An Assassins Love

22. Bad Blood

I set in Edwards cabin with him and Vane, all three of us morning for Thatch. Edward the most of us, though. I could see the pain in his eyes and the hurt on his face, I wanted to hold him and let him mourn for his friend and mentor but I knew that men were different in showing emotion than women were. "So, Thatch has been topped... Fuck's sake." Vane said and I tensed with anger at the sound of his voice.

"He was outnumbered." Edward sighed as he held his hand over the flame of a candle. "I couldn't reach him."

"And what of you?" Vane looked to me. "You couldn't do anything to help him?" In all honesty, Vane was lucky that I didn't kill him where he set.

"The fuck do you care? Weren't you the one that said he was a disappointment and to hang everyone that followed him?" I took another drink of my rum. "Where were you? You couldn't have been that far away when it all happened. You should have seen the navy and came back."

Vane looked shocked that I even made that accusation. "I didn't see the Navy when I left. Get your girl under control Kenway before I do it for you."

"Come at me and see what happens. I've killed men more skilled than you in a fight. You're nothing but a drunk old man." I said and Edward laughed. Vane looked at me then to him and Edward plainly said: "Vane, if you touch her I will kill you." And that's when Vane started ignoring me.

"Devil damn the man, he was fierce. But his heart was divided."

"It's hard to let go of the life you know best," Edward said back and damned if it wasn't true. Even though I had only been on the path of murder and mayhem for a few months it felt like a lifetime. One day I would have to let it go and move on but that day hasn't come yet and it wasn't until Christon was dead at my feet.

"Aye. My own idiot father liked to brag about how I meant to purchase a ship of his own. 'I'll get a privateering contract, Charlie. Your old dad will be a captain.' Drown in a whiskey bottle before he ever left shore." Vane said with almost a hint of sadness. "Right, Kenway... I have been musing on this plan of yours. This... Observatory you're always going on about. How do we know it exists?" Yeah, that small shred of sadness lasted about two seconds.

"We find a slave ship called the Princess. Aboard should be a man called Roberts. He can lead us to it." I still wasn't too sure about finding this place. Seemed to me that power like that should just be left alone.

"All them slavers work for the royal African company. Let's find one of their ships and start asking some questions." Vane said and then he was gone.

"Do you really think that finding this place is a good thing?" I asked Edward once Vane was gone.

"I guess we'll find out once we find it." He stood up and kiss my head. "Come on, I need you on the lookout too," he said and I followed him out and up to the helm.

"What's our course, captain?" Ade asked as Edward stepped up to the helm and I stood beside him.

"We're looking for slave ships. Any that work for the Royal African Company." Edward answered.

"You don't mean to traffic in human cargo now, do you?" Ade asked and I almost fell to the deck of the ship.

"What? No. Jaysus, Ade. You know me better than that. We're only after information to find where the Princess docks in her spare time." Edward had that same tone in his voice that I was thinking. Why the hell would he even think that we were going to start trafficking slaves? There was something about Ade lately that I must say I didn't like. I had no idea what it was but it was unsettling whatever it was.

"A slave ship?"

"Aye. Thatch told me there was a good chance we'd find the Sage aboard her." My attention then went straight up to The Ranger as it was shooting at a schooner. I took Edward's glass and sure enough "Vane just sunk a merchant schooner." I said to Edward.