Chapter 79

CHAPTER SEVENTY-NINE

Ellery

I scrambled to get my feet back on the roof while Ryker leapt onto it and ran toward me with a grace that should have been impossible given our current conditions.

No! Go back!

I almost shouted the words at him, but we'd all agreed not to speak. It was doubtful anyone would recognize our voices, other than maybe Ryker's, but it wasn't a chance worth taking. Besides, my voice would give away I was a woman, and that secret was better kept… for now.

An arrow skimmed Ryker's shoulder and sliced across his flesh, but it did nothing to deter him as he held his hand out to me. I was afraid to stand and scared of the arrows flying around us, but I didn't hesitate to take it.

Ryker pulled me off my feet and put me in front of him. "No," I whispered.

I'd broken our vow not to speak, but he couldn't keep himself fully exposed. At least if I was still unprotected, we'd provide two targets for their arrows and a distraction.

He didn't say anything as he wrapped his arms around me, lifted me, and ran toward the front of the carriage. I almost told him that he should at least hunch over and make himself a smaller target, but he was moving faster this way and had to get away from the arrows.

The jarring impact of the wheels bouncing off the ground and the speed we traveled had to be difficult for him to navigate, but he didn't show any signs of it. We were almost to the front when his body jerked forward, and he grunted.

A scream of anguish strangled in my throat as I restrained myself from turning to look at him. He'd been shot. However, I couldn't help him while the carriage careened recklessly onward.

When Ryker dropped me over the front, I landed on the driver's seat and scrambled to undo the reins he'd tied around the seat. Ryker joined me and twisted so his back didn't touch the carriage.

"Are you okay?" I demanded as I succeeded in tugging the reins free.

"Get us out of here."

Pain radiated from his voice, but I couldn't look at him as I tried to regain control of the animals. If I stopped now, we were as good as dead.

Shouts came from the remaining guards behind us; branches and trees broke as some of them had taken their mounts into the woods to avoid the rope and pursue us, but some had to remain behind with the rest of the money… or so I hoped.

I didn't know what had become of the others. I knew the rest of the plan and could only hope they'd succeeded in either opening a portal out or hiding in one of the many pits we'd dug for them to do so.

If the guards captured any of them, we could only hope they would keep Tucker's encampment a secret. Many would cave beneath the torment sure to follow their imprisonment, but we'd needed help to pull this off, and if we were to become an army, then we all had to work together and trust each other.