Jorick woke Katelina the next evening. He checked her wounds and then got dressed in one of his usual ensembles: black jeans and a long sleeved black pullover. He kicked the blue jeans and shirt from the day before under the bed, as though he could pretend he'd never borrowed them from Oren, or even worn them. Then he quickly brushed a kiss across her cheek and promised to return.
After he left, she lay in bed until she summoned the courage to leave the warm covers. The room was as cold as she'd expected, so she quickly pulled on the hated red dress and dashed upstairs.
She stopped at the bathroom, then headed to the kitchen. Kitchens were supposed to be cheerful places, but this one wasn't. Except for a modern washer and dryer, surrounded by books, the room looked dusty and disused. The
