Immortal War

which, she reminded herself, the man in front of her had initiated.

As if reading her mind, Sidorio’s eyes met hers. “I know there’s a vast gulf between us,” he said, “but when all is said and done, you are my daughter. Biologically speaking, at least.” He looked suddenly awkward. “Look, I know that this is the first birthday since your dad died. I’m not trying to replace what he meant to you, but, still, I wanted to do something for you.”

Grace nodded. She was unsure how she was supposed to react. There were no familiar rules to her relationship with Sidorio; it was far too extraordinary to be forged along conventional lines. Biding her time, she took a sip of the tea.

“What’s that you’re drinking?” Sidorio asked.

“A blend of seven mountain berries. It’s a temporary substitute for blood.”

He grinned at that. “Come off it, Grace. There’s no substitute for blood.”

Shrugging, she took another sip. “I think we both know there are some things we will never agree on.”

Sidorio tapped the package on the counter again. “Aren’t you going to open my gift?” His eyes were wide, like a child’s somehow. He still hadn’t sat down. How long was he planning to stay?

She reached forward and took the package in her hands, unlacing the bow and then slipping off the brown paper wrapping. Inside was a roll of canvas. She began unpeeling it, wondering what on earth it could be.

“It’s the portrait we all sat for,” Sidorio said. “For Lola’s arty friend. Whatsisname… Caravaggio, that’s it!” His momentary elation soon dissipated as his eyes fell to the torn canvas. “Well, what’s left of it after your brother set about it with his sword.”

Grace opened up the remains of the painting, which someone—could it have been Sidorio himself?—had gone to some trouble to patch together. It wasn’t the whole portrait. Perhaps out of sensitivity, Sidorio hadn’t patched Lola back in. Instead, it was just Sidorio and his two children. It was a shock to see it again, especially the image of her own eyes filled with the fire of hunger.

“I wanted to give you something to remind you of your family,” he said. “Whatever you think of me, I helped bring you into this world. Surely that has to count for something.”

Grace was speechless. She couldn’t ever imagine putting this canvas in a frame and hanging it on a wall. Not like the beautiful picture of Dexter and Sally, in the early throes of romance, which Lorcan had given her. And yet, though this portrait was utterly grotesque, she couldn’t help but feel touched by Sidorio’s tortuous thought processes in bringing it to her. It was not at all the kind of gesture she would have expected. She looked up from the rather imperious rendering of Sidorio in the portrait to the real Vampirate and found he was smiling at her tenderly.

“You think I’m a brute,” he said. “Now, don’t bother denying it, you know it’s true. You believe me to be a monster and, mea culpa, many of my actions might have led you to that conclusion. I’m a Vampirate and I’m the commander of a vast empire. But that’s not all I am, Grace. I also happen to be your father, and Connor’s, too. And that matters to me.”

“Are you planning on paying Connor a visit tonight, too?” Grace asked.

Sidorio shook his head, his eyes downcast. “No, things didn’t end well between us,” he said, his finger tracing the slashes on the surface of the portrait. “He’s going to need a little more time.” He raised his eyes again. “You were always more open-minded.”

Grace looked at Sidorio. “I am open-minded about many things but, all the same, I know which side of this war I’m on.”

Sidorio nodded. “I’ll allow that,” he said. “After all, it’s clear you owe your stubbornness to me. It certainly wasn’t part of Sally’s character. I know we’re on opposite sides, and I know there’s probably nothing I can do to change that, but I’ll ask this one thing of you, Grace. Just the one. Please never forget that I am your father and that I do have feelings for you.”

Grace looked him in the eye. “You could change everything by agreeing to a truce. I could summon Obsidian Darke to join us right now. We could end this war here, tonight.” She took a breath. “Now that would be a truly amazing birthday gift—one that you, and only you, could offer me.”

For a moment, Sidorio was silent. Was there even the remotest possibility he was considering her proposal?

At last he shook his head. “The painting and the chance of a family is my gift, Grace. I know both are a little ragged, but, well, they’re all I can give you right now.”

She nodded. She hadn’t realistically expected him to say anything different. “Thank you again,” she said. “I’ll tell Connor about this when I next see him.”

Sidorio glanced at the clock. “I had better be going. Lola is in the midst of labor.”

Grace’s mouth gaped open. “Lola is about to give birth to your children and you’ve left her to come here?”

Sidorio shrugged. “I already have two children,” he said. “Besides, I’ll be back at her side in time to cut the cords.”

Grace closed her eyes for a moment. Somehow, she was transported to the scene on board The Vagabond. She could visualize Lola lying on her bed and the eager faces and hands circling around her. Opening her eyes, Grace looked back at Sidorio. “You’d better hurry,” she said. “It will be soon now.”

“It’s funny,” Sidorio said. “All four of you will share the same birthday.”

“Yes.” Grace nodded. “I suppose we will.” She had another thought. Surely Sidorio’s new kin would count her and Connor as half siblings. It was strange to contemplate. But the thought was soon pushed away by other urgent matters. “Are you aware of Mosh Zu’s prophecy?” she asked.

There was a silence between them and she wondered if she had made a mistake by bringing it up. If Sidorio didn’t know and he asked her about it, wasn’t she in danger of disclosing important information? Well, it was too late now.

“Yes,” he said. “I know about that prophecy. Olivier was very eager to share the information with me.”

Of course he would have been! Grace shook her head, unsure how to frame her next question. But Sidorio seemed to have anticipated it.

“You’re wondering how much store to set by it, aren’t you? You think the prophecy foretells your death, or perhaps Connor’s?”

Grace nodded. “It does foretell someone’s death. One of the twins, so me or Connor. Though I suppose it might equally refer to your new children.” As the words came out, she rather regretted them. Still, he didn’t seem perturbed.

Sidorio shrugged. “I don’t set much store by prophecies and portents, Grace,” he said. “Now Lola, she loves all that hocus-pocus. And that’s fine by me—it keeps her entertained, gives her plenty to chew over with Olivier and her girlfriends. But here’s the fact of the matter as I see it. People like me— people like us—we write our own destinies. I’ve defied mortal death and immortal oblivion many times already. The more others try to cut me down, the stronger I become.” He smiled at her. “I’m sure the same is true of you and Connor, and it will be true for Lola’s twins when she brings them into the world. The Sidorio clan was born to rule—not to be ruled over.” He stepped closer toward Grace. “It’s time you understood that your powers now outstrip Mosh Zu’s, just as Connor’s rival those of any other pirate’s. Don’t let a prophecy conjured up hundreds of years ago put the frighteners on you, daughter. Someone of your lineage, of your rare gifts, truly has nothing to fear.”

As he finished speaking, he pulled her toward him and folded her into his arms. Grace gazed up at her father. What an endlessly surprising creature he was. It was, she reflected, a good thing they were both immortal. It might take all eternity to understand him and get their relationship on anything like a workable footing.

Releasing her from his arms, he nodded once more, then turned and stepped out into the corridor. The room felt more deeply silent after he had gone. Grace knew his stirring words had been intended to give her strength and support. Nonetheless, she could now think of only one thing: Lola’s going into labor signaled the time of the prophecy. The war between the Alliance and the Vampirates was reaching its endgame. And either Grace or Connor would soon die!

Inside Room Six, Connor sat at one end of a chaise, staring through a hole in the rotting floorboards. He was