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

Jeremiah had noticed the way I’d stared at the table. “It will get harsh if the man refuses to tell us what we want to know.”

“If things go badly, I’ll leave. But let me ask my questions first. Mayhap he has a wish to talk to me directly.” I held onto my skirt, twisting it in my fingers. Had this man been hired to kill me? If so, we could possibly loosen his tongue with the promise of gold. I’d brought along my purse though Jeremiah had forbidden me to bribe this bastard, as he called him, to talk.

I heard the clank of chains coming closer. Colin and two other men dragged a man through the door and dumped him on the stool. Obviously at some point the man had resisted capture, either that or his guards had taken out their anger on him. I didn’t want to know which. He was bruised on his chin and one of his eyes was swollen shut. Valdez stood on one side of me, Jeremiah on the other, in case seeing me got a reaction from the man. The prisoner stared at us sullenly.

“Who hit him?” Jeremiah looked around the room.

“I did. He didn’t want to go to the dungeon. I had to persuade him.” Valdez looked proud of himself.

“Well done,” I murmured and patted his arm. Then I stepped toward the man on the stool.

“Careful.” Jeremiah grabbed my arm. “Don’t get so close.”

“You should be dead.” The prisoner spoke. “I made a good shot.”

“Yes, you did. But we are skilled with medicine here.” I stayed where I was. “As you see, I lived and can even move my arm. Unlike Zarah, may she roast in hell.” I stared at him, meeting his gaze. I tried to read his mind. He quickly looked down at his feet, apparently having been warned that there were people like me here who could do that.

“I know what you are. Monsters.” He spit on the stone floor. “You are the ones bound for hell. Zarah was,” his throat worked. “a hero.”

“I don’t know how you can call her that. She raided hard-working people, stealing the bread from their tables. How is that heroic?” I paced the floor around him.

“Our people were starving. Our land cannot provide for us. It is rocky and useless. Zarah gave what she took to those in need.” He kept his hands on his knees, his knuckles bruised and scarred as he gripped them.

“What happened to the girls who were taken from their homes? Raped? How does that help your people?” I hated the way innocent victims were caught up in war.

“You don’t understand how angry our people are. How they have suffered because the British hate us. Zarah did what she could to give us hope.” He lifted his head. “Now you have killed her.”

I could see his anger. He might be caught, but he had a dignity about him.

“I didn’t kill her.” I had to say it.

“You took her shooting arm. She felt ruined, as good as dead without it.” His eyes blazed when he dared look at me. “Zarah was not a bad person. She tried to lead our people. Some were not so willing to follow her. It was not her fault that they went too far once they landed here.” The prisoner rattled his chains. “I know I’m going to hang. Get it over with. I will be with Zarah. I loved her.”

Jeremiah pushed me behind him. “Who helped you here? How did you get in the castle?” He grabbed the man’s face and forced him to look into his eyes. “Colin, find Zachary McFee. Another traitor.”

“Stop it!” The man tried to wrench his face free, throwing his chain at Jeremiah. It was no use. Jeremiah had the power to make the man freeze in place.

“Where did you get the poison for the arrow?” Jeremiah had to pry the man’s eyes open. “He’s singing in his head. It’s an old trick. He’s been coached by someone who knows vampires.” He glanced at me. “Gloriana, you visited the witch who lives near the beach. Do you think she could be in league with the pirates?”

It was a good question. But I couldn’t think of any reason why she would be. There was a noise outside the door, then we could hear scuffling and a yell. The door crashed open. Colin and Willum had a man between them. He had blood running from his nose and still fought to get free from what had to have been their painful grips.

“I’m innocent. Who is spreading lies about me?” He saw the man in chains, slumped on the stool. “You! Is this the liar who gave you my name?” He lunged at him, grabbing Valdez’s knife from his waist and plunging it into the prisoner’s throat. He’d aimed well, for the amount of blood that flowed down the victim’s chest assured me it was a death blow.

My fangs were down but I stayed where I was. We all were in shock, I think, Valdez most of all. He wrestled his knife from the man’s grip and threw him to the ground.

“I’m sorry. I didn’t imagine he’d do such a thing.” Valdez stared at Jeremiah. “Is he dead?”

“Yes, there’s no doubt.” Jeremiah stepped back from the body, his fingers bloody. “Well now, it seems we have no choice but to question you, McFee.” He strode over to the man on the floor and picked him up by his shirt front. Jeremiah was obviously furious. He threw the man against the wall with such force that McFee bounced. He hit his head then slumped to the floor.

“Jeremiah, you won’t get answers if you kill him.” I stepped around the dead prisoner, ignoring the smell of blood in the air. It wasn’t easy.

Jeremiah stood over the man McFee and finally looked back at the man in chains. “Colin, remove the trash, if you please. It seems I will need the stool and the chains to