Black Heart

by Justin Somper

  Sidorio nodded slowly.

  “All right then,” Cheng Li said. “Well, Connor and I are going to go now. But we’ll be back in touch soon.”

  “How will you know where to find me?” Sidorio asked.

  “I managed to crash your wedding, didn’t I?” said Cheng Li. “I’m sure I can keep up with you.”

  Sidorio had one more question for her. “How can I trust you?”

  Cheng Li grinned, feeling immensely powerful. “You can’t,” she said. “But you don’t have a choice. If you don’t let Connor come with me now, I’ll see to it that you never meet your daughter.”

  It was checkmate. Sidorio relinquished his hold on Connor and stepped back to allow them free passage.

  “Here,” said Cheng Li, reaching down. “Don’t lose your head!” She lifted up Lady Lola’s head and presented it to Sidorio. Numbly, he took it into his hands, staring down at his wife’s beautiful features.

  Lady Lola Elizabeth Mercy Lockwood Sidorio had, in every sense of the phrase, been cut off in her prime. He stared down at the black heart tattoo, willing her to open her eyes. Just one more time. If only he could see her beautiful eyes just one more time. He thought of their first meeting, on another beach not unlike this. He thought of the time he had trespassed onto the Vagabond and found her preparing for her blood bath. He thought of the times they had gone hunting together. And all the little things—like when she’d helped him pick out new clothes and shown him how to swirl blood in a glass and that moment when she had agreed to become his wife. She had become his wife, but more than that, she had become his world. And now she was gone. Suddenly, Sidorio felt unbearably lonely. He let out a deep, keening roar.

  Connor allowed Cheng Li to lead him out into the water. His head was spinning as they started swimming out to the launch. His body felt like a dead weight, but his survival instinct had kicked in. It was the only thing enabling him to stay afloat.

  “How much of that was true?” he asked Cheng Li.

  “Every last word,” she said. “Well, except that I’m not in any hurry to reunite him with Grace.”

  “You actually believe that monster is my father?” Connor said.

  “Yes,” Cheng Li said. “I’m afraid so, Connor, but chin up! Maybe you’ll prove to be a shining example of nurture over nature.”

  “But he’s a Vampirate,” Connor said. “So what does that make me?”

  “You’re this half-vampire thingy,” Cheng Li said, midstroke. “A dhampir, that’s it! A dhampir!” She powered through another stroke. “Grace, too, obviously.”

  “How come you know this?”

  “It was all in a letter,” Cheng Li said.

  “A letter?”

  “From your mother. I’ll give it to you later. In private.”

  She had a letter? From his mother? How on earth… There were so many questions Connor had to ask, but they were nearing the boat, where the others awaited them, and he had to think and talk fast.

  “Does anyone else know about this?” Connor asked.

  “No,” Cheng Li said. “And that’s just the way it’s going to stay. Better all around.”

  “So what next?” Connor asked sadly. “Do you want to me to leave the crew?”

  “Are you out of your mind, Tempest?” Cheng Li said. “According to the letter, you have extraordinary powers. You were a prodigy before. You just became my secret weapon. You’re not going anywhere. You signed my articles for life, and now it turns out you’re immortal. You do the math!”

  It was so much to take in. “I don’t know what to say,” Connor said. “I don’t even know what to think.”

  “You don’t need to say or think anything,” Cheng Li said. “Just get back in the launch and return to the ship with me. It’ll take time, but we’ll figure this out. For now, you’re a hero. Enjoy the ride!”

  48

  THE DHAMPIRS

  My darling Grace,

  You told me that you were compiling a collection of Vampirates’ crossing stories. Well, my dear daughter, this, I suppose, is your very own crossing story. And your brother’s, too…

  Connor stared at his mother’s handwriting. It was very tempting to simply destroy the letter without reading it, but he knew that he couldn’t do that. Destroying it wouldn’t change anything; it would just leave him ignorant of the facts. Better to know the facts and then move on, whatever that meant now. Once more, he focused on his mother’s handwriting.

  This letter is for Connor, too, my dear son. And this is why I’m giving the full story here, though you and I have talked through much of this already. I didn’t get the chance to tell Connor in person. I wish I had done so, but he had another journey to make. Please, Grace, give your brother this letter when the time is right, and help him to deal with its aftermath.

  Help me? I don’t need any help, Connor thought. He felt a flash of anger toward Sally and Grace. Who were they to talk about him in this way? But he tried to still the anger and concentrate on the words in front of him. Soon, his mother’s preamble gave way to the bones of her story, and it became easier to read.

  My story began when I joined the Nocturne as a donor. I thought this marked the end of my life, but I was wrong. In many ways, it was only the beginning.

  Connor read through the pages of his mother’s letter, through the story of how she had joined the ship and served as Sidorio’s donor. The idea of it made him sick to the pit of his stomach. Still, he kept on turning the pages, finding himself surprisingly touched by the tale of how his mother and father—his true father, Dexter—had met and fallen in love. Then Sally’s story turned darker.

  Now I need to tell you some things that I was not able to tell you in person, my dear children. These will be difficult for you to read, as they are for me to write, but please try to understand them. And whatever you think, do not doubt for a moment the depth of my love for you, or your father’s love for you both.

  And so he read on, uncovering the truth of how he, Connor Tempest, had been brought into the world. It had always been a mystery. His dad—the man he still thought of as his dad, and always would—hadn’t talked of their mother. He had always said it was too painful to think of her and not have her there beside him. Connor had always thought it must have been a brief marriage, ending in tragedy. In spite of his natural curiosity, he had cared for his father too much to push for answers. Now, here were those answers. And the truth was that it was indeed a brief union, never a marriage. It had ended in tragedy, but it had also begun there.

  He and Grace had not been conceived out of love but through a voodoo spell. What did that make them? Something out of a fairy tale? Or a horror story?

  And so you see that you are both dhampirs, which is to say that you have both mortal and vampire qualities. In time, your true nature will begin to show itself. I hope when it does you will be strong and that you will offer each other the support you each need and deserve. Dhampirs are very special beings, blessed with immortality and other gifts bestowed upon vampires but without the vampires’ weaknesses. I suspect that you, Connor, will see this initially as a curse. If that is the case, then I can only apologize from the bottom of my heart. I hope very much that, in time, you might come to see it as a blessing.

  A blessing? How could she even use that word? He had come into the world through a violent spell, and his biological father was a psychopath. Well, Connor thought ruefully, at least now I know who I have to thank for my anger issues.

  He folded up the letter once more and returned it to the envelope. He felt numb.

  He was sitting alone on the hillside looking down at the academy’s harbor, where festivities were under way. Music was playing and fireworks erupted into the night sky. There were celebrations as Commodore Black praised the bravery of Captain Li and her dynamic crew for their attack on Lady Lockwood, singling him, Connor Tempest, out as having a glorious future. If only he knew, Connor thought. Perhaps he did. But no, he reflected. Cheng Li had said that she’d keep his
secret. That he was her secret weapon. Would she honor her promise? As he watched her, he thought that this was a small worry in the greater scheme of things.

  Captain Li was surrounded by Jacoby, Bo Yin, and the rest of her young crew. Farther along the jetty, Ahab Black stood deep in conversation with Barbarro Wrathe, René Grammont, and Pavel Platonov. The other academy teachers, the captains who had survived the race, were ranged along the foreshore. Connor’s eyes passed across the animated features of Lizabeth Quivers and Shivaji Singh. Then he saw Moonshine and Trofie Wrathe together, as always. Her golden hand had been returned, and she was restored to her old self, Queen of the Pirates. Bart and Cate were also down at the harborside, arm in arm. They were sharing a joke with Molucco Wrathe, and Scrimshaw, his pet snake, was curled about the captain’s neck. And was that Ma Kettle at Molucco’s side, taking a rare night off from her duties at the tavern? Molucco’s loud and distinctive laughter echoed up the hillside. It seemed somehow to mock him.

  Connor felt cut off from all of them. He had thought he belonged to their world, that he might find something approximating a home among this ragtag collection of pirates and adventurers. But he had been wrong. It had all been an illusion, now shattered with no chance of repair. He didn’t belong anywhere. He was a mutant, a monster, an outcast.

  “Hey, lonely guy, I’ve been looking for you.” He hadn’t heard Jasmine approach, but now he turned as she sat down beside him in the long grass. He gazed at her, wishing he could return her smile. But he couldn’t. He felt as though an invisible wall had been erected between them. More than anything, he wanted to reach out to her, but what was the point? There could be no kind of future for them now.

  “You know what, Connor?” said Jasmine, wrinkling her nose. “I’m not really much into victory parades and that kind of stuff. And fireworks just give me a headache.” She rested her head on her knees and smiled up at him. “It was grueling, what we went through back there,” she continued. “And now that it’s over, well, I just want to get back to normal, whatever normal is, you know?”

  He nodded automatically. The word normal jarred him. It didn’t feel like a category he could place himself in any longer.

  “You look tired,” she said. “And battle weary. I’m not surprised. You were at the heart of the attack.”

  “Yes,” he said, looking at her and thinking how she looked more beautiful and inaccessible than ever. She belonged to a different world than his. They could never be together.

  Then Jasmine Peacock did the simplest and most extraordinary thing. She leaned back in the long grass, patted her lap, and drew Connor’s head down to rest in it. And he did so, grateful for the warmth of her human touch. She lifted her hand and began stroking his hair.

  “I don’t know what’s wrong, Connor,” she said softly. “And I don’t need to. But you must understand that whatever it is— and whether you ever decide to tell me or not—you are not alone.”

  As she leaned forward and kissed him, a tear fell from his eye and rolled down his cheek to mingle with the dew on the academy grass.

  On the deck of the Nocturne, Grace lay in Lorcan’s arms, looking up at the stars.

  He smiled suddenly. “I forgot! I have a surprise for you.” He gently released her and walked over to the mast. Grace watched him curiously. When he came back, he was carrying a parcel wrapped in brown paper and string. Crouching down again, he held it out to her. “It’s not the best gift wrap, I’ll grant you, but I hope you’ll like what’s inside.”

  “What is it?” she said, her eyes glowing as she took the rectangular package into her hands. It was surprisingly light given its size.

  “Well, open it up and see, for goodness’ sake!” Lorcan exclaimed.

  Grace needed no further encouragement. She began untying the string and then unfolded the paper. As it fell away, she gasped. “Oh, Lorcan, it’s beautiful!”

  In her hands was a painting of a scene on the very same deck. It was of two young people, a man and a woman. It was clear from their posture and expressions that they were very much in love.

  “It’s my parents, isn’t it?” Grace said.

  Lorcan nodded. “Oskar told me about it,” he said. “He’s still firm friends with your mother’s friend Teresa. She’s a donor. He took me to her cabin. Grace, it’s piled high with her pictures—she has to keep painting over old canvases to make room!”

  Grace let out a breath. “Thank goodness she didn’t paint over this one!” she said.

  Lorcan rested his arms around Grace’s waist. “She told me she would never have painted over this one. But she very much wanted you to have it.”

  “Oh, Lorcan,” said Grace. “I love it! Will you help me hang it in my cabin? It will be like they’re traveling with me always.”

  “Yes.” He nodded, then kissed her.

  She set the picture down carefully and then took Lorcan’s hand as they sat back down on the deck together. Even then, she found herself gazing at the painting.

  “What are you thinking about?” he asked, his finger gently tracing the curve of her cheek.

  “Mosh Zu told me that everything is unfolding as it should. I couldn’t believe him then.” She turned to Lorcan. “But now I do.”

  “That’s so good to hear, my sweet Grace. I was so frightened about how you’d react to all this. I thought that it would spoil everything. But I should never have underestimated you. I won’t make that mistake again.”

  “Yes, you will,” she said.

  He twisted his head and looked at her quizzically. She grinned. “Lorcan, we’re both immortal. That means we’re going to be spending a lot of time together. I think it would be a mistake to imagine it will all be smooth sailing, don’t you?”

  He laughed. “Smooth sailing? With our track record? You make a good point!” He leaned over and kissed her again. She was growing used to his kisses, but even though she knew an eternity of them lay ahead of her, she had no fear that she would ever tire of them. After a moment, her smile turned to a frown.

  “What’s wrong?” he asked.

  “I’m just thinking about Connor,” she said. “I’m worried about how he’s going to react to all this. It’s easier for me because I want to be part of this world. I’m already connected to it in so many ways.”

  “That’s true,” Lorcan said. “But you and Connor are different people. He will react differently and shape his future accordingly. He’ll find his own way. You have to trust that he’ll do that.”

  “But I have you and Mosh Zu and Darcy and all the others to help me,” said Grace. “And hopefully,” she added, “the captain will return one day soon.”

  Lorcan nodded. “Yes, you do have all of us. But Connor has his friends, too, doesn’t he? And we’ll be there for him, waiting to help, if and when he has need of us.”

  His words were deeply reassuring. “Thank you,” Grace said.

  “You’re welcome,” Lorcan said. “But I’m only speaking the truth as I see it. Now, just for tonight at least, could we stop worrying about your brother and lie back and enjoy the stars?”

  Grace nodded. She settled back onto the deckboards, snuggled closer to Lorcan, and gazed up past the tall mast and the Nocturne’s vast winglike sails, their veins sparking with light as the ship sailed on.

  Up above, the night sky was clear, and the heavens were abundant with stars. Grace’s eyes roved across the constellations, some familiar, others still mysterious to her. She remembered her dad telling her and Connor how sailors used the stars to navigate home. Now as she glanced up above, she imagined each of the lights representing one of the special people in her life, some gone now, others still with her. Sally. Dexter. Connor. Darcy. Oskar. Mosh Zu. The captain. Lorcan. Each in their own way had brought her to this special place. This place she now knew was home.

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  About the Author

  JUSTIN SOMPER is the worldwide bestselling auth
or of the Vampirates series, which has been published in twenty-five languages in thirty-five countries. He is also the author of the Allies & Assassins series. When he isn’t writing, he works with other authors as a publicist and trainer. He lives in London with his partner and two energetic dogs.Justin invites you to visit him online at alliesandassassins.com, on Facebook at Facebook.com/JustinSomperAuthor, and on Twitter @JustinSomper.

  Also by Justin Somper

  VAMPIRATES: Demons of the Ocean

  VAMPIRATES: Tide of Terror

  VAMPIRATES: Blood Captain

  Here’s a sneak peek at the the fifth Vampirates adventure—EMPIRE OF NIGHT

  1

  IF YOU CAN KEEP YOUR HEAD…

  Sidorio stood on the beach, cradling in his hands the decapitated head of his new bride.

  Lola. He opened his mouth to speak her name, but it was too painful to say the word and know that she was gone. To know that she would never again glance up at him, her eyes sparkling with dark purpose. That she would never again smile and take his hand. Never again lift one of her favorite antique glasses, filled with her own special vintage, and sip from it with all the grace of her aristocratic lineage.…

  He gazed down at her in wonder. Even in this state, with her face turning as pale as the reflection of the moon on the still sea, her beauty was peerless. Lady Lola Elizabeth Mercy Lockwood Sidorio. It was not yet an hour since they had been married, and already she had been taken from him. Cruelly dispatched at the altar by his own son. A tear welled up in Sidorio’s eye. It was not a familiar sensation. The bead of water escaped and fell like a raindrop onto Lola’s cheek. Sidorio had a sudden hope that the water might somehow revive her. That she was not dead but only sleeping. But deep down, in the knot of his stomach, he knew she was gone. He was alone again.