Black Heart

by Justin Somper

  “So he returned to Sanctuary to confront my mother?” Grace asked, her voice full of trepidation.

  Lorcan took a deep breath. “Yes, Grace, and she was so brave. She didn’t flinch. She admitted the truth. And she vowed never to reveal the whereabouts of her precious children, even when Sidorio threatened to kill her. Knowing that you and Connor were safe was all that mattered to her.”

  “But Sidorio knew about Dexter,” Grace said. “Why didn’t he simply seek him out and snatch us back?”

  Mosh Zu nodded. “A good question,” he said. “Sidorio employed some dark magic on Sally, but in return the captain and I froze his memories of Sally, right through to your birth. We took away all knowledge of his children.”

  “He doesn’t know he… created us?” Grace said.

  “No,” Mosh Zu said. Then his eyes darkened. “Though I sensed a thawing had begun.”

  “What happened?” Grace asked. Mosh Zu was silent. Grace turned to Lorcan, who hung his head.

  “What happened?” repeated Grace.

  Mosh Zu looked at her with concern. “Sidorio attacked your mother. He left her for dead and fled Sanctuary, returning to the Nocturne. Next, he attacked the captain but was brought into submission. As great as his powers were then, the captain’s were superior. And still are.” He paused. “After the attack, Sally was very weak. I tried everything I could to heal her, but we were losing her. The captain couldn’t bear the thought that she would never see her children, nor they her. He came to Sanctuary.” Mosh Zu hesitated. “Grace, it was then that he made the decision to save her in the only way ke knew how. He drew her into his arms and allowed her spirit to become fused with his own. He vowed to carry her soul until it was safe to release her.”

  Grace nodded. “Which was what happened during his healing catharsis?”

  “Yes,” said Mosh Zu. “Grace, I know the captain regrets not having set her free sooner. But he couldn’t. He was too frightened for her.” Mosh Zu paused. “I wish he was here now. I know that he would ask for your forgiveness.”

  A tear rolled down Grace’s face. “But there’s nothing to forgive! He saved my mother—you all did. You did everything in your power to give her one last chance.” She sighed. “And you succeeded.”

  Mosh Zu looked up, curious. “We succeeded? How?”

  “Because you brought the two of us together,” Grace said. “The captain gave Connor and me that gift. We both got to meet our mother, and she got to meet us. That would never ever have happened except for him—and for you.” She reached out her hand and squeezed Mosh Zu’s wrist. “Thank you,” she said. She let her hand rest there for a moment, then asked, “Please, would you finish the story now?”

  Mosh Zu nodded, but it was Lorcan who spoke. “Dexter was waiting in Crescent Moon Bay, looking after you both. I gather you were quite a handful!” He grinned. “I journeyed one last time to Crescent Moon Bay to tell him what had happened. And also to offer to take you both back on board the Nocturne.”

  “You were going to bring us up on board the ship?” asked Grace, surprised.

  Lorcan nodded. “Yes, but Dexter wouldn’t even entertain the thought. He told me so in no uncertain terms. He said that he would be the one to bring you both up. That you were Sally’s children, and if he could not have another day with his dear Sally then at least he would always have a part of her—two parts of her—alongside him.”

  “And so you see,” said Mosh Zu, “what I said before about love and hate. Though Sidorio acted out of hateful emotions, his actions led to something very different. For your true father was a man who didn’t even know how to hate. The goodness of his heart transformed Sidorio’s evil deed into a rare and wonderful blessing.”

  Grace was reeling from everything she had heard, and yet, strangely, she also felt within her a deep sense of peace. At last, there were no more secrets. She knew who she was and who her parents were. And though they were both gone, the depth of their love for each other and for their children felt very real to her, in spite of the dark turns the story had taken. In spite of Sidorio being her father. That was going to take a long time to adjust to.

  “I think I’ll go back to my cabin now,” Grace said.

  “Would you like me to walk with you?” Lorcan suggested.

  Grace nodded. “Yes, please, I’d like that very much.”

  “Good idea,” Mosh Zu said, rising from his chair and turning to walk back to the wheel. Lorcan and Grace took their leave.

  Out in the corridor, Grace seized Lorcan’s arm. “Let’s go up on deck,” she said, her eyes bright.

  Lorcan readily agreed. So they pushed open the door to the deck and stumbled outside, where a strong breeze was blowing. It sent strands of Grace’s auburn hair flying all over her face.

  “You look like a spiderweb!” Lorcan said. “Here, let me sort you out.” He reached out his hand to brush the strands away. Almost immediately, a fresh gust of wind blew, and her face was covered once more. They both grinned.

  “Look,” Lorcan said. “It’s starting to rain! Maybe we should go back inside.”

  Grace shook her head. “It’s only a summer shower. I’m not ready to go inside yet. I need to clear my head. Come on, it’ll be drier under the mainsail.”

  “Good idea!” Lorcan said, reaching out for her hand. Together they raced across the wet deck until they reached the relative shelter of the vast, winglike mainsail.

  “That’s better!” Grace said.

  Lorcan shook himself. “We’re both soaked through,” he said.

  “Just like when we first met,” Grace smiled. Then she shook her head. “Well, not when we first met, obviously, because I was a baby then.”

  “It’s all right,” Lorcan said. “I knew what you meant. And you’re right. It’s very much like the night we first properly met, you and I.”

  There was a new tone in his voice. He seemed somehow freer with her than before, as if by telling her the story and releasing his secrets, he could at last relax with her. Grace was delighted by this development. She glanced up at the rain, allowing the cooling drops to bathe her face and not minding one bit.

  “Look,” she said. “How strange! In spite of the rain, you can still see the stars. How bright they are tonight.” She pointed, but Lorcan didn’t look. His eyes remained fixed intently on her.

  “I can’t think of a finer sight in the whole world than the one I’m looking at right now,” he said.

  In spite of being drenched, Grace flushed at his words.

  Lorcan’s eyes sparkled at her, brighter than ever before. It was as if the rare blue gems of his irises had been washed by the rain and buffed by the moonlight to a new intensity. “Grace, there’s been something I’ve wanted to do for a very long time now, but things have kept getting in the way.” He reached forward, bringing a hand to the side of her face. Then he gently but firmly drew her wet face toward his. He gazed at her, as if seeing her for the very first time. Then he brought his soft lips down to hers and kissed her.

  She didn’t want the kiss to end, but when it did, Grace drew comfort from the thought that it might only be the first of a million kisses between them. She had been given two precious gifts—the gift of immortality and the gift of someone to share it with. She felt as if all the hardship she had endured was ebbing away. At last, the tide was turning. Lorcan held her in his arms, and she beamed up at him.

  “It’s strange,” Lorcan said. “After everything you’ve heard tonight, I swear I’ve never seen you look so happy.”

  “I am happy,” Grace said, surprised at herself. “Deep down in my soul, I feel peaceful and happy. I can hear my dad’s voice. Trust the tide! That’s what he told me. And I do, Lorcan. I trust that things are working out as they should. I know how much my mother must have suffered—and my dad, too, waiting for her all that time. But now they’re together again. It wasn’t at all easy to hear everything you and Mosh Zu told me, but at least now I can put the past to rest and look forward.” She gazed
into his eyes. “And we can be together.”

  “Yes,” he said, kissing her once more. “Yes, my sweet Grace, that’s exactly what I want, too.”

  Suddenly, his face turned serious. “Grace, I forgot. There’s one more thing.”

  “What?” she asked. Just when she thought all the secrets were out in the open, was there something more?

  “Oh, no,” he said, seeing her distress. “No, it’s okay.” He reached into the folds of his coat. “It’s just that before Sally left, she gave me a letter for you. She knew she was running out of time, and she wanted me to give it to you once you knew the truth.”

  “A letter from my mother?” Grace smiled with pleasure and relief.

  “Yes.” Lorcan nodded. “I’ve been carrying it around with me for days now, but you should have it.” He continued to riffle through his pockets. “That’s strange, I’m sure it was right here.” He unfastened the buttons of his greatcoat and turned it inside out to check its lining.

  “Which pocket did you think it was in?” Grace asked.

  “Why, this one, of course,” said Lorcan. “The one next to my heart.” He tapped the lining with his long, pale fingers.

  Grace frowned. “Well, there’s your answer,” she said sadly, pointing to where the lining had frayed. “Look, it’s worn away. I’m afraid the letter must have slipped out.”

  “Oh, no!” Lorcan cried. “Oh, Grace, how stupid of me. I am so sorry. What an idiot I am!”

  Grace shook her head. She was bitterly disappointed, but she didn’t want him to know that, didn’t want to spoil these perfect moments between them. “It’s all right,” she said. “Until a moment ago, I didn’t even know there was a letter. And after all, I know everything that happened now, don’t I?”

  “Yes,” Lorcan agreed, nodding his head. “Yes, there are no more secrets to get in our way.” He shook his head. “All the same, Grace, I am sorry. Where on earth can that letter be?”

  “Shh,” she said, leaning in close once more. “I’m sure it will turn up sooner or later.”

  45

  POSITION ONE

  Cheng Li turned the envelope over in her hands. Her mind kept coming back to the letter inside. She had always suspected there was something extraordinary about the Tempest twins, but this, this had exceeded even her expectations. It was even more of a gift because it had been brought to her by Lorcan Furey himself. She smiled. The Vampirates thought they were invincible, but they couldn’t even deliver a warning salvo without making a grade-A slipup like this. No, if anyone could lay claim to invincibility, it was surely the pirates. And among the pirates, she and her crew stood head and shoulders above their comrades within the Federation. They’d been given this special assignment to kill Kuo’s murderer. They’d done their research. They had the weaponry, they had an unrivaled crew of the finest young warriors to sail the seven seas. And now she knew that among that crew she had one very special warrior indeed.

  She let the envelope rest in her hands. It was a powerful playing card, this. The question was, When should she elect to use it?

  There was a knock on her door.

  Cheng Li set down the envelope on her desk and covered it with the notebook Jasmine had found in the archive.

  “Enter!” she called brightly.

  Connor pushed open the door, and closing it behind him, approached her desk. “You asked to see me, Captain Li,” he said.

  She nodded. “Yes, I did. Please sit down, Connor.”

  He settled himself in the chair facing her desk. He couldn’t help noticing that, though he knew he was a good few inches taller than Cheng Li, she seemed to loom higher than him from behind the desk. He smiled to himself. She must have had the chairs adjusted!

  “So,” Cheng Li asked, “how’s training been going this afternoon?”

  “Really well,” he said. “The new swords Master Yin made are awesome. They handle brilliantly.”

  Cheng Li nodded. “Of course. You get what you pay for from a master craftsman such as Master Yin.” She drummed her fingers on the top of the leather-bound notebook. “And Cate. Is she putting everyone through their paces?”

  Connor nodded, smiling once more. “She’s cracking the whip as only Cate can. It’s great to have her here. And Bart, too, of course.”

  Cheng Li smiled. “Just like old times, eh? I’m pleased to have them on my crew, too. Shall I let you in on a little secret, Connor?”

  He shrugged. “If you like.”

  “I have plans to recruit Cate and Bartholomew to the Tiger on a more permanent basis.”

  “You’ll have a job on your hands,” he said. “They won’t relinquish Molucco’s articles without a fight.”

  Cheng Li smiled. “If only they were more like you, Connor,” she said. “Well, we shall see what the future holds. I have a feeling that if we successfully conclude this mission, we’ll be able to persuade them, and many others, to join our crew. There’s no better strategist than Cate on any Federation ship. This is where she should be.”

  “What about Bart?” asked Connor.

  Cheng Li made a tower of her fingers. “I think we both know that Bart has his limitations as a combatant. He’s a wall of muscle, but he lacks subtlety under attack. But whatever the case, it’s clear to me that Cate will go wherever he goes. Besides, he’s your friend, isn’t he?”

  “Yes,” Connor nodded. “He’s my good friend.” So, he thought, it might be kind of nice if you refrained from dissing him in my presence. Perhaps his thoughts were somehow transmitted to her, because she now changed tack.

  “Well, I didn’t ask you here to talk about Bart or Cate. I wanted to talk to you about the mission.”

  “Sure,” he said, nodding.

  “I’m making some changes to the attack plan,” Cheng Li said.

  “Changes? What kind of changes?”

  “Personnel ones,” Cheng Li said. “It’s absolutely vital that this mission is successful. The eyes of the whole pirate world are watching us. And the Vampirate world, too. Our success—or failure—will echo across the oceans.”

  “We won’t fail,” Connor said.

  “Of course not,” Cheng Li agreed. “Especially as I’m moving you into position one.”

  Connor hesitated. “Position one?” he said. “That means that I’ll be the one to assassinate the target.”

  “Correct,” Cheng Li nodded. “You will eliminate Lady Lockwood.”

  Connor was shocked. For a moment, he said nothing.

  “What’s wrong?” she asked. “I thought you’d be ecstatic to have this responsibility—a thrusting young fighter like you. This is the break you’ve been waiting for. You’ll be the hero of the Federation if you pull this off, or rather, when you pull this off.”

  “I don’t understand,” Connor said. “Why me? Jacoby’s your deputy. It was always going to be his position.”

  Cheng Li shook her head. “The plans were fluid. I’ve been mulling things over.” She caught a glance of the corner of the envelope peeping out from beneath the leather notebook. “And Cate and I have been talking. It’s clear to us that you are the stronger fighter. Oh, make no mistake, Jacoby’s good. But you, well, you really are something of a prodigy, Connor.”

  “Thank you,” he said. “But how’s Jacoby going to feel about this?”

  “That’s not your concern. Leave Jacoby to me. I’ll make him understand that there are bigger concerns here than personal pride. He’s the deputy captain. He will understand that the success of the crew, the success of the mission, comes before everything.”

  She spoke with passion, but Connor remained dubious. He was thinking guiltily of the kiss he and Jasmine had shared. First, he had stolen Jacoby’s girlfriend, and now he was usurping his role on the ship, too. What a great friend he was turning out to be!

  Cheng Li stared at Connor inquisitively. Above her, the portrait of her father, Chang Ko Li, seemed to stare down at him with the same penetrating eyes.

  “Is there a problem, Conn
or? Something I should know about?”

  Connor hesitated. He shook his head. “No,” he said. “I’m just really uncomfortable about taking Jacoby’s position from him.”

  Cheng Li ran her finger along the top of the envelope. Was now the time to play her trump card? It would be a gamble. The letter could work in one of two ways. It could prove deeply motivational to Connor, or else it could send him completely over the edge. Though she knew Connor Tempest well, it was just too close to call. She decided to try another course.

  “You’ve killed before, Connor.”

  “I know,” he said. “That isn’t the problem.”

  “Are you sure?” she asked. “Because if you do have a problem with our mission, I need to know right now.” She was pushing him hard, but she had to get the measure of him.

  “I don’t have a problem with killing,” he stammered. “For a good reason.”

  Cheng Li nodded. “All right, then. And you understand the reason here?”

  Connor nodded.

  “So humor me,” said Cheng Li.

  Connor frowned again. “The target, Lady Lockwood, is a cold-blooded killer. She murdered Commodore Kuo, and Varsha and Zak, in cold blood. She’s on the verge of making an alliance with Sidorio. She must be stopped.”

  “Correct,” Cheng Li said. “Connor, I know that at the outset of the mission, you were concerned on account of Grace’s allegiance to some of the Vampirates. Is that what’s holding you back?”

  “No,” he said. “No, I’m not keeping anything from you.”

  “I think perhaps I need to reassure you that our current mission does not, in any way, target the specific Vampirates with whom Grace is close. Therefore, your sister is in no immediate danger.”

  “I know that,” he said.

  Cheng Li glanced down at the notebook once more.

  “What’s that notebook?” Connor asked. “I’m sorry to be impertinent, but you keep looking at it as if it’s really important.”

  Cheng Li shook her head, lifting it up in her fingers. “This old thing? Just some battered old diary Jasmine dug up in the archives. She thought I’d be interested to see it, but,” she shook her head, “it’s nothing of consequence.”