Vampirates 5: Empire of Night (38 page)

Grace smiled. "Yes," she said. "You're right."

"It was nice having this chance to talk, just the two of us," Connor said. "It's crazy really--we've been on each other's doorsteps for the first time in ages, and yet we've barely spoken two words to each other each night."

"Yes," Grace said. "But we both had a lot going on. It was good just to know you were close."

Connor smiled at her. "Thanks, Grace. That means a lot."

She squeezed his hand once more. "I'm always here for you," she said. "You may be shutting other people out from your life, but please don't shut me out." She smiled.

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"I think what I'm starting to realize is that we're far more in control of our own destiny than we've given ourselves credit for."

Just then, the door opened, and Lola swept inside, Sidorio close upon her heels.

"Hello, darlings," Lola said, striding toward the table. She frowned. "What's up with you two? You've barely touched a thing."

"I'm not hungry," Connor said unapologetically.

"We were too busy talking," Grace added. "It was nice to have some family time."

"Talking of family," Lola said, turning to Sidorio, "I have a surprise for you, my love."

Three pairs of eyes turned expectantly to Lola. Smiling, she strode past the twins to the end of the table, approaching the easel draped in red velvet. "Signor Caravaggio delivered our family portrait earlier this evening. I forced myself not to peek until we were all together. Come closer, everyone, and I'll unveil it!"

The twins stood up from the table and walked over to join Lola. Sidorio followed.

Lola gripped the velvet cover by the corner and pulled. "One... two... three!"

Grace gasped.

Connor frowned.

Sidorio smiled.

Lola lifted up the cloth and clapped her hands. "Oh, isn't it marvelous? Hasn't he done a wonderful job?"

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"Yes," Sidorio said, drawing Lola to his side. "My family."

"
Our
family," she corrected him, beckoning the twins to come and join them.

Connor lingered at the portrait, reluctant to join in any group hug. The picture was absolutely grotesque. They had all been painted with the fire of hunger in their eyes, and both he and Sidorio had blood dripping from the sides of their mouths. Although the painter had achieved a good likeness of each of them, he had also employed a hefty dollop of artistic license. They certainly hadn't needed to sit for so many hours for
this.

"It's very good," Grace said punchily. "Where are you going to hang it?"

Sidorio shrugged but, as ever, Lola was ahead of her husband. "Darling, I thought you should have it on
The Blood Captain
. After all, that's the lead ship in our fleet. And that way, even when Grace and I aren't physically on board, you'll have a lovely reminder of the two most important women in your life."

Sidorio nodded and leaned across to kiss his wife. "Perfect," he said.

Lola lifted the picture and presented it to her husband. "Why don't you take it with you now?" she suggested. She turned to the twins. "Well, seeing as neither of you has touched your food, I declare Tiffin to be over. Besides, the night holds much excitement for you both." She smiled enigmatically.

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"What kind of excitement?" Grace asked.

Lola turned toward Sidorio. "I'll let your father explain," she said.

Sidorio smiled, his gold teeth glinting. "Lola's right. Tonight
is
a very special night for you both," he said. "Grace, you are to report to the deck of
The Diablo
. Obsidian Darke has requested that you join his attack force."

Grace's face went white. "He wants
me
to join the attack on
The Tiger
?"

"Isn't it exciting?" Lola said. "Run along, dear, it's not long till they sail. Oh, and you might want to rethink those shoes."

Before Grace could protest, Sidorio approached Connor. "My son, this will be the night of your initiation. Tonight, you will become a full-fledged dhampir as you and I take blood together." Sidorio smiled proudly at his son. "Go now to your cabin on board
The Blood Captain
. You'll find a note from me there, and the first of three gifts to mark this momentous night."

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40 THE QUICK AND THE UNDEAD

Grace felt adrenaline coursing through her as
The Diablo
sped across the ocean in pursuit of
The Tiger
. She had never been involved in a battle before and had absolutely no idea what to expect. Nor did she have any clue as to why Obsidian Darke should have claimed her for his team--or why Sidorio and Lola had agreed to his request. Was she being sent into the battle arena to prove herself or merely to die? Less than an hour ago, she'd been talking calmly to Connor about their immortality, but she hadn't reckoned on being dispatched to war that very night! True, there had been no Vampirate fatalities in the previous three attacks--at least none that had been reported back--but tonight was fundamentally different. They were attacking a ship of dedicated Vampirate assassins. A cold dread took hold of Grace. She'd had no

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combat training--save a few lessons during her brief sojourn on this very ship--and, if things proceeded as expected, this was going to be a very violent confrontation indeed.

After parting from Connor and the others, Grace had gone back to her cabin. She had found a new pair of boots and an antique sword lying on her bed, along with another of Lola's handwritten notes:

I think both of these may prove useful to you. The sword once belonged to another Grace--an Irish pirate by the name of O'Malley. I "borrowed" it from the Pirate Academy. Mum's the word!

LLL xxx

Now Grace gripped the hilt of the ancient sword in her right hand. Her other hand clasped Johnny's tightly. He'd been shocked to see her arrive on deck and quickly reassured her that he'd watch out for her in the fight. She was grateful to hear it. It was all very well Lola giving her a legendary pirate's sword, but she hadn't the first idea how to use it. It really ought to be Connor standing here in her place--he'd know exactly what to do--but it seemed that Sidorio had other plans for her brother tonight.

Grace glanced toward the prow of the ship, where Obsidian Darke stood alone, his back turned to the rest of the crew. He was barely lit by the moonlight.
The Diablo
was sailing with no lights so as to arrive at
The Tiger
's side

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without warning. Although, Grace reminded herself, Connor had already sent them a warning, so even if the actual moment of attack was a surprise, the fact of it should not be. It was eerie sailing on a ship in utter darkness, making your way through the night. Around her, the ocean had become a void. With her vision limited, Grace's other senses intensified. She could hear the heavy rigging creaking overhead, but, as she glanced upward, her eyes couldn't even pinpoint the top of the mast.

Darke, whom her eyes returned to now, was a similar enigma. In many ways, Grace found him a more chilling presence than Sidorio, who had lately revealed a more human side. In contrast, she had been unable to break through Darke's defenses. Perhaps it was a good thing. Grace could only guess at the layers of dark sediment that had built up over so many years to form Darke's character.

As the galleon rolled from port to starboard and back again, Darke's footing seemed preternaturally solid. Silhouetted by moonlight--arms folded, head fixed on the horizon--he resembled a statue. Not the graceful statues you found in museums but the more brutal kind, raised by dictators--of themselves--in parks and squares, to remind a subjugated people of their lot in life.

Johnny nudged Grace and pointed ahead. There in the middle of the dark ocean was a brightly lit ship:
The Tiger
. Its mainsail was down and its deck lights on. Grace felt a wave of nausea. The ship looked so vulnerable. Could it be that Connor's message hadn't reached Cheng Li?

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Now Obsidian turned to address the rebel troops. "We're nearly there," he cried, his thunderous voice carrying not only across the deck but farther, out across the ocean. "You've already had your instructions. I have only one thing to add." At that point, a shaft of moonlight illuminated Darke's hard face and cold eyes. "Kill or maim any pirate who crosses your path. But leave the captain to me."

As
The Diablo
slammed into the side of
The Tiger
, the two wooden hulls cracked and splintered on impact. Vampirates began leaping the gap between the two ships even before the three drawbridges slammed down into position.

"Stay close!" Johnny cried, gripping Grace's hand and leading her to the middle bridge. "Watch your step," Johnny told her now. "The bridges get slippery, and you need to watch out for sudden movement, too. It's best to move fast."

Grace followed in Johnny's wake, doing just as he instructed. As she jumped down onto the deck of
The Tiger
, Grace felt a fresh wave of adrenaline pumping into her veins. No wonder Connor had grown addicted to such moments. She was filled with fear and yet, in a way, she had never felt so alive.

Although the pirate ship had seemed unprepared for attack, this was clearly a ruse, for now the members of its

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crew came streaming out from every corner, waving swords and roaring battle cries. The fight had begun.

Grace stuck close to Johnny. She had already made a decision. She would be merciful and use her sword only to defend herself. She just hoped she was capable of that. As she witnessed the speed and force of the fighting around her, she backed away to the very edge of the deck.

Her overriding impression was of speed and confusion--and blood, so much blood. She had imagined these battles as like one of Connor's soccer games, but the reality wasn't anything like that. There was no order here. It was hard even to tell who was on each side. By and large, the Vampirates and the pirates were dressed in similar battle attire, and both sides wielded similar-looking swords. Already, several bodies had fallen onto the deck, creating obstacles for those left standing.

Suddenly, Grace saw a familiar face charging past her.

"Cate!" she called out, immediately recognizing Connor's mentor and her own former comrade. Cate either didn't see her or chose to ignore her, as the weapons supremo headed into the center of the deck and--seconds later--speared a Vampirate right in front of Grace's eyes.

"Get in!" Cate congratulated herself as she raced on toward the heart of the deck.

Grace had never seen her this way before. Cate might be a pirate rather than a Vampirate but, right now, she too had fire in her eyes.

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Obsidian Darke moved single-mindedly through the battle zone, watching grim-faced as members of his team were struck down. It was too early to call which side had the upper hand. His dark eyes watched Stukeley making his way through the pirate ranks. He realized he had underestimated Sidorio's lieutenant. Having seen him so often playing the clown at Tiffin, it was an adjustment to watch him now as a powerful warrior. Darke's eyes sought out Johnny and Grace, but he was unable to locate them among the fighting.

As two pirates simultaneously charged him, Obsidian Darke expertly dispatched them both. He didn't even see them as genuine adversaries--merely irritants to swat away. He had only one target, and nothing was going to prevent him from getting to her. At last, he saw her up ahead at the prow of the ship. Cheng Li--captain of
The Tiger
. Leader of the self-styled Vampirate assassins. At last, she was in his sights. Darke dipped his head and charged.

Cheng Li was monitoring the progress of the battle and the number of dead and wounded falling on her pristine deck boards. In the opening stages, it had seemed to her

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that Cate's strategy, and especially the insights she had gained from her sessions with the delectable Lorcan Furey, were reaping dividends. Watching her young crew dispatch the cocksure demons had filled Cheng Li with a warm and fuzzy feeling inside. But then, several of the "dead" had risen from the deck, in spite of their livid wounds, and returned to the fray--worse, it seemed as if they were now possessed of a new energy and determination.

"Cate!" Cheng Li cried. "Spread the word. We need more instant kills!"

Without missing a beat, Cate ran down the center of the deck, carrying the message. "Make sure you finish them off, people!"

Jacoby heard the cry and picked up the theme. "If in doubt, decapitate!"

Cheng Li nodded. This fight was far from over, but she had no doubt that she would emerge the victor. It could be no other way. All her life had been building toward this mission and this moment. It was the single most important battle in the history of the Pirate Federation. After tonight, when pirates spoke in hushed tones of reverence about a Li, it would be about her and
not
her father.

Up ahead, the Vampirates had gained some headway, and Cheng Li noted with displeasure that two of her best young fighters had fallen. Their killers moved on remorselessly in a pincer movement, both heading for Cheng Li. She lost no time propelling herself into the air in another

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move devised by Cate and Lorcan. Before she even landed, she had kicked one of her opponents across the deck and into the guardrail. He smashed onto the floor, stunned, leaving Cheng Li time and space to deal with the other aggressor.

The Vampirate had evidently taken time out to feast on one of his previous victims. Blood was running down his mouth to his chin. Cheng Li gritted her teeth. Even such a repulsive sight as this was not going to put her off her game. She executed another of Cate and Lorcan's special maneuvers, jumping clean over the Vampirate, then twisting in midair and striking out with her silver sword from the other direction.