Gen stepped back and shifted, she flew down into the ship. A minute later two birds flew over and through the pirate ship then the two birds flew back over and sat on the railing. Cory quickly shifted. "There is no one left on broad." He whispered then shifted back into a bird. They flew back around the ship and back into their porthole.
I had stopped breathing when the first group of mortals came on broad. Pearl was anxious to try fresh blood for the first time.
"Easy Pearl." Paddy said softly.
She took a deep breath.
Pedro's men knew how to capture the pirates. They had done it many times before. We watched as Pedro's men set the pirate ship a drift by cutting the mooring lines. The werewolves turned water hoses on them.
"My men like their food washed before they eat it." Pedro laughed.
The pirates kept pushing each other so they would not be sprayed with the water. Eventually everyone was watered down. "Finally the stench is gone." Pedro nodded with satisfaction. I took a little sniff the unwashed body smell was gone but their blood was still vile to me.
"Mama can I try some of that short one?" Pearl nodded towards a short stout man.
"I will take her Kylie," Councilman Antonio said, "I know the smell bothers you."
"Thank you Sir." I nodded.
"Father, Councilman Antonio. Please take the first selection." Pedro said to them. They nodded then moved swiftly to their choices. Councilman Antonio went straight for the short man. He carried him over to Pearl. "All right my dear, you first if you do not like it I will finish him for you."
"Thank you Uncle Antonio. Oh you have such nice brown skin."
"Um thank you Miss." the short man said nervously. "What are you going to do to me?" He licked his lips.
"Oh just this" Pearl grabbed by the head pushing it to one side and bit down, she took two mouthfuls then stopped. "EW! He tastes awful." She turned away and hugged me. "I see why you do not like mortals Mama." She turned back to the Councilman. "Thank you Uncle Antonio for letting me try his blood. You can have the rest."
"Thank you Pearl I shall."
The man started to scream.
Pedro yelled. "Feast!"
The vampires pounced on the pirates. As soon as the body was drained of all its blood it was tossed over board to a pod of sharks.
They had been following the pirate ship.
Pearl moaned, "I do not feel very well." She leaned over the rail and brought up the blood she had drunk. She turned back to me. "Oh that feels so much better." She shrived. "What a horrible tasting man."
We heard two pirates pleading for their lives. "Please Sir, do not kill us. We can help sail your ship."
Pedro walked over to the last two pirates. "I do not need anymore hands. What I need is for the two of you to be quiet so I can hear the steam running through my pipes."
"Steam?" The two of them said together.
"Yes steam."
Mikalia and Councilman Samuel came on deck.
"Oh Mother! Brother! You have not feed yet. Feast." If you blinked you would have missed them running to the pirates. The pirates' scream died in their throats.
Councilwoman Cassie walked over to us. "Samuel thought there was no one left. Mikalia and him were culling chicken for the cook." She smiled at me, that is what I do when we are at home. "Samuel has been watching you Mom. He was using your technique for culling the chickens."
"Sister Cassie?" Pearl started calling her this when she realised she was part of the Council.
"Yes Pearl."
"Do you like human blood?" Pearl nodded towards the pirates.
"No I do not." Councilwoman Cassie answered.
"Good." Pearl said shyly. "They taste horrible."
"Yes they do."
"Yuck!" They said together then laughed.
Mikalia and Councilman Samuel finished their meal. Pedro said something in Spanish. They tossed the bodies into the ocean.
Pedro's werewolves started washing down the deck.
I finally took a breath.
Two weeks later we were in London, Pedro unloaded his cargo, we said good bye to Wilbert, Mikalia, Pedro and his crew.
Councilman Antonio wanted us to stroll through the streets. He wanted to get his land legs back. We all agreed with him.
We walked along the docks towards our old home. "Somethings have changed but not everything." The Councilman said.
There was plenty of new houses built in the same place as the old ones we remembered. We found our old cavern, it looked like someone was living there. Shaun, Cory, Paddy and Quinn shifted into a variety of birds to take a look. Councilman Antonio was anxious to see his old home. He was pacing in front of the entrance.
Paddy flew back out and landed on my shoulder, that usually means I am to go back in with him. I moved slowly into the cavern. It still had its familiar smells. Paddy flew off my shoulder I followed him through the cavern.
We all went back out to the river's edge.
"Well what do you have to report?" the Councilman asked us, anxiously.
"Well Sir, it looks like everyone is gone." Shaun said.
"How long have they been gone?" He inquired.
Shaun looked at me. "They have been gone a few years Sir. There is no recent activity in the cavern."
"Thank you Gentlemen. Kylie."
We bowed to him.
"Let us take a look now." Councilman Antonio said to the rest. We walked into the cavern. Councilman Antonio sighed, "It is good to be home."
"Yes Sir it does." The rest of us said together.
Pearl and John waited patiently for Councilman Antonio to dismiss us. They were anxious to see our old home. The Councilman took a quick stroll through the cavern then retired to his old quarters.
We showed them to ours. Colleen was holding William's hand while she showed him around.
Gen, Cory, Annabelle, Quinn, Council members Cassie and Samuel were showing their children around all of them had been born in the New World except Mariela but she does not remember to much of this place.
After everyone had a tour of the cavern we decided to go out into the city, some of us needed to eat.
Councilman Antonio came with us.
We went out through the beach entrance along the river to a short road leading into the city. Councilman Antonio wanted to see what kind of dwellings were on top of the cavern.
We causally moved along the street. We came to the spot where Maggie May's boarding house used to be. There now stood an inn with a large stable in the back.
Councilman Antonio turned to Paddy and Shaun. "Go see if its still there." He smiled. The two of them nodded then shifted into weasels and ran to a cellar window that was open. We could hear the door creak open then close.
