The shadows began to lengthen as we broke through the tree line and out onto another sandy beach. I wasn’t familiar with the area, but I immediately noticed that the boat he had commandeered was pulled onto the sand. It didn’t look burnt or scorched like the others we had found, and I suspected that he had gotten it from the waiting ship.
I drew closer to Jameson’s side as hope bloomed in my heart. We had made it. Soon, we would leave this godforsaken island behind us and not have to worry or fight for our lives every other minute.
“Going somewhere?” a voice sneered from our left, and I gasped when Pierce suddenly appeared in front of us, blocking our path to the boat. “Leaving so soon, and without a goodbye for your fiancé?”
I could feel Jameson stiffen against me as he took a small step to the side, angling himself to be between the vampire and me.
Pierce’s smile grew wider as he observed us. A few more vampires stepped out of the trees, placing themselves around him, further blocking us from freedom.
My heart sank as frustrated tears gathered in my eyes. We were so close. Our ticket off this island was only a few feet away, and we were thwarted once again.
“Jealous?” Jameson asked, and I gaped at him.
“Jealous of what?” Pierce asked, clearly confused.
“That Lavinia keeps running from you, but she has no problem being in my company. She never wanted you, even before you became a monster.”
Pierce’s face twisted with rage. “Any woman would be lucky to have me.”
Jameson had struck a nerve.
“Any other woman, yes, but not Lavinia,” Jameson added, lifting our hands to kiss the back of mine.
My heart stuttered in my chest at his possessive action, and the fact that I enjoyed it took me by surprise. I was just an object to Pierce, but I hadn’t felt that way with Jameson in the short time we’d been together.
“I will have her, even if I have to break her first. Prime will make sure of it as part of our deal,” Pierce assured with a sadistic grin.
“Prime won’t lay a hand on her, and you’ll never get the chance again. I’ll make sure of that.” Jameson ran his hand down my back, leaning closer to my ear. “Run to the boat, Lavinia. I’ll be right behind you,” he whispered to me.
“Promise?” I asked, nervous to leave his side with so many vampires around. We had just reunited; leaving him felt wrong.
“I promise.” His blue eyes glanced down into mine. “I won’t let him take you. Not again. Not ever.”
The urge to press my lips to his and tell him how much his words meant to me was overwhelming, but I knew I couldn’t. Not right then. I nodded my understanding as I saw a flicker of movement from the corner of my eye.
“Go,” he urged, releasing my hand while simultaneously reaching for his dagger.
The vampires charging us faltered as Jameson withdrew the blade, the edges already glowing with a white light. I tore across the sand, grabbing the bottom of my skirts so I could run faster. Within moments I was at the boat, pushing it toward the water with pure adrenaline.
As I inched the boat closer to the water, I flicked my head back to make sure Pierce hadn’t followed me and to check on Jameson. I turned just in time to see three of the four vampires that had joined Pierce were already decomposing into ash. Frantically, I searched the beach but couldn’t find Pierce anywhere, which urged me to move. I needed to get as far from him as possible.
Less than a minute later, a hand gripped my arm so tightly that I screamed in agony. Pierce was on the other side of the boat when I jerked my head around. He had come around it and began pulling me toward him, but I fought him with everything I had, finding more strength than I had felt any other time before.
My arm was held taut between us, causing me to wince in continued pain. I tugged at his fingers with my other hand, but that only made it easier for him to drag me closer. I growled in frustration as an evil smile spread across his face.
Pulling my free hand back, I grasped the side of the boat, trying to leverage myself from Pierce’s hold. The wood cracked under my fingers and I knew I was seconds away from tearing the whole side off. I clung to it desperately, unwilling to give up and let myself be taken back by Pierce.
Furious azure eyes appeared within my line of sight as Jameson approached me. Without a word, he offered me his dagger, hilt first, the blade still glowing in the quickly fading light.
I let go of the side of the boat and wrapped my fingers around the handle, feeling a current run up and down it. Just as I turned to face Pierce, I saw another vampire bearing down on Jameson. Without the dagger, Jameson couldn’t kill the vampire behind him. I had seconds, maybe only moments, to act.
I dug deep, searching for the strength I had used when I fought Eve. Before I knew it, I was across the boat, shoving the dagger into Pierce’s chest. His eyes widened in shock as I ripped the blade out of him. His body began falling backward, but I was already moving my attention back to Jameson.
The vampire behind him was gripping his shoulder with one hand, and pulling Jameson’s head with the other hand, trying to tear off his head. The monster didn’t get the chance, because I plunged the dagger into his chest with a scream.
The look of shock on the vampire’s face was one that would haunt me for the rest of my life. He started to collapse but turned into ash before his body hit the sand.
Without a word, Jameson lifted me into the boat before tugging it the rest of the way into the waves. He leapt over the side of the boat and scrabbled hurriedly for the oars. With quick and powerful strokes, we were out into the bay within seconds.
My eyes remained fixed on the shore where only one pile of ash was left.
I stared at the dagger still clutched in my hand, realizing that I had missed Pierce’s heart in my haste to save Jameson. My hand started to shake as the comprehension that Pierce was alive gripped me. I had the chance to end him, but I missed. Tears gathered in my eyes when I realized that he was going to be coming for me. He would never stop. I had tried to kill him, and he now had a point to prove.
“Lavinia,” Jameson’s voice called from somewhere, but I ignored it. My attention was on the dagger clutched in my hand that had somehow worked for me even though I wasn’t bonded to it. I knew that wasn’t supposed to happen, but my thoughts were still stuck on Pierce and the other vampire I had killed.
Jameson reached for me while I choked on a sob stuck in my throat. I let him take the dagger from my hand. His fingers intertwined with mine when the tears leaked from my eyes.
Finally, my gaze rose to Jameson’s face. “I… missed,” I stammered, trying to see his expression through my tears. “I missed his heart.”
He whispered my name, but instead of replying to him, I collapsed against his chest. Deep, gut-wrenching sobs wracked my body and I buried my face in his neck. He continued to speak softly to me, but I didn’t hear any of it as I let out all of my emotions.
I thought I had been doing better, but I had been wrong. The only thing I had been successful at was blocking the overwhelming agony and focusing on getting off the island. Now that we were technically off the island, I couldn’t contain it.
I had no family left in the world. My body was changing, and I had no idea what I was turning into anymore. A half-changed vampire seemed to be the only thing to calm me, and what scared me about that was the fact that it didn’t scare me.
“I’m sorry,” I finally whispered when the sobs had subsided. “I’m so sorry.”
“Lavinia, it’s all right,” he offered softly into my hair.
“No, it’s not,” I hiccupped.
“But it is.” He pushed me away from him, bringing our faces level. “I’m alive right now because of what you did.”
“But I didn’t kill Pierce.”
“No, but you saved my life. I gave you the dagger knowing there was a good possibility I would die, but I didn’t care. As long as you lived, I was prepared to die.”
“What?”
I grabbed the collar of his shirt. “You are not going to die.”
“Lavinia,” he began, but I cut him off immediately.
“You are not going to die,” I repeated angrily, hating the thought of anything happening to him. “I need you here with me.”
“I’ll be here,” he assured, his blue eyes searching my face, “for as long as you want me to be.”
“How was I able to use your dagger?” I asked, hoping he had an explanation.
His forehead creased. “I don’t know. I didn’t think it was possible, but something inside me urged me to hand it to you. I just acted on instinct, and thankfully, it worked. When we find the hunters, we can ask them about it.”
I smiled at him and, before I lost my nerve, I leaned in, pressing my lips to his. One of Jameson’s hands buried itself in my hair at the base of my skull, his fingers massaging my scalp. His other hand cupped my cheek, his thumb caressing my jaw as his lips moved against mine. His tongue ran along my lower lip, and I gasped when a pleasant sensation swooped through my lower belly.
I’d never been kissed properly before—the chaste kisses Pierce had forced on me didn’t count. Being with Jameson like this was so much more than I could have imagined.
His lips moved from mine to my jaw, then down the column of my throat to my collarbone. My hands buried themselves in his hair, holding him to me as he moved up to the sensitive skin behind my ear.
“Jameson,” I gasped as I felt his tongue flick out to taste my skin.
He pulled back, cupping my face with his hands, ready to speak, but his attention diverted to something behind me. “Lavinia, we have a problem.”
Chapter 9
Everything in me tensed at his words. I closed my eyes for a moment, for just one more moment, trying to enjoy the feeling of being alive with Jameson. But reality wasn’t done with us. We couldn’t celebrate our survival just yet.
Turning, I looked over my shoulder toward the horizon, where the red sun was sinking down into the ocean that reflected its light, making the sky appear as if it was on fire and surrounded by blood as evening made itself known. A ship was not far from us, anchored and unmoving. Lanterns were being lit on the vessel, helping to guide us toward it. But further back was another ship, and it was heading straight for the stationary vessel.
Jameson grabbed the oars and was rowing before I had fully comprehended what the ship on the horizon meant. Or rather whose it was.
“Is that Prime?” My voice shook as I said the words. I had no idea who the man was, but from the sounds of it, he was the most powerful vampire around. I preferred not to be anywhere near him, especially with my inability to be turned. God only knew what he would do to me if he got his hands on me.
Jameson nodded. “I would assume so. See the black sail on the ship? Those are pirate ships. The story is that Prime began turning the pirates first, because they were more than willing to have immorality. The pirates already enjoyed pillaging the towns. This just gave them a leg up.”
I shuddered at the thought. I knew stories of pirates. They’d even been to our port before, but since I had rarely left the farm before I was offered up to Pierce, I had never seen one. Dom and Craig had been the first, and I’d die happy if they were the only pirates I had any interactions with—wishful thinking on my part.
Shouts rang out from both ships. I couldn’t hear what the pirates were yelling about, but I could hear a female voice urging us to hurry.
Jameson cursed, moving the oars even faster than before.
“What’s happening? I asked, panicked.
“See those chains coming out of the water?” He pointed to the livestock ship that was supposed to be waiting for us. “Those are the anchors coming up. With Prime’s ship approaching fast, the captain likely decided waiting was no longer an option.”
Twilight was upon us now. The sun was no longer visible, but its soft light was casting a glow on the nighttime sky. I bit my fingernails, feeling helpless. I could now see Alice’s arms flailing to get our attention, her voice still calling out to us. Nettie was gripping her waist but staying silent.
Several cannons fired toward the ship and us from the pirates. I yelped in half surprise and fear when big splashes of water erupted a couple hundred feet from us. The cannons were out of range, but if we remained there, we wouldn’t make it. Two of the four anchors were now retracted, and we still had too much distance separating us from the vessel.
Sweat beaded along Jameson’s forehead and he grunted as he rowed, his muscles bunching and flexing under his shirt as he pushed the little boat. He didn’t once lose focus on what he was doing.
“Damn it!” Jameson growled as the cannon fire got closer, as well as Prime’s boat. “We’re going to make it.”
As he said the words, I couldn’t decide if he said them because he believed them or if he just needed to tell himself that. From where I sat, the likelihood of us making it to the ship before it took off was getting slimmer with every stroke of his oars.
The livestock ship took a hit from Prime’s. Men scrambled onboard, trying to protect it, but considering it was filled with animals, I doubted they held much for protection. It wasn’t like pirates coveted farm animals. Well, not from what I knew, at least.
We were close enough to hear the men shouting. Alice was screaming at them to wait, but she was ignored. The anchors weren’t even all the way up, but the boat was turning in the opposite direction of Prime’s incoming vessel.
“We’re almost there, Lavinia. Just watch out for cannon fire. We might need to swim if they begin aiming only for us. I don’t think Prime knows what he’s shooting at, though. We’re just escaping villagers at this point.”
Taking a deep breath, I nodded and turned toward Prime’s boat. Now that it was closer, the black sails were easier to distinguish, as well as the skull and crossbones on the flag. Dozens of pirates watched from the ship, waiting for direction.
An imposing figure stood on the highest deck. He wore a captain’s hat and crisp white linen shirt, with brown trousers and boots. His stare moved from the ship to linger on our small boat. When his head moved in our direction, I was certain we were making eye contact and he could see into my soul.
I froze on the spot, unable to breath or even move. A memory tugged at me, but Jameson gripped my shoulders before I could grasp it.
“Lavinia,” he reprimanded. “Pay attention. Alice and Nathan threw a ladder over for us. Can you swim?”
I shook off whatever hold Prime momentarily had on me. “Yes, of course.”
“Then let’s go,” he snapped.
I couldn’t tell if he was angry with me, the situation, or maybe both. Either way, I tried not to worry about it at that moment. The livestock ship wasn’t far, but if we didn’t continue to move with a sense of urgency, we’d be left behind.
Jameson jumped into the water first before turning to wait for me. I jumped in without a second thought, that was until the layers of my dress weighed me down, making it nearly impossible to swim.
My head bobbed back up above the water far enough for me to call for help, but that was it before I was pulled back under.
Jameson’s hand gripped my arm, yanking me back to the surface. “I thought you said you could swim.”
“My skirts.” I spit salt water from my mouth with a gasp. “You have to cut them off. They’re too heavy in the water.”
“Damn, I didn’t think of that.” He let go of my arm and dived beneath the surface. I went back under but didn’t fight it as I felt tugging at my waist. My eyes remained closed, and I trusted Jameson to make quick work of removing the extra layers with his dagger.
Within moments, my buoyancy was back, and we surged through the waves toward the ship. The cannon fire had stopped, but I didn’t dare look for Prime’s ship. I didn’t want to know how close it was, for fear that I would freeze up. Instead, I focused on Nettie’s sweet face and getting to the ladder.
Waves from the ship’s wake pushed back at us, b
ut my newfound strength helped me to fight against them. I kept up with Jameson, and we reached the ladder together. He moved me in front of him, insisting I go first. I didn’t argue until I was halfway out of the water and realized he hadn’t left any layers of my skirt when he cut the dress.
“Jameson,” I hissed, “I can’t go up there like this. They’ll think I’m your harlot.”
“Would you rather be dead?”
He had a point.
Even though I wanted to chastise him for leaving me in nothing but my undergarments and torn corset, I did want to live. With swift movements, I climbed up the rope ladder while Jameson nipped at my heels. Alice helped pull me over the edge when I reached the top, and Jameson used one hand to push my legs.
As soon as I was standing on the deck looking like a drowned rat, Nettie’s tiny arms wrapped around my waist and she cried against my stomach. Alice smiled at me, and even though I didn’t know her well, I was glad to see her again, safe and sound.
Nathan reappeared with a blanket and handed it to me. “I figured you might want this.”
“Thank you.” I pulled my arms from Nettie, taking the blanket and wrapping it around both of us before kneeling to her level. “It’s okay, Nettie. We’re here now.” I brushed her golden curls away from her face, letting a small smile flit across mine.
“Don’t ever leave me again,” she cried, wrapping her arms around my neck this time.
I pulled the blanket tighter around us and lifted her up as I stood. I turned to find Jameson was safely on the deck, shaking hands with Nathan. His eyes met mine for the briefest of moments, causing flutters in my stomach.
Alice moved into my line of sight. “The captain gave us two rooms. Let’s go get you changed.”
Nodding, I followed her toward a door. I took one last glance back at Jameson, but he was in deep conversation with Nathan and I wondered where Henry was, so I asked Alice.
“He’s in a time out,” Nettie answered instead, lifting her head from my shoulder. “The captain got real mad at him for yelling too loudly.”
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