Immortal War

“Are you in pain?” Darke asked Lorcan, his voice softer than before.

“No,” Lorcan said, shaking his head. He smiled. “If you thought I was overdue a haircut, you might just have said.”

Darke smiled back at him, his hand resting on Lorcan’s shoulder. “For a moment there, I think we each forgot we are allies, not adversaries.”

“Yes,” Lorcan admitted.

“We should work hard to ensure that does not happen again,” Darke said, extending his hand.

Lorcan nodded, extending his own palm. They shook hands. The relief across the deck was palpable. Suddenly, aware of the level of attention upon them, Lorcan turned and shouted to his crew. “Combat session is over for tonight. Thank you all for your time and effort.”

As the deck began to clear, Darke’s eyes met Lorcan’s once more. “You have become a fine commander,” he said. “When I think back to the midshipman I knew, not so long ago, I draw great pride and pleasure in your metamorphosis.”

Lorcan acknowledged this praise with a formal nod. But, as the captain turned and made his way across the deck, he found himself unable to repay the compliment.

Lola’s bedchamber had become a foreign realm, Sidorio thought as he gingerly poked his head around the door. Lola was propped up in bed, on what seemed like a thousand crimson pillows. She was surrounded by her most loyal crew members—Holly, Camille, Jacqueline, and Nathalie.

“How’s she doing?” Sidorio inquired.

“Who’s she? The devil’s mother?” cried Lola, her dark eyes rolling toward him.

She looked quite mad and was, no doubt, experiencing intense pain. Sidorio watched as Holly dipped a napkin in cool water and mopped his wife’s brow.

“Can I do anything?” he asked.

Holly did not respond but Lola did. “I think you’ve done quite enough. It’s because of you I’m in such pain. And yes, Sid, it is excruciatingly painful. I bore two children in my mortal span and their births were agony enough but they were as nothing compared to this…” She broke off and began wailing, a new fear in her eyes.

“You must focus on your breathing,” said Jacqueline, who sat at the foot of the bed. “Come on now, just like we practiced.”

Lola nodded, her matted hair snaking across the pillows. As Sidorio watched and listened, his wife began making a series of strange noises. It was unsettling, seeing her like this—hearing these unusual sounds emanating from her. Suddenly, they stopped and her head rolled around to face him once more. It made him think of their incredible reunion when he had returned her decapitated head to her body.

“Are you still here?” she inquired now, coldly.

“If you’d prefer me to go, I will,” he said, despondent at this strange gulf that had emerged between them— at this, of all times, when she was birthing his twin sons.

Lola’s dark eyes seared into his. “Yes!” she cried. “I’d prefer you to go. We have no need of men here, not now. Bringing infants into the world is women’s work.” She cried out in fresh agony.

“Breathe!” Jacqueline rose from her seat. “Really, you must focus. The breathing will help.”

Holly turned to Sidorio, smiling reassuringly at him. “Everything’s under control,” she said. “Perhaps you had better go and wait on your own ship. This could go on for many hours.”

He nodded, finding himself disproportionately grateful for the girl’s kindness. He blew a kiss to his wife but it fell unnoticed as her head thrashed from one side of the pillow mountain to the other. Feeling utterly at a loss, Sidorio, King of the Vampirates, backed sheepishly out of the birthing chamber.

Grace opened the door carefully and padded soundlessly toward the patient’s bed.

“It’s okay,” Jacoby said. “No need for the Scooby-Doo walk. I’m awake.”

Smiling, Grace carried a chair over beside his bed. As he sat up, she reached behind him and began plumping his pillows.

“Thanks,” he said. “I’m going to miss this level of twenty-four/seven care when I’m discharged.”

“I wouldn’t worry,” Grace said. “My care may be coming to an end, but I’m confident others will pick up the reins when you return to The Tiger.”

Jacoby frowned at the mention of his ship. “You really think I can go back there?”

Grace nodded. “Of course, why wouldn’t I think that?”

He cradled his hands in his lap. “Let’s not beat around the bush, Grace. We both know what the Vampirates did to me. We both know what I am now.”

“Oh, sure,” Grace said. “You’re a Nocturnal. And, as you may remember, there’s a war going on in which the pirates and Nocturnals are fighting in alliance. And, as you may also remember, it is Alliance policy to place a Nocturnal on board every pirate ship.” She paused. “In the case of The Tiger, I guess they just increased the percentage.”

Jacoby chuckled, closing his eyes for a moment, his long lashes casting shadows in the lamplight. “You’re doing a very good job of making it sound easy, Grace,” he said, opening his eyes again. “I imagine that’s all part of the training, eh?”

She shrugged.

“Let’s consider the small but related matters of me needing blood and not being able to venture out into the sun anymore,” Jacoby said, the lightness of his tone belying the import of his words.

Grace nodded but she was matter-of-fact as she answered him. “You’re right. You’ll be better off confining your trips outside to the hours between dusk and dawn. It’ll play havoc with your tanning regime, but, trust me, your skin will thank you for it.” She paused. “As for the blood thing, well, of course you’re right. We do need you to start drinking blood if you’re to become the big, strong Nocturnal we all want you to be.”

He shook his head, sadly. “I can’t do it, Grace,” he said, his eyes tearing up. “It’s just not in me. I don’t want to die but I can’t kill another living being just so I can endure.”

Grace put her hand on his shoulder. “Of course you can’t. But you’re not going to die, Jacoby. You really haven’t done your homework, have you? How many times have you met Lorcan and the others? Every Nocturnal is paired with a donor. The donor provides blood on a weekly basis but it doesn’t weaken them, let alone kill them. When you leave here, your donor will travel with you to The Tiger.”

“My donor? I don’t have a donor.”

Grace rose from her seat. “Actually, you do, you just haven’t been introduced yet.”

She walked over to the door and pushed it open, calling softly out into the corridor. “You can come inside now. He’s ready for you.”

“Can I come in?” Jasmine’s head poked around the door.

“Hey!” Jacoby called out to her. “This is like the best night of my life. I’ve had one cute visitor after another.”

Jasmine smiled with relief. “Sounds like you’re back to your old self.” She closed the door behind her and stepped closer.

“Not exactly,” Jacoby said. She could see the telltale signs of tension etched across his forehead.

“Tell me about your cute visitors,” Jasmine said, keen to lighten the mood. “Go on, make me jealous. I don’t mind!”

“All right, then,” he said, smiling once more and reaching out his hand for hers. She took it and gave it a squeeze. “Well, first there was my nurse, Evrim. She’s incredibly foxy, with these big, smoky eyes. She comes to