Revenge (Book 3 in the Rise Trilogy)

The End

The End

“NO!”

Connor hears Riley’s voice and sees the arrow before he believes it will pierce Haytham’s head. He is losing his grip on reality as the choke hold his father has him in is cutting off any air he needed. Connor knows he has to kill his father but he can’t do it.

To his surprise, the arrow only goes through Haytham’s hat and then takes it and goes flying off to the other side of the remains of a courtyard and lodges itself and the hat into the dirt.

The two men look to the source of the arrow and see Riley. She is standing with her bow loaded with another arrow while she tightly clenches her teeth and tears run down her face.

“Don’t do this, please,” she pleads at the two men. “I will shoot.”

Haytham reluctantly releases his grip on Connor who is sucking in air and breathing and coughing heavily for a moment on the ground. Haytham slowly gets to his feet and so does Connor and they stand a few feet from one another as Riley points her arrow at either one of them. One of them is going to have to die. And Riley knows this.

Riley

I suddenly realize in my head that I’ve already fucked up the time line as it is. But I can’t do it. I can’t kill him.

With shaking hands and a weak heart, I drop my bow and arrow.

“I can’t do it,” I whisper. Then I look up at the two idiots before me. “You can’t do this.” I look over at Haytham. He looks ashamed but I see the glint of a wish to end our threat for what the Templars want. “Do you really want to choose a life of lies, betrayal, death, and sorrow, over a life with your son and the woman you fell in love with?” Haytham says nothing. I look over at Connor. “Achilles may have been right about Lee but he was wrong about Haytham. Your heart was right.” I turn back to Haytham as I fight tears again. “Lee has misled you. He wants the power and glory of being a ruler but he knew you would die tonight by your son’s hand. He wanted you to die so he could be the Grandmaster and the leader of the free world. You were in his way of all of this.”

“But, that’s impossible-“

“Is it?” I snap at Haytham who is trying to defend himself and Lee. Haytham says nothing. “I have seen every ending where you die and where Connor dies. Both roads end in sadness and emptiness.” The tears well up in my eyes as I walk up to Haytham. “What would Edward say?” I see the guilt form in Haytham’s eyes. “He and Tessa wanted nothing more than to see you as an Assassin with a family of your own and unquestionable character. But what did he get? He died too early in his son’s life and a Templar snuck in and took him away.” I breathe in a scattered breath as I look up at Haytham who too is on the verge of tears. “That’s your son, Haytham.” I point to Connor who has been silent and observant this whole time and has removed his hood. “I don’t want you  knowing you could have had a good life with a family instead of what you got.”

Haytham says nothing as he looks at his son with the burning hatred of the past leaving his eyes. “Connor…” he says slowly. “I… I’m sorry…”

Connor and I drop our jaws in shock at his words. I never through I would hear Haytham say that… ever.

Now it’s Connor’s turn to do something unexpected. Haytham is a mess and can’t even look away from his son who is walking up to hug him.

I smile as I let the tears that are for once truly happy fall as the two men hug like father and son. I will never forget this moment. This is last time I will ever have to watch this scene. And it couldn’t have turned out any better…