Vampirates 4: Black Heart by Justin Somper Page B
Authors: Justin Somper
Tags: Fiction, General, Family & Relationships, Action & Adventure, Horror, Juvenile Fiction, Fantasy & Magic, Brothers and sisters, Twins, Vampires, Horror & Ghost Stories, Parenting, Motherhood, Pirates, Mothers, Seafaring life
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with some of the other donors. Two of them especially. You saw one of them, Shanti, in your vision. Do you remember?"
"Yes." Grace nodded.
"Such a beautiful girl. And she's so much fun, isn't she?"
When Shanti's name had come up previously, Grace had brushed over the truth, but now she could no longer lie to her mother. Sally could see the sadness in her daughter's eyes. "What's wrong?" she asked. "Grace, whatever is it? Tell me!"
"I have some sad news," Grace said, reaching for Sally's hand and giving it a light squeeze. "I'm afraid Shanti died. I'm so sorry, Mother."
"Oh, no!" Sally brought her hand to her chest and closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them again, she saw the concern in Grace's eyes. "It's all right, Grace. Truly. Of course, I'm upset -- Shanti was such a dear friend -- but I don't want you to hide the truth from me. Please tell me what happened to her."
Grace took a deep breath. "Shanti was killed. By her vampire partner."
"By Lorcan!" Sally exclaimed, incredulous.
"No!" Grace shook her head. "No, of course not! Lorcan would never be so brutal."
"I don't undboth mother and daughtererstand," Sally said. "Lorcan was Shanti's partner."
"Yes," Grace said. "They were partners, until Lorcan went blind, and we had to bring him here to Sanctuary for healing. Shanti came along, too, but she hated it so much the captain finally agreed to take her back to the Nocturne and find another vampire to pair her with."
"Yes," Grace said. "They were partners, until Lorcan went blind, and we had to bring him here to Sanctuary for healing. Shanti came along, too, but she hated it so much the captain finally agreed to take her back to the Nocturne and find another vampire to pair her with."
"It isn't easy for a donor to switch from one vampire to another," Sally said.
Grace's ears pricked up at these words. Was her mother trying to tell her something? Sally had started out on board the ship as Sidorio's donor. But had she switched when another Vampirate had arrived on board? Was her mother telling her that she had been Dexter's donor, after all? That he had been a Vampirate, too?
The question was on her lips, but before she could ask it, her mother spoke again. "Looking back, it seems such an innocent time," she said, "Shanti, Teresa, and I doing our daily round of exercises up on deck. We had such a ball. We really did! It was like being on a cruise ship. All day, every day, we'd be up on deck, without a care in the world. One of the other donors -- Oskar, that was his name! -- he was the most wonderful musician. He used to play his guitar up there. Such beautiful music! We'd sunbathe all afternoon." Sally turned to Grace, her eyes bright. "Why, it was on just such an afternoon that I met Dexter."
Grace's heart missed a beat at the mention of her father's name. It was as if her mother had read her mind.
"I'd love to hear about that," Grace said.
"Oh, Grace," Sally said, "I'm afraid the exercise and fresh air has made me a little tired. I think I'm going to need to rest before I continue -- and this is such a lovely spot for it."
Grace couldn't conceal the look of disappointment in her eyes.
Sally put her arm around Grace's waist and reached for her hand. "Besides, why would you want to hear it from me," Sally said, "when you can see it all for yourself?" With that, she clasped Grace's hand and closed her eyes. As her mother fell asleep on her shoulder, Grace smiled. Suddenly, her head was filled with a vision of the deck of the Nocturne on a sunny afternoon.
The deck was crowded. Grace was once again seeing things through Sally's eyes. She was dressed in an old-fashioned swimsuit, sitting on a rug, rubbing sunscreen onto her arms. Opposite her, Shanti was doing exactly the same, chattering away. And there was a third girl close by -- this must be Teresa. In the center of the rug was a plate piled high with fruit, glistening jewel-like in the afternoon sun: fresh figs, succulent white peaches, and
"Yes." Grace nodded.
"Such a beautiful girl. And she's so much fun, isn't she?"
When Shanti's name had come up previously, Grace had brushed over the truth, but now she could no longer lie to her mother. Sally could see the sadness in her daughter's eyes. "What's wrong?" she asked. "Grace, whatever is it? Tell me!"
"I have some sad news," Grace said, reaching for Sally's hand and giving it a light squeeze. "I'm afraid Shanti died. I'm so sorry, Mother."
"Oh, no!" Sally brought her hand to her chest and closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them again, she saw the concern in Grace's eyes. "It's all right, Grace. Truly. Of course, I'm upset -- Shanti was such a dear friend -- but I don't want you to hide the truth from me. Please tell me what happened to her."
Grace took a deep breath. "Shanti was killed. By her vampire partner."
"By Lorcan!" Sally exclaimed, incredulous.
"No!" Grace shook her head. "No, of course not! Lorcan would never be so brutal."
"I don't undboth mother and daughtererstand," Sally said. "Lorcan was Shanti's partner."
"Yes," Grace said. "They were partners, until Lorcan went blind, and we had to bring him here to Sanctuary for healing. Shanti came along, too, but she hated it so much the captain finally agreed to take her back to the Nocturne and find another vampire to pair her with."
"Yes," Grace said. "They were partners, until Lorcan went blind, and we had to bring him here to Sanctuary for healing. Shanti came along, too, but she hated it so much the captain finally agreed to take her back to the Nocturne and find another vampire to pair her with."
"It isn't easy for a donor to switch from one vampire to another," Sally said.
Grace's ears pricked up at these words. Was her mother trying to tell her something? Sally had started out on board the ship as Sidorio's donor. But had she switched when another Vampirate had arrived on board? Was her mother telling her that she had been Dexter's donor, after all? That he had been a Vampirate, too?
The question was on her lips, but before she could ask it, her mother spoke again. "Looking back, it seems such an innocent time," she said, "Shanti, Teresa, and I doing our daily round of exercises up on deck. We had such a ball. We really did! It was like being on a cruise ship. All day, every day, we'd be up on deck, without a care in the world. One of the other donors -- Oskar, that was his name! -- he was the most wonderful musician. He used to play his guitar up there. Such beautiful music! We'd sunbathe all afternoon." Sally turned to Grace, her eyes bright. "Why, it was on just such an afternoon that I met Dexter."
Grace's heart missed a beat at the mention of her father's name. It was as if her mother had read her mind.
"I'd love to hear about that," Grace said.
"Oh, Grace," Sally said, "I'm afraid the exercise and fresh air has made me a little tired. I think I'm going to need to rest before I continue -- and this is such a lovely spot for it."
Grace couldn't conceal the look of disappointment in her eyes.
Sally put her arm around Grace's waist and reached for her hand. "Besides, why would you want to hear it from me," Sally said, "when you can see it all for yourself?" With that, she clasped Grace's hand and closed her eyes. As her mother fell asleep on her shoulder, Grace smiled. Suddenly, her head was filled with a vision of the deck of the Nocturne on a sunny afternoon.
The deck was crowded. Grace was once again seeing things through Sally's eyes. She was dressed in an old-fashioned swimsuit, sitting on a rug, rubbing sunscreen onto her arms. Opposite her, Shanti was doing exactly the same, chattering away. And there was a third girl close by -- this must be Teresa. In the center of the rug was a plate piled high with fruit, glistening jewel-like in the afternoon sun: fresh figs, succulent white peaches, and
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