Chapter 14

Ryker

The boy squeakedas Samael yanked him forward before pushing the child a little away; his nose wrinkled in disgust. From the crowd, more of the sheriff's men pushed through to surround Samael; they slammed their spears into the ground.

The crowd had mostly ignored this interaction, but now they were stopping to watch as their attention turned away from the wrestling match. Those in the ring, and closest to it, still hadn't noticed anything as they watched the enormous man pummel his competition.

This time, the giant was taking on three men, but that would only keep their attention for a few more minutes. Soon, they'd notice a new show unfolding.

"Take the boy," Samael said and shoved the foul-smelling child at one of his soldiers.

"No!" Ellery cried as she lunged toward the boy.

Her hand missed his arm as the soldier pulled the boy further away. Dawn grabbed her arm, seeking to hold Ellery back, but she wasn't deterred.

"Mouse is a child!" she protested.

"I can take you with him," Samael told her.

I hadn't expected Samael's callous tone. He'd never been the most tenderhearted individual, but this man was different than the one I knew; I could see it in his eyes.

"There's no need for this, Samael," I said. "It was all a misunderstanding."

Samael's smile didn't reach his eyes. "I saw this urchin trying to steal your moneybag, Ryker."

"I'm not pressing charges."

"There's no need when I witnessed it myself."

I wasn't used to anyone telling me no and was still trying to absorb this development when Samael snatched the boy by his collar and started dragging him across the ground. The giant tossed the last of the men from the ring, but instead of calling for new competitors, everyone went oddly silent as they focused on the sheriff and the boy.

"What's going on?" the giant demanded.

The last thing this situation needed was that mountain to get involved. It was already getting to a point where it would be difficult to diffuse.

Bloodlust emanated from some of the crowd as they practically licked their lips while following Samael and the boy through the crowd. Some looked away before leaving, but the rest remained to watch with their mouths parted and dread etched onto their faces.

The crowd parted to reveal the bloodstained tree stump Samael hauled the boy toward. The boy wouldn't be the first to lose his hand and possibly his life there, but he'd been foolish enough to try his hand at stealing, and now he would suffer the consequences.

This was not why I'd come to Nottingshire, and none of my damn business. I started to turn away as Ellery broke away from Dawn and lunged forward. She shoved through the crowd as she ran foolishly after the sheriff.

She wasn't any of my concern, either. And the boy wasn't the man who'd robbed me; I was certain of that, so there was nothing left for me here… except my feet remained in place as Ellery raced after them.

She would get herself thrown in a cell… but you wouldn't.

I'd spent too much of my life in a prison cell already and had no intention of ever returning to one, but even if Samael had become a coldhearted, child-maiming bastard, the sheriff didn't have the balls to arrest me.

The idea of getting further involved in this wasn't exactly enticing. There were far more fun things I'd prefer to do today, and I'd had enough of this town. But my father would walk away… or, no, he wouldn't have.

He would have ordered the sheriff's death for refusing his command and then had the boy's arm brought to him to prove a point. Since I was nothing like my father and never would be, my feet started moving.

The crowd easily parted and filled back in behind me as I stalked through it in pursuit of the woman and Samael. Ellery was almost to the sheriff, her hand stretched toward him when I caught her and pulled her back.

Her eyes flashed with something I couldn't quite make out as she glowered at me. She tugged at her arm, but I didn't release her until I pushed her behind me and moved to intercept Samael.

I planted myself before the sheriff and crossed my arms over my chest. "He's a child."

"That doesn't make him above the law," Samael replied. "After this, everyone will always know what a rotten thief he is."

Ellery cried out when Samael shoved the boy to his knees beside the stump. Even I felt a tug at what I'd come to consider my mostly deadened heart when the boy cried out.

"No!" Ellery screamed. "He doesn't even talk! You can't take his hand from him too!"

"It's within my power to take whatever I choose from him," Samael replied.

He never looked at her as he held a hand to one of his men. One of the guards placed the hilt of a sword against Samael's palm.

The murmur in the crowd grew louder. From the corner of my eye, I saw amsirah shoved aside as the massive man pushed his way through them and toward us.

Ellery

The sheriff grippedthe hilt of his sword as words tumbled out of me in a rush. "Take my hand instead!"

No one breathed as all eyes swung toward me. Even I was too stunned to speak as the giant froze.

Scarlet breathed, "Lery, no."

I didn't look at her as, from behind Ryker's back, I thrust out my arm while staring defiantly at the sheriff. "Take my hand instead."

The sheriff looked from me to my arm and back again. "The boy is the thief."

If he knew a fraction of what I'd done, he'd throw me onto that stump and take my head. This was a small price to pay.

"He didn't steal anything, so I will take his punishment," I said.

As the sheriff's yellow-brown eyes held mine, curiosity and something more filled them as they ran over me. I wasn't sure if it was lust, bloodthirstiness, or what, but it made my skin crawl as the giant edged closer.

None of the amsirah around us spoke or dared to move as they watched. I could practically hear them salivating over this delicious turn of events. They all knew me, and most liked me, but this was better entertainment than the giant.

As the seconds ticked away, nothing happened, and some in the crowd murmured as they shifted uneasily. Then, the sheriff released Mouse and seized my arm.