Chapter Fifty

I missed home. I even missed mother and her overbearing ways. I stood at the railing of the ship, staring into the sea thinking about the English countryside. I missed the mincemeat pie my mother took it upon herself to make. She never did anything herself, but that. She stopped when I was a child. I missed being excited to go to court to visit with the royal family. I missed my mother how she was before I left for France; a sane, normal, loving mother any daughter could want. Then I grew, and she realized I could be a pawn in her twisted games.

"You appear to be thinking rather hard."

"Remembering times past," I mumbled.

"Are you all right?" Cassius asked.

"Of course."

"We're almost there. We should be docking by nightfall."

"Good," I replied.

"Do you have a plan yet?" he asked.

I shook my head, watching the frothy waves slam into the side of the ship. A few dolphins leaped beside the ship as we sliced through the water. I wished I could be as free as they were.

I relished in the fact we had yet another relatively uneventful sailing trip. Only a few minor storms popped up and surprisingly no pirates.

Angeline stood near the helm of the ship, eyes closed, and going through movements. They were calming movements meant to put us in a state of readiness. She moved as gracefully as a ballerina. Each turn, spin, and kick were done with precision.

"Should you be readying yourself?" Cassius inquired.

"I'm as ready as I'm going to be. Nothing can get me out of the mindset that I'm in," I replied.

"Once the Guild is defeated what do you plan on doing?"

"I don't know."

"Will you have replacements for the leaders?"

"I haven't decided yet. I suppose I'll have to do something. We very well can't leave all of the assassins leaderless. Someone has to make decisions and set about changing the rules."

"Why don't you do it?"

"Me?" I looked at him in shock.

"Yes. You and Angeline."

"I've never been in charge of anything. I just follow orders."

"You're more than capable of doing it. You know how the Guild works, you can lead the assassins."

"The location for their home would have to change. I don't plan on staying in Italy," I said.

"You'll figure something out." He kissed my cheek and returned to help the sailors.

Will I figure it out? Am I even going to defeat the Guild?

I picked up a crate sitting on the dock nearby and placed it on a large piece of cargo. I pulled out my dagger and drew large circles on it. Stepping back a few feet, I threw the first dagger. It landed near the outer ring of the first that I drew. I threw the second and it hit closer to the center.

We need more consistency!

I yanked the daggers out of the wood and repeated the process over and over until my shoulders ached and my back was sore. Large gashes adorned the side of the now ruined box. I still wasn't satisfied. The sun sank beneath the ocean in the horizon, casting its beautiful array of colors across the sky. I turned toward the bow of the ship and watched the distance for any sign of land. We should have been close. The darkness prevented me from seeing much of anything. The Adriatic Sea was enormously large, but it was big enough to cause the trip to feel that much longer. Lights appeared in the distance. My heart leaped to my throat as they grew closer. Ships spotted the port and lined the docks. The lights of the houses became brighter as we pulled into port.

"Shall we sleep the night?" Charles asked.

"I want all of you too. I shall look about to find out anything I can." I clipped a black cloak around my neck and walked down the gangplank leaving everyone behind me.

"You are not going out alone," Angeline called, running after me.

"I don't want you to risk injury. What if something happens to me?" I asked.

"All the more reason I shall join you."

I sighed heavily and stared at the woman. "Very well then. Let's go before we're found out."

A large body of water went straight down the center of the city. We ran down a few very narrow streets, across a few bridges until we came upon a small tavern. Pulling the hood over my head, I pushed open the doors. Inside a group of men sat at a far table while the bars wench scrubbed the wooden platform around her.

I didn't even know what I was looking for or who.

We took a seat on the opposite side of the room and waited for something to happen. Each time the door creaked, or a chair scraped across the floor I'd lookup. Nobody appeared to be the person we were looking for.

"Are you sure someone will be here?" Angeline asked.

"No. I don't even know if the Guild is in Italy. This could be very wrong," I said.

"Let's hope we get a lead somewhere."

"Yes. Let's hope so."

I accepted a pint from and wench and sipped at it slowly.

I glanced around the room, my eyes falling on a man sitting at a table shrouded in darkness. He had a black cloak on as well, covering his head and most of his face. I could see the scruff on his chin and the coy smile that played at his lips.

"I think we're being watched," I mumbled to Angeline with the pint to my lips.

"What?"

"The man in the corner behind you, don't look, is watching us. I think."

"Does he look familiar?" Angeline asked.

I shook my head. "His hood is too low over his face."

"You sure he's watching us?" she asked.

"Yes. I've been keeping an eye on him. He's definitely watching us. Do you know all the watchers?"

She shook her head. "Only high-ranking watchers are privy to that knowledge."

The man finished his pint and stood. His head never turning from our direction.

"He's coming this way," I whispered, taking a swill of my ale.

"Ladies."

"Sir," I said not looking up.

"I know who you seek."

"What do you mean?" Angeline asked.

"They have been looking for you."

"We do not know who you speak of," I responded, finally looking up at him.

A bit of light permeated his hooded face. His squared jaw was clean-shaven, his eyes a piercing ice blue, and his lips were pressed into a thin, unsmiling line. His broad shoulders filled out the cloak and tunic beneath. His breeches stretched over muscular thighs.

"But I think you do." He placed an assassin's dagger on the table. The intricate seal of the Assassin Guild was etched on the blade.

"Of all the taverns in the world, how could you know we were going to be here?" Angeline questioned.

"We have been following you. It would be wise for you to stand and follow without fuss."

"What if we don't?" I asked.

"There are enough of us here right now to be sure you do not leave alive."

I glanced around and saw the same dagger sitting on the table of drunken men at the back. Standing on the landing that overlooked the tavern were two more men, each wearing a dagger about their thighs.

Shite.

"Stand, ladies. There are horses waiting outside."

"Do we do as he commands?" Angeline whispered to me.

"I don't think we have much of a choice, my dear."

I stood and walked tentatively to the door, watching as six men also stood and followed us out. Then was when I noticed the cloaks. All the same black cloak I was wearing.

"They're watchers."

"How do you know?" Angeline asked.

"The cloaks. Those are watcher cloaks. At least high-ranking watcher cloaks."

"I don't understand."

"They all look like the one I'm wearing. I got this from Jonathan. It was his watcher's cloak. That's why we never noticed them. They've been trained to stalk and kill like a predator. They're like lions waiting to pounce on their prey."

The man who approached us led everyone to the back of the tavern. Nine horses stood in line ready to go.

"What's your name?" I asked.

"You don't need to worry about that. Mount the steed."

I stared up at the enormous black

Friesian in disbelief.

"How do I get on that thing?" I asked.

The man cupped his hands and held them near the ground for me to step into. Reluctantly I did as commanded.

One of the other cloaked men approached with a long piece of twine.

"What's going on?" Angeline asked as another man yanked her hands down toward the lip on the saddle. He wrapped a piece of twine around her wrists and tied her to the saddle.

"Don't want you ladies escaping on us." He winked.

She pulled and tugged on the rope to no avail. The man who approached me tied it so tight the coarse rope dug into my skin causing it to bleed.

"Too tight!"

"Not tight enough," he growled at me.

My heart sped up as looked over to Angeline.

What now?

The others mounted their horses and, with Angeline and I in the center led us away from the tavern and Venice. They ran the horses for fifty-mile increments till we reached Florence. The sun rose as we entered the beautiful city. Not many people paid us much mind. A few elders bowed to the cloaked watchers as we rode by. They hadn't checked either of us for weapons, silly them. The cold steel of the daggers pressed hard against the warm skin of my thighs. If only I could get ahold of one of them.

We road through the town and a short distance into the countryside. A stone wall surrounding a large castle came into view. A man was posted on their side of the gate, wearing the same cloaks as the rest, and myself. They glanced at us and waved all of us on.

"Where are we?" I asked.

"You'll find out soon enough."

Two of the men cut the knot on the saddles and pulled Angeline and me down. We landed with a thud next to each other in the middle of an elaborately decorated courtyard. A fountain sprayed water near a tree to the left of us, sending out a much-welcomed cool mist. A small grove of trees with some sort of olive trees to the right. The marble staircase leading to the main door was large enough to hold at least twenty men.

"I know where we are," I muttered my mouth going dry.

"Where are we?" Angeline asked.

"You didn't train anywhere else besides France, did you?"

She shook her head, looking around wildly. I often forgot she was so much younger than the other watchers, barely nineteen.

"It's Castle Chianti. We're a bit outside of Florence."

"Okay?"

"It's an assassin stronghold and apparently where the Guild masters call home."

"Oh." Her face turned a ghostly white.

"On your feet," the man who I assumed to be the leader commanded.

I struggled to my feet, looking him in the hooded face. "Takedown your hood and show your face, coward."

He sneered and pulled me forward. "I take orders from no woman."

"Do you know who I am?" I asked.

"Assassin Moore."

I said nothing after Angeline nudged me. We walked toward the staircase and into the foyer. We were directed up a flight of stone steps and down a long, narrow hallway that hid behind an unsuspecting oak door. Rounding a corner there was another larger door. We crossed the open hall and through the door. The room was enormous. The ceilings were as high as two stories in my family's castle and the room itself was as wide and long as our great room.

A large table rested in front of a row of mirrors, three thrones, and three dark-haired men wearing black and gold cloaks.

"The Guild," I muttered.