Reading Online Novel

Vampires of Noctra(20)



colony of blood suckers and their human servants. Men who didn't age, a crew who couldn't remember where home was located. It was all too

strange.

But in an odd way it made sense. If you were dealing with vampires, that is. When he'd taken on this assignment, he'd accepted it more for

personal reasons because of what had happened to his family. But suddenly, especially after the last few days, he wasn't certain of his mission any

longer. Was he hunting the right undead? Nothing seemed as clear-cut as it should be. He no longer knew the answer or what path he should take.

"Hey, Templeton." Skye looked at Nathan. "Hand me that vial Jupiter brought in."

Skye looked at the shelf where the bottle rested. "What is it?" He pulled the red bottle from the shelf and handed it to Nathan. Nathan pulled off

the cork stopper and poured the contents into the stew. He looked at Skye, but Skye couldn't decipher the expression. Nathan was not a man

easily understood.

"Have you seen a doctor on board, lad?"

"Well, no."

"Do you know the why of it?" He set the empty bottle aside and began stirring the stew.

"Well, no. I haven't really had time to consider it."

"It's give and take on this ship, Templeton. We provide the cap'n with what he needs, he protects us."

That didn't make sense to Skye. "What do you mean?"

"He gives us immunity from disease, heals our wounds, gives us strength. In turn, we keep him healthy, and guard his sleep. Give and take. No

slackers on board the Night Stalker, lad." He turned his eerie focus back on Skye. "He's not drawn from you yet. Nor have given yourself to him,

have you?

And he didn't plan to, but he had no intention of informing Nathan of that fact. "No, I haven't."

"Every meal, you take a bit of him in you. You may not feel it yet, but it's there. He gives freely of himself to protect us all. "

Skye looked at him, unable to comprehend what Nathan was telling him. And then he realized what the red liquid was. Fuck!

"Are you saying that everything I've eaten since coming on board has been tainted with Captain Lucienne's blood?" Christ. Why hadn't he even

considered that possibility?

Nathan nodded. "It won't make you like him, if that's what that look on your face be about."

Why had he not paid closer attention? He tried to wrap his mind around the idea that he'd consumed vampire blood--and on more than one

occasion. He tried to calm himself. "Why the hell didn't you tell me this before?"

Nathan shrugged and then picked up the tray with the usual bottle of wine and cut glass goblet and held it out to Skye. "Take the cap'n's tray in.

He'll be waiting. I've not upset you, have I, lad? I thought you knew. You've been here helping me most of the time. I've not hidden it from you."

Nathan was right. Skye had never asked him what sort of spices he was putting into the food. Or anything related to its preparation. Skye took the

tray. "Don't worry. I'll handle it. There won't be a problem." Even if his stomach did roil at the thought of ingesting vampire blood, he refused to

think about the ramifications of such an act.

Nathan stroked the side of his face with the back of his hand, then cupped his jaw, forcing Skye to look at him. "He's not a hard man and Noctra

vampires are different from those on the mainland."

"In what way?"

"They don't kill unless pushed to it. Don't force his hand, Templeton."

"I watched him kill that sailor, one of his own men. He tore his heart out."

"You still don't get it, do you?" Nathan shook his head. "For all your proud fighting during the battle, you still don't know what they were. He

gave Gordon a warrior's death to be proud of. It had to be done."

"What were they?"

"The living dead. Worse than any vampire could be. Zombies. If you'd been bit by one of them, you'd have been taken care of same as Gordon.

Salt and dismemberment are the only things that will silence them forever. And you might live from a vampire's bite, but not from a zombie's. From

what I know, Gordon was bit. He'd have turned. And he knew it."

"You're saying he would have become a zombie? Like the ones on the ship?"

Nathan nodded. "Aye, he would. We've seen it happen before. There's no stopping it. The captain did what he had to do. You have no idea how

bad it can get. He may be a vampire, he may be demanding, but he's better than the scourge that sails the sea beneath the likes of Clavius Zoliel.

That bastard wants to rule the world with a zombie army. He'd make us all like that if he had his way. Vampirates have the best chance of stopping

him."

"And who is Clavius Zoliel?"

Nathan waved his hand. "Captain's waiting. I've jabbered enough. Maybe too much."