“Can I talk you out of this?” my mother asked.
“No.”
“Could Ryker?”
I snorted with laughter. “He already tried and failed.”
Despite my help planning the robbery, expertise in the woods, and perfect success rate, he’d tried to keep me out of this event. There was no way I’d let that happen.
We’d been working together for this, and I wasn’t going to sit on the sidelines because he was having second thoughts about using me. He finally caved when Ianto and Tucker agreed I was an asset they couldn’t turn away, but only after taking me aside so we could discuss it alone. We both agreed I would only use the abilities everyone knew about, which meant no fog or lightning.
Neither of us could use our lightning or the king would know Ryker was involved in the robbery. Even if I was the one who unleashed the lightning, they would assume it was him as he was the only known lightning bearer in the realm.
A knock on my bedroom door shifted our attention to it. My mother opened it to reveal Scarlet on the other side.
“Do your parents know about this?” my mother demanded.
“Oh, they know, and they’re not happy about it. However, they’re prepared to leave if it becomes necessary, like you… I hope.”
“I’m prepared.”
“It’s time for us to go,” I said as I walked toward them. “The sun’s rising.”
My mother remained in the doorway, and for a moment, I thought she might refuse to let me leave, but she stepped aside.
CHAPTERSEVENTY-SIX
Ryker
Perchedin 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 shewashere, 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, andnoone would suspect theduke’sson 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.
