Vampirates 6: Immortal War Read Online Free Page B

you’ve shown excellent leadership qualities of late. I think it’s high time you commanded a ship of your own.”
    “Wow!” Mimma said, clearly taken by surprise. She gripped the keys tightly.
    Stukeley swept her up in his arms and kissed her. “Congratulations, Captain!”
    “Gee, thanks,” Mimma said, beaming broadly. “Look, here come the others!”
    The captains and their deputies turned. The rank-and-file members of Lola’s crew were busy tossing dead pirates into the ocean and swabbing the deck. Through the melee strode Holly and Camille, strong-arming a terrified-looking Nocturnal. Further in the distance, Jessamy and Nathalie were also making their approach, carrying over their shoulders what looked very much like a body bag.
    Holly and Camille came to a standstill, presenting theashen-faced Nocturnal to their leader. Lola stepped forward to make a cursory examination of the man.
    “You’re a poor excuse for a Vampirate,” she declared.
    “I’m not a Vampirate,” he rasped. “I’m a Nocturnal. I serve Obsidian Darke and the—”
    “Enough!” Lola raised a gloved hand and slapped him viciously. “You are a traitor to your kind!”
    “Shall we finish him off?” Holly inquired hopefully.
    Lola paused as Nathalie and Jessamy deposited the hefty package they had been carrying onto the deck.
    “No,” Lola said. “No, we’ll take the little traitor with us. I’m sure we can think of some ways to bring him back to the right, true path. Take him away to
The Vagabond
!”
    Holly and Camille dragged the helpless Nocturnal away.
    Now Lola turned her attention to the body bag lying before her. It was black, with a long gold zipper glinting in the moonlight.
    “Open it!” she commanded.
    Jessamy crouched down and released the zipper. The others all leaned forward to see who—or what—was inside. As the mutilated body was revealed, there were gasps.
    “Who
was
that?” Johnny inquired.
    Lola smiled. “Don’t count him out just yet, Cowboy. He’s in a bad way, but I’m sure the Nocturnals can patch him up with their healing magic.”
    “What’s all this about?” Stukeley asked.
    Ignoring him, Lola addressed Nathalie and Jessamy once more. “Throw this one over the side to join the others.”
    The two Vampirates swiftly embarked on the task.
    “Jacqui!” Lola called across the deck. “Do you have the flares?”
    “Yes, Captain!” Jacqueline raced forward, flares and matches in hand.
    “The girl who played with fire!” Lola giggled as Jacqueline lit the flares. There was a whooshing noise, then a pop, and suddenly the whole deck was suffused with red light.
    “Time to make ourselves scarce,” Lola said, taking her husband’s arm. “You may take me home now. I think I shall have a little nap. And perhaps a foot rub wouldn’t be so bad.”
    Sidorio drew his disarmingly beautiful, unboundingly vicious wife close in to his side and escorted her swiftly across the deck. It was almost deserted now as the others, having executed their business, had returned to
The Vagabond
.
    Holly came marching across the deck to rejoin Mimma and Sidorio’s two deputies. She and Mimma exchanged a high five, as Stukeley inquired, “Do either of you know exactly what Captain Lockwood is up to this time?”
    He was met by two shaking heads.
    “But I got myself a ship,” Mimma said, smiling and twirling the keys around her finger.
    Johnny brought his own arm around Holly’s waist. “I reckon this calls for a drink.”
    Holly glanced at her antique fob watch. “It’s still happy hour at the Blood Tavern.”
    “Sugar,” said Johnny, grinning and rolling his eyes, “since they franchised that joint,
every
hour is happy hour!”
    “Well, either way, we’d better make ourselves scarce,” Stukeley said. “Here comes one of those Alliance ambulance vessels.”
    “They must have seen the flares,” Johnny said, his eyes sparkling. “This is all kinda crazy… but fun!”
    Mimma turned to Stukeley.