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

McFee leaned forward. He obviously hoped that he might have an ally in me. “When I remarked that I hadn’t seen him before, he claimed he’d been on a ship.” He wiped his nose again on his other sleeve. It had almost stopped bleeding. “I know many of the lads who fought on the ships with his lordship or the captain were now in the castle, guarding it. I thought nothin’ of it.”

“That doesn’t help much.” I touched Jeremiah’s arm. “Will you let Lord Campbell read your mind now? If you do that and prove you are not a traitor, perhaps you can be spared whatever torture he plans for you.”

McFee shuddered. “I don’t like it, but I’ll do it for you, mistress. Here, you read my mind and see if I’m lying or no.” He gave me that gap-toothed smile again, though it was a shaky effort. “You can do that, can’t ye?”

“Yes, I can do it.” I didn’t like to and never intruded on the minds of the people around me. “I promise it will only be for a few moments. To find the truth of what happened last night.”

“Thank ye, mistress. You’ll see. I did not help the pirate. I do not want you dead. Yer so pretty and all.” He must have heard Jeremiah growl, we all did.

“Meaning no disrespect, yer lordship. Everyone here admires both of ye. It’s a lucky thing to be hired by the Campbells. I’ve said it many a time, enjoying myself at your table.”

“Can we get on with this?” Jeremiah gestured me closer to McFee. “You try to hurt my lady and you’ll never draw another breath. Do you understand me?”

“Yes, yes, yer lordship. I am yer servant. Would never…” He obviously noticed that he had tried Jeremiah’s patience. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, then opened them again. “Have at it, mistress. I ain’t singing now.”

I leaned closer and looked. Mind reading isn’t something I enjoy. And I really hate for someone to read my mind. Jeremiah does it to me all the time and I think it’s an invasion of my privacy. However, it is a way to get to the truth. I could see that McFee didn’t like pirates and would never have truck with them. He liked me and wouldn’t want to kill me. Then I saw something that made me draw in a breath and look at Jeremiah.

He must have seen the same thing because that hammer came down with a crash on the table. “By God!”

McFee jumped, his chains rattled and the men by the door all rushed to stand next to the chair. Valdez put his hands around McFee’s throat.

“What is it?” Valdez had his knife out. “Is he the traitor? Say the word and I’ll end him now.”

“He could be. Let me at him.” Jeremiah took McFee’s face in his hand. He squeezed until I thought the man’s eyes would pop out. “Why the hell didn’t you tell me that you have worked for Robert MacDonald?”

“I, I didn’t think it mattered.” McFee could barely get the words out.

“Go on.”

“Jeremiah, it would help if you let go of his face and allowed him to talk.” I could feel the tension in my lover’s back when I rubbed it. “He’s not going anywhere, he’s chained!”

“One moment. Valdez, do you sense any shifter in him? Any other talents?” Jeremiah didn’t release his prisoner.

Valdez had stepped back at Jeremiah’s first command. Now he got closer, obviously using his own special talent to find out what he could about McFee. He gestured and Jeremiah finally let go. McFee rubbed his face and looked at me gratefully.

“I ain’t no shifter. I know what they are. Not no witch either.” McFee rattled his chains. “What say you, Mr. Valdez?”

“He’s right. He’s just an ordinary mortal in need of a bath.”

“Here now, no reason to insult a man. I hear the master and mistress are right fond of washing, but most of us don’t have the luxury of a tub.” McFee shook his head. “Not to be complaining, mind ye. This is a right good place to work. I’m happy with my post.”

“But you used to work for MacDonald.” Jeremiah could barely squeeze the name out. “Did he send you here to spy for him?”

“What? Why would I do that?” The man looked genuinely confused.

“Then why would you come here? Why leave a job with the MacDonald clan?” Jeremiah really hated saying that name. “I hear they pay well.”

“Oh, they do. But your wages are just as good.” McFee glanced at the men who stood by the door. “The trouble was, the MacDonald has new men in his guard. Fancy types who have to wear uniforms.” He smiled at me again. “Have you seen this, mistress? All done up in skirts and wigs?” He shuddered. “Not a fighting man among ̕̕em.”

Jeremiah and I glanced at each other. We certainly had noticed the guards around Robert and Fiona MacDonald before we’d left Edinburgh. Fiona liked the formality of court and her guards reflected that.

“They’ll be stayin’ at court much of the time too. If there’s ever to be fighting, I’d not heard about it. Not like the company here. I left when I found out that you were hiring men to guard the coast. Your wages are good and I like a bit of action.” He kicked at his chains. “Especially like a job where I don’t have to wear one of them fancy uniforms.”

“Let Gloriana look into your mind. We must know if you have been spying for MacDonald.” Jeremiah stood rigid. “Or shared our fight and failure with the pirates with that man.”

“Come and look, mistress. You’ll see I’m tellin’ the truth.” McFee studied his dirty boots. “Happens one of the MacDonald guards did pay me a visit t̕ other day. Now I see that as a try at spyin’.”

“Indeed. What did you tell him?” Jeremiah paced a circle around the man on the stool. He gestured the