Vampirates 5: Empire of Night by Justin Somper Page B
Authors: Justin Somper
Tags: Fiction, General, Action & Adventure, Horror, Juvenile Fiction, Fantasy & Magic, Brothers and sisters, Twins, Vampires, Horror & Ghost Stories, Pirates, Seafaring life
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Kettle's trusted second-in-command.
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Sugar Pie made pirates from all around go weak at the knees but, that aside, she had become a good friend and trusted confidante of Connor's.
Jacoby shook his head emphatically at Bart's accusation. "That is so unfounded. I only have eyes for Jasmine."
Connor listened to this exchange warily. Jacoby was still blissfully ignorant of his own fast-developing relationship with Jasmine. They had kissed. Twice. And it had changed everything. He knew it and Jasmine knew it. But, for now, Jacoby was still in the dark.
Bart grinned at Jacoby. "Jasmine's a wonderful young woman, no question, but few pirate lads have been able to resist the charms of Sugar Pie." He tapped his own chest. "I know whereof I speak." He shook his head and glanced fondly toward Cate. "Of course, that was in my younger and wilder days, when I was footloose and fancy free. That's all behind me now."
"Yeah, right," Connor interjected. "You're the grand old age of twenty-three now!"
"Exactly!" Bart said, taking a draft of beer before continuing. "Tempest, cast your mind back to the very first night we met. Remember what I told you then?"
Connor knew exactly what his mate was alluding to. "A pirate's life is a short but merry one."
Bart nodded, wiping the beer-foam mustache from above his lips. "Right on, mate! I've been luckier than most in avoiding the enemy cutlass all these years I've
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roamed the oceans. But who knows how much longer my luck will hold?" His expression became more somber. "After all, think of Jez."
"Who's Jez?" asked Jacoby, unaware what a loaded question this was.
Connor and Bart exchanged a glance, both waiting for the other to take the lead. After an awkward silence, Connor spoke. "Jez Stukeley was a good friend of ours, aboard The Diablo . He was the most talented fighter on the crew. He got killed in a duel on board The Albatross , the ship captained by Narcisos Drakoulis."
Jacoby was confused. "If Jez was such a great fighter, how come he lost the duel?"
"You should have seen the guy he was up against!" Bart said. "Drakoulis's prizefighter, Gidaki Sarakakino. He was like a gladiator--twice the size of me , if you can imagine, but incredibly agile."
Connor picked up the story, his expression dark. "We should never have been on that ship anyhow. It was a trick--an act of revenge against Molucco Wrathe. Jez died because of Molucco's shortcomings, not his own." Frowning, he took a deep swig from his tankard.
"Jez sounds like a great guy," Jacoby said. "I can tell how much you both miss him."
Bart's eyes suddenly brightened. "They had a nickname for us. The Three Buccaneers. Catie came up with it."
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"The Three Buccaneers," Jacoby repeated, nodding. "I like that." He raised his tankard. "A toast, my friends! To Jez and the Three Buccaneers!"
Without hesitation, Connor and Bart raised their glasses and slammed them against Jacoby's. "The Three Buccaneers!" they bellowed in unison.
"I haven't heard that expression in a while," Cheng Li said as she, Cate, Jasmine, and Bo Yin returned to join the lads.
"The boys were just telling me about Jez," Jacoby informed the newcomers.
"Poor guy!" said Jasmine.
Cate laid her hand on Bart's arm. "Did you see him at the wedding?"
Bart nodded glumly.
"I don't understand," said Jacoby. "How could you have seen him at a wedding, or anywhere else for that matter, if he's dead ?"
"Think!" Cheng Li said. "Which wedding did we all recently attend together?"
Jacoby racked his brain for a moment. "Sidorio and Lady Lola's?"
Cheng Li nodded.
"I still don't understand," Jacoby said. "If Jez is dead, how could he be at a wedding?... Oh! Oh, I think I get it." He trembled as he spoke.
"He was killed," Bart confirmed. "We buried him at
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sea. But Sidorio found his corpse and sired him to be his lieutenant. He's known as Stukeley now, and he's Sidorio's joint deputy."
Every time Sidorio's name came up, Connor felt as though he was being stabbed in
75
Sugar Pie made pirates from all around go weak at the knees but, that aside, she had become a good friend and trusted confidante of Connor's.
Jacoby shook his head emphatically at Bart's accusation. "That is so unfounded. I only have eyes for Jasmine."
Connor listened to this exchange warily. Jacoby was still blissfully ignorant of his own fast-developing relationship with Jasmine. They had kissed. Twice. And it had changed everything. He knew it and Jasmine knew it. But, for now, Jacoby was still in the dark.
Bart grinned at Jacoby. "Jasmine's a wonderful young woman, no question, but few pirate lads have been able to resist the charms of Sugar Pie." He tapped his own chest. "I know whereof I speak." He shook his head and glanced fondly toward Cate. "Of course, that was in my younger and wilder days, when I was footloose and fancy free. That's all behind me now."
"Yeah, right," Connor interjected. "You're the grand old age of twenty-three now!"
"Exactly!" Bart said, taking a draft of beer before continuing. "Tempest, cast your mind back to the very first night we met. Remember what I told you then?"
Connor knew exactly what his mate was alluding to. "A pirate's life is a short but merry one."
Bart nodded, wiping the beer-foam mustache from above his lips. "Right on, mate! I've been luckier than most in avoiding the enemy cutlass all these years I've
76
roamed the oceans. But who knows how much longer my luck will hold?" His expression became more somber. "After all, think of Jez."
"Who's Jez?" asked Jacoby, unaware what a loaded question this was.
Connor and Bart exchanged a glance, both waiting for the other to take the lead. After an awkward silence, Connor spoke. "Jez Stukeley was a good friend of ours, aboard The Diablo . He was the most talented fighter on the crew. He got killed in a duel on board The Albatross , the ship captained by Narcisos Drakoulis."
Jacoby was confused. "If Jez was such a great fighter, how come he lost the duel?"
"You should have seen the guy he was up against!" Bart said. "Drakoulis's prizefighter, Gidaki Sarakakino. He was like a gladiator--twice the size of me , if you can imagine, but incredibly agile."
Connor picked up the story, his expression dark. "We should never have been on that ship anyhow. It was a trick--an act of revenge against Molucco Wrathe. Jez died because of Molucco's shortcomings, not his own." Frowning, he took a deep swig from his tankard.
"Jez sounds like a great guy," Jacoby said. "I can tell how much you both miss him."
Bart's eyes suddenly brightened. "They had a nickname for us. The Three Buccaneers. Catie came up with it."
77
"The Three Buccaneers," Jacoby repeated, nodding. "I like that." He raised his tankard. "A toast, my friends! To Jez and the Three Buccaneers!"
Without hesitation, Connor and Bart raised their glasses and slammed them against Jacoby's. "The Three Buccaneers!" they bellowed in unison.
"I haven't heard that expression in a while," Cheng Li said as she, Cate, Jasmine, and Bo Yin returned to join the lads.
"The boys were just telling me about Jez," Jacoby informed the newcomers.
"Poor guy!" said Jasmine.
Cate laid her hand on Bart's arm. "Did you see him at the wedding?"
Bart nodded glumly.
"I don't understand," said Jacoby. "How could you have seen him at a wedding, or anywhere else for that matter, if he's dead ?"
"Think!" Cheng Li said. "Which wedding did we all recently attend together?"
Jacoby racked his brain for a moment. "Sidorio and Lady Lola's?"
Cheng Li nodded.
"I still don't understand," Jacoby said. "If Jez is dead, how could he be at a wedding?... Oh! Oh, I think I get it." He trembled as he spoke.
"He was killed," Bart confirmed. "We buried him at
78
sea. But Sidorio found his corpse and sired him to be his lieutenant. He's known as Stukeley now, and he's Sidorio's joint deputy."
Every time Sidorio's name came up, Connor felt as though he was being stabbed in
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