Vampirates 5: Empire of Night (22 page)

In his head, he heard Cheng Li's voice admonishing him. Why hadn't he acted to prevent this attack? But what could he have done? The first he had heard of it was less than an hour ago, when Sidorio had rapped on his door. Even if, by some miracle, he had gotten word to Kally, the fishtail couldn't have swum to
The Tiger
in time to alert them. Nor could the Federation have gotten word to
The Redeemer
or sent in reinforcements. Connor knew that Cheng Li and the Federation would be fuming, but there was nothing he could have done.

He felt a strange sense of calm, which he struggled to

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understand. It was a numbness that held him there at the center of the deck--a passive witness to the bloodshed around him. But then he felt a new sensation. It had something in common with a rise in adrenaline, but it wasn't exactly the same. His senses were heightened: sight, sound, smell, taste, touch. Each of them was reaching out for one thing and one thing only. Blood.

Now, as he glanced about the deck, he no longer saw the fallen bodies, or the impotent swords. All he saw were the splashes of red--small spatters on white linen shirts; larger pools spreading across the deckboards. Rivers of blood flowing together into an ocean of red.

Seeing this, smelling this, feeling each of his senses open up to it, Connor felt only one thing, resonating through him in a way that nothing had before.

Hunger.

Cheng Li strode along the main deck of
The Tiger.

"Jacoby! Where's Jacoby?"

"Don't know, Captain," Bart called as he polished a cannon.

"Haven't seen him, Captain Li," cried Bo Yin, high up in the rigging, where she was making repairs.

"Somebody find him!" Cheng Li bellowed. "Now!"

Her cry seemed to echo not only around the ship but across the vast ocean that surrounded them.

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Jacoby flung open the door leading out onto the deck and ran toward her. Jasmine followed after him, a few steps ahead of Cate.

"Captain!" Jacoby called.

"How could this happen?" Cheng Li barked, as they met each other at
The Tiger
's main mast.

"It took Connor completely by surprise," Jacoby said. "He didn't have time to find Kally until afterward. He promises he'll do better next time."

"
Next time
?" Cheng Li screamed. "Next time?! How many more ships does the Federation have to lose before you, Connor, and that fishtail start to raise your game?"

Jacoby had never seen the captain quite so angry. She marched past him back inside the ship.

Jasmine came over to Jacoby and hugged him. They were joined by Cate and Bart and then by Bo Yin, who had deftly swung down the rigging.

"You did your best," Jasmine said. "That was all you could do."

"She's right, buddy," Bart said. "You have nothing to beat yourself up about."

Cate nodded. Bo Yin shook her head sadly.

There were tears in Jacoby's eyes and he was shaking. "One ship lost and a hundred crew missing, presumed dead or, worse,
undead
. And it's my fault." Breaking free of Jasmine's arms, he ran inside to find Cheng Li and determine their next move.

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24 MANEUVERS

Connor had been nervously anticipating Tiffin. It was his best--often his
only
--chance to talk to Grace during his day, or rather night. In between, he was kept busy on
The Blood Captain
just as she was on
The Vagabond
. For the past forty-eight hours, since the attack on
The Redeemer
, Connor had been building up the nerve to talk to his sister about his new hunger for blood. The strength of the hunger had overwhelmed and unsettled him. It hadn't happened again since, but somehow he was certain that it would return; that it hadn't disappeared but rather lay dormant. He wondered if the sight of blood was needed to stoke the hunger or if it would simply come of its own bidding.

Had Grace experienced the same hunger? It seemed likely. She was a dhampir, too. They were the exact same age and, if anything, weren't girls supposed to physically

244

mature a little sooner than boys? The best way to find out was to talk to her. Connor knew that. But he was scared, somehow. He had the sense that once he talked to her--or indeed anyone else--about his hunger, that his words would make it real. For now, he could kid himself that he wasn't really a dhampir, that Sidorio wasn't his biological father--that it
was
merely a ruse conjured up by Cheng Li to help them infiltrate the rebel Vampirate empire. But, deep down, he knew there was no running away from it. The blood hunger had been powerful enough to convince him of the fact. He was changing; becoming a dhampir. There was no denying it.

As soon as he arrived at Tiffin, Connor broke off from the other members of his party and went to find Grace. She was, as he expected, seated at the dining table. They remained the only two who ate at these gatherings, and Chef Escoffier's generosity and inventiveness showed no signs of waning. If anything, his offerings seemed to grow more lavish each night. As Grace glanced in his direction, Connor smiled weakly and, taking a deep breath, walked over to join her. As he stepped closer to the table, he realized that she was not alone. Her new friends from
The Vagabond
were sitting around her, and it was very clear that they had settled down for a good gossip. There was not going to be an easy way to get her alone.

245

Feeling a mixture of disappointment and relief, Connor sat down to eat. Initially, the girls acknowledged him, but it soon became clear that they had many hot topics to discuss that did not involve him. He tucked into his food with enjoyment, aware that his appetite for regular food seemed to be growing rapidly.

As Connor watched Grace chatting with the girls, he realized how much she too was changing. It was only a short time since they had arrived on the Vampirate ships, but already she was looking and acting differently. Today, she had barely acknowledged him. He knew that she had her own mission to infiltrate the Vampirate ranks and report back to her comrades on
The Nocturne
. But either she was way off track with that or she was far better at acting than he'd given her credit for.

On balance, he thought, it was probably a good thing that he hadn't blurted out his concerns about his blood hunger to her. The days of sharing everything with his twin sister were over. He'd been slow to recognize this, but it was the truth. She had other confidantes now. And so, come to think of it, did he. He looked up and saw Stukeley and Johnny joking away over on the other side of the room. Stukeley had been on a similar trajectory to Connor--from mortal life to vampirism. He would know what it was like to experience the physical changes involved in the metamorphosis. He was the one Connor should talk to about his hunger. Not here, not now, but soon.

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Grace was in fits of laughter, prompted by one of Nathalie's hilarious stories, when she felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning, she found Sidorio standing over her.

"I wonder if I might have a moment alone with you?" he said.

Grace was taken aback but nodded. "Yes, yes of course," she said, allowing him to pull back her chair. The girls were silent for a moment as Sidorio led her away, then they bowed their heads, and she could hear their familiar laughter continuing. Their company was addictive. Already, she missed them.

"Let's go up on deck," Sidorio said, opening the doors of Lola's cabin.

"How are you liking life on board
The Vagabond
?" he asked her as they made their way along the corridor.

"Very much," Grace said, pleased that she could add with genuine feeling, "I've made some good friends here."

Sidorio nodded. "I see that. And I hope that you are enjoying getting to know your stepmother, too."

Grace nodded, deciding not to elaborate on this. Her jury was still out on Lola.

"I'm sorry that you and I have not had more time together since your arrival," Sidorio said.

Grace shook her head. "It's really not a problem."

"I don't want you to think that I have chosen Connor

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over you. You are equally important to me, Grace. We just thought that you would be more comfortable here with Lola, and it made sense for Connor to be with me on
The Blood Captain
."

Grace nodded. "I understand," she said.

Sidorio pushed open the door out onto the deck. Grace noticed that several of Lola's crew were patrolling outside. She exchanged a smile with first Holly, then Leonie. Silently, Sidorio placed a hand on her shoulder and led her gently over to the prow of the ship. Then he withdrew his hand and reached into his pocket.

"There's something I want you to have," he said. He opened his fist to reveal a small brooch. "It belonged to my mother... your grandmother." Compared to the lavish jewelry worn by Lola and her comrades, the brooch was very simple and plain, but there was something about it that Grace found instantly appealing.

Sidorio placed it into her hand. "It was the only piece of jewelry my mother had. My father--your grandfather--gave it to her on their wedding day. He made it himself. She always treasured it."

Grace looked at the small brooch, then up at Sidorio. Suddenly, a heritage that she had never known before fell into place. She was looking at the face of her father, but in her head was a link to her grandparents and the lives they had lived
centuries
ago.

"I let my parents down," Sidorio said. "I went away to make something of myself. I became a pirate. But by the

248

time I'd made a pot of gold and gone back for them, they were already at death's door. My gold was no good to them. It was too late. When they needed me, I was out robbing ships. I let them down and they were the only family I had... until now."

Grace lifted up the brooch. "Would you pin it on my dress?" she asked.

He nodded. The pin was tiny, and Sidorio's thick fingers fumbled with it for a moment. Grace waited patiently as he finally fastened it to her dress.

"Thank you," she said. "I shall treasure it."

For a moment, they stood side by side, in silence. Then Sidorio turned to Grace once more. "I know that this isn't the life you would have chosen for yourself. Or Connor for himself. But I want you both to know that I will do everything in my power to make you happy here."

He reached out his hand to Grace. To her amazement, she snaked her fingers through his. It felt like the most natural thing in the world.

Connor was talking to Stukeley and Johnny when Mimma came over to them.

"All right, lads? More fuel?"

"Sure," Stukeley said, reaching out his glass as Mimma lifted the decanter with a wink.

"Rude not to," Johnny said, extending his own glass.

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"How about you, Connor?" Mimma asked. "Where's your goblet?"

"Not for me, thanks," he said.

Mimma arched an eyebrow defiantly.

Connor shook his head. "Not tonight," he said.

"Please yourself!" Mimma proceeded on her way. Then she turned and retraced her steps. "Hey, Stukeley, I hear you're to lead the next attack. Can I come with you? There's nothing I like better than a bit of bloodshed before bed."

Stukeley grinned. "I'd be pleased to have you at my side, Mim," he said.

"Now, now, sailor, don't get carried away. I said I'd like to join you in the fight. Not walk down the aisle with you. Not yet, anyhow." Winking, Mimma turned and strode off again.

Connor turned to Stukeley, his heart racing. "There's going to be another attack? And you're in charge?"

Stukeley nodded. "Oh, yes, my friend. Tomorrow night. And you'll never guess who the target is." He pulled Connor toward him and whispered in his ear.

"There you both are!" Lola said, as Sidorio and Grace arrived back in the captain's cabin. "I was about to send out scouts to find you!" She smiled, then her eyes narrowed as they locked onto Grace's brooch. "Ah, Sid, you gave her your mother's pin."

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Sidorio nodded.

"I think it's beautiful," Grace said. "Both the pin and the story behind it."

"It looks well on you, my dear," Lola said. As she spoke, her eyes were already circling the room, and she reached out her hand and waylaid Obsidian Darke, who was heading for the cabin door. "Where do you think you're going, Lieutenant Darke? The night is but young."

Grace watched as Obsidian Darke stared distantly at Lola. "I have business to attend to back on
The Blood Captain
," he said.

"Plenty of time for that," Lola declared, beckoning Mimma over. "Stay a while. Have another drink." By the time she had finished speaking, Darke's glass had been refilled. He did not seem at all pleased by the fact.

"Lieutenant Darke, I'm not sure that you've been properly introduced to my charming and talented stepdaughter, Grace." Lola ran a maternal hand through Grace's hair.

Running his cold eyes over Grace, Obsidian Darke turned back to Lola. "We've met," he said.

"Well, you may have said 'hello, how are you,' that sort of thing," Lola said, "but you've never
truly
met Grace until you've let her do a reading of you. It's rather remarkable. She's done it for me and all of my ladies, haven't you, dear?"

Grace shrugged. She was growing a little resentful of Lola having her perform at the snap of her fingers, like

251

some kind of carnival act. But her feelings softened as she noticed Sidorio looking at her with undisguised paternal pride.

"Go on, Grace," Lola said. "Tune into Lieutenant Darke's dim and distant past and see if he's as mysterious and forbidding as he'd have us all believe."

Grace addressed Darke directly. "Would you mind?" she asked.

Lola laughed. "I don't remember your asking
me
that before you poked around inside my head!"