He stared at me for a minute more before looking at Scarlet. “I’m with Lery,” Scarlet said.
Ryker blew out a loud breath. “Okay, this is your choice. I’ll open a portal and go first.”
Despite still being slightly irritated with him, I stepped closer, rose on my toes, and kissed him. “Be careful.”
Before I could move away, he dragged me against his chest and claimed my mouth in a kiss that left me breathless.
“Aww,” Ianto sighed. “They’re so cute when they’re not contemplating killing each other.”
Tucker snorted a laugh as Ryker released me. I swayed on my feet a little before smiling stupidly at him.
He kissed the tip of my nose. “You be careful too.”
CHAPTER EIGHTY-ONE
Ryker
Nottingshire was busierthan normal when I emerged from my portal into an alley alongside Main Street. I couldn’t open a portal in the road or on a walkway in case someone was coming with a horse or walking there.
I couldn’t take the chance of getting hit while I was weighed down with my pouches of carisle, especially since we’d labeled each of them with an HR for Hooded Robber.
Main Street was full of amsirah rushing about. From their booths, merchants hawked their wares, but few amsirah stopped to purchase their goods; many didn’t have the extra carisle for anything more than the necessities anymore.
Harnesses jingled as carriages rattled past. The clip-clop of the horses’ hooves beat out a steady rhythm on the road as the sun baked its surface.
An immortal with his face painted white juggled ten balls on the side of the road. No one tossed him coins, but I threw a couple into his hat.
“Thank you, milord,” the man said without taking his eyes off the balls.
I moved on to purchase a sweet bun from one of the merchants; I leaned against a wall while I ate it and studied the dirty, sullen masses with hollow cheekbones and bellies who radiated desperation. Hopefully, I could ease a little of that for some of them today.
When I started walking again, I released two purses when I was sure no one was watching me. A passing child scooped up one; they giggled as they ran past me. The other would find a new home soon enough.
As I strolled along, I studied the crowd while listening to them. When they spotted me, many grew silent, but the ones who didn’t see me gossiped over what they’d heard about the earl’s ball.
Though the rebels had lost, their excitement over the king looking like a fool again so soon after the robbery, and this time so had the earl, was palpable. Their words were almost frenzied as they huddled together.
Between the robbery of the king’s money and now this rebellion, these poor, broken masses finally had some hope. And soon, they would have more money.
When I dropped another purse, I spotted Ellery and Scarlet on the other side of the road. They stood before a merchant booth, smiling as a man handed them two cups of flavored ice.
They turned away from the booth, and the crowd swallowed them. My heart smashed against my ribs when I lost her; I hated the idea of her doing this right now, even if she and Scarlet did have the most experience.
She’d just lost her mother, and no matter what she said, her mind wasn’t completely in on this. It could prove to be extremely dangerous, if not lethal, for her.
I flexed my fingers to ease the building tension constricting my chest. If I didn’t get myself under control and focus on what I was doing, this could prove dangerous for me too.
Taking a deep breath, I strolled further down the road. I watched for Ellery, but most of my attention remained on the amsirah and my mission to ease their burdens.
I was halfway down the road when booming shouts filled the air. Amsirah cried out as they scrambled to escape the large contingent of horses, guards, and sheriff’s men traversing the street.
Carriage wheels clattered over the ruts in the road as the group rode on. “Get out of the way!” someone bellowed.
The crush of amsirah scrambling to get off the road pushed me into a building. They were all focused on the riders, which allowed me to remove three more purses and toss them at the feet of the townsfolk.
No one noticed them or me. They were too focused on the roadway and the army rolling past.
“Get out of the way!” a commanding voice boomed.
