“No sign of them?” Lady Anne came forward to take my place at the window.
“Not yet.” I saw she and Flo had on dry clothes. As usual, my vampire friend wore a pretty dress that was the height of fashion. Even Anne had found something in a color that flattered her. She had given up hiding in her blacks and browns, it seemed.
“Why do men do this? A few more nights would not have mattered.” Flo paced the floor, circling the large bathtub. She stopped and examined it. “Look at this bathing tub. I didn’t know it was here. Might I have a bath in this, Lady Anne?” Typical Flo, easily distracted.
“Ask Gloriana, not me. I merely live here.” Anne wasn’t moving from the window.
I rolled my eyes. Honestly, Anne was determined to be the poor widow. “Yes, Flo, you can bathe here. We take turns. It’s a lot of work for the servants, but tell one of them and they will carry the water up here for you.” I stood next to Anne. “Lady Anne, I have told you, I care nothing for the household duties. You can still manage things as you like. Maggie will answer to you.”
“Thank you, Gloriana. As I said, you are kind.” Anne sighed. “No sign of them, but it will take a long time to fight and win over those pirates. I wonder if they will bring back prisoners. I would dearly love to see their leader in chains.”
“Do you know the name of the pirate queen?” I imagined her in one of cells in the dungeon.
“Zarah. That’s what one of the captured pirates told Ralph. Her people worship her. Her grandmother was a famous pirate, so they say. Grace O’Malley. Do you know her story?” Anne turned from the window, finally distracted.
“No, tell me.” I needed something to take my mind off of those roiling seas and my Jeremiah fighting for his life. He would be delayed? Oh, I hated that witch and her stupid predictions. I shouldn’t let her words bother me. What did she know?
“Grace O’Malley was the scourge of the coast. She is why we even have a Guardian here.” Anne sat on the stool where Jeremiah had made love to me.
I missed some of what she said as she described sea battles and the Englishmen who had fought O’Malley. I was reliving that time with Jeremiah. His lovemaking… Now that was magic.
“She actually went to see Queen Elizabeth before she died. Can you believe how bold she was?”
“The pirate queen went to London and arranged an audience?” I couldn’t have heard Anne aright. “I’m surprised they didn’t hang her as soon as she arrived.”
“For some reason the queen received her.” Lady Anne went back to the window as if drawn there. “They made some kind of agreement and O’Malley retired to her own castle in Ireland. She quit attacking the coast for a few years. Then she claimed the English had not held up their end of the bargain and the raids started again. Her sons and now her granddaughter continued the attacks.” Anne leaned against the stone. “Oh, I wish our men would return.”
“Isn’t it time for you to have your evening meal?” Flo glanced at me. “I am going to find Maggie and arrange a bath here. You can stay and watch me bathe if you wish.” She patted Anne’s back. “I have no secrets.” She winked at me. “I am proud of my body.”
I saw Anne flush. “I would never invade your privacy. Yes, I should go down for the evening meal. I will tell Maggie you wish to bathe now. She will send up lads with your water.” She hurried out of the room.
“You embarrassed her.” I grinned at Flo. “It is obvious to me that you have lived a long and interesting life.”
“You have no idea, amica .” Flo wandered over to the window again. “No idea. What are you going to do now? Watch me bathe? I have had a woman for a lover.” She walked up to me and touched my cheek. “You would please me, I think.”
I couldn’t move. I had heard of such things. Certainly Maggie’s “husband” at the Globe theater was more interested in other men than he was in her. Flo’s hand on my cheek sent a tingle through me. Was it pleasure? I was determined to ignore it as I took her hand. I liked Flo but didn’t need our friendship to take that turn. I had a lover already. Two would be more than I could handle.
“Ah, I read your mind. So, we will not continue to explore that possibilità .” She shrugged. “No matter. I am going to my room to get a robe to wear after my bath. I will see you later, amica . I am afraid the witch was right and we will have a long wait for our men. It is too bad.”
Too bad? It was terrible. I waited and worried and had to go to my death sleep alone in my big bed. My last thought as I closed my eyes when dawn broke was of Jeremiah. Where was he? Was he safe as he died? I could only say a prayer before I too became dead to the world.
10
I spent two nights pacing the floor and worrying about Jeremiah. Florence and Anne did the same fretting about their men. Finally shouts of a sighting down at the beach had us running toward it. One ship was coming in to Bloody Bay. One.
“I know that ship! It’s Malcolm’s ship, the Mary Hope.” Lady Anne was almost dancing in her shoes. “I’d know it anywhere. It has a painted cabin in the middle of the deck. See? Blue like the sky, he says, or the sea.” She flushed as she pointed at it. “It is difficult to see at night.”
“You do have good eyesight. Can you see any other ships on the horizon?” I didn’t mean to sound like I didn’t care about her Malcolm, but where was Jeremiah? And his father? When Anne shook her head, I could only hold Flo’s hand as we waited for the first small boat to go out and bring in men from the ship after it dropped anchor.
The rain had stopped the night before, leaving us with mud in the courtyard and a few downed trees from the strong winds. I looked over my shoulder and saw that the witch’s hut had survived unscathed. I knew enough about witches to think she’d probably put some kind of protection spell around it.
The witch herself came out to watch as the first rowboat scraped onshore. Was she smiling, sure her prediction for Lady Anne had come true? I wanted to ask her more about Jeremiah but doubted she truly had the sight. Not for a vampire’s fate.
“Anne!” Captain Burnett jumped into ankle deep water and ran to our group. He so forgot himself as to pull Anne into his arms and give her a hearty kiss. Flo and I sighed. When he came up for air, he flushed and realized we’d watched his eager greeting.
“Where is the ship that Lord Campbell and his father took from here?” I demanded, almost stumbling when Flo ripped her hand from mine and threw herself at him.
“Did you leave them behind?” Flo demanded. “Tell me. Dio Mio ! How are you here and they are not?” She fell to the sand, sobbing as she clutched his boots.
Obviously unsure how to handle such strong emotions, Captain Burnett looked at me then pulled Flo to her feet.
“There, there. No need to fall to pieces, madame. Last I saw Lord Campbell and the laird, they were fine, firing at the pirate castle and making good shots.”
“Why did you leave them to fight alone? Because they are not here. They are missing.” Flo jerked from his arms and spit on the ground with a spate of Italian. “Coward! How can you call yourself a commander of men?”
“Flo, let the captain explain.” I could see that this time the captain’s face was red with anger.
“My ship had suffered an almost direct hit, madame, and was taking on water. Our other ship was sinking fast and we had to pluck as many men as we could from the sea. As it was, we lost at least a dozen brave souls.” He bowed his head for a moment, obviously saying a prayer for them. When he looked up, his face was solemn. He seemed startled when Lady Anne took his hand.
“I’m sure Lord Campbell understood that I had no choice but to leave the scene of the action and try to make my way back to safe landfall. It was not an easy voyage.” The captain did look exhausted, his hat askew and his uniform muddy.
“Are you all right, Malcolm? We were so worried.” Lady Anne leaned against his side.
“I am fine. But the ship! We couldn’t make much progress with the damage to the hull. The men bailed but we finally found an inlet where we
could make a hasty repair before we could move on toward home.” He cleared his throat. “I had hoped to find Lord Campbell’s ship already in port when we got here. Since he’s not arrived, we’ll finish our repairs then go out and look for his ship as quickly as we can.”
I wanted to scream at him to hurry. But what good would it do? The sea was vast and two long days had already passed. Jeremiah would have had to find a safe place during daylight for his death sleep. I ignored Lady Anne and the captain, who looked like they wanted to find their own safe place to renew their lovemaking. Damn them for being happy. I searched for Flo but my friend had disappeared.
“She ran into the trees and shifted. She’s gone to look for them herself. Too bad you can’t do the same,” Valdez said close to my ear. He had the nerve to seem challenging.
I wanted to shift then. Oh, how I wanted to. If only I could fly over the water and look for the ship or the remains of it, I’d surely hear Jeremiah call for me. I knew I needed to try. I strode to the same stand of trees where Flo must have gone to make her transformation. She was nowhere in sight.
“You’re going to do it?” Valdez was on my heels. He was clearly delighted.
Of course, he was. It would make his job so much easier if I could defend myself that way, change and fly away at the first sign of danger. I had no doubt he’d go with me if I managed it. We’d fly together.
“I will try . That’s all I can do.” I stopped when we were out of sight of the beach, which was now teaming with sailors and soldiers. I took a deep breath. Moss and sea grass should have been a decent smell. But then…
“I have a potion here. It should calm you, mistress, and make it easier for you to make the attempt to change.” The witch stepped out from behind a tree.
“Get away from me!” I heard the snick of Valdez’s sword coming out of its sheath. “I want no potion. Why are you following me? Have you been listening to me talk to my bodyguard?”
“I was just taking a walk in the woods when I saw your friend come and then leave as a hawk. She’s very strong and quick. She’s not afraid to look for her man. Are you?” The woman tossed her skirts, her chin up.
“And you happened to be carrying a potion for me?” I didn’t trust her.
“I thought to go up to the castle with it.” She shrugged. “This chance meeting is much better.”
“Away with you.” Valdez waved his sword at her. “Mistress Gloriana wants nothing to do with you.”
Mistake. I made my own decisions and he knew it.
The witch smiled. “Of course. I’ll just be on my way. I knew dealing with vampires was a risk. If I didn’t need coin, I wouldn’t have bothered approaching you. I’ll not stand here if your guard going to attack me.” She looked him over. “I wouldn’t advise it, shifter.”
“You are tempting me.” Valdez approached her. “Get you gone. You heard my mistress. She wants no part of your witchcraft.”
“Are you sure?” The woman smiled, a sudden breeze lifting her hair until it blew in a golden veil around her face. “Beware, Mistress Gloriana. There’s a meeting coming that will put you in danger. You will wish for my help then unless you can find your courage.” She whirled and sent leaves spiraling before she vanished. I noticed she’d left a glowing bottle at my feet, tempting me.
“Bloody witches.” Valdez sheathed his sword. “Don’t listen to her, Glory.”
But I had listened. Portents and potions. Too often the portents came true and I knew witches were clever with their potions. Mayhap I should have tried this one first because my nerves were raw as I prepared to change. I squeezed my fists and thought about the bird I would like to become. I desperately wanted to search for Jeremiah.
He’d told me how to shift. I was supposed to picture the new being in my mind. I’d feel the movement of my limbs as I changed and it could be painful. But then I’d view the world differently. That could be amazing. Like Flo, I could be flying above it all.
I closed my eyes and thought, “Hawk, hawk, hawk, flying through the air.” I waited for the miracle of that change. For my arms to become wings and my legs to shrink. But the wind blew sand in my face and I merely swayed, my heart racing and my nails digging into my palms. I peeked. Were they becoming claws? Nay, what I felt were merely my own nails that needed trimming.
Tears filled my eyes. I had failed.
“Will you go for me, Valdez? Look for them? They were on that overloaded ship with that huge cannon. Captain Burnett said one ship sank and his took a direct hit. What if Jeremiah’s also took a hit? I would not be surprised if their ship sank quickly.” I wiped away my foolish tears. “Jeremiah and his father would shift to get away, but it might have been too near dawn for them to come home to us.” I sniffed. “Or they might have stayed to help the mortals who were in danger.”
“I am not supposed to leave you alone, Glory.” He laid his hand on my shoulder. He did seem sorry that he had pushed me to shift. “I am glad you tried to shift. I saw that you truly cannot do it. I am sorry.”
“So am I!” What could I say to move him? “Please. Fergus and Colin will be here to guard me. Take me to the castle and leave me there. Tell Fergus that you’re going. Though you will be hard-pressed to keep him from shifting with you. He is very devoted to Jeremiah.” I stared at Valdez, desperate.
“Very well. Let’s go. But you will stay in your room to make it easy for them to guard you.” He set off after making sure the witch had truly left us.
While he was looking behind the trees, I picked up the bottle of potion. I couldn’t let it go to waste. The witch had said it was calming. That could certainly be useful slipped into someone’s food or drink.
“I will stay in my room and the tower. I want to be able to watch the sea in case their ship makes it into port.” We were finally walking toward the castle. I wanted him to hurry but Valdez would not be rushed. He stopped to talk to Colin then to Fergus. I was right that Fergus was desperate to join the search.
“You are needed here, Fergus. Find out from the captain what damage they did to the pirate’s holdings. What if those people attack now, seeking a quick revenge?” I hit on the right argument. Too bad it made Valdez hesitate.
“I shouldn’t go.” He frowned and stayed close to me as we followed Fergus into the castle.
Fergus found the captain finishing a meal with Lady Anne. The shifter didn’t like what he heard. The pirates had suffered losses to their ships but at least one had managed to sail away. Fergus decided to stay and double the guards.
“I can watch the lass, Valdez. Colin can also be trusted.” Fergus took us back to the courtyard. “I would appreciate it if you would look for Jeremiah. He might need help. Be stranded somewhere. If he or his father are hurt and cannot shift, he might be happy to have another ship come for him.”
Valdez listened to Fergus, more impressed with his arguments than my impassioned pleas. He followed me up to the tower room.
“You will stay here or in your bedchamber. I will hold you to that promise.” Valdez looked out the arrow slit. “I will look for their ship on the sea first. If I don’t find it, I’ll fly along both coasts in case they are there in an inlet. If one or both of them are wounded, they might be waiting before they can shift again. You know they will have needed a fresh blood source to gain the strength to fly home.”
“Wounded?” Now I had a terrible picture in my mind. Jeremiah had been wounded before and almost died. Yes, he could heal, but it could take a while and he needed ancient blood to speed the process.
“Relax, Glory. Jeremiah is a fine leader of men. He may be doing what the captain did. He could be repairing his ship and tending to the wounded mortals on board.”
“Yes, yes he would do that.” I pushed Valdez toward the narrow arrow slit. “Go. The sooner you go, the sooner you return.” I watched him shift into a large black bird and take wing. He really made an impressive creature. He was soon out of sight in the night sky.
“I thought he’d never leave.”
The voice behind me made me whirl around. It was a boy, no, a woman in boy’s clothing. Her left hand held a pistol pointed directly at me.
“How did you get in here?” I knew it had to be the pirate queen. Who else could it be? But I wouldn’t think of her as a queen. Not with her hair filthy and her britches ripped.
“Wouldn’t you like to know?” She smiled and I suddenly saw a pretty woman who was probably used to beguiling those she ruled.
“Yes, I would. But it doesn’t really matter, does it? You’re here. Surely you know that if you fire that gun, you will have my guards running to surround you in moments.” I didn’t look forward to a wound, but I would survive it. She didn’t know that though.
“I don’t think so. But I want you to look at me. Look at how you ruined me.” She hit the right arm that hung uselessly by her side. She kept her distance as she walked around me until she shoved the gun barrel against my back. “Now you are going to pay for that. Move. You are coming with me.”
I pretended to cringe. “Don’t hurt me. I didn’t mean to do it. I was just shooting into the crowd. Hoping to make you go away.” I pretended to stumble then made a grab for her gun. She was fast and smarter than I had thought she’d be. She managed to avoid my hands and slammed the heavy gun against my head.
Gods but it hurt. My ears rang. I reached up to feel blood running from a gash above my ear. I cried out, shouting for help.
“No one is coming to your aid. My men are making noise and firing arrows at your gate. They are keeping your guards busy. All the guards still living, that is.” She pushed me forward with her gun barrel in my back again. “I said move.”
I started walking. Where was she taking me? Outside my door I gasped when I saw one of the men set to guard me lying dead in a pool of blood, his throat cut. Poor MacDougal. He was another man from Dollar and had been eager to follow Lord Campbell. He’d certainly paid for his loyalty.
Real Vampires: Glory and the Pirates Page 13
