The Pirate Hunter. Laura Martin

this was actually all about: her lack of future.

      ‘We’ll wait,’ Will said, turning away from her.

      Mia swallowed and tried to call out for him, but something inside stopped her. She had to hold herself back from getting too close to him. In a few days he would be apprehending her brother, the only person in the world she loved, the only family she had left.

      They stood in silence for a few minutes. Mia pretended to admire the different plants in the garden whilst Will just stood with a wide stance, his arms crossed in front of his chest.

      ‘I see you two have worked it out,’ Amber said when she returned. She was carrying a couple of sheets of paper covered in text and diagrams.

      ‘Thank you,’ Will said, ignoring her comment as she handed him her predictions, ‘I’m sure these will be very handy.’

      Amber shrugged. ‘I hope so, but I don’t mind if you throw them away. If you would just wait until you’re out of sight of the house, it’s better for the ego.’

      ‘I’ll study them tonight,’ Will insisted.

      ‘It was lovely meeting you both.’ Amber caught Mia’s arm as she walked past, ‘He’s a good man and he likes you a lot,’ she whispered in her ear. ‘You just need to make him realise it.’

      * * *

      ‘Can we go to Savanna-la-Mar?’ Mia asked suddenly.

      They’d walked in silence all the way from Amber’s house back into Port Royal. Mia had spent the time trying to decide if she wanted to go to the town her brother had raided or not. Part of her knew she shouldn’t punish herself, but the other part wanted to know. If she was going to help Will find her brother, she had to accept the fact that she was going to be partly responsible for his execution. At the moment she was finding it hard to acknowledge her big brother could be the one ordering all the atrocities they’d heard about. She knew going to the town he’d sacked would help to focus her mind and decide once and for all what was the right thing to do.

      ‘Mia, I don’t think that’s a good idea,’ Will said, turning to face her.

      ‘Please,’ she said, ‘I need to see it with my own eyes.’

      ‘It will just upset you.’

      Mia knew she had to make Will understand why she wanted to go to Savanna-la-Mar, but she was finding it hard to put her internal dilemma into words.

      ‘I want to help you,’ she said slowly, ‘I really do. I know what Jorge is doing is wrong, but it’s so hard to believe that my brother is the one doing all these terrible things.’

      Will didn’t look convinced.

      ‘If I help you catch Jorge, then he will be executed. I will be sending my brother to the gallows.’

      She looked imploringly at Will, begging him to understand.

      She saw him soften.

      ‘This will help?’ he asked.

      ‘I think so.’

      She hoped it might focus her mind and help her decide what was for the best.