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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

WHEN IT HAPPENED, IT happened fast. Three black shapes moved across the distant hillock, wiggling just enough in what Guy assumed was a wild waving of their arms. He gave the word and backed down from the ridge, with Devon and Ferrers following suit. They each selected one of the unwieldy halberds they had brought with them, planting the base of the long shaft in their saddle’s stirrup. Neither had any training in such a weapon, but they only needed to ride with it, to give the impression of a mounted assault. It would look awfully threatening from a distance, and panic the thieves as FitzOdo and the others attacked from behind.

Guy heaved himself to his own mount, a black palfrey named Merciful. She awaited his command, happy to ease up over the ridgeline to begin their descent. It was a long slope of pitted heather down to the camp, which made a gallop impossible. Guy’s thighs were already bruised from the amount of riding they’d done in the last day, so he could barely feel whatever more damage he was doing to them now. It wouldn’t matter once this was over.

He screamed from the bottom of his lungs, and was rewarded with the sight of four black shapes darting out from under the overhang. He was too far away to identify their faces, but the smallest one at the edge with long hair must have been the girl, Elena. Two others were men, but none of their shapes seemed to match the massive John Little, or the young knifeman.

The fourth shape was taller—Robin of Locksley. Guy had given Locksley every opportunity to position himself on the right side of the law, and he’d thrown it away to follow in his father’s traitorous steps. What came next was anyone’s guess.

The bodies scattered, stumbling, two of them diving back into their camp, but Eric and Reginold were there to meet them. Every hoofbeat brought Guy closer, able to see more details. Reginold put an arrow through one man’s thigh and then tackled him, pinning him to the ground by sitting on his chest. Eric caught the other, spinning him around in his tracks and smashing the hilt of his sword into the man’s face.

Guy didn’t even flinch at the violence. Baron de Lacy’s asinine command had been to leave them unharmed, an instruction so meritless he had not even given it to Guy in person. He lent his voice to William de Wendenal, the king’s stooge, rather than let Guy fulfill the duties of his position. That command had nearly cost them lives at Thieves Den, and Guy would not suffer to let it hinder them again. If the Baron reprimanded him for anyone harmed here, Guy wouldn’t care. His men’s lives were not worth taking chances.