Vampirates 4: Black Heart Read Online Free Page B
Author: Justin Somper
Tags: Fiction, General, Family & Relationships, Action & Adventure, Horror, Juvenile Fiction, Fantasy & Magic, Brothers and sisters, Twins, Vampires, Horror & Ghost Stories, Parenting, Motherhood, Pirates, Mothers, Seafaring life
I'm sure you both have lots of questions for me. Where do you suppose we should begin?"
Grace felt conflicted. She didn't want to ask anything too difficult or upsetting right away. At the same time, she was conscious that, given Sally's condition, their time together might be limited, and she didn't want to miss this opportunity to address the important questions. In the end, she hedged her bets. "I was just wondering," she said, "how long it has been since you saw us. Besides that last time in the healing chamber. How long has it been since we were really together?" She paused. "I don't mean to sound rude or hurtful, but I don't have any memories of you in Crescent Moon Bay."
Sally started to speak, but her voice was hoarse, perhaps from lack of use, and she coughed, then asked, "Connor, would you be a darling and pour me a glass of water?"
Connor leaned forward, tilted the pitcher toward a glass, and reached out to place it in his mother's hand.
"Thank you," she said, smiling up at him. For the first time, he smiled back. Sally took a sip of water, then continued. "Now, Grace, to answer your question. The truth is, I have never been to Crescent Moon Bay."
"Never?" exclaimed Grace. She could see that Connor, too, was surprised.
Sally shook her head. "I should like to go there someday." Some of the light drained from her eyes. "I suppose it will have to be someday very soon, now."
"But we always lived in Crescent Moon Bay," Grace said. "Right up until Dad died and we left and got caught in the storm. All our lives we were there."
"Yes," Sally nodded. "All your lives except the very beginning part." She lifted one small hand and gestured with her thumb and forefinger. "Just a tiny beginning sliver before you went to Crescent Moon Bay. That, my darlings, was the last time I saw you."
"When we were babies?"
Sally nodded.
"But why?" Grace asked.
"It's a long story," Sally said. "A long and sometimes difficult story." Her voice had grown weak again, and she took another sip of water, pausing before she continued. "But it's your story, and you deserve to be told it."
Grace glanced at Connor, then back at Sally. Her fear had given way to excitement. It was as if they were little kids again, snuggled up in their twin bunks in the lighthouse bedroom they had shared, cozy and all set to hear a story before bedtime. Only, now they knew for certain that Sally had never been there in the lighthouse. It was their dad, Dexter Tempest, who had always told them stories before bed. Told them stories and sang them that strange chantey:
I'll tell you a tale of Vampirates,
A tale as old as true ...
Grace felt sad that her dad wasn't here to share in this reunion. It made it incomplete.
"Your story begins aboard the Nocturne," Sally said.
"The Nocturne!" Grace exclaimed. "That's the Vampirate ship," she reminded Connor.
"Yes," he said, slightly irritably. "I know that."
"You sailed on the Nocturne!" Grace said excitedly, shaking her head. Now she had an answer to one of her big questions -- how Sally and Lorcan knew each other. She felt a deeper sense of kinship with her mother, as if they had unwittingly walked the same path in life. "What were you doing aboard the Nocturne?" she asked.
"She was about to tell us," Connor said, with some force. "Grace, please let her tell us the story without interrupting every five seconds."
"All right," Grace said, turning from Connor back to Sally. "Sorry," she said.
"That's okay," Sally said, sipping a little more water. "I was always like you, Grace. Hungry for information. Couldn't wait to know everything. See everything. Do everything." She smiled, then set the water glass down again. "What was I doing on the Nocturne? Simple, really. I was a donor."
5NIGHT MOVES
Stukeley rode the wave expertly into shore, then jumped off into the shallows and flipped the surfboard into his arms.
He watched as Johnny followed him in. His balance was superb. Johnny had only recently learned to
Grace felt conflicted. She didn't want to ask anything too difficult or upsetting right away. At the same time, she was conscious that, given Sally's condition, their time together might be limited, and she didn't want to miss this opportunity to address the important questions. In the end, she hedged her bets. "I was just wondering," she said, "how long it has been since you saw us. Besides that last time in the healing chamber. How long has it been since we were really together?" She paused. "I don't mean to sound rude or hurtful, but I don't have any memories of you in Crescent Moon Bay."
Sally started to speak, but her voice was hoarse, perhaps from lack of use, and she coughed, then asked, "Connor, would you be a darling and pour me a glass of water?"
Connor leaned forward, tilted the pitcher toward a glass, and reached out to place it in his mother's hand.
"Thank you," she said, smiling up at him. For the first time, he smiled back. Sally took a sip of water, then continued. "Now, Grace, to answer your question. The truth is, I have never been to Crescent Moon Bay."
"Never?" exclaimed Grace. She could see that Connor, too, was surprised.
Sally shook her head. "I should like to go there someday." Some of the light drained from her eyes. "I suppose it will have to be someday very soon, now."
"But we always lived in Crescent Moon Bay," Grace said. "Right up until Dad died and we left and got caught in the storm. All our lives we were there."
"Yes," Sally nodded. "All your lives except the very beginning part." She lifted one small hand and gestured with her thumb and forefinger. "Just a tiny beginning sliver before you went to Crescent Moon Bay. That, my darlings, was the last time I saw you."
"When we were babies?"
Sally nodded.
"But why?" Grace asked.
"It's a long story," Sally said. "A long and sometimes difficult story." Her voice had grown weak again, and she took another sip of water, pausing before she continued. "But it's your story, and you deserve to be told it."
Grace glanced at Connor, then back at Sally. Her fear had given way to excitement. It was as if they were little kids again, snuggled up in their twin bunks in the lighthouse bedroom they had shared, cozy and all set to hear a story before bedtime. Only, now they knew for certain that Sally had never been there in the lighthouse. It was their dad, Dexter Tempest, who had always told them stories before bed. Told them stories and sang them that strange chantey:
I'll tell you a tale of Vampirates,
A tale as old as true ...
Grace felt sad that her dad wasn't here to share in this reunion. It made it incomplete.
"Your story begins aboard the Nocturne," Sally said.
"The Nocturne!" Grace exclaimed. "That's the Vampirate ship," she reminded Connor.
"Yes," he said, slightly irritably. "I know that."
"You sailed on the Nocturne!" Grace said excitedly, shaking her head. Now she had an answer to one of her big questions -- how Sally and Lorcan knew each other. She felt a deeper sense of kinship with her mother, as if they had unwittingly walked the same path in life. "What were you doing aboard the Nocturne?" she asked.
"She was about to tell us," Connor said, with some force. "Grace, please let her tell us the story without interrupting every five seconds."
"All right," Grace said, turning from Connor back to Sally. "Sorry," she said.
"That's okay," Sally said, sipping a little more water. "I was always like you, Grace. Hungry for information. Couldn't wait to know everything. See everything. Do everything." She smiled, then set the water glass down again. "What was I doing on the Nocturne? Simple, really. I was a donor."
5NIGHT MOVES
Stukeley rode the wave expertly into shore, then jumped off into the shallows and flipped the surfboard into his arms.
He watched as Johnny followed him in. His balance was superb. Johnny had only recently learned to
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