“I can die, then come back to life. Each time, I gain a vampire ability. When we escaped Prime’s ship, I gained heightened sight,” I answered with a nervous shrug.
“How many times have you… died?” He swallowed harshly after asking the question.
“Four times,” Jameson answered, slipping his arm around my shoulder.
I was glad he knew the number, because I had stopped keeping count. It was rather depressing.
“What other abilities?” Solomon was losing it with every answer I gave him. At least now he knew how I had felt last night.
“Healing, strength, and hearing. Speed keeps increasing as I die, as well,” I shivered, remembering each death.
We fell silent again as Solomon processed this new information.
“Last night, you said that Lavinia has the potential to become a lethal vampire. How?” Jameson asked, breaking the silence.
“I don’t know,” Solomon responded wearily, running his fingers through his hair. “The witch wasn’t specific.”
“But you have an idea,” I prompted.
“Well, now I do.” He sighed, appearing pained. “I never wanted this for you. I hoped growing up in Port Victory would keep you safe. It’s one of the smaller islands, and the pirates wouldn’t normally take notice of a small island, but I underestimated the lengths that Pierce was willing to go to gain power.”
I just nodded, choosing not to comment on the matter. I had made my feelings about my aunt and uncle known. In Solomon’s mind, he had been protecting me and, in a way, I understood.
“What’s your theory?” Jameson asked, drawing me closer to his side.
“The venom coursing through Lavinia’s veins is in its purest form. She was not turned but was born this way. What she is resides within her very being. It has always been there, dormant until she needed it. It brought her back to life, and by doing so, it changed her. Each death unlocking an ability…it’s likely the venom finding a way to protect Lavinia and keep her from continuing to die.”
My mind raced through the times I had been killed, how it had occurred, and what had happened when I woke. Though Solomon’s words sounded mad, they also made a lot of sense when I put it all together.
“I gained healing after dying from the fire. Strength came next, because I was unable to stop Pierce from biting me and draining me, then hearing after I didn’t hear him sneaking up behind me the next time.”
“And sight, so you could see people’s intentions.” Jameson pulled me closer to him. If he tugged me any more, I would be sitting on his lap which might not have been a bad thing. My body shook so bad from the revelations, I felt like I would rattle right out of my skin.
“It’s like the venom is making a new version of me every time I come back.” I couldn’t keep the fear out of my voice. What if I lost control after dying too many times? I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I harmed those closest to me.
“The venom is not your enemy,” Solomon admitted slowly. “There is venom inside every vampire. It changes them to fit its needs, but if you command it, bend it to your will, it becomes your greatest asset. I pushed my hunger aside for years, only allowing myself to drink the blood of animals, and eventually, it learned to find strength in that. Now, immortality is mine and I have remained pure. If you continue on this path, Jameson, you too will become stronger for it.”
“I made a promise that I would,” Jameson answered, placing a kiss on my head. “I intend to keep it.”
“Just my presence calms something inside him and makes it easier for him to push it aside. Why does that happen?”
If he had theories about what I was or would become, then maybe he could help us understand what brought Jameson and I together with such intensity.
“From what you have described, the two of you have formed a bond, much like the one we hunters make with our daggers. When a hunter is presented with the mystical blade, the weapon reads the purity in the wielder’s intentions. The dagger has the ability to choose the hunter. I’m assuming there was a moment when all of this started, when one of you had to choose the other?”
I nodded. “We both did. I trusted Jameson enough to go with him after I ran from Pierce’s capture, and Jameson came back for me after he got our friends to safety. After that, I was able to use his dagger to kill a vampire.”
“There is stronger magic at work here than even I can pretend to have knowledge of, but I do know when you both made those choices, and they came from the purest of intentions, it formed a bond between the two of you that will be hard to break. It is likely why Lavinia’s presence can help you withstand the bloodlust. It’s quite impressive.”
“There were a few occasions when he was able to do the same for me. It confused me at the time, but it makes more sense now,” I added.
“Your connection is deeper than blood. It comes from a place of trust and devotion. It makes you both stronger, while still giving you the ability to rein it in when the need arises. You are quite the pair,” he mused with a small smile. “I’m proud of you both.”
I ignored the warmth those words caused within me, taking a moment to process what had been said. I was something more than I ever imagined, and there wasn’t anything that would tear Jameson and me apart. Whatever choices laid ahead of me, I knew I would do whatever it took to remain pure and with Jameson. Prime didn’t have enough pirates and vampires in the world to change my mind.
“What does Prime want with me? He has plans and will do anything to have me.” I shivered, remembering his treasure room and the cabinet full of daggers. He had riches that kings would envy. What more could he possibly want?
“If the Sea Witch has spoken with him, then he will likely have heard much of the same as me. I would go as far as to guess that he thinks you are the key to doing something that not even the Sea Witch can do. You are both life and death. You were born from a human and an undead. If your powers continue to grow, there’s a chance you will have the ability to change bigger things than just yourself. From what the Sea Witch has hinted at, I believe you could possibly bring people back from the dead.”
We sat in stunned silence for a long time after that. There was no way that I could develop that ability. It wasn’t possible, nor was it natural, and I wanted nothing to do with that kind of power. It was just a theory and a ridiculous one at that.
Jameson had turned to stone against me, and his breathing had increased. Suddenly, he pulled me into his lap and wrapped his arms around me so fast that I didn’t have time to react. His face pressed against the crook of my neck, and he breathed in my scent. I wrapped my arms around his neck, hoping that my touch would calm him, but he remained unmoving after several seconds.
Jameson’s reaction began to sink in, and I came to the startling realization that he believed Solomon’s theory. He didn’t spend time with Prime like I did. I couldn’t see him just wanting to bring people back from the dead. No, Prime wanted something else that he was keeping from even his second-in-command.
“What now?” I asked Solomon, still wrapped up in Jameson’s arms.
“Prime is looking for me. I have been a thorn in his side for years, and I’ll continue to do what I can to thwart him. He has no idea who I really am, and I’d like to keep it that way. Now that you are both involved, maybe the tides will begin to turn in our favor.”
“I want to see the Sea Witch. How do we find her?”
Solomon shook his head slowly. “You cannot seek out the Sea Witch yourself. When you are ready, she will reveal herself to you.”
I frowned at him. He made it sound like the Sea Witch wasn’t human. Though, in a world where vampire pirates existed, there was a high probability more magical beings existed. The thing that worried me most was that most powerful people we had encountered seemed to have an ulterior motive.
We just had to hope that whoever this Sea Witch was decided to align herself with us and not Prime. We could use any and all help to fight the storm I could feel gatherin
g on the horizon.
Chapter Eleven
Watching the sun sink into the sea, I marveled at its consistency. It rose every day and set every night. It could be relied on to do the same thing each cycle, never changing. Nothing was as it seemed, and I was finding that the ground I had anchored my feet to wasn’t all that solid anymore.
There had been so many revelations the previous day, and even more in the past week. Hell, the entire month had been nothing but surprises, my multiple deaths, and running for my life.
What had I become? I wasn’t a monster…or a human.
I was possibly both.
Pure vampire venom pumped through my veins, invested in my survival, and gave me abilities I didn’t want, no matter how safe they kept me. Power was never neutral. It was either used for good or evil. I had no idea how powerful the venom in me was, or whether or not it could make me do something I wouldn’t ordinarily do.
The ocean spread before me as the sky changed to blackness. The moon was hidden, which seemed to make the stars shine brighter, as if they could somehow make up for its absence. Wet sand squished under my bare feet as I took a deep breath of the salty sea air. Jameson had returned to the ship to fill in our friends and left me alone on the beach with my thoughts. I had no idea where Solomon had gone, but I knew he would remain close.
I needed the time alone, but I also dreaded it. So many emotions were swirling inside me that I thought I would burst. How was I supposed to process any of it? It was too much for any one person to handle. If Jameson was with me, he would have assured me that I wasn’t just anyone, but that didn’t make anything better. I wanted to be normal more than anything in the world in that moment.
Realizing soon after that I wasn’t going to solve any of my problems by wallowing in them on the beach, I headed back to the ship. As my feet stepped onto the wooden plank that connected the deck to the vessel, my gaze fell on Jameson. He waited for me there, holding out a hand to help me back on board.
“It took everything I had not to come for you.” He smiled, showcasing the dimples I loved so much.
I laughed for the first time in days. “I’m quite proud of you for restraining yourself. I had it handled.”
His face turned serious. “We don’t know anything about this island, or if we’re even safe here. I think we should head back to Port Valor. Ruth might not have all of the answers, but she has a group of trained hunters that can better fight against Prime. We don’t stand a chance if he finds us here. It’s not exactly what I hoped to find.”
Apparently, he had also been doing some thinking while I was gone. I knew he was worried. There was little hope we’d be able to escape Prime a second time. The next time we faced him, we needed to be prepared to defeat him, or we risked getting ourselves killed.
“Will you ask Solomon to come with us? There isn’t anything left here for him now that he’s sent the town away,” I said. Even if he couldn’t protect us on his own, he still had answers we would need as we continued on our journey.
“If that’s what you want. I wasn’t sure how you would feel about it. We haven’t really talked about how you feel seeing him again and knowing he’s been alive all this time.” Jameson brought me closer to his side as we walked toward our quarters on the second level of the ship.
I waited until we were settled in the room before I spoke again. It gave me a few minutes to think about my response. I wasn’t really sure how I felt. I had gone through a gamut of emotions since realizing Solomon was Tobias—anger, sadness, betrayal, relief, happiness, and everything in between—but I had also done a decent job of compartmentalizing it all. Though he was my father, he was also a man whose help we needed to survive, and living seemed like the bigger deal at that moment.
Realization hit me then. If we separated from him now, there was a good chance I would never see him again. When that thought fully registered with me, I decided that wasn’t something I wanted. He might have lost the privilege to be called “father,” but I wasn’t ready to walk away from him so soon after finding him, and not just because of what he could do for us.
“I’d like to stay at least a few more days if Solomon doesn’t want to leave with us. I’m not ready to say goodbye just yet,” I finally answered, my voice thick with emotion.
Jameson’s hands cupped my face. “I understand. A few more days rest for the crew will be good, and we can properly stock the ship.”
“Thank you,” I whispered before pressing my lips to his.
Taking my time with the kiss, I savored the taste of him as his tongue tangled with mine. Pushing against him, a soft moan escaped from me. Passion quickly took over as my vampire abilities heightened to new levels, and I suddenly had no control. As my breathing became labored, I lost my balance and fell back onto the bed.
Without conscious thought, laughter slipped out, and it quickly turned to hysterics. Tears fell down my cheeks as my emotions stormed through me, causing everything to rage. Whatever passion I felt just mere moments ago was overrun by my hysteria, and I decided to close my eyes, letting go of everything. I stopped trying to fight whatever was happening to me, and for once, I embraced it. I was tired of being afraid.
The weight of Jameson’s body pressed against my side, and he whispered comforting words to me, trying to ease whatever was causing my odd behavior, but little did he know, I was finally accepting it. Words weren’t going to ease what was happening within me.
When my mind and body finally tired, I succumbed to sleep. Dreams and nightmares assaulted me all night, so vivid that, when I woke the following morning, I was even more exhausted than the night before.
I dreamt of my mother; her image came to me effortlessly. Next came a vision of me with Prime, standing by his side with a horde of vampires at our backs. The dreams and nightmares rotated until it ended with the worst one of all.
My dream-self stood over the body of a young girl. At first, I didn’t recognize her, but then the golden curls and round cheeks registered in my brain. Nettie. I cried out, yelling at myself to do something. Nettie couldn’t be dead. I didn’t want to live in a world where her innocence didn’t exist.
As I fell to my knees, weeping over the loss of that sweet girl, a bright light caught my attention. My head snapped up to find a dream-version of me crouching over Nettie with both hands pressed against her chest.
“Live!” my dream-self yelled over and over again.
Watching in absolute fascination, I saw the twitch of Nettie’s arms and the bend in her legs. Then, it hit me. My dream-self was bringing her back to life. As much as I didn’t want Nettie dead, it wasn’t natural to bring her back. I screamed at myself to quit, but instead of stopping whatever was happening in the dream, I woke to the real world, drenched in sweat and chilled to the bone.
“Lavinia,” Jameson’s worried voice finally broke through. “Lavinia, wake up.”
My eyes snapped open, and Jameson’s widened in something akin to fear, but also awe. “What is it?” I asked, startled.
“Your eyes. They’re not blood red like when they usually change, but they’re not hazel either.” The pads of his thumbs rubbed my temples. “They’re a mix of the two. The red is bleeding through the hazel in a swirling pattern.”
Pushing away from him, I stood and rushed to the glass window. I needed to see my reflection. Jameson’s words caused fear to course through me after all of the dreams I had experienced. Tucking the loose strands behind my ears, I leaned closer to the glass. My breath hitched as the image of myself became clear. The swirling red was more maroon and not bright like the red eyes I had seen on other vampires.
Jameson brought a lamp over, casting a light across my face. An audible gasp left my lips as I took in my entire appearance. My once-golden skin was now pale, as if I hadn’t seen the sun in months. Closing my eyes, I scrubbed my hands over them, trying to rid the image from my mind. It wasn’t real. My appearance hadn’t changed overnight. It wasn’t possible. Right?
“Brea
the, Lavinia. It’s going to be all right. As soon as your emotions calm down, I’m sure everything will return to the way it was when you passed out last night.”
I groaned, having forgotten about my bout of madness the night before, which had led to the odd dreams. A sudden urge to see Solomon engulfed me. I needed more answers, and he needed to have them before I lost my mind.
“We need to find Solomon. Maybe he knows something about this.” My steps took me to the wardrobe to grab a dress. I didn’t even pay attention to which one I grabbed—my mind was still reeling from my changed appearance.
“Whatever you need, just try to calm down. We will deal with this together.”
Taking a deep inhale, I nodded and finished getting dressed. Once we were both ready, Jameson led me outside. The fresh morning air assaulted my senses like never before. I could taste the salt from the sea on my tongue, feel the condensation settle on my overly-sensitive skin, and hear the soft blowing wind in my ears with roaring clarity.
“Jameson, I think I’ve fully transitioned. Everything is heightened. I don’t know what happened, but everything is different.”
His steps faltered, but he recovered quickly and gripped my hand tighter. “We knew it was bound to happen eventually. If you truly have, at least you didn’t have to die for it to happen, and if this means you never have to perish again, then I’m more than thrilled with the change.”
He had a point, and it made me realize that whatever was happening was a good thing. Like Solomon had said the day before, the venom wanted to protect me. Maybe now that I had more understanding, it deemed me ready for whatever came next.
Keeping my head down, I avoided eye contact with any of the crew we passed on our way to find Solomon. I didn’t want anyone to see the changes; at least, not until I had answers to the questions I knew they would ask. When we were off the ship, Jameson glanced at me, probably checking to see if I had gone back to normal, but I could tell by his pinched brow that nothing had changed since we left the room.
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