Immortal War

learned.

Back in her room, Grace felt suddenly dog-tired. Darcy was already fast asleep in the bunk beside her, and Grace kicked off her shoes and lay down, too exhausted even to contemplate stripping off her healer’s uniform. Before she lay down, she checked her pillowcase and was relieved to find the weight of the book still inside. She took it out and couldn’t resist flicking through it again.

She turned to the first blank page and watched as the words began to emerge.

You are an excellent custodian of the book.

Thank you for hiding me from the patient.

You did well to defeat him, but his threat is not yet over.

He has business with the Warmonger and the Fury.

Grace frowned. It was uncomfortable information but not a complete surprise. Yawning, she was about to close the page when fresh text began to appear.

Regarding the prophecy, remember that

Mosh Zu has lied to you before.

No, she thought. He hadn’t actually lied. Kept things from her, but not lied. As she reflected on this, fresh lines scurried across the page.

Keep me safe, Grace, and I will return the favor.

Dark times are coming.

Darker than you can ever imagine.

I will guide you as best I can.

Trust no one but me.

Not even Lorcan? Grace waited for the book to answer this thought. But the page remained unchanged. Feeling absolutely shattered, despite everything spinning around her head, Grace slipped the book into a new hiding place under her mattress. Then she extinguished the candle in the glass by her bed and focused all her energy on summoning sleep.

16

SILENT ASSASSINS

Three dinghies made their way stealthily across from The Tiger to The Diablo. An hour after dawn, the sea was rougher than the pirates had been hoping for. While the bulky Tiger was able to maintain a strong and steady course, the smaller, lighter dinghies were lifted high on each swell. The waves were burnished gold, reflecting the intensity of the new day’s sun and the halo of cirrus clouds surrounding it.

Connor stood at the helm of his dinghy, fighting the waves’ determination to separate his craft from the two others on either side. The conditions were giving both his mind and body a workout and his face and arms were already coated in sweat. Connor’s six crewmates worked soundlessly at his side. The only sound was the thundering ocean beneath them and the cawing of gulls above.

Having brought his dinghy back into line, Connor glanced across to check how Moonshine was faring in his neighboring vessel. Connor found it almost impossible to connect this athletic and focused youth to the acne-ridden kid who had hurled starfish shuriken at Connor and his buddies, for no apparent reason, the first time they’d met. Similarly, there was no trace here of the self-serving jerk who had endangered the success of the pirates’ heist on the Sunset Fort and incited Connor to make his first kill. Moonshine suddenly turned and looked over at him. Their eyes met now not as adversaries, nor thorns in each other’s sides, but as comrades and equals.

If he was honest, Connor had been waiting for Moonshine’s restrained new persona to crack and the capricious, egomaniacal monster they were all too familiar with to emerge. But, to his surprise, this hadn’t happened. It truly seemed that war had worked some alchemy on Moonshine Wrathe, transforming base metal into gold. Raising his hand, Connor gave his comrade the thumbs-up.

Cheng Li’s vessel was the first to reach The Diablo. As one of her crew secured the dinghy to the ship, the captain moved to the front of the vessel and swiftly calculated the distance to the deck of the galleon. Wasting no time, she took aim and hurled a weight up onto the deck. It met its target first time. Rather pleased with herself, Cheng Li adjusted what looked like two kite strings. As if miraculously, a discreet but strong wire ladder now connected Cheng Li’s dinghy to the main deck of The Diablo.

Connor and Moonshine had each been supplied with the same equipment from Federation HQ. Simultaneously, the pirates assessed their target points and threw their own weights up onto the deck, a moderate distance to either side of Cheng Li’s. Now three ladders led the way up to the deck and the pirates lost no time in climbing them. Connor was the last to go up. The wire ladders were so thin it truly looked as if his comrades were scaling the ship with their hands and feet. As space opened up above him, Connor bid a silent farewell to the one pirate assigned to wait behind in the dinghy, then began his ascent. In all, it had taken less than three minutes for the eighteen pirates to make their way from the dinghies below to the deck of The Diablo. The first phase of Operation Scrimshaw was an unqualified success.

Soundlessly, the pirates made their way across the deserted deck. This was new territory for Connor—usually the fight was under way the instant your boots made contact with the enemy ship. This was different. It was as if they were combating an invisible enemy.

Connor glanced back briefly at The Tiger. Under the interim command of Jasmine, it was waiting until it was safe to make its approach. Connor imagined Jasmine standing on the bridge, shoulder to shoulder with Cate and Bo Yin. He could conjure every frown line on Jasmine’s face. He knew just how intently she would be watching and waiting. Turning back, he hastened to catch up with Cheng Li. She had reached the door leading into the interior, but now she hesitated. Connor was curious to know why, when Lorcan had emphasized time and again that speed was the essence of this mission’s success. As he drew nearer, he saw the problem.

Though the deck was deserted while the Vampirate crew slumbered below, a trip wire had been placed across the entrance. The wire was even finer than the ladders by which the pirates had ascended—so fine, it would have been easy to miss, were it not for the sudden gift of a ray of sun. He and his comrades watched as, without uttering a word, Cheng Li pointed to where the wire led to an intricate system of pulleys and, ultimately, a bell. There was no doubting the unholy din that they had avoided by the narrowest of margins. Cheng Li carefully crossed the threshold, then tapped her finger above her eye. Her message was understood by one and all.

Following the captain over the trip wire, the pirates made their way toward the heart of the ship. They had rehearsed their maneuvers under Cate’s expert tutelage; now they lost no time putting them into action.

Connor twisted open the cabin door to his right. Just as predicted, two Vampirates were fast asleep here.