Blood of the Sea Omnibus

by Heather Renee

“Well, then, good day,” I offered, giving her a slight bow in a show of respect.

  She smiled at both Jacob and I before waving goodbye and turning back toward the main house.

  When she was no longer within hearing range, Jacob smacked the back of my head. “What were you thinking?” he hissed.

  “What? She ran into me. It wasn’t like I sought her out.” My voice deepened defensively.

  “If Pierce sees you near her, he will kill you on the spot. Something is going on with that man, and we’d all do well to stay out of his way. I’ve even been considering transferring to the ships to avoid whatever is going on here.”

  Jacob was truly afraid of something, but I wasn’t sure what exactly caused him such anxiety. Of course I had noticed Pierce was a little off, but he’d lost both of his parents and was in charge of a farm he had no experience running. Maybe I was being naive in believing things would get better with time, but I’d deal with those consequences later.

  “I hear you, and don’t worry about me. I’m sure I won’t ever see her again.” As the words left my mouth, a part of me hoped they weren’t true, even though I knew it would only lead to trouble.

  A week had passed since I’d met Lavinia, and I wondered if she would once more be on the plantation to visit Pierce. I hadn’t been able to get her hazel eyes and thick ebony hair off my mind. Just the thought of her had my fingers twitching to reach out, even though she was nowhere in sight.

  As I daydreamed about the woman I would never have, my name was called.

  “Pierce would like a word with you,” a man I hadn’t met before said when I turned to face him.

  My first reaction was to run. Did he know about my visit with Lavinia, or worse, my feelings toward her? Was I about to willingly walk toward my death?

  Before I could do anything else, the man gripped my forearm, yanking me toward the main house. He was several inches shorter than me and I was tempted to shake him off, but I didn’t want to make things worse for myself.

  Henry had been with me in the fields so he watched as we walked away, and I knew he was thinking the same as me. Even so, I waved to him as we passed, as if I wasn’t worried, but the glare my friend sent back told me he didn’t believe me.

  “May I ask what Mr. Ambrose needs me for?” I asked respectively.

  “No, just walk and keep your mouth shut.”

  A few days on the run trying to escape whatever trouble I was about to be in or facing the man who could easily end my life with no consequences… As I thought about my choices, curiosity got the better of me and I decided to see what Pierce wanted.

  When I really thought about it, he had no reason to call for me a week later. If someone had reported my interaction with Lavinia, they wouldn’t have waited so long. At least I was counting on that being the case.

  Pierce was sitting at his desk when we walked into the office. He barely glanced up before ordering me to take a seat.

  As I did, the man who had escorted me inside slipped out, just as Pierce finished reading a document that lay on the desk, before officially addressing me.

  “Jameson, I have a proposition for you.” His hands folded on the desk and he leaned forward.

  Sitting up a little straighter, I nodded, waiting for him to continue.

  “As you know, I don’t know much about farming, but I do know a lot about people. I’ve been watching the workers on this farm, and I know who gives their all and who is simply here because they have to be. With that being said, there is something I need your help with.”

  “How can I help you, sir?” I asked, but not to volunteer. More in shock that he would require help from someone who was practically a slave on his land.

  The grin he sent my way made my skin crawl, and I wasn’t sure I actually wanted to hear his answer. “I’m glad you asked. You see, farming is harder work than I want to deal with for the rest of my life, so I’ve reached out to a business partner who is going to help me expand my business dealings in other ways.

  “The thing is, I don’t completely trust him, so I need men to protect me who are just as capable as the ones he has, while also being my eyes and ears around the island. Is this something you would consider?”

  My brows pinched together. “You don’t want me to work the fields anymore? What is it I would be doing to protect you?” I instantly thought of Lavinia, and the danger this could bring to her. If Pierce needed added protection, would Lavinia require it as well? Maybe this was my chance to see her more, even though it was probably a bad idea to do so.

  He shook his finger at me. “Now, before we can get into that, I need you to know a few other things. You see, nobody can know what I’m doing here until I’m ready, Jameson. That is the most important piece in all of this. You need to be aware of the consequences, should you choose to betray me in anyway.”

  Without needing him to continue, I already knew the consequences. With a man like Pierce it wasn’t hard to guess. It didn’t matter if I stayed loyal or not, if I just irritated him, I knew I’d be living on borrowed time.

  My first reaction was to decline his offer, but I also knew that just by him inviting me into his home and saying all he already had, it was too late to decline. Pierce would kill me regardless. At least this way, I could keep an eye on things and know when it was time to run, if the need arose.

  “I know the consequences and I accept them. I am willing to do whatever it is that you need,” I finally assured.

  “That’s a good answer, Jameson, and one I hoped you would give. I’ve hired a man named Solomon, to train you and a few others who will join you over the next couple of days. Listen to him, but also report back to me if he tries anything you don’t think seems right. I need you to be my eyes and ears. Don’t forget that, and you’ll be rewarded.”

  Standing, Pierce reached a hand out to me. As I shook his hand, I knew I had just made a deal with the devil himself, and hoped I didn’t die regretting it.

  Evander

  Awareness jolted me awake, my eyes blinking open, and disorientated as they swept my empty room. Running a hand through my hair, I sat up and tried to banish the echoes of the dream, or rather the nightmare I’d been having.

  I wasn’t used to dreaming. When I was a regular doomed-to-die vampire, I didn’t dream or even sleep, more like dozed into a relaxed state, while still aware. Now that I wasn’t doomed-to-die, I found it closer to being human, just with a longer life, a liquid diet, and incredible speed and strength.

  Being closer to human was annoying.

  Swinging my legs over the side of the bed, I barely noticed the cool touch of morning air on my bare feet when they settled on the wooden floor. The ship rocked gently as a familiar feeling of belonging rushed through me.

  I belonged at sea.

  Either it was my deal with the Sea Witch, or the fact that I had been on a ship for close to two decades, but it always felt comforting—the closest thing to a home that I’d ever had.

  Things had changed drastically when the Sea Witch chose to make me a pure vampire, when I was on the brink of death. I hadn’t had a choice in the matter, and at first, I hated that I’d been forced into a life I hadn’t asked for. Yet, after a while, I began to appreciate the gift bestowed upon me.

  When Lavinia killed her father, I should have died on the beach with the others, regardless of the injuries I had received, so they’d all been surprised when I stepped onto the sand as a vampire whose slate had been wiped clean of past wrongs. Though I had been given a new lease on life, I still felt guilt over my previous transgressions.

  A note of concern at my dark thoughts touched my mind, and a grin tugged at my lips. When the Kraken took me from the shore into the waiting depths to meet with the Sea Witch, we had created a bond of sorts.

  We didn’t talk with words unless the Sea Witch had a message for me, but we could feel each other’s emotions when he was close enough. Over the last few years, we’d grown close, becoming an odd version of friends given how intellig
ent the creature was.

  Footsteps drew nearer to my door, and by the shuffling gait, I knew it was my first mate, Deacon. He had served in the military long ago, and during a battle between his ship and a pirate ship known to be smuggling stolen goods, shrapnel was blasted into his leg from cannon fire. The damage was extensive, and they had to take the limb to save his life. He now walked around with a wooden leg and when not on duty, he often used crutches instead.

  After a knock sounded at the door, it swung inward, revealing Deacon’s scarred face that was creased with an emotion I couldn’t decipher.

  I sighed inwardly, it was times like these that I fleetingly wished I was my old vampire self. The type of man who didn’t give a damn about that sort of thing, but now I was constantly trying to figure out human feelings. The old me hadn’t done complex, or any type of emotions really, until Lavinia.

  “You seem worried,” I guessed, trying to convey concern or something similar.

  He frowned, which drew his scars tight, making him look even more brutish. I liked Deacon, mostly for his acceptance of my weird quirks. Like the fact I insisted that we carry livestock on the ship every time we left port. My first excuse had been it was an easy source of food, but when I wouldn’t let anyone help me butcher the animals, and there was rarely any blood anywhere, I knew he became curious. Though, no questions were asked, and I never offered an explanation.

  “The crew seems… restless,” he explained, giving me a pointed look, as if I should already know why.

  I looked at him blankly, hoping he would elaborate. Instead, he just stood there blinking, and I detected a spark in his eyes. I was pretty sure he got some sort of perverse satisfaction, out of watching me try to riddle out what his meanings were.

  If it were anyone else, I would have been extremely annoyed, but coming from him, I couldn’t bring myself to be upset. Maybe it was because I felt a connection to him, since we were both scarred—his from prior service, mine also from service but a very different sort.

  When Tobias sent me out to sea with my own ship and crew, I knew my scars would be a point of curiosity. It wasn’t normal for humans to have scars in the shape of bite marks. Prime had led his crew with fear, no one dared to question him, but I didn’t want to be anything like him.

  So, instead of terrorizing people into submission, I chose to lead with loyalty. I spent time with my crew members, getting to know them, helping where and when I could to prove I was there for them. Loyalty earned from respect would always run deeper than that obtained through fear.

  “Why is the crew restless?” I finally asked with a raised brow, letting Deacon know just how annoyed I was.

  “We seem to be following a trail, but they aren’t sure why.”

  I grabbed my shirt and shrugged into it, while wracking my brain on what I should tell them. The Kraken advised me to tread carefully, but I had to tell the crew something. Even if it was only a half-truth, it was better than keeping them completely in the dark.

  Through the bond that I had with the Kraken, the Sea Witch relayed messages. Most of the time, it was just checking in on my progress. Even though she had saved me as a favor to Lavinia, she was very keen on making sure I owed my life to her. In exchange, I completed favors for the witch, to repay something I never asked of her.

  Typically, the favors she’d asked of me had always coincided with my regular shipments, until this one. I had directed the ship way off our usual route, following the trail of a different vessel. As far as I understood, I was only supposed to follow and investigate, then report back to the Kraken.

  “We’re following this trail as a favor to someone I know,” I replied, hoping my tone came off as casual.

  Deacon’s frown deepened, and I knew my explanation wouldn’t satisfy him. Mostly because it wouldn’t have satisfied me if the roles had been reversed. The Kraken’s warning to tread carefully ran through my thoughts again. What I was doing was precarious, and keeping it from my crew, especially my first mate, would only breed distrust. I couldn’t afford unrest.

  “Gather the crew after breakfast on the main deck, I’ll explain then.”

  He stared at me for an uncomfortably long moment, before nodding, and then started his report on the other more mundane things about running a ship. The biggest concern was rations, seeing as we were off course by a couple dozen miles.

  I wasn’t above butchering my livestock to feed my crew. I rarely ate food, getting more of what I needed from the blood of live animals, but in case something happened to my normal food supply, I always like to have contingencies for such eventualities.

  Always be prepared for the worst was a saying I’d grown to live by.

  After the meeting with Deacon was completed, I sent him to round up the crew while I went below for my own breakfast.

  Drinking from a goat wasn’t pleasant, nor was it my favorite animal to use as sustenance. The goats were smelly, and their blood had a muddy flavor. It was repulsive but I took it as penance. I was living a new life, and if that meant drinking blood from filthy animals for the rest of my existence, then so be it.

  By the time I was finished, the crew was gathered on the top deck, waiting for me. I climbed the stairs at a slow pace, prolonging my explanation while giving them more time to wonder and build anticipation.

  Deacon stood on the galley steps like a sentinel, waiting, and when I joined him the whispers from the crew quieted. All eyes settled on me.

  “Morning,” I greeted, and silence followed. My eyes swept over the men, looking at the familiar faces that I had grown to care about. The old me would have scoffed, stating emotion of any kind was wasted on humans, but this new purer me had adapted. It hadn’t been easy, but the support of those closest to me, and my crew, helped to keep me in line.

  “I know you are wondering why we are so far off course…” I paused, noticing the murmurs that rippled through the crowd. “The short answer is I’m following a trail as a favor to someone I owe. The long version is more complicated, and unfortunately, not something I can give you details on at the moment.

  “All I can tell you is it involves someone with a lot of power, and while I’m only supposed to follow this trail and report back with what I find, not everything is always that simple. So, I want you all to be on guard. I don’t know what we are sailing into, but hopefully, it’ll be as easy as it sounds and we’ll be back on course in no time.”

  Many nodded their understanding, likely having owed someone something at one time.

  “Spin the issue into something they can relate to, the human experience is repetitive, only the circumstances change…” Tobias had taught me well about being honest, without bringing to light the supernatural part of myself.

  “What trail are we following exactly?” Jeramiah asked from up front. He’d been on the crew for a few months and was usually inquisitive, so his question didn’t surprise me.

  “I was told a ship would be sailing northward on this path, and that it might have cargo that was of interest to the person I’m repaying the favor to, so they want me to follow and observe, nothing more.”

  “What sort of cargo is the ship carrying?” he pressed.

  “According to the shipmaster’s manifest at our last port, it should contain wine, barrels of mead, fish, some livestock, and other supplies. Nothing out of the ordinary... at least on paper,” I answered honestly.

  Many of the crew nodded at the assumption. Ships were hardly ever regulated, unless complaints had been filed or they were embarking to one of the larger ports on the mainland.

  A boy I recalled seeing at our last port stop, one that hadn’t even reached adulthood, climbed down from the crow’s nest and raced toward me. If I didn’t know with absolute certainty that all vampires were now ash, I’d think the boy was a vampire. His body control and ability to swing about the rigging with ease was almost unnatural.

  “Barrels,” he huffed, his small chest heaving.

  “Barrels?” Deacon asked before I co
uld.

  “Barrels in the water.” Lifting his hand, he pointed to the right side of the vessel.

  Before I could question what he was even doing on my ship, the gathered crew members rushed to the railing and the kid disappeared into the crowd. Instead of trying to find him again, Deacon and I made our way up the galley steps to the upper deck.

  He handed me a spyglass and I raised it to my eye. After some searching, I spotted the barrels bobbing along the sea’s surface.

  If they were from the vessel we were following, it likely meant that something had happened. Throwing cargo over was usually a drastic move.

  “Full sail, Deacon, follow the barrels!” I ordered my first mate, who turned immediately, and started barking orders to the men.

  Wind caught our sails, pushing us in the direction we needed to go and several minutes passed before we finally caught up to the barrels. Deciding I needed to get a better look at them, I leapt easily onto the railing and grabbed a rope before leaning my body out over the churning water.

  Even with vampire sight, I couldn’t make out anything significant about the barrels, nothing that could tell me what was in them, or any signs that said they were from the ship we were following, but we’d know soon enough.

  I was just climbing down when the boy from before stopped next to me, and I knew from the look in his eye he had spotted something else that I had somehow missed.

  “Who are you, and why are you on my ship?” I asked.

  “There was a bad man after me, and your ship was leaving first. I’ve brought my own food, and I’m only here to help. I swear I won’t be any trouble, sir.”

  “What’s your name, boy?”

  “Matthew,” he answered meekly.

  “Well, Matthew, you have been a great help. You’re welcome on my ship, and we’ll find a proper place for you to stay. Now, what else did you find?” I asked.

  “From the crow’s nest, I spotted a ship in the distance, much further away than the barrels.” He pointed in the direction and from where I stood below, I could just make out the shape of another vessel, way off in the distance. Once again, I wondered just who the child was, and how he was capable of seeing even better than a vampire.