Immortal War

32

LOVE AND DEATH

Grace sat on her bed, back in the cabin Lorcan had brought her to when she’d first arrived on The Nocturne. She remembered waking up, back then, and finding herself dressed in a pretty nightdress that, it transpired later, Darcy had lent her. Grace smiled to herself. That had been the first of many such loans from Darcy. Now she was still dressed in the utilitarian clothes she had fled Sanctuary wearing. Except for her shoes, which lay discarded on the floor, and her coat, which she had thrown over the chair tucked under the little writing desk. The same desk she had leaned against when Sidorio had entered the cabin and threatened her all those months ago. Had he known then he was her father? No, of course not. He had just seen her as a potential blood source.

This room was crowded with memories at every turn. But they were only distractions. She had to think through everything Obsidian had shared with her. Things were coming to a head and she had tough decisions to make.

The knock on the door was, at first, an annoyance. But as she heard a soft, familiar voice ask, “Grace, may I come in?” her heart leaped and she jumped down from the bed.

“Lorcan!” she cried as he pushed open the door and stepped inside. She ran into his arms and he held her there, pressing her against the folds of his greatcoat. Her face nuzzled the nape of his neck. She realized to her surprise that his hair had been cut short. It was a shock at first, but she rather liked it. “Oh, Lorcan,” she whispered. “I’ve missed you so much.”

“And I you,” he said. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here to greet you yesterday.” He smiled and took her hands in his. They sat down, side by side, on the four-poster bed. “As it happens, I was in the company of your brother at Ma Kettle’s Tavern.”

“You were with Connor?” Grace said, surprised. “Of course! Obsidian said you were with the pirates. I just didn’t make the connection. How did he seem to you?”

Lorcan smiled, deciding not to burden her just now with Connor’s true state of mind. “He seemed well.”

“Really?” Grace inquired, turning toward him.

Lorcan nodded. She seemed to be reassured. “But, as fond as I am of Connor, I knew I was with the wrong Tempest twin on their birthday.”

Grace shook her head. “I’m glad you were with him.”

Lorcan reached into the folds of his coat. “I brought you this, by way of a birthday gift.” He held his hand out to hers. His palm was folded but, as Grace looked down, his fingers opened. Sitting in his palm was a platinum ring, with a small diamond.

“Lorcan!” Grace exclaimed. “It’s absolutely beautiful.”

He smiled. “Just like you,” he said. He had smiled at her many times, but in that instant there was a deeper connection between them than she had ever felt before. Despite all her fears, she suddenly felt calm. It was as if Lorcan were her anchor amid the turbulent sea.

“Shall we see if it fits?” he asked.

She nodded, wondering which finger to offer him. Was this ring more than a birthday gift? Suddenly, she felt flustered. There was so much going on right now.

“This ring?” she said tentatively. “It’s absolutely beautiful. But what does it mean?” Her eyes met his. Lorcan Furey’s eyes had never looked bluer.

“It means I love you, Grace,” he said, smiling once more. “But I have a feeling you may know that already.” As he spoke, he lifted her right hand and slipped the ring onto her fourth finger. “It’s a perfect fit,” Lorcan said, clearly pleased.

“Just like us,” Grace said. “Oh, Lorcan, I do love you.” As she spoke the words, she could feel tears falling. She tried to draw them back but was powerless to do so. It seemed that no matter how powerful she became, she thought ruefully, she could still not prevent her tears from flowing.

“Hey,” Lorcan said, squeezing her hand. “Why are you crying?”

Grace didn’t want to voice it but she couldn’t prevent herself. “I’m not ready to die,” she said.

Lorcan nodded. “You’re thinking about the prophecy, aren’t you?”

She paused, gratefully accepting a handkerchief and drying her eyes. “You knew about the prophecy, too?”

Lorcan shook his head. “No. I only found out from Obsidian just now, when I arrived back. He knew you might be upset and he thought I ought to know.”

“But how come you didn’t know before?” Grace asked, surprised.

“It happened five hundred years ago, by all accounts,” Lorcan said. “Remember, Grace, that was before I joined the ship.”

“Oh, yes,” she said. “I keep forgetting that. I think I just assume you were always here. We’ve never talked about your life before The Nocturne, or how you crossed.”

“No, indeed,” Lorcan said, drawing just slightly back from her. “We will one day, Grace.” His eyes met hers. “I promise. I want you to know everything about me. Lord help me, I’ll tell you about my brother Cathal and the whole wretched story.”

Grace fingered the beautiful ring Lorcan had given her, confident he would one day tell her his full story. For now, though, they had other, more pressing, things to discuss.

“So,” she said. “Obsidian told you about the prophecy. And the Four Cardinals?”

Lorcan nodded. “It didn’t come as a complete surprise. Do you remember when Obsidian was away and Mosh Zu called you and me and Darcy together that one time? He mentioned then, just in passing, that once there were other ships in the fleet besides The Nocturne.”

It was like a switch clicking inside Grace’s head. “I’d forgotten,” she said. “But yes, I do remember that.” Things were coming into focus now. “And those ships were the three commanded by the other Cardinals.”

Lorcan nodded. “They divided the oceans between them. Obsidian Darke took the southern quadrant, hence his title Cardinal South.” He paused. “Grace, these are highly confidential matters… I know I can trust you not to share what I say with anyone.”

“Of course,” she assured him, wondering what was coming next.

“For some time now, Cheng Li has been pressuring me to get Obsidian to deliver an alliance with the other Nocturnals. The Vampirates’ fleet has expanded, and continues to expand far faster than anyone understands. The Pirate Federation has mobilized all its ships.”

“What exactly are you saying?” Grace asked.

“This war,” Lorcan said, “has reached a critical point. The scales are just about equal, but if Sidorio and Lola continue to expand, then the balance will be tipped. As I say, there are no more pirate ships to bring into the Alliance…”

“But there are Nocturnal ships that could come in and make the difference?”

Lorcan nodded. “That’s what Cheng Li believes. And, for some time now, I’ve had that throwaway comment of Mosh Zu’s in my head. That once, there were other ships in our fleet. I’ve raised it with Obsidian several times, but each time he has told me that it isn’t a viable option. In fact, he has never acknowledged that there even were other ships until tonight, when he told me about the prophecy.”

“He must realize the severity of the situation,” Grace said. “He’s changing, just as he had to change before to accommodate the new dangers.” Her heart lifted. “He told me that the time for secrets was over. He must have come to a decision to reunite with the other three Cardinals and end this war.”

Her heart was racing. But, as she looked once more into Lorcan’s eyes, she saw a shadow. “No,” he