Suddenly, Grace saw a familiar face charging past her.
"Cate!" she called out, immediately recognizing Connor's mentor and her own former comrade. Cate either didn't see her or chose to ignore her, as the weapons supremo headed into the center of the deck and--seconds later--speared a Vampirate right in front of Grace's eyes.
"Get in!" Cate congratulated herself as she raced on toward the heart of the deck.
Grace had never seen her this way before. Cate might be a pirate rather than a Vampirate but, right now, she too had fire in her eyes.
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Obsidian Darke moved single-mindedly through the battle zone, watching grim-faced as members of his team were struck down. It was too early to call which side had the upper hand. His dark eyes watched Stukeley making his way through the pirate ranks. He realized he had underestimated Sidorio's lieutenant. Having seen him so often playing the clown at Tiffin, it was an adjustment to watch him now as a powerful warrior. Darke's eyes sought out Johnny and Grace, but he was unable to locate them among the fighting.
As two pirates simultaneously charged him, Obsidian Darke expertly dispatched them both. He didn't even see them as genuine adversaries--merely irritants to swat away. He had only one target, and nothing was going to prevent him from getting to her. At last, he saw her up ahead at the prow of the ship. Cheng Li--captain of The Tiger . Leader of the self-styled Vampirate assassins. At last, she was in his sights. Darke dipped his head and charged.
Cheng Li was monitoring the progress of the battle and the number of dead and wounded falling on her pristine deck boards. In the opening stages, it had seemed to her
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that Cate's strategy, and especially the insights she had gained from her sessions with the delectable Lorcan Furey, were reaping dividends. Watching her young crew dispatch the cocksure demons had filled Cheng Li with a warm and fuzzy feeling inside. But then, several of the "dead" had risen from the deck, in spite of their livid wounds, and returned to the fray--worse, it seemed as if they were now possessed of a new energy and determination.
"Cate!" Cheng Li cried. "Spread the word. We need more instant kills!"
Without missing a beat, Cate ran down the center of the deck, carrying the message. "Make sure you finish them off, people!"
Jacoby heard the cry and picked up the theme. "If in doubt, decapitate!"
Cheng Li nodded. This fight was far from over, but she had no doubt that she would emerge the victor. It could be no other way. All her life had been building toward this mission and this moment. It was the single most important battle in the history of the Pirate Federation. After tonight, when pirates spoke in hushed tones of reverence about a Li, it would be about her and not her father.
Up ahead, the Vampirates had gained some headway, and Cheng Li noted with displeasure that two of her best young fighters had fallen. Their killers moved on remorselessly in a pincer movement, both heading for Cheng Li. She lost no time propelling herself into the air in another
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move devised by Cate and Lorcan. Before she even landed, she had kicked one of her opponents across the deck and into the guardrail. He smashed onto the floor, stunned, leaving Cheng Li time and space to deal with the other aggressor.
The Vampirate had evidently taken time out to feast on one of his previous victims. Blood was running down his mouth to his chin. Cheng Li gritted her teeth. Even such a repulsive sight as this was not going to put her off her game. She executed another of Cate and Lorcan's special maneuvers, jumping clean over the Vampirate, then twisting in midair and striking out with her silver sword from the other direction.
Annoyingly, her blow--just fractionally--lacked the requisite force and, though the blade speared the Vampirate's belly, it was not deep enough to remove him from the fight for long. Cheng Li reached out to reclaim her sword and have another go, but the Vampirate was ahead of her. Suddenly her sword was in his hands and he was bearing down on her . She was more indignant than fearful. How on oceans could the duel have turned so quickly in the wrong direction?
The Vampirate lifted the silver sword to strike. Unfazed, Cheng Li coolly reached behind her back to draw her twin katanas . But as her hands made contact with her back, she realized that something was wrong.
"Looking for something?" the demon asked her, obviously amused. Cheng Li followed his gaze to the edge of
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the deck, where her katanas now lay, impotent and useless. He must have cut the straps when she jumped over him. Furious with herself for not realizing, she now faced up to the prospect of imminent attack by this Vampirate, just as--no!--a second moved into position behind her.
Cheng Li cursed the Vampirate. She cursed herself. Tonight was the night she was due to write her place into the history books. Now she'd be lucky to merit a footnote in Molucco Wrathe's chapter. It couldn't end here. It just couldn't. But, as the grinning Vampirate--blood spilling from his chin onto her beautiful deck--brought down his sword, Cheng Li prepared for an uncomfortable reunion with her father in the afterlife. She could just imagine the disapproving look on Chang Ko Li's face.
Now the second Vampirate--the one looming behind her attacker--raised his own sword. Cheng Li froze. Was she destined to be killed by not one but two demons?
Having notched up another outright kill, Jacoby took a breath and scanned the deck. He was filled with exhilaration and pride as he saw his crewmates performing at their dazzling best. He watched Cate fight two Vampirates simultaneously. Her face might be red, but she had yet to break a sweat. Just past her, Jasmine was gaining the upper hand also. She had mastered Cate's new moves
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as expertly and effortlessly as he'd have expected. Watching her skewer her vampire opponent like a demon kebab, Jacoby felt a new wave of respect and affection for his girlfriend. And there, just to her side, was that indefatigable fighting machine, Bo Yin. There was no one more athletic on their crew. Bo was running rings around her attackers.
Jacoby turned, ready to run back into the fray. As he did so, he caught sight of Cheng Li at the prow. She was trapped, with two Vampirates bearing down on her. Jacoby's blood ran cold. He didn't have time to reach her. The captain was on her own, and it looked as if Jacoby was about to receive an unwanted promotion....
Cheng Li's eyes moved from her first attacker to the second Vampirate, hovering behind him. Whichever way this played out, it wasn't looking promising for her.
The second Vampirate roared in the ear of the first. "Let her go!"
"Beat it!" cried the first Vampirate angrily. "I was here first!" He raised his sword, and Cheng Li prepared for the end. But, to her amazement and confusion, the second Vampirate now raised his own sword and calmly and cleanly decapitated his comrade. The first demon's vile face registered considerable surprise as his head flew past her en route to the ocean.
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Meanwhile, his abandoned body turned confused circles, until a strong hand pushed it to one side and sent it spinning across the deck.
"I told you before," boomed the imperious voice of Obsidian Darke. "The captain is mine."
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41 THE ALLIES
Cheng Li stared into the face of her killer. It was just the two of them now, cut off from the rest of the battle, standing at the prow of the ship. The Vampirate's gray-black eyes bore into hers. He turned and retrieved Cheng Li's sword, which the first would-be assassin had been carrying prior to his decapitation. Curiously, the Vampirate handed Cheng Li's sword back to her.
"You're going to need this," he said. "And those katanas , too, I think."
Cheng Li raised an eyebrow as the Vampirate stretched out his arms and the katanas flew into his hands, as if drawn by a magnetic impulse. Now, he passed these weapons back to her, too.
"Is it a duel you want?" Cheng Li inquired of her adversary.
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He contemplated her words, then shook his head. "Not with you, Captain Li. There is much work to be done. We shouldn't waste time
sparring with one another."
Cheng Li frowned. "I don't understand," she said. "You mean you're not going to kill me?"
"Correct," he said, his voice sounding suddenly more human. "Turn around and I'll repair your holsters so you can carry those katanas once more."
Her first thought was that it was a trick but, nevertheless, she turned, figuring that he would have killed her by now if that was his intention. She felt the Vampirate tighten the straps on her back and slot the two blades back into their sheaths. Then, to her further surprise, he placed his hands on her shoulders and turned her around to face him.
"I'm confused," she said. "What's going on here? Who are you?"
The corners of the Vampirate's mouth now lifted in a smile. "My name is Obsidian Darke, and I am a Vampirate captain."
"Exactly," Cheng Li said. "You led this attack. Presumably you intend to kill me?"
He shook his head. "I'm not your murderer, Captain Li. I am your ally. My name perhaps is meaningless to you, so let me explain further. I am the captain of The Nocturne and its crew--the Nocturnals. I went into hiding for a time and left instructions for my comrades to prepare for the coming war. During this time, I was embedded within
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the rebel empire of Sidorio, watching his every move. While I was there, you made an alliance with Lorcan Furey, my lieutenant. He was acting on my behalf."
Cheng Li shook her head in disbelief. "So you're not just a Vampirate captain," she said. "You're the captain."
"Yes, Captain Li." He nodded and smiled. "It's good to be back."
Cheng Li was elated not only by her eleventh-hour reprieve but also by this unforeseen turn of events. Now that she knew she was not about to die, she wanted to know how things were going. She looked beyond her ally to survey the scene on deck. "The battle awaits," she said.
Obsidian Darke nodded, then raised his hands in the air once more. This time, his hands summoned a mist. It came on so suddenly and so completely that instantly the battle came to a standstill. The stunned combatants, on both sides, froze as they waited for the mist to clear. No one could see an inch beyond his or her face. The deck grew eerily silent. Then there was a bump, and a crack on the starboard side, and The Tiger lurched. It felt as if another ship had pulled up alongside them.
The mist lifted as quickly as it had arrived. Cheng Li's heart was racing. A third ship had arrived at their side-- The Nocturne --and now the rest of the Nocturnal army, led by Lorcan Furey, entered the fray.
Obsidian Darke turned to Cheng Li. "I believe the tide has just turned," he said.
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Cheng Li's eyes were bright. "Let's finish this," she said. "Together."
Seeing Lorcan and their allied forces streaming into position filled Cate with a fresh burst of energy. She surveyed the deck and saw yet another female Vampirate sporting the black heart tattoo. Maybe this was another of the evil crew who had murdered Molucco Wrathe. Cate had already dealt with two of the others personally--why not make it a hat trick? This one was, strangely, lingering at the edge of the deck. It would be an easy victory. Cate let out a battle cry and ran at her, silver sword aloft.
Grace had been stunned both by the descent of the mist and then by the sight of Lorcan arriving on deck. But it wasn't just Lorcan's arrival that had taken her by surprise, it was also his appearance: he looked completely different from how she remembered him. She had noticed, during her last few astral visits, that he was putting on muscle due to his nightly training bouts, but it was only now that she realized that his evolution into an imposing young warrior was complete. She waved at him and began assessing how easy it might be to negotiate her way across to him through the fray.
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But before she could work this out, Grace was faced with a far more urgent problem. Cate was running straight at her, fury in her eyes and sword spinning in her hand. Grace wanted to cry out to her to stop, but, by the time she'd introduced herself, she'd be dead. Actions were going to have to speak louder than words. Nerves pulsing through her body, she drew her own sword. Seconds later, silver clashed against steel.
To her amazement, Grace managed to successfully defend herself against Cate's first blow, but there was no time to congratulate herself. The weapons supremo was already lining up her next attack. Grace ought to have been terrified but, curiously, her fear had drained away. In its place, she felt a calm and focused energy.
As Cate swung her blade a second time, Grace found that her own sword was already in the perfect position to repel it. Unrelenting, Cate lined up the next attack. Once again, without forethought, Grace moved her sword into position ahead of Cate's blade. Cate lined up another strike. Quicker than ever, Grace's sword shot through the air. This time, she sent Cate's sword back with some force. Grace buzzed with adrenaline. It was as if she could read Cate's every move before it happened! It was exhilarating.
Cate was surprised at how well the Vampirate girl was fighting. She was a natural swordswoman. It was a
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pleasure to fight somebody so competent with the sword--most of her previous combatants had shown little flair in that department and relied instead on raw aggression, which they had in spades.
As she looked deep into her opponent's eyes, she couldn't believe what she saw.
"Grace!" she exclaimed. "Grace Tempest!"
"Yes," Grace cried. "I wanted to tell you before, but you'd have sliced me in two before I got my name out."
"What are you doing here?" Cate asked, incredulous.
"It's complicated," Grace replied. "And there's no time for lengthy explanations. But, Cate, I'm not here to fight you or any of the other pirates. I was sent on this attack against my will."
Cate frowned, remembering Molucco and weighing up the odds. "Grace, you're not on my crew. And if you're not on my crew, you're the enemy."
Grace shrugged, her eyes aflame. "If that's how you feel," she said. "Let's fight!" Her sword was already pulsing with energy. She was ready.
Jasmine was starting to feel a little fatigued after her many bouts. She had a wound to her left shoulder blade, but it didn't seem to be major. The pain was bearable, and the blood flow seemed to be stanched for now. In spite of this setback, she was pleased with her success and that of
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her comrades. Now that the allies had arrived, the Vampirates were falling thick and fast.
But the problem of finishing off the Vampirates was still ongoing, and Jasmine soon found herself under attack from a familiar face.
"I killed you five minutes ago," she cried indignantly.
"Guess again!" said the Vampirate with a grin.
As the Vampirate charged, Jasmine instinctively jumped backward to open up more space for the fight. As she landed, instead of meeting solid deck boards, her feet met flesh. Jasmine lost her balance and fell down on top of a slain Vampirate. Her own attacker lost no time. He leaned over her with a twisted grin and reached out his sword. With a dead Vampirate underneath her and a decidedly "undead" one on top, there was nothing Jasmine could do but pray.
Her attacker's grin suddenly froze and Jasmine saw a spike run through his chest.
"Roll, Jasmine!" a familiar voice cried. Obediently, Jasmine rolled to her side as the speared Vampirate crashed down to join his inert crewmate. Looking up, she saw Bo Yin withdraw her sword from the Vampirate's back.
Bo Yin grinned as she reached out a hand to help up her comrade. "You owe me one, Jasmine Peacock!"
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Jacoby smiled in delight as he watched Lorcan and his team getting into the fight. The tide had definitely turned in their favor. It was time to shift this battle up a notch. The deck of The Tiger was littered with the fallen of both sides. The stench was grim, the deck slick with blood as well as seawater, and it was getting harder and harder to move around. Jacoby looked across to the empty deck of The Diablo and assessed the distance. Then, raising his sword aloft, he pushed through the crowd and propelled himself over the side of The Tige
r , onto The Diablo . Once more, the ancient galleon was under pirate control.
Jacoby stood on the deck, hands on hips, coolly staring back at the Vampirates over on The Tiger . One of them returned his gaze directly, his eyes dark and brooding. Jacoby knew this man. As Jez Stukeley, he'd been a legendary pirate fighter. From what Jacoby had observed tonight, Stukeley was still at the top of his game. He would be a worthy adversary.
Grinning, Jacoby beckoned him across. "Come on, then." He drew his sword. "Come on over if you think you're tough enough!"
Eyes aflame, the Vampirate began to run toward him.
Grace's sword clashed against Cate's once more. Although she had vowed to use Grace O'Malley's sword only to
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defend herself, as the fight progressed, Grace was finding that she was equally adept at initiating her own attacks. She wondered at this new ability. Was it derived from this sword in particular--with the spirit of Grace O'Malley somehow guiding her hand--or was it in fact another manifestation of her dhampir powers? Whichever, Grace was filled with satisfaction as she struck Cate's sword with such power that it fell from the pirate's grasp. Instinctively, Grace edged farther forward to prevent Cate from retrieving her weapon.
"Wait!" Cate raised her hand. "I surrender!" Her face was pale. "Before you kill me, tell me one thing." She paused for breath. "What have you done with Bart?"
Grace frowned, aghast. "I'm not going to kill you," she said. "I was never going to kill you."
"Tell me where Bart is," Cate said. "He went to visit Connor two days ago, and we haven't seen him since."
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