“How gentlemanly of you.”
Sparks flew from my fingertips as I drew energy from the ground before subduing it. “You’re trying to bait me into a fight; it won’t work.”
“I’m not trying to bait you into anything. I’m pointing out the truth.”
I released a harsh, brittle laugh. “That word, coming from your lips, is amusing, considering you don’t know what it means.”
Energy shot up from the earth; it encompassed her fingertips before rising to her wrists. “I lied and was wrong for it, but I became the Hooded Robber to help others. I kept the truth from you because I knew you wouldn’t forgive me. I was also afraid you’d turn me in.”
“And why did you keep the truth of my father from me?”
“To protect you and everyone else I love!”
“I don’t need your protection from him. I’ve survived him for three hundred and fifty-two years.Allthose years were without you.”
“If I had come to you with the truth and told youeverything, what would you have done?”
“We’ll never know because it didn’t happen. You didn’t trust me enough to do so.”
“I trusted you! But I was… no, Iamterrified of him. Look at everything he’s done already; I know he can do so much more! I didn’t want to hurt you.”
“Then you’ll be happy to hear you didn’t.”
She recoiled a little, and the lie tasted bitter on my tongue, but I wouldn’t let this woman know how deeply she’d cut me.
“I’m happy about that, then,” she whispered.
Some energy faded from her wrists, but it continued sparking across her fingertips. I felt an answering pull inside me to connect with that power, but I quelled it.
“You know, Tucker didn’t go to you either when he needed help, but you’ve forgiven him for it,” she said.
“There’s a big difference between you and Tucker.”
“And what’s that?”
CHAPTERFORTY-FIVE
Ryker
I wasn’tin love with him.
The words were on my tongue, but I kept them to myself. I didn’t trust her with them and would never give her more ammunition to use against me. “I wasn’t fucking Tucker.”
“Oh, so you expectallthe women you fuck to come to you whenever they have a problem. That’s good to know. I must not have gotten the notice, but I’m sureallthe others have. Given everything happening in Tempest, I’m surprised there isn’t a line of women from your castle to here. That girl from the bordello the other day and the one from when I robbed your carriage might besomewhereamongst it.”
I suppressed a smile as her eyes darkened toward black. Despite resolving to remain as distant from this woman as possible, her jealousy amused me.
I’d forgotten how blunt Ellery could be; it was one of the reasons why I’d believed she was always so truthful with me. She never held anything back, even if it could get her killed.
But she’d held alotback.
“Oh, honey, that line would be much longer,” I drawled.
“You’re an asshole.”
“That’s true, and I’ve never denied it. However, you’re a liar, and while neither of us likes it, wewillwork together to do some good for this realm. So, let’s see what you have.”
She didn’t need me to tell her twice as she lifted a hand and unleashed a bolt of lightning that cracked like a whip off her fingertips. I had to move my head to the side to avoid it skimming my cheek as it slashed across the clearing and smashed into a tree behind me.
