“There.” He pointed off to our right.
Kneeling up from my spot next to my friend, I spotted a sizeable ship in the distance, gaining speed and headed toward us.
“Just in time,” Jameson mumbled, turning the wheel several times to veer the vessel once more.
A blast from the attacking ship boomed in the air, and before my mind could process how close it seemed, the world in front of me exploded. We had a direct hit. I had no idea where it was or how bad the damage had been, but once the ringing lifted from my ears, the shouts from below told me it wasn’t good.
Evander was on his feet, not steady but ready to help. “I’ll head downstairs and see how bad it is.”
Jameson grasped his shoulder. “You take the wheel and keep watch with Solomon. Let Lavinia and I go while you finish healing.”
Evander nodded and took over steering the ship once again, as Jameson and I raced down the stairs. We weren’t sure which level had been hit, but we’d figure it out soon enough. Chaos erupted all around us, making it hard to think while our crew sped around the floor, trying to figure out what to do next.
“Should we split up?” I asked when we arrived on the first level.
“Not a chance in hell. You’re not leaving my side until these pirates are dealt with.”
I didn’t argue with him. If I was being honest, I hadn’t actually wanted to separate. I was just trying to find more ways to be helpful in the midst of all the mayhem.
The second level of the ship was much the same as the first, but as soon as our feet hit the third level, water seeped into my shoes, instantly freezing my toes. Six crew members were waist-deep in the water, trying to seal up the hole that had been punched into the side of the ship, but the pressure of the water kept forcing them back.
None of them were vampires, and they needed more strength to get the job done. Taking a deep breath and preparing for the temperature, I grasped Jameson’s hand and we began pushing through the water.
Within seconds, the water was above my waist and my teeth were chattering, but we kept going. We couldn’t afford to lose the ship. We needed to do everything we could to save it, all while hoping Catherine would make her presence known in time to stop our attackers. Though we didn’t truly know that would work, that hope was all we had.
“We need more nails,” William called.
Pushing Jameson forward, so he could help hold the wood they were trying to put up, I moved for the work benches behind me.
“Where are they?” I yelled over the rushing water. My hands searched the high tabletop in front of me, not yet underwater, but I didn’t feel anything small enough to be a nail and sight was limited in the dim area even with my enhanced abilities.
“Second drawer on the left.”
I wasn’t sure who had shouted, but I didn’t look back. My fingers found the knob of the drawer at the same time someone opened the door to the stairs, letting in just enough light for me to see what I was doing. Grabbing a handful of nails and an extra hammer, I pushed my way back through the water to give William the supplies, since he and Jameson had switched spots. As I did, Solomon joined us and held the other side of the wood board while the crew made quick work of sealing the hole.
Once the larger board was secured, Jameson ordered more to be put up around the edges until we could get in shallow waters and properly fix it from the outside. The water coming in slowed considerably, but we had already taken on too much. I didn’t know a lot about ships, but I knew enough to be certain if we didn’t get to another island within an hour or two, our ship was going to sink, regardless of the hole being covered.
“Thank you.” William gestured to the three of us.
“No thanks needed,” I replied. We were a team and needed to do whatever it took to keep the ship running.
“We need to get back upstairs, though. Do you think you guys can take care of it now?” Solomon asked.
My heart sank a little as I realized there must have been a reason he came down, leaving Evander on watch by himself. Whatever it was, I hoped it was good news, because we had enough to deal with after the last hit.
“Yes, sir. We will get things cleaned up as best we can.” William nodded, as did the others around him.
I could finally see the faces of the crew with him and noticed one of them was Neil, the younger man who had told me about Maggie and Timothy on the ship. I smiled at him, and he waved, but neither of us said anything while Jameson gave them further instructions for cleanup.
When they all knew what needed to be done, the three of us headed back to the deck.
“What happened?” I asked as soon as we were on the second level.
“Catherine is speaking with the other ship. We’re not certain yet, but Evander said that if she wasn’t shooting at them, then everything would probably be fine.”
A sigh of relief passed through my lips as we continued up the stairs. The chaos had lessened, and most of the crew seemed to be focused on cleaning up the debris and water from the hits we had taken. There had been only two direct ones, but the impacts had been significant.
“How does everything look below?” Evander asked when we arrived back at the helm. His torn shirt hung off his shoulder, and dried blood crusted around the wound that was no longer visible.
“Everything is fine for now, but we’ll need shallow waters soon to make full repairs before we venture away from these smaller islands,” Jameson informed him.
“What do we do now?” I wondered, my gaze focusing in on the two ships that were only a hundred yards away from us.
I could see Catherine on the opposing ship’s deck. One hand was on her hip, and her other waved a finger in the man’s face. I couldn’t hear from that far away, but in that moment, I certainly wished I could.
Evander directed our ship closer to the others, keeping it slow and steady to avoid causing any more damage to the vessel. Just when we came within earshot of the others, Catherine rejoined her crew.
“Follow us,” she called from the deck before disappearing inside.
When we passed by the ship that had shot at us, I wanted nothing more than to jump across and punch every single one of them in their faces, but getting ours to dock was more important now that they weren’t shooting at us. There was also the small consolation that none of the crew from their vessel was on deck anymore, telling me Catherine had laid into them, and they were likely off sulking under deck.
“Where do you think we’re heading?” Solomon asked.
“I don’t know, but I’m going to go check on the rest of the crew. I haven’t seen Alice or Henry, and I want to make sure there were no other injuries.” Holding Jameson’s hand, I reached up to give him a kiss. “I’ll be back before we reach the dock.”
“Call for me if you need any help.”
I nodded while walking away but hoped I wouldn’t have any reason. If I needed help, then that meant some of the crew was injured, and we couldn’t afford to lose any of them so close to facing Prime.
Walking around the top deck first, I took notice of the damage caused from the shards of wood that had flown everywhere during the hits. The few crew members I passed didn’t seem to have any injuries, so I continued on my way. After my circle around the top was complete, I headed downstairs, getting more nervous by the moment that I hadn’t found Alice or Henry.
When I entered the galley, two hunters were sitting at the table while another was pulling splinters from their arms and neck.
“Everyone all right?” I asked, making sure their injuries were only superficial.
“They’ll be sore for a day, but nothing worth seeing a doc for,” Peter answered as he dropped another shard onto the table.
“Have you seen anyone else who’s hurt? Or Alice and Henry?”
He shook his head. “Nobody else has been through here since the fighting stopped.”
His attention went back to the task before him, and I slipped out of the galley, wanting to let him finish without distraction. My che
st rumbled in frustration that Peter hadn’t seen my friends, either. Since they hadn’t been with us below trying to fix the hole, on deck, or in the galley, I decided to visit their quarters.
When I arrived at their door, I noticed it was cracked open, and crying could be heard. I burst through to find Alice lying on her side with Henry above her.
“What happened?” The words felt like needles against my throat as I took in Alice’s ashen face and the blood on the bed.
“We were downstairs when the second hit came. I wanted to get a few tools to patch the holes from the first hit, because some of the railing had been broken, and I didn’t want anyone falling off during the mayhem. When the cannonball came through the wall, one of the side planks hit Alice on her side, piercing her skin, and likely breaking a rib or two.”
Kneeling down beside her, I brushed the tears from her face. “I’m so sorry, Alice. We’re arriving at another island soon. Hopefully, they’ll have a doctor who can take a look at you. Please don’t cry. We’ll have you better in no time.” Her injuries weren’t as bad as I thought they were when I first entered. It seemed to be mostly bruising on her side.
She glanced up at Henry. “I have to tell her.”
“Tell me what?” I looked between the two of them as Henry shook his head.
“This morning, I told Henry I thought I was with child. I’m not crying because it hurts, but in fear I’ve lost the baby.”
Tears pricked at my eyes for my friend, but I did my best to remain strong. She didn’t need my sorrow on top of her own. “You are officially done with this war. You and Henry will stay on the next island, and we will come back for you after we succeed. If your little one is half as strong as you are, then I know everything will be fine as long as we keep you safe.”
A small laugh left her lips. “You’re worse than he is. At least he said I could stay on the ship.”
“We’ll talk about it later, after you’ve seen a doctor.” I squeezed her hand. “What can I get you right now?”
“Just come get us when we get to the dock, and I’ll carry Alice off the ship,” Henry answered for her.
“That I can do. I’ll be back soon.”
Leaving the room, I raced as fast as I could to the deck. I needed to know as soon as possible how much longer until we arrived. Every second Alice went without help, the greater the danger for her baby. I knew from talk around town—before it had been overrun with vampires—that there wouldn’t be much a doctor could do, but we would still do everything we could for her.
Jameson was just coming down the stairs when I slammed into him. “Oh, sorry.” I righted myself as he steadied me with his strong hands.
“What’s wrong?”
“Alice is hurt, and she needs a doctor as soon as possible. How much longer until we arrive?”
“I was just coming to tell you we were almost at dock. Where is she? I can help Henry bring her up.”
“Jameson, she’s pregnant.”
His face faltered, knowing what that meant without me having to say it. Alice was family, and we would do everything we could to make sure she and her unborn child were taken care of, even if it changed our plans.
Chapter 16
Several hours later, Alice had been thoroughly inspected by a doctor on the island. He examined her bruises and determined that she didn’t appear to have any broken ribs, which was good for the baby, but they were severely bruised.
There were no promises the baby was unharmed, but as long as there was no cramping or bleeding, he suspected both mom and baby would be just fine. When those words left his lips, a collective sigh of relief went around the room. However, Alice was on strict orders to stay in bed with little movement for the next few weeks.
Jameson and I slipped out, leaving Alice and Henry to finish with the doctor.
We made our way toward the ship in search of Solomon and Catherine, who were done inspecting the damage to our vessel. They were in the captain’s cabin along with another person I didn’t know, but I recognized him as the captain of the ship that had attacked us. In one swift movement that seemed effortless, Jameson stepped in front of me while simultaneously drawing his dagger. The menacing growl that sounded from his chest was a clear warning.
Both Catherine and Solomon raised their hands in a placating way, but it didn’t do anything to calm Jameson’s protectiveness of me and the people we cared about.
“We can explain,” Catherine began, but Jameson’s snarl grew louder.
“Jameson, it’s all a misunderstanding,” Solomon urged, placing himself in front of the captain.
“You would protect him?” Jameson dangerously seethed.
“Like I said, it’s all a misunderstanding,” Solomon repeated.
“I fail to see how hurting innocents is a misunderstanding,” Jameson countered, taking a step forward.
“It was the ship,” Catherine hurriedly added, stepping in front of Solomon, her palms still out in front of her. “The ship you were on used to belong to a captain who stole from Eaton. He saw it and attacked. He had no way to know that the previous captain died along with Pierce.”
Jameson paused while I stepped to his side, slipping my hand into his. He visibly relaxed, straightening from the fighting stance he had held.
“What is the status of our ship?” I asked, providing a distraction to the tension while Jameson finished pulling himself together beside me.
“The damage is extensive, and I’m afraid making repairs would take more time than we can afford to spend,” Solomon informed, stepping away from Eaton, whose face had gone pale—a rare reaction for a vampire.
“There isn’t enough room on the other ships for us all,” Jameson argued, running his now dagger-free hand through his hair.
“We were just putting the final plans together when you arrived,” Catherine explained, turning to Eaton while watching Jameson from the corner of her eye. “I’ve ordered Eaton to join the cause, and he has kindly offered us his ship. You and the others from your ship will move to his. He has a small crew, so there is plenty of room for everyone.”
Eaton stepped forward, clearing his throat before speaking, “My deepest apologies for the damage I caused your ship, and for any harm that might have come to those on board. I am proud to offer you my vessel and crew, in hopes of amending my actions.”
My eyes widened, Eaton’s words were spoken so eloquently and with sincere emotion. I had thought Evander was an anomaly with his politeness, but it seemed there were more vampire pirates who hadn’t forgotten their manners.
“That is very generous of you,” I replied, inclining my head.
“It’s the least I can do to atone for the trouble I caused. My men are transferring everything from your ship to mine. I will give you a tour when you are ready. Until then, I will go oversee the move,” Eaton offered, then excused himself and left the room.
“Well, that was unexpected,” Jameson observed with a sigh, looking a bit sheepish.
“He’s a good pirate. Your ship just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. Still, it was fortuitous that we ran into him. He is my best spy on the seas; he has a way of going unnoticed. His skills have served me well over the years,” Catherine informed us while strolling toward the door. “I’m off to barter for supplies with the locals. It is a small island, with an even smaller village, so Prime has overlooked it. Lucky for them.”
With that, she left the room and shut the door behind her.
“Are there any hunters here?” Jameson asked Solomon, who had taken a seat at the table that served as a desk.
“One or two, but they are tasked with defending the island. They have families here they need to protect. I cannot ask them to join this fight. Not when they are already doing what they can to guard those here,” he admitted, and I understood why he had come to that decision. I agreed with it.
“Well, before we go, we can help fortify their weapons with my venom. Depending on the outcome of this fight, they may n
eed all the help they can get,” I offered, thinking of the jars that I had managed to fill over the past several days.
“That’s a good idea. I’ll have all the weapons of the village dipped in your venom, making even those that are not hunter blades fit to kill a vampire.”
I never thought that my venom could be so powerful, but I was glad it was, because it meant that I could save more people from the scourge of the evil vampires.
“Let’s go get them, so we can begin. The faster we get things done, the faster we can get back to our journey,” Jameson urged, leading the way toward the door.
When the door swung open, we were assaulted with the sounds of yelling. With a quick glance at each other, we hurried out into the late morning light to investigate the disturbance.
We didn’t have to go far to find the commotion. Evander had his hand wrapped around Eaton’s throat, while Eaton had his hand wrapped around Evander’s. It was almost comical, two vampires choking each other as though they could die that way. Catherine was standing off to the side, hands on her hips, appearing annoyed.
“What’s going on?” I asked, rushing to Evander’s side.
“They have a bit of history between the two of them,” Catherine answered in a tone that said it should have been obvious.
I snorted, because the thought of the two most polite vampires in all of the seas not liking each other was laughable.
With a sigh, Catherine strode around the two vampires determined to choke each other to true death. “They were both in the running to be Prime’s second-in-command. I’m not sure how Prime ultimately chose between the two, but Evander got the job. Slighted, Eaton came to me and has worked for me ever since.”
“But Evander no longer works for Prime,” I interjected.
“Yes, well, it’s hard to forgive a grudge when vampires are immortal and have long memories,” Catherine answered with another sigh of frustration.
“Evander, you can’t kill him. We need him,” I pleaded, grabbing onto his arm. “He’s offered us his ship and to join the fight. Our ship is irreparable at the moment, and there isn’t enough room on any of the others. We need him alive. Do you understand?”
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