Chapter 74

CHAPTER SEVENTY-FOUR

Ryker

I waited outside for another minute as I surveyed the town. A couple of kids ran down the street toward the rock, but when they spotted me, they turned and ran away.

My presence had chased them away from their playtime, but I’d be gone soon. When I was sure Ellery had enough time to open a portal and leave, I stepped away from the rock.

While no one was looking, I slipped into the Revenant Woods. I traveled twenty feet before opening a portal and emerging in Tucker’s encampment. That would probably be my last one for the day, as I could feel the toll they’d all taken on me.

As soon as I finished closing my portal, I spotted Ellery, who was only a few feet away, with Callan and a pretty blonde woman. When she saw me, her shoulders slumped and she ran toward me. Meeting her halfway, I swept her into my arms and crushed her against me.

“Are you okay?” I whispered in her ear.

Her fingers bit into my neck. “I’m surviving, and I’m with you.”

My arms constricted around her as some of Tucker’s followers emerged from their tree houses, the barn, and pens. The ones sitting near the fire rose while others turned away from where they practiced archery or training with their staffs.

“It’s about time,” Tucker said as he strode toward us. He grinned as he looked between me and Ellery. “I’m glad you’ve finally stopped pretending you don’t give a shit about each other. What brought on this sudden and much-welcome reversal in your relationship?”

Tucker stopped a few feet away and hooked his thumbs into the waistband of his pants. He rocked back on his heels as his sea blue eyes twinkled with amusement.

When Ellery’s head turned on my shoulder to look at him, Tucker’s amusement vanished at the sight of the fading bruises marring her face. I was sure her devastation was written all over her countenance too.

“What happened to you?” he demanded.

“Too much,” she whispered.

“We’ve brought you two more,” I told him.

“Did they do that to her?”

“They’d be dead if they had.”

“I don’t know why I bothered to ask. I already knew the answer.” Tucker glanced at where Callan and his sister stood. “What happened?”

“A lot.”

“Let’s get some drinks and sit by the fire so you can fill me in. Bring your new arrivals with you.”

I kissed Ellery’s temple before setting her down. Keeping my arm around her waist, I led her over to Callan and Luna. She glanced from me to Ellery before focusing her disbelief on me again.

“Isn’t that… isn’t he… isn’t that the duke’s son?” the woman stuttered.

Callan clasped her elbow. “It is.”

“He’s going to kill us.”

“I don’t know what’s going on, but he’s not… at least not yet.”

I ignored that last part because it was true; I still might kill them. “Follow me.”

I didn’t look back as I guided Ellery toward the fire, but I heard the woman whisper behind me. “What’s he doing with Ellery?”

“You wouldn’t believe me if I told you,” Callan replied.

“I’m not sure I’ll ever believe anything again.”

We were almost to the fire when Ianto emerged from the woods. The giant carried a large deer across his shoulders as he ducked to avoid a low-hanging branch.

Some of those in the encampment cheered as he brought the animal over to the area where the animals were hung to be field dressed. Two men took the massive buck from him.

“It’s the giant,” Callan muttered.

At seven foot six, Ianto wasn’t anywhere near as tall as the hundred-foot giants who lived in the realm of Colossal, but he was the biggest man I’d ever known, and the nickname suited him.

“Who is he?” Luna asked.

“He’s a traveling wrestler who makes money off those who decide to take him on.”

“Why would anyone do that?”

“Because it’s fun.”

“You did it, didn’t you?”

“Just once.”

“Of course,” she sighed.

“Ianto,” I called out to the man. “Join us.”

Ianto said something to the men who had taken the deer before strolling toward us. As he walked, he called greetings to those he passed. The giant hadn’t been here long, but he’d made himself at home, and while his personality often irritated me, his vibrant, outgoing nature was infectious… for most amsirah.

His smile vanished when his brown eyes landed on Ellery, and all the warmth in them vanished. “Who did that to you?”

“I’m not sure who they were,” Ellery said. “But some of them are dead.”

“Good.”

When Ellery settled in near the fire, I sat next to her, and Ianto took the place on her other side. I leaned around her to glare at him, and the big son of a bitch grinned at me.

While I didn’t think he had any romantic interest in Ellery, Ianto loved to irritate me when it came to her. The giant’s eyebrows shot up when I rested my hand on her waist and moved closer.

Callan and Luna sitting around the fire drew Ianto’s attention to them. He tilted his head as he stared at Callan. “You look familiar.”

“You threw me out of the ring a few months ago.”

Ianto laughed as he slapped his knee. His shaggy brown hair shook when he did so, and lines of amusement crinkled the dark skin around his eyes. “I’ve been known to do that a time or two… to those foolish enough to take me on.”

Callan didn’t look amused by this response, but he smiled, probably because he was scared Ianto might toss him around again if he didn’t.

“So, who are these two?” Tucker asked.

“This is Callan Dell and his sister Luna,” Ellery answered.

“And what are they doing here?”

Before anyone could answer, Luna cut in. “Who are you, and what are you doing here?”

Tucker lifted an eyebrow at her. “I’m Tucker Fryar, and I live here with many others.”

“And where is here ?”

“Here is freedom.”

Luna’s mouth pursed as her gaze traveled around the encampment with its growing number of amsirah, livestock, and tree houses. It wasn’t a castle, but it was freedom from the tyrants ruling this land and, in her case, freedom from certain death.

“And if you want to stay, you’ll tell me what’s going on,” Tucker said.

“Well, these two idiots—” Callan and his sister scowled at me when I pointed at them, but they were idiots. “—decided to half-ass a rebellion against the Earl of Oakley.”

“I’m guessing things went wrong, but please tell me that asshole’s dead.”

“No, he’s still alive, as are his insipid sons, their mother, the king, and my father. I had planned to steal some things from the earl’s guests, to really piss him off and help fund us, but that plan got blown up by their rebellion.”

“Too bad,” Tucker lamented as he studied the siblings.

“I’m pretty sure the only ones they managed to kill were some guards and a lot of innocent amsirah,” I said.

“Not all of those guests were innocent!” Luna shot back. “Many of them supported those monsters!”

Callan seized her hand and shook his head, but as she frowned at him, Ellery spoke.

“My mother was innocent, and she would have done anything for you, but she’s dead now.”

Tucker’s smile vanished. Ianto let out a low groan of sadness before resting his hand on her shoulder, and Callan closed his eyes.

“Oh, no,” Luna breathed as tears filled her eyes. “Not Mrs. Marian.”

“Yes, Mrs. Marian,” Ellery interjected. “My mother, the woman who taught you how to read and write, and who tended your wounds, is dead. She was there too, and she did nothing to warrant me having to carry her home this afternoon, but I did.”

Luna closed her eyes as she shriveled in on herself. “I’m so sorry. That wasn’t supposed to happen.”

“But it is what happens when you plan things poorly,” Ellery retorted.

Sensing her rising fury, I clasped her hand in mine. I wasn’t going to tell her to stop; she was the one who’d endured this loss, and she had to grieve in her way, but she would know I was here with her.

Her fingers tightened around mine, and Ianto squeezed her shoulder. “I’m sorry for your loss,” he murmured.

Her anger deflated as swiftly as it had come. Her shoulders hunched forward a little.

“Tell us what happened,” Tucker said.

And I did.