Blacksouls

by Nicole Castroman

  Wary and tense, the group on the beach watched the second ship drop anchor. Was this some sort of a trick?

  Then Easton was there, giving a shout and raising a hand in greeting.

  And beside him was Teach.

  The sight of Teach sucked the air out of her lungs and she fell back a step, scarcely able to breathe. Spanning the distance, her eyes met his. As the men on both ships lowered longboats over the side, she held still, sorting through a mixture of emotions. Relief that he was back safely. Joy that they appeared none the worse for wear. Worry when she didn’t see Cara, Alastair, or Coyle amongst the group. And finally, anger that Teach had left her there in the first place. She wasn’t sure how she would greet him.

  By the time he waded through the shallows toward her, a pulse drummed in the backs of her knees and in the pit of her belly. He was disheveled and looked as exhausted as she felt. His hair was longer and hung loose, and the scruff on his face was several days beyond a shave. Yet the sight of him was captivating. He was so striking, so dear and familiar.

  The saltwater sprayed into the air as she launched herself into his arms.

  “I’m sorry,” he said, burying his face in her hair. “I’m so sorry.” His words, spoken softly, melted her anger. His hands roved over her back, his grip strong, as if he feared she might disappear.

  “It’s all right,” she said, reveling in his embrace. She drew back at length, cupping his face in her hands. “I love you. I’m sorry for being so upset—” Anne paused when he shook his head, a swallow rippling down his throat. There was sadness in his eyes, not merely regret at leaving her behind. With a mounting sense of dread, she scanned the two ships over his shoulder once again. Men rowed longboats to shore and unloaded supplies, but there was no sign of any of Anne’s friends.

  “Where’s Jack?” John asked, as he too searched the sailors.

  “We were too late,” Teach said, his voice low.

  The knot in Anne’s throat threatened to choke her. “No,” she whispered. “What about—”

  Then Anne saw a familiar figure. There was a defeated curve to Cara’s spine as Kitts helped her into one of the skiffs with the rest of the crew and they began rowing inland.

  “Coyle and Alastair?” Anne asked. Teach’s hold on Anne tightened, his expression filled with compassion. She fought against the biting pressure of tears welling in her eyes. “Where are they?”

  Teach drew in a ragged breath. “Pelham has Alastair. He’s taking him to Jamaica. Coyle is dead, and so are the others.”

  Hardly able to bear the pain, Anne leaned into Teach’s chest as tears ran silently down her cheeks.

  “What happened?” John asked, his voice low.

  “Pelham used Coyle. They tortured him in front of Alastair until Alastair agreed to hand over his ships. Cara almost met the same fate, but one of the soldiers at the fort set her free. She hid in the stables behind the Fox and managed to live off the meager supplies that were in the pantry. Since Pelham had what they wanted from Alastair, they didn’t bother searching for her.”

  “How did you find her?” Anne asked.

  “Easton sent his first mate to the Fox, to look for Alastair. He found Cara instead and she told him what happened.”

  Anne’s insides felt hollow, gutted. First Beth, and now this. The knowledge that she wouldn’t see Coyle’s smiling face again was difficult to absorb. Anne stayed within the protective warmth of Teach’s arms, too numb with grief to move until Cara eventually reached shore. Teach loosened his hold and Anne walked toward her friend.

  Cara’s eyes, usually so warm and friendly, were hard and bleak, and her dress hung on her frame. Yet, despite Cara’s appearance, her arms wrapped around Anne with surprising strength. Anne hugged her back, as sobs wracked Cara’s shoulders. Kitts stood nearby, his serious expression even more somber than usual.

  “I hate Pelham. I hate him,” Cara muttered repeatedly. “I’m going to kill him. He took my brother from me and I’m going to find him and kill him. I want to see the look in his eyes when he breathes his last.”

  The sound of Cara’s weeping and her pledge for revenge caused something inside of Anne to shatter. But instead of feeling defeated and broken, the sharp edges were new and dangerous. Anne met Teach’s gaze above Cara’s head. He raised a brow at her, as if he could read her thoughts, but Anne turned and led Cara away, those sharp edges taking shape.

  • • •

  Moonlight skimmed the bay and the smell of smoke drifted toward Anne where she stood in the trees. Most of the pirates, former soldiers, and what remained of Teach’s men from the Deliverance sat around the campfire, their voices low. They were a motley group who didn’t seem to have anything in common apart from unknown histories, unclear ethics, and unswerving loyalty. And yet Anne felt no apprehension in their midst.

  Teach broke away from the crew and strode toward her. He had a force of character that was hard to overlook and the sight of him eased the tightness in her chest. Anne left Cara where she slept in a hammock between two palms, and walked into Teach’s outstretched arms without hesitation, closing her eyes against a rush of raw emotions.

  “I missed you.”

  “I know. Promise you’ll never leave me behind again,” Anne said.

  He brought his lips to hers. “Promise,” he whispered against her mouth.

  The kiss was fleeting, gentle, yet shockingly intense. Despite the heat of the night air, Anne shivered in his embrace.

  “How are you?” Teach asked. He smoothed her hair back from her forehead, frowning as he studied her appearance in the flickering firelight. She couldn’t imagine how she must look to him. Her hair was much shorter, and she was dressed in masculine attire, with her pistols at her sides. Benjamin had fashioned holsters for her for when the baldric across her chest became too heavy. She knew she’d lost weight, despite the fish Benjamin had caught for them, but she’d been too worried about Teach and the others to bother with food.

  “Tired. Sad. Angry.”

  Teach nodded. “And how is Cara?”

  “Tired. Sad. And angry.” Anne had listened to Cara describe in detail what had happened after Teach had left them in Nassau. Locked separately in the fort, Cara hadn’t seen Coyle or Alastair. But she’d heard Coyle’s screams.

  “I should have taken them with us,” Teach muttered, his mouth turned down at the corners, his eyes on the ground.

  Anne placed a hand on his cheek and forced him to meet her gaze. “It’s not your fault. You can’t take the blame for this. Cara told me you offered, but Coyle was already locked up. She wouldn’t have left without him. I think at the time she hoped Alastair could talk to Webb and they could all leave.”

  Teach turned and placed a kiss in the palm of her hand, the scruff on his face prickling her skin where it touched. “They might have if Pelham hadn’t interfered. I think some part of Webb actually liked Alastair.”

  “Where is Webb?” Anne asked.

  “He’s dead.”

  “Did he suffer?”

  “It wasn’t an easy death.”

  Good. At least Webb wouldn’t be able to hurt anyone else. “And his wife?”

  “She’s still in Nassau. Easton told me she and Pelham had a relationship in England. It ended when Webb was assigned governor of Nassau,” Teach said.

  Anne frowned. “How does Easton know that?”

  “You’d be surprised what Easton knows. Pelham came to Nassau to put a stop to piracy. Mrs. Webb wasted no time informing her former lover of her husband’s schemes. And starting their relationship all over again.”

  “So did she poison her husband to stop his involvement in piracy, or did she poison her husband so she could be with Pelham?” Anne shook her head, shocked by what she was hearing. The twists and turns of life on the island were dizzying.

  “Does it matter?”

  “Of course not. But she has to pay for what she did.”

  Before Teach could say anything, Easton marched up to them, a torc
h in one hand, a small box in the other. “We need to set sail with the tide if we have any hope of escaping. It won’t be long before Pelham sends a ship after us. Have you made your decision?”

  “I told you I wished to discuss this with Anne in private first,” Teach said, his jaw clenched.

  “Right. And I believe you’ve had enough time for that.”

  Anne narrowed her eyes. “Discuss what?”

  “Going to Jamaica with us,” Easton said, quirking a brow at Teach’s glare.

  “Why wouldn’t we go with them?” Anne asked Teach.

  Teach rubbed the back of his neck. “Because, technically, it’s not our fight.”

  “Of course it’s our fight. He has Alastair. He killed Coyle and your men. That makes it our fight.”

  “We don’t know for sure that Pelham has Alastair,” Teach said. “Frankly, I don’t trust anything that comes out of Pelham’s mouth. But even if he does have Alastair, Alastair’s not a fool. He knows these islands, and if I know him, he already has a plan to get away from Pelham. This is our chance to flee. To get far, far away. To make a life for ourselves somewhere where Pelham and his ilk will never find us.”

  “But you’ll always be looking over your shoulder,” Easton said, shaking his head wearily. “This is not done until we’ve rid the world of these monsters. And now that Pelham knows who you are, Drummond, you can’t run far enough to hide from him.”

  Anne gasped. It was a shock to hear that name again. “What exactly happened in Nassau?”

  Teach sighed. “Everything went according to plan. We killed Webb—”

  “Technically, I killed Webb,” Easton said. “But Pelham didn’t seem worried about those minor details. He’s charged us all with the murder of Nicholas Webb. And he knows who Teach is.”

  “How?”

  “He recognized me. I thought the name Pelham sounded familiar. Now I know why. He’s done business with my father in the past.”

  Bile rose in Anne’s throat, as the worst of two worlds came crashing together. “What does Pelham want?”

  “What does any tyrant want? Wealth and power and he’ll hurt, maim, or kill anyone who gets in his way. And so will his business partners. Right now, we’re in their way,” Easton said.

  “But we haven’t done anything to them,” Anne said.

  Easton’s eyes were cold. “Yet. But they’ve done plenty to us. And to others. It’s just like I told you. Although the most visible, Webb’s hands weren’t the dirtiest of the bunch. The souls of those men are as black as the ashes they leave behind,” Easton said.

  “And that’s precisely why our association should end here.” Teach drew Anne aside, but Easton stayed where he was, watching them.

  “Where will we go if not with them?” Anne asked.

  Teach had clearly given it some thought. He didn’t hesitate with his answer. “To the colonies. We can go to Charles Town or Boston. We can start new.” Although his words were immediate, she sensed the reserve in him. His words spoke of running, yet the Teach she knew would stand and fight.

  “And what will we do there? Work in a tavern? Or perhaps settle on a farm, where everyone will regard me as your slave or your whore? I have no desire to do either of those things, and neither do you.” She could have the rest of her inheritance sent to one of those cities, but she couldn’t imagine Teach being happy doing anything that took him away from the sea. Besides, she already knew she would never be accepted into “polite” society. She’d seen firsthand how polite they could be.

  “That doesn’t mean we have to go with them. We could look for your family.”

  Anne winced, remembering that Alastair had already sent someone to do just that. No matter what she’d asked of him, he’d always been willing to help her. Anne glanced at where Cara slept. “I won’t know for several weeks if any of my family are still alive. And you might be right about Alastair having a plan to escape, but what if he doesn’t? Cara and Alastair are my family now. If we don’t fight, then Coyle died in vain. And if Easton thinks we have a chance to go after Pelham, then I say we should at least try.”

  “It’s dangerous. There’s no guarantee we’ll succeed.”

  “It was dangerous going back to Nassau, but you still did it.” Anne was filled with bitterness and fury, as well as fear. “If those men continue to go unchecked, there will be no stopping them. We have the chance now to do something about it. And Easton’s willing to help.”

  “So is Reva,” Easton called out.

  Teach fixed his deathly stare firmly on Easton.

  Easton looked back at him with wide eyes. “What? It’s true. I brought her a ship. She’s forgiven me.”

  Reva approached the group. “I still like my old ship more,” she said, passing Easton. She stopped beside Anne, her brown eyes narrowed. “He’s afraid for you, mi amiga,” she said, nodding in Teach’s direction.

  “He doesn’t need to be,” Anne replied.

  “He’s right here,” Teach muttered.

  Easton motioned for Teach to keep quiet. “Let them talk.”

  “I know Pelham, and what Easton says is true. Webb took his instructions from Pelham. And there are several more men just like him. If we go after Pelham, we cut off the head of the snake.” Reva turned to Teach. “As I see it, you have two options. You can cut and run, but know that those men have resources and power that will shock you. They’ll stop at nothing to catch Easton and Teach, now that they’re both wanted criminals.”

  “Is this supposed to convince them, Reva? Because even I’m having second thoughts,” Easton muttered.

  “You have to ask yourselves how far you’re willing to go to get what you want,” Reva said, as if the other pirate hadn’t spoken. “If you truly wish to stop Pelham and save your friend Alastair, then you’ll come with us to Jamaica.”

  “Why do you want to go after him so badly?”

  “He killed mi padre.”

  Anne gasped, shocked by Reva’s revelation. “When did this happen?”

  “Five years ago, when I was fifteen. I want to punish him. I want to see him suffer like I suffered. But I can’t do it solo. I’ve tried, but it’s impossible. Easton and I both know others who would be willing to join us.”

  “Other pirates?” Anne asked.

  “Not all of them,” Reva said.

  Easton stepped forward. “Most of them. But I also have other connections. And let’s not forget the documents I stole.”

  “I think it’s time you showed us what you have in your arsenal, before we commit to anything,” Teach said.

  “Gladly. But that requires us to leave here as quickly as possible. I didn’t want to leave them where Webb could get to them, so I hid them elsewhere.”

  “Let me guess,” Teach said. “You have them in Jamaica.”

  Easton shrugged his shoulders, as if to say guilty as charged.

  “It won’t be easy. And once you start on this path, there’s no going back. I know, because I’ve tried.” For all the girl’s bravado, Anne sensed a layer of vulnerability beneath the surface. Reva was scared.

  Teach turned to Anne. “It’s up to you. I will go wherever you choose.”

  Anne took a deep breath. She could tell that despite Teach’s concern over her welfare and safety, he wanted to bring Pelham to justice. Teach was willing to do whatever that entailed, even if it meant breaking the law. Anne had the feeling that if it wasn’t for her, he would have already committed to the fight. “We’ll go to Jamaica.”

  “Excellent,” Easton said, clearly pleased. He turned to Reva. “This is who we’ll need to contact.”

  As the two pirates began to make plans, Teach drew Anne into his embrace and she slipped her arms around his waist. “You’re sure about this?” he asked quietly.

  “Absolutely.”

  “Do you still want to be my wife?”

  Anne smiled. He knew how important marriage was to her. That was one of the reasons she’d refused to run away with him while they were still
in Bristol. As much as she’d loved her parents, she didn’t want there to be a question in anyone’s mind that she belonged with Teach. “Of course I do. I need you to make me an honest woman, before I become a criminal.”

  Easton made a strangled sound in his throat, overhearing the last part of her sentence. “Not just any criminal. A pirate.”

  “To be proper pirates, they’ll need a ship,” Reva said.

  “You may have the Fortune. Although if I were you, I would rename it,” Easton said. “Of course, that requires a de-naming ceremony.”

  “You’re making this up,” Teach said, with a look of exasperation.

  “He’s not, actually,” Reva said. “It’s considered bad luck to change the name of a ship.”

  “We’ve already renamed the ship I brought back for Reva. It was a bit maudlin, but she insisted on calling it the Maldicion.” The expression on Easton’s face was smug as he bent and picked up the torch where it burned in the sand. “Now, to do this right, I already wrote down the current name of the ship and placed it in this box. Once the box is burned, we’ll take the ashes and throw them into the sea. Only then can you rename the ship.”

  “I thought you said we were in a hurry,” Teach said.

  “We are. I doused the box in oil. I won’t start this venture off on the wrong foot. We’ll rename the ship the proper way.”

  Teach eyed the box, before leveling a cold stare at Easton. “You’re awfully sure of yourself. What if we hadn’t agreed to go to Jamaica?”

  Easton grinned and held the flame over the box in the sand. It didn’t take long before it caught fire. “Deep down, you always knew you would go after Pelham. You just needed to ask for her permission,” he said, nodding in Anne’s direction.

  Anne hid a smile at the look on Teach’s face as Easton continued to speak. They’d be lucky if the two men didn’t kill each other before they reached Jamaica.

  “I think that’s why you and Kitts didn’t get along at first. You both want to do the right thing, because of some unresolved business with your fathers. But you’ll see. You were born for this kind of life. Sometimes doing the right thing means doing the wrong thing.”