Vampirates 4: Black Heart Read Online Free Page A

Grace the important thing was that she could feel it. She remembered the visits she had received from Darcy when, though her friend had seemed to be in the same room, it had only been an astral projection and Grace's hands had moved right through Darcy's. This was different, very different.
    Sally grasped both of Grace's hands and their eyes met, green on emerald green. As they did so, Grace had the strangest sensation. It began like the onset of a vicious headache, a searing pain right through her skull. The pain was only momentary, though, and as it gave way a series of images flashed before her eyes. The first was of her father, but he was younger than she had ever seen him. It was nighttime and he was outside, laughing. Grace felt Sally squeeze her hands once more. Now the image changed. This time, it was Sidorio she saw. He looked just the same as she remembered him. He was entering the long cabin at the bottom of the Nocturne, the cabin where the weekly feasts took place. Once more, Sally squeezed her hands and again the vision changed. This time, it was Lorcan Grace saw. He was looking at her closely, tears in his eyes. Then Sally took her hands away and the visions instantly disappeared.
    Grace stood rooted to the spot, dazed, as Sally turned to face Connor. As she watched mother and son embrace, Grace wondered if Sally had any clue as to the effect her touch had had upon her. And what did this strange sequence of images mean?
    "Let me look at you," Sally said now. "Let me get a good look at both of you."
    Grace turned and saw that Connor had come to a standstill beside her. He reached out his arm and looped it around Grace's shoulder, though she was unsure whether he had done so in order to comfort her or to steady his own nerves.
    "Grace and Connor," Sally said softly. "My twins. My angels!" It was clear from the rasp in her voice that these few words had not been produced without effort.
    "Why don't you both take a seat?" Mosh Zu suggested, indicating the two empty chairs. As Grace sat down, she wondered why Mosh Zu had not brought over another for himself.
    "Doubtless, you have many questions for your mother," Mosh Zu said. He turned to Sally, a soft smile sweeping across his face. "And I know she is eager to learn more about both of you. I shall leave you for a while. It is fitting that you should be alone together as a family. You have, each in your own ways, waited a very long time for this reunion."
    As Mosh Zu walked toward the door, Grace felt her pulse quicken. A raft of questions raced through her brain. How long do we have? How fragile is Sally's condition? What happens if she gets upset? She appreciated Mosh Zu's offer to give them space to get to know each other, but she wished he had better prepared them, for all their sakes.
    She watched the door close behind him. As it did, she heard his voice, calm and clear in her head. "Do not let these worries cloud the joy of your meeting The answer to each of your questions is simple. I do not know any better than you do. But be assured, I will be close at hand if and when you need me."
    Grace nodded, then turned back to the others, wondering if they had observed this gesture and thought it strange. Neither appeared to have noticed. Connor was looking down at his hands, which rested on his knees. Sally was watching him. She had, thought Grace, a childlike quality. It was hard to judge her age, given her current pallor. Even if she had been as young as sixteen when she gave birth to the twins, that would still make her thirty now. But she seemed younger than that. If Grace hadn't known otherwise, she'd have placed Sally in her midtwenties or even younger. But that couldn't be the case. The numbers just didn't add up.
    "Well," Sally said, "as long as we've all waited for this moment, it's actually kind of awkward, isn't it?" At these words, Connor looked up, staring at her through his bangs. Sally smiled at him, then turned to face Grace, too. "Like Mosh Zu says,