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

listened. Yes, his heart still beat. I dragged him into a cell and locked that door. It might be a bad sign that he hadn’t waked yet but he was still breathing.

The smell of all that blood made me hunger but not for the blood of any of the dirty men in the cells or those lying dead in the dungeon. I wondered if we should stay where we were or report to someone what we’d found here. Could more men be coming? I asked Bailey.

“Why should I tell you anything? You’ve as good as kill’t me.” He was surly.

I didn’t blame him for his attitude. But I did blame him for taking part in the raids that had caused such misery for the villagers living here.

“I can arrange care for you, decent food and even ale if you cooperate. It will make your last days pass more easily. Surely that is something. I can even delay your trip to Edinburgh.” I watched him through the bars. I wasn’t sure about that last promise. The prisoners we’d taken before had been marched off to Edinburgh the very day they’d been captured. Captain Burnett wanted to please the king and show him our success here. Bailey was pale but should last until he could be taken to Edinburgh for trial if we didn’t delay too long.

“Ale? Fine food?” He licked his lips. “Who are you anyway?”

“I am mistress to Lord Campbell, Guardian of the Coast. I have a certain power here. I can arrange things for your comfort.” I realized I still held a bloody knife and leaned down to wipe it on Donovan’s jacket.

Bailey scowled. “Have you no respect for the dead?”

“Not for this dead man. He led you in here, didn’t he? How many men did he bring with him into the castle? How did he arrange that? We have guards on the hill where the passage starts. How did you get past them?” I picked up my sword. It still had blood on it. My hands were shaking as I cleaned it. How many times had Jeremiah and Valdez told me never to put away a blade dirty? Those lessons had been like a game. This reality made me sick to my stomach.

“Answer me, Bailey, or do I have to start cutting on you to get my answers? We could always wait for Lord Campbell. He is quite expert at pulling answers from reluctant prisoners.” I wiped my sword clean on the same jacket. I hated defiling the man lying dead at my feet but felt like I had to make a point. I didn’t tell poor Bailey that Jeremiah’s trick to get answers was mind-reading and not painful at all.

Bailey turned away and tears ran down his face. “Torture. I’ve heard the tales.” He sniffed and seemed to come to a decision.

“There were six of us. Janus, known to you as McFee, Wylie and us four. Wylie probably made it back to the ship. Don’t know about Janus. Last I saw him, he was in the forest outside the castle. There’s your answer. Now bring me something to drink. Something stronger than ale, if you please. How about Scots whiskey? I’ve got a taste for it since we’ve been raiding and it will dull some of this pain ye gave me with your blasted knife.” He glared at me.

I didn’t bother to read his mind. Why would a dying man lie? He told me how the spies they had managed to put in place had all gone back to Ireland, tired of living among the Scots they hated. He too was tired and felt defeated.

“I’ve known of only one woman who could wield a sword and a knife like you just did. Our Zarah. She was a fine leader, gone too soon.” Bailey wiped the tears from his face. “They say a woman drove her to kill herself. Was you the one who done it?”

“I was there. I saw her fling herself from the tower in despair. She knew she was beaten and didn’t want to face trial in Edinburgh.” That got me a blast of hatred and filthy words. I didn’t like them but ignored them.

“How did you get into the castle this time?” I glanced at the passageway I had gone down before. “We had the passageway well guarded.”

“Not that way, ye stupid bitch.” Bailey laughed until he cried out and grabbed his stomach. “Guess ye was satisfied with the first passage ye found, wasn’t ye? Typical English. Takin’ the easy way. Yeah, ye sound like one of ̕em. Came from Lunnen, didn’t ye? Ye have no idea what them has taken from us Irish over the years. We got nothin’ left.”

“It doesn’t matter where I come from. Answer me.” Yes, I was sorry for what the Irish had suffered. It was too bad they thought raiding poor villages was their only answer.

Bailey shrugged then winced in pain. “Ye should have kept exploring, that’s all. This passage ye opened on yon wall? It isn’t the only one. Go t̕other way and follow that one north. You’ll come out on the other side of the hill.”

That made me want to scream in frustration. He was right about one thing. We should have looked for more passages.

“I’m sorry for your loss and your pain. But you hurt a lot of innocent people, Bailey. I met Janus in the forest. He claimed he was the real leader and had even trained Zarah. He was not the right man to follow.” I left Bailey shouting at me and joined Fiona.

“I think we’ve got them all. At least for now.” I helped her to her feet. “How are you feeling?”

“Not proud. I thought I would be. Instead, I’m sick at what I’ve done. Killing another human? I’m sorry I didn’t aim to just wound him.” She looked down at Donovan’s body. “I could have shot him in the leg, I think. That would have stopped him. I know with the