Leader of Titans

by Kathryn Le Veque

  As quartermaster, it was Augustin’s job to maintain the fitness of the weapons used by the men. He did it with great efficiency. But he was also a man with opinions this morning, a result of their meal with Constantine the night before and a woman who identified herself as Miles Tenby’s daughter. The woman seemed meek and polite enough, but no one was thrilled with what she’d requested of Constantine – a journey into Wales to return a holy relic to some abbey in Gowerton. The story was rather complicated, but Constantine seemed certain it was something he needed to do.

  As Augustin grumbled, the men around him were quiet with uncertainty. Lucifer stood on Augustin’s left, inspecting some long swords, but he wasn’t going to discuss the situation in front of some of Constantine’s lesser men. A few were still in the chamber, racking up weapons. When Augustin opened his mouth again, Lucifer elbowed him.

  “Quiet,” he muttered. “Not now.”

  He was leaning his head in the direction of the men who weren’t in Constantine’s inner circle. There were four of them, setting up the last of the trigger-action crossbows, and Augustin begrudgingly remained silent until those men quit the chamber. But once they were gone, he started up again.

  “Surely I cannot be the only one who is upset by all of this,” he said as he pulled a short sword from a rack to inspect the blade. “Do you all agree with this – this folly?”

  Remy didn’t say anything. He tended to side with Constantine no matter what his personal opinion, so he kept his head down as he sat on a stool to use a pumice stone against a scratch on a dagger’s blade. But Kerk, who was fussing with a broken leather strap on a sheath, spoke up.

  “The woman paid him a good deal of money,” he said. “Who cares if she is Miles Tenby’s daughter or not? She is paying us for a task and the money she has paid him will trickle down into our pockets.”

  Augustin sighed sharply. “You do not see anything odd with this?” he asked. “She simply appeared out of nowhere and demanded Con escort her to Wales on the morrow. Has Con even thought to check out her story? He’s been led astray by a woman before, you know.”

  “How do you know?”

  “Because that is what made him a pirate in the first place!”

  Kerk piped down after that. He didn’t have an argument. But Lucifer did; he was looking at a big, beautiful long sword they’d confiscated in a fight against a small band of Spanish pirates a couple of months before. He knew exactly what Augustin was referring to.

  “It was a good thing for you that Con embarked in this business,” he said. “Swearing allegiance to Shaw MacDougall and becoming part of the pirates of Britannia has made it so you are a very wealthy man.”

  Augustin couldn’t believe that the others didn’t see the strangeness of this situation; perhaps they didn’t realize how Constantine became involved in piracy in the first place and sought to educate them.

  “I am not complaining,” he said. “All I am saying is that it was a woman’s lies that brought him to ally with Shaw MacDougall. Con was a naïve young man when the woman he loved told him lies, telling him that MacDougall had killed her brother and asking Con to avenge her. Con believed her, tried to kill Shaw, and then they both discovered the woman had lied. Con’s merchant father disowned him after that, which is how he came to be a pirate. Has Con learned nothing from women who prey upon his weakness for them?”

  Lucifer turned to him. “For a married man, you are very suspicious of women,” he pointed out. “Do you believe so badly about your own wife?”

  Augustin backed down, but only slightly. “My wife is a good woman,” he muttered, turning back to the blade in his hand. “She would never do such things.”

  “And how do you know Miles Tenby’s daughter would do such things?”

  “We do not even know if she is Tenby’s daughter. He never told us he had a daughter. He never told us anything at all.”

  “I have never told you anything, either. That is not unusual with men in this line of work.”

  He had a point and Augustin could see that his arguments were not being supported. There was no point in continuing if no one agreed with him, but he still couldn’t help himself.

  “He wants to depart on the morrow,” he muttered. “I thought we were going to have time ashore. He promised us.”

  Lucifer shrugged. “Stay here with your wife if you wish,” he said. “It is your fault you married her in the first place, knowing you would be out to sea frequently. You cannot blame Con for that.”

  Augustin shut his mouth after that. He could see that his comrades didn’t agree with him, so he simply stopped talking. But over in the corner, Kerk spoke up.

  “Still,” he said thoughtfully, “the woman appeared right after Dureau’s warship caught us off-guard in the channel. Now, she wants us to take her right back to the area where we last saw that warship.”

  Lucifer looked at him. “What are you saying?”

  “That it is a trap set by the French,” Augustin couldn’t keep silent. “She comes to Con with a sad story of a blighted land, a holy relic, and wants Con to escort her right back through the channel where we last saw Dureau. It is possible he is still there, waiting for us. Did anyone ever think of that?”

  Lucifer would have liked to have blown it off as paranoid speculation, but he found he couldn’t. In this line of work, men who disregarded clues often ended up dead. Suspicion was their nature but, in this case, Lucifer wasn’t so sure the suspicion was warranted.

  Still… given what had happened as of late, with Constantine stealing most of Dureau’s wealth and the fact that Dureau had sworn vengeance upon him, it couldn’t be completely discounted.

  “To me, the woman did not seem the type that Dureau would send,” he finally said. “Did you look at her? She is beautiful, cultured, and did not have the look of a decoy.”

  “Then where did she get all of that money?” Augustin demanded. “I shall tell you where – the French gave it to her!”

  More and more, Lucifer was starting to see their point. He was starting to feel the pangs of doubt. Still, he couldn’t let on. Constantine didn’t take kindly to men who doubted or disagreed with him, and most especially his inner circle. Constantine’s control was absolute and his commanders had to display that unwavering loyalty to him because when dealing with pirates, one hint of doubt with a commander could send the entire crew into chaos. The only thing that held Constantine’s crew together was Constantine’s sense of absolutely control over everything. He was the captain – and the captain was beyond reproach.

  Especially on the sea.

  “I would suggest you keep your opinion to yourself,” Lucifer turned to the men, his voice low and threatening. “If the crew gets wind of your doubt in the validity of this task, then we may have trouble on our hands. You know that as well as I do.”

  Augustin did, indeed, know that. He was well aware of the blind obedience given to Constantine. After a moment, he sighed heavily and put the blade aside, standing up from the stool.

  “I will say no more,” he said, sounding disgruntled. “But if we are to depart again, then I shall seek out my wife and spend what time I have left with her.”

  Lucifer let him go. He knew that Augustin had been looking forward to spending more than just a few days with his wife. Remy, feeling uncertain with the talk of French traps, left the room with a mumbled excuse. Now, it was just Kerk and Lucifer left in the chamber, and pregnant silence filled the air. Kerk finally spoke what they were both thinking.

  “I am frankly surprised that Con has not considered Lady Meyrick’s true motivation,” Kerk said quietly, rubbing at the blade of a small dagger with a cloth. “Given the trouble with the French as of late, it is very possible she is a decoy.”

  Lucifer shrugged. “And it is equally possible that she is not,” he said. He glanced at Kerk and saw that the man wasn’t entirely convinced of that, so he sighed. “Still… mayhap it would be wise to seek help in this matter. If Constantine will not protect
himself, then mayhap we must take that initiative.”

  Kerk was interested. “What do you intend to do?”

  Lucifer set the blade in his hand down, appearing thoughtful as he did so. “The last we heard, Shaw was sailing south from Scarba,” he said. “That was a few weeks ago, and we know that at this time of year, he anchors off the coast of Bardsey Island and goes hunting inland. He does it every year around this time.”

  Kerk was increasingly interested in what Lucifer was leading to. “And?” he said. “Do you intend to let Shaw know what has happened?”

  Lucifer looked rather guilty as he glanced at Kerk. “Mayhap it is nothing,” he said. “But mayhap this is a French trap, as has been suggested. If it is, then we will need Shaw’s assistance. Con will need it if he is going to go into this blindly.”

  Kerk had to admit that he was rather relieved by what he was hearing. “Con can be single-minded when it comes to a woman.”

  Lucifer nodded. “That is true,” he said quietly, “but we all have our weaknesses. Constantine le Brecque is the finest battle commander I have ever seen, but when it comes to women…”

  Kerk held up a hand. “Say no more,” he said. “This will be our secret. We must do this to protect him.”

  “Agreed.”

  “When will you send the missive?”

  “This morning,” Lucifer said. “Will you make sure the Ligeia is manned with a small crew? She is our fastest ship. Put Felix d’Vant in charge of her. He was raised in Cornwall and knows these waters. I will write a missive for Shaw and you will tell Felix he is to make all due haste to Bardsey Island. But I will tell you this…”

  “What?”

  Lucifer picked the blade back up, turning it so that the steel caught the light. “I will be watching the lady,” he rumbled. “If, at any time, I feel she is putting Con in unnecessary danger, I will not hesitate to slit her throat and toss her overboard. I will simply tell Con that she must have slipped and was lost at sea. He’ll never find her body, I assure you.”

  That was the assassin talking. Lucifer had a streak of darkness in him that ran bone-deep, hence his nickname. Lucifer. He would slit the lady’s throat and suffer no guilt in the process. It was also why most of the men avoided him, knowing that it would only take a wrong look or a misspoken word to set Lucifer’s murderous instincts off. Lucifer was a man to be feared, for many reasons.

  Kerk knew he meant every word.

  Therefore, he simply nodded, pleased that they had a plan. But Kerk couldn’t help but feel they were somehow undermining Constantine. To send word to Shaw that Constantine might be in trouble was assuming a great deal, including the fact that Constantine’s judgment might be twisted by a beautiful face and a sad story. If Constantine found out, he would not be happy.

  Kerk hoped he could explain it to the man before he made them all walk the plank.

  Chapter Six

  Constantine didn’t see the Ligeia depart from Perranporth mid-morning. At least, that was what Lucifer and Kerk assumed. The boat had departed from the sandy shore and the only people who saw it depart were those tending the vessels where they were anchored on the beach. Kerk gave an excuse to those men as to why the small, light ship had departed with a crew of six on the deck and ten down below, rowing steadily against the tide. No one questioned Kerk and no one cared, and by the time Constantine was ready to depart by noon, the departure of the Ligeia had been forgotten.

  Now, the Gaia and the Persephone were quickly being prepared for sea again and the last of the provisions had been loaded on, including enough gunpowder to ensure they would be ready for whatever they encountered along the coast. With Kerk and Augustin on the Persephone, Constantine boarded the Gaia with Lucifer and Remy.

  There was a great deal of shouting and moving about from the men on the sandy beach as the crews boarded their vessels. Usually, the men walked out to the waist-deep water to climb the rope ladders up to the deck but, given that they had a woman with them and also that they had horses with them, they moved the ship in as close as they could before bringing out a ramp that went right up to the deck at a fairly steep angle. Constantine was already on board, waiting for Gregoria when she came up the ramp.

  The wind was whipping about and the gulls cried overhead. There was always a sense of excitement before the ships put out to sea. Once Gregoria was on the deck, Constantine took her bag in one hand and her in the other, and escorted her over to the captain’s quarters beneath the poop deck where she would be lodged for the duration of the journey. All around them, men were preparing the ship, shouting instructions or commands to each other, and the sails began to lift. Down below at water level, oars went into the water.

  Since the Gaia was modified with a gun deck in the middle of the ship and then a storage/sleeping/rowing deck below that in the bilge of the ship, an assortment of captives were brought on board and sent below deck, chained to the rowing station and supervised by the row master, a very mean man from Italy. Constantine paid him well and the man kept the captives rowing, healthy or not. He beat a cadence for the rowers while the horses that had been brought shipboard gathered near the bow of the ship, munching on the piles of grass that had been brought for them.

  It was a crowded hold.

  But Gregoria didn’t see the captives as they were brought on board. She was more interested in everything else that was going on around her and where Constantine was taking her.

  The Gaia was a big ship with a wide deck but the structure of the ship narrowed dramatically towards the waterline to make the boat faster. Somehow, Constantine’s dogs had made it on board, and Henry and Edward rushed past her as they neared the captain’s quarters, charging through the door and into the chamber beyond.

  Given what Gregoria had seen of not only Constantine’s solar but of the great hall the previous night when they had supped with the other men, she wasn’t surprised to see how luxurious the quarters were – there was a beautiful wooden bed, carved with goddesses and gods of mythology, silken bed coverlets, fine crystal decanters, and comfortable chairs around a very heavy, well-made table. The floor sloped slightly, as did the walls, giving the chamber a slightly vertiginous feeling, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. In fact, Gregoria was fascinated by it. As the dogs jumped onto the beautiful bed and made themselves comfortable, Gregoria turned to Constantine.

  “These are your quarters, my lord?” she asked.

  Constantine nodded, opening the windows at the rear of the cabin, overlooking the rudder. A cool sea breeze immediately filled the cabin.

  “Indeed,” he said. “Make yourself comfortable here, for this shall be your cabin until we reach Wales.”

  Gregoria looked around the beautiful chamber, the most beautiful chamber she had ever seen. “Thank you, my lord,” she said appreciatively. Then, she focused on him. “In fact, thank you for everything. You have granted everything I have asked for, including departing so quickly, and I feel as if I can never repay you for your generosity. You have such a big ship and there are so many men upon it… I feel as if I have inconvenienced everyone, but I thank you just the same.”

  Constantine’s hazel eyes glimmered at her. After their initial meeting yesterday and then supper later than evening where he had hardly been able to speak with her because his men had been around, he went to bed feeling more interest in the woman than he’d ever had in almost any woman he’d ever met. He wasn’t entirely sure why. Certainly, she was lovely, and she had a soft, deep speaking tone that was like warm honey to his ears. But beyond the looks and her voice, was her manner in general. She appeared downtrodden somehow and that was of great curiosity to him.

  There was something sad about the woman, lingering just below the surface.

  Certainly, the death of a husband and a massive burden would weigh heavily upon one but, to Constantine, it seemed there was something more to it. They were about to put to sea for a few days and he had every intention of coming to know the woman and discovering why she seemed so beate
n. It would be at least two or three days to the shores of Wales, to the cove of Eynon where they would drop anchor and travel inland. After that, Three Crosses Abbey, as he recalled, was about a day’s travel from the shore. So, in truth, Constantine knew he would have very little time with her. He wanted to make what time he did have with her count and that would start as soon as the Gaia went to sea.

  To say he had an ulterior motive with the lady was an understatement. She wanted something from him… and he was going to take something from her.

  “You have not inconvenienced anyone,” he said after a moment, his gaze lingering on her before heading towards the cabin door. “Actually, you have given me an excuse to put to sea again. I become too restless upon land and most of my men feel the same way, so you have done us a favor.”

  Gregoria forced a smile, wondering if it was the truth. “I am pleased to hear it,” she said. “When shall we reach Wales?”

  He had his hand on the elaborate bronze door latch. “In two days, with good winds and calm seas,” he said. “After that, it should only take a day to reach the abbey.”

  “Do you know where it is?”

  “I know approximately where it is. Have no fear that we shall find it.”

  “You do not do much traveling on land, do you?”

  He grinned, flashing that white smile and big dimple in his left cheek. “It makes me ill to travel on land,” he said, teasing her. “Some men become sick with the motion of the sea, but I become sick with no motion on land. It is a terrible sight.”

  Gregoria giggled, her smile turning real. “I hope it does not come to that, my lord.”

  He waved her off. “Be assured that I will not humiliate myself in front of you,” he said. “Now, settle in. I must see to my men. But I shall return once we are at sea. Which reminds me… do not leave this cabin for any reason. The men that staff this vessel are killers and worse, and they may look at you as an opportunity. Is that clear?”