Gift of Darkness: Book 3 in The Vampire Pirate Saga

by Isadora Brown

  "Drew is misguided," the Queen said. "He will see. I will make him see."

  "And how...how do you expect to do that?" Kelia did not know where this sudden bout of strength to speak came from, but she was glad for it. It took her mind off the pain—at least, temporarily.

  The chandelier flickered overheard. The flames had burned down low, shadows now consuming the room rather than the light. That gave the Queen more of an advantage than Kelia, but Kelia would endure. She just needed to get whatever it was out of her stomach.

  "I will show him that a love between the two of you is impossible," the Queen said, her voice smooth and casual, as though she wasn't tugging on Kelia's hair, as though her fangs weren't out and at the ready for Kelia's throat. "You are a human. I will kill you in front of him after making you experience great pain. You will beg for death."

  Kelia chuckled at the thought. It sounded maniacal, even to her own ears.

  "What's this, princess?" the Queen asked. "Do you stare death in the face and laugh. Do you really believe you are that strong? Or perhaps you are an insipid, stupid thing who does not realize the danger you are in. The food you consumed, princess, is poison. It will rot your core until I kill you. Only one witch knows the cure, and she would not dare set foot on this island again after what she did to me. You will live in this pain as long as I wish, only to be saved from it when I show you mercy by ending your life. I am your god now."

  "I don't believe in Him, and I don't believe in you either," Kelia managed to get out before her stomach gave up the fight and forced whatever was consuming her to exit her stomach and hit the Queen. Kelia made sure her vomit was directed at the beast, and even though she might have otherwise been embarrassed at partaking in such an action in front of someone, she could not help but be satisfied at the look of utter disgust that touched the Queen’s features as she let out a shriek.

  The Queen, now soaked in thick chunks of recently devoured food, lunged for Kelia. The chair toppled over, sending Kelia onto her back. Kelia laughed again. She knew the pain was causing her to act as though she was a drunk whose mind had gone with the consumption of alcohol, but she could not help herself. She laughed, even as the Queen crawled on top of her, straddling her hips.

  "I do not plan to turn you," the Queen said. "And I do not plan to kill you, yet. But I promise you, princess, that you will soon not be laughing. Drew Knight belongs to me, and you will not take him from me."

  Before Kelia could let the Queen's words sink in, the Queen brought her head to Kelia's neck and ripped off her skin. Kelia could not keep the scream of pain to herself. The scream cut off. She could feel the blood flow out of her, could feel consciousness slowly slip away from her.

  Just as she was closing her eyes, the Queen spit up something.

  "Your blood," the Queen said with disgust. "It tastes… There's something wrong with it." Claw-like fingers coiled around Kelia's throat. "What is wrong with your blood? You do not taste pure, you taste..."

  Her voice trailed off, and Kelia laughed again. The Queen pulled one hand from Kelia's throat to slap her across the face, her long fingernails ripping open Kelia's cheek.

  "Why do you taste this way?" she demanded.

  "You know why," Kelia murmured, still smiling. Sleep was pulling at her. "I am not as pure as you think me to be, and Drew Knight is responsible for that. I’m surprised you didn’t smell it sooner."

  The last thing Kelia heard before she slipped into unconsciousness was the roar coming from the woman on top of her.

  Chapter 28

  Drew arrived on Sangre the sixth day. When it came into view, he could not help but curl his fingers into tight fists. He was not sure if he was excited or angry. He just knew he had to get on the island.

  He stepped away from the helm and slowly headed portside. His fists dropped, and he flexed his fingers before reaching to hold the side of the ship. He needed to do something that would slow his mind.

  All that he could think about was different ideas on how to get Kelia back. The problem was, he did not know how to pinpoint Kelia's exact location on the island. Once he knew where she was, he would know how to get her. He did not like to admit it, but he had been on this island for a long time and knew it well.

  There was a good chance he would die on this island. The Queen was powerful, and Drew had been defiant and reckless—especially falling in love with a creature as vulnerable as a human. But he did not care. He would die for Kelia without hesitation.

  "I don't understand," Daniella said from behind him. He glanced over his shoulder.

  Daniella and Emma paced up and down the deck of the ship.

  "The island is magicked?" Drew shook his head. "How is that even possible? I've done my research. You are the only witch who's powerful enough to do such a thing."

  It was something Drew had wanted to know more about for a while now. He had wanted to ask but did not want to speak of the Queen lest anyone overheard the conversation. Just speaking about her caused him to seethe with anger.

  The island appeared the same when he had met the Queen. She had been living there by herself, the island a sort of prison. She couldn’t leave; the East India Company had placed a spell on the island, damning her to her small kingdom. However, the Queen had admitted that strangers would stumble upon the island, and she would take advantage of their ignorance. Most times, they were here because of a treasure that was supposed to be buried on this island. Now that Drew thought about it, he would not be surprised if the Queen started the rumor to lure unsuspecting seamen to their deaths, sending Shadows away to spread it like fire.

  Either way, the Queen had found a witch powerful enough to cast a spell that allowed Shadows to walk on this island and this island alone. The East India Company used one witch. The Queen found another. It would not surprise Drew if it was the same witch because the spells did not seem to contradict each other. Shadows could walk freely no matter the time of day, and she could send her Shadows to do her bidding.

  Not only that, but the manor on the island in which the Queen lived in was also enchanted so the humidity typically permeating Caribbean islands could not affect the Shadows, who did not do well in the heat. Drew had asked the Queen once how this was accomplished, and she had refused to tell him.

  It was just one of the ways he had assumed she was being coy when she was really holding the power in the palm of her hands and making sure Drew understood that she was the one in charge in their relationship. It was not something Drew liked to think about.

  It wasn’t until he finally freed himself from the island that he learned the truth.

  He ripped his eyes from the island and took a step back. His crew was around the ship, preparing to dock. He had to remind himself that not all were loyal to him, which made him extra cautious.

  Drew didn’t know if it was best they head straight for the harbor and let the Queen know of their arrival, or if they should wait on the ship and make the Queen and her minions come to them. The Queen’s men were probably already aware of the Drew and his crew's presence. There was nothing surrounding Sangre, and the Queen had Shadows guarding the island, spying the horizon so any suspicious ship could be reported immediately.

  "What do we do?" Emma asked.

  He nearly jumped. Having been so wrapped up in his thoughts, he had not realized Emma and Daniella had made their way over to him.

  "What do you mean?" Drew asked. "Clearly we go and retrieve Kelia."

  "You say that like it's so simple," Daniella muttered.

  Drew forced a smile and placed his hands behind his back.

  "Not everything needs to be difficult," he said. He did not stop the way his tone accumulated a dryness to it.

  "This will be difficult," Daniella said. "We are near an island where Shadows can walk during the bloody day. That is something we must prepare for. What is a Shadow's weakness? For you, obviously, it's Kelia Starling, but what else? Silver, obviously. Silver and—"

  Drew placed his hands
on Daniella's shoulders.

  "Fire," he said, the idea popping into his head the minute she started rambling. "Fire. If we could burn the island—”

  "We could burn a lot of the Shadows," Emma finished. "At the very least, we could smoke them out. The manor is fire-resistant, but not smoke resistant. Even though Shadows are dead, they can suffocate from heavy smoke."

  "I am certain the Queen already knows we are here," Drew said. "So she is prepared. She would never think we would attack, only that I would come to retrieve Kelia. Perhaps if I went to the island myself, it would give you both enough time to prepare."

  "Prepare what?" Daniella asked, looking between Drew and Emma with a scrunched nose.

  "Aren’t you listening?" Drew asked. “Prepare to burn the island.”

  Emma stepped closer, angling her body between them. "Drew, she's never created fire that consuming before."

  She crossed her arms and gave him a look that said, you know that won’t work. But he stared right back, unflinching, because it had to work. They had no other option.

  Emma pressed her lips together, staring off at the space over Drew’s shoulder for a moment before adding, "Perhaps if Wendy were to help—"

  "Then have her help." Drew took a step back and glanced at the nearby staircase that descended belowdeck. "I do not understand why she would not. Kelia volunteered herself so Wendy would not be killed—”

  "It isn’t that she wouldn’t want to help," Emma said. "I don’t know if she can. Her heart is filled with grief, and when such a thing occurs to a witch, they cannot use their power to their advantage."

  Drew turned back to portside, his hands tight fists once again. "Tell me," he snapped. "What does she need to do?"

  "Daniella can create balls of fire the size of my head," Emma said. "That is what she knows how to do, what she can work up to. But that is the extent of it right now. If Wendy can use her gift of controlling the air by taking them to different points on the island, we might have a chance. You would need to grab Kelia quickly. Do you know where the Queen would keep her?"

  Drew only knew of two places: the prison underneath the manor or a guest bedroom she would have offered her in order to buy her trust. He would have to check both places.

  "I may," he said, touching his index finger to his chin. Another idea popped into his mind, and he dropped his hand. "Emma, you are an earth witch, more powerful than any other witch I know. Can you not just rid the island of the spell that allows Shadows to walk on land during the day? It is the afternoon now. Doing that would cause them all to die. You could retrieve Kelia. We could go on our merry way."

  Emma walked past Drew, averting her gaze almost as though she refused to look at him. Her rigid posture, the wrinkle in her brow, gave Drew the feeling she might be hiding something. Whether that was to protect him from the truth of something or for another reason, Drew did not know, and he did not have time to figure it out. Each moment they wasted dwelling on what to do was another moment of pain he was sure Kelia would be afflicted with. Part of him wished he had taken her blood. The exchange of blood would give them a connection, a bond, making her easier to find.

  "Once such a spell is cast, it cannot be undone, even by the witch who cast it," Emma said. "What we need to focus on is getting Wendy to work with us." She turned back around so she faced Drew once again. "Tell me, Drew, what is more important to you: getting Kelia back or killing the Queen, because with this plan, you will not be able to do both. You will destroy the island, most of what is on this island, and the Sea Shadows who get caught in the flames. But you know she has Sirens at her beck and call, and they might be able to temper the fire quickly. They might go after us, even if we have Kelia."

  Drew crossed his arms over his chest and paced. He wanted nothing more than to kill the Queen. However, Emma was right. He could not focus on two tasks. Right now, all he cared about was getting Kelia back. Once she was safe with him, he could focus on turning the Queen to ash.

  "All right," Drew said with a nod. "Our goal is to get Kelia. For now."

  "Then you must speak with your sister."

  Wendy had locked herself away in the room she typically shared with Daniella, Emma, and Kelia to the point where Emma and Daniella now slept in the galley to give Wendy space.

  Drew, on the other hand, was done giving his sister peace. He was sympathetic to her loss, of course, but there were other, more important things at hand. Dead men could not be saved, but Kelia still had a chance. Once she was back, and once the Queen was dead, Wendy could sit around and cry as much as she wanted. Right now, however, they needed her. And she needed to do more, despite her loss.

  He knocked on the door and waited. No response. He shifted his weight and knocked harder. Still nothing. He muttered under his breath, and just as he raised his fist to pound again, the door slowly creaked ajar, and Wendy peeked out through the small opening.

  "What?" she snapped, though her voice was dull and did not possess the luster it typically had.

  Drew cleared his throat. Any insult or annoyance died on the tip of his tongue. If he wanted help, and if he wanted it quickly, he needed to tread carefully.

  "We are at Sangre," he told her.

  "And?" Wendy asked, lifting her gaze.

  Drew flinched. The dark color of her eyes was nearly lifeless, the white surrounding the iris red. She had been crying, he knew, but he hadn’t realized how much. Her whole body looked exhausted—she could not hold herself up all the way—and it appeared, from what he could see, that she still wore the same gown she had on when they were still on the Isle of the Damned.

  "We need your help," Drew said.

  "I am in no place to help you," Wendy replied. "Now if you'll excuse me."

  Drew stuck his foot between the door and the frame, preventing her from closing it.

  "Then get in the place to help," he said. His patience was wearing thin. "You cannot simply shut off your powers because you have experienced a great loss."

  "I can do whatever I please." Wendy tried to close the door again to no avail.

  "I will snap this door in half if you will not at least consider what I have to say."

  Wendy sighed through her nose, and before Drew realized what was happening, tears accumulated in her eyes. She pressed her lips together to keep them at bay.

  "You know what your problem is, brother?" she asked, her voice shaky. "You only care about yourself. You only care about those you deem worthy of affection. Had you not considered that the Queen would be after Christopher for his betrayal? He helped you—"

  "Because he wanted to get to you," Drew interrupted. "If Christopher acted like anyone, he acted like I am acting right now. He had the same motives I do. He was willing to risk Kelia to make sure you were safe. All he wanted in life was for you to be safe because he loved you."

  Wendy shut her eyes tightly, the tears running freely down her face. Drew wanted to reach out to his sister, to pull her in his arms, but he did not know if such a thing was appropriate. He didn’t know how Wendy dealt with loss, outside of isolating herself, and he did not want to make her feel any more uncomfortable than she already felt.

  "Surely, you must know, Wendy," Drew ventured, placing his hand on the door and pushing it open. "You must know the way I feel about Kelia. I wanted to keep her locked on my ship." He shook his head. "Stubborn girl refused, of course."

  "She is stubborn," Wendy said, sniffling. "Why did she do that?"

  "Why did she do what?"

  "The Shadow was going to kill me," Wendy said. "I revealed my powers. I-I put a shield around me, around Kelia. I thought..." More tears fell from her eyes, and her face turned as red as her eyes. "I thought Christopher could take care of himself. I did not think—"

  "Wendy, you gave him the greatest gift any man could ask from his partner." Drew managed to ease the door open, and this time, he did not hesitate in wrapping his arms around Wendy. She fell into them and rubbed her face on his shirt. "You gave him trust. You gav
e him respect. You gave him the ability to die protecting the only person in the world he cared about. Do you know the Queen changed him at the request of the East India Company because they wanted to use him to kill Kelia? And through it all, he only cared about getting to you. And that damn ring."

  Wendy flexed her fingers and looked down at the ring on her finger. "He was to kill Kelia?"

  "She bested him, naturally," Drew said with a shrug, a proud smile on his face. "But Christopher did everything he could for you. You should not look to his memory with sadness but with pride. You know, without a doubt, he loved you. He died for you. Do not live in sorrow because he is not here any longer; revel in his sacrifice, in the love that now surrounds you because of it."

  In the following silence, Drew continued to run his hand up and down Wendy's back, hoping to soothe her.

  "You feel the same way for Kelia as Christopher felt for me," Wendy said finally.

  Drew nodded. "I need her back here with me, Wendy. I need to do everything in my power to protect her. But, for the first time in a long time, I realize I am powerless to save her alone. I need your help. If you will help me."

  Wendy’s eye filled with fresh tears. “But what if I can’t?”

  A lump formed in his throat. He believed she would try, but if what Emma said was true, her efforts might be for naught. He hated to admit what would happen if that were the case.

  He started down at his sister, the words nearly as heavy as his heart as he spoke. “If you can’t help us, Wendy, we will all die here.”

  Chapter 29

  It had been an hour or two since supper, and Kelia had never been in worse pain than what she was suffering through now.

  She was stripped of the gown she had been wearing, save for the corset and the shift. No longer did she stay in the luxurious bedroom she had been offered when she first arrived; rather, she was in a part of the manor that had a prison underneath everything. There was no bed, no place for her to relieve herself, and no window so she could not see the passage of time. It was permanently black, which was fine for the Shadows because of their ability to see in the dark without any assistance.