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

have left more than one pirate. We might still have a traitor here.” He frowned. “And there’s the unsolved question of where he got the poison. Did he bring it with him? Or did our own witch help him?”

I really wanted to confront her. Did I dare?

Jeremiah grabbed me and stared into my eyes. “I can read you too well, my love. I absolutely forbid you to see that witch. Do you hear me, Gloriana?”

He had just made a mistake. I carefully blocked my thoughts. Forbid me? Why didn’t he ever learn?

17

“Am I going to have to lock you in your bedchamber?” Valdez was being difficult.

“You know someone needs to question the witch. Can you tell who made this poison?” I waved the arrow at him, then held it to my own nose. I couldn’t help it, I gagged. It reeked of strong evil and my own blood. No one had dared clean it, Jeremiah’s orders. He’d broken it before he’d turned me over and pulled it out by the arrow head. That’s what Colin told me. I’d been in too much pain to remember. The very thought of how I almost died made me want to retch again.

“Do you think poison has a signature? No one could name the maker by its smell.” Valdez grabbed the arrow and wrapped it in one of my shawls.

I wanted to protest. I liked that shawl. But I was glad to have the thing out of sight.

“I don’t think you know that for sure. You just don’t want me to visit the witch.” I tugged his arm. “Come on, Valdez. Walk with me down to the beach. We have to talk to Helen.”

“You have no idea how it makes me shudder to hear you on familiar terms with that woman.” He stood in the doorway of my bedchamber, a handsome barrier to my freedom.

“I am not familiar with her, but she is a woman. Not merely a witch. Treat her as such and you will get more from her. I am convinced of it.” I wasn’t backing down, determined to have my way.

“And if it is her handiwork? We’d be turned into toads and hopping out of there before you could scream ‘Help!’” He thought he was being funny, but he still wasn’t moving. Clearly, he had his orders.

“What is this? Valdez, stand aside.” Flo spoke from behind him. “Are you holding my friend prisoner?”

“I am trying to keep her from making a mistake.” He held up the wrapped arrow. “She wants to go see the witch about this.”

“Valdez makes sense. Aren’t you afraid she’ll put a spell on you, amica?” Flo pushed him aside and joined me in my bedchamber. She had her hands full of blue velvet. And she wore…

“The britches are ready!” I grabbed the velvet from her and held them up. “Blue with silver braid down the legs. I love them!” I shoved Valdez out of the room and slammed the door in his face. It was a relief to have something new to think about. My bodyguard hadn’t been moved by my arguments and I was tired of the effort. “I must try on mine.”

“I don’t know, Glory. I feel funny. They are pushing into my derrière and getting personal with me, capisci?” Flo pulled at the fabric that was a bit snug there but made her look very curvy in a way that would make a man wild with lust. “I am used to freedom down there. It is as if I can’t breathe, though I know that sounds silly.” She strutted around the room, her legs wide apart.

“Stop, you look silly. Walk like you usually do, Flo. Like you are on your way to bed and want a man to follow you.” I grinned at her. She knew what I meant. Hadn’t she found a bodice to go with her black and silver that dipped low in front? It had short sleeves so she could work with her sword. I was sure she’d declare it practical.

I pulled off my skirt and prayed that my britches would fit. My ass was so much bigger than Flo’s. Yes, Maggie had taken my measurements, but to allow for my thighs and hips… I slid one leg into the beautiful blue velvet then had to sit down on a trunk to manage the other.

“Do you need help?” Flo was admiring her own legs but finally watched my struggle to get into the britches. There were silver buttons across the front. “Don’t you love that we have falls to button, just like the sailors do? Your Maggie is very clever with a needle.”

“We were lucky there were such pretty buttons in the supplies sent from Edinburgh. Mine are silver engraved with flowers.” I stood and breathed a sigh of relief when I got them all buttoned without a problem. “Maggie is a genius. These fit perfectly!”

“They do. If Maggie knew the current fashions, I’d say we send Madame Clotilde packing. She has been here weeks with nothing to show for it.” Flo pulled me away from the trunk and walked around me. “Glory, you have a nice bottom. Jeremiah will want to take you straight to bed once he sees you in this.”

“No, Jeremiah will hate me in britches.” I was surprised to realize I was afraid to go out in them. The soldiers in the castle had always treated me with respect. What would they do when they saw me strutting around like the pirate queen, who they had mocked for dressing like a man?

I walked around the room, feeling odd, like Flo had said. Restricted, yes, with the fabric pushing up between my legs, but also free of those full skirts that caught on everything. Who had decided that women should hide their legs and worry about tripping all the time? Men, I was sure. Now that was a thought to change my mind.

I decided to risk it. “Flo, are you ready to take our