“You’re too late,” Godfrey told me, his voice something mournful.

Ravenna were gone.

Chapter Eight

Godfrey, what have they done with her?”

He hit the bars. “Nottingham came down here after you left, and he saw her. He said she was pretty and then she was just gone. Goddamn you, you coward! You could have fought him off last night; you could have taken us then. This is your fault!”

My hands shook as I picked the lock. Tears were pushing at my eyes and I felt like retching. “I’ll get her free,” I promised him. My voice were a bare squeak. Christ, and the sheriff just lost his mistress to the birthing chamber, if that Alice lass the day before were such.

The door swung open and he charged at me, slinging a punch across my face. I didn’t even bother fighting back. I hit the bars and he hit me again. I fell, and he kicked me. “Goddamn you, Will Scarlet!” he spat.

He stepped back, and I reckoned he were done. I got to my feet. I could bare see straight; my eyes felt like they were rolling loose, and every time they rolled, gunpowder went off in my head. I went to the next cell, and it took me a few minutes too long to pick the lock on that.

“What’re you doing?” the prisoner asked. “Get the lad out of here!”

“We can take six,” I told him. “So we’re taking six.”

I opened four more cells, and by then the pain didn’t feel so god-awful. On my face, at least. There were a sickness I felt that retching wouldn’t cure. Godfrey were right. It were my stupid plan, and I failed them both.

Rob and John came into the prison to meet me. “What’s taking so long?” Rob asked. “Where’s Ravenna?”

Godfrey shoved me from behind, and I fell to my knees. “Ask this miserable vermin!” he roared.

Rob picked me up. Not by the arm, like he’d do with a lad; he took one of my hands in his and with his other arm caught me up by my waist, pulling me to his side and a bit behind him. His voice were steel and his arms sure felt like it. “Do that again, Godfrey, and I’ll lock you back up myself.”

“Nottingham has her,” I told him. My voice felt like I swallowed rocks. “Nottingham wants her.”

“Which one of you is actually the Hood?” one of the prisoners asked, confused.

“Me,” Rob said, lowering his hood.

“Your Grace!” several cried.

John started tossing out the robes he and Rob were wearing. “Let’s go.”

“Like hell,” Godfrey snarled. “I’m not leaving without Ravenna.”

“We’ll get her out,” Rob told him. “We need a plan first, though.”

I shook my head. “I’ll stay. I can’t leave her here. You lot get them out and get back in to help, however you can.”

“Not a chance,” Rob told me, his hold on me tightening, his ocean eyes locking on me and washing out the rest.

“Don’t be a fool, lad!” one of the prisoners told me. “You took too many blows to the head already.”

I glared at him from under my hood, but Rob just held on to me and pulled my hood back, looking full at what Godfrey’d done. Rob’s grip felt full to bruising, and for a moment I didn’t stop him. Any pain at that moment made the sickness feel a little less sick.

“You need to get them out of here, Rob,” I reminded, trying to shake loose of him.

“Not before I kill him,” Robin growled.

I saw Godfrey step back.

“You did this to her?” John roared, pushing Godfrey back from me.

“Her?” Godfrey cried. “That’s a bleeding girl?”

“We need to go!” I yelled, pushing at Rob’s chest.

Rob didn’t budge, his fingers iron bands strapped round my own. “Only if you’re coming too.”

“Fine!” I snapped. I turned to Godfrey, shaking Rob off. “I’ll get her out or I’ll die trying, Godfrey.”

Godfrey’s face twisted but he nodded, and he finished putting on the robe.

I broke away from them like I were supposed to. The only reason I didn’t run hell for leather were because I knew Rob would get pinched coming after me, and he wouldn’t even care. My face felt wet in the open air and I weren’t sure if it were blood or tears.

I kept an eye on them, moving at an equal pace but staying far ahead. When I got to Tuck delivering barrels in the upper bailey, he started yelling at me for running off. He slapped me around, making sport of it when I tried to defend myself, and everyone were watching, never noticing my boys climbing into the empty barrels.

When he pushed me back to the wagon, I sat there, letting the pain wash over me again and again. We got to the guards and I were only a bit aware of Tuck passing them a small barrel of wine for their enjoyment, for which they waved us through ’stead of checking barrels.

Once we hit the woods, I jumped off the wagon and bolted. I went to the only place I knew for sure that no one could follow me, the one place only I could climb to.

I went back to Major Oak. She were covered over with ash and black, but then again, so were I. I climbed up careful, staying to the thick roots of the branches, like the tree were glass and snapping a twig would bring the whole thing down. I hid up high in the cluster of branches where my hammock used to be, high up and alone in the sky, and I curled over my knees and let rivers spit from my eyes. I failed Ravenna just like I failed that crying girl at the castle, just like I failed Joanna. I wanted to help, and all I did were push more girls into horrible scrapes.