Pirate's Persuasion - Lisa Kessler Page 0,16

He’d never seen an angel that night. After the burning pain of water filling his lungs, he’d welcomed the blessed darkness and surrendered to the peace.

He’d never expected to wake up along the bank of the Savannah River, coughing seawater from his lungs. It wasn’t until he stumbled into town that he’d understood what had happened.

His sip from the Holy Grail had granted him eternal life. But unlike his crewmates, Drake raged at his fate. He had endless days to carry the burden of Thomas’s death, to dream of his angelic face, to see the terror in his eyes as he realized that his young life was being snuffed out.

Guilt festered in Drake’s heart, leading him to attempt to end the torture, but nothing stopped the torment. He couldn’t end his wretched life. His physical wounds healed almost instantly, but his soul remained tainted with pain and regret. Unable to die, he worked. Day and night at first. Sleeping brought nightmares, so he did all he could to stay awake, driving his exhausted body to hammer more nails and sand more wood until it became soft and buttery under his callused hands.

This year things had started changing. The crew found a new purpose while reviving their piracy, this time for the good of their country. In the process, three of his crewmates had also discovered love, and strong women were now part of their crew. For the first time since the original Sea Dog surrendered to the Atlantic Ocean, Drake had managed to sleep through the night, without the constant torment of nightmares.

Until Heather mentioned Thomas.

Drake stepped out of the shower and towel-dried his hair, his head spinning. He’d shut her down before she shared any of the details about the ghost she’d seen on Oatland Island. Had Thomas told her about the night the Sea Dog sank?

And if someone was after him, then why?

He couldn’t die, but…Heather could.

Fuck.

Chapter Six

David narrowed his eyes at the sails in the distance. He hadn’t visited Savannah since the fiasco in the Bonaventure Cemetery, since his nephew, a few generations removed, died in his arms. He chomped his gum a little faster, reminding himself that he wasn’t here for the backstabbing pirate crew.

This trip was about keeping Heather safe.

His cell vibrated in his pocket. “This is Bale.”

“Ah, David, how chipper you sound.”

He rolled his eyes at King’s sarcasm. “Yeah, I’m effervescent. You have a lead for me?”

“As a matter of fact, I do. You were right. There is a new coven in Savannah.” He cleared his throat and continued. “One of our informants reported a recent recruitment offer. The leader claims she has the power to command the spirits of the dead.”

David frowned. “A necromancer?”

“Not exactly.” Papers shuffled on the other end of the line. “Here it is. She’s not raising dead bodies. She’s commanding the spirits, bending them to her will.”

“To do her bidding?” David rubbed his forehead. “That’s impossible. How?”

“I don’t know.” King sighed. “I offered our informant the standard reward package for additional information. I guess we’ll have to wait and see what she can find out.”

“Let me know if you hear anything.” David ended the call and cursed under his breath. Communicating with spirits was generally accepted, with some mediums being better than others, but “commanding” them was new. The question was how. He’d never stumbled across a relic that offered that kind of power, but that didn’t mean it didn’t exist.

Either way, if this woman truly could bend spirits to her will, American citizens could be in danger, and the situation had become a threat that Department 13 would need to stop. He turned away from the river, heading back to the safe-house apartment. He had some research to do.

…

After seeing her final client out, Heather grabbed her laptop and opened Skull & Crossbones. A message from Queenie was already waiting.

PirateQueen817: Working late. Should be online by 8pm.

Heather sighed, pulling her hair back from her forehead. She hadn’t realized how much she’d been looking forward to chatting with Queenie until now. She hadn’t confided in anyone about her meeting with Drake last night, and it was driving her crazy.

She set the computer aside and started to get up when someone knocked on the front door. Changing course, she peered through the lace curtains and sighed.

“Hey, Ash.” She opened the door and stepped back, allowing her twin sister into her living room. “What’s up?”

Ashley’s gaze zeroed in on the discarded laptop and back to Heather. “Did I interrupt your gaming?”

Heather