Ellery nestled deeper into my arms and sighed.Staring at the sky, I savored the feel of her and the wonder of where our lives had brought us.
However, I’d promised to return her to the party, and I would uphold it.We had the rest of our lives for sex, but only one night of wedding celebrations.
I squeezed her before rising to dress.As we walked back to the encampment with our arms hooked together and Ellery’s head resting against me, I knew I was the luckiest man in Tempest.
It was also time to ensure my luck held out by destroying our enemies.We’d spent the past month focused on surviving, rebuilding, and preparing for winter.
Now it was time to focus on destroying.
CHAPTERNINETY-FIVE
Ellery
Over the nextcouple of weeks, we worked to strengthen the encampment further, prepare for winter, and bring in more of the amsirah who entered the woods in search of something more than oppression.We’d recovered enough from the magnetic storm to focus on expanding.
Farley took Ryker, Tucker, Ianto, Mr.Fletcher, Callan, and me to meet with the camp he’d told us about weeks ago.By the time we arrived, their numbers had swelled to over fifty men, women, and children.There would have been more, but a recent attack of black dogs had wiped some of them out.
Val continued bringing in small groups from the sea villages, and by the time November arrived, our numbers had swelled to over seven hundred.
New tree houses were going up, and everyone trained daily, including the children.They had to be prepared if the encampment was ever found and attacked.
We still had some carisle left from our robbery of Ivan that Ryker wanted to distribute to the towns, but neither of us could do it.Tucker and some other amsirah remained unwanted, so they left to distribute more purses throughout Nottingshire, or The Hollows as the locals called it, due to the many empty bellies there.
We also sent money back with Val to help her family and for her to distribute as she saw fit.She’d spread most of it through the sea villages.
“Your support is still growing,” Val said when we encountered her again.“The amsirah loved learning you’d married, but they’re starting to question if you’ll ever do more or if you plan to hide here.”
When Ryker’s jaw tightened at these words, an uneasy feeling grew in my stomach.I was happy here and didn’t want anything to intrude on that, but we couldn’t lose the support of the amsirah in the towns and villages.
“We will, and soon,” Ryker vowed.“How are things going with my father?”
“He’s a monster, and he’s crushing us all.They’ve takenallthe children over ten, not just the boys.They train them to be soldiers and are holding them as hostages against us.My boy’s only eight, but I’m sure they’ll come for him soon now that your father’s settling into being the ruler.I can’t stay out there much longer; I won’t risk losing him.”
The fear she radiated compelled me to grasp her hands.“No one is asking you to stay out there.If you feel unsafe, bring your son and join us.”
She glanced around the forest.“I will soon, but I’m doing more good by remaining out there.”
I understood her reasoning; that was why I remained at the manor for so long.
“Does my father leave the palace?”Ryker asked.
“Not that I know of,” Val answered.“I’m not close to the palace or the towns.Maybe he goes out and rides around there, but he hasn’t been to the sea villages.He sends his minions to do his bidding.That Gaius Gisborne is a monster.”
Ryker’s nostrils flared at the mention of Gaius.I suppressed a shudder at the reminder of that man with a knife to Billy’s throat and his arms around me.He was a monster, but we weren’t here because of Gaius.
“My father wouldn’t surround himself with anything less than monsters,” Ryker said.
“They’re bringing another caravan to collect taxes,” Val said.
That uneasy feeling in my stomach grew.“Will they take it through the Revenant Woods?”I asked.
I didn’t think the duke would be crazy enough to make the same mistakes as Ivan by bringing that money anywhere near the forest, but I could be wrong.He was determined to exert the same power and control.
“I’d never be privy to that information,” Val said.
“I doubt they will,” Tucker said.“The duke wants to destroy Ryker and draw you out, but he won’t take the chance of being humiliated by coming intoourterritory.”
“No, he wouldn’t,” Ryker agreed.“He also wouldn’t expect us in a sea village.Those communities aren’t anywhere near the Revenant Woods.”
