“You’re supposed to be hanged on Sunday morning, you know.”

Scarlet’s voice was small and dry. “Go to hell.”

“There will be an execution for you, yes, an extravagant affair. Too much pomp if you ask me. Sadly, you won’t be attending. We’ll kill you in the morning instead, just a quick knife to the throat. This is the last time you’ll be out of your cell. We probably won’t bother feeding you anymore.”

Scarlet breathed in, the air rattled from his lungs. “I could eat your heart.”

“You could!” Guy laughed. “You could pull those bars apart, rip my body open and eat my heart, right here. By all means, be my guest. It is ever so close.” Guy tapped his chest, only a few feet away from the young outlaw, who still refused to face him.

Bitterly, “If you have a heart at all.”

“That would be a risk you’d have to take.” Guy stared at the back of Scarlet’s head. “It’s also possible you wouldn’t recognize one. Perhaps I’m mistaken, but you’re the one in prison for murder.”

That did it. With more strength than he’d pretended to have, Scarlet twisted his body around with precision, his head low, eyes locked on Guy.

“You’re really going to look me in the eye,” his face was half-bruised, “and tell me you’re not a murderer?”

Murderer. The word struck too hard. A murderer plans his kill, he intends to do violence upon another. The blood that Guy had spilled was not intentional. But if it made Will Scarlet angry, then Guy would talk about it.

He needed him angry.

“The child.”

“His name was Much.”

“I know.” How many times had Guy replayed that moment, wondering if he could have stopped himself? “I don’t suppose you would believe how I regret that.”

Will’s face quivered. “It didn’t look like you had a problem with it at the time.”

He swallowed, preparing for what he had to say.

“Let me ask you,” he started, shaking his head to stay focused. “Do you blame yourself for what happened? For bringing that boy?”

Will snorted. “No.”

“And why not?”

“Because we were trying to do the right thing. We were—”

“I know,” Guy raised his hand gently, to quiet him. “Let me say something?”

Will’s eyes flickered.