Chapter 6
“That was impressive back there,” he said as they made their way along the path, Princess Muffin Top leading the way.
Tempi glanced at him. “What was?”
“The cave. Figuring out the seal and then performing the air blast.”
She shrugged. “It was basic elemental magic. Water deposits, remove the water, blast the stone. No big deal.”
“It wasn’t basic,” he said.
“It was practical.”
He stopped walking. “Why do you do that?”
Tempi stopped walking as well. “Do what?”
“Assume I don’t mean it when I compliment you.”
She crossed her arms over her chest and glared at him. “I don’t assume that, Ronin.”
“Yes, you do. Every single time I try to compliment you. I said the breathing spell you performed for the non-aquatic supernaturals was brilliant, and you brushed it away. I told you the dress you are wearing looks incredible, and I couldn’t even get the words out before you were thinking how to wave the compliment away. ”
Tempi scoffed. “You couldn’t get the words out because you were stammering.”
“I was stammering because you looked beautiful, Tempi. And I was trying to tell you.”
The wind picked up a strand of her hair and moved it across her cheek. She tucked it behind her ear. “You’re very annoying when you’re sincere, do you know that?”
He smiled. “I’ll take that as progress.”
Princess Muffin Top huffed in annoyance. “Are we walking or are we having a moment? Because if we’re having a moment, I’d like advanced warning so I can look away. It’s bad enough I have to do this emotional crap with Adeline and Mason.”
“We’re walking,” Tempi said quickly as she turned and started down the path, leaving him to follow after both of them.
* * *
It took about fifteen minutes to walk back into town.
He had to give it to her for being a trooper.
She didn’t once complain about the confines of the mermaid dress, even though he knew it had to be a hindrance for her not to be able to take huge steps.
He’d tried shortening his stride so she wouldn’t struggle so much.
“Where are we going?” he asked as Tempi turned down a side street.
“Yes,” Princess Muffin Top said, “where are we going? The bakery is on Tide Street, and I could use a little tuna pick-me-up.”
“Seaside Rest and Care,” Tempi said.
He frowned. “You want to talk to someone at the old folks’ home?”
“Old Man Stanton,” Tempi said. “He’s the oldest vampire in Moonlight Bay. If I’m not mistaken, he’s like a hundred and thirty-something. If anyone knows about a pirate cemetery, he would.”
Ronin raised his eyebrows. “You know a hundred-and-thirty-year-old vampire?”
“Everyone knows Old Man Stanton. He’s been here longer than most of the buildings.” She glanced at him. “When he was growing up, the DuBois legend wasn’t folklore. It was more like recent history.” She snorted. “That is, if you consider one-hundred-seventy years recent history.”
The senior living facility was a sprawling, three-story brick building featuring wide porches with rocking chairs and a stunning view of the bay.
The front of the facility was beautifully landscaped with a garden of enchanted roses, wildflowers, and moonflowers.
Inside, the fairy at the front desk waved them through when Tempi mentioned Old Man Stanton’s name.
“He loves visitors,” the fairy said. “Room twelve. Just remember, don’t mention bingo. He’s been banned.”
Ronin looked at Tempi. “Banned from bingo?”
“Don’t ask,” Tempi said as they headed down a hallway.
They found Old Man Stanton in a room at the end of the hall.
The door was open, and the vampire sat in a worn leather chair beside a window overlooking a small garden.
He was thin and pale, with deep-set eyes and a full head of white hair that he’d slicked back with something that smelled like pine.
A crocheted blanket was draped across his lap, and a glass of tea sat on the table beside him.
“Mr. Stanton?” Tempi knocked on the open door. “It’s Tempi Draven. I hope we’re not bothering you.”
The old vampire looked up, and his face broke into a wide smile. “Tempi! Come in, come in. And bring your friends. I was just thinking I should have made the walk to the park to see how the treasure hunt went this year.” He peered at Ronin. “I know you. You’re the merman with the houseboats.”
“Yes, sir,” Ronin said. “Ronin Seawald.”
“I almost rented one of your houseboats last year just to get out of this place, but my doctor said the moisture would aggravate my joints.” He waved a hand through the air.
“Vampire joints. Nobody warns you about vampire joints.” Princess Muffin Top leaped onto the windowsill, and Old Man Stanton grinned.
“And Princess Muffin Top. You look exactly the same as the last time I saw you.”
“Thank you,” she said, her bushy tail swinging below the windowsill. “I moisturize daily. That’s very important, you know.”
Tempi and Ronin sat on the edge of a small sofa across from the ancient vampire.
“Mr. Stanton,” Tempi said, “we’re hoping you can help us with something. Do you know anything about a haunted pirate cemetery?”
The old vampire’s eyebrows lifted. “Now that’s a question I haven’t heard in nearly a hundred years.” He studied Tempi. “Why are you asking?”
Ronin and Tempi exchanged a look.
“We found something during the treasure hunt,” Ronin said. “A real clue. Not one of the fake clues going around, but an actual, real clue. It led us to a cave on the bluffs, and inside we found a message from DuBois. It mentions a pirate cemetery.”
Old Man Stanton leaned back in his chair, a slow smile spread across his face. “My great-grandfather was a pirate, you know.” His eyes lit up. “Captured a Royal Navy ship even.” He slapped his knee and cackled. “I still have some of that booty.”
Princess Muffin Top’s ears perked. “Really? I’d love to see it.”
“Not now,” Tempi said. “Mr. Stanton, we really need to find this pirate cemetery.”
“Of course, of course.” The old vampire pushed himself out of his chair and shuffled toward a bookshelf against the far wall.
He ran his finger along the spines until he found what he was looking for...
a large, leather-bound book. He pulled it free and carried it back to his chair.
“This belonged to my great-grandfather.” He set the book on his lap.
“Came to me after he died. It’s not a grimoire exactly, but it’s close.
Drawings, maps, notes. He was a meticulous record keeper for a vampire pirate.
” He opened the cover carefully and motioned them over.
The pages were thick and brown with age and covered in handwritten notes and detailed ink drawings.
Some of the drawings showed ships. Others showed coastlines.
A few showed what looked like maps of Moonlight Bay, but the geography was different—the harbor was wider, the town smaller, and several landmarks Ronin recognized were missing entirely.
“I’m curious,” Old Man Stanton said. “Do you really think you’re on the trail of the Crimson Heart?”
Ronin grinned. “It’s looking that way.”
“Then let’s see what my great-grandfather had to say.
Most of his writing is in the back.” Stanton flipped through a few pages, squinting at the old handwriting.
“Just remember, the town doesn’t look like it did back when DuBois was here.
The geography has changed. Coastline shifted, buildings went up, roads were cut through.
A place that was on the edge of town three hundred years ago might be under someone’s living room now.
” He turned another page. Then another. Until finally, his finger stopped.
“Yes, here it is.” He tapped the page and turned the book so he and Tempi could see.
On the yellowed paper was a hand-drawn map. And at the center of it, marked with a small skull and crossbones, were two words written in ink that had barely survived the centuries. Pirate’s Rest.