Empire of Night Page 15

  Dismissing this thought, he spun his own flail. As vicious as the weapon looked--as vicious as it was --the technique of agitating it was simple enough to master. Now, it came down to which combatant was the most clever at invading his opponent's space and who was quicker on his feet in dodging his enemy's strike.

  A game of cat and mouse developed in the center of the deck. The crowd obligingly edged backward to give the

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  two combatants more room--and to evade the path of the deadly flails. Connor found himself circling Sidorio, each man keeping the flail agitated at such speed that the spikes seemed invisible. Feeling emboldened, Connor let out a roar and made the first move, directing the flail at Sidorio's shoulder. But something had gone wrong. Where was the ball? It had caught. Connor had been watching Sidorio so closely that he hadn't noticed how he'd been led astray, right into the rigging. Where the fighting end of his flail was now trapped, in a tangle of rope.

  Sidorio did not waste time. As Connor helplessly tried to extract his flail, the ball attached to Sidorio's weapon came spinning through the air and grazed the outside of Connor's thigh. He felt a flash of pain and looked down to find a river of blood coursing down his leg and over his bare feet.

  Behind him, some of the Vampirates edged forward. He could see the telltale signs of hunger in their eyes as they stared at the pool of crimson collecting on the deck.

  "Second blood to Sidorio!" Johnny announced to the frenzied crowd.

  Connor was surprised at how quickly the pain subsided. His wound was soon stanched, too, with a cloth helpfully provided by Johnny. Within moments the remaining blood began to dry, and his leg looked as if it had been savaged by a tiger's claw. But it was only a shallow wound. Under the circumstances, Sidorio had been kind to him.

  Johnny returned with the metal box. Gratefully, Con

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  nor dropped his flail inside it and watched as Sidorio did the same. Surely this had to mark the end of the battle?

  "Change of weapon for round three!" Johnny announced, setting down the first box and lifting up another, smaller, one.

  Connor shook his head. What was next? Johnny extended the metal box. As Connor glanced down, he felt a cold dread descend through his insides and settle in his gut.

  The yawara . They looked innocent enough--like two small wooden dumbbells. Utilized in various Japanese martial arts, in pairs, to initiate throws, bone breaks, and pressure points, among other delights. As Connor took the pair into his hands, he grimaced. The yawara looked far less vicious than the flail, but they signaled that round three would be fought hand-to-hand. Glancing, in spite of his better instincts, at Sidorio's towering body, Connor realized that he had no chance of victory in this round.

  Grace studied Mimma's face. It took her a moment to tune in her focus; then she felt a familiar calm sweeping over her.

  "You're dressed in black lace," she said. "It's a sweltering hot day, but you're dressed in an elaborate outfit with a veil covering your face."

  Mimma leaned forward excitedly. "Yes, yes," she urged,

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  "go on!" Grace was aware that every one of Lola's crew, the captain included, hung upon her every word. She couldn't deny that she enjoyed their attention and the feeling of power it gave her.

  "In your hands is an arrangement of flowers. Like a wedding bouquet. But there's something else there, too." She paused, allowing the vision to sharpen. She was aware of all eyes watching her in wonder, none brighter or more engaged than Mimma's.

  "Yes," Grace continued. "Underneath the flowers, you're holding a gun."

  "That's amazing!" Mimma cried. "Did you tell her, Captain?"

  Lola shook her head and raised her palms. "Not a word," she said. "It's Grace's gift. Isn't she a wonder?" She brought her hands together to clap, and the others joined her in polite but enthusiastic applause.

  As the applause died down, Jacqueline raised her hand. "Now me!" she said. "Read me next!"

  "Just one more cake," Grace said, reaching out to help herself. She tried to savor this one a little longer, but it slipped down all too quickly. It was as if they were truly made of fairy dust.

  Grace turned and focused on Jacqueline's eyes. After a moment, she nodded and smiled.

  "I know this city," she said. "It's Paris. You're dressed in rags and your feet are bare. You're very hungry. And angry, so angry..."

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  "Go on!" Jacqueline said, her eyes wide as saucers. "Go on!"

  The third round of the duel had already lasted twice as long as the two previous rounds. Initially, Connor had been nervous and tired, conscious of the wound on his thigh and of the odds stacked against him as he squared up to Sidorio. But from somewhere deep within had come fresh reserves of calm, energy, and strength. Connor was on fire. He knew that he was using his dexterity to maximum advantage. His opponent had struck out several times with his fists clenched around the punishing yawara , only to find that Connor had slipped out of his clutches. Connor could see the frustration on Sidorio's face. He knew that, after his triumph in the second round, the Vampirate was now keen to lock down his victory.

  Connor's only previous knowledge of the yawara was by reputation, and he had some basic knowledge of anatomy through his combat training. But now, as he approached Sidorio, he felt an inner voice guiding him toward pressure points he had never been aware of before. The doubts he'd been harboring about his ability to fight Sidorio melted away. He stopped seeing his opponent as a vast hulk, as strong as the ship he ruled over. Instead, he now saw a mass of potential targets and prepared to land the victory blow. It happened almost in slow motion. He

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  reached out and landed two precise punches, his fists wrapped tightly around the yawara. The next thing he knew, Sidorio's eyes rolled and he crashed down onto the deck.

  The crowd gasped as Connor stood over the fallen Vampirate captain. Then there were applause and cheers. Johnny stood over Sidorio, counting out loud. Then he reached out his hand for Connor's and lifted it, crying out, "The victor!"

  As a wall of noise erupted around him, Connor glanced down at Sidorio. The Vampirate's eyes flickered open once more. He was staring at Connor. Connor could feel the intensity of his gaze but found it difficult to read his expression. Then Sidorio's lips curved into a soft smile.

  "I'm so proud of you, my son," he said.

  Lola entered Sidorio's cabin and strode over to his bedside. He was lying down, his head propped up on vast gold pillows, but his eyes were open and bright.

  "I gather you've been fighting, dearest," Lola said, brushing her cool hand over his temple.

  Sidorio twisted his head so that his eyes met hers. "Connor was magnificent," he rasped. "As exceptional as we predicted. No, scratch that. More so! In all these years, I've never seen anything like it."

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  "That's nice," Lola said, kicking off her heels and lying down beside him.

  "Nice?" Sidorio sat up. "It's a bit better than nice , my dear. Do you know what it feels like to be reunited with my only son? To find out he's as gifted as I am? Possibly more so."

  Lola nodded. "I understand," she said. "But don't forget, Sid, you have two children. And Grace is every bit as extraordinary as her brother."

  Sidorio smiled. "Connor's so strong. Like a fighting machine..."

  "Yes, yes," Lola said. "But physical strength is a lot like physical beauty. It easily impresses, but it's on the surface. Grace's talents lie a little deeper; but I suspect, given time, we'll see that she has even more to contribute."

  Sidorio shrugged. "Well, as you say, they're both my kids. It's a win-win situation."

  Lola laughed. "Yes, my dear, it's a happy time for the Lockwood Sidorios." She laced her fingers through his. "Our little empire is coming together quite nicely, don't you think?"

  "Oh, yes," Sidorio said, grinning, bringing her hand to his lips and kissing it.

  "And don't forget," Lola added. "They're my children, too. Not by
birth, perhaps, but nurture can be just as important as nature. And I think I have a vital role to play in grooming the twins for their future."

  "Of course," Sidorio said. "Of course you do."

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  21 DAYBREAK RENDEZVOUS

  "You're sure this is the place?" Jacoby asked, striding along the deserted pier.

  "Of course I'm sure," Jasmine said, tapping her map. "Are you forgetting who thrashed you in navigation seven years running?"

  "Okay, only asking!" Jacoby said, raising his palms in defense and walking out to the end of the pier.

  Jasmine strode after him, checking her watch. "We're a little early, is all."

  Jacoby looked out across the still water, which reflected the purple cliffs and the pink-tinged light of the breaking dawn. He turned his face back to Jasmine, smiling. "It's rather a romantic spot, don't you think? Exactly how early are we... ?" He reached out his arm to Jasmine, but she gently brushed it away.

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  "Not now," she said. "What has Captain Li told you about Kally?"

  Jacoby shrugged. "She's a fishtail--in essence, a kind of mermaid. She was part of a pack, or shoal--or whatever the collective term for fishtail is! But their boat was taken over by Sidorio, and he killed several of the crew, including her father."

  Jasmine shuddered. "How awful."

  "The father, FYI, wasn't a fishtail," Jacoby continued. "Just a regular guy who fell in love with a merm... um, a fishtail. Anyhow, Sidorio took over their boat-- The Lorelei --and it was, unsurprisingly , a grim experience for Kally. She and her comrades staged an escape. She managed to get away, but the others were not so lucky. To the best of her knowledge, she's the very last of the fishtails."

  Jasmine nodded. "So she offered herself up to the Pirate Federation as a unique asset in the fight against the Vampirates."

  "Precisely," Jacoby said. "And Cheng Li thought she'd be the ideal point of communication between Connor, while he's stuck out at Vampirates Central, and us."

  Jasmine frowned, but she was no longer thinking of Kally's history. "Jacoby," she asked, "do you buy Captain Li's story about Connor?"

  Jacoby raised an eyebrow. "You mean about the two of them convincing Sidorio that Connor is his son and heir?"

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  She nodded. "Exactly!"

  "It sounds far-fetched," Jacoby agreed. "At least until you stop and reflect that we're waiting to rendezvous with a mermaid."

  "A fishtail ," Jasmine corrected him. "It is far-fetched," she persisted. "In so many ways. For one thing, when did they have the opportunity to present this whole crazy story to Sidorio?"

  "That's the easy part of the puzzle," Jacoby said, his eyes bright. "You remember after our attack at Sidorio and Lola's wedding that Cheng Li and Connor were left behind with Vicious Sid? He was cradling his wife's severed head--one for the wedding album, that's for sure. We had made our escape with the rest of Team Tiger and were waiting for Connor and the captain in the launch. We saw Sid attack Connor, but somehow he and Cheng Li repelled him and made their escape. The Captain didn't go into detail, but evidently that's when she told Sid that Connor is his son. Apparently, she thought it up on the spot. You've got to hand it to her. Genius piece of improvisation!"

  Jasmine decided to reserve her judgment for the time being. There were many unanswered questions. "How could Sidorio be so gullible?"

  "Two possibilities," Jacoby said. "First, Vampirates are just plain dumb. That's Captain Li's theory and, I have to say, I'm inclined to agree with her. Remember when we had those three Vamps trapped in cages on board The 217 Tiger ? They weren't exactly brimming over with the smarts, were they?"

  Jasmine cast her mind back. "To be fair, one of them did escape."

  Jacoby was unfazed. "Yes, but that was a basic error on our part. I'm with Cheng Li on this--the Vampirates may look like adult men and women, and they may be physically strong, but they have a reduced mental and emotional capacity."

  Jasmine considered his words. They were silent for a moment, both looking out at the water, watching for signs of any ripples that might signal Kally's arrival.

  Jasmine put her hand on Jacoby's shoulder. "You said that there were two possible reasons why Sidorio believed the story that Connor is his son. The first reason was that he's plain stupid. What's the second?"

  Jacoby raised his eyes. "Isn't it obvious, Min? That Cheng Li was telling Sidorio the truth . Connor's not the son of a lighthouse keeper. He's son and heir to the evil Vampirate dynasty. Grace, too, of course. We shouldn't forget her in all this."

  "You really think that Connor and Grace could be Sidorio's children?" Jasmine frowned. It couldn't be true. "If, and it's a big if , it were true, what would that make Connor and Grace? Are you suggesting that they're vampires, too?"

  Jacoby shook his head. "Think back, Min. You remember when Captain Li set us those research projects? And I

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  came up with a list of the big three ways to destroy a Vampirate..."

  Jasmine nodded, a little impatiently. "Burning, sunlight, stake through the heart."

  Jacoby grinned. "Well, there was a fourth way that I didn't bother including." Jasmine's eyes were fixed on him as he explained. 'The fourth way to destroy a Vampirate would be by employing a dhampir."

  "A what?"

  "A dhampir ," Jacoby repeated. "The child of a mortal mother and a vampire father. According to my research, dhampirs have exceptional powers."

  Jasmine's eyes were wide. "If you knew this all the time, why on oceans didn't you share it with the rest of us?"

  Jacoby looked flushed for a moment. He reached out his hand to Jasmine, but she clenched her fist as he continued speaking. "I figured that it didn't matter. We were hardly going to run into a dhampir, were we? Little did I realize there might already be one on the crew!"

  Jasmine turned away and laughed. "You really think Connor could be the son of a vampire: Sidorio's son? For real?"

  When she turned back, she found Jacoby shaking his head. "No way," he said. "Connor's just a regular guy like me and Bart. I've spent enough time around him to see that. Otherwise, I'd have picked up signs. We all would. You know, snacking on blood, keeping out of the light. That kind of thing would give him away."

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  "Exactly!" Jasmine was reassured to hear it. But her feeling of relief soon dissipated. She suddenly thought how down Connor had been in the aftermath of his encounter with Sidorio. She remembered how disconnected he had seemed, sitting on the hillside, looking down at the academy harbor. There was no question that he had had a lot on his mind. She remembered the shock of his crying and her efforts to soothe him. Was it possible that there was a genuine connection between Connor and Sidorio? And where did that leave Connor now? How much danger was he in? She couldn't believe she was even entertaining such crazy thoughts.

  "They didn't teach us about Vampirates and fishtails at Pirate Academy," Jasmine said. "Perhaps they should have."

  "They did teach us to deal with ever-changing threats," Jacoby said. "Maybe they thought that would cover it."

  "I don't know," Jasmine said, shaking her head. "Do you ever feel that our world is changing too fast?"

  Jacoby reached out his hand to Jasmine again. This time, she took it and squeezed it, just for a moment.

  "Look!" Jacoby said, pointing as the water in front of them became rippled. "Something's coming."

  A second later, a girl's head popped up from beneath the surface.

  "Kally, I presume?" Jacoby said.

  She nodded, shaking the water from her spiky blue hair. "You're Jacoby and this must be Jasmine."

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  "That's right," Jasmine said, her thoughts still far away, with Connor. "It's nice to meet you," she mumbled, still on autopilot.

  "You too," Kally said. "Guess we'll be seeing quite a bit of each other as this mission progresses. Well, I don't have much to report on this occasion. Just to confirm that I've made contact with Connor. Our communications setup
is in place."

  "Good work!" Jacoby said. "Captain Li will be delighted to hear it."

  "How is he doing?" Jasmine asked.

  "He's good," Kally said. "Given the decidedly weird circumstances. A bit surprised to see me, I think. But we're cool." Her bright eyes shimmered in the daylight. "Well, I guess that's us done and dusted for today. Same time, same place tomorrow?"

  "How are you able to navigate so precisely?" Jacoby inquired.

  Kally winked. "My sonar is off the charts, dude."

  Jacoby grinned. "Your tail's very colorful, too," he said.

  "If you gave me a pearl for every time I've heard that!" Kally said with a laugh.

  Jasmine watched the exchange, wishing she could somehow find a way to get some time alone with Kally. The fishtail gave them both a thumbs-up, then turned to duck her head back under the water.

  "Wait!" Jasmine called out to her, unable to help herself.

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  Kally turned, surprised. "Was there something else?"

  Jasmine nodded, crouching down and speaking low in the hope that Jacoby wouldn't hear her. "I have a private message for Connor."

  "Sure," Kally said. "Shoot!"

  "Would you tell him that what I said to him at Pirate Academy, well, it's still true." She blushed as she finished speaking, but Kally nodded matter-of-factly. "Got it, dude!"

  Then the fishtail turned, ducked her petite blue head under the water, and disappeared once more. Jasmine watched the trail of ripples on the surface, and then calm was restored.

  Jacoby stepped closer to Jasmine. "I guess we're done here. Let's go and report back to the captain. Unless there's time for breakfast first? I'm absolutely ravenous, though strangely not in the mood for kippers."