Vampirates 1.5:Dead Deep Read Free Page B

more time for smiles. Moonshine’s thugs were gaining on them once again.
    Bart sliced through the sails. This time, instead of racing away, the people on deck turned and drew their own swords, angry at having their party interrupted. The boys were getting some ugly looks.Connor could see the edge of the ship, but this time, there seemed to be nothing but ocean beyond. Had they really reached their journey’s end?
    He looked desperately at Bart and Jez, but they were equally flummoxed. Then two things happened: First, Moonshine’s henchmen arrived on the deck, drawing attention away from Connor and his buddies. Then, another shuriken sailed throughthe air and landed like a dart in the ship’s mast.
    “Jump!” cried Bart.
    As they sailed through the air again, Connor readied himself for the icy waters below. Instead, he hit wood. They had landed on another boat, much lower and smaller than the ships on either side. And, Connor realized as he staggered to his feet, it was moving.
    Lookingup toward the deck they had jumped from, he saw Moonshine’s men gazing down at them in frustration. Already, too much water had opened up between the ships for them to jump across. A final shuriken sailed through the air, missed its mark, and descended into the ocean—but not before spearing an unfortunate seagull.
    Connor let out a long breath. The seagull’s fate couldso easily have been his.
    “That was close!” Jez said as he and Bart stood up, brushing themselves off.
    “Well, you guys certainly know how to make an entrance.”
    The voice was familiar. So, too, was the girl who wheeled her chair along the deck toward them.
    “Welcome to The Lorelei ,” she said. “You know, I had a feeling I hadn’t seenthe last of you.”
    Bart looked at Kally and beamed. “Aquamarine,” he said at last. “ Definitely aquamarine!”

Chapter Four
The Lorelei
    “Couldn’t stay away, huh?” Kally beamed at the pirates. “Well, it looks like you’re with us for a spin out to the reef tonight.”
    Connor glanced around The Lorelei . A small windjammer, its hull sat low in the water as it rocked gently on the ocean.Its billowing lateen sails shimmered silver-blue in the moonlight. The boat was strung with lanterns, and there was the sound of chatter and soft, sweet singing. The deck, however, was much quieter and more sparsely populated than that of The Diablo or, indeed, The Dirty Dolphin .
    “Come and meet the rest of the crew!” Kally whizzed over to the center of the deck, comingto a standstill beside four of her crewmates. Like Kally, they were all in wheelchairs. They were gathered around an upturned chest, which was covered in playing cards.
    “Everyone,” Kally announced, “meet my new friends.” She beamed. “Three of the finest young pirates who ever roamed the ocean… if you believe what they say.” She winked. “Guys, this is Diani, Teahan, Lika, and João.”
    There was a lot of hand-shaking and high-fiving as they introduced themselves, and before they knew it, the guys were being offered drinks, quizzed about where they’d come from, and invited to join in the card game. Kally’s crewmates were clearly bursting with as much energy as she was. And they were all young and fit. Like her, they kept their legs bound tightly inoilskin bags, with only the upper parts of their bodies visible. And as they were dressed in a variety of tank tops and sleeveless shirts, it was easy to see that they were all strong, with the same well-developed shoulder and arm muscles as Kally. Connor certainly wasn’t about to challenge any more of them to arm wrestle.
    “Welcome, friends,” said João when everyone had a fullglass. “Welcome aboard The Lorelei .”
    “Okay, you’ve met these reprobates,” said Kally when they’d finished their drinks. “Now it’s time you met Flynn.”
    “Who’s Flynn?” asked Connor.
    “Flynn,” said João with a smile, “is our esteemed captain.”
    Connor already had the feeling this