Vampirates 5: Empire of Night (42 page)

Johnny nodded. His eyes looked a little brighter. "I hear what you're saying. I wish it could be different, but I understand that for now, it can't." He held out his arm to her and tapped the words tattooed there. "Like it says right here, Grace-- the ride is far from over. For all of us."

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He winked at her, then gave her a salute as he ran off across the deck. Grace watched him enter the fray. She fervently hoped he would emerge unscathed.

There was still a lot of swordfighting going on, but many of the rebel Vampirates had already been forced back onto the three drawbridges and were retreating onto
The Diablo
. Grace glimpsed one fight continuing on the deck of the other ship. Stukeley and Jacoby Blunt. Intrigued, Grace watched the well-matched duel for a moment. As yet more of the rebels ran for cover, her view of the fight was blocked. Turning her eyes back to
The Tiger
, she saw Jasmine Peacock tending to a wounded comrade--a girl not unlike a younger version of Jasmine herself. Grace searched for Johnny on deck. Her eyes located him. He had jumped onto the ship's railing and was signaling the official retreat. Grace let out a deep exhalation of relief. It was over.

She felt a hand on her shoulder. Turning, she found Lorcan. He opened his arms and drew her into a tight hug. After all this time apart, being in his arms again felt like coming home.

"Thank you for saving my life," he said.

"Anytime," she replied, her voice raw with emotion.

As the last of the surrendering rebels leapt back across from
The Tiger
to
The Diablo
, Johnny approached

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Obsidian Darke and Cheng Li. He was now the lone rebel left on the deck. The gap between the two vessels was widening, minute by minute, and he didn't have much time. But now that Obsidian had switched sides--and with Stukeley already somewhere on
The Diablo
--Johnny had assumed command of the rebel forces, and he had no intention of racing away, tail between his legs.

He planted his feet squarely in front of his opponents. "So, Lieutenant Darke, you were playing us all along?"

Obsidian's shadowy eyes connected with Johnny's. "This was never a game," he said. "Lives have been lost here tonight--on both sides. These are matters to take very seriously."

Johnny nodded toward the bloodstained slash across the front of Darke's shirt. "It's a shame your opponent didn't aim a little higher. It might have been your side sounding the retreat."

Cheng Li addressed Johnny now. "Tonight marked the beginning of a new alliance between the Pirate Federation and the Nocturnals," she said. "We have a message for your captains." She exchanged a glance with Obsidian, then proceeded. "Tell Sidorio and Lola Lockwood that the war they so badly wanted has now begun."

Obsidian nodded. "My only regret is that Sidorio and Lola weren't here tonight. Then this might have been the end rather than the beginning." His eyes swept across the deck. "You've seen how roundly we defeated the rebel forces tonight," he said. "Report that back to them. Tell

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them that with our unbreakable alliance, the rebel Vampirates will never win."

Nodding grimly, Johnny turned and began his own journey back across the drawbridges. He wasn't looking forward to reporting this--any of this--to the captains. Well, at least, he wouldn't be alone. As usual, Stukeley would be right there at his side.

"Let me look at you, again," Lorcan said, his hands resting on Grace's shoulders. He smiled and shook his head. "You're more beautiful than when I last saw you. And you'll be even more so when you wipe that horrid heart off your face."

Grace frowned, but he didn't seem to notice. "You were so strong against Johnny," he said. "You sounded so convincing. Why, I almost believed you myself."

Grace bit her lip as she looked into his blue eyes. "Lorcan, I wasn't lying to Johnny. Everything I told him was the truth." She felt his body grow tense, but she had to be honest with him. "I do like Johnny," she said. "And I do like blood. I know you'd prefer that neither of those things were true, but I can't lie to you just to spare your feelings." He was frowning as she continued. "So much has happened to me recently. I've gone through so many changes. If we're going to make things work, you and I, we have to be completely honest with each other."

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Lorcan's frown began to dissolve. "It's a relief to hear you talking about making things work. For a moment there, I thought--I feared--we were over."

Grace shook her head. "Lorcan, I said that I liked Johnny. I didn't say I was in love with him."

His eyes grew bright again. "So, are you saying you're in love with me?"

Grace was distracted by movement in the center of the deck. The victors were starting to line up along the edge of
The Tiger
, watching
The Diablo
as it began to make its retreat.

"This isn't the time or the place to discuss our feelings," Grace said. "Come on, we should join the others."

She turned and strode across the deck, full of energy and purpose. Lorcan watched her go, feeling as if he'd been pushed away. She had said there was no time to talk, but all he'd needed to hear was one word--yes.

At last the allies could rest. Pirates and Nocturnals came from all corners of the deck to stand together as
The Diablo
pulled away into the night. Its lights had been switched on now and, seeing the line of victors, the rebel forces began to form their own equivalent line along the edge of the deck.

The allies were solemn as they observed their defeated foes. They knew that in the coming war not every battle

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would be theirs. Already, tonight, many of their own had paid the ultimate price for this victory. Many, on both sides, had sustained wounds.

Obsidian Darke stood side by side with Cheng Li. Captain Li looked out toward
The Diablo
, feeling justified pride at the story of this night. She would be the toast of the Federation after this, but actually, that mattered far less than the thought that she and her team, working alongside the Nocturnals, had together achieved something important as well as historic. This victory wasn't about writing her name in the history books--though that wouldn't be the worst thing that could happen--but about beginning to achieve a lasting peace on the oceans; ensuring that the pirates of the future might sail on far less troubled waters.

At Cheng Li's right hand was Cate Morgan, preeminent weapons supremo and attack specialist. Tonight's battle had been her proudest hour in military terms and would consolidate her outstanding reputation in the pirate world. She had raised her game--her art--to a whole new level working with Lorcan Furey and devising combat techniques to repel the superhuman enemy. In spite of this, Cate couldn't help feeling a sense of emptiness. As she too looked out across the ocean, she could think only of Bart. He ought to be standing alongside her right now. She tried to kindle the hope that he was on his way home but, in her heart, she knew that he was never coming back.

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Next to Cate stood Jasmine Peacock, and then Bo Yin. Both young women had sustained wounds in the battle. Each bore her scars proudly, knowing that she had distinguished herself as a talented and mature fighter. Jasmine and Bo were only at the beginning of their pirate careers. Who knew what glorious things they could achieve in the battles to come?

The rest of the pirate crew lined up next to Bo Yin while, on the other side of Obsidian, stretched out the line of Nocturnals. Next to Obsidian stood his lieutenant, Lorcan Furey. Lorcan's eyes were turned to the other ship and to Johnny in particular. The rebel Vampirate was a threat in more ways than one, and he wasn't going to let him get away with it.

Lorcan's thoughts turned to Mosh Zu. The Vampirate guru hadn't participated in the battle, but he had played a vital role in preparing the Nocturnals. Lorcan had grown frustrated with him at times, to the point of doubting his reassurances that the Captain would return. Now, he bowed his head and acknowledged that he hadn't been able to see the full picture. He thought of another important comrade who was also missing: Darcy Flotsam. She had played her own key part against the rebels. She may not have wielded a sword, but her contribution was nonetheless valid.

Grace Tempest walked behind the line of allies and stepped into the place that Lorcan and Obsidian had kept for her. As she stood there at the edge of the deck, the

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ocean breeze blowing in her hair, she felt a sense of connection--of power and solidarity--with the others in the line. They had each in their own way played their part in a seemingly impossible mission. She glanced back at the others, marveling at this strange but powerful new alliance between the pirate and Vampirate world. United, there was no threat they couldn't address.

Looking across at the departing ship, she thought how deceptive appearances could be. In truth, she might easily have been standing on
The Diablo
now. There were strong ties to bind her to Johnny and the others. Sidorio was still her father. Even more importantly, Connor was still on
The Blood Captain
. Grace wondered how his initiation into blood had gone. She thought of their conversation earlier that night. It had been painful to hear his disgust at becoming a dhampir. Whatever happened in the future, she had to work to help him adjust and become comfortable in his own skin.

But Connor could take care of himself and, for now, her place was here with the Nocturnals. She could see that Johnny was still watching her, as his ship receded into the night. With some difficulty, she pulled away and turned her face toward Obsidian Darke.

Was he
really
the Vampirate captain? It was such a big adjustment to make. When he had been disguised beneath a mask and cloak, he had instilled deep fear in others but never in her. Now that he bore a human face, she found him far more disconcerting.

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Hearing footsteps behind her, Grace turned and glanced over her shoulder. She saw Mosh Zu and Darcy walking together across the deck. They must have crossed over from
The Nocturne
. Grace was pleased to see them again, but nervous. She and Darcy had last parted company in an angry fashion, and it had all been Grace's fault. Would Darcy forgive her? As the two comrades reached the line, Mosh Zu set off to take his place at the end. Before Darcy could follow him, Grace reached out a hand and grabbed her, pulling Darcy into the space beside her. Darcy looked surprised but pleased. She smiled sweetly at Grace, and it seemed clear that she too was anxious to put any unpleasantness behind them. They stood side by side. The lineup was complete.

Suddenly the silence was broken. "Jacoby!" Jasmine cried. "Jacoby!"

All eyes turned to Jasmine and then followed the direction of her pointing finger. She was gesturing at
The Diablo
. The ship was almost completely shrouded in darkness now, but two new figures had stepped forward to enter the lineup. Johnny was no longer alone at the center of the ship. He had been joined by his fellow deputy, Stukeley. And there, at Stukeley's side, was Jacoby Blunt.

"Jacoby!" Jasmine cried again.

Jacoby stared out across the widening gulf, but he didn't seem to see her. He didn't seem to see any of them. There was a strange, disconnected look in his eyes. Was he the Vampirates' prisoner? No one seemed to be hold

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ing him, and his shirt was soaked with blood. A cold current of fear pulsed through Jasmine's heart. Had the unthinkable already happened?

Her question remained unanswered as the gap between
The Tiger
and
The Diablo
widened and the Vampirate vessel was, at last, swallowed up by the night.

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45 HEARTBEATS

"Connor," Kally said. "Are you sure you want to do this? It's not too late for Sidorio to sire him. You could still bring Bart back."

Connor remembered the night six weeks earlier when he, Bart, and the rest of Cheng Li's crew had gathered at the Full Moon Saloon. Connor saw, as clear as day, Bart smashing his fist against the palm of his other hand. "A short life but a merry one. That's what I signed up for. When I die, bury me deep as hell where no vampire can dig me up and have me join his crew."

The fire in Bart's eyes as he had said those words was still vivid in Connor's head as he turned back to Kally. "No," he said, shaking his head. "As tempting as it is, for my sake, I just couldn't do that to him." He had made a

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promise to his friend, and he would honor it. He looked back across the water to Bart's corpse, laid out on the sand. "He deserves a proper death and the peace that follows. That's the one thing left I can do for him."

"You're sure?" Kally asked once more.

Connor nodded. He was about to swim back for Bart but hesitated, turning to Kally. "Before we set out," he said, "there's something I wanted to tell you."

She looked up at him, her rainbow-colored eyes full of curiosity.

"Yesterday, I had a dream about you," Connor said. "It was about meeting you in Calle del Marinero and sailing with you guys on
The Lorelei
."

Kally's eyes brightened. "Connor, you remembered! At last!"

Connor nodded. "I dreamed we went swimming from the boat. It was nighttime. You and the other fishtails were already under the water. Bart, Jez, and I followed after you. The water was dark at first, but then it was filled with colored lights, like lasers." Connor smiled at the memory. "The lights were coming from you and the other fishtails. You were
so
beautiful, Kal--like an underwater angel."

As Connor stopped speaking, he saw that there were fresh tears in her eyes. "You really did remember," she said at last.

"Yes," he said, swimming closer to her. "And I

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