torina can help, and I’ll find someone to burn the bodies of the dead…”
He kept talking but his words smeared together in a long nonsensical drone. Katelina’s fiery thirst was back. With it came trembling weakness. She wanted to call out to Jorick, to ask him what was going wrong, but her tongue wouldn’t work. Oren kept talking, moving in slow motion, then he blurred. The colors ran and turned black at the edges. The vampires’ conversation disappeared into the sound of blood roaring in her ears. Though she fought against it, she slipped into darkness.
She came to in a foreign bedroom, it belonged to one of Malick’s lackeys who’d either died or run. Jorick stripped away her ruined clothing and wrapped her in a stranger’s pajamas. He frowned at her bloody clothes, but she couldn’t tell him how they’d gotten that way.
Hours dragged in irrational patterns of time. She would drop into scorching blackness, but always came back to find herself in Jorick’s arms, shivering and sobbing. He held her and soothed her, promised it would end. When she begged for water he gave her blood, first from a bag, and when she couldn’t wrap her lips around it he poured it in her mouth. As the space between spasms increased, she managed snatches of sleep, interrupted by splinters of nightmares and agony. Each time Jorick was there, cradling her against his naked chest and whispering assurances, his tired eyes full of worry.
At last she dropped into slumber, clutching him as if he was a life preserver. When she woke he lay next to her in an exhausted sleep. Though there was no one to tell her, she had a sense that it was over.
Over. The word was so final.
She brushed the hair back from his face and noted the way his forehead puckered. She’d heard that turning weakened the master, and after staying awake with her he was probably spent. She’d just decided to sneak out of bed when he rolled over with a soft moan, followed by the usual morning gasp. It was the sound of someone who’d stopped breathing in the night and suddenly thought he needed to. She didn’t know why. It wasn’t like they had to breathe—
No, not they. We.
She checked to see if she was breathing. The familiar in and out of oxygen continued, even though it was no longer necessary. She tried to stop, just to test if she could, but panic kicked in and she gasped.
Jorick swung into a sitting position. “Are you all right?”
She didn’t want to admit her embarrassing experiment. “I guess.”
Before he could reply, a knock sounded. He jerked to his feet just as the door swung open. Loren and Micah marched in, dragging Boris.
“He’s a phantom,” Micah said with disgust. His eyes flicked to Katelina. “How you doin’, Lunch? Shit, guess I can’t call you that now. Maybe Slave.”
Jorick slammed him into the wall before he could finish. Katelina drew back instinctively. Though she looked away, Jorick’s fury was painted in her memory; his face contorted and his fangs flashing.
Free, Boris faded toward the corner of the room and disappeared, while Loren tried to wedge himself between the two angry vampires. “Jorick, it’s cool. He’s just —”
“Ready to die.” Jorick grabbed Micah by the front of his tank top and flung him into the corridor with a crash. Katelina had a momentary view of the bald vampire bouncing off the wall and landing on the floor, then he was on his feet and charging back through the doorway.
“Fine. I’ve wanted to kick your ass since I met you. Bring it, bitch.” Micah swung. Jorick dodged the blow and caught him in the back with his fist. Micah stumbled and spun back. Jorick was ready and punched him with enough force to send him flying back against the bed. The baseboard cracked and the bottom of the bed collapsed.
Micah went after Jorick and Katelina shook herself out of shock. “What did he do this time?”
Instead of answering, Jorick leapt at the bald vampire. Micah darted to the side and grabbed the dresser. With a grunt he hefted it and swung. The corner caught Jorick and sent him sprawling. Katelina darted to him. He was up before she reached his side. Blood trickled unheeded from his nose and his expression was cold. He pushed her back to the wall with one arm, and stalked to Micah. The bald vampire swung the dresser again. Jorick caught it. For a moment they strained, muscles bulging.
“Guys?” Loren hovered in the door, as if trying to decide whether to get help. “Come on, just—”
Jorick ripped the furniture from Micah’s hands and flung it against the wall. Clothing and pieces of wood scattered. Katelina ducked to avoid the front of a drawer as it flew past.
Micah dove to the left. He wasn’t fast enough and Jorick tackled him to the floor. He struggled under Jorick’s weight. For once his super strength wasn’t enough. Jorick slammed his fist into Micah’s face with a crunch. The vampire laughed. “That the best you got, Guild dog?”
Katelina stepped forward as Jorick punched him again. “Jorick?”
Another punch, another crunch, and Micah slurred out, “Fu’ you, Essecutioner.”
Jorick drew back. Katelina had a sudden vision of him punching clear through Micah’s head into the carpet. Without thought she launched herself at her boyfriend. She grabbed his arm and ripped him off his foe.
Jorick jerked away and glared at her. He was flecked in blood and his face was contorted in rage. “Stay back, Katelina!”
“God damn it! That’s enough! You’re going to kill him!”
He shook loose. “That’s my intention.”
Micah pulled himself into a sitting position. His jaw hung at an odd angle and his nose was bent. Crimson flowed down his chest and matted his goatee. He tried to stem the flow. “You inten’ to, bu’ you jus’ can’t do it.”
Katelina held Jorick back and shouted at Micah, “Would you shut the fuck up, you moron?”
Loren moved between them. “It’s not his fault. He’s stupid.”
“Wha da fu? Who you callin’ s’upid?”
Jorick tried to shake loose from Katelina. “Let go.” He struggled with no success, and his voice got angry. “Katelina let me go.”
“No! I don’t know what he did, but you don’t need to kill him.”
“Yes. I do.”
“Why?” The silence that followed was worse than the chaos. A bad feeling settled in the pit of her stomach. “What did he do? Loren?” She met the teen’s gaze. He looked away quickly. “Micah?” The bald vampire muttered something undecipherable.
“What did he do?” she repeated. “Someone better tell me or I’ll kill him myself.”
“You were bleeding,” Loren muttered. “There was a lot of blood. I mean a lot. And we didn’t know how to do a linking-thingy…”
“What? When?” Jorick had said he’d turned her to save her, and she’d imagined some internal complications with her injuries.
“Um, right before…” the teen gulped. Katelina looked to the bald vampire and saw the guilt in his eyes.
She suddenly understood.
“Oh holy God. It wasn’t Jorick.”
“No.” Jorick’s one word was clipped and cold. The hatred that burned in his eyes was terrifying. He pulled free of her and moved toward Micah.
Loren tried to act as a wall between them. “He did it to save her!”
Jorick grabbed Loren by his shirt. “He should have brought her to me!”
“He wanted to but there wasn’t time! It was my idea. I told him to save her. If you’re gonna kill him you gotta kill me.”
Jorick’s growl turned menacing and Katelina thought he might rip the boy’s throat out. Instead, he tossed him aside and loomed over Micah, his hands balled into white knuckled fists.
Katelina bounced forward and snatched at Jorick’s arm. He shook her off and lifted Micah by the throat. The bald vampire choked and ripped at Jorick’s fingers to no avail.
“She does not belong to you, do you understand?” Jorick shook him. “You will release her from her blood debt this minute or you will die!”
Micah made a wet sound and tried to spit a mouthful of blood at him. With his broken jaw, most of it dropped off his tongue and drooled down his chin. “Fu’ you. I’ been thinkin’ abou’ this and I ain’t releasin’ ‘er to you. She nee’s trainin’ not coddled like a pwincess. I’m tired of savin’ her all the time. Fu’ that. She’s gonna learn to take care a herself. I’m gonna—”
His words choked out and Jorick snapped, “You’re going to release her.”
Micah clawed at Jorick’s hands and hacked up a glob of congealing blood. “I’m gonna twain the bitch an’ you can either like it or suc’ it.”
Jorick pulled back to punch through his chest. Katelina pushed Loren out of the way and grabbed his arm. “Stop! Not like this!”
With a roar, Jorick flung the bald vampire across the room. He crashed into the wall, then slid down to the floor, while Jorick turned his fury on her. “Do you understand what’s at stake? He turned you! He is your master, not me! Do you understand what that means?”
It was more than she wanted to deal with at the moment. “We’ll figure this out later.”
“Later?” Jorick demanded. “What part of the urgency do you not understand? If this-this piece of-of filth commands it you have to obey him. He can do anything he wants with you—to you! You belong to him!” He turned back to Micah. “Unless he releases you from your debt.”
Loren hurried to his fallen friend and clumsily used his own hoodie to mop up some of the blood. “Fuck, Micah, just release her. When he gets fed up he’ll take her anyway.”
“No he won’.” Micah tried to smile. “Jorick’s too o’sessed wit’ all the laws shit. I asked tha’ German dude an’ he ‘splaned the laws. Since he’s a Guild dog, Jorick believes in all that crap. He can quit worryin’. I don’ waana fu’ her, I just wan’ her to learn to take care a her goddamn self.”
Loren looked horrified and tried to shield his friend from Jorick. “He won’t do anything bad. I swear a blood oath!” He held up his good arm and bit into his wrist. A thin stream of scarlet dripped to the floor. “I swear on my blood he won’t. If he does you can kill us both!”
Jorick narrowed his eyes. “I wouldn’t hang my life on his honor. You’re likely to end up dead. Move out of the way.”
“I know what I’m doing. Micah’s right. You drag her into battles and she gets her butt kicked.” His bravado faltered as he looked into Jorick’s face. He swallowed, then straightened his spine. “Micah taught me to fight when I joined up with Oren and he can teach her.”
Katelina didn’t like the idea of training under Micah, or of owing him a so-called blood debt, but she couldn’t take any more of the fight.
“He’s right.” Jorick spun to face her and she forced the words out. “Loren’s right. How many battles have I been dragged into, armed with a dagger if I’m lucky and no idea what to do? Yes, you’re there, but you have to protect yourself first and me second.” She laid her hand on his arm. “I’ll do his stupid training, then we’ll call it even, okay? You said before that some blood debts last centuries. What’s a few days?”
“Days?” Micah gave a wet snort. “More li’e months, pwincess.”
Jorick growled and she soothed him quickly. “Fine, weeks, then. I know Micah’s an asshole, but you can read his mind. You can see what he has planned.” Jorick made a sound of agreement and she went on. “If he does anything, you can always kill him later.”
Something moved in the corner. Katelina was suddenly aware of Boris hunched down, arms up to protect himself from flying debris. “Besides, shouldn’t you deal with the prisoner first?”
Everyone followed her gaze with equal surprise, as if they’d forgotten about the Russian.
“That’s right,” Loren said. “We found him raiding a closet full of computer stuff. He kept disappearing, so we had to give up when the sun rose. Once it went down we caught him trying to get out. He’s a phantom.”
“I guessed that.” Jorick moved toward Boris, using a discarded garment to clean Micah’s blood from his face and hands. “You were with Malick?”
Boris seemed to flicker, then turned solid again with a pained expression, as if he didn’t have the energy to keep it up. “Yes and no. I was a prisoner. Ask the human.” His face flashed panic. “I mean, the used-to-be-human. She knows.”
Katelina stood next to him. “He was in the cell with me. Malick has had him since before we killed Senya.” Boris flinched and she cringed. Shit, she hadn’t meant for him to know it was their fault.
“Why did Malick keep him?” Jorick narrowed his eyes, no doubt reading Boris’ mind. Jorick’s face twisted in fury and when he stepped away his lips were a thin, hard line. His tone was clipped and tight. “Put him with the others for now. He might be useful.”
“Um, right.” Loren hurried over and helped Boris to his feet. “What did you see?”
“Take him!”
Loren dragged Boris from the room. Micah stood and blotted his ruined face with Loren’s hoodie. “Latew, Lun’.”
Jorick didn’t seem to notice. He stopped before Katelina and caught her chin in his trembling hand. “Look at me.”
She swallowed hard and met his eyes. “What?” Though he didn’t answer she could feel him in her head.
He broke the connection and dropped his hand. “You don’t remember.”
“Remember what?” When he didn’t answer she repeated the question.
“Being tortured.”
The words made her shiver. She knew what he was referring to and he was right. She didn’t. “Only vague moments before and after, until I spoke to Boris in the cell. You’re mad about the blood, aren’t you?”
“What?” Then he seemed to understand. “The blood Boris gave you. No, little one. I’m not angry about that. It was seeing what Malick had done to you. I noticed your clothes but I was preoccupied, I didn’t think what had caused—” He broke off and forced a pained smile. “You’re here. That’s what’s important.”
He drew her to him and she closed her eyes. His familiar scent was overwhelming and she let herself drown in it. The disjointed memories from the night before played through her mind; the comfort of his arms, his soft caresses as he stroked her hair and her back, his soothing voice as he promised her it would be over soon.
“Thank you,” she murmured.
He tightened his hold. “You don’t need to thank me, little one. Had I been here sooner…”
He trailed off but when she looked up she could see the rest shining in his eyes. The guilt was suffocating and she tried to drown it with a kiss.
His response was soft, gentle, as if she might break. His hand moved to cradle the back of her head. The other went to the small of her back, pulling her tighter, closer, as if he could meld their bodies into one.
She could feel his heart pounding in his chest. The beats mingled with her own until she couldn’t tell which was his and which was hers.
His kiss turned hungry, and she returned it. Her hands moved over the muscled strength of his back. She could hear the thunder of his quickening heartbeat as she traced his backbone, then his broad shoulders. His breath hitched and he broke the kiss to gaze at her questioningly. She didn’t understand, and he frowned.
“What?”
His voice was husky with warring emotions. “Are you…do you feel well enough…?” He scowled at his own weakness and crushed her lips with his. Her response apparently answered his question, and he released her to jam a piece of the shattered dresser under the sagging bed. Satisfied at the repair, he returned to lay her down. He knelt on the edge, as if testing that it would hold, then stretched out beside her.
When he only stared into her eyes she gave a nervous smile. “What?”
“I’m just looking at you.” He brushed the hair back from her face. His fingertips grazed her cheek and sent little shivers down her spine.
“Do I look better now…” she couldn’t say, “Now that I’m a vampire.”
“You were beautiful before.” He brushed a kiss across her lips, then her nose, and her forehead. “You’ve been beautiful since I first saw you.”
Her argument disappeared when he claimed her lips. His hands moved over her as if he was touching her for the first time; traveling territory he’d never explored. Her nerves sang under his fingers, more sensitive than they had ever been. She could feel the lightest graze, his breath on her neck, the hairs on his arm when he slipped his hand under her shirt.
She reached for him. His skin was smooth beneath her fingers as she traced his naked chest and his flat stomach. He moaned into her mouth as she reached lower, to his belly button, the waistband of his trousers.
He pulled her pajama shirt open with enough force to send buttons pinging away. She gasped as he licked the fleshy curve of one breast then the other. He tasted the hollow between them, then moved on. An ugly scar ran the length of her stomach, and he kissed his way down it, like a ladder. Tingles of anticipation raced up and down her body. A low, heavy ache spread into her stomach, where it turned into a burning ball of want. She could imagine the taste of his blood; the spicy, salty mixture unique to him. Her thirst returned, not as painful as before, but just as urgent.
He stripped away her pajama bottoms and ran his hands over her naked legs. She shivered and opened herself for him. He drew teasing lines on her inner thigh with his thumb, then moved to the patch of golden curls. Her skin screamed for his touch, and she reached out with her senses. When he brushed her aching center, a thousand lights exploded behind her eyes. She arched her back and grasped for him, desperate for more.
He dipped his hand between her thighs and she gasped as he found the center of her desire. He played her like a violin, stroking, strumming, faster, slower until her moans took on a musical pitch of need. It wasn’t just the physical act she wanted, but something more. Something…
She cried out as a climax racked her body. At the sound he gave a low growl of desire and kissed his way up her. He paused at her lips to pull his pants off, then slid his hard, naked body against hers. She wrapped her thighs around his waist and he shifted into position. The press of his swollen need throbbed against her core and she urged him on with her hips.
He held her face in one hand and forced her to meet his eyes. “You belong to me, Katelina. Don’t ever doubt it.”
Before she could reply he thrust into her. Her body eagerly welcomed him, and they moved together. Though the motion took the edge off her desire it didn’t quench it. She wanted more, needed more. The longing burned through her until her teeth ached. She bit her lip. The blossom of blood on her tongue ignited the fire in her throat.
Jorick gave a soft, low growl and bit into her shoulder. She tightened herself around him, as if she could pull him closer, deeper. The world wavered, smeared, and pleasure radiated through her. It was sharper than usual, and it didn’t rob her of her reason like it had other times. She rode on crimson colored tides, aware of each thrust, each touch, and ached for more, for the final earth shattering moment when nothing mattered but the fireworks igniting around her; the moment only Jorick could give.
Her wanting mouth found his shoulder and she bit. Her new fangs sliced neatly into him and his hot blood bubbled through the holes. Instinctively she sucked, pulling it into her mouth. Salty, sweet, spicy, like nothing else. Images and sounds rushed around her in a confusing jumble. Her mind instinctively reached for Jorick. She felt him like a throbbing beacon in her brain, blotting out everything else, caressing, soothing, claiming. Foreign thoughts felt like her own. He was hers and she was his, she would always be his. No matter what blood flowed in her veins. No matter-
The world shattered into a thousand shining colors. She rose and fell with the glittering shower and finally crashed back to the world. Jorick slid next to her and pulled her to him. He buried his face in her hair and inhaled deeply, as if he could breathe her in and hold onto her forever.
She licked her lips and struggled past the usual embarrassment. Biting, drinking blood, those things weren’t normal.
He lifted her chin and met her eyes. “Katelina, that’s the way it is now. That’s the way…”
He broke off and she nodded. Vampires couldn’t have children, and the men didn’t climax the same as their human counterparts. The orgasm was through the psychic connection; the joining of bodies and minds. And blood. Always blood.
“There’s nothing wrong with it,” he assured her softly. “Why do you always look for something to be ashamed of?”
“I’m not ashamed, I’m just…”
“I know.” She could hear the regret in his voice. “I should have waited until you’d had more time to adjust to everything. I was…selfish. I’m sorry.”
She pulled away and combed the hair back from his face. “There’s nothing to be sorry for. Unless you didn’t want to…” she couldn’t finish the sentence.
He caught her hand and squeezed it. “Of course I wanted you. I will always want you.” He pulled her against him and cradled her in his arms. “I love you, Katelina.”
“And I love you, Jorick.”