“No, he hates me. At one time, he cared for me, but even then, I’m not sure it was love. Now, he can barely stand to be anywhere near me.”
Scarlet rolled her eyes. “Sure, that’s why he spends every night with you.”
“He does that because he believes that, as the Hooded Robber, I can help him rally the support of the commoners.”
“That’snotthe only reason he does it, and you’re a fool if you think it is.” Scarlet jabbed her finger at the notice in my hands. “You can’t do this, and you have to talk him out of it too. You’re the only one who can.”
I stared at the words before lifting my head to take in the woods once more. Mentally, I tried to plot the caravan’s course through the realm.
They would most likely start on the other side of Tempest, in Carthaway, as it was the closest to the palace, and make their way to Nottingshire. They’d save The Hollows for last, as it was the largest town in the realm, and the king would want everyone there to see the full might of his power.
“It’s next week,” I murmured, “and only two days before the Earl of Oakley’s ball.”
I’d much prefer not to go, but we’d been invited, and my mother said we couldn’t refuse. I was stunned when the invitation arrived. I was sure the earl didn’t want to invite the woman who had been arrested and her wayward daughter to his home.
I suspected the duke had a hand in us receiving the invitation, which only made me dread it more. If the duke was somehow involved in this, then it would be more miserable than the king’s coronation. I was sure he planned some way to humiliate me or my mother.
Even after discussing this with her, she still insisted we go. To refuse would be rude and might invoke backlash from the earl. It would piss off the duke if we ruined his plans.
Besides, as my mother pointed out, we didn’t know the duke was involved. Despite her arrest and obvious spiral toward poverty, we still had a small position in this realm. It would have gotten us invited before and might have this time too.
I didn’t trust anything about it and prepared myself for the worst.
“That’s not enough time to plan a robbery,” Scarlet said, “and this could be a trap, one laid out for you.”
But it was enough time… if we devoted the next week to making it happen. I didn’t say that; she was apprehensive enough already.
“The Hooded Robber has been retired for months,” I reminded her. “They’re not hunting him anymore… or at least not with the same intensity as before.”
“True, but this is still a bad idea.”
She was right, but there was no way I would stay out of it if Ryker decided this might be the perfect opportunity to strike. Our relationship might be one of the most complicated things I’d ever endured, but I would stand by his side for this… even if it got us killed.
CHAPTERSEVENTY
Ryker
After sunset,I traveled to where I’d meet Ellery and waited for her to arrive through a portal. She emerged five minutes later.
She looked a lot better than a few weeks ago. She hadn’t regained all her weight but had gained lean muscle from our training.
However, shadows still circled her eyes, and I suspected she wasn’t sleeping well, even after all the work we were doing together and her labor at the manor. Her eyes still didn’t shine as bright as they used to, but some of the sparkle had returned to them since her mother was freed.
“Did you see the notice about the taxes?” I asked.
She closed her portal before responding. “I did.”
“Do you need more carisle to pay them?”
“No, we still have enough left for this round of taxes, but we’ll probably need something soon. For now, we’re getting by.”
I could only imagine how much they’d scrimped and saved to make that money last this long, but I didn’t ask about it. Ellery and her mother had a lot of pride; they would rely on me as little as possible, and I didn’t blame them.
“Do you know any details about what will happen when they come to collect the taxes?” she asked.
“Ivan’s going to run a dozen or more carriages through all the towns and all the homes and businesses on the outskirts of them. As the caravan progresses, it will collect his money before returning to the palace.”
“How do you know that?”
