Real Vampires: Glory and the Pirates by Bartlett, Gerry (red white royal blue TXT) 📕

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 end 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