The Paranormal Research and Rescue Institute Books 1-3: Books 1-3 in the Paranormal Research and Rescue Institute Series

by Lora Edwards

  “Aye, I did, wench,” the pirate said.

  Ovidia swung out of his grasp, reaching beside her to pull out her sword. “Cutlass,” she whispered, and she pulled out a beautiful weapon with an inlaid blue jewel. The pirate was on his back with her blade at his throat before he even knew what had happened.

  “No one calls me wench, and I am not a plaything for men. I am a warrior in my own right, and I will strike you down if you even think of putting one of your grubby hands on me again.” She sneered right into his face.

  The tavern had gone silent as the grave. To a man they stared at the slip of a woman who had taken down a man twice her size.

  “Does anyone else wish to call me wench,” she asked, her blade on the pirate’s throat and one booted foot on his chest.

  The silence continued throughout the tavern. Then the pirate with the blade to his throat made a crucial mistake—he believed she was bluffing and reached up to grab her ankle.

  Anticipating the move, Ovidia used the momentum to swing into a backflip, coming round as the giant roared and threw himself to a standing position, only to find her blade at his throat once more. The small nick she made bled ever so slightly.

  The pirate looked down at his shirt and saw the spot of blood.

  “This wench made me bleed,” he roared, and if it hadn’t been for the blade at his throat, he would have acted on the murder in his eyes.

  “This is my tavern now, and you are not welcome here,” Ovidia said, pressing the point of the blade ever so slightly. “Leave,” she commanded, putting all the menace she could into the one word, showing him that she was serious and would not hesitate to remove his head from his shoulders should he make one wrong move.

  Ovidia in full warrior mode was a sight to behold, and Erik felt his heart skip then beat harder. She was magnificent.

  Two of the other men came and grabbed their comrade by the arms. “Come on Black Johnny, let’s find somewhere a bit more friendlier to drink,” one said, dragging the pirate out of the tavern, his eyes never leaving Ovidia’s, her gaze never wavering.

  The tavern was still and quiet for a few more moments until Ovidia raised her voice and said, “Next round on me boys. Drink up.” At that, a loud cry went up from the assembled men as they all rushed to refill their mugs then sit down and process what they had just seen. Black Johnny, one of the fiercest pirates to sail the seas, had just been put in his place by a slip of a girl. The story of the pirate warrior woman would permeate the lore of the place long after Ovidia had gone back to her own time.

  “That was some fancy showing off there, partner,” Erik said, an amused grin on his face as he picked up the mug of ale the bartender had left on the counter.

  Ovidia turned and threw a pile of gold coins on the bar as payment for the round she’d promised. “If that doesn’t cover it, let me know,” she said, looking the barkeep in the eye. Ovidia knew full well that the coins were more than the cost of the drinks.

  The barkeep had no intention of getting into the mix with her, especially after watching her put down Black Johnny.

  “That there will cover the drinks just fine,” he said before scooping the coins off the counter and into one of his pockets.

  Ovidia turned back to her conversation with Erik, drink in hand. “I am glad you enjoyed it. I did too—it has been too long since I’ve been in a good fight,” Ovidia said.

  “Did you not have any trouble during the Ripper assignment?” Erik had heard Ovidia was stabbed while taking down the Ripper.

  “Just a bit of a tussle with him. He did get in a shot though,” Ovidia said.

  “Well I have a feeling there will be plenty of time for you to brawl during this mission, if tonight is any indication,” Erik said, chuckling.

  Ovidia just rolled her eyes and took another sip of her drink. The ale in that time was awful and she usually preferred a nice glass of whiskey or a glass of wine to beer anyway, but this was what custom called for so she would learn to like it, or at least tolerate it.

  “Hopefully it garnered us enough attention to get an offer on a ship.”

  “Excuse me, I didn’t mean to overhear your conversation, but I heard you two were looking for work aboard a ship, a” a man asked from slightly behind them.

  Ovidia and Erik whirled around and both brought hands to their weapons.

  The lanky man behind them held his rough hands out in a gesture of peace.

  “I mean ya no harm, just an offer of employment and adventure, if you’re up to the task.” The man kept his hands in the air and his eyes on their weapons.

  Ovidia and Erik relaxed but kept their hands close to their blades.

  Erik gestured toward Ovidia. “This is Vid, and I’m Erik. We are looking for some employment and adventure—do you know someone who can help us,” he asked.

  “I have a ship, and since we have been in port, a few of my crew have decided to stay and look for different work. They found them some women to keep them warm and for some, that comfort is more important than the call of the sea.”

  “What kind of work would you be needing,” Erik asked.

  “Just a crew to the West Indies and back. I could use a few good fighters such as yourself. It is ruthless on the waters out there, not to mention the dangers of the sea itself. If we happen upon a ship that looks like it is a bit heavy in the cargo hold, well, there is always the opportunity to make a little on the side,” the man said with a grin and a wink.

  Erik looked at Ovidia and seeing her slight nod, he reached out his hand to the man. “You have two new crew members, you do.”

  “I be Captain Maher, but you can call me Captain Richard. We set sail at dawn tomorrow. Ship is the Neptune’s Cutlass and she is moored at the docks.”

  Ovidia and Erik nodded at Captain Richard before he walked away then turned to each other.

  “That was surprisingly easy, and he didn’t say anything about the fact that I’m female,” Ovidia said.

  “After the display of skills you put on here, I don’t think he cares what you are as long as you use those skills to keep his ship and crew safe,” Erik said.

  “We better get back to our lodging and get a good night’s sleep—we don’t know how long we will be at sea. I hope we don’t miss our rendezvous with Blackbeard,” Ovidia said.

  “I have a feeling that now that he is aware that we are in this time, it is just a matter of him finding us. I am sure Armand contacted him to tell him of our arrival.” Ovidia nodded.

  Chapter 8

  The wind blew cold and chilled to the bone, the salt and wet making Ovidia shiver. They stood on the dock in front of Neptune’s Cutlass, waiting for the captain and other crew to arrive so they could board.

  “Where could they be? He said sunrise,” Ovidia said, stamping her feet, trying to keep them warm in the cold wind that rolled in from the sea.

  “That is what he said,” Erik agreed, turning to look around and see if he could spot the captain and crew. “It is odd that they are not with the ship.”

  Just then they saw the lanky figure of the captain walking purposely up the boardwalk toward the ship. Behind him, a ragtag band of pirates followed, all looking hungover.

  “Sorry for the wait. I had to round up this sorry excuse for a crew before we could get underway. A little too much drinking and whoring last night, but they will work, yes they will.” Captain Richard glared behind him at the assembled men. “What are you waiting for? Get up there and pull down the gangplank—we need to get underway. Daylight’s burning, men!” Captain Richard barked, and the pirates sprang into action.

  Climbing up the ropes and aboard, they let down the gangplank for the captain and the two new crewmates.

  Soon Erik and Ovidia were working side by side with the other men to get the boat ready to sail. The men steered clear of Ovidia, having either been there to witness the bar fight of the night before or heard the very exaggerated tale told by the other crewmen who had witnessed it. Whiskey and gossip had made he
r into an almost mythical figure by that morning, and the men stared at her with a mixture of awe and trepidation.

  “I think your reputation precedes you,” Erik said, grinning at the looks the other crew members were giving her. Some of them were even making the sign of the cross as their paths crossed. Ovidia didn’t know if they did so because of the stories they had heard about her or because they thought it was bad luck to have a woman on the ship.

  Either way, she surmised it was a good thing. She didn’t mind showing the men that she wasn’t to be trifled with, but she also didn’t want to constantly be watching her back on her own ship.

  Before long, the chores were done and they were underway. Ovidia stood on the upper deck, her feet planted firmly against the roll and buck of the ship, the sea air streaming through her hair. She closed her eyes and just enjoyed the feeling, the sound of the creaking ropes, the swish of the water as the ship cut through the waves. She had missed the sea. It had been a few missions since she had been able to return to the water, and she was glad to be back.

  It soothed her, the roll of the ship, the crash of the waves. “Enjoying yourself are we,” Erik asked, coming up behind her. Once he would have wrapped his arms around her and looked out at the sea with her. Now he stood beside her, planting his feet and crossing his arms across his chest.

  “Yes, I miss the sea when I am out on other missions. It is in our blood. The raiding Vikings who worshipped our kind may be long gone but the love of exploring and the sea still runs through our veins,” Ovidia said to him.

  “It does feel good to be on a ship again, anticipating some kind of fighting,” Erik said, the gleam in his eye reflecting the one in hers.

  They stood that way for a bit, just enjoying being back in a place they loved. They looked out at the sea, enjoying the breeze on their faces, then in front of them, a speck appeared on the horizon.

  “Mates, I think I spy a cargo ship,” called the pirate in the crow’s nest. His spyglass was extended all the way and he was leaning so far out that Ovidia thought he might tumble out at the least bit of rocking from the ship.

  A round of cheers went up from the assembled pirates: it was time for some raiding.

  “Ready for your first pirate raid Vid,” Erik asked, his eyes twinkling.

  “You know I am,” she replied as they both headed down to the deck to help the other crewmen get ready for the invasion. Ovidia did have a twinge of guilt; people may well die at her hand, and for what—goods and some gold? She shook the thought away. This was what she had come for, and she would aim to wound, not to kill, only resorting to that if there was no other way.

  It should have been an easy target: a ship bound for London chock-full of spices, cloth, and gold from the West Indies.

  It turned out not to be a merchant ship but another pirate ship glutted with treasures from raiding.

  The fighting was bloody and long, and Ovidia reveled in it. She felt sweat run down her back as she lifted her cutlass, the jewel shining in the hilt as she swung and parried. She was at an advantage as she came over the side of the ship, the pirates momentarily stopping in their tracks upon seeing a woman. They quickly recovered and started toward her. Her eyes gleamed manically and she laughed the high-pitched laugh of the berserker. The clang of steel on steel, the sound of grunts and men moaning, the feel of blood running down her side where she was grazed—it all energized her, spurred her on. She let loose all her pent-up frustration and feelings. She fought like a madwoman and strengthened the reputation that had been started in the bar on shore. Soon every pirate on the seas would know of the warrior with the angel’s face.

  The other pirates were not gentle merchant folk who were terrified of the pirates who raided and pillaged. They were scrappy fighters, much like the crew she currently was part of.

  It was an exhausting fight, but her crew prevailed. The captain tied the men to their mast and stole their goods and gold, smirking as chests of spices and exotic cloth were carried across the plank.

  “You have been had by Captain Richard. Have a good day lads.” The captain pulled off his hat and gave them a bow, the red plume brushing the deck as he came back across to his ship to inspect the loot. The plank was slid back across, the sails unfurled, and the ship caught the winds, sailing farther out to sea and leaving the other pirate ship as a speck in the distance.

  “You did well back there my girl. You are an asset to me crew. I like knowing that back at the tavern wasn’t just for show. You have the soul of a warrior, and it is proud I am of having you on board. You can have the first pickins of the spoils,” the captain said, patting Ovidia on the back hard enough to make her take a step forward.

  “It is a pleasure to fight for such a man as you. I do have a question though: why didn’t you kill the captain and crew and take the ship?” It was something Ovidia had been curious about. There weren’t many pirates who would let the captain live or leave such a fine ship as the one they’d raided.

  “Do you think I shoulda killed them all girl,” he asked, one eyebrow raised in question.

  “No, I thought what you did was a fine thing to do, I was just surprised, that’s all. The other crews I have been a part of would have relished the killing,” Ovidia responded.

  “I’ll tell you a secret, knowing that if you spill it I will steal into your room one night and slit your throat,” he said, a sudden hard look coming into eyes, turning the soft dove grey to steel.

  “You have my word, Captain,” Ovidia said, not doubting that he would make good on the threat.

  “I have no taste for the killin. It is necessary now and again to put down an adversary or to bloody a man to keep the reputation up, but what would have I done with that ship? I don’t have enough of a crew to sail her home, and I humiliated those men by taking their booty. No reason to kill em as well,” the captain said. “They know well enough to tell the tale that they escaped and sailed away, or they’ll be finding themselves with me leanin over them in the night to finish the job.”

  Ovidia nodded. What he said made good sense; not all pirates were bloodthirsty tyrants.

  “If not for the battle and the killing, why the pirate trade,” she asked.

  “The spoils girl, and being out on the open sea, not having anyone telling me what I can and can’t do, feeling the roll of the deck under my feet and the sea spray in my hair. It has adventure, and I don’t mind a bit of fighting, as well as the gold and the spices. Since becoming a pirate, I have tasted and seen things I never would have been able to if I stayed on the mainland.” His eyes lit up as memories of past adventures slid through his mind.

  “How do you keep your crew from mutiny or killing for sport,” Ovidia asked, fascinated by this gruff but kind-hearted pirate.

  “I am selective in who I let join up with my crew. Most of the men here have been part of my crew for ages. I offer them a large share of the spoils, keeping the split even throughout the entire crew, including myself. I give them the same warning I give you, and I have had to follow through on my threat a few times, but most they believe me right enough. Now enough of this talking. Let’s sift through the spoils and you can choose yourself something nice.” The captain strode toward the chests on the deck, calling for the men.

  Ovidia smiled; they had lucked into a good crew with a good captain. There would be some fighting and adventure, but she was glad to be with a crew with some morals. Pirates with a conscience—who would have thought?

  The pirates divided up the spoils in a surprisingly businesslike way. There were chests of gold coins and jewels, spices, fine cloth, and artifacts from faraway lands. Ovidia chose a beautiful mermaid statue made of gold and encrusted with jewels as her first pick, and at the end of it, both she and Erik were laden down with gold coins, spices, and other treasures as their part of the spoils.

  Ovidia placed hers in her cabin room on the ship. It was a small but serviceable space, the one and only deference the captain gave to her being a woman. The rest of the c
rew slept in hammocks draped across the deck and in the hold, and Ovidia did have a small twinge of jealousy at them being able to have the sea breeze rock them to sleep—that was, until she tried out Erik’s hammock and decided she was well served with the small bunk in her private quarters.

  Chapter 9

  When the ship finally pulled into dock after three weeks of pirating, the crew was ready for downtime. They had plenty of treasure in their pockets. Ovidia figured most of it would go to drink and the women who worked in the taverns.

  “Well Vid, we had quite a run. Blackbeard should be out and around. What do you say we rent some rooms and then wander down to the tavern for a meal and some drinks,” Erik asked.

  “Sounds good,” Ovidia replied. They had grown close again while on the ship. Being the only two people who really knew who and what they were, they stuck close together. Erik had proved that he was not interested in her romantically as he had not made one gesture in that direction for the duration of the voyage. Ovidia didn’t know if she was happy or upset by that fact, but it was nice to have her friend back. They had been friends all their lives, long before they had been lovers, and she had missed talking to him, being able to bounce ideas off him and share her troubles. She knew now that she was still in love with him and probably always would be, but he didn’t appear interested and she didn’t know if she was willing to put her heart out there and risk him rejecting it again.

  She had been able to fight and drink and gamble and let loose her Valkyrie warrior side, and Ovidia couldn’t remember the last time she had felt so relaxed, so herself. The real mission hadn’t started yet, but she was glad she’d had the time to get back on her feet and get into touch with the other part of herself.

  Setting her things down in her rented room, Ovidia looked out the window at the hustle and bustle. They had chosen rooms on the nicer side of town as they were able to afford such luxury after getting paid for their work on the ship. The booty they had from the raids was plenty to afford the room. Ovidia would take the golden mermaid statue as a keepsake, and the rest she would give to the people of that poor town who were in need. She had no use for it, and it was stolen besides; it helped ease her conscience a bit to know that they had only stolen from other pirates and that the goods would go to helping families in need.