Dead Girls Don't Cry (10 page)

“Of misfits and rogues! How could Jonathan do this to me? My life was great, Jay!”

“I know,” Jay soothed, “I miss our quiet life too.”

“What am I going to do? The family will come out of stasis, find Jonathan dead and blame me. I’m a wanted assassin, remember?” I still had no idea how to clear my name. I’d probably be torn apart by my own family first.

“We need to address the immediate situation. Create a colony, then we deal with the queen’s murder.”

“How will that work? We’re a million miles away.”

“Actually we’re—”

“Cork it, Lieutenant Data!” See, I was a Trek fan. “Do you know what the name of the colony is, Jay?” I bit out the words. The name so ridiculous, I couldn’t speak it.

“Roanoke?” Jay answered, puzzled by my rancor. I sometimes forgot Jay was Indian first. While he liked to learn, American history was not his top study of choice.

“Do you know what happened to the first English colony in the new world?” When he didn’t answer, I did. “They disappeared. Every single person. Never to be seen again. Now what does that tell you?”

“Someone has an ironic sense of humor?”

“No! They expect us to fail!”

Jay said, “All the more reason to succeed.”

CHAPTER EIGHT

Jay tried to convince me no one had actually died from boredom. Three days later, I was certain I would be the first one. No need to point out I’m already dead. My body may be in arrested development, but my mind isn’t.

I prowled the empty ship corridors in desperate need of diversion. Prior had already dumped a pile of mission files on the tiny desk in my room.

After a half-hearted attempt to read and absorb the information, I gave up. It was too technical (read – boring) for me. So, Jay took it and promised to write me up a lay person’s version. He was kind enough not to call it a dummy or idiot’s guide.

Reading and summarizing reports would take Jay’s mind off several vexing issues: his unfinished PHD dissertation and the space ship’s inner workings.

Even I could tell we traveled in a vessel more advanced than anything on Earth. According to Jay, once the rocket’s engines boosted out of Earth’s orbit, we docked with another ship hidden by the moon. Its propulsion system and other operations were utterly alien in nature. Prior refused to answer questions about the origins or workings of the craft, sending Jay on a fact finding mission. So far Jay – 0, the ship – 10.

“I don’t understand it, Cherry. I have opened every door, explored every access tunnel and I still can’t figure out how the ship works.”

“Have you asked Captain Twit?” Trent and I still weren’t on speaking terms. He wasn’t the forgiving type, apparently. How many times could I apologize for accidentally spilling juice on his jumpsuit? They were both red. The spill matched. Get over it already.

“He doesn’t have a clue. They’re paying him quadruple what he made at NASA, so he couldn’t care less how the ship actually works.” Jay pushed his black hair off his forehead with an agitated flick. He never let his hair get so unruly in the past.

Sourness burned my stomach. If not for recent events, Jay would be on Earth preparing to defend his doctorate. And Jonathan would still be alive. Unable to come up with a better alternative, I suggested Jay analyze Prior’s reports. Maybe some of the answers Jay sought were there.

That was hours earlier. And I was hopelessly lost in the ship again. The hallway was sleek and featureless, not a single door. I was fairly certain I hadn’t been this way before.

I stopped and looked behind me. There was distinct difference between the corridor I stood in and the one I had left. The bracelet on my left wrist warmed. Pulling back my jumpsuit sleeve, runes glowed softly around the band. They bathed my skin in soft, yellow light. The runes were cold to the touch.

Crap, here we go again.

Without warning, my arm jerked forward, tugging my body like a puppet on a string, toward a pop up portal.

“Damn it! I can walk without your help.” Digging in my heels had no effect and the smooth walls offered no handholds. With a forceful yank, I stumbled through the opening and into the coffin bay.

The doorway had already disappeared. If I wanted to leave, I’d have to find another exit. I passed row, upon row of my sleeping family members. I turned a corner and stopped. One of the boxes was missing.

Even worse, it had been lowered to the floor and opened. A large, semi-naked man lay atop the sleeping vampire inside. A red jump suit and crumpled pants were heaped on the floor nearby. His naked ass moved back and forth in a steady rhythm. Sharp, short breaths were followed by groans of pleasure.

I tackled the man from behind. I wanted to see his face before I ripped his head off.

“Pig!” I tore him off Pearl’s violated body, slamming him to the floor. Captain Trent Connors, the pathetic mess, stared at me speechless. His semi-erect penis shrank before my eyes while his lips flapped in shock.

I roared, “How dare you touch a member of my family?” Rage took hold of me. Through a red haze, Trent’s body flew into the air and smacked against the container’s side. A sickening crunch woke me from my fury.

The bouquet of fresh blood, mingled with fear made my fangs extend. A single thought pounded into my brain—
kill
. As if in a fever dream, I latched onto Trent’s throat and drank from the warm, red fountain of his life.

A beast had woken inside me. One I hadn’t felt since I was a fledgling vampire. Yet, doubt nagged at me. The ship. . .

Gargled sounds came from the body beneath me. Trent fisted my hair and tugged. “Ship…who will …”

Fly it! Damn it. I broke away, disgusted with him and me. His skin was paper white and his heart beat barely a flutter. Death was moments away. I had drunk too much. Horror, then panic rode over me in quick succession.

What would Jonathan do? If the ship crashed or never arrived, the family would die. Shit. I’d have to turn him.

“You asshole,” I said, biting into my right wrist, tearing into my veins. “Drink from me, now.”

I had no freakin’ clue if I could turn him. I’d never made another vampire before. Trent turned his head away from my wrist. “Oh no you don’t.” I straddled his chest, gripping his head with my hands. Once I had him positioned, I jammed by bloody wrist into his mouth. His resistance lasted until he gagged one swallow of my blood down.

He latched on for all he was worth. Pain seared my arm as he sucked harder and harder. The room started to spin. Trent’s blunt teeth dug deeper, hitting bone. I couldn’t dislodge him. My mind screamed for help. A red fog covered my vision. . .

“Cherry!” Jay’s hands gripped my shoulders. When Trent wouldn’t let go, Jay kicked him in the head.

Black spots danced before my eyes. Agony burned as teeth tore ligaments and flesh. Trent knocked me aside, targeting Jay. With vicious force he tore Jay’s throat. Blood sprayed my face, soaking my hair.

“No!” I wrapped my arms around Trent’s throat and squeezed. Even a crushed windpipe wasn’t enough to stop Trent's bloodlust.

I steeled my will and filled my voice with compulsion. “Trent. Get off him.”

Trent’s head whipped around, his gaze fixing on me. Sharp wheezing sounds escaped from his broken throat. His body still in the throes of transformation. Awareness bloomed on Trent’s face as he raised his blood stained hands in front of his face. His eyes widened in surprise. A strangled scream rose from his chest before he ran.

“Cherry,” Jay moaned.

A large pool of blood ringed Jay’s head, the crimson stain warming my knees as I knelt by his side. Tears filled my eyes. I was too weak to save him. “I can’t lose you too.”

If I had to give Jay every ounce of my blood I would. I clawed at my healing wrist, re-opened the wound and drizzled my blood into his mouth. Barely a trickle flowed out. Collapsing on the floor, arm extended over his lips, I begged, “Drink. God damn it, Jay.”

“Goodbye . . .” his voice, barely a whisper.

“No!” I sobbed. Once Trent had piloted us safely to Mars, I’d kill him. Again.

“No need for tears, luv,” Ian said.

Thank you God.

“Save him.” I rolled away giving Ian access to Jay. “Hurry…” My eyelids slid shut, leaden and heavy. I don’t know how much time passed. Maybe seconds. Maybe minutes. An eternity seemed to pass before Ian leaned back, shifting so I could see Jay.

The change took him hard and fast. Jay thrashed on the floor, legs twitching, arms flailing. An agonized cry tore from his throat.

“He’ll survive,” Ian assured me. “My blood’s strong. He’ll recover quickly.” Ian placed my hand on Jay’s heaving chest. “Comfort him as best you can. I have to find the good Captain before he hurts anyone else.”

“Okay,” I croaked out through dry lips. When my strength returned, I dragged Jay back to his room, trying not to think about what had happened. His humanity lost, forever. I hope he didn’t hate me.

What was done was done. I left Jay to rest and searched for Ian. Instead I found Prior running down the hallway.

“I’m vexed, Ms. Cordial.” Not stopping, he took me by the elbow, forcing me to keep pace with him.

“Captain Trent has gone crazy. Who would be fool enough to make him a vampire?”

Anger stiffened my spine. “He’s lucky to still be alive after what I caught him doing.”

Prior stopped in front of sealed door, entered the security code and hustled us into an ante chamber. “We are near the Veil. He needs to pilot the ship.” A slight note of hysteria lifted his voice.

“Isn’t there a co-pilot?”

Prior punched numbers with shaking fingers into another keypad, “Normally, yes. But we have a problem.”

The door hissed open. Jay would have knocked over his grandmother to enter this place. The ship’s bridge. I caught a glimpse of space on one of the many monitors. Examining the screens would have to wait.

Ian knelt on the floor. A pair of legs stretched out beyond him.

“Oh no,” I rushed forward. The co-pilot's throat was a bloody, shredded mess.

“Yes. Captain Trent’s handiwork.” Prior’s lips pulled into a tight frown. “We don’t have time for this.”

Ian barked over his shoulder, blood smearing his chin and neck, “I’m moving as fast as I can.”

How many new vampire turns could Ian handle before they drained him dry? “Ian needs blood.”

“He can take mine, but he’ll need more,” Prior gave me the once over. His disgusted expression confirmed I looked as bad as I felt. “We may need to wake up some of the older members of your family.”

And put Pearl back where she was. I didn’t how I’d break the news to her about Trent’s actions. That could wait. “Fine.”

“Can you find your way back to the cargo hold?” Prior settled into a seat, fingers dancing over a lighted panel, presumably doing “techie” things with the ship. “Hurry.”

“Yes, sir,” I snapped. Prior was a pompous ass, even if he was right.

With vampire super speed, I bolted toward what I thought was the correct direction and appeared in another shiny, featureless hallway. “Come on, ship. We don’t have time for this.”

For some time I had suspected the ship was sentient. Its silence mocked me. “Stupid ship,” I grumbled stomping back the way I came.

I didn’t make it.

My left arm lurched in the other direction, jerking me toward a new opening in the wall and depositing me in a dimly lit chamber. Okay, this place, I recognized. I had hoped not to have to visit it again.

I rubbed my sore arm and shoulder. “My legs work perfectly fine, you know.” I was really sick of the bracelet and the ship. Inanimate objects with a will of their own, was flat-out wrong. They were probably working together.

Runes glowed, suspended in mid-air. One of the symbols, changed color, expanded in size and sailed right between my eyes, smacking me in the forehead. Needle sharp pain seared my skull, then vanished. I rubbed the spot, but the fun wasn’t over yet. Tendrils of power shot into my mind, invading my thoughts. The assault knocked me to my knees. A circle of light sprung up around my body, fixing me into place.

Greeting, member of Clan Brunii. It has been a long time since I have encountered a member of your kind.

What the fuck? I clutched my head. “Who are you?”

I am your vessel.

I knew it. The damn ship was alive.

No. Not alive in the organic sense. But sentient.

“Whatever. You say po-tay-to, I say po-tah-to.”

I do not understand this reference. Why do you not use your mind to communicate with me?

More probing, almost like a spoon had been stuck in my brain and swirled. “Ow! Will you stop?”

Your mind is the same, yet altered.

“You’re not making any sense.

You wear the cuff of Enkile. Why do you not guide me where you wish to go?

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. I can’t fly the ship. I’m not a pilot.”

The presence in my mind receded. But not far. It was still there humming in the background. I stood up and peered around the room. A large, flat panel appeared before me. The runes changed position, forming a border around the screen. In response, the cuff bracelet flashed green symbols.

There is no time. The Veil is upon us. The control room is silent. For your convenience I have made the system available to you.

Great. “What part of,
I have no idea what’re you’re talking about
, do you not understand?”

The Veil is upon us. State your destination.

A view of open space appeared on the giant screen. Tiny pinpoints of light glittered. So you could see stars. In the center, the black smudge grew, blocking out the stars’ light.

Muffled alarms rang out in the hallway.

Where. Do. You. Want. To. Go?
said the voice, mimicking the same aggravated tone I had used previously.

It sassed me! Talking to me like a teenager full of disdain. If it had eyeballs, it would probably be rolling them.

Did I ask with the proper amount of attitude? I’m learning from you through this encounter.

Shit. Better mind my manners. “Mars please.”

As you wish. A course has been set for the Veil. What is shit?

“Forget I said that. Am I the only one you can communicate with?”