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

sword then leaped forward. At least the britches made it easy to fight like Valdez had taught me. We clashed, sword to knife, then the man took a clumsy jab at me and missed. He stumbled and I rushed forward, my sword finding its mark. He fell screaming and clutched a gaping wound in his chest. When I pulled out my sword, he fell silent. He lay on the rough stones, his breathing shallow and his eyes closed. I could hear his heartbeat slowing. He was down for good.

Blood, yes, there was a lot of blood. But I didn’t have time to think about it when a gun roared near my left ear. It was loud and echoed off the stone walls.

“Got him,” Fiona said proudly, as if she’d just taken down a deer in the forest. I could see that she had indeed killed a man who’d come at her with his knife.

“Fiona, look out!” Another man, more finely dressed, held a sword that looked dangerously sharp in the torch light. He seemed eager to try his luck with her.

Fiona still had one loaded gun and trained it on the man. “You! Stop where you are and drop that sword. Raise your hands or you’re a dead man! Look at your friend and you can see I mean it!” Fiona screamed it. She clearly wouldn’t hesitate to shoot again.

I waved my bloody sword in my right hand and gripped my knife in my left as Valdez had taught me. “Get into a cell.” I urged him back with them.

“Now I’ve seen everything. The Scots have put their women to fightin’. I doubt either of ye’ve got another lucky hit in ye,” a man said from my left side.

I turned in time to see him leap out of the shadows. He hit my sword hand, jarring the sword loose and I dropped it. Unlucky for him that he didn’t count on my vampire speed. I threw myself at him, knocking him down before I thrust my knife into his belly. His screams were equal parts surprise and pain.

“You’ve kill’t me!” He stared down at the blood gushing from his stomach then clutched himself as if he could stop the flow.

“Not if you surrender. Crawl into one of those cells and I’ll send for someone to tend your wound.” I kicked his foot, keeping my eyes on that man in front of Fiona.

“Don’t do it, Bailey! You’ll only end up at the end of a rope. That’s where the Scots think all Irish belong.” The man Fiona held at gunpoint had given the order. “I’m Donovan. These men answer to me. We won’t go down without a fight.”

“Looks like the fight is lost. You heard her. Drop your sword and get in a cell.” Fiona now held the gun with both hands, trying to keep it from wobbling.

Fi looked tired, biting her lips as she concentrated on her aim. The heavy gun was obviously making it a challenge.

“Fiona? Are you all right?” I didn’t like the way that man never took his eyes off of her. He was going to try something, I was sure of it.

“I’m fine. Keep talking, Donovan. I’ll shoot you if you move.” Fiona had the brave talk right even if she looked worried.

“She means it. Throw away that sword and get into a cell, Donovan. If she doesn’t shoot you, I’ll cut your Irish throat.” I was having a hard time watching both him and Bailey. Bailey moaned then ripped off his jacket and wadded it to press on the wound. He started inching his way into a cell and I didn’t see him as much of a danger. But then I couldn’t be sure, could I? The other man I’d cut hadn’t moved, but what if he was faking? It was Donovan I was most worried about. He was on his feet and staring, clearly ready to make a move.

“You think I’ll let a woman take me down?” He dove toward Fiona, his sword aimed at her heart. The gun blasted, my ears ringing as red bloomed on his chest. Donovan was dead before he hit the floor. I knew it instantly even before I ran over to check for a heartbeat.

“Fiona! That was an amazing shot.” I realized she’d slumped on the floor, the pistol at her feet.

She looked at me, her eyes bleak. “I know. I have always had a true aim.” She bent her head and wept into her arms crossed on top of her knees.

“I killed him!” she wailed.

“Yes, you did. He wanted to go down fighting. That was obvious.” I settled next to her, watching closely the two pirates who still breathed. Two dead and two severely wounded. We’d certainly defended the castle. Fiona sobbed one more time then sat up and wiped her eyes.

“You were so brave, Fi. I’ll never forget how you shot him. You never hesitated.” I gave her a hug.

“I did it, didn’t I?” She sniffed then pulled out her bag and carefully began cleaning each pistol before reloading them. “You should make sure those two get into the cells and lock them up. Or do you need my help?”

“I can manage.” I stood and dragged a complaining Bailey by his collar until he was lying in the cell. I found a smaller key next to the one I’d used on the dungeon door and it worked to lock the cell. “I’ll send our housekeeper down here to dress your wound, Bailey. She’ll set you to rights.”

“Don’t bother. Donovan was right. I’m heading to the gallows.” The man fell back against the wall. “Leave me be. Check on O’Toole. The other one, his name was Kelly, if you care. He’s dead, I guess.”

“Yes.” I did care, but I wasn’t going to let Bailey know that. “If O’Toole is the one with the short beard, I think he might live. Let me see.” I had slashed O’Toole’s chest but hadn’t hit his heart. I leaned down and