Chapter 76

CHAPTER SEVENTY-SIX

Ryker

Perched in the tree across from me, I studied Ellery as she watched the road. A single rope hung over her head as she leaned against the trunk and watched the shifting shadows.

I'd done everything possible to talk her out of this, but she refused to back down. I didn't know why I was so against her being here, considering I'd brought her in on my plan for this type of thing. But now that the time had arrived, I would far prefer her to be elsewhere.

Since she knew all the plans, there was no way to keep her out of this, and while it was better for all of us that she was here, I didn't like it. That was the last way I should feel about all this, but everything was a fucked-up mess when it came to Ellery and my feelings.

Scarlet sat on the branch below Ellery. They were both dressed in black, but their hoods weren't in place yet, and though I couldn't see most of Scarlet through the leaves, I glimpsed flashes of her bright red hair whenever she moved.

About five hundred yards away and to my right, Ianto hid amid the dense underbrush. If the caravan did come through here, his job was to alert us to its approach.

His size would be easily recognizable by anyone who had seen him before. Because of that, we'd agreed he should stay hidden.

My size would also be noticeable, but nowhere near as much as Ianto's, and no one would suspect the duke's son of robbing the king. With all the confusion sure to ensue with the robbery, I was certain no one would pay that much attention to me. It was impossible not to notice the giant.

Ianto's ability to mimic the distinct sound of a lathey bird would alert us to the caravan's approach long before we could see or hear it. The noise wouldn't stand out, as the vivid blue avians with their golden crowns and orange tail feathers were abundant in the woods.

We would know it was him as Ianto's call would repeat three times before pausing for five seconds and repeating three more times. It was enough of a difference for us to notice, but no one else would think anything of it.

Ianto asked to be more involved in this, but as of now, he was one of the few in the woods who wasn't already a wanted criminal, and it could help us later if he could continue to move freely through the towns. For now, keeping him off the king's radar was best.

There was still a chance the giant might turn on us when the caravan came through, but he could have already walked away and gone to the king. Although, he might already know that Ivan would most likely arrest him for being in the woods with us.

Tucker sat on the branch below me. We'd already been here for hours, perched in these trees, cramped, uncomfortable, and waiting to see if the caravan would come through the woods.

Shifting in the tree, I looked to the sky again as the sun sank lower in the sky and some of the oppressive heat eased. They could stick to the main roads and not come through the Revenant Woods.

It was true, but I doubted they would do so. The only thing between Nottingshire and the palace was the king's farmland.

They could take the caravan through there, but it would take longer, and few, if any, would see it. Ivan would be impatient to get his money, and this was the only section of road between the palace and Nottingshire, which meant they had to come our way… at some point.

A few ghosts floated by before vanishing into the woods. Half an hour later, a poltergeist zipped across the road, doing flips and throwing rocks as it headed deeper into the forest.

Across the way, Ellery leaned forward as two spectral horses rounded the bend in the road. They didn't make a sound as they galloped beneath us and vanished around another curve.

Thirty seconds later, the first call of a lathey bird sounded. It was followed by two more before a pause came, and the final three calls followed.

They're coming.

I tensed before meeting Ellery's eyes. She nodded to me before pulling her hood on and tucking her hair away.

And just like that, the Hooded Robber sat in her place. There was the thief I'd chased through the woods; the whole time, I'd believed it was a man, but it was Ellery beneath all that black and a simple hood hiding her face.

She could see through the mesh covering her eyes, but their beautiful, unique color had vanished. It had been smart of her to cover them; I would have recognized her instantly if she hadn't.

My brief spurt of ire dissipated as the thud of horses' hooves and the rattle of carriage wheels shook the ground. There's a lot of them.

We had anticipated that possibility and planned for it, but I'd still hoped for a smaller number. There would be fewer guards that way.

Ellery shifted on the branch as I contemplated calling this off. We would have come a long way just to back out, but many things could go wrong.

I didn't want to lose anyone here, and I especially didn't want to lose her . I tried to hate her, but it was more difficult than I'd anticipated.

If I gave the signal now to call it off, then we'd be losing our first and best opportunity to strike against our oppressors. If I backed down because of her every time we had a chance to go at them, we'd never break free.

That couldn't happen. Gritting my teeth together, I resolved to see this through. I would make sure Ellery and everyone else got through this, and when we did, it would be with a good chunk of Ivan's money.

Pulling on my hood, I grasped the rope beside me and waited for the caravan to come into view.