“The vampires are settling into homes here. I could sense some of them, but they kept to themselves, staying indoors. A few peeked out as we strolled by, but they left us alone. We went out to a farm where I was able to…” Jameson didn’t finish the sentence, glancing toward Nettie. “Anyway, I still want us to stay indoors, but I don’t anticipate us having any problems like the other vampire implied.”
Relief settled into me. It was the best news they could have shared. I leaned my head against Jameson’s shoulder, taking a moment to let it sink.
They chatted more about what tomorrow would bring, but we really had no idea. I wasn’t trying to be a pessimist, but I wasn’t counting on anything for tomorrow. I just knew we were safe tonight, and that was enough for me.
Later that night after dinner, I slept in the same bed as Jameson. True to his word, I felt completely safe with him, and the nightmares stayed at bay. He was the most relaxed I’d seen him since we met. Things were beginning to seem almost normal.
That’s when I began to worry. Everything had been so bad for over a week that this only felt like the calm before a storm. We hadn’t hit rock bottom, and I was afraid that when we did, not all of us were going to make it out alive.
Chapter 12
I was a mess by the time afternoon rolled around and the ship came into port. I couldn’t let go of my dark thoughts from the night before that the worst was yet to come. The longer I had to stew on things, the more my mind twisted what could be a worst-case scenario.
Jameson and Alice repeatedly checked on me, but I told them both I was fine. I didn’t want to dampen the mood everyone else seemed to be enjoying.
Jameson and Nathan left for a short time before we boarded the ship. Nathan had thought of an idea to help his friend during the trip to the next island. They traded a few of our items for some canteens and went back to the field that Jameson fed at previously, filling the canteens with animal blood. He would have to ration it, but it would be better than nothing.
It was too much to hope for another livestock ship, but the one we boarded held cargo and was much nicer than the other. I would have preferred the previous one if it meant fresh animal blood for Jameson, but the canteens would have to do.
We were able to get connecting cabins on the ship that had a small sitting area between them. The beds were heartier, and I was impressed that such finery could be found on a ship so far from the mainland. Nettie especially enjoyed the look and feel of the beds and furniture. I tried to be happy around her, but my mood remained dark.
The trip to Port Defiant was uneventful and boring. When we were on the other ship, Alice, Nettie, and I helped in the galley and mended clothing, but there was nothing of the sort for us to do this time around. Instead, we spent hours practicing the defensive moves that Alice had shown me back at the inn at Port Longford. I was still hesitating with my offensive training, but I was making progress, or so the others reassured me.
The only time my mood lifted was when Jameson and I were together. We would hold each other under the covers at night and whisper quietly as we shared kisses, taking comfort from the other. Jameson noticed my dark mood, but I avoided talking about it and he respected that, knowing I would talk to him when I was ready. Just having him in the same room lifted the dark cloud, which seemed to hover over me since that last night in Port Longford. I had a bad feeling and couldn’t seem to shake it, no matter how many times I fought Alice.
On the sixth day after leaving Port Longford, the call came that Port Defiant was close, and we would be arriving before sunset. We all packed our belongings and extra clothing away, ready to disembark. Excitement for our arrival spread throughout the ship. Nettie bounced around eagerly, dragging her uncle to the upper deck so she could watch the port come into view.
“Lavinia, are you all right?” Jameson asked me for the tenth time since we had awoken.
“I’m fine,” I snapped, immediately regretting my annoyance. “I’m sorry.”
“Lavinia,” he called to me in that tone of voice that weakened my knees, then pulled me against his chest. “You aren’t fine. Please, tell me what is troubling you.”
Deciding to finally tell him what was going on with me, I sighed. “Ever since we left Port Longford, I’ve been feeling off. Like there is a cloud of doom hanging over us all. I want so badly to find others to help us, to finally be safe, but I can’t help to feel everything we have been through is only the beginning. There is more in store for us, and it’s not good.”
“I’ve felt something similar,” Jameson admitted, rubbing his hands on my back soothingly.
“You have?”
“It’s hard to trust the good when you’ve experienced the worst kind of bad. We escaped with our lives. Now we need to survive our minds. We are in this together, all of us.”
I held him tighter, appreciating his words more than I could accurately express. We were all survivors, and we would make whatever our futures held work, somehow, someway.
“Nia, I can see the town,” Nettie’s voice squealed from the railing above us.
“Can you?” I asked, leaning my head back to gaze up at her pretty face. “I’ll be right there, so you can show me.”
She nodded, her blonde curls bouncing about her face as she turned and scurried away. I sighed, soaking in the feeling of having Jameson pressed against me. He didn’t complain, and I marveled once again at the fact that he was calmer, more relaxed with me. It seemed he was beginning to have a similar effect on me.
With a quick kiss, I climbed the stairs to the upper deck and walked to join Nettie and Nathan at the railing. Port Defiant was a small settlement, and it reminded me of Port Victory before vampires had attacked, turning it into a ghost town.
A breeze fluttered by, tugging at the loose strands of hair that had fallen out of my braid. My heart constricted as a weight settled on me. I glanced toward the town again, trying to sort out the heavy emotions that were pressing down on me. I couldn’t see any people, and the closer we got to port, the less I could breathe properly.
“Nia, come look,” Nettie said, grabbing my hand and tugging me closer to the railing.
My stomach roiled as I took in more of the town. Little shops and buildings could be seen, with a small church that sat on a hill overlooking the port. Another pang hit me then, and I grabbed at my chest, trying to relieve the awful feeling, but nothing worked.
“Lavinia, are you well?” Nathan asked, worriedly grabbing my shoulders to steady me as I swayed.
“Something’s wrong,” I whispered, grasping his shirt in my hands. “I need Jameson.”
“I’ll go get him,” he said, guiding me over to a nearby crate to sit. “Nettie, stay with Nia for me, all right?”
“Are you feeling sick?” Nettie asked in her sweet voice.
“Yes,” I answered, trying not to frighten her but not wanting to lie to her either.
“I didn’t feel good the first day we were on the ship. The captain said I just needed to find my sea legs,” she offered, scrunching her nose up.
“I’ve heard of sea legs,” I added, concentrating on her words and pushing the discomfort away.
“If there are sea legs, can you have land legs as well?”
I laughed at her curiosity, despite myself. She reminded me so much of myself when I was little, asking so many questions that I would annoy my uncle and amuse my aunt.
“Lavinia,” Jameson’s voice called from the stairs, and I felt tears gather in my eyes at the sight of him.
I rose to my feet, clutching Nettie’s hand while he approached me, his eyes alight with concern. A different feeling invaded my chest as I watched him. It was an altogether new feeling. Besides my aunt, I had never seen that look of caring on another’s face. My chest loosened somewhat, and I was able to suck in a much-needed breath.
Jameson enveloped me in his arms, and I rested my hand on his chest, reveling in the new feeling as it pushed the other away, not entirely, but enough for me to think a
gain.
“What happened? What’s wrong?” he asked, but I wasn’t sure if he was asking me or Nathan.
“She said she’s feeling sick,” Nettie supplied helpfully, squeezing my hand before letting it go. “I think her sea legs have given out.”
“Lavinia, talk to me, please?” he whispered softly against my hair.
“Do you feel it?” I asked him, while Nathan drew Nettie back to the railing.
“Feel what?”
“As soon as we entered the bay, an uncertainty weighed down on me,” I explained, trailing off as I tried to put everything into words.
“Uncertainty?” he asked, rubbing my back soothingly.
I pushed back from his chest enough to see his face. “Something is seriously wrong here.”
His blue eyes searched my face before he slowly turned toward the direction of Port Defiant. His arms tightened around me and we both gazed at the town—I knew that whatever I was feeling, he was now experiencing as well.
The captain strolled on to deck barking orders to his crew, who scurried about the ship. He raised his spyglass up, looking through it at the port. After a moment, he lowered it again, looking worried.
“What’s wrong, Captain Philip?” Nathan asked, propping Nettie on his hip.
“I’ve been to this port many times over the past couple years, and I have never seen it this quiet. It looks to have been deserted.”
“Deserted,” I repeated as the uneasiness continued to drown me.
“We need to investigate and offer aid if we can,” the captain added, turning to call out orders to his first mate, who then walked quickly away to fulfill them. “I’ll send a boat to find out about the situation.”
“I’d like to go as well,” Jameson volunteered.
“What?” I asked him, alarmed.
“Something’s wrong, and I can help,” he replied, giving me a look that said he would use his vampire abilities to help.
“I’m going, too,” I declared.
“No,” he began, but I cut him off promptly.
“Something is wrong, and I’m the only one who felt it,” I hissed quietly to him. “I can help. Plus, I don’t think it would be good to be away from you right now. Please don’t ask me to stay behind.”
He stiffened against me for several moments, and I feared he would tell me to stay on the ship, meaning I would have to do something drastic, like swim to shore.
“All right.” He kissed my forehead before tugging me into motion as we made our way toward the boat and the crew lowering it over the side.
The ride to the port was tense. The crew members were armed with pistols and swords. No one knew what we were walking into, but judging by the feeling that still invaded my chest, it wasn’t good. I was wedged uncomfortably between Henry and Jameson, while Alice, Nathan, and Nettie stayed behind on the ship.
I kept twisting my hands and going over the different self-defense tactics that I had learned during the past several days over and over in my head. It was better to be prepared, but I was suddenly not feeling ready at all.
Jameson helped me out of the boat and onto the dock, pulling me close so Henry could climb up next to us.
“What’s the plan?” he asked in his gruff, no-nonsense voice.
“We’ll stick with the others but stay alert,” Jameson urged, before lowering his voice. “I smell dead bodies. Lots of them,” he whispered.
A shudder raced down my spine at his words, and I wondered if the dead bodies had been what caused my previous breakdown. His eyes lingered on my face for several heartbeats before he turned away, following the crew members as they made a hasty plan to slowly make our way toward the nearest buildings to assess the situation.
The town was quiet. The only movement was the hot breeze that blew through, picking up dust and other small debris from the road. The sun was sinking toward the horizon, causing shadows to lengthen and the creepy feeling to increase.
We moved as a group, staying clustered together, and I somehow found myself shoved into the middle of it. I sighed with annoyance, but I was glad that Jameson was on my left side with Henry to my right. The men all held pistols and rested their hands on swords, while Jameson’s hand was wrapped around the hilt of his dagger.
The door to a shop slammed open, making us all jump. Everyone turned to face the direction that the noise came from, and after several seconds of hushed and ready silence, we continued our slow trek.
The skin at the nape of my neck prickled, and I rolled my shoulders uncomfortably. It was too quiet, and the sinking sun was causing a stone of dread to drop further into my stomach. Jameson, so aware of everything around him, watched me out of the corner of his eye. The tick in his jaw told me that he didn’t want me with them, not because he thought I wasn’t capable, but because I was important to him. The narrowing of my eyes told him that I was right where I needed to be.
Someone staggered out of a side door of a building that looked to be a pub. His skin was greyish, and he looked ill. His eyes had sunken into his skull, making dark circles around them. Before anyone could move, a breeze fluttered past us and the man took in a deep breath. His head snapped up, and his eyes suddenly glowed a deep red color. His lips peeled away from his teeth, exposing fangs.
Someone panicked and shot the man with a pistol. The force of it had him taking a step back, but he continued to advance on our group, saliva dripping from his mouth. The wind shifted, and I smelled his scent and nearly gagged. He reeked of rotten blood and death. His steps were haphazard, and he dragged one leg awkwardly behind him.
“What’s wrong with him?” I whispered to Jameson.
“He hasn’t fed. If the vampires don’t feed regularly, decomposition takes over and forces them to become these mindless creatures,” he explained, taking a step back as another person staggered out the door. A woman this time, with bloodstains covering the front of her dress.
“They can’t swim. We need to get back to the ship,” Henry added, keeping his pistol pointed at the advancing vampires.
“We should retreat,” Jameson called to the leader, who looked over and shook his head.
“Not until we figure out what’s going on. The captain was clear,” the man said turning away.
“You’re a fool,” Jameson spat, tugging his dagger out and gripping it tightly in his hand.
“They have orders. We don’t,” Henry rebutted from behind me, and I agreed. I had been trained to fight opponents that were strong healthy vampires, but these ones were hungry and desperate. A dangerous combination, even if they were slower.
“Let’s get back to the boat,” Jameson confirmed, taking a step back, never removing his eyes from the creatures in front of us. “If you’d like to live, I’d suggest you come with us.”
Several of the men faltered at his words, but after the barked orders from the man in charge, they shook off Jameson’s warning and continued forward.
“Back to the boat, Lavinia,” Jameson repeated, shaking his head at the man who was ordering his men to their deaths.
I took a step back, preparing to turn, but a hand landed heavily on my shoulder. I paused for a moment, thinking it was Henry, but when I turned fully, I saw a grotesque corpse-like vampire, leaning toward my neck with sunken red eyes.
Time slowed as the monster creeped closer and closer to my exposed skin. My newly-acquired reflexes were nowhere to be found when I needed them most, and I feared that this was one vampire bite I wasn’t going to survive.
Chapter 13
Thankfully, Jameson had no hesitation. Faster than I could blink, he had stepped around me and stabbed the vampire with his dagger through the heart. Every other time Jameson had killed a vampire, it had crumbled into ash, but with these starved vampires, they didn’t disintegrate. They ignited in a fiery inferno that lasted mere seconds before their bodies crumbled into charred ash.
After the initial shock of almost being bitten by the monster, I quickly moved into action. Henry was yelling at the cre
w as we ran, still urging them to retreat, but they didn’t listen until two of their men became dinner for the decaying vampires. Once blood had been spilled, a feeding frenzy began.
Shouts came from the crew while they did their best to catch up to the three of us and head back to the rowboat. Jameson urged me forward as Henry led the way. I didn’t turn back, even when the cries from grown men being eaten alive sounded in my ears.
“Hurry!’ Jameson shouted to the crew as we settled into the rowboat.
A vampire was gaining on them. Blood coated the front of the turned sailor, and his skin went from the sickly grey color to almost translucent. It hadn’t taken long for the blood they’d drank from the other crew members to boost their strength.
One of the men looked back, making a fatal mistake. He lost his footing and tripped over the lip of a board, landing face first into the planks. He couldn’t get up quickly enough, and I was forced to turn my head away when the vampire landed on top of him and tore into his flesh.
My body shook as tears leaked from my eyes.
What was our world becoming?
More screams came from the ship behind us. I could hear Nettie, and I wanted nothing more than to calm her worries. I wiped the fresh tears from my face and focused on getting off that island.
My hands extended to the two remaining crew members, helping them into the boat. They were clearly shaken, so I moved to the middle and grabbed an oar. Henry nodded at me, appreciating my help, while Jameson shoved us away from the dock and jumped into the boat.
The vampires treaded into the water, reaching for us, but we were just far enough that they couldn’t grasp the edge. They appeared to have gotten their strength back, but not their minds. None of the vampires’ movements held the fluidity I had seen from the ones back home. It was a small victory for us.
Jameson reached for me. “Are you okay?”
“I’m fine.” I wiped my face against my shoulder and kept rowing. I didn’t want to focus on anything except making it back to the ship.
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