Part 13
(Devin)
"I really don't see what the big deal about all this is," Dayna complained, examining her manicure.
My eyes rolled. I'd never met a vampire hunter as superficial as Dayna before. Looking at her it seemed it was the least likely profession for her.
"There's only *two* of us, how much damage do you really think we can do? We need Marcie."
I paced around the warehouse. Marcie hadn't been in school today. I'd tried calling her, but her parents had just old me they had no idea where she was. They didn't even seem to care much.
I knew something had happened. Bad. Marcie seemed to view the hunting group and school as an escape from her appalling home life. She hardly ever skipped, and if she did, which was rare, then she'd be here.
All the Night People had been in school, in very smug moods. Even Catalina had been smiling. They had *done* something to Marcie.
"They're never going to admit it, even if they have," Dayna snorted dismissively. "We'll just get two new recruits to replace her and Zane."
I didn't understand how she could be so casual and aloof about everything. She eyed me as I eyed her, sneering in contempt. "And what, pray tell, are *you* going to do about it?"
I stopped pacing and headed towards the door. "I'm going to get some answers."
I headed towards the boarding house where Catalina was staying. I'd have to be extra careful, because Layla lived there as well. Catalina, I was sure I'd be able to convince not to kill me with our soulmate connection, or something along those lines. Layla would just kill me without a second thought if she caught me.
I banged on the door to Catalina's room. How the hell did I expect to do this? I wanted to use our soulmate connection, somehow, but how could I use it to rescue Marcie.
She answered the door, clearly not pleased to see me. "Go away." She started to close the door.
I darted inside the room before she could do anything closing the door myself. "Don't bother," I said as she opened her mouth to protest. "I'm not going anywhere."
"What do you expect to get?" She smiled a little. "That I'll meekly admit to you where your stupid girlfriend is?" She laughed harshly. "And you thought you could use a *soulmate* connection to get that information?"
I sighed. She was right. What the hell had I been thinking? Maybe on some level I had known she wouldn't tell be anything. Maybe on another level I had known that wasn't the real reason I was coming here to see her.
Catalina just continued staring at me, waiting for me to so something. I sat on the bed without waiting to be invited. "I don't know why I'm here," I admitted. "You're not going to tell me where Marcie is, are you?"
"Well, I can tell you Eliza and Grace are probably torturing her as we speak." Catalina didn't sound as if she disapproved. She sat on the desk chair opposite me. "Weren't you the one who said we can never be together?"
I nodded. I'd been so freaked out at first I hadn't even thought about it properly. I didn't know if I still wanted to pursue something with her, or if I just wanted Marcie.
"If Layla and the others don't kill Marcie, then Marcie would have just killed me," Catalina said, her eyes narrowed in hatred. "This is all your fault, you know."
I was annoyed. "You're just as much to blame as I am. If you hadn't come here, none of this would be happening."
Catalina stood up and headed over to the window, staring out. She looked sad and alone. "I know," she admitted softly. "I don't plan on staying much longer."
She was leaving already? I was at a loss for words. I didn't know how I'd cope if I had no idea where she was...
"This isn't fair," I muttered sullenly, hating what was happening to me. All for a girl I barely knew.
"And what do *you* want to do about it?" I asked her.
Catalina was silent for a moment. Then she turned back and looked at me. "I told you; I'm leaving."
So that's how she was dealing. She was running. She wasn't handling it any better than I was. She sat down again.
"She's at Eliza's house, in the attic. They're going to kill her sometime tonight," Catalina said softly.
I eyed her curiously. "Why'd you tell me?"
She shrugged. "I don't know. Now you've got what you want will you go away?"
I stood up and left. What else could I do? First thing was first. Rescue Marcie. Then deal with Catalina.
Neither task was going to be easy.
* * *
(Devin)
"I really don't see what the big deal about all this is," Dayna complained, examining her manicure.
My eyes rolled. I'd never met a vampire hunter as superficial as Dayna before. Looking at her it seemed it was the least likely profession for her.
"There's only *two* of us, how much damage do you really think we can do? We need Marcie."
I paced around the warehouse. Marcie hadn't been in school today. I'd tried calling her, but her parents had just old me they had no idea where she was. They didn't even seem to care much.
I knew something had happened. Bad. Marcie seemed to view the hunting group and school as an escape from her appalling home life. She hardly ever skipped, and if she did, which was rare, then she'd be here.
All the Night People had been in school, in very smug moods. Even Catalina had been smiling. They had *done* something to Marcie.
"They're never going to admit it, even if they have," Dayna snorted dismissively. "We'll just get two new recruits to replace her and Zane."
I didn't understand how she could be so casual and aloof about everything. She eyed me as I eyed her, sneering in contempt. "And what, pray tell, are *you* going to do about it?"
I stopped pacing and headed towards the door. "I'm going to get some answers."
I headed towards the boarding house where Catalina was staying. I'd have to be extra careful, because Layla lived there as well. Catalina, I was sure I'd be able to convince not to kill me with our soulmate connection, or something along those lines. Layla would just kill me without a second thought if she caught me.
I banged on the door to Catalina's room. How the hell did I expect to do this? I wanted to use our soulmate connection, somehow, but how could I use it to rescue Marcie.
She answered the door, clearly not pleased to see me. "Go away." She started to close the door.
I darted inside the room before she could do anything closing the door myself. "Don't bother," I said as she opened her mouth to protest. "I'm not going anywhere."
"What do you expect to get?" She smiled a little. "That I'll meekly admit to you where your stupid girlfriend is?" She laughed harshly. "And you thought you could use a *soulmate* connection to get that information?"
I sighed. She was right. What the hell had I been thinking? Maybe on some level I had known she wouldn't tell be anything. Maybe on another level I had known that wasn't the real reason I was coming here to see her.
Catalina just continued staring at me, waiting for me to so something. I sat on the bed without waiting to be invited. "I don't know why I'm here," I admitted. "You're not going to tell me where Marcie is, are you?"
"Well, I can tell you Eliza and Grace are probably torturing her as we speak." Catalina didn't sound as if she disapproved. She sat on the desk chair opposite me. "Weren't you the one who said we can never be together?"
I nodded. I'd been so freaked out at first I hadn't even thought about it properly. I didn't know if I still wanted to pursue something with her, or if I just wanted Marcie.
"If Layla and the others don't kill Marcie, then Marcie would have just killed me," Catalina said, her eyes narrowed in hatred. "This is all your fault, you know."
I was annoyed. "You're just as much to blame as I am. If you hadn't come here, none of this would be happening."
Catalina stood up and headed over to the window, staring out. She looked sad and alone. "I know," she admitted softly. "I don't plan on staying much longer."
She was leaving already? I was at a loss for words. I didn't know how I'd cope if I had no idea where she was...
"This isn't fair," I muttered sullenly, hating what was happening to me. All for a girl I barely knew.
"And what do *you* want to do about it?" I asked her.
Catalina was silent for a moment. Then she turned back and looked at me. "I told you; I'm leaving."
So that's how she was dealing. She was running. She wasn't handling it any better than I was. She sat down again.
"She's at Eliza's house, in the attic. They're going to kill her sometime tonight," Catalina said softly.
I eyed her curiously. "Why'd you tell me?"
She shrugged. "I don't know. Now you've got what you want will you go away?"
I stood up and left. What else could I do? First thing was first. Rescue Marcie. Then deal with Catalina.
Neither task was going to be easy.
* * *
