Malick brought his hands together and quickly closed the distance between himself and Oren. "At last I get to meet your fledgling." His gaze was critical and probing, but Oren refused to look away, his golden eyes hard. Katelina could feel the mental pressure that Malick applied to him, and when Oren's eyes finally dropped, the ancient vampire seemed satisfied.
He turned to Jorick, as though Oren wasn't present. "I'm surprised. He has more backbone than I expected, though he's still weak." He drew his thick eyebrows together. "They always are with you, aren't they?" Irritation flickered across Jorick's face, and the older vampire laughed. "You are still trying to protect the world, aren't you?"
When Jorick didn't answer, Malick looked at Katelina again. Just like when Jorick soothed her,
