Chapter 62

Ryker

I settledin across from Tucker beside the fire in the center of the clearing they'd created by cutting down some of the trees. In the woods around us were a dozen or so tree houses; most were forty feet or more in the air.

The buildings were small but well-built and were accessed by rope ladders hanging from them. Those ladders could be quickly pulled up into the structures if necessary.

On each tree house, a pulley and reel had a rope dangling from it. A man approached the rope and attached a bucket of water to it. He climbed the rope ladder and, a few seconds later, started pulling the bucket up and into the tree house.

Two lightning rods stood on top of each of the tree houses. The structures were tucked so securely between the branches that a magnetic storm wouldn't knock them free.

The amsirah we encountered in the woods made up most of the immortals here, but almost a dozen more were already in the camp when we arrived. Some of them were working on building a new tree house.

"We had new arrivals yesterday," Tucker said. "They should be in their home tonight."

I shifted my attention back to my friend. It was bittersweet to see Tucker again; we'd gone through a lot together and survived when so many others fell. We'd become good friends and bonded during a horrific time.

He was also a reminder of the worst time of my life. While I was glad to see him again, he stirred memories of the dungeon, the ophidians, agony, and death.

Those memories crept up my spine to grasp my skull. What we'd endured together should never be experienced by anyone, but Tucker and I were two of only five survivors from the ophidians' dungeon.

"Why are you here?" I asked.

"Because this is the fate life had in store for me upon my return."

"Did you resign your post in the king's army?"

"As soon as I could. I'd had enough of fighting, and after King Leonidas, I couldn't work for Ivan. Who wants to defend a greedy piece of shit?"

"Not me," Ellery muttered.

I shot her a look; I trusted Tucker, but she had to learn to keep her thoughts to herself before she ended up dead. She smiled innocently back at me before tossing a piece of jerky in her mouth.

I shifted my attention back to Tucker. "How did you end up in the Revenant Woods?"

"We don't exactly come from the same background, Ryker. We fought the same assholes, survived those fucking snakes, and then destroyed them, but in Tempest, we're completely different and come from different worlds. The better question is, what are you doing here?"

I felt Ellery's eyes boring into me as she waited for my answer.

"I'm looking for the Hooded Robber," I told him.

"Why?" Tucker asked.

I knew he wasn't the thief I was searching for; he may have turned into one since I last saw him, but he wasn't the Hooded Robber. Tucker wasn't a lightning bearer.

He couldn't have kept that hidden during the Ghoul War and Doomed Valley. He would have defended himself with it at some point.

However, he might know who the thief was. "He robbed me."

Tucker's eyes widened before he burst into laughter. "He robbed you? How did that happen?"

I glanced at Ellery, who was watching me. I couldn't tell him what I'd been doing in front of her.

I shifted my attention back to Tucker. "I was a little busy when it happened."

Tucker laughed, and Ellery snorted as she rubbed the tip of her nose.

"An ash landed on my nose," she muttered.

"Busy doing what?" Tucker inquired.

When my eyes narrowed on him, he grinned at me. "Reading."

Tucker laughed and drank more of his beer. His eyes twinkled as he glanced at Ellery, and I could tell he wanted to turn the screws deeper, but he resisted.

"Is the Robber here?" I asked him.