“Of course, you’re not helpless. You are brave and have saved my life. In more ways than one, my love. You have no idea how low my spirits were when you came into my life. I was looking for a reason to live after some losses…” He stared into the fire behind me then shook his head. His jaw was set, the firelight playing over it and showing me how his eyes gleamed before he looked down at me again.
“Please believe me, Gloriana. You lifted me out of despair and forced me to move on from a dark place. You became my light. I will always be grateful to you for that.”
“Jeremiah.” I ran my hand over that strong jaw, those lips that could be tender or demanding. My love. I couldn’t imagine him without hope. But then it was true that night he had met me, he had taken me quickly, as if desperate for a distraction. Would he ever tell me what had brought him so low? There was something that had happened…
Jeremiah had left his home where he was surrounded by family and gone to London where there were enemies aplenty. There must have been a reason. If he’d only tell me. But the truth remained his secret. I should let it alone and be glad he loved me and wanted me with him.
“Please understand that I only urge you to shift to keep you safe, my love. Practice your sword craft with Valdez. He will let me know how you do. Shoot your arrows as well. The castle can always use another archer. The captain and I will do our best to make sure the pirates don’t get this far but then you never know what might happen in battle.” He kissed my fingertips.
“Really, Jeremiah, you drive me mad.” I gave up when my robe hit the floor. “Are you really going to take me on this cold stone floor?” Clearly, the man was randy again. Oh, we were both insatiable. How I loved that! We had talked enough and I was ready to show him how much I loved him.
“No, indeed. I am going to let you take me. On yon stool.” He pushed aside a stack of cloths and sat, pulling me onto his lap until I was seated astride him. He gripped my hips and we were joined, perfectly. “Ride me, sweetheart. Take your pleasure and make me call your name. And be quick about it. Sunrise is minutes away.”
“Controlling bastard.” I hit his shoulder, then leaned in and bit his neck, finding his jugular. Ah. His blood was rich and familiar, the taste I craved above all. He was strong and hearty enough that I was sure he had found a blood source somewhere during the night. I didn’t care who he had used. As vampires we drank blood to survive. Jeremiah did not kill to feed, only took what he needed so that he was well able to serve me.
I rode him, drank my fill and then found my own release when he called my name. By the time we ran down the tower stairs to find our own bedchamber, I was sure he would let me fight, at least in the castle. If I wanted to do more? Well, I would have to prove myself.
4
“ T he Pirates are coming!” Screams echoed through the great hall and up the stairs as I put away my short sword. A crash sounded from the solar across the way. Lady Anne had heard the call. I threw open the trunk again and grabbed my bow and quiver full of arrows. I still hadn’t mastered the short sword since we’d started practicing, but I carried my knives at all times. One was strapped to my thigh under my skirt. Jeremiah had helped me secure it there. Another was at my waist.
Valdez strode into my bedchamber. “What are you doing? Lady Anne needs you. Go to her and help her down the stairs. I’ll lock you both in that hidden room before the pirates get here.”
“Oh, no you won’t. I told you, I’m not going to hide.” I stalked past him. “Is Anne still in her solar?”
“Yes, she has that blasted sword and won’t let go. You know she is useless with it. She’s crying and shaking like a dog in a thunderstorm.” Valdez stayed on my heels as I ran to the lady’s room.
Ann had a cloak thrown over her shoulders. She was sobbing and clutching her sword in both hands. She sure wouldn’t cut herself on that. Valdez had given us children’s practice swords, blunt and useless in an attack. It was a wonder she hadn’t cut herself on the glass that lay shattered on the floor.
“Lady Anne, come with me.” I managed to pry the sword out of her hands. “You don’t need this. We will find you another, better, weapon.” I glared at Valdez when he shook his head. “Here, hold onto my knife. I have another one.” I pressed a knife into her shaking hands. “Does that make you feel better?”
She looked at me through wet lashes. “Yes, yes it does. I will fight them, Gloriana. Please don’t let your man lock me in that little room.” She held the knife awkwardly. I stayed well away for I knew it to be razor sharp.
“I don’t want to hurt you, Valdez, but I refuse to be put away this time.” Anne waved the knife at him. “I will stick you if you try to force me, I swear it.”
“I believe you, my lady.” Valdez kept his face serious. I knew, though, that he could disarm her easily if he wanted to do it. “Please come down the stairs with me. The men are gathering in the great hall. I will feel better if I know where everyone is. I’m sure Lord Campbell and the king’s men are fighting on the beach. The pirates will probably not get as far as the castle, but we need to be ready. Don’t you agree?” He gently took her elbow and nodded at me to lead the way.
“Yes, we must be ready to defend against the attack.” Anne sniffed and started walking.
I handed her a handkerchief. “Give me the knife. You don’t want to take a chance on the stairs.” I carefully took the knife. The lady meant well but I didn’t trust her with a real weapon. She was delicate and a demon with a needle, but had yet to prove herself with anything larger. She would do better throwing one of her beautiful pillows at a pirate.
Colin and his men were not in the great hall. They had moved out to the courtyard and were arguing about how to pull up the drawbridge. In fact, that broken thing should have been fixed when we first arrived, weeks ago. Jeremiah had been too busy preparing his ships to attack the pirates to pay heed to what was going on at the castle.
“What exactly is wrong with it?” I hurried over to study the chain and pulleys that should make it rise. After a close inspection of one side and then the other, it was clear to me that a blacksmith could probably fix the broken chain. Why hadn’t one already been summoned? When I asked the question, there was a general pushing and shoving with everyone avoiding my gaze.
I wanted to box a few ears at the delay. At least we’d had heavy rains the past few days. The moat was clear so the air was fresh. Lady Anne had insisted all privy needs be disposed of properly to keep it that way.
“Answer me!” I yelled at the crowd of men. How did I become in charge of things here?
Colin finally spoke. “There’s a man, a smithy, who travels with the king’s soldiers. The captain was supposed to send him to us, mistress. He must have forgot to do it. And now that the pirates are attacking, he won’t be coming, now will he?”
Douglas, who had finally bathed and found a clean shirt, pushed his way to the front.
“The old one who served the village was killed last year. Damned pirates have taken everything from us. We got to stop ’em this time!” He was followed by a crowd of locals who shouted and brandished makeshift weapons. I didn’t doubt their heart, but wondered if they could do much harm with axes, crude spears and the kind of swords that Jeremiah’s soldiers would have discarded as too worn to keep.
“That downed bridge leaves us wide open to attack.” I frowned. “We must set a strong guard here and lads with bows and arrows should be ready on the battlements.” I realized Lady Anne had stopped inside, at the doorway, afraid to come out. I walked up to where she stood under the lintel.
“Lady Anne, we need a lookout. Someone to go up to the tower room and watch for the pirates. If they make it past the king’s soldiers, we will surely need warning. Can you be our lookout? You must have good eyesight. I’ve seen how you can make the tiniest of stitches.”
“Yes, yes, I am blessed with very strong eyesight.” Anne picked up her skirts. “I can’t be heard from up there, but I will see them from far away. Send a bo
y with me to run down with the word if I see them coming. I will heat water in the kettle there. If they try to sneak close to the walls, I will greet them with boiling water on their heads.”
“Excellent!” I gestured for one of the local boys to follow her. I hoped and prayed we wouldn’t have need for this, but at least she was moving and not still standing there weeping and useless. She’d left me with my knife as well.
“Go with her, Gloriana. You know Jeremiah is not going to stand for you leading the lads like this.” Valdez stood at my elbow, trying to urge me back inside the castle.
“You’re mad. I’m ready to fire on whoever crosses that drawbridge. If I didn’t think I’d distract him, I’d go down to the sea and offer to help Jeremiah there.” I jerked away from Valdez’s hand on my sleeve. I knew every eye in the castle was on us.
“You forget your place, sir.” I said it quietly but I was sure he heard me.
“My place is to protect you. Standing here in the middle of what could be a pitched battle is the last thing Jeremiah would want. He would have my head for allowing it.” Valdez pulled his own sword. “You’d better hope to God no pirates make it this far.”
Just then the boy Anne had taken with her burst through the door. “Pirates are sneakin’ up the path from the beach. “Taint many of ’em but they’re armed. They musta got away from the rest.”
I drew a sharp breath. It was one thing to issue orders to my dozen or so men who were armed with bows and a few knives. Quite another to actually have to face what the locals claimed were fearsome pirates. Claimed? I’d seen the evidence of their raids and knew they’d left behind a trail of dead bodies and stolen girls.
“We’ll fight with ye. No hiding this time. Let them try to take one of my girls and they’ll see what happens.” Holly held her biggest iron skillet and a butcher knife. Her scullery maids were armed with brooms and mops. One had even brought a poker from the fireplace. Mercy waved a rolling pin, her face grim though she kept one hand on her stomach.
I wanted to send my pretty maid into the castle to protect the babe she was carrying, but I saw her resolve. I would keep my eye on her. There was no way I would let a pirate take her anywhere.
“Aye, Holly. No more hiding from ’em, I say as well. Or running like scared sheep. If a lady like yourself can stand up to those bastards, Mistress Gloriana, then so can we.” Douglas held what looked like one of the ancient spears that had come from a display on the wall of the great hall. Stable lads stood behind him, their weapons the tools they used to muck out the horse stalls. They gave rallying cries of agreement and waved their makeshift weapons in the air.
“Then get ready.” Valdez tried to put me behind him. “I hear them coming.” He leaned closer. “Smell them too. You’ve proved you can hit what you aim for, so notch an arrow, Gloriana, and try to shoot the leader. That should send them running back to their ship.”
It was good advice. I did as he said. I wasn’t surprised to find my own hands shaking. How many pirates could there be? I heard Valdez ask the boy who’d come down from the tower.
“Didn’t think to ask, sir. Lady Anne was screaming at the lot, telling me to hurry down to spread the word. She was pouring hot water out the arrow slit. Never saw her like that. No, sir, never did. Was wild with hate, she was. Out of her mind, I’m thinkin’. Wasn’t hittin’ anyone with the water. Just wanted to throw somethin’. Know what I mean?” The boy shifted from foot to foot, tripping and tangling in my skirt.
“Yes. You did well. Run back up to the lady. Tell her we are ready and to stay there. She can look for the king’s men to come to our aid. Bring us word when they are on their way.” Valdez spoke kindly to the lad and even pressed a coin in his hand before swatting him on the backside and sending him back to the tower room.
I noticed all this while I was trying to concentrate on the path to the castle. Valdez with his extra-sharp shape-shifter senses may have heard them and smelled them, but they were not in sight over the swell of land in front of us. The night was gloomy, the moon shrouded by clouds. Would I even be able to see the leader when they appeared? I was full of doubts and questions. It seemed to take them forever to walk the path from the beach. What was taking them so long? But then Anne would have been able to see for miles in her tower.
The pirates would be moving cautiously now after hearing Anne’s screams. They had to know we’d been warned they were coming. They weren’t afraid of her boiling water, of course. Foolish lady. Didn’t she realize the battlements were where soldiers threw such things as boiling oil and water on invaders? But then she had been overcome by her hatred. Who could blame her? We’d only sent her to the tower to keep her out of harm’s way. The fact that she’d been of use was a happy surprise.
“Are you all right, Gloriana?” Valdez had put away his sword and pulled out a pistol. It was unusual to see him with a gun since our kind usually avoided the noise of a gunshot and preferred more silent means when we fought.
“I am finding that talking is easier than doing. I hope we are up to this.” I glanced around at our motley crew. Once again, Colin had taken the lead, sending some of his best archers up to the battlements. I was proud of him. The rest of the men and women looked tense but ready to take on whoever came up to the drawbridge. I could see that they were scared but determined. What had they done before? Hidden behind Lord Ralph’s trained soldiers and expected them to do all the fighting? I was sure that was exactly what they had done and now they regretted it.
If only we could have raised the blasted drawbridge! I was seeing to that as soon as this was over. If I didn’t end up dead or in the hold of a pirate ship.
“Here they come!” A voice from above us shouted from the battlements.
I saw a crowd of men approaching. The light from the full moon as the clouds drifted away suddenly made them easy to see. They were waving swords in the air, a small man in the lead. Or was it a man? Didn’t matter. A flight of arrows came at us and I ducked. Just in time. One hit the man next to me and he screamed when it landed, taking him down to the ground.
I froze. So close. More men screamed in pain and Valdez tried to drag me away from the fight.
“Stop. Let me try…” I took aim. For a moment I wondered if I could shoot a moving target, a human moving target. My hand shook and I wanted to aid the man who’d fallen next to me, the scent of his blood an unwelcome distraction. They were still so far away but not too far for an accurate shot if I could just hold steady. Gunshots rang out and our own arrows flew, taking some of the pirates down with screams of pain. I took a breath, steadied, and finally released my arrow.
“You made a direct hit!” Valdez held his fire. “Let’s see if that sends them running. Fire when ready but hold your places, people. Don’t run after them, no matter how tempting it might be. It could be a trap.”
I put down my bow and watched the pirates surround the fallen person. Valdez must have seen something I hadn’t. I’d been too focused on hitting the target. Was it the woman? The red-haired leader of the pirates? The people surrounding her picked her up and retreated as a barrage of arrows from the battlements let fly. A few more pirates fell and were helped up amid screams and shouting.
They returned fire and, much to my dismay, I found myself shoved behind Valdez out of harm’s way. The pirates’ arrows fell short as they ran, carrying their wounded and heading back toward the sea. Colin and his crew made as if to follow them but Valdez told them to stop.
“Let them go. They should run into Lord Campbell’s men near the beach. Even if they don’t, they are anxious to get home. Desperate men have nothing to lose.” Valdez ignored Colin’s arguments. “No, you are not ready. Trust me on that. Stay here and guard Mistress Gloriana. It is what Lord Campbell told you to do.”
I ignored the grumbles of the men around me. My mind was awhirl. Had I killed the leader? Had it been the pirate queen? Valdez seemed to think so. What could he see that I couldn’t? It was too much to hope that this could be the e
nd of the long battle with the Irish. Without their leader, they might lose heart. It seemed cowardly to finish with an arrow what had been going on for years here. I turned to Valdez.
“Are you sure it was the woman? What did you see?” I’d been so focused on my aim, that black jacket over her heart, I hadn’t looked anywhere else. A sturdy body in britches, yes, I’d noticed that.
“I saw the red hair they’ve been talking about. She had it tied back but it was unmistakable, Gloriana. They are taking her back to the ship.” He leaned down and whispered. “I’m going inside to shift. I’ll follow them to see what I can find out. Stay here and wait for my return.” He hurried into the castle. Moments later a large black bird flew out the door and over the heads of all of us, winging toward the sea.
“That’s Valdez, ain’t it? The bird?” Colin stood next to me. “I know he’s one of those shifters, Lord Jeremiah told me.” He frowned. “Don’t know why he thinks to give orders here.”
“Keep your voice down. That’s our secret, you know. The mortals from the castle wouldn’t understand.” I felt lightheaded. I walked over to the steps and sat. “He’s a seasoned warrior. You’d be wise to listen to him. Now send someone up to tell Lady Anne we won the day.”
“I will.” Colin gestured and whispered to a boy who went running. “Seems like you mighta killed the pirate leader. You think it was her? The one with the red hair?”
“Valdez seems to think so. That’s why he’s following them. To see if I killed her.” I made myself stand and face the gathered men and women who were waiting. They talked quietly among themselves, not sure if it could be true, that they were safe, for today anyway.
“Thank you, all of you, for coming to the aid of the castle. You are a brave lot and we won the day.” I lifted my arms in a kind of salute.
A cheer went up and the people began to talk excitedly. Gradually they began putting away their weapons and returning to their daily chores. It was a letdown, I could see that much.
Real Vampires: Glory and the Pirates Page 5