The two at the fore end of the ship weren’t a problem; it was the one near the planks that I would have to clear next. I held his mouth and pulled him up to the captain’s cabin, my fangs shredding his neck as my hand clamped his mouth shut.
I could taste the fear in this one as I gulped down what I could. I quickly ripped through his vocal cords and and spit the tough fibers quietly to the floor. Then I sent him to join his shipmate in the bay.
I had just turned for the ladder to the crew’s berth when I heard the door to the captain’s quarters open. Without thinking, I jumped to the top of his cabin and lay flat, my eyes watching the guards. Only one turned to acknowledge the captain exit, his voice soft as he quickly spoke to the crew on deck.
My eyes followed the voice; what I saw gave me pause and a bit of an erection. There was the captain, and right behind him a woman dressed in men’s clothing. I didn’t know their tongue, but he spoke rapidly. I noticed the sword strapped to the woman’s back and knew that she had been the one that sliced me so well. Orientals didn’t usually train their women to fight, nor let them become warriors. Could she have been trying to defend her captain? Perhaps she was an, umm, “body guard.”
I didn’t dwell on the possibilities. I focused on the pair as they marched across the deck of the ship. Suddenly the man I had assumed to be the captain spoke urgently to the guards, his hand extended, pointing to where the other two had been stationed. The woman began scanning the deck for foul play.
The guards shrugged, their heads shaking as the captain’s voice rose in both volume and pitch. He knew something had happened to the missing men and he was verging on panic.
The woman quickly returned to him. She faced him, blocking the view of the other guards. She opened her palm; the chunk of flesh in her grip was the guard’s voice box. I cursed myself silently for being so careless.
The captain inspected the flesh then turned and barked something that made the guards jump. One began ringing the alarm bell and I could hear the crew scrambling below decks.
I knew my revenge would have to wait. I was made and it was time to take my leave. I scooted across the top of the captain’s quarters, keeping low so as to not be seen and made my escape the same way I had made my approach. I hated the fact that I had screwed up, but I did get a strong snack or two from the trip.
On my way home, I decided it wasn’t such a mistake afterall. Now, I had them terrified. They would be on constant alert. They were a superstitious people who believed strongly in demons and the like. Yes. One or two picked off at a time was the way to go with this crew. I would teach them to mess with a supernatural creature. I went back again the following night and wasn’t surprised to find the guard doubled yet again.
I WATCHED THE ship from my rooftop perch and made certain that what I was seeing was actually true. Nearly a dozen men were topside and armed with what smelled like silver blades. So. They’d already pegged me. They still stank of fear, and they were only sailors, not monster slayers.
How, you might ask, could I tell their weapons were silver? Allow me a moment to explain. Silver, like other pure earthly ores, has its own scent. It’s a very metallic smell that leaves a bite on the back of the tongue, as opposed to gold, which stays rather sweet, or iron, which basically smells like very dense wood. Perhaps a human can’t smell it, but trust me when I tell you that when there’s this much silver in one place, a vampire can’t help but smell it.
I settled into the shadows and continued to watch the men as they peered outward from the ship, desperately seeking something half of them believed no mortal could see. This time there were men stationed on both the port and starboard sides. This captain wasn’t stupid. He either discovered how I had boarded the night before or he strongly suspected it. Obviously, he knew what I was.
A closer inspection showed a single man that had been hoisted into the sails. He slowly spun, a spyglass to his face, scanning both the water and the land.
This was going to be tougher than I originally feared.
I studied the dock and saw nothing obvious that would allow me to board the ship easily. There were no booms hanging over the edge and no lines cast that couldn’t be observed from the deck.
I sat back and studied the vessel. I could see the lamplight within the captain’s quarters and knew that he stood awake, ready to bolt from the room and observe his crew slicing and dicing me to bits.
At three bells the door to his quarters opened and the female stepped out. She was still dressed in black fabric that flowed over her leather armor. That damned sword of hers was strapped to her back.
I felt my jaw tightening at the desire to remove her head from her shoulders. She spoke quickly to the men on watch before standing at the gangplank. She placed her hands on her hips and stared out into the night.
My eyes have no trouble seeing at night, but this evening the moon’s light was bright and her face was highlighted by its silver glow. I was actually admiring her foreign beauty when she sniffed at the air then turned and returned to the cabin. I suddenly felt a knot in my stomach. I imagined her as the captain’s concubine; likely, but she also knew her demons and was a whiz with a sword. Suddenly, I was intoxicated by the possibilities.
Now, don’t misunderstand. I had no desire to take up with another human. After the small handful I’d…had, I was in no hurry to repeat the mistake. As I said before, they’re just food. That was nature’s pecking order. But this incident was before I had learned that lesson well enough. There was something exotic to this woman’s eyes, the curve of her mouth…those clothes just revealing enough of her shape. The softness of her cheeks and that jet black hair…the totality of it all reached inside me and twisted something. I felt a…longing for her. Perhaps there was something else twisted inside me that wanted to molest her form before eating her; a much safer course to fulfill these untoward desires. I honestly don’t know.
I found myself climbing from the rooftop and skirting the vessel. I made my way to the water and slipped over the edge of the dock.
I swam between the burnt and oiled posts that held the wharf up and made my way to the aft of the ship. I broke the surface of the water and stared up at the rear windows of the captain’s cabin. The soft glow of the lamps cast shadows across the walls and ceiling of the small quarters. I watched as she stepped into view and stared out toward the dock.
I slowly slipped back into the water and edged closer to the ship. I extended my nails slightly and dug them quietly into the water soaked wood. I pulled myself up and scaled the rear of the ship, working my way to the starboard edge.
I leaned over and peeked into the cabin. The captain sat in his chair, a quill between his fingers. He spun it gently as she paced back and forth in front of his wide desk. She was saying something and he shook his head slowly.
I could tell by her tone that she held some kind of authority on the ship. Perhaps the first mate?
She pointed to the door and practically yelled something at him. He sat quietly and did not lose his temper from her tirade. He simply shook his head and replied softly. This infuriated her and she turned for the door once more. He spoke again and she paused, her head slowly lowered and she nodded. With a wave of his hand, she was dismissed.
I studied the way she walked. The sway of her hips. The way her hair swished as she turned her head. How can a woman simply pull her hair back into a ponytail and still look like she could attend any state function with grace and beauty?
I felt a pang of regret as she stepped out onto the deck and the captain turned his attention back to his log. I tried to see what he wrote, but soon realized that his scratches were as foreign to me as his tongue.
I exhaled hard and pulled myself to the top of his cabin once more. I crawled quietly to the edge and stared across the deck. She walked slowly and spoke to herself as she made her way from one end to the other, effectively pacing while gathering her thoughts.
There was still quite a bit of gear stowed atop the captai
n’s quarters, and I slid between two wooden crates. The shadow from the boxes and the folded sail before me effectively blocked me from view. I studied her for at least another hour; she only broke her pacing to periodically speak to the guards who all, to the man, shook their head. I’m assuming she was asking if anybody had noted activity on the pier.
She eventually sat down and pouted. I watched as she planted her hand under her chin and stared into the shadows.
I don’t know what possessed me but I found myself crawling closer to the edge of the cabin and staring down at her. She was perched atop a crate near the starboard rail. Her ass sat nearly at the level of the rail and in a moment, my body was reacting before my brain could think out all of the possibilities.
I launched myself from the top of the cabin and tackled her, taking the both of us over the rail and into the water below.
From under the surface, I simultaneously fought with her, swam away from the ship and listened to the alarm and activity aboard the ship.
None of the guards dared dive in after us and after a few moments she stopped fighting my grip and went limp in my arms. I knew I had little time to get her back into the air or she’d be lost.
I EASILY PULLED her to a far end of the pier. I watched her eyes flutter open and she let out a groan as she sat up. I’m sure her mind was in a state of confusion as she took in the fish processing house I had tucked us into. She glanced around and spotted me watching her from a corner. Her hand instantly shot to her shoulder and reached for the blade that, naturally, was no longer there.
I stood and stepped into the glow of the moonlight. I held her sword out to her and asked, “Is this what you’re looking for?”
She stared at me with wide eyes and scooted slightly back, her hand bracing her. Now, I can read body language. She was trying to appear scared, but really she was finding leverage to launch an attack. I stepped to the side and put the large wooden table between us. She sighed slightly and I watched her shoulders relax.
When she spoke, I had no idea what she was saying but her voice was calm and even. I listened for a moment then shook my head. I only knew three languages; she obviously wasn’t familiar with English, so I tried French next. She didn’t respond.
She slowly stood and pointed at me. She said something then that caught me off guard. “You are…barbarian?”
She spoke my native tongue and I was more than surprised. I followed her pointing hand to a necklace I still wore from my homeland. It was a simple rune inside a knot. I glanced back at her and nodded slightly.
“You know my words?”
Her eyes were still wide, but she nodded slightly. “I speak…little.”
I approached her slowly, sitting on the edge of the table, ensuring that I kept enough distance between us that she couldn’t launch a surprise attack. “How did you learn my words?”
“My…greatmother. She spoke of barbarians with…white hair. They come to our village many generations ago.” She lowered her eyes and her jaw clenched. “They did…bad things to my people.”
I nodded, knowing too well the reputation of my ancestors. “I was not among them.”
“You…kill…my crew. You eated them.”
I opened my mouth to argue but couldn’t. I gave her a curt nod. “True. But that is not because of my people. It was…another, who made me what I am.” I held my hands out in surrender.
“Now you will eated me.”
There was no fear in her voice and almost an innocence in the way she spoke. I waited until she turned her eyes back to me, then I shook my head. “No. I will not eat you.” I tried to give her a smile but she turned away.
“You are jiang shi. You will eated me.” She turned slightly, her shoulder blocking her face as she lowered her eyes.
Okay. Here’s where things went sideways. Like an idiot, I allowed myself to feel something for this woman; in other words, dance right into her trap, the oldest one on earth. I reached out to touch her…to reassure her, that I was not going to eated her. The moment my hand touched her shoulder, she snapped. Her hand shot up and grasped my wrist. Her entire body launched from the small table I had laid her out on and before I could blink she had kicked up and out, swinging her legs up and over my shoulder. Her thighs were on either side of my face and one calf was under my chin, the other locked across, effectively putting me in a choke hold.
While she sat atop my shoulders cutting my air supply, this nimble little vixen bent backward trying to reach her sword. I have no doubt that if she could have reached it I would be minus a head about now. Luckily for me, I had the state of mind to bend forward.
Actually I didn’t just bend forward, I did my best to throw her from my back, yet somehow she remained locked in place. I was bent so low that I could see her outstretched hands reaching for the blade.
I turned and put myself between her and the sword. We stumbled and tripped over furnishings and processing equipment, knocking over anything and everything in our way.
I made my way to the wall and turned around. I threw myself against the solid brick wall, praying that I could strike this wench from my shoulders, but for some reason I couldn’t make contact with the wall; an invisible barrier kept bouncing me back.
I glanced up and saw her hands clamped to the rafter overheard. Each time I launched myself backward, she pulled upward and effectively swung us harmlessly toward the wall, but never into it.
I cursed under my breath and grasped her by the knees. I squeezed hard and once I heard her sharp cry, I tried to twist her off of me. I’ll give her credit, she never loosened her grip on my neck. I did, however, spin her around until she was facing me. I was face to crotch with her and I was tempted to bite the buttons off her leather pants. Not in…you know, not in that way but to get her off. OFF ME! To cause enough pain…okay. Stop looking at me like that.
I slid my hands up from her legs and once I felt her soft midsection I squeezed again. I felt at least four ribs break as I mashed the air from her. I pulled her down and off of my neck and threw her to the ground.
She landed like a wet sack of sand and rolled slowly to her side, her mouth working like a fish trying to gulp air.
I didn’t give her a chance to recover. I grabbed her by her boot and dragged her back to the center of the room. I tossed her unceremoniously onto the small cleaning table and ripped a net from the wall. I used the leading edges to tie her to the wooden surface then stood back and glared at her.
“I was trying to befriend you.”
She glared at me with such hatred that I was taken aback. “You are barbarian. You eated my people!” She spat at me, her eyes boring holes into my chest. “You are jiang shi!”
I didn’t know what a jiang shi was, but I’m assuming it was a vampire or some other mythical blood sucker. I felt my shoulders slump and I practically fell into the chair across from her.
What was I thinking? Yes, she was easy on the eyes but…she was food. I should just eat her, as she insisted I would. I have no idea why I snatched her from the ship and dragged her here. I sat and stared at her, my mind threatening to mutiny.
What she said next nearly knocked the wind from my sails. And this is the part that hurt worse than her damned sword.
Chapter 6
“BARBARIANS RAPED AND killed my ancestors.” Her voice was soft. There was almost a hint of crying to it as she spoke. “Those who stayed behind…they continued to raid villages along the coast. We were shunned for generations. ”
“The Vikings stayed? In China?” I don’t know why her words struck me but I felt that I needed to hear what she was about to say.
She nodded almost imperceptibly. “They mixed with my people. The Province leaders…shunned us.”
“Us?” I stood and stepped closer to her, still wary of her potential.
She turned and faced me, tears in her eyes. “My grandmother was raped by the barbarians. She was taken by one as a wife when they settled.” She inhaled sharply and lifted her chin. “My mothe
r is half barbarian.”
I studied her face and knew that her words were true. I stared at her as my mind raced. She was part Viking.
Now…I don’t think of myself as Viking first; I don’t consider myself vampire first, either. I’m just…me. But there was something inside me that had real difficulty in seeing this beautiful woman as “just food”. The odds of us being related were slim, if not entirely impossible, yet there was that tiny voice in the back of my mind that screamed at me.
I heard my voice before I realized the words had come out of my mouth. “Who is your captain?”
She shook her head slightly and stared directly up at the rafters. “He is the youngest son of our Emperor. He was given a fleet of trade ships. Only two remain.”
“What happened to the rest?”
She shook her head. “I am not allowed to say.”
“Say it anyway.”
She swallowed hard and took a deep breath. Either to buy time or to screw up her courage. She finally sighed. “They were lost to pirates.” She turned and there was sadness in her eyes. “He must make good on this voyage or he will lose favor in his father’s eyes.”
“You care for him?” I think this was the question I had wanted to ask from the beginning.
She shook her head. “I am sworn to protect him.” She turned again and stared at the ceiling again. “If I fail, my village will be destroyed.”
I sat quietly and studied her. She wasn’t lying. I finally stood and walked to her still form on the table. I leaned over and entered her vision. Her eyes never moved, but I know she was staring straight into my own.
“Do you love him?”
“No.”
There it was. No emotion. No feeling. Not even fear of having her village razed should she fail.
Hunter II Page 5
