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Chapters (76)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Notice
  3. Dedication
  4. PROLOGUE
  5. PART I
  6. ONE
  7. TWO
  8. THREE
  9. FOUR
  10. FIVE
  11. SIX
  12. SEVEN
  13. EIGHT
  14. NINE
  15. PART II
  16. TEN
  17. ELEVEN
  18. TWELVE
  19. THIRTEEN
  20. FOURTEEN
  21. FIFTEEN
  22. SIXTEEN
  23. SEVENTEEN
  24. EIGHTEEN
  25. NINETEEN
  26. PART III
  27. TWENTY
  28. TWENTY-ONE
  29. TWENTY-TWO
  30. TWENTY-THREE
  31. TWENTY-FOUR
  32. TWENTY-FIVE
  33. TWENTY-SIX
  34. INTERLUDE
  35. PART IV
  36. TWENTY-SEVEN
  37. TWENTY-EIGHT
  38. TWENTY-NINE
  39. THIRTY
  40. THIRTY-ONE
  41. THIRTY-TWO
  42. THIRTY-THREE
  43. THIRTY-FOUR
  44. INTERLUDE
  45. PART V
  46. THIRTY-FIVE
  47. THIRTY-SIX
  48. THIRTY-SEVEN
  49. THIRTY-EIGHT
  50. PART VI
  51. THIRTY-NINE
  52. FORTY
  53. FORTY-ONE
  54. FORTY-TWO
  55. FORTY-THREE
  56. FORTY-FOUR
  57. FORTY-FIVE
  58. INTERLUDE
  59. PART VII
  60. FORTY-SIX
  61. FORTY-SEVEN
  62. FORTY-EIGHT
  63. FORTY-NINE
  64. FIFTY
  65. FIFTY-ONE
  66. FIFTY-TWO
  67. PART VIII
  68. FIFTY-THREE
  69. FIFTY-FOUR
  70. FIFTY-FIVE
  71. FIFTY-SIX
  72. EPILOGUE
  73. AUTHOR’S NOTE
  74. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  75. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  76. Newsletter Sign-up

A sharp cry of pain wrested their attention to Captain Gisbourne. Elena was biting into his hand, which he’d clearly been using to quiet her. He released her and smashed the back of his other hand across her face. She went tumbling, stumbling back to the hearth side of the room, leaving only Scarlet isolated between the two parties. His blades were out, level, but unmoving.

For a moment everything stilled, all eyes on Will Scarlet, silent. No one wanted to test him. Robin was behind him, and had only one chance to end this now.

“Will—” he whispered, but instantly it all burst again.

Scarlet feigned toward Robin with one blade, then hopped in the other direction, cutting through the air, a third slash followed, a tornado of steel, and the guards recoiled from the onslaught. The first man to find an opening lunged deep, but Scarlet captured his enemy’s sword with both knives, then threw it back as he brought his knee into the man’s ribs. Robin was on him now, terrified of being caught by an errant swing, but the guards swarmed in, too. The largest of them locked Scarlet’s arms from behind and picked him up, dragging him away as his legs kicked into the empty air.

Robin spotted Gisbourne at the perimeter, nursing the bite in his hand, and made for the opportunity. With Scarlet subdued, Gisbourne might call his men down, but he needed to give the command. Robin vaulted a slab of rubble to find a path to the captain, and instantly yelped like a pup as his injured leg gave way beneath him. He winced and keeled over, furious at himself for forgetting his handicap. For a moment he could do nothing but watch.

Elena had engaged several Guardsmen, her face lit up with excitement. She was the joyous heart of a whirlwind. She slashed low, caught one guard’s sword and used it to capture a second, then pushed herself back, her boots sliding purposefully in the loose dirt. A hairy guard came down high onto her, but she slipped underneath him, grabbed his beard, and yanked his face down as she smashed her knee into his teeth. She screamed as loud as he did—hers a shrill war cry and his in toothless bloody horror. She enjoyed her victory for only a split second, as William wrapped his arm around her waist from behind and picked her up like a child. She squirmed and wriggled but he threw her away from the melee as if she were nothing.

Both sides were clambering back to their feet, and one single glance with William said everything. Robin abandoned his attempt to talk to Gisbourne. In a breath he was up again and next to William in the middle of the room. They turned back to back, and in symmetry they eased their longswords from their scabbards.