Chapter 5
"Consequences"
POV: Shay
I sat there in silence for perhaps more than eternity. I still remember his grey eyes looking into mine, our faces as close as they ever could be. I felt his warm breath on my lips, my bloody lips. I managed to bite through my skin after realizing what a foolish mistake has occurred after I let those eerie feelings out. I have been brought to my senses by a loud hit of emotions and a good hand owned by Master Kenway. Silently thanking him for bringing me back down on earth, I still thought about the last thing that happened before the Grand Master left the bedroom. His lips, so close to mine. Such thought had summoned a mixed feeling inside my chest. On one side I felt a bit disgusted, toward my childish attitude of course; the other side desperately cursed me for not leaning over and embracing Kenway's lips with mine. Into…into a kiss?
"Nonsense." I shook my head and placed my hand over my eyes. "What is going on with me?" I whispered to myself feeling like my poor acting skills can fool no one. I have always been true in the face of others, never put a mask on and never lied about my true feelings. They just showed on my face and my eyes without permission; and I hated it the most. Every time I tried to act cold around Master Kenway, every time I tried not to show him that my admiration was more than just deep respect, I would miserably fail and always tense up once his eyes met mine. I knew he might have noticed some change in my character the first months we have met after I was accepted into the Order, but now I think those clues became more obvious and easier to understand. I just hoped Master Kenway blamed them on my injury that caused a fever.
I then heard a knock on the door and asked for the visitor to come in. It was Thomas Hickey, the drunken head of the Order, as I and Gist sometimes called him between each other; yet it was no surprise to anyone that Hickey was the most careless Templar in our company. And now, standing near my bed, Thomas had the most serious expression on his face as if the shameless fool was kicked out of him. It worried me.
"Mister Cormac, today I received news from Gist about your ship. Please, embrace them as they are." He said taking off his hat as if he stood near a casket and I was the mourned corpse. I nodded my head and asked him to continue, my heart slowly sinking as I knew the answer before Hickey could announce it.
"The Morrigan was almost ready, but the workers discovered that there was more damage dealt from the mortars under the docks. A few explosive shots that were fired blew up the important pieces." Thomas stopped for a moment as if trying to remember something more. "As a conclusion, your ship needs more time to be fixed. They need not days, but weeks to get to the desirable result." He finished and then sighed. "I am deeply sorry about your ship, Mister Cormac." Without saying anything else, he just left me alone in the room again. He knew that I had nothing to say, there was nothing to even speak of.
"Dammit!" I cursed and punched the soft mattress under me. My wound started aching and I decided to not make any sharp movements at least till tomorrow. Bad things just started happening one after another once I decided to leave my curiosity in charge and not look closely at the Man O' War's sails. What a great adventure. I closed my eyes and leaned back on the pillows trying to relax.
Unwillingly, the thoughts of Master Kenway visited me again. They rammed into my mind with force and refused to leave each time I tried to push them away. I grimaced and turned my head from side to another as if there was a nightmare in my head. I admit, it was a sweet nightmare, and deep inside I wished for it to last forever. My thoughts quickly intertwined with my dark desires and now I was imagining the Grand Master's tight embrace, his eyes locked in my gaze, his hot breath on my neck, and finally his lips touching mine. I bit my lower lip feeling a warm tension spread from my abdomen to my groin; my hand reluctantly crawled under the thick sheet of cover over me and make its way down to the center of the pressure.
A soft moan escaped my lips and turned into a groan in the back of my throat. I have not felt such pleasure just by thinking about one individual, especially of the same sex as I. It felt wrong, sinful even. I had no idea that my strong respect to Master Kenway will turn into something more like a lustful attraction. His manners of talking, glancing over, and making people afraid of him drew me like a moth to a strong light above. I was afraid that one day I would be stuck in the trap, and the Grand Master would find out my dark secret that I kept inside for so long. What will he think of me when suddenly I change? Will he answer my craving for his warmth, or will he snap his pistol out and put a bullet through my head?
All those thoughts intertwined in my head causing me to lose the sense of reality. Everything before me started to drift away and turn into a clear image of the Grand Master. His eyes were on me, his hands in the same favorite position behind his back, and his lips in a tight straight line on his face. I looked up at him, with a smile.
"Haytham…" I whispered, my hand suddenly tightening the grasp on my manhood. Another groan, louder this time, as I repeat his name and lean my head back on the pillow breathing out heavily. My chest in on fire, just like the rest of my body, as my hand starts to move upward and slam down with a rough jerk. "Haytham…" I repeat softly to myself as the silhouette in front of me becomes blurry, then my eyes shut tightly. I spread my legs a bit wider in order to feel every thrust of my hand and secretly wishing it was Kenway's. Such thoughts made me feel filthy, guilty of such desires. I could not do anything, but to continue the sweet torture until my body reached its peak and sent me into a world of Nirvana with a long blissful moan flying out free from my chest. I mumbled his name again as the last feathers of delight stoke my body. My hand was now covered with the outcome of my strong affection and I cursed seeing a dark circle form on the sheet at my hips. I wiped my hand blindly on the side of the mattress that was lightly pressed against the wall shamefully hiding the evidence of my dirty crime.
I pushed the cover to the side to hide the damp spot and tried to stand up from the bed, but my legs turned into rubber and sent me back into the soft embrace of the bed within a moment of my failure. I growled feeling dizzy already, my wound not letting go of the pain. My hand covered my face as I tried to breathe and take in as much air into my lungs as I could. A long sigh followed along with a sudden loud knock on the door. I lifted my head up with a puzzled expression and opened my mouth to speak.
"Come in!" I said my voice still producing a note of softness from the events of the passed minutes. In the next moment a figure presented itself in my bedroom as Charles, a drunken kind. Lee's light blue eyes now turned dark and foggy from an unknown amount of alcohol consumed before he dared to come in. The man made his way toward the bed, his body leaning from side to side as he did so. It was an amusing thing to watch, but the business of his visit was concerning me more than his unstable condition.
"Ye think that Master Kenway will look at ye, boy?" He landed on the edge of my bed forcing me to pull my legs back and stare at him in surprise.
"Charles, you need to sober up, you have no idea what you are talking ab-"
"Shut yer mouth!" He cut me off and slammed his hand sloppily on the sheets. "Master Kenway is mine only, I suggest you to heal up faster and leave New York." He mumbled clear enough for me to hear; I barely held back a wave of an uncontrollable laughter. Now, Charles looked like jealous young lady trying to win over a man for herself and threaten the rival, who at the moment was I.
"Charles," I started again unable to hide my smile. "What are you talking about? Listen to your silly self." I said finally letting out a chuckle which enraged Lee even more. He pushed away from the bed and grabbed my hand jerking it up. I hissed at the sudden sharp movement that triggered pain in my stomach.
"Master Kenway is mine…do ye understand?" Charles growled his free hand suddenly hitting me right in the center of my wound and causing me to wince in agony. The aching became unbearable as I closed my eyes tightly. "Understand!?" He shouted striking me in the same spot two more times. I felt the gash to resume bleeding under the tight embrace of the bandages. I immediately knew that this had to stop before I lose serious amount of blood.
"Yes, yes, I understand!" I exclaimed and pushed Lee's hands off me falling back unto the bed and pressing my palm over my wound. "Dammit, Charles, look what you have done." I lifted my arm up looking at the crimson stain slowly expand in size on the white cloth. "Get me more bandages." I barked lifting my head up to look at the man, but he was gone. Vanished from the room like a ghost with no sound; for a second I thought that he was just a vision of some kind. I closed my eyes and called for help, yet no answer came. The manor seemed empty.
I cursed under my breath that now became heavy once more. I untied the bandages ignoring the pain as best as I could and stared down and the injury that was covered in blood. I frowned and called for assistance once more, receiving silence for an answer. The bleeding refused to stop and continued making me feel dizzy. I bit my lip hard to stay awake, but it was becoming a challenge already. The crimson thick fluid now crawled down to paint the white sheets beneath me into a new bright color. The strong metallic smell around me made my head spin in circles. I knew that without a help of a doctor I will fall asleep soon and never awaken under the bright sunrays again.
My mind was racing, heart pumping, wound throbbing. Dammit where did everyone disappear to? I had no answer to that. Charles's strange statement about the Grand Master followed by his threats threw me off completely. Lee was acting insane even though the beverage was talking for him this time.
"Is anybody in this bloody mansion can please bring me a doctor!?" I yelled one more time on top of my lungs and regretted the decision immediately as my agony sent me into sudden darkness.
POV: Charles.
I stood motionless just outside Cormac's door. My eyes were glued to the people before me. My hand was shaking as I held my flintlock pointing it at the head of the medic standing on my left side. My right hand held my sword tightly, the blade softly trembling.
"One step and I will kill him." I nodded toward the man receiving terrified glances from Hickey, Gist, William, and the doctor himself. I heard Shay shout for help for the second time now. I knew his was suffering and fighting for his life. The individuals before me froze in place, all of them wanting to rush and help the man in misery. But I had another plan for him.
"Let him die." I said coldly feeling the warmth of the rum refuse to leave me and control my mind. I did not move an inch when I heard Gist cursing at me, though he did not attempt to step closer, a wise decision. If the doctor dies, who knows where the other closest one is, there might be none. I smirked to myself, my eyes darting from one man to another. Suddenly, a cold chill ran down my spine as I saw a fifth figure join the standing group in front of me.
"Charles," an icy voice called my name with a stinging tone. It was his voice, the Master's. "Would you kindly step aside?" The voice demanded and took a control of me in one instant. I blinked focusing my sight on him. Master Kenway stood by the doctor's side and calmly observed me. I gulped nervously as he took a step forward toward me; my whole body began to shake in sudden fear.
"Step aside." He repeats lowering my pistol with one finger. Oh yes, he could force anyone to obey just by one glance or gesture. I lowered my weapons and my head along with them. I took a step aside feeling cold air rush over me as the people I held hostage ran passed me running into the chamber where Shay's voice died down on the last shout.
"We shall speak later," the Grand Master told me. "Go upstairs and have a good rest, Charles." His hand on my shoulder was heavy and did not promise anything reassuring. I nodded my head at him before he disappeared in the bedroom. Then, trying to keep my body straight, I left the hall and somehow made it upstairs into my bedroom. I passed out immediately as my head hit the soft cold pillow. The thoughts slowed down and drifted away.
What have I done?
POV: Haytham
As I returned to the quarters, I knew that there was something wrong. After having a pint in the tavern I suddenly got an odd sense of something bad happening in the manor. Something very horrible with Shay. So, rushing to throw a pouch of money on the table, and not caring if I paid too much for just a few sips of my beverage, I ran out of the tavern and toward the mansion.
My predictions were right. I saw Charles standing with his pistol and sword out; both weapons were promising a quick death to the people in front of him. I could not believe my eyes; I knew he was not in a condition to think straight, but it turned out to be worse since the morning when he tried to kiss me. I shivered at that memory and concentrated my vision on Lee. At this moment, I could not see my pupil in him. All I saw, was a dangerous beast before me, guarding the door to Shay's chamber, like Cerberus the gates of Hell.
I slowly made my way over to Christopher's side not breaking my gaze from Lee. The people on the other side of the barrel seemed to relax once they felt my presence in the room with them. Everyone but Charles; the man was now nervous, shaking even at the first sight of me. Good, he knows who is home now, and for his own sake he will not preforming anything foolish.
"Is anybody in this bloody mansion can please bring me a doctor!?" I suddenly heard Cormac's painful shout that died down as quickly as it appeared. A cold chill ran down my spine as I realize what Charles has done. But why?
Without any second thoughts I stepped forward and commanded him to step aside, he did not follow the order at the first ask, but seemed to tense up even more and turn his full attention. I repeated myself again without any desire of doing it for the third time. The fingertip of my index finger pressed on the barrel of the gun moving it down; I felt Lee shaking with his holy body and felt somewhat victorious.
Charles moved without saying any word letting everyone else to rush into the bedroom for Shay's aid. His shoulders and head were now sagged in a heavy realization of the current event. I put my hand on his shoulder and ordered him to sober up with slumber. He did not refuse and silently left as I entered the room where Shay was on the bed, unconscious and bleeding. The doctor was already in sweat as he worked to stop the wound from showing its angry attitude. He seemed to be successful, though the worry grew stronger once the medic announced that he could barely feel Shay's pulse.
"I ask you all to exit this room and wait outside," he said turning to face us, his hands all bloodied. His eyes stopped on me. "Master Kenway, I want you to stay." I nodded and took off my hat as the remaining three men left us alone. The doctor asked me to hold the wound while he searched for some medical cream to put on the injury. After the dark green substance was spread over the gash, I helped his wrap around Cormac's waist. I could not take my eyes off Shay's pained face, how did Lee open his wound, what have he done and what was the bloody reason for it? I wanted to rush into Charles's room and demand answers, but he was perhaps already asleep now. Besides, talking to a drunken man is the same as talking to a brick wall. Pointless.
The doctor soon left asking me to watch Shay for another hour and see if there was any fever after the procedure. In case of that possibility, I was to put the odd green substance over his wound once more. I sat down on the edge of the bed near Shay and brushed his messy hair away from his face. My hand unwillingly pressed against his cheek and began to stroke it feeling slight bristles under. His face was now peaceful, his breathing steady and calm; I watched him in trance. I could not help myself but to submit to a sudden rush of warmth and lean over to his face breathing almost heavily. I closed my eyes slowly and let the sudden push from behind by an invisible force bring me forward.
POV: Shay
It was darkness. Eternity of nothingness scattered around me. I tried to shout something, but nothing echoed back. I never heard my voice whisper begging for light. Was I dead? Is this how the afterlife looks like? Void and black.
I thought there was nothing in front of me. I tried to lift my hand up to feel if the blackness was a solid wall that I could break. But nothing happened.
Nothing until I suddenly felt eerie warmth in the area of my lips. And then there was light, bright light that forced me to run toward it, curious to know what it was. As I left the darkness, my eyes slowly opened. But I did not see my bedroom before me. All I saw was someone's painfully familiar face kissing my lips with a tenderness that I never imagined to receive from them.