Chapter 23

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

Ryker

Tucker laughed, but when I lifted my head and he saw the look on my face, it ended abruptly. "She can't be. You said the Hooded Robber was a lightning bearer."

"I did."

After Ellery ended things with me, I became more determined to find the man who'd stolen from me. I'd needed something to distract me from her, so I asked Tucker to help me find him.

Tucker was growing increasingly familiar with the Revenant Woods and knew many of the amsirah living here. Even if he didn't know who the Robber was, he'd have ways of helping me find the man.

Since Tucker was hesitant to help me hunt for someone trying to help the amsirah, I told him why I was hunting the thief. I'd revealed the Robber was a lightning bearer who might help me make a stand against the tyranny of the king and nobles he so clearly disdained by stealing from them.

Ellery was the only other immortal I'd told about the Hooded Robber's lightning-bearer ability. She'd probably inwardly laughed while feigning her believable shock over my revelation.

Tucker was also stunned by what I revealed. However, I believed his reaction was real.

Ellery had fucked with my head and my confidence in judging others, but Tucker and I had been through too much together. We'd formed too close a bond for that kind of deception to exist between us.

I trusted him with my life and had no doubt he'd keep my revelation about the Hooded Robber's ability to control lightning to himself. I also trusted him with my secret intentions to align with the Hooded Robber, hoping to gain their power for my side and some of the fierce allegiance they'd earned from the amsirah in the towns.

Thankfully, I'd never revealed this to Ellery, as I'd intended to keep her safe from my plans of treason, even if she made her hatred for the king and aristocrats known. Or at least that's what I'd told myself, but maybe I'd always subconsciously known not to trust her, and she might one day turn on me.

"She can't be a lightning bearer," Tucker said. "Women don't possess the ability, only the gene."

I released a hoarse, brittle laugh. "But she is. I saw it for myself. She is a lightning bearer."

Tucker's mouth dropped. "How?"

"I don't know."

Tucker slumped against a nearby tree and continued gawking at me. "Shit."

"That about sums it up."

"What does this mean?"

"I don't know, Tuck. I don't fucking know."

"Is she going to help you against the king?"

My head shot up. "I didn't ask for her help. She's a lying, deceitful bitch, and I don't want anything to do with her."

"Those things might be true, but there are other truths."

"And what are those?"

"She has a good heart. She wouldn't have gone out of her way to steal money, that she gave away, if she didn't."

My lip curved into a sneer. "Everything she did and told me was based on lies; how is that a good heart?"

"She screwed up there, but she couldn't have told you the truth about herself, especially not in the beginning. You told me that you were hunting the Hooded Robber to make them pay for stealing from you. Did she know your plans changed?"

I didn't like where he was going with this. "No, but that doesn't matter."

Tucker held up a hand. "I'm just laying out some facts, so put your scowl away for a few minutes."

When I bared my teeth at him, he smiled.

"Did she volunteer to help you hunt the Hooded Robber?" he asked.

"No," I bit out. "Her mother did that."

"And how did Ellery react to it happening?"

"She lied to me for months."

Tucker stepped away from the tree. Despite feeling like a feral dragon, ready to devour anything in my way, Tucker didn't have any fear as he paced closer, then further away, and back again.

"Yes, she did do that," he agreed. "I'm not making excuses for her, but you're the one who told me you wanted to work with the Hooded Robber because they were a lightning bearer and they had loyal followers among the amsirah in the towns. Hell, even that woman on your lap took the time out of trying to fuck you to tell Ellery not to turn in the Hooded Robber."

I don't know why, but the reminder of Ellery seeing that made me shift my position on the rock as a strange heat crept up my nape. I didn't give a shit what she'd seen when it came to me and that woman, so why did the memory make my skin crawl?

"The amsirah love him… ah… her," Tucker continued. "Which is one of the reasons why you were after the Robber. You also wanted to work with her because she's an excellent thief. You believed he… damn it… she could help you bring down the king and aristocrats by going after what will hurt them most, their money. Has that plan changed?"