Vampires of Noctra(19)

kill.

The quiet night of peace and innocent pleasures was over.





Chapter 6




"What do you know about the captain?" Skye asked Nathan several evenings later as they prepared dinner for the crew. Earlier in the day Skye

had helped Liam repair some damage to a hatch. He spent his nights, or days, assisting where they needed an extra hand. If he decided to join the

crew, he'd likely be assigned a position. For now each day was a new experience. Not that the nights weren't as well, as now the way seemed to be

open for nightly fucks, with his choice of hard bodies to warm his hammock.

Life was not so bad aboard the Night Stalker. Except over the last few days the captain seemed to have completely ignored his presence on board.

In some ways that irritated Skye. In others, he felt relief. But the image of the captain was never far from his thoughts. Irritatingly so.

Nathan looked across the room at Skye as he stirred a pot of fish stew. It actually smelled quite savory. It had turned out that Nathan was quite a

good cook and Skye had learned several good tips while assisting him with some of the meals. At least working in various capacities aboard the

Night Stalker kept his mind occupied, allowing little time for too much deep thought. Particularly about the captain and Skye's mission on board

ship.

He regretted the kiss he'd given Donté on the night of the zombie attack. It felt like something that now bound him to the vampire in ways he could

not dismiss. He had no idea what had made him kiss the captain like that, but the desire had surged quickly to drive him to lay his claim to the

vampire. And there had been something else about the undead vampire, something that told him exactly what Donté needed from Skye. And it

wasn't his human blood.

"What do you want to know? He doesn't share much about his life with the crew. Keeps pretty much to himself."

Skye cut up another carrot and tossed the slices into the pot. He'd always enjoyed a bit of cooking back on the mainland, but it was pretty basic

here on the ship compared to the meals he'd concocted for the general. And the utensils and knives were simple designs compared to the silverplated opulence in the general's London home. It was strange that he hadn't thought much about London since arriving on the Night Stalker. Each

day, the civilized world he'd known seemed farther and farther away. And there was little about it he missed.

"How long have you been with him?"

Nathan peered at Skye. "Ask a lot of questions, don't you, lad? I been with him nigh onto ten years."

Skye looked him over closely. "You and the others are human, but you don't seem to age. Is it because he takes your blood?"

Nathan shrugged. "Hard to say exactly. Could be because of the island."

"Noctra?"

"Aye. It's located in a strange part of the ocean. Lots of ships lose their way. Those that hunt the cap'n and his kind never find their way to it.

Don't ask me why. It's just that strange."

"Where exactly is it located? I'd have thought it would be near Tortuga. Isn't that the pirate stronghold?"

"It ain't Tortuga we call home. Our place be farther north."

"North?"

"Aye." Nathan's expression registered confusion. "I don't know exactly where."

"How can you not know where you sail?"

"When we get close, the cap'n mans the wheel and heads us home. Going in, we learn the way. Coming out, that be another matter. It goes out of

our heads. Only thing I can tell you is there be no coastline and miles and miles of strange seaweed as far as the eye can see. Spread out like the

golden locks of a mermaid's hair. And just as deadly."

Skye thought about his studies. It sounded to him like Nathan was talking about the horse latitudes in the North Atlantic. Could it be? From what

he'd read there'd been many a lost ship in that area. It was a mysterious part of the ocean few knew much about.

"You're certain? Seaweed?"

"That's all I can remember. Lots of it. The compass don't work right in those waters, but the cap'n, he brings us home to our island safe and sound.

The most beautiful place on earth. Clear blue skies and warm water like you've never seen before. A true paradise."

"And the vampires run the colony?"

"Aye, lots of salt and salt water. Keeps the zombies away, if you know what I mean."

"You mean like the monsters from the other night." He'd never seen creatures like them before.

Nathan raised a hand to his temple and rubbed. "No more talk on it. You're making my head ache. We've got to get this grub out to the crew or

they'll be having our heads handed to us."

Nathan had given Skye a bit to consider. Islands located in the mysterious North Atlantic. Swirling seas and paradise. And vampires who ran a