Excerpt: Gandilo the Vampirate

“Hello there, Soleluce,” said a different voice. The first man spun me around, and I came face to face with none other than Gandilo himself.

“Don’t call me that,” I spat reflexively.

He was sitting on a fancy looking chair in the middle of the deck, with a large straw umbrella propped sideways and over his head. This is his signature umbrella. Whenever he waltzes about during the day, he carries it with him and says it protects him from sun-sickness. I tried it, and I can honestly say it doesn’t work. I know he has something up his sleeve when it comes to protecting himself from the sun. He’s a tall man, with short black hair sticking out every which way, and his hat is always lopsided on his head. He also seems to have a permanent stubble.

“You seem to forget who’s in command here, lady,” he said and grinned. His pointed canine fangs stuck out of his mouth, over his lips.

“What do you want?” I asked. Whatever he was up to, I resolved not to agree to it.

“I want you to join my pirate crew,” he said simply. I wanted to punch him.

“What? Hell no! You’re not even a real pirate, you jackass!” I yelled and lurched at him, but I was restrained.

“Says who?”

“I do, now let me go before I kick your ass!”

“Need I remind you that you’re my prisoner now?” he snapped his fingers and the man who was holding me back wrapped his arm around my neck. I felt nauseated again, and my knees buckled, but I couldn’t afford to back down now.

“What the hell do you want from me?” I growled as best as I could without choking.

“I already told you. I want you to join us. It’s all very simple.”

“And why do you want me of all people?”

“Because that’s how pirate stories work, Sol.” He crossed his arms smugly. “Capture the poor, innocent young woman, then depart to the high seas. That’s just how it works.”

“That’s not how it works, you dumb-” I managed to get out before the man’s arm locked around my throat, choking the words out of me.

“You were saying?”

“I was saying,” I said with a raspy voice, “that you’re wrong, because first of all, pirates are not supposed to capture young women, second of all, you’re a lousy pirate, and lastly, even if those were not the case, I’m not a poor, innocent young woman, so your plan has already failed.”

“Well, I need some more feminine company. Plus, there’s not much you can do now. We are no longer in Alio.” He waved behind me. I looked around. In every direction there was nothing but sea, except for a tiny patch of land off in the distance.

“You asshole,” I said under my breath. But he had a point. There wasn’t anything I could do to escape, and even if I could escape, there was no way to get back on land. I was trapped.