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

“Where did you go?” I poured water into a bowl and dampened a cloth. “Sit and tell me everything.” I handed her the cloth and she wiped her face.

I had no idea how all this shape-shifting worked, but her gown, lovely once, now looked almost shredded. Had the wind done that while she flew? Her face and hands were dirty, and she cleaned them off with a sigh. Tears ran down her cheeks again.

“I thought I caught their scent so I landed on an island not far from here. I ruined my dress searching through bushes for them.” She looked down at her skirt and sobbed. “I found graves, amica. But then I realized it was where the vampires had spent their days, safe from the sun. I threw myself down in one just to smell my dear Angus. Foolish of me, eh?”

“You mean they buried themselves in graves each day?” I breathed a deep sigh of relief, trying not to imagine that moment before the death sleep came when you had to lie there with dirt over your face. “But they had already left them once night fell.” I hurried to the window. “Flo, where could they be? Looking for their ship? You didn’t see it?”

“No. I saw the pirate ship attacking our own castle. I thought to come and help, but it was a small group, easy for our soldiers to defeat, so I kept on looking.” She came to stand beside me to look out the window.

“The pirate ship is gone now so I must have been right.” She put her hand on my back. “But look at you. Your dress has blood on it.” She lifted it to her nose. “Mortal blood. What happened here?”

I told her and found myself shedding a few tears in her comforting arms. I couldn’t stop seeing Zarah’s wild dive over the battlements. Her own men must have recovered her body, because Colin’s party of soldiers hadn’t been able to find it.

“Do you think she could have lived, Glory?” Flo held my hand. “You were so brave! I hope they just took her home to bury her. If one of our kind found her, she could have become vampire if she still breathed. Wouldn’t that be un brutto trucco?”

Trucco, I think she meant trick. More than a trick, it would be horrible. I just shook my head. No, surely, she’d been dead and was on her way to Ireland to be buried in a place of honor as their fallen queen.

“Valdez shifted and went to look for our men as a favor to me. He will not be happy that I had to fight that pirate wench while he was gone. I wish we didn’t have to tell Jeremiah that it happened. He might dismiss Valdez for leaving his post.” I took one more look out the window at the lightening sky. “At least Valdez can keep searching once the sun comes up. He knows Jeremiah’s scent well.”

“He never should have left you. That pirate bitch could have killed you.” Flo stalked to the door. “Come. It is time we both seek our beds before we die. You must make sure you have guards at your door since Valdez is not here to take care of you.” She threw open the tower door and shouted. “Guards! Come to me!”

Colin came running. “Yes, madame.”

“Take care of your mistress. She is tired and must sleep.” Flo waved her hand at me. “Caspisci?”

“Yes, right away. I have two trusted men from Dollar who will be outside your door all day, Mistress Gloriana. And two for you as well, Madame daVinci.” Colin led the way down the stairs. “I cannot believe that pirate female managed to get to you, Mistress Gloriana. Lord Jeremiah will have my head for that.” Colin actually looked scared for a moment.

“Colin, what happened is not your fault. Poor MacDougal paid with his life trying to guard me.” I spared a moment to murmur a brief prayer for the poor man.

“I haven’t told Fergus or Captain Burnett yet. Since we didn’t find the bitch’s body, I don’t know what to think.” Colin stopped in front of my door, nodding to the two men waiting there.

“I’m sure her followers picked up her body and took it home for burial.” I’d love to keep my fight with Zarah a secret, but I knew it wasn’t possible. There were too many mind readers who would know about it as soon as they returned. Valdez certainly would see my every thought. I couldn’t seem to hide them from the men in my life.

Colin took a steadying breath and threw open my door, checking behind tapestries and even under the bed to make sure no villains lurked there waiting to attack me. When he was satisfied that the room was clear, he escorted me inside.

“At least you came out all right. Healing already, you said.”

“Yes, I am fine. A small knife wound, even a gun shot, is nothing to a woman of my kind.” I showed him that I was healing, the pink skin visible through a rip in my sleeve.

“The pirates sailed away as fast as their ship could go. Not that it was fast, our cannons did some damage there, Captain Burnett says. I hope it sinks before it gets to Ireland.” Colin stopped near the door. “The captain is making sure we are prepared for another attack. They damaged his ship too before they left. He says they might still come back. Bastards!” He stared at the blood stains on my dress. “We should be celebrating, you know, mistress. You killed the pirate queen. You are a hero!” He smiled proudly.

“No, Colin, when it came down to it, Zarah killed herself. She threw herself off the tower. She couldn’t face being locked up in our dungeon and facing trial. You know she would have hanged after that.” I didn’t feel proud of what had happened with Zarah and was