The Colour of Vengeance (32 page)

“That’s not Kessick, boss,” Anders said, stepping in front of the Black Thorn. Truth was Betrim had never seen the blooded drunk look so serious even during his own execution.

“Of course it is. I remember him. Remember his face. Remember him tearin’ my fuckin’ eye out. That bastard is Kessick!”

Anders was shaking his head, his face a mask of concern. “That’s not Kessick, boss.” He pointed at Kessick. “That’s Drake Morrass.”

“Tell him ta put down his weapon,” Betrim recognised the voice belonging to the bald pirate with the spider. “In fact I reckon you should all disarm right now.”

Betrim was breathing heavy and his mind was a mess made painful by the damned
thumping
. He stared at the blooded man in front of him, unsure of what was happening. “You sure, Anders?”

Anders nodded. “Yes, boss. That’s Captain Drake Morrass.”

Betrim let his axe drop from his hand and breathed out an exasperated sigh. “Then how is it he looks just like Kessick?”

Henry had long since passed confusion and was now firmly in the realm of not understanding a damned thing, though she’d never show it. She had never met Drake Morrass nor Kessick but Anders seemed more than a little certain that the pretty man all the other pirates deferred to was the former. Thorn did not seem quite so certain but at least he had stopped trying to get himself killed. Pirates swarmed the decks and beside their little ship floated the
Fortune
, captain Morrass’ ship and, Henry had to admit, the biggest vessel she had ever seen.

Drake Morrass closed the distance between himself and Thorn and studied him. He looked more amused than concerned. The bald pirate, the one with the spider on his shoulder, shadowed his captain. Henry didn’t like the look of that spider, its eyes were unnerving. Truth was she wanted to stab it, to see what colour it bled.

“Anders,” Captain Morrass said. “Always a pleasure.”

Anders nodded and lowered his eyes to the deck. Henry watched him, watched Drake. The two knew each other and she was a little bit beyond interested to know how.

The bald pirate motioned to the captain of the captured vessel. “This one says they’re mercs, Captain. Don’t seem ta know which side they’re fightin’ for.”

Drake Morrass laughed. “They’re not mercenaries.”

Thorn bristled at the man’s voice; Henry could see him tense up. She took a step forward to stand beside him and Drake glanced at her. There weren’t many times in her life Henry had lost her nerve but under that man’s gaze she did. It took every bit of willpower she had not to step back but she managed to hold fast, couldn’t help but drop her eyes to the deck though. Only the Black Thorn seemed willing to meet the captain’s green stare.

“Leave the ship,” Drake instructed his pirates. “Take anything of value, kill half the crew, I don’t much care which half. Leave this rabble for now, under guard of course.

“Black Thorn, I believe you and I should have a sit down, best done on the
Fortune
. You too Anders.” With that Captain Drake Morrass turned and walked away towards his own ship. Thorn glanced once at Anders and then as one they both started following the pirate captain.

It was a little more than Henry could take. For years she had been the Boss’ second and if anyone was second in the Black Thorn’s crew it was her, not Anders. She started forwards and a burly pirate with fewer teeth than fingers stepped into her way and grinned at her. Henry sent such a glare his way that the grin quickly slipped from his face but he didn’t move.

Thorn stopped and looked back then raised his voice so Drake Morrass would hear. “Anywhere I go, Henry comes too.”

The captain glanced back at her. Henry felt her pulse quicken and her skin crawl. Something about that man made her want to run and hide but she didn’t know why. Then, with a single nod of his head, Drake Morrass turned away.

A plank of wood had been set up between the two ships, twenty feet stretching out over the dark blue waters below. Captain Morrass leapt onto the plank and crossed it with an easy grace. Thorn followed, more slowly and with a noticeable lack of confidence at the wood beneath his feet, he was greeted on the
Fortune
by swords with pirates attached to the hilts. Anders went next and looked more than comfortable crossing the expanse. Then came Henry’s turn. She stepped up onto the plank and started across, determined not to show any fear or trepidation but her mind couldn’t help but remember hanging over the river Jorl, one hand grasping onto the flimsy wooden bridge, the churning rapids below waiting to smash her into pulp and Jezzet Vel’urn standing above her, sword in one hand and Henry’s fate in the other.

Henry let out a ragged breath and continued walking, her face set in a grim mask of determination. Then it was over, her feet hit the deck of the
Fortune
and Anders was there waiting for her, reaching for her hand. She shoved him away and glared at the pirates as they grinned and laughed. The bald pirate with the spider stepped up behind her, his spider making a strange clicking noise by rubbing its fangs together.

“Captain Morrass is in his cabin,” the bald pirate said. “This way.”

Henry had never seen the inside of a captain’s cabin but it was safe to say she didn’t expect it to be lavish. Drake Morrass proved her wrong. The inside of his cabin was large, spacious and decorated with all manner of finery. A desk took centre stage with a number of scrolls and parchments rolled up upon it and some devices Henry didn’t recognise but assumed were for navigational purposes. A number of cabinets against the nearby wall hung with their doors closed and latched and a bookcase stood against the wall to her left. To her right lay a giant of a bed with a mound of silk sheets in the centre and beyond that a wardrobe took up an entire wall. The captain had seated himself behind his desk and he waved at the bald pirate to close the door behind his captives.

“Anders, pour us some drinks,” Morrass said with a warm smile.

Anders walked over to a cabinet, unlatched it and started looking through the bottles inside before picking one and carrying it over to the desk with five cups. It did not go unnoticed to Henry that her man seemed to know exactly which cabinet to look in. Anders poured wine into the cups and handed one to each person in the room. Henry didn’t dare so much as sip at hers, she didn’t trust this entire damned situation. Thorn, on the other hand, down his in one and continued glaring at the captain like he really wanted to strangle the man.

“Tell me, Black Thorn, why do you think I’m Kessick?” Drake said eventually.

“’Cos ya look like him.”

“I assure you, I don’t.”

“Aye? Well my memory says ya do. I remember Kessick, hard not ta remember the man that stabbed ya four times in the chest then plucked out ya eyeball. Jus’ so happened he had your face. Same eyes, same nose, same hair, same fuckin’ golden tooth…”

“How did you survive?” Drake asked.

“Eh?” Thorn grunted in reply.

“He stabbed ya four times. How did you survive?”

Thorn growled and for a moment Henry thought the big man might leap over the desk and throttle Morrass.

“Arbiters fixed me up. Brought me back from the brink jus’ ta burn me fer heresy. Real gracious of ‘em.”

“How easy was your escape?” Drake continued asking his questions.

Henry saw Thorn rub at the stump of a middle finger on his left hand. She’d known him long enough to know his tells; he was nervous.

“Had ta kill an Arbiter; my seventh.” Thorn paused. “Come ta think o’ it he was a bit old, frail.”

“No other guards?” the pirate captain asked.

Thorn sucked at his teeth and shook his head. “They let me escape.”

Drake nodded. “And somehow they made you think I’m Kessick.”

Thorn looked confused. Henry felt confused. Truth was she didn’t understand a damned thing they were talking about but she sure as all the hells wasn’t about to let on to that. She turned and looked behind her; the bald pirate winked back, his spider gone from his shoulder. Knowing that little beast could be anywhere made Henry’s skin itch.

“Why?” Thorn asked. “Don’t make any sort of sense.”

“Kessick wants me dead,” Drake Morrass said with a shrug. “He might be able to kill me himself but… well I doubt he’d survive my disgruntled crew.”

“Too fuckin’ right,” said the bald pirate.

“Besides,” Drake continued, “he’s not really the type to get his hands dirty. He prefers to manipulate others.”

The bald pirate behind Henry chuckled. She fought the urge to stab him with something.

“So you reckon,” Thorn continued, “Kessick kept me alive, somehow made me think you were him an’ then jus’ set me free hopin’ I’d come after ya?”

Morrass nodded. “Who better than the Black Thorn for such a task? It’s well known you don’t tend to let folk who wronged you last very long and should you fail, Kessick has lost nothing.”

Henry looked from Thorn to Morrass and back to Thorn. Eventually the Black Thorn nodded and, with a glance around the cabin, sought the nearest wall to lean against. She looked at Anders; he had his eyes down and was silent as the grave. It was beyond unusual for him to be quiet for so long, he and the pirate captain knew each other somehow, of that Henry was now certain.

“Why are you here, Black Thorn?” Morrass asked. Thorn didn’t look like answering, didn’t even look like he’d heard if truth be told.

“Ta kill that blooded bastard, Swift,” Henry filled in for Thorn putting in as much venom as she could into his name.

Henry heard a sleepy moan and turned her head to see the covers on Morrass bed shifting. A woman with midnight black hair and soft, white skin appeared from the silk sheets and gave a loud yawn, stretching out her arms. The covers fell away to reveal a pair of perky pink breasts. Henry clenched her jaw and glared.

The woman had fine features and no mistake, just the sort that men would find attractive. Anders certainly seemed to, he was staring and wearing that same smirk he wore when looking at Henry. She gave him a savage punch on the arm.

“Uh. I was just… um,” Anders started but gave up and poured himself another drink.

The woman disentangled herself from the sheets, rolled off the bed and walked, stark naked, over to Drake before giving him a lingering kiss.

“No clothes today?” Drake asked in a playful tone. How the woman could stand him looking at her, touching her, Henry did not know.

“I thought you liked me better without clothes,” the woman replied in a teasing voice.

“I do,” Drake said and waved at the rest of the room. “But we have guests.”

“I think they like me better without clothes,” she looked at Henry with a smile that seemed all too familiar. “Well most of them. Did someone mention my brother?”

“Rose?” Thorn asked from his spot on the wall.

The woman straightened up, squinted at Thorn then broke into a wide grin. “Black Thorn? Is that really you? I remember you having more eyes.”

Again Henry heard the bald pirate behind her chuckle, nobody else joined in.

“What are ya doin’ here, Rose?” Thorn asked. “An’ with him?”

The woman pouted. “Bittersprings was so very boring without you or my brother. Drake came and offered me an opportunity for advancement. It was an offer I couldn’t…” she squeaked, jumped to her side and kicked at something. “Zothus, get your little beast away from me!”

“She likes ya, is all,” the bald pirate replied.

“Yesterday I woke up with it under the covers, staring at me!” Rose shouted.

“Aye, she does that. Don’t ya, Rhi.” The spider scuttled out from under the desk at its name and proceeded to climb the bald pirate’s leg and reposition itself on his shoulder.

“If it comes near me again I’ll see how well the creepy thing can swim. Scared the living hells out of me!”

“Rose, what are ya doin’ here?” Thorn asked again. “Why are ya with Drake Morrass? An’ what fuckin’ opportunity?” He let out a frustrated growl. “I reckon someone better start tellin’ me what the fuck is goin’ on.”

The woman took a deep breath and sighed it out. Henry wished the bitch would put on some clothes. “The opportunity to kill my brother. Or at least benefit from it.”

“Eh?” Thorn grunted, pushing himself off the wall and walking up to the desk. “You want ta kill Swift?”

It suddenly made sense to Henry. Now she knew why the woman looked so familiar. Something deep within screamed at Henry to find something sharp and stab Swift’s sister but she held back.

“Of course,” Rose continued with a grin that looked far too much like Swift’s. “I’m his heir. When he dies I get everything. All his money, all H’ost’s money. I intend to do a lot more with it than start a pointless war in this shit-hole of a city.”

“So why haven’t ya killed him yet?” Henry asked, her lip curling up into its permanent sneer and her skin crawling as Drake’s eyes met her own.

“If it we’re that easy I would have, little one,” Rose said with a wink. “None of Drake’s men would get close and I… I doubt I could kill him on my own and I’m certain I wouldn’t survive the attempt.”

“But we can,” Thorn finished.

Rose smiled, no doubt most men would think it was a sweet smile but Henry could see beneath it to the rotten core. “But you can.” The woman looked at Henry and her smile disappeared. “You kill my brother and everyone gets what they want.”

Henry spat, mindless of her company or location. “I don’t trust her,” she said. “An’ jus’ cos ya stuck ya cock in her once don’t mean you should neither.”

“Seems ta me,” Thorn replied. “If they wanted us dead, throwing us at Swift then betrayin’ us would be a long way round ‘bout it.”

Rose gave Henry a simpering smile. “See, Thorn trusts me. Why can’t you?”

“Never said I trusted ya,” Thorn growled back. “But right now I reckon ya our best bet of gettin’ ta that bastard in one piece. Ya got a plan?”

Rose stuck her bottom lip out. “The only thing my brother has ever cared about, aside from himself of course, is his family and, seeing as how our mother has just had a very unfortunate accident involving an axe and her neck, I’m the only family he has left.” She smiled. “We’ll send him a letter explaining how I’ve been kidnapped by some big, strong brutes and I’m being held somewhere in the city. He’ll come to free me personally of course…”