Vampirates 4: Black Heart by Justin Somper

again. Do you know her? Well, you must -- you recognized her, after all!"
    Once more, Grace ran the risk of hurting her mother very badly. How could she tell her mother her friend was dead? She decided to brush over it for now. "Let's come back to Shanti later," she said.
    "Yes, all right," Sally said. "Go back to your vision, Grace."
    "You turned back and waited for your donor to arrive. I was expecting to see Dad. But instead, it was Sidorio who sat down opposite you. And he said --"
    But before Grace could continue, Sally spoke his exact words. "So you're my new donor! Funny little thing, aren't you?" She had never forgotten them.
    Grace nodded. "I let go of your hand, Mother, and the vision ended. I wasn't ready to see any more. But I can't get what I did see out of my head." She turned to Sally. "What was Sidorio like when you knew him? What was it like being his donor?"
    Sally closed her eyes for a moment, and Grace wondered if she was too weak to continue. But then her mother's eyes opened, brighter than before. "If you want to know the shocking truth, Grace -- and it is shocking when I think of everything that happened later -- I rather liked Sidorio in the beginning."
    "You liked Sidorio?" Grace shook her head in disbelief.
    Sally shrugged and smiled. "No question, there was always something dark and brooding about him. I suppose I always knew he had the" -- she searched for the right phrase -- "the possibility of violence about him. But I thought he was very handsome. And I suppose I was swept up in the dark romance of it all. Here I was, aboard a ship of Vampirates, and he was to be my partner. It was like a marriage, of sorts." She shrugged. "At least that's how I saw it in my foolish little head." She paused. "Is there any water left in that pitcher? I'm parched."
    Grace filled a glass and passed it to her mother, eager for her to continue her story.
    "I had heard about Sidorio's connection with Julius Caesar, and I thought it gave him a certain epic quality. It made him all the more attractive to me." Sally's green eyes danced in the candlelight. "Oh, Grace, you're clearly a very sensible young woman. You have your head screwed on just right. But I was a different sort altogether, full of strange ideas. And I confess that as I got ready for my first Feast Night I felt as if I was going on a date."
    "A date!" Grace exclaimed. "With Sidorio?" Grace had never imagined she'd even hear those two words in such close proximity. It was hard for her to even contemplate someone thinking about Sidorio in that way.
    "Of course, when I arrived at the Feast, it was a complete letdown. I took my place opposite Sidorio and waited for him to begin to ask me some questions. I thought he'd be as keen to get to know me as I was him. Around me, I could hear the chatter of other Vampirates and their donors. But after a few opening words, Sidorio remained stonily silent. It seemed that he had no interest in getting to know me at all."
    Sally turned to Grace. "I realized that all I was to Sidorio was a source of blood, nothing more. My poor foolish delusions! After the feast, we went to my cabin for the sharing. And actually, he was surprisingly gentle and precise. Certainly, he only took the prescribed quantity of blood. Afterward I slept. I don't know how much you know about the sharing, Grace, but it is customary for donors to need to sleep afterward. Generally, the Vampirates remain with their partners at this time. It's a mark of respect for the gift."
    Sally shook her head. "Only Sidorio didn't stay with me. Not that night, nor any other -- with one exception." She sighed. "When I awoke, I was on my own. And I confess, I have never felt so alone as I did then, in that small cabin on that strangely silent ship."
    There were tears in Grace's eyes. She hated to think of her mother in such distress. She reached out to squeeze Sally's hand and felt her squeeze hers back. She paused, expecting, but not wanting, a fresh vision to come.