Empire of Night

by Justin Somper

  Mosh Zu shook his head sadly. "Sidorio's rebellion has provided a magnet for other Vampirates who cannot make peace with what they are, who see their condition as license to behave like demons. They live up to the horror story we spun through the shanty. Their way is not our way, but we cannot expect mortal eyes to draw a distinction."

  Mosh Zu had come to stand in front of the hearth. The fire in the grate was unlit, but there was hot anger in his eyes as he continued. "A time of war is coming, my friends. We did not invite this war. Nor do we welcome it. But, make no mistake, we will fight it. And we will win it. This message comes to you from me and from your captain. It is the reason why he had to go away. Before, he was too weak to fight the growing forces of darkness. When he returns, things will be very different."

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  "This war," said Lorcan. "So it's between us and Sidorio's force? Between us and this empire of night?"

  "In part," said Mosh Zu. "But Sidorio's actions have opened up a further rift between us and the mortal pirate world, which even now is preparing to attack us."

  Grace thought of Connor and shook her head. "The pirates won't attack us," she said. "It's Sidorio they have in their sights. They must be able to draw the distinction, surely?"

  "This is how wars begin," Mosh Zu said, "but not how they end. We will do what we can to avoid war with the pirates but, at the same time, we must make ready for it."

  "How?" Lorcan asked.

  "Each of you will play a key role," Mosh Zu said. "That is why I summoned you here tonight."

  "Us?" Darcy said. "What can we do?" She glanced at her friends. "I'm not putting you two down, but given the general doomsday scenario, what hope do we have?"

  "Plenty," Mosh Zu said, breaking into a smile. "The immortal future begins with the three of you. Your captain and I have complete faith in you."

  He turned toward Lorcan. "Lorcan, your mission relates to combat. The Nocturne has always been a ship of pacifists. Because we have steered clear of trouble and kept to ourselves, we have not had to fight before. Now, however, we are in a position where we must defend ourselves. You will develop combat techniques and train the crew to

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  fight, both against Sidorio's forces and, if required, against the pirates."

  "That's quite a job!" Lorcan exclaimed.

  "Which is why we need someone of your talent and character in charge," said Mosh Zu. "I will work with you, of course, and the captain, too, once he returns."

  Lorcan nodded. "I shall do what I can," he said, "and gladly."

  "Very good." Now Mosh Zu turned to Darcy. She crossed and uncrossed her legs nervously, then began twisting a strand of her hair.

  "Darcy, you are much stronger than you think. Why, you saved the captain's life when he was at his weakest. You must have greater belief in yourself." He smiled. "Now, no one could disagree that you are a great communicator, Miss Flotsam. You like to talk, am I right? To gossip and chat with all of the crew?"

  "Well, yes," Darcy said, flushing with embarrassment. "I like to be au courant with my fellow travelers. Guilty as charged."

  "Which is what makes you perfect for your mission," Mosh Zu said. "There are two parts to your task. First, you will be my eyes and ears throughout the ship. You will talk to each and every member of our crew. You will listen to them and watch them and, if you have the merest suspicion of a new rebellion, you will tell me. We cannot afford another insurrection at this point."

  Darcy nodded. "I understand," she said.

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  "There is another facet to your role," Mosh Zu said. "The captain and I have made an important decision. It fills us with a certain sadness, and it is not one we have taken lightly."

  Grace, Darcy, and Lorcan exchanged a glance, wondering what he was going to say.

  "Sidorio has laid claim to the name 'Vampirates.' He has sullied it beyond repair," he said. "Henceforth, we will make a distinction between his forces and our own. From now on we will call ourselves the Nocturnals, after our ship The Nocturne ."

  "The Nocturnals?" Darcy repeated.

  Mosh Zu nodded. "The second part of your mission is to instill this word among the crew. Help them to embrace this new identity. Can you do that?"

  "I shall do my best," Darcy said with some zeal.

  "Now you, Grace," Mosh Zu said, turning to face her. "In many ways, your mission is the hardest."

  She shivered at his words. What did he and the captain intend for her?

  "You will accept Sidorio's invitation," Mosh Zu said. Grace was struck dumb. How did he know?

  Mosh Zu smiled, but when he spoke his voice was icy and humorless. "Does Sidorio think he can send his lieutenant and his wife to prowl about my ship and consort with my crew and I will not know about it?"

  Grace could feel the gaze of the others burning into her.

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  "Johnny came to see me," she explained. "And then Sidorio's wife, Lola Lockwood. They've invited me to join them on their ships." She turned to Lorcan. "I was going to talk to you about it, but it only happened a couple of nights back, on Feast Night, and I had a lot of thinking to do."

  "A lot of thinking!" Lorcan exclaimed. "What thinking did you have to do? Of course you cannot accept the invitation!"

  Grace felt herself flush, but Mosh Zu answered for her. "On the contrary, Grace must accept their invitation."

  "No!" Darcy exclaimed.

  "For what good reason?" inquired Lorcan.

  "For two very good reasons," Mosh Zu said. "First, it will give us an unparalleled opportunity to spy on Sidorio and his wayward crew. Second, it will give us the chance to destroy the empire of night from within."

  Lorcan was aghast. "It's not fair to ask Grace to do all that. It's too big a task. And it's dangerous. Let me go instead."

  Mosh Zu shook his head. Lorcan's face was like thunder. Darcy was in tears.

  Grace felt suddenly calm and stoic. "Don't you see?" she said, addressing her two friends. "I must go. I'm the only one of us who can do this. It's my responsibility. I'm Sidorio's daughter."

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  16 SECRET AGENTS

  "I hate to leave you here, all on your own," said Lorcan.

  Grace glanced along the desolate beach, shivering in the night breeze. "I'll be all right," she said, glancing at her watch. "Besides, I won't be alone for long. The ship should arrive soon enough to pick me up."

  Lorcan frowned. "In fact, I really hate you having to do this at all."

  Grace dropped her suitcase down onto the sand and reached out her arms, resting her hands around Lorcan's slender neck. "I have to," she said. "I'm..."

  "I know," he said, frowning again. "You don't have to say it again. You're Sidorio's daughter."

  Grace shook her head. "I was going to say that I'm ready to do whatever it takes to secure the future of the Vamp--" she broke off, then corrected herself. "To secure

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  the future of the Nocturnals." It was still a mental adjustment using the new term, though she completely understood Mosh Zu's reasons for the change. Grace looked up into Lorcan's achingly handsome face. Concern was etched into every pore. "Please try not to worry," she said. "I can take care of myself, you know."

  He nodded. "I know that. Truth is, I've grown rather fond of taking care of you." His blue eyes glowed with intensity as he leaned forward to kiss her.

  "It's only for a while," she said as his lips lifted from hers. "I have to do my duty just as you're doing yours. Besides, you'll be so busy training up the Nocturnals in combat, you won't have time to notice I'm not around."

  Lorcan drew her close again. "I shall notice," he said. "I shall notice your absence as if a star is missing from the sky. But I shall know that my star is coming home soon, and I will be strong for her."

  Grace smiled and snuggled against the familiar harbor of his muscled chest. If only they didn't have to part. If only things hadn't reached this impossible pass. But there was no future in "if only." They had to go forw
ard, do their duty, and carve out a new future. It was the only way. Reluctantly, she broke free of Lorcan's hold. "You had better go," she said. "They won't come to get me if they see The Nocturne lurking in the shallows."

  "You're right," Lorcan said. He drew her close once more and kissed her again. Then he gently released her, smiled, and turned away. She couldn't be sure but, as he

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  turned to head off across the beach, she thought there was a trace of water in his eyes. As he made his way across the sand, his old military greatcoat flapping in the breeze, she realized how deep her connection with Lorcan had become. They were inextricably bound together and, in spite of her brave words, it was going to be very hard being apart.

  Grace stood watching The Nocturne slip away into the night. She felt a shiver run down her spine and was unsure whether it was the breeze cutting across the exposed stretch of beach or the sudden realization that she was now alone. She drew her coat close around her. As she adjusted her scarf, she felt a hand on her shoulder.

  "Grace." The voice, as well as the unexpected touch, made her jump.

  She turned to find her brother, standing at her side.

  "Connor!" she exclaimed, suddenly filled with joy. She opened her arms and they hugged. "It's so good to see you again!"

  "You, too!" He nodded vigorously, beaming. He was dressed warmly in a parka, his kit bag strung over his shoulder. The kit bag reminded her of their last good-bye, at the gates of Sanctuary. She had been angry with him then, but there was no residue of that anger now. She no longer felt alone. There was so much to share with him, not least the change of name from Vampirates to Nocturnals. And she wanted to know how he was dealing with

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  the news that he was Sidorio's son, and a dhampir. Was he experiencing the same blood hunger she was? If so, how was he dealing with it?

  "I knew that they'd invited you, too," Grace began, "and they told me you were coming, but I wasn't sure. I mean, I know how you feel about the Vampirates!"

  Connor's face was serious. "My feelings about the Vampirates haven't changed," he said.

  "Even though..." Grace began.

  "Even if I am a dhampir," he acknowledged. "Grace, I know what we both are. I know that Sidorio is our blood father."

  "I think it's important to remind ourselves," she said, "that though we have a blood connection to Sidorio, Dexter Tempest was--and always will be--our dad."

  Connor smiled. "Yes," he said. "Yes, you're absolutely right." His expression grew serious again. "Grace, I'm not sure how much time we have before they come to get us, and there's a lot to fill you in on."

  She nodded. "I have loads to tell you, too," she said. "But there'll be plenty of time, once we're on the ship together."

  Connor shrugged. "Perhaps, but we'll have to be careful," he said.

  "What do you mean?" Grace asked.

  "You need to know something," he said. "I haven't accepted this invitation because I want to get to know Sidorio, his wife, or his crew. I'm not here to come to

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  terms with my new identity, either. I'm here as a spy. I'm on a mission for the Pirate Federation." He paused and took a breath. "I've told you before that the Federation is changing its stance on the Vampirates. I've warned you. I know that you feel a strong attachment to Lorcan, Darcy, Mosh Zu, and the captain, but war is coming, Grace. Everything is changing. You have to prepare yourself and be ready to make some tough decisions." There was a pleading in his eyes.

  Grace nodded. "I am prepared," she said. "And just so we're clear, I'm not here to get to know Sidorio or Lola Lockwood either. As for coming to terms with my new identity, I'll do that with my friends who I can trust." She gazed deep into Connor's eyes. "I'm here on a spying mission, too. The Vampirates know about the war." She saw Connor's eyes widen. "The captain and Mosh Zu are implementing far-reaching changes. It's vital to them that the pirates do not regard all Vampirates as the same. That's why their crew, my crew, will now be known as the Nocturnals. We need the pirates to understand that there's a difference between us and Sidorio's mob."

  "Well!" Connor said, letting out a breath. "That's quite some news."

  Grace nodded, pleased with herself. "When you next pass information back to the Pirate Federation, you must make that clear. The sooner they recognize the distinction between the Vampirates and the Nocturnals, the better."

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  Connor nodded, but frowned. "Grace, I will tell them. But I've tried to make them aware of the different factions before."

  "You have?"

  He nodded. "I had to protect you and do everything in my power to stop you coming to harm through any pirate offensive. Besides, I know that Lorcan and the others have been good to you, and I'm grateful to them."

  Grace smiled. "Actually, there's something else I need to tell you."

  Connor raised his hand. "Please, Grace. We don't know how much time we have left before the Vampirates arrive. And we don't know how safe it will be to talk once we're on board. This could be our last opportunity to exchange meaningful information."

  Grace was irritated that, as usual, Connor was trying to take the upper hand. How did he know whether what she was going to tell him did or did not qualify as meaningful information? In her view, news of her relationship with Lorcan was very meaningful.

  "Like I say," Connor continued, "I've tried hard to make the pirates distinguish between the two factions. I'll carry on emphasizing that but, if it comes to a full-blown conflict, those lines of distinction will inevitably become blurred."

  Grace shrugged. "Then it will be up to us to unblur them," she said. She had the sudden realization that she and Connor were not on the same side. She felt foolish for

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  not having absorbed that before. Now, it was all too clear. Although he was genuinely doing his best to look after her, when war did eventually come, he would be on the side of the pirates and she would be on the side of the Nocturnals. If he was right, and the pirates failed to distinguish between the Nocturnals and the Vampirates, then she and Connor would be in opposite armies. The thought filled her with a deep sadness.

  "Hey," Connor said. "What's wrong? You don't look so pleased to see me anymore."

  Grace shook her head. "I'm always happy to see you. I was just thinking that we're on opposite sides now."

  "You're right," Connor said. "And that's driven me mad in the past. That's why I've tried so hard, and often ineptly, to tear you away from the Vamp--from the Nocturnals. But I know now that I can't. And I don't expect you to leave them either."

  Grace was surprised by his honest assessment of the situation, but it didn't offer any easy solution. "So, what do we do?" she asked.

  "We may not be on the same side in this conflict," Connor said. "But we're both here to spy on Sidorio and his operation. To work out how best to take him down." He reached out his hand and took hers, giving it a squeeze. "When you think of it like that, we're here to do exactly the same thing, aren't we?"

  He smiled at her. Grace smiled back, thinking how much more grown-up her twin brother looked since she

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  had last seen him. He was changing, just like her. The thought reminded her that they hadn't yet spoken about being dhampirs. But he was right. Time was short and this was a big subject to start exploring in the fleeting moments that remained. She squeezed his hand and grinned. "Whoever would have thought?" she said. "The two outsiders from Crescent Moon Bay now heading into a war zone as secret agents!"

  Connor turned his whole body to face her. "Grace," he said, "we must do everything we can to prevent it from coming to that." He sighed. "I may as well tell you this: the pirates are training up to fight the Vampirates. I led the first assault on Sidorio's wedding. It wasn't a complete success--we failed to eliminate Lola Lockwood--but our intelligence and attack strategies are getting more sophisticated all the time. Going forward, no Vampirate, no Nocturnal, will be safe."

  Grace received this body bl
ow with a nod. She wondered if she should return the favor and inform him that the Nocturnals were also accelerating their combat training. Part of her wanted to deliver a reciprocal punch to his gut. But a calmer voice within her head cautioned her to keep quiet for now. Turning her eyes away from him, she saw that they were now indeed running out of time. Two ships, side by side, were making their way into shore.

  The ship on the left-hand side was ugly, brutish, and significantly larger than its companion. The smaller ves

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  sel, a traditional galleon, was far more appealing to Grace's eyes.

  Connor turned to Grace. "The bigger ship is The Blood Captain ," he said. "It was a prison hulk, but Sidorio and his crew took it over. It's his base of operations now. The other ship, The Vagabond , belongs to Lady Lola Lockwood. I thought maybe she'd have let it go now that they are married."

  "Evidently not," said Grace, her eyes fixed on the elegant Vagabond as it dropped anchor. There were figures on the deck, outlined in the moonlight. They were dressed similarly, but still she thought she could discern the imposing figure of Lady Lola among them. After all the grand talk of war and secret missions, suddenly this was starting to feel very real. Grace thought of her first run-in with Sidorio--the time he had held her captive in her cabin aboard The Nocturne . Then her thoughts turned to Lola and her own visit to Grace's cabin. Grace could still feel the sting of Lola's palm across her cheek. She flushed cold. She had been so eager to play her role in this mission, but was she really up to it and all that it entailed?

  Grace was distracted by the sight of two small launches, separating from the larger ships and making their way rapidly toward the beach. Each was occupied by just one person. As they came nearer, Grace recognized both faces. In spite of herself, she found herself raising a hand in welcome.