Vampirates: Tide of Terror (27 page)

He headed down the path toward the dock. A figure stepped forward from the trees at the side of the path. Connor stepped back. It was Captain Lisabeth Quivers. What did she want?

“Connor, I just wanted to say that I’m sorry.”

He paused, looking at her carefully. There was genuine regret in her voice.

“I’m sorry that your visit to the Academy has ended like this. Sometimes the headmaster takes things a step too far.”

This was the understatement of the year. “He almost had me killed,” Connor said.

“I can’t excuse his actions and that isn’t my intention,” said Captain Quivers. “I don’t want to delay you — I know you have urgent business with Molucco. All I wanted to say is that we’re not all the same — at the Academy, or at the Federation. If you ever change your mind about things, I’d be honored if you felt you could contact me.”

It was an honest request from a decent woman. He appreciated the gesture.

“Thank you,” he said, shaking her hand. “I have to go now.” She nodded and smiled. Then they set off in their different directions.

The Diablo
was waiting in the harbor and it was a sight for sore eyes. Connor couldn’t wait to get on board and sail away from the Academy. But before he made it, another person crossed his path. Jacoby.

“I’m sorry. I don’t think we’re talking,” Connor said, carrying on walking.

“I deserve that,” Jacoby said, following him. “And you don’t have to say anything. But I’m really sorry, Connor, I really am. I’m your friend . . .”

Connor stopped and turned. “Your definition of ‘friend’ is a little warped.” “They made me do it,” Jacoby said, “but I should have said no.”

“Yes,” Connor said. “Yes, you should have.”

He continued walking. He was right at the harbor-side now.

“I’m not going to beg for forgiveness,” Jacoby said. “That would be crass and you’d only say no, the way you feel right now. But I
am
your friend, Connor — at least, I want to be. I did wrong but I’ll find a way to make this up to you. It may take a while, but I’ll do it.”

“Good-bye,” Connor said, reaching for the ladder which hung over the side of the ship.

Without turning back, he glanced up the rope ladder. At the top was Bart, waving and smiling down at him. “Hey buddy,” he called, “welcome back!”

Connor smiled and began climbing up the ladder toward his real friend.

38

THE RETURN

Grace stood under the sails of the Vampirate ship. Her heart was pounding. Was she really back? She could feel the deckboards under the soles of her feet. There was no invisible barrier keeping her at one remove. She reached forward and her hand touched the mast itself. As she did so, a vein of lightning rose from the base of the sails, illuminating them so that for a moment they seemed like vast bronze wings.

She heard a door creak open. Glancing along the deck, she saw that it was the door to the captain’s cabin. She stood, frozen to the spot. She thought how fearless she had been that first time she had sought out the Vampirate captain. Now, she was filled with fear as well as other emotions. Now, she knew so much more than she had then,
felt
so much more.

“Come, Grace.” His whisper filled her head. As usual, it was devoid of emotion.

Was he still angry with her? She frowned. Whatever he might feel,
she
was still angry with
him
. She strode off across the deck, toward his cabin.

As she crossed the threshold, her eyes searched for the familiar cloaked and masked figure. There was no sign of him. She stepped further inside. The cabin door swung shut behind her. She kept on walking through the darkness, glimpsing light in the distance. At last, she saw his silhouette through the balcony shutters. He was standing at the ship’s wheel.

“Am I really back this time?
Properly
back?”

The captain turned toward her. She found herself infuriated by his mask. Why was he so scared to reveal any emotion? He just stood there, like a statue, saying nothing for a time. She was filled with anger now.

“Yes, you’re back.” At last, his whisper filled her head. “And I’m glad.”

His mask crinkled slightly. She recognised that he was smiling at her. She was pleased but she still had unfinished business with
him.

“You’re glad?” she said. “But you told me to stay away.”

The captain turned away from the wheel. Once more. Grace watched as the ship’s wheel turned back and forth, free from its master’s touch. The captain walked toward her and extended his gloved hands.

“I know that I hurt you. Grace. And I am sorry. There were many things on my mind — many
challenges
I had to address . . .”

Grace felt tears pricking her eyes. “Nevertheless,” she said, “you don’t just push your friends away. You don’t tell them to leave. You let them stay and help!”

Again, he said nothing and she wondered if she had overstepped the mark with her outburst. But his hands rested on her shoulders and he bowed his head.

“I apologize, child. You are right. I lost myself for a time. There were new threats, new dangers that I had to address. But it is no excuse for my ...cruelty to you.”

Grace was taken aback. She couldn’t believe the Vampirate captain was apologizing to her. But, as gratifying as this was on one level, she was disturbed to hear his words. Suddenly, she felt as if he was coming to
her
for support. She wanted to help, she’d been willing them to let her help for so long, but now she felt a sudden burden of responsibility.

The captain led Grace into his inner sanctum and indicated for her to sit down with him at his table. As usual, it was strewn with maps but also, this time, with numerous old books. It reminded Grace of when she had been in the middle of homework, desperately searching for answers, wherever they might lie.

“Things have — as you know — been difficult here since you left,” continued the captain. I did not want to involve you in such dangerous situations. This ship was not a safe place for you.”

“Pirate Academy wasn’t so safe, either.”

“I saw that. That’s why I came to fetch you in the end.”

“Not before I nearly drowned myself!”

He shook his head. “That was unnecessary, Grace. And foolish.”

“I realize that now,” she said, embarrassed. “But I didn’t know what else to do. I was so desperate to come back here. I thought that if I put myself in the same place . . .”

“I know
why
you did it,” he whispered. “And I admire your bravery. But you must learn to wait sometimes. Your father had a saying —
Trust the Tide
.” He paused. Grace wanted to ask how he knew about her father and his sayings, but before she could, the captain went on.

“The night you threw yourself into the harbor, I was sinking in dark waters of my own. I couldn’t come to you then. But I knew that Connor would. He is brave, your brother. Brave and true.”

“Yes.” Grace nodded. Suddenly, she felt very stupid and ignorant.

“
I’m
sorry, too,” she said, her head hanging low. “Really, I am.”

“Don’t look so gloomy,” the captain said. “You are courageous and wise, Grace. You have great powers, but you do not yet, I think, quite understand the extent of them. Or how best to use them.”

“What kind of powers?”

Her spirits were renewed and she was hungry to hear more. But the captain was not one to be rushed.

“Look at the way you were able to communicate with your friends aboard this ship. And then you were able to journey here several times . . .”

Grace was confused. “I thought
they
were calling
me
,” she said. “First, Darcy came to see me. Then I had those visions of Lorcan. And then I began making spirit journeys here. I thought
you
were calling me back.”

“Darcy made her own spirit journey to you,” the captain said. “I was angry with her at the time — I didn’t want you to be dragged back into danger — but I could not remain angry. You touched Darcy — that’s why you can communicate so strongly with her. You touched Lorcan — and others, too.” He bowed his head once more. “But when you came here, Grace, it was not through our doing. No. It was you who chose to embark upon those journeys.”

Her?
Could it be true?

That time under the jacaranda tree . . .

And then on her academy bed . . .

And, last, on the balcony . . .

Had she brought these journeys upon herself? It was hard to fathom. And it certainly hadn’t been a conscious decision, as much as she had wanted to help.

“Yes, Grace.
You
chose to come to us, just like the first time.”

Just like the first time
? What did he mean?

“The first time — the very first time — I was just caught in a storm,” Grace said. “I was drowning. Lorcan rescued me then.”

The captain said nothing for a moment. She knew that his silence was merely a veil over thoughts he was not yet ready to voice.

“How
is
Lorcan?“ she asked, anxious to know the latest news.

“One thing at a time,” said the captain. “You must learn, my child, to be patient.”

Grace sighed. As much as she liked the captain, he could be tremendously infuriating. She had forgotten this trait during her absence.

Suddenly, he drew himself up once more and walked toward the fireplace. His long robe trailed behind him. Light sparked along its network of veins.

“There’s someone I would like you to meet,” he said.

“Who? Why?“ She hoped he would not scold her again for these new questions.

“His name is Mosh Zu Kamal. He’s an old friend of mine. My guru, you might say.”

Guru
? Grace knew that the word meant leader or teacher. She was surprised to discover that there was someone senior in rank to the captain. But then she remembered how vulnerable the captain had seemed before. It was reassuring to know that he
did
have someone to turn to in crisis.

“He’s the one who came up with the idea of the ship,” the captain continued. “He’s the one who, at the beginning — when I was so very lost — showed me the way.”

Grace was greatly intrigued at the thought of such a person — not that the term “person” seemed quite adequate to describe the guru of the Vampirates. “Where is he? Does he travel on the ship? How come I haven’t already met him?”

The captain smiled. This time, he seemed amused by her torrent of questions. “He does not travel on this ship, though from time to time he does visit us. On this occasion, however,
we
will visit
him
. We are journeying there now, as a matter of fact.”

“Where?” Grace asked.

“He lives in a place called Sanctuary,” said the captain. “It is at the top of a great mountain.”

Grace glanced down at the map spread out across the captain’s table.

The captain shook his head once more. “I’m afraid you won’t find Sanctuary on any map, my child.”

Grace was puzzled, but excited. If it wasn’t on a map, how could the captain navigate toward it? How would they ever find it? Now, she
really
knew she had returned to the Vampirate ship! Now, she knew why she had had to come back. This place had so many mysteries — and she was only skimming the surface of all its magic.

“We’re heading there now?” she said, deciding to focus on more tangible things. Was it far, she wondered? And were they journeying there purely on
her
account?

The captain smiled once more. “Actually, there are several things about which I must consult Mosh Zu. Firstly, I believe that he will be able to help Lorcan . . .”

“You mean to heal his blindness?”

“I mean only what I say, Grace. Mosh Zu will help Lorcan.”

Grace frowned. Was the captain saying that Lorcan would remain blind? That this guru of his would only help him to adjust to his new condition? It wasn’t good enough! Lorcan
had
to regain his sight! She still felt so responsible for what had happened.

“It isn’t your fault,” the captain said, once more guessing her thoughts. “I was wrong, before, to say that it was...”

“But it is my fault,” she said, ruefully. “Of course it is. He wouldn’t have gone out into the light if he hadn’t been trying to save me.”

“That part may be true. But Lorcan is not helping himself to heal.”

Grace nodded. She remembered all too vividly her last spirit journey to the ship. The night of the Feast. She remembered Darcy telling her that Lorcan would take no more blood from his donor.

“Isn’t there anything
I
can do to help Lorcan?” she asked, despairingly.

“Yes,” said the captain to her surprise. “Yes, of course. And you know what it is.”

“I do?” she asked.

“Search for the answer,” the captain said. “It lies within you.”

He looked suddenly troubled once more. He had that look she had seen before — the look that signaled it was time for him to be alone.

“You want me to go now, don’t you?” she said.

“It’s not a question of want,” he answered. “There are things I must do — further questions I must ponder.”

“About Lorcan?”

He shook his head. “There are other urgent matters to which I must now turn my attention.”

“Can I help? You know I’d do anything in my power.”

The captain rested a gloved hand on her shoulder.

“You already
are
helping, Grace.” he whispered. “More than you know.”

39

A NEW KIND OF ENEMY

It was a very different Ma Kettle’s that Connor and his crewmates on
The Diablo
stepped into that night. The tavern was no less crowded than usual, but the mood was somber. Usually, you had to struggle to hear yourself think above the din of chatter and music, tomfoolery and petty scraps. But tonight, the voices were low and hushed. Everyone had heard about what had happened to Porfirio Wrathe and his crew. No one could quite believe it.

“Here you are, Lucky!” Ma Kettle said, squeezing Molucco’s hand. She was, Connor noticed, dressed more plainly and conservatively than usual. Sugar Pie was at her side, holding a tray of drinks. She too was dressed and made-up more simply. Without makeup, she looked more beautiful than ever, he thought. She smiled softly at him. He glanced away, embarrassed.

“Everyone’s waiting for you,” Ma Kettle told Molucco. “They all came. I knew they would. Will you address them now, or would you like a little strengthener first?”

Molucco gazed at her sadly and shrugged. The simplest of decisions seemed to torture him in his grief.

“Here,” said Ma Kettle, passing out glasses from Sugar Pie’s tray. Each glass contained a slug of translucent red liquid. “Coral brandy,” said Ma. “Iffy taste but it packs a punch! They say it makes you as strong as the coral reefs. One for you too, Mister Tempest. And you, Bartholomew.”

Ma and Sugar Pie took the final two glasses.

“To Porfirio,” said Ma, raising her glass high. They all brought their glasses together, then drank the brandy. Connor winced. It was, without doubt, the most disgusting drink he had ever tasted in his life. But once the putrid taste receded, he felt a strange warmth spreading through his entire body.

“Let’s go then,” said Ma, taking Molucco’s hand once more.

She led Captain Wrathe to the stage in the center of the tavern. Connor and Bart stood to one side, looking out at the massed ranks of pirate crews who filled the bar.

“They’ve come from far and wide,” said Bart, “to show their support for Captain Wrathe.”

Connor looked back at Molucco as the captain made his way to the front of the stage. “He’s really shaken up, isn’t he?” he said.

“Buddy, you should see him in private,” answered Bart. “He’s just barely holding himself together.”

“I can’t say I blame him,” Cate said, arriving at their side. “What happened to Porfirio was horrific.”

Connor nodded. He was still trying to take it all in.

“Friends,” said Molucco, his eyes roving across the serried ranks, “I thank you all for coming here tonight. Your support means so very much to me at this time.” He paused. “To lose a dear brother leaves the very deepest of wounds. But to lose him in such a monstrous way, well, it cuts to the very heart of a man.” He paused. “This news has left my hoary old heart broken.” A fresh tear edged down Molucco’s face. Ma Kettle stepped forward and pressed a handkerchief into his palm. He gripped it but allowed the tear to flow freely. The crowd waited patiently for him to continue.

“Forgive me,” he said. “I am not here to crave sympathy.”

“You have it already!” cried one of the pirates from the pit.

“Thank you. You’re very kind, sir, but really, I’m not here to ask for condolences.” He took a deep breath. “I’m here to request action.”

“Just name it!” cried one of the pirates in front of Connor.

“Yeah,” added another. “We’re right behind you.”

“Aye!” several hundred pirates boomed together. The hairs on the back of Connor’s neck stood on end. He’d never seen so many people united in one cause.

But there was one rogue voice. It came from the shadows. “Leave this to the Federation. The Pirate Federation should handle these matters.” The voice sounded familiar, thought Connor, but he was unable to see the speaker.

Molucco shook his head. “What need have I for the Federation, when I have friends? We shall band together and defeat the enemy.”

The crowd cheered Molucco’s sentiments.

“I think,” Molucco said, “that most of you now know the horror that passed two nights ago. My brother’s ship was sailing through a terrible storm and sought shelter in a bay not far from here, close to a lighthouse. Porfirio and his brave crew were battling the elements and looked to the people in the lighthouse to bring them aid.” His voice grew stronger as he continued. “But the crew of that light-house did
not
bring aid. They brought
death
.”

As Molucco paused once more, you could have heard a pin drop on Ma Kettle’s grimy floorboards.

“We do not know exactly what occurred,” Molucco said. “Out of a crew one hundred and fifty strong, only seventeen men and women survived that night. I’ve talked to those that did and only a few of ’em still have their minds. They have told me that the savagery committed by that lighthouse crew was beyond anything they have ever witnessed in all their time at sea.” Molucco stepped to the front of the stage and extended his hand. “Friends, be very clear. This is a new kind of enemy. A veiled enemy. They do not seek gold. They do not seek advantage upon the ocean. All they seek is blood.”

Molucco’s words chilled Connor. Just as they chilled every pirate — man and woman, young and old — who gathered in Ma Kettle’s pit that night. But they chilled Connor more deeply, as he thought of Grace returning to the Vampirate ship. A return which Connor had
allowed
. Not that he’d have had much chance of stopping his sister, Connor thought, ruefully. Grace was adamant that in the main the Vampirates were peace-loving. He hoped with all his heart that she was right. That it was only a few renegades who fit Molucco’s terrifying description.

“Porfirio’s ship is not far from here,” Molucco continued. “These monsters have taken it for their own and are cruising along the coast. But they shall not have it.” He raised his voice and boomed out at the audience. “They shall not sail away on my brother’s ship.”

“We’ll take ’em!” cried a pirate captain.

“Yes,” Molucco said. “Yes, reaching the ship will not be difficult. But once we board it, then what?” “Molucco!” a voice called from the side of the stage. “Yes, Captain Gresham.” “Molucco, there are, so we understand, only five of these . . . demons.”

“Yes,” Molucco said, “aboard this ship, yes. It seems incredible, but yes, the survivors tell me all this death and devastation was caused by five alone.”

“We cannot be complacent then,” said the other captain.

“No,” Molucco agreed, shaking his head. “Five may seem as nothing to a multitude such as ours, but these are no ordinary five. They do not employ swordplay — nor are they deterred by it.”

“We need a different weapon,” said the captain.

Molucco nodded. “A new kind of weapon for a new kind of enemy. But what?”

The tavern was quiet, then a noise began to rise like a breaking wave as the assembled pirates debated their choice of weapon. Connor watched the crowd. In its center, he saw a tall stranger, dressed in a dark leathery cloak and a mask. In spite of the mask, Connor could see that the stranger was looking directly at him — and at him alone. And, as he did so, inside Connor’s head a voice whispered:

“Fire.”

Connor thought his eyes and ears must be deceiving him — an aftereffect of the coral brandy, perhaps. But the masked stranger continued to stare at him and Connor’s head was filled once more with the curious whisper.

“Tell them, Connor. Fire.”

Instinctively, Connor opened his mouth and shouted, “Fire!”

The crowd drew suddenly silent. A thousand heads turned toward him.

“Not here,” Connor said. “Our weapon. We’ll take fire to them.”

“Yes!” Molucco cried. “That’s it! Simple, effective — brilliant. Yes, Mister Tempest. Our weapon shall be fire.” Suddenly, he was all business again. “Now, can I ask all the captains and deputies here gathered to join me in the booth and we will devise our tactics. . . .”

Connor looked back at the crowd, which was starting to disperse. The masked stranger returned his gaze and nodded.

“Connor, let’s go and grab a seat, buddy,” said Bart.

“Sure,” Connor said, turning to his friend. “Sure, I’ll be with you in a minute. There’s someone I have to talk to.”

“Who?”

“That man over there — the one in the mask.”

“Mask? I don’t see anyone in a mask.”

“Right there in the middle of the bar.”

“I think someone’s had a bit too much brandy . . .”

But Connor had left his side and was striding through the bar toward the masked stranger. He beckoned Connor to the side of the room and up the stairs. Connor followed, heading up toward the gallery of private booths.

The stranger stepped inside the first booth and Connor followed, drawing the velvet curtain behind him. His heart was racing.

“Connor.” The words seeped into Connor’s head like melting ice. The stranger held out a gloved hand. Connor reached for it.

“You’re the captain, aren’t you?” Connor said. “The captain of the Vampirate ship.”

The captain nodded.

“It’s good to meet you at last, Connor Tempest.” Again, Connor’s head was filled with the whisper.

“You too, sir.”

“I thought you might be angry with me.”

“Angry, sir? Why?”

The captain sat down. “Because Grace came back to my ship. Because she cannot stay away.”

“I was angry, well, frustrated, at first,” said Connor, sitting down himself. “I thought that after everything that’s happened, we should stay together. But I know now that she needs to be there. I was selfish — I thought I could get on with being a pirate and just expect her to come along for the ride. But, in the end, I realized that we had to go our separate ways — for now at least.”

The captain nodded. “Then you are wise, Connor Tempest. Wise, as well as strong.”

“She is safe there, isn’t she?” Connor asked. “It is a safe place?”

The captain paused. “Is anywhere truly safe?”

It wasn’t the answer Connor had hoped for.

“Don’t look so worried, Connor. I will do my utmost to protect Grace, and she has other friends on board who feel the same. Besides, Grace is very strong.”

“I know,” Connor said. “She’s the stronger of the two of us. She always has been.”

The captain seemed surprised at the statement. And Connor had surprised himself by admitting the fact.

“I should be getting back now,” the captain said.

“So soon?” Connor replied. Suddenly, he had a hundred questions for the captain.

“You can always come and visit us, you know. You are very welcome.”

“But how do I find you? Even Grace had difficulty finding her way back to the ship.”

The captain shook his head. “Not really,” he said. “It’s not really so hard to find.”

He rose from the seat and began to make his way out of the booth.

“Wait!” Connor said.

The captain turned.

“You told me to tell them to take fire.”

“Yes,” said the captain.

“But the ...the people who murdered Porfirio are . . . they’re Vampirates too, aren’t they?”

Connor was surprised how much emotion the captain could convey through the strange mask. He looked sad and weary.

“They are exiles. I gave them shelter for a time. But no more.”

“So you want them to die as much as the pirates do? Can they die a second death?”

The captain considered the matter.

“I do not wish hurt or death upon any living creature,” he said, “but, in this case, I fear the alternative.” He paused. “There is one more thing, Connor. Something important.”

“Yes? What is it?”

“Among the exiles, you may see someone you think you know. But do not be fooled. He is not as he appears — only an
echo
. You must be very strong, Connor. You must lead the way. Do not let him prevent you and your com-rades from doing what you
must
do.”

What did he mean? Connor frowned. Why did the captain talk in riddles?

As if he had read Connor’s thoughts, the captain smiled. “Because you will know, Connor. When the time comes, you will understand and you will act. You don’t need as much help as you think you do. Your destiny is not to follow, but to lead.” He reached out his hand once more. “Until we meet again, Connor Tempest.”

Connor shook the captain’s gloved hand. As he did so, he felt a wave of strength and determination pour into him. It was the strangest sensation — as if it was coming directly through the captain’s veins into his own. And there was one more mystery. As Connor held tight onto the captain’s hand, he had the strangest feeling. There was no logical explanation — but he was certain that it was a hand he had held before.