As Darcy fell, she could only think of the water impact, and the great, bloodthirsty monster waiting somewhere below. Could even a vampire survive that beast? She really didn't want to find out, but it looked like she had no choice.

Darcy's hand flailed uselessly in the air, as if pointing upwards would somehow make her start going in the same direction. Then, out of the blue, just as she was watching her life flash before her eyes, another hand clutched hers, firmly. This was such a shock that Darcy nearly let go of it. Who was that?

She dared open her eyes, as she was pulled to an abrupt stop, her every muscle straining not to let go. She turned her eyes skywards, and saw, to her surprise and dismay, Lorcan; leaning as far over the boat as he could go without toppling over the edge, as she had done before him.

Even more to her surprise, a bright smile was lighting up his features.

"I did it!" he cried. "Not many blind men can say the same, can they?"

Darcy felt he needed reminding of the danger they were in. "Lorcan! Quick, pull me up!" She shouted, resolving to thank him later.

"Oh, right!" And then Darcy was being hauled up. If very slowly.

Lorcan was straining. It had been enough just hearing Darcy's cry and stumbling over to the edge of the boat where the sound had come from, then desperately flailing his hands around to catch her. But now this…. It was using up all his last reserves of stamina and more. With every inch he hauled Darcy back up, he could feel his strength leaving, and with it his hope.

With a one, very last burst of energy and adrenaline, he pulled Darcy up and over, onto the deck. It was OK. He had saved her. Now, he was just so tired. He felt himself begin to lose his balance…

As Darcy swung in a sort of arch over the side of the boat, and landed with a pronounced thud on deck, her hand broke away from Lorcan's. It took a moment for her to realise what was going on, but when she did, she stared in helpless horror at her saviour toppling over the side of the ship instead. It was as if the sea desperately wanted a victim, and in exchange for Darcy, it took the very person who had rescued her.

Coming to her senses, Darcy shrieked and leapt to her feet. There was nothing she could do: though Lorcan had saved her, she was out of all energy and just calling, "Lorcaaaaaan!" As he plummeted used up all the last of it.

There was a splash, and Darcy hoped with all her heart that the sea monster had neither heard nor felt it. It could rip him to shreds in seconds. Darcy shivered, and with a heavy heart, she turned her back to the edge of the ship, and silently vowed, Lorcan, I'll be back for you.

The ship, Darcy realised as she took in her surroundings, was now actually very noisy, contrasting with the quiet of before: all the ghosts were whizzing around, lying down leisurely, and cackling, all in a big transparent swirl of dementedness. Some had managed to get the ale kegs open and were drinking from the steady flow of red liquid that streamed from them. Darcy wondered how ghosts could drink.

Then she cast her eyes over Grace and Porfirio, and immediately scowled. Grace was moving around robotically, obviously carrying out Porfirio's orders, will no free will. She was relieving the vampirates, one by one, of their weapons, while the vampirates stood their, letting her. They knew that the battle was lost.

Or, they thought they knew.

Darcy crept over to a huddle of them. "You lot got crossbows?" She asked the circle urgently, pushing into it.

There were seven of them, four women and three men, a rough looking bunch, and Darcy remembered chatting to few of them in the past. In fact, she knew one quite well. His name was Pueblo.

"Yes, we all have crossbows." He answered. "Why?"

Darcy grinned, despite the situation, and explained to them her plan. Their faces brightened once she reached the end: she's thrown them a lifeline of hope. So, making sure that the looked inconspicuous, the cross-bowers and Darcy made their way across to the edge of the ship, looking for the telltale dark shape under the water, where a certain sea-monster would be…

Eliminate the threat, and Porfirio would have nothing to bargain with.