Demons of the Ocean (4 page)

"Calm yourself, boy. Be grateful for your own life. Honor your sister, as she would wish."Cheng Li's voice was soft but firm. It calmed him somehow, though the words were not what he wanted to hear. But what did he want to hear? That she would take the dinghy and scour the icy waters for Grace? He knew, deep down, that it would be a fruitless task. There was just no way she could have survived. He had always been the stronger one, physically. Years of playing sports had given him the vital endurance he'd required to tread water until his rescue. Grace was smarter than him. Grace had been smarter than him, he corrected himself. There was no present tense for Grace anymore. She had been smarter than him, but she had not been physically strong. And now that had cost her her life."Drowning," Cheng Li said. "Drowning is not such a bad way to die."

"How do you know?"

"It's common knowledge among pirates. We live our lives on the water. Once, I myself came close to the brink of death. It was much like going to sleep--a gradual release. Drowning is a gentle way to die. Your sister would not have endured much pain."Again the words were brutal but he drew some comfort from them. They seemed true to him. He remembered the sensation of falling, his possessions cascading down over him. It hadn't been an altogether unpleasant sensation. He had felt a sense of calm. Perhaps that had been his own death beckoning to him, but somehow he had escaped its clutches."There was a ship," he said, suddenly feeling compelled to share with Mistress Li what he had seen. "Another ship, before you rescued me. It sailed out of the mist. An old galleon. Ancient..."His own words unlocked other memories deep inside, but he could not yet make sense of them."The ship turned around. It changed direction, in the middle of the ocean. As if it had stopped for some reason. I thought it was going to rescue me. I cried out to it. But nobody heard me. Nobody saw me."Then a fresh thought occurred to him, exploding in his brain like a firework."Maybe it had already made a rescue! Maybe it had rescued Grace! What do you think?"He turned to Cheng Li. Her dark eyes watched him closely."The mist began to rise. I caught sight of the ship's figurehead--a beautiful woman. It was almost as if she was watching. And then, the ship set sail. It had amazing sails. More like wings..."At last, something clicked inside his troubled mind. "Tattered sails that flap like wings in flight."

He wanted to cry out and punch the air. Once more, he caught Cheng Li's eyes. Once more, they were impossible to read."Don't you see?" he said, laughing with joy. "The ship did rescue Grace. She didn't drown. She's been rescued by an ancient ship that sails through all eternity. She's been rescued by the Vampirate ship."He had tired himself and now his heavy eyelids fell shut. Yet, in the darkness of his mind, he could see everything perfectly clearly. There was that ship once more, sailing away in the golden light. Its figurehead was smiling sweetly and the tattered sails beat softly into the gathering night. And standing at the helm, all alone but unafraid, was Grace.

CHAPTER 7

LORCAN FUREY

When Grace awoke, the first thing she saw was sky. Dazzling blue above her. Then something strange happened. The piercing blue contracted, then began to stretch and separate out into two blue circles. As her senses began to settle, she realized that she had not been looking at the sky at all, but into a pair of deep blue eyes.Connor's eyes were green, like hers. These eyes were unfamiliar. They stared at her intently.As they pulled back further, she saw that they belonged to a boy. He looked older than her and Connor--maybe seventeen or eighteen. He had long black hair with eyebrows to match. Looking down at her, he frowned."You're going to get me into trouble," he said.The words made as little sense to her as everything else, but she recognized a strong Irish brogue in his voice. He leaned forward and brushed her hair back out of her eyes. He was wearing a Claddagh ring on his finger. She had always wanted one of those rings, with the design of the heart clasped between two hands with a crown above. But this one was just slightly different. The hands clasped not a heart, but a skull."Who are you?" she asked, shivering. "Where am I?"The boy frowned again and shook his head. Wasn't he able to understand her? But he had spoken English to her, hadn't he?"Who are you?" she asked again. This time she heard how she sounded. "Hooooraaaruuu." Her breath was weak, her mouth and tongue parched."Here. Drink."He took a leather flask from his pocket and dripped water gently over her lips. It felt good, though icy cold. She parted her lips and tried her best to catch the water. It took a moment for her mouth to start functioning properly again. She was so focused on drinking that she scarcely noticed as the boy cupped her head and slipped his bundled-up jacket under her as an impromptu pillow. But when she finished the mouthful of water and let her head fall back, she felt more comfortable than before.The softness beneath her head and neck contrasted with the hard surface that met the rest of her body. She was lying on a rough wooden floor. Twisting her head slightly, she could see a patch of red-painted floorboard on either side of her. But beyond that, in every direction, her vision was limited by a thick mist.Her head twisted back to the boy, whose face appeared to be floating in the mist."Who are you?" she asked once more.This time, she could tell he understood."The name's Lorcan," he said. "Lorcan Furey."

"Lorcan," she repeated. It wasn't a name she had ever heard before."Here, drink some more."He offered the flask to her lips

 again and she took another gulp."Where am I?"The boy smiled. "Isn't that obvious, missy? You're at sea."Although she couldn't see beyond him, as he spoke the words, she felt the ship lurch in the waves and heard the crash of the ocean below."How did I get here?"

"Don't you remember?" he said. "There's been a storm."As he said the word storm, her whole body reacted. Suddenly, she was back there in the heart of it, the mast cracking above her, the saltwater drenching her already-soaked body once again."Found you floating in the water, like a fish," Lorcan said.

"Yes." Now she realized that he was wet through, too, his hair and shirt slicked tight to his skin. His face was pale, almost as pale as the mist."Didn't get to you a moment too soon," Lorcan said. "You were on your way down to meet the mermaids."

"What about Connor? When can I see him?"Lorcan looked at her sadly. In that terrible moment, she understood."You only rescued me."He nodded."Let's go back for him. It's not too late. You remember where you found me? He must be near. You must have seen the boat."He shook his head. "There was no boat. Just you, flapping about in the waves like a salmon in the Shannon."Yes. She remembered the feeling of the water. So cold. So numbing. And then the memory ran out, like a dream that ends too soon. She desperately tried to summon up more, to go back. Her head ached from the effort."A boat can't disappear," she said. "It just can't."

"In a storm like this, even a ship the size of ours can disappear," Lorcan said. "The ocean can be a wicked brut when he wants."

"But my brother, Connor! We're twins. We're everything to one another. I can't go on without him."Her heart began to pound. She felt the rhythm build like a bomb getting ready to explode inside her.

"Twins, you say?"Lorcan's eyes were intense."Midshipman Furey."Grace heard the other voice, but could not make out through the mist who was speaking. The voice was only a whisper, yet it resounded clearly in her head.Lorcan turned away from Grace."Yes, Captain."There was a pause and Grace heard two heavy footsteps echo across the ship's boards."Midshipman Furey, you must go inside. The mist cannot last much longer."There were a further two steps.Lorcan seemed to be in a trance. Maybe the ice-cold water was numbing his bones now, too. Perhaps the effort of rescuing her was catching up with him. Like her, his ability to see and speak was clearly lost."Is this the girl?"The other voice. Although it was only a whisper, it was undeniably firm and in charge. It seemed to flow into every corner of her brain."Yes, Captain," Lorcan said at last. "She was near drowned. Says she has a twin brother."

"A twin."

"Yes," Grace said. "My twin brother, Connor, is out there, somewhere. Please help me to find him."

"Twins." Again, the whisper slowly took root in her head.

Grace wished she could make out the captain, but the mist was still too thick to see beyond Lorcan."Take her inside. The cabin next to mine. Do it quickly. We don't want the others to know about this. Not yet."

"What about Connor?" Grace pleaded."Take her to the cabin next to mine." The whisper was as firm as before. As if he hadn't heard her plea. Or was ignoring it."And then what?" Lorcan asked."Then come to my cabin. There is not much time. It will be dark soon and the Feast will begin."The Feast? What was he talking about? Were they going to search for Connor? It wasn't at all clear."The mist is thinning, Midshipman Furey. We must go inside. There's no time to lose."As his whisper faded, Grace heard the heavy footsteps echo into the distance. She looked up into Lorcan's blue eyes."Please," she said, "please look for my brother. If he's down there. The water's so cold."Lorcan smiled weakly at her."Let's get you into the warmth."

"But you will look for him?"

"Let's worry about you for now."He reached down and lifted her into his arms. As he carried her away through the mist, she felt as if she was flying through the clouds. Or else drowning. She wanted to tear herself away and dive back into the water to search for Connor. But her body was filled with a tiredness such as she had never felt before. And though he was little more than a boy, Lorcan Furey's grip was strong.

CHAPTER 8

MOLUCCO WRATHE

Connor stared out into the darkening sky, trying desperately to see the other ship again. The Vampirate ship. The ship that carried Grace."It isn't coming back," Cheng Li said."How do you know?"

"Because, there is no Vampirate ship."

"But--"

"Stop." She raised her hand. "And please don't sing me that shanty again. That's all it is--an old shanty. A song your father sang, for reasons I cannot fathom, to send you and your sister to sleep. The idea that such a ship could exist is nothing but preposterous. I'm afraid your sister is gone. It's a terrible blow, I know. But that's the truth. You must face facts, boy."

But there had been a ship. He could see it again--inside his head, crystal clear. Turning in the ocean. Again, he saw the eyes of the beautiful figurehead and the glimmering sails that seemed to rise and fall like wings as the ship sailed away.Connor glanced back over his shoulder and watched Cheng Li dispensing orders to some of the pirates. With her back turned toward him, he could see that as well as the cutlass on her hip, she had two more weapons slung over her back. Though sheathed in twin leather scabbards, he had no doubt that the blades inside were as sharp and lethal as her tongue."Make way for the captain." It began as a murmur, but the noise soon began to build.Cheng Li was adamant that Connor had imagined the ship. He'd only just met her but he could see that once her mind was made up, that was the end of the matter. But maybe there were others on the ship who would believe his story--the captain, for instance."Make way for the captain. Make way."Cheng Li broke off her conversation and strode back to Connor. She looked rather irritated. Connor felt his own heart beating. In fear? In anticipation? For what kind of man must it take to command a mob of pirates?Suddenly, Connor saw Bartholomew and Cate striding toward him. Following in their wake, staggering slightly, was a man of indeterminate age with long tousled hair and small, circular blue glasses. He wore a long sky blue velvet coat over two silver holsters containing daggers, and his tall leather boots, as pointed as knives, jangled with silver spurs. The captain was laughing and engaged in quick-fire repartee with various pirates. He was firing insults over his shoulder, but with a broad smile that caused his skin to crinkle on either side of his glasses. Leaving waves of laughter behind him, the captain finally swaggered toward him. Connor could see that this man was loved and respected by his crew."Here he is, Captain," said Bartholomew, before stepping to one side with Cate."Well, well, well," said the captain, lifting his glasses. "What have we here? Been fishing, Mistress Li?"The captain walked around Connor, without saying anything. Connor marveled at the many colors in his hair. At first, he had thought it was simply different shades of brown, but no, there was gray in there--or rather silver, and then, as the light caught a fresh angle, green, too--like strands of seaweed. Among the distorted rainbow were two--no, three--dreadlocks, bound with seashells. It was an unusual look, but he carried it off with manly ease. For all his finery, and somewhat erratic way of moving, you could tell that the captain had physical strength, not to mention the charisma of a natural leader.The captain stopped in front of Connor, surveying his wet clothes. A bejeweled hand rubbed his stubbly jaw.

"Hmm, you're fresh from the ocean, by my reckoning, but not a saltwater fish."He lifted his glasses, and for the first time his gaze bore directly into Connor's face. The captain's eyes were large and flecked with as many shades as his hair. His stare was mesmerizing."What's your name, kid?"

"Connor, Connor Tempest."

"Tempest, eh?" He chuckled. "That's very good! Connor Tempest, brought to us in a storm."He reached out a hand. His fingers were laden with so many glistening sapphires it was a wonder he could lift them. "Molucco Wrathe, captain of this rabble. Welcome to my command, Connor Tempest."Connor shook his hand. The captain grasped him in a firm handshake."Thank you, um... Mr. Wrathe."

"That's Captain Wrathe," he said, but with a smile. "Now, tell me, Connor Tempest, how you come to be here."Connor glanced at Cheng Li. Her face was set in an expression somewhere between boredom and impatience. Her arms were folded tightly and the twin holsters on her back were raised like dark wings, poised for flight."Oh, I know Mistress Li brought you aboard. But before that. What were you doing so far out in these treacherous waters?"