Selene scowled. They were outnumbered, and she didn’t have her swords with her. And could Cohen even fight?

The tallest highwayman stepped forward. “We want all your valuables,” he said, his voice muffled by the cloth.

“Is that it?” Taegis said.

“Yes.”

“If that is all, then we will accommodate your request.”

As Taegis took a step back to confer with Damien, the leader spoke up again. “Oh yes, and one more thing.”

Taegis’s body tightened as he faced the leader again. Selene pressed closer to hear.

“We also want the woman.”

For one second, the world stopped as Selene stared at the man in black. A trickle of fear spread across the back of her mind, but it disappeared in a wave of anger. Her eyes narrowed and she clenched her hands. Did that highwayman think he could take a lady of Ravenwood? Dart’an! She had come too far, given up too much to be taken by some men hiding out in a forest. These bandits would discover she would not go so easily.

She barely heard Taegis’s answer before the fight started. Her eyes roved across the forest floor as the sound of clanking swords filled the air. She may not have her dual swords, but she still had her skills. All she needed were two medium branches roughly the size and length of her swords. . . .

There. She picked up one stick from between the fallen leaves, then spotted another half hidden in the dense foliage. As she bent down to retrieve it, Cohen yelled, “Lady Selene, behind you!”

Selene jumped to her feet, twisting around with her makeshift swords in full swing.

One of the highwaymen barreled toward her with a rope in hand, but no sword. Good. That meant they wanted her alive.

Selene smiled. The man had no idea what was coming.

She positioned her feet, then brought the wooden weapons in front of her. The moment the man stepped within her reach, Selene swung her right arm down across her body, catching the man across the cheek and sending his face flying to the side. Without stopping, she brought her left one over and struck the area below his rib cage.

The man went down with a groan.

Selene looked over her shoulder. “Cohen! Tie him up.”

Cohen sat frozen, his eyes wide as he stared at her.

“Now!”

He blinked, then moved.

Selene wasted no time to see if the monk was following her orders. Taegis and the others were being overrun and needed her help.

Selene stepped from the tree line, her weapons ready.

Taegis was engaged with the leader and another bandit across the road. Karl pushed another man down the road with a flurry of hits, his height and youth giving him the advantage.

Damien was holding his own against a burly man with thick black hair. The black fabric slipped down from the man’s face to reveal a jagged scar across his cheek and a crooked nose.