I don't have much to say about this chapter. Harlock is a big baby, I guess. I wrote this whole thing while exhausted, so if I missed any mistakes, I apologize.


A heart beat in my chest, but it wasn't mine. It felt behind mine, closer to my spine. Its pulse pounded like hooves against dirt, rattling my own heart. No pain came from it, but the irregularity left me trembling in bed, unable to find sleep. Even my hand shook as I clutched at my chest.

"Meowdar," I hissed. For every two beats of the other pulse, mine answered with one, but the two were so far from syncing I knew I could only be going mad.

He hummed his question with the sluggish pull of sleep. Neither he nor his cats moved from where they lay curled in the corner. I felt just as exhausted, my eyes stinging whether closed or open. My forehead ached from a building pressure, but with that heart rattling the rest of my body, I couldn't hope to sleep again until I collapsed from it all.

"Is it normal to have two heartbeats?" I asked through a hoarse wheeze.

He answered in Spanish as he rubbed his eyes. The cats lying on top of him rolled off as he pushed himself up to sit on his hip. One eyelid blinked before the other, like a wave rolling over them. When he looked at me, he appeared to be waiting for an answer.

"What?" I asked instead.

"Oh." His eyes blinked evenly. "It's your sire's heartbeat. You know how they are supposed to sync? If his heartbeat is off from its usual speed, that is what you are feeling."

"How do I make it stop?" I hoped for an answer other than killing Harlock. That wasn't an option right now.

"You cannot," he said through a yawn. "Unless he's dead or the two of you are a good distance apart, it stays. But he will calm, and it will go away." Standing, he walked to the hay bed with a dozen roused cats trailing at his heels. He didn't ask if I wanted him to squish beside me. His arms wrapped around one of mine, and his forehead pressed to my shoulder like a clinging child. He didn't ask, but I wouldn't have said no. All those cats hopped up to curl anywhere there was room. It covered me in soft spots of warmth and weight, while the second heart eased into a quieter echo of mine.

I woke up again, unsure if I'd slept for more than a few minutes. At least my chest was my own again. My head had rolled to the side to rest against Meowdar's, but he sat back up on his hip, blue eyes narrowed in on the door. A rhythmic knock like the one he'd used last night at the tailor's came from the other side.

"Do they think I'm stupid?" Meowdar huffed. "None of us could be out right now. The sun is blazing."

But an answer came from the other side in the form of a whine. "Yama, you're in there, right? Let me in. I'm too tired for this."

"It's Tadashi," I said, blinking.

Meowdar's brows shot up. "You have a human on your ship?"

"No, he's half-vampire. He can be out in the sun."

"Yama," he whined again from outside. "I know my nose isn't that good, but I swear I can smell you."

I wasn't sure how to feel about that and wondered how I smelled, but Meowdar's surprise came from a different source. "Half-vampire?" he muttered instead as he rolled from the bed. "Alright, I'll let you in, but make it quick. Don't let the sun in."

"I'll be sure to use my magic powers to control the sun," Tadashi snapped.

Meowdar flashed a fang with a smile before telling me to hide under the blanket for a moment. Even then, I felt the raw, stinging heat of the sun as the door cracked open. It lasted for only a moment, like leaning too close to a fire. Then I peeked out to find Tadashi pulling down the hood of a thick, black cloak. He looked like a corpse with the dark smears under his eyes.

"Oh thank God," he said once he saw me. "You have a bed." Without another word, he walked over and collapsed on the hay beside me. I rolled over to make room until my back hit the wall.

"What are you doing here?" I asked as the irritated cats readjusted themselves. The kitten at my neck only gave a small yawn.

Sighing, Tadashi allowed me to help him nestle under the blanket. "The Captain freaked out when you didn't show up, so he wanted me to look for you. Too tired." He tossed a wary glance toward Meowdar as the other boy settled himself back on the bed. It amazed me we could all fit, but Tadashi was small and didn't complain about being sandwiched between us.

"You smell nice," Meowdar said, leaning into the back of Tadashi's neck. "Never smelled a half-vampire."

"You smell like cats," Tadashi said with the slur of someone on their way to sleep.

"What do I smell like?" I asked.

"The captain. Go to sleep."

My nose wrinkled at the thought. I didn't think I smelled like Harlock. I thought I smelled like me. But I decided to listen to his grumbled command and try for an uninterrupted rest. Even with the three of us squished together in such a small bed, it wasn't as uncomfortable as trying to keep away from Harlock in his bed.

Tadashi roused me as the sun set, though with him rubbing his eyes he looked less rested than I felt. "We should get back to the ship," he said. "Captain will probably meet us on the way. He'll run out to find you as soon as he can, even though I told him there was nothing to worry about."

"Is it safe for me to escort you?" Meowdar asked. "I need to catch some fish." The cats took turns weaving back and forth against his legs and trying to climb his pants. Meows from the hungry beasts sprinkled through the room like raindrops.

"I'll make sure the captain doesn't do anything," Tadashi huffed. His hands rested on his hips like someone who was really in charge of the ship. It reminded me of something Tetsuro mentioned once.

"Why do you call him captain to everyone else?" I asked. "You call him 'Dad' to his face."

Something tugged at the corner of his mouth, not quite a smile or a frown. "He likes when I call him dad, so I try to remember, but he's not Dad to anyone else, so it doesn't matter." Bitterness stung the tips of his words, and he warded off any further questions by shaking his head. "I'll check on the sun."

Meowdar watched Tadashi's back until it slipped through the door. "Is he taken?" he asked me. "He smells so nice."

My attempt to laugh the question off was as forceful as a wheeze. "I don't think you should base relationships just on smell, but he and Tetsuro have a thing or something."

"Well," he scratched at the back of his neck, "I do not meet many other vampires who are my size. Rare to even find one who does not appear older than me. Not much fun being the eternal child in a group of adults."

"He's still aging, kind of. I think. Tetsuro looks the same age as you." I wasn't sure how relationships worked between young-looking vampire males. I wasn't sure of much of anything, so I pressed my lips together to keep from continuing the conversation. I'd done enough rambling.

Meowdar seemed to understand. Either that or he was more interested in cats. His eye caught the kitten now clawing at the front of my shirt. "You can keep him if you'd like," he said. "He seems to like you."

"I don't know if Harlock would let me keep a kitten." The fluffy tabby nabbed my hand to chew on when I tried to pet him. I hadn't thought of keeping him before, but I liked the idea of having something to call mine aboard that ship.

"Perhaps your captain can be persuaded," Meowdar said, flashing his fangs with a winning smile. I wasn't sure who would be doing the persuading here. Tadashi would likely have the best luck of the three of us, because he didn't accept the word no.

He poked his head back in to tell us the sun set fully, so we set out for the docks with all the cats in tow and the kitten in my arms. The human residents of the town were still active, if only just to finish up for the day. It did make me feel like I lived in a different world from them.

Signs of them disappeared as we moved to the thin, forgotten streets with broken buildings. "A shortcut," Meowdar said. But I would have preferred the scenic route if it meant seeing more humans living out their carefree lives. They didn't know about us, and it was better that way. I envied them.

Hearing the scuff of a boot against stone in the alley beside me, I turned out of curiosity bred from instinct. I saw a black cloak, flared up around its wearer as he bore down on me. His face was hidden, but the glint of a silver blade caught my eye. I felt his heart beat, just once, just as mine did.

Then a boot caught my stomach. "No!" Tadashi roared as he kicked me out of the way, his eyes on fire at the sight of what I finally understood to be my death. I hit the ground as Tadashi pulled one of his kitchen knives from a sheath at his hip. The attacker stepped back, out of range from Tadashi's swing. "Get back here, you bastard," Tadashi hissed. Instead, the cloaked man leapt to the roof behind him and ran.

"Get him back to the ship," Tadashi ordered Meowdar before also jumping higher than my mind could comprehend. I was still staring at where he'd been on the roof when Meowdar ran over to grab my arm. As he yanked me from the ground, the only thing I could think was that my tailbone hurt.

"What just happened?" I asked as he led me to a run. The kitten held in my free arm mewled its disapproval.

"That vampire wanted to kill you," Meowdar said, fear thinning his calm voice.

"Why?"

"I do not know. It likely had to do with your sire. I should not have led you down this way. I just did not think…"

Maybe I should have been more surprised, but the cause of all my trouble as of late was Harlock. Speak of the devil, Meowdar nearly slammed into him as we rounded the corner. His hair was ruffed by the wind, and his chest heaved with each breath. He'd been running too.

"What happened?" he asked, more demanding than worried. "Where is Tadashi going?"

I hoped Meowdar would answer, but found myself shoved into Harlock's chest. "I'll go find him," Meowdar gasped. With another impossible jump, he left us for the rooftops as well.

Harlock's hands clamped down on my shoulders as he stepped back to examine me. "What is going on?" he asked.

Honestly, I didn't know. "A vampire tried to kill me, I think," I said. "Tadashi went after him."

He cringed at the information, his eye turning to scan the rooftops. I couldn't see anyone. "Tadashi can't take on a vampire himself," Harlock said. His grip tightened against my shoulder. "Meowdar has to get to him."

The cats didn't care for our conversation. They began to yowl once again, rubbing up against his legs and mine. He looked down as though he'd just noticed them. "I don't know what to do with all these cats," he said, his eye narrowed in on the kitten in my arms in suspicion. "But let's get you back to the ship." One hand remained on my shoulder to urge me on toward the docks. Unsure what else to do, I walked beside him willingly.

"What about Tadashi?" I asked. We needed to wait for him to get back. Nothing would happen to him, of course, so the worry twisting through Harlock's expression and my gut was unnecessary.

"I'll send Tetsuro after them," he said. "To be frank, I doubt Tadashi can catch a running vampire. He tends to bite off more than he can chew when it comes to these things."

These things? Like killing other vampires? "Why go after that man to begin with?" I asked.

Harlock glared at the air in front of us, even as the ship loomed ahead. The dark paint almost blended with the night sky. "If he attacked you, he's an enemy of mine," Harlock said. "He will likely attack again. You didn't catch any of his features, did you?"

"To be fair, I'm not sure it was a man." I saw only their jaw, and I wasn't sure how they could see from under that hood. "You don't know who that could have been?"

His eye turned back and forth as though reading through his mind. "There are too many people who want to kill me," he said at length, "so I have no idea."

"Maybe you should quit making enemies of everyone you meet."

"Easier said than done," he muttered as he pushed me along the dock. This time there was a ramp, and he worried the cat herd might follow us up. Luckily, they stayed on the dock, waiting for Meowdar.

I found myself standing on the ship in almost the same way I had the night before. The men stretched themselves awake as they milled around the deck. "Tetsuro," Harlock called to the boy leaning against the mast.

Tetsuro pushed his weight from it and strode toward us. "Where's Tadashi?" he asked as he scratched the kitten's head. I felt Harlock tense beside me.

"He went after someone who tried to attack Yama. Meowdar went to assist him."

Either Tetsuro had no idea who Meowdar was, or he had no faith in the native. His expression darkened like an oncoming storm. "Where are they?" he demanded, his hands clenched in fists.

Harlock opened his mouth to answer, but he left his jaw hanging as the cats once again erupted in a chorus of yowls. They sped back down the dock in such a swarm I worried they might knock Meowdar over.

He hissed something in Spanish as he waded through them. I guessed it had something to do with the unmoving form slumped against his back.

"Tadashi?" Tetsuro's voice trilled in fear. He collided with the ship railing in an effort to see what was wrong. I looked to Harlock for help but found his stare vacant. What fear didn't show in his face hammered against my heart as his pulse joined mine again.

Meowdar panted as he made his way up the ramp. His legs looked like they might give way any moment, bowing under him. For better or worse, a swarm of pirates replaced the swarm of cats. Yowls switched to a chatter of questions.

"Holy water," Meowdar snarled over them. "Be careful if you touch him."

Tadashi's voice followed. It was strained, like all the strength and certainty were stripped away piece by piece. "It's fine," he said. "Doesn't hurt me as bad."

When Meowdar eased Tadashi into Tetsuro's arms, the true extent of the damage showed in a glistening burn. Though I averted my eyes immediately, the image stuck in my head. The damage covered his right side. Either the water or his own skin boiled through his clothes. Fabric fused with melted flesh on his shoulder, and the bone of his jaw shone white in the moonlight.

I kept my eyes on the floor to ease the churning of my stomach. Though my pulse sped up, Harlock's heart beat even harder. My chest seemed to be tearing in two.

"I'm sorry," Harlock whispered. Though I was the only one close enough to hear, I looked up to find his eye toward his son. "I'm so sorry."

My chest ached for him, for the pain in his voice and the beating of his heart. I almost told him it wasn't his fault, but even as I opened my mouth, I bit my lip instead. It was my fault too. If I'd taken the gun instead of leaving it on the ship, maybe I could have shot the guy. Probably not, but I still would have been better off. No point in ignoring orders out of spite.

"I'm not dying," I heard Tadashi sigh. "All of you, quit it. Go do something else. Just need some blood is all."

I reached up to grab Harlock's sleeve. I felt like a child, tugging on it for his attention. "He'll heal," I said.

"He heals slowly," Harlock murmured. "I was supposed to protect both of you. It was the least I could do in return for what I took from you." He reached out, placing his hand to the back of my head. I felt like he wilted against me as he leaned down and rested his forehead in my hair. "I'm sorry," he said again.

I couldn't bring myself to pull back or push him away. I had no words for him, so I kept holding his sleeve and breathed in his scent. There was still something calming about it, surrounding me like the smell of a campfire. His heartbeat eased as he took slow, deep breaths, and I hoped I was at least doing the same for him as he was for me. I had no other way to comfort him.


Is it normal for people to smell like weird things? No. But vampires aren't normal either, so I don't care.