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eyes. “That’s just it,” she said, “that’s why I had to come. Since you left, everything’s horrible, just horrible.”
    Grace’s heart sank. “What do you mean? Whatever’s happened?”
    For a moment, Darcy was unable to speak as the tears fell from her eyes, mixing with her eyeliner and falling like dark petals across her fine complexion. “Just a mo,” she managed to sniff, fishing in her pocket, “I think I’ve got a tissue in here somewhere.” But her hand came away empty.
    Grace reached in her own pocket and instinctively offered Darcy her own handkerchief. They both looked at each other for a moment. Then Grace let the handkerchief go. They both watched as the small square of cloth floated straight through Darcy’s phantom hand and down to the floor of the cabin. Somehow, it made them smile. Darcy sniffed and brought the back of her hand up to her face, wiping away her tears and then wiping her hand clean on her dress. It was an uncharacteristic gesture for someone who cared so much about her appearance. Darcy shrugged. “Like I say, Grace, stains and spills.”
    Grace nodded, smiling reassuringly at her companion. “Darcy, you must tell me what’s wrong. Perhaps I can help. You were all so good to me — well, almost all of you. I’ll do anything I can to help. You don’t know how many times I’ve dreamed about coming back to the ship. Why, just before you woke me up —”
    A dark look crossed Darcy’s face. “You can’t come back!”
    Grace was confused. “Why not?”
    “It’s not a safe place anymore. You mustn’t even think of coming back.”
    “Not safe?” Grace said. “But I was there when the captain banished Sidorio. And he was the only rebel Vampirate, wasn’t he?”
    Darcy shook her head. “Not the only ,” she said, “the first .”
    “The first?”
    Darcy nodded. “Sidorio was the only rebel, but since he was banished — since you left — there are others who challenge the captain’s authority every day and every night. They won’t settle for just taking blood at the Feast. They want more blood, more Feasts . . .” She broke off, tears in her eyes again.
    “And what does the captain say?” Grace asked.
    “He tells them ‘no.’ He says that these are the ways of the ship. Always have been. Always will be.”
    “Well then,” Grace said. “The captain will keep control. He always does.”
    Darcy shook her head. “It ain’t never been like this before. For as long as I’ve sailed on that ship, there’s always been ...there’s always been respect for the captain. But, after he sent Sidorio away, something changed. No one was ever sent away before.”
    Grace remembered thinking at the time that it might be dangerous to send Sidorio away. But the captain had been so intent upon it. But Grace had been more concerned with what dark mischief Sidorio might cause in the world outside, than with what would happen on the ship after he’d gone.
    “I wish I could help you,” Grace said. “I wish I could come back and talk to the captain.”
    Darcy shook her head. “No, Grace. No, you must stay here — with Connor — where you’re safe.”
    Grace smiled. “It’s a pirate ship, Darcy. It’s hardly safe. Even now, Connor’s off on an attack.”
    “You two sure have a knack for landing yourselves in trouble,” Darcy said.
    “Out of the frying pan and into the fire,” agreed Grace, ruefully.
    They smiled at each other. Grace reached out her hand as if to take Darcy’s.
    “We can’t touch,” Darcy reminded her.
    “I know,” said Grace, keeping her hand extended. “I know we can’t, but let’s just pretend we can.”
    Darcy nodded, stretching out her own hand until her phantom palm lay almost against Grace’s flesh-and-blood one. It was near enough.
    “So,” said Grace. “Tell me about Lorcan.”
    But as Darcy opened her mouth to answer, she started to fade.
    “Wait!” Grace cried. “What’s happened to Lorcan?”
    Darcy shook her head,