Scarlet

He sighed. “All right. Let’s be quick, and I’ll buy you a drink at Tuck’s after.”

“Deal.”

The others left, and me and Rob split the bag in two and started at opposite ends of Edwinstowe. It were two long rows of houses, with a big well in the middle and a church by the well, and more houses clustered there. There weren’t no village gates, just a big barn where they all kept their livestock. I started at the far end, and Rob started at Tuck’s end. This weren’t the type of delivery that I could just drop off, so I knocked quiet at every door, passed a handful of coin, enough for taxes and some food besides. Most were fair grateful, but some were more gruff ’bout it, and that were fine. I got that sometimes pride got in the way of things.

I got through maybe ten houses, which weren’t much—there were about thirty-and-five houses to go—when I heard a whish.

I turned in time to watch a branch slam my side, knocking me to the ground beside a house. The air ran from my chest and I couldn’t take none in. My nails clawed at the ground, but someone flipped me over, ripping back my hood.

“Thom?” I gasped. Pain shot through my chest, and I couldn’t breathe in. He grabbed my hair, dragging me back over the ground.

My eyes ran as I tried to breathe in, huffing Rob’s name and twisting against Thom’s hold. He dragged me behind the house by the woods, rocks cutting and scraping as I went. I managed a little breath, enough to fuel my rage and swing a kick to his knee. He crashed down, falling on top of me and knocking the air out again.

“Have it your way, then,” he said. “Gisbourne said I only had to stall for a few minutes, and this is as good a way as any.” His fingers dug in my hair, and his legs were pinning my legs down, one of his arms trapping mine.

“Bastard,” I hissed, snapping my forehead up to slam his.

He roared in pain and slugged me ’cross the mug. I punched him one back, grabbing for a knife, but he took my wrist and wrenched my arm up, holding both my arms above my head. I flopped angry like a caught fish, my hair flying out everywhere.

“How could you?” I asked. “Gisbourne?”

His free hand fisted in my shirt and jerked, tearing the fabric down the front. “He pays well! But there are certainly some benefits to the position.”

His hand grabbed my bits over the muslin, and I spat at him. I jerked up, headbutting him again. If he thought I were going to be some helpless lass, he were dead wrong. His eyes closed in pain, and I snapped my head against his nose once more.

“Rob!” I shrieked.

Thom twisted and yelled in pain, enough to free my leg to knee his male bits. He wrenched up and I drove my little fist through his jaw. Then the damn fool collapsed, pressing all his weight straight on top of me. I tried to move him, but he were out cold.

“Rob!” I shrieked again. “Hurry!”

I angled to lever my leg out, and I heard crunching in the lane. I pushed him off me, standing to meet Rob.

But it weren’t Rob’s shape I saw. It were Gisbourne up near the road, casting his shadow on me from between the houses. He chuckled, and I froze.

“I knew as soon as Thom mentioned your eyes. Before that, I didn’t dare hope,” he said, his smile gleaming like a wolf’s. “But when he said you had eyes like moonstones, I knew I’d found my wayward girl at long last. So they call you Scarlet now, do they? How ironic that you ran so far from your old life and named yourself for your expensive ribbons.” He walked closer. “What, no sweet words for your fiancé?”

My back were pounding with pain and I steadied myself on the house. A shadow were moving closer to me from behind the house, and I could only pray it were Rob and not Gisbourne’s men. I spat on the ground, showing Gisbourne my teeth like some wild animal.

“Wonderful,” he said. “My dear girl has become a heathen. Well, I’m sure it will be entertaining to break you of your bad habits.” He tilted his head. “I see your last punishment healed nicely. Hopefully it will make you think better of leaving me again.”

“You’re a monster,” I snarled. “And I will never stay with you.”

“You made me a monster!” he roared. “You think I have nothing better to do than roam around London at the last mention of you? To scour the country for you? You haunt me, you little she-devil, and I won’t tolerate being left. So I’ll be a monster until you’re mine, in marriage or in death.” His eyes blazed. “Maybe both.”

Rob came from behind the house before Gisbourne could come closer, grabbing my hand and yanking hard. My legs moved without never being told, running with him. “Rob, the gold!” I cried, seeing it spilled on the ground and pulling back on his hand.

He didn’t even mark me, just plowed on, dragging my hand like a tether and running into the dark woods as Gisbourne called his men to follow us. I heard Gisbourne laughing as we ran, and the sound rattled around in my mind.

Rob ran like he’d never tire, like demons were chasing him, with his hand clamped on mine like an iron shackle. His jaw were tense and hard, his eyes set forward like a hawk’s. My legs and strength were crumbling beneath me, but I kept moving if only to keep my hand in Rob’s as he wove a wild track through Sherwood. I couldn’t tell if we lost Gisbourne or if he never followed us to start with.

When we got to the cave, he let me go, and I found I were shaking hard. My shirt were all shredded in back and torn in front, and there were a sticky heat on my back that my tangled hair were sticking to. I clutched the shirt to me and it fell apart in my hands.

I sank to the ground and curled over my knees. My back skin stretched and I yelped with the pain.

“Here.” Rob handed me a cloak. “Hold it to your front; your back’s a mess.”

He trotted into the cave, getting the kit. Our supplies were fair dwindling; I’d have to steal more soon. He sat behind me, and his fingertips touched the muslin. My back bunched up against him and he let go, pushing my hair over my shoulder. I could see pieces of fabric shiny black with blood.

The first pull of the cloth from my ripped skin were like fire. I clutched the cloak tighter, shuddering. He plucked out bits of dirt and rock, and every touch seared. Water were leaking from my eyes. I didn’t make a sound, though. I just heard Gisbourne laughing over and over in my head like a sick ballad.

“Try to stop shaking, Scar,” he said. He didn’t sound gentle, like usual, but tight and hard.