Hmmm…what will happen next?
…………….……………..………………….…………..……..
Grace waited patiently for the Nocturne to arrive. She was sitting down near the harbor with Connor beside her. It was after midnight, and they'd sneaked off their rooms to meet the Vampirates on the Nocturne.
"Are you sure they'll arrive today?" he asked, Yawning widely. His face was so tired that it almost alarmed Grace. There were dark bags under his eyes.
"Yes, I'm sure", Grace replied.
She looked at the dark, calm ocean. She'd once jumped in it, trying to reach Lorcan and the other Vampirates because it'd become her obsession. It wasn't that she'd been stupid, because they had come for her.
She didn't want to try it again, though. One experience was enough.
"Look!" Connor said suddenly, pointing towards their east. "There they are!"
Grace turned towards the direction her brother pointed as could saw mist forming there. Slowly, as they watched, a dark shape loomed over them from the mist. It grew bigger and took more shape as it drew nearer. The nocturne had arrived. And with BAD news.
"So we've done everything we can", Lorcan said, his hand resting on his forehead in frustration." We have no idea where the Captain went. We've checked everywhere we can".
They were on the deck of the Nocturne, because the Vampirates didn't really love the idea to be in the harbor oh humans where they were either loathed or were just myths to them. So Grace and Connor had climbed aboard. Grace could feel that Connor felt a little uneasy, but she didn't worry about that then.
"So now what?" Grace asked." We couldn't just…rest!"
Lorcan's eyes were dark as he returned her gaze.
"I wish I knew what to do, Grace. I've never been in control of the ship before and I'm not used to it yet. But it really means that you're not going to come with us till the Captain is back…from where ever he is…" he tailed away.
Grace was flabbergasted." You're not joking, Lorcan…after all what the Vampirate captain told us…"
"Grace, you know I don't really want this", Lorcan said apologetically as he hugged her goodbye.
"I know", she said softly, returning his hug.
"We'll come to take you back the minute we have our captain", he promised. There was sadness in his ocean-blue eyes and his voice." You know that without him, you're not safe on the ship. I wish I could protect you".
Grace managed a smile.
"You should-"she began but a loud scream cut through the air, breaking her off.
To Stukeley's problem...OHNO Stukeley, what on earth have you done???
…….………………………………..Stukeley's mind was in total chaos. He couldn't understand. One minute he was sucking the life of that screaming human and the next moment he'd detached himself from her to see the girl run away from him, screaming. How'd she found him? Wasn't she supposed to be with Sidorio or something?
"Wait!" he rasped as he started towards the path she'd taken.
Natalie kept running. But it didn't take long for Stukeley to catch up with her. She wasn't running at her vampire speed.
But it didn't took him long to catch up with her. He saw it happen in slow motion…
A blurred figure appeared in Natalie's way. She failed to dodge him or her in time. They knocked her down on her feet again, absorbing the energy of impact themselves. Stukeley could make out his vivid red hair and flashing eyes-somewhere between yellow and red.
"Hey!", Stukeley yelled angrily.
The blurred figure raised his head and realized what had just happened. With a gleam of white, he scooped Natalie in his arms and disappeared into the forest trees.
Hot, murderous anger boiled in Stukeley. Who was he?
What the hell was he doing?
Natalie's screams died out. Stukeley's heart was beating madly. It was all his fault…she was gone…
She was afraid of him…
Maybe she even hated him too.
No!
Stukeley ran after the stranger, picking up his musty scent as he ran. But he and Natalie were no where in view…
A terrible, sinking feeling started in Stukeley's stomach. Where were they?
The night was silent.
All was quiet.
He came out of the forest, moonlight bathing him in silver. In front of him, the ocean was stormy. It was going to rain.
A twig cracked from somewhere behind him. He spun around quickly.
"Natalie?", he breathed.
But it wasn't Natalie. It was…Kenyon.
"You alright, mate?", he asked, puzzled.
"No…someone…took her away…got to find her", Stukeley made no sense to Kenyon.
"What do you mean, Stukeley? You've lost whom?", Kenyon stepped forward. Like Stukeley, he was also covered in blood.
"She's…gone", Stukeley moaned, despondently. He couldn't let her go…
"Let her go, Stukeley. It was planned that way", came a grave voice from behind them.
…………………………………………………………………………………………..
ok, I'm going to update another chapter in the coming days…but keep don't keep your hopes up…Stukeley's lost her…I'm so cruel sometimes!!!
