Read Online Vampirates 4: Black Heart by Justin Somper - Free Book Online
Authors: Justin Somper
Tags: Fiction, General, Family & Relationships, Action & Adventure, Horror, Juvenile Fiction, Fantasy & Magic, Brothers and sisters, Twins, Vampires, Horror & Ghost Stories, Parenting, Motherhood, Pirates, Mothers, Seafaring life
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to Mosh Zu," he said, pushing on toward the guru's quarters.
Mosh Zu met Grace and Lorcan at the threshold of his chamber. His tone was serious as he ushered them inside. Lorcan shut the door tightly behind them.
"I need to prepare you," Mosh Zu said to Grace once they were sitting on cushions in the center of the room.
"Prepare me?" Grace asked, feeling a wave of cold panic. "For what? Did something go wrong in the healing process?"
Mosh Zu shook his head and smiled at her. "No, Grace. Not at all. Sally is fine. She is in her room sleeping. We'll go there in a moment."
"I don't understand," Grace said. "If she's all right, what do you need to prepare me for?"
Mosh Zu's dark eyes watched Grace intently as he continued. "Others of the shades the captain was carrying have begun fading." He paused, allowing her to process his words. "In spite of my best efforts, I have not yet been able to reverse this process."
"How terrible," Grace said. She was sad for all the souls, but, of course, her thoughts turned to her own mother.
"Terrible in some ways, yes," Mosh Zu said. "But the reason why the souls were traveling with the captain, why he rescued them in the first place, was because they were in torment. What I have managed to do for them is to release them from that torment and allow them to move on."
At last she understood. "My mother is in torment, too, isn't she?"
Mosh Zu continued to gaze at Grace carefully. "I would prefer to say that she has unfinished business," he said. "I believe that once that business is concluded she, too, will move on." He paused. "It will be hard for her to leave you and very hard also for you to let her go. But she must embark on that final journey with joy."
"How much time does she have left?" Grace asked.
"I can't tell you," Mosh Zu said, shaking his head. "I just don't know."
Grace's head was spinning. "Isn't there a chance that Sally could be different, that she could beat this and become fully mortal once more?" They were difficult questions, but she had to ask them.
Once more, Mosh Zu shook his head. "I'm sorry, Grace. I know you are looking for definitive answers, but on this occasion I don't have any for you."
Grace trembled but took a breath. She had to be strong. And she didn't want to lose any more time.
"Can I go and see her now?"
Mosh Zu smiled. "Yes," he said, heading toward the door once more. "Yes, let me walk with you."
Sally was propped up in bed sleeping. She still looked very frail. Grace lingered in the doorway. Her head was racing with everything Mosh Zu had told her, but she didn't want Sally to witness her upset. She couldn't bear the thought of adding to her mother's torment.
"Why don't you sit with her while she sleeps?" Mosh Zu said, resting his hand on Grace's shoulder and pushing her gently into Sally's chamber. "I'm sure she'll be delighted to wake up and find you here."
Grace nodded, stepping forward and walking toward the bed as quietly as possible so as not to disturb her mother. She stood by the chair at Sally's bedside. Gazing down at her, Grace thought how peaceful Sally looked in the soft candlelight. As Grace sat down, Sally stirred under the covers. At first, Grace thought she was about to wake up, but she must have simply moved in her sleep. One of her hands now rested on the bedspread. It was as if, even in sleep, her mother was somehow reaching out to her.
Instinctively, Grace extended her own hand. As her fingers interlaced with her mother's, she realized her mistake. Immediately, her head was filled with a searing pain. It was so strong that she almost broke contact. But then she thought, No. I have to ride this out. She didn't know how much time they had left. She didn't know how much strength her mother had to continue her story. But this way, even while Sally was sleeping, Grace might find out more about her past and perhaps help to ease her mother's burden. She gripped Sally's hand, waiting for the pain in her head to subside,
Mosh Zu met Grace and Lorcan at the threshold of his chamber. His tone was serious as he ushered them inside. Lorcan shut the door tightly behind them.
"I need to prepare you," Mosh Zu said to Grace once they were sitting on cushions in the center of the room.
"Prepare me?" Grace asked, feeling a wave of cold panic. "For what? Did something go wrong in the healing process?"
Mosh Zu shook his head and smiled at her. "No, Grace. Not at all. Sally is fine. She is in her room sleeping. We'll go there in a moment."
"I don't understand," Grace said. "If she's all right, what do you need to prepare me for?"
Mosh Zu's dark eyes watched Grace intently as he continued. "Others of the shades the captain was carrying have begun fading." He paused, allowing her to process his words. "In spite of my best efforts, I have not yet been able to reverse this process."
"How terrible," Grace said. She was sad for all the souls, but, of course, her thoughts turned to her own mother.
"Terrible in some ways, yes," Mosh Zu said. "But the reason why the souls were traveling with the captain, why he rescued them in the first place, was because they were in torment. What I have managed to do for them is to release them from that torment and allow them to move on."
At last she understood. "My mother is in torment, too, isn't she?"
Mosh Zu continued to gaze at Grace carefully. "I would prefer to say that she has unfinished business," he said. "I believe that once that business is concluded she, too, will move on." He paused. "It will be hard for her to leave you and very hard also for you to let her go. But she must embark on that final journey with joy."
"How much time does she have left?" Grace asked.
"I can't tell you," Mosh Zu said, shaking his head. "I just don't know."
Grace's head was spinning. "Isn't there a chance that Sally could be different, that she could beat this and become fully mortal once more?" They were difficult questions, but she had to ask them.
Once more, Mosh Zu shook his head. "I'm sorry, Grace. I know you are looking for definitive answers, but on this occasion I don't have any for you."
Grace trembled but took a breath. She had to be strong. And she didn't want to lose any more time.
"Can I go and see her now?"
Mosh Zu smiled. "Yes," he said, heading toward the door once more. "Yes, let me walk with you."
Sally was propped up in bed sleeping. She still looked very frail. Grace lingered in the doorway. Her head was racing with everything Mosh Zu had told her, but she didn't want Sally to witness her upset. She couldn't bear the thought of adding to her mother's torment.
"Why don't you sit with her while she sleeps?" Mosh Zu said, resting his hand on Grace's shoulder and pushing her gently into Sally's chamber. "I'm sure she'll be delighted to wake up and find you here."
Grace nodded, stepping forward and walking toward the bed as quietly as possible so as not to disturb her mother. She stood by the chair at Sally's bedside. Gazing down at her, Grace thought how peaceful Sally looked in the soft candlelight. As Grace sat down, Sally stirred under the covers. At first, Grace thought she was about to wake up, but she must have simply moved in her sleep. One of her hands now rested on the bedspread. It was as if, even in sleep, her mother was somehow reaching out to her.
Instinctively, Grace extended her own hand. As her fingers interlaced with her mother's, she realized her mistake. Immediately, her head was filled with a searing pain. It was so strong that she almost broke contact. But then she thought, No. I have to ride this out. She didn't know how much time they had left. She didn't know how much strength her mother had to continue her story. But this way, even while Sally was sleeping, Grace might find out more about her past and perhaps help to ease her mother's burden. She gripped Sally's hand, waiting for the pain in her head to subside,
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