Amaranthine Special Edition Vol I

by Naylor, Joleene

  She opened her mouth but his expression was a warning, so she stopped. His urgency washed over her and she tried to look past him to see what was happening. Before she could, he laid his hand on her head and a silken whisper caressed her and spoke of sleep. She fought against it, or tried to, but it was too strong and she was soon drowning, against her will, in confused darkness.

  The world was black when Katelina opened her eyes; black and cold, but not quiet. She could hear shouting and screaming from the direction of the house.

  She sat up quickly and found that she was lying in the snow, concealed behind the naked bramble branches of a thorny bush. She remembered Jorick telling her to be quiet, then touching her, and then… and then she’d fallen asleep? The implications connected themselves, like dots linked clumsily with crayon to form a worrying picture. No, he’d put her to sleep, or “enchanted” her, as he’d called it that night in the casket, just like he had that raccoon.

  The noises grew louder and she instinctively shrank deeper into the brush and waited. She knew that any moment some raging vampire would come crashing through the underbrush to disembowel her. Only, as the seconds ticked by, no one appeared.

  She slowly extracted herself from the bushes, her every movement as short and silent as she could manage. It seemed to take forever to get free, but at last she was crouched on all fours in the snow. Light flickered on the dark trees, and she crawled forward to find the source. The snow melted through the knees of her jeans and froze her bare hands, still she crawled steadily on, every breath terrified but controlled.

  At last she neared the edge of the woods. Between the thick black trunks of trees, she could see bright orange flames devouring the old house. Half of it burned and, as she watched, the fire slowly worked its way towards the other half; eating everything in its path.

  Dark figures moved against the white backdrop of snow. Clashing, twisting, fighting; their shadows thrown into long, flickering smears by the fire light. Their shouts and cries were a tangled confusion of sound.

  Sharp panic surged through Katelina, and she tried desperately to pick Jorick out from among the furiously moving figures, but she was too far away to tell who anyone was. A terrified whimper rose into her throat. She swallowed it silently, and told herself to calm down. “They’ll find me if I make a sound”. Though, she couldn’t say how she knew that for sure.

  She drew in a slow, deep breath, and closed her eyes. As she did, she could suddenly feel Jorick, almost as if she could see him, and when she opened her eyes again she found him instantly. He tussled with someone taller than himself; someone who seemed to be putting up a very good fight.

  The taller vampire grabbed Jorick by the shoulders and slammed him into the side of the burning house. Sparks burst around them in a shimmery orange cloud and Katelina had to cover her mouth to stifle a cry. Jorick was not so silent and, with a savage snarl, he kicked his opponent’s knees out from under him. The taller vampire fell to the snow. Before he could regain his footing, Jorick tackled him and bit a mouthful of his face.

  The taller vampire shrieked; high and horrible, and tried to pull Jorick off, but he held on tightly. Katelina imagined he was drinking from him, the way he had from Nirel, and her stomach twisted. She didn’t want to deal with this.

  With a scream, the other vampire kicked Jorick hard enough to knock him loose. Though she couldn’t see it, she imagined the skin on his face torn and flapping as he leapt up and threw himself towards Jorick.

  Jorick neatly dodged the attack and swung around, so that he was behind his foe. The other vampire didn’t have time to face him before Jorick wrenched his arms behind his back and used a handful of his hair to pull his head in the other direction. Katina heard the taller vampire scream again, but she covered her face to block out the visuals.

  Curiosity got the better of her, and she lowered her hands in time to see Jorick cast off the body and wipe his mouth with his arm. She felt his eyes land on her, as intense as the snapping flames that burned the house, but he stayed silent and turned back to the battle.

  Moments later it was over. The remaining vampires milled around, no doubt checking on one another. She watched Jorick kick one of the bodies lying in the snow, and then his voice came to her, “Come, it's safe now.”

  “Safe?” she questioned silently, her eyes on the house. Most of it was a smoking black skeleton, ready to collapse at any moment and flames licked what was left of it. How was that safe?

  He didn’t answer, so she let it go and slowly climbed to her feet. She hesitated at the edge of the trees, but pushed herself out in the open and trudged across the yard towards the vampires. As she approached, several of them looked up and caught her eye, hostility on their cold, battle smudged faces.

  Jorick stood next to Oren, both men gazing at the house. She tried to question Jorick with her eyes, but the blood smeared on his cheek told her enough for the moment. Though he didn't look at her, he caught her hand in his and squeezed it reassuringly.

  Oren ignored her completely. “I expect the humans will be along soon. They'll bring their fire trucks and enough people to make a scene.”

  “Yes.” Jorick’s gaze shifted to Katelina, though he still spoke to Oren. “I suggest we leave here and regroup.”

  “Yes,” Oren agreed and ran a hand though his tangled blonde mane. “But where?”

  “You're the leader.”

  Oren didn't comment, so Katelina took advantage of the silence. “What in the hell happened?”

  Jorick turned his full attention to her. “Kateesha sent a raiding party, of course. Someone told her we were here, or else she'd never have found it.”

  Katelina had her own suspicions, and had since she’d first met Oren, but she asked anyway, “Who?”

  “That’s the question, isn’t it?” Jorick looked back at his fledgling. “Before we regroup you should find out who the spy is.”

  “Yes,” Oren’s tone was flat. “And everyone has their own opinions.” He cleared his throat noisily and refused to meet Jorick’s eyes.

  It took Jorick a moment to respond, and when he did his voice held a range of emotions; from anger to sarcasm, “Are you insinuating I'm spying for Kateesha?”

  Oren was slow to reply. “No, I'm not. But others are, or will be. You were conveniently away feeding when they arrived and your human managed to escape.”

  “Katelina,” Jorick snapped. “She has a name, though apparently you've forgotten. Perhaps it's the company you keep?”

  “Fine, Katelina,” Oren said stiffly. “Either way, she's only now returned.”

  “I put her to sleep. I'm not risking her life unnecessarily.”

  “As you say.” Oren's eyes remained on the burning house. “Still, it looks bad to suspicious minds. How could you have known they wouldn't find her?”

  “In the trees?” he demanded angrily. “Why would they be in the trees when their objective was the den?” Jorick squeezed Katelina's fingers hard enough to make her flinch and his anger washed through her.

  “And how would you know their objective?” Oren met his eyes at last. “It looks suspicious Jorick. There’s already sentiment against you. You've linked with a human, something no one has done in a very, very long time!”

  “And how do you know they haven't? Because you haven’t heard about it? Last I looked you weren't the keeper of every vampire on earth!”

  “No,” Oren agreed tonelessly. “I'm not. But have you heard of it?” Jorick didn't reply and he answered for him. “You know you haven't.” He glanced at the knot of figures across the lawn. “And you know why. You know how it weakens a vampire; how it makes them vulnerable. The last time it was used…” he stopped and pressed his lips tightly together, then went on. “You well know what they used it for.”

  Jorick growled low. “Is that what you’re suggesting? That I’d use her to murder-”

  Oren cut him off, “I said no such thing. But, you must admit the way it looks.”

  “I don't ca
re what you think,” Jorick spat furiously. “You’re the one who came to me, asking for my help, remember? Or have you forgotten already?” Before Oren could answer Jorick snarled, “Never mind. Keep your war and keep your suspicions.” His voice dropped, until his words were almost a hiss, “But when Kateesha murders you, I won't come to bury your bodies.” Then he turned away, jerking Katelina after him, and stormed towards the gravel road.

  She glanced back over her shoulder to Oren. He stood in the snow, his long hair wild around his face and his hands clenched into fists at his side. His lips parted as though he'd speak, but instead he shook his head and turned towards the others.

  As they crossed the yard, Jorick paused to savagely kick one of the broken bodies aside. Katelina had a glimpse of a gory, gaping chest and a puddle of red snow, but she looked away quickly. Neither she nor Jorick spoke until they were on the road, headed in the opposite direction of the burning house, then she asked, “So, where are we going?”

  “Away from here.”

  “I guessed that,” she replied calmly. His anger was hot and palpable, so she asked a pointless question to give him time to calm down, “Don’t you need to feed?”

  “No,” he answered, and she noticed that his hand was warm around hers. “Not anymore.”

  She thought of the battle scene and of his mouth clamped on the other vampire’s face. “Can you…” She hesitated at the word, but forced it. “-Feed on other vampires?”

  Jorick’s voice was toneless, a bored school teacher. “It depends how recently they’ve fed. If they haven’t, then it’s primarily a waste of time; their blood is as empty of life as any vampires’. But, if they’ve fed, you can look at them as a container. Fortunately, a vampire usually feeds before it attacks anyone.”

  The container comment made her uncomfortable and she glanced back at the burning house. “Kateesha sent a raiding party?”

  “Yes. Though she only sent six, so they were obviously meant as a diversion or a simple annoyance. It isn’t my problem anymore.”

  She refused to argue with that. They were finished with Oren and his stupid war, and that was good enough for her. So, she changed the subject. “What was it you did to me in the woods?”

  He didn't turn around, even though she lagged behind him. “I didn’t ‘do’ anything to you. I just put you to sleep.”

  “Why?” It was impossible for her to match his speed, and the distance between them continued to grow until her arm was stretched uncomfortably.

  “Because, if I hadn't, you'd have made enough noise to wake the dead. You humans haven't mastered the art of truly being quiet. You think that just because you can't hear yourself, no one else can.” He stopped and waited for her to catch up. “There are a lot of creatures whose hearing is far superior to yours.”

  “Somehow, I guessed that already.” She came to a stop next to him. “How did you know they wouldn't find me?”

  “I didn't.” He shrugged his shoulders and looked away. “I guessed.”

  “So you guessed, knocked me out and left me for any old vampire to find?”

  “And what else should I have done?” His dark eyes snapped at her, though his voice was calm. “Stayed there with you? Left the others to their fate? Or dragged you after me?”

  “No,” she agreed wearily. “I don't know. It doesn't matter. Just forget it, I guess you meant well.” Her shoulders slumped in defeat. “I'm just freezing.”

  “I’m sorry, but we have a long walk ahead of us.”

  “How long?” He didn’t answer, so she took the opportunity to pull him towards her. She spit on her coat sleeve and started for his face, but he jerked away instinctively.

  “What are you doing?”

  “Tidying you,” she answered flatly, and then swiped the blood from his cheek with her damp sleeve. His nose wrinkled in disgust and he tried to pull away, but she held him fast until his face was clean. “Now, how long is this walk going to be?”

  She let him go and he stepped back, clearly repulsed. Wisely, he didn’t comment and instead turned away and started walking down the road.

  “How long?” she called after him, but again he didn’t answer, which led her to only one horrific conclusion: very long. “I’m not in shape for this kinda thing!” Neither her job, nor her lifestyle required her to be in peak physical condition and she was a slacker by nature.

  Jorick stopped, his shoulders tense, then turned back to her. “Obviously. Come along anyway.”

  She started to complain, but he gave her a dark look that said the conversation was over for the time being.

  **********

  Chapter Fifteen

  Katelina and Jorick walked down the gravel road. On either side of them were fields of snow, occasionally broken by a handful of dark houses, and yards lit by orange security lights.

  Katelina’s toes were numb and she kept her hands burrowed in her coat. She was sure she’d have frostbite, on her nose at the very least, and she voiced the opinion more than once. Jorick’s patience soon ran thin, though he managed to keep his voice calm.

  When her legs and feet finally gave out, she stopped in her tracks and declared loudly, “I can’t go any further. Are you trying to kill me?”

  Jorick gave a low sigh, then wordlessly scooped her up and unceremoniously slung her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes.

  “Hey! What are you doing? I'm not baggage, you know.”

  “No, you're far too noisy to be baggage,” he joked and then sighed. “Do you have a better suggestion? Maybe I'll just whip out the magic carpet I keep in my pocket and you can fly in comfort?”

  “Very funny. The blood's going to rush to my head like this.”

  “I'm sorry if you're uncomfortable, but it's the only practical way. It leaves my arm free in case I need it. I know you missed most of it, but vampires just attacked Oren's den, set it ablaze and, though we fought them, one disappeared into the night. I'm not really sure where he’s gone, and I don't like the idea of being surprised without at least one free arm to fight him off.”

  “And you really think that he’s still lurking around?” She rolled her eyes. “It’s been at least six hours!”

  “It’s been two hours; three at the most,” he corrected her. “Don't make me put you to sleep again. I will, you know.”

  “Don't you dare. I don't like those stupid mind things you do and you know it.”

  This was the stupidest plan ever. To just stomp off in the middle of nowhere with no car, no food and freezing temperatures. There was absolutely no forethought put into it, that much was obvious.

  “If you think you can do better on your own,” Jorick snapped in reply to her thoughts and then took a deep breath to calm himself. “Fine,” he said gently. “It wasn't the best plan, all right? But it's done now, and we've no choice except to make the best of it.” He paused before continuing. “And I know you don't like it, Katelina, but you're making enough noise to alert every vampire in at least the five surrounding states. If you don’t quiet down I’ll put you to sleep. I’m sorry, but I'll do whatever is necessary to keep you safe, whether you like it or not.”

  She chose to ignore the later part of his statements. “No, it wasn't a very good plan. And yes, I could have come up with a better one: How about taking a car?”

  “The cars aren't mine, and I'm not stealing one. If you think the owner couldn't have caught up with us, then you're sadly mistaken. In case you haven’t noticed, I walk faster than you, and some of them are faster than me. Now relax. We may not find a town tonight.”

  “What? But there’s light, right over there.” She pointed to her left where the clouds had the telltale glow of civilization. “It’s not that far away.”

  “Perhaps not, but since it appears to be little more than a village, it won’t do us any good.”

  “A village?” She echoed weakly. “How do you know it’s small?” She supposed the answer was obvious. It wasn’t like it was a particularly bright glow, or even a very big on
e. And, logically, if it was small there’d be no motel.

  “Exactly. And before you ask, No, I don’t know where a town is.”

  “You mean we’re just aimlessly walking, with no motel in sight? Where are we going to sleep?”

  “In a barn or something. I don't know, but I'll find somewhere, all right?" He muttered something unintelligible, no doubt directed at her.

  “This is fantastic.” Silence fell over them and, as the blood rushed to her head, Jorick’s irritation buzzed louder and louder. When she couldn't take it anymore, she snapped angrily, “It's not like it's my fault!”

  “What?” his voice was toneless, his eyes glued to the snowy road ahead.

  “That I don't have your stamina. I’m sorry I happen to still be alive!” She regretted the remark as it left her lips, but there was no way to snatch it back again.

  Jorick bit his words off, as though they were something bitter, “Yes, I know. I try very hard to be patient and considerate about it, in case you haven't noticed. I get you food, I deal with your injuries, I stand guard while you deal with those disgusting human bodily functions, and never once have I said a word. Fine, I didn't think about it this one time, all right? There, I admit it. One time I forgot how frail you are!”

  “When I freeze to death-” she started, but he cut her off.

  “You’re not going to freeze to death. For the love of God you'd have never survived even two hundred years ago! That's the problem with you modern mortals: you're all soft. Central air, fast food. Never have to get your hands dirty or do any real work. My sister walked farther than this at least once a week and she didn't complain even half as much as you are. And you're being carried. No one carried her!” By the time he finished he was shouting.

  “Well, excuse me!” She yelled back, though her curiosity threatened to overrule her anger. She hung on the cusp for a moment and then curiosity won. “You have a sister?”

  “Had a sister,” he answered snappily. “Yes, Katelina, though it may come as a horrible shock to you, I did have a family once. I wasn't hatched from an egg.”