“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.

I curled tighter, and my back hurt worse.

He finished plucking things and started rubbing salve into my back, and I buried my face in the cloak as tears poured out. It hurt; it felt like pain on top of pain.

“Here,” he said, and I hadn’t even realized he had stopped rubbing until I saw him in front of me. He stripped off his shirt and bunched it in one hand, pressing it to me. I looked up at him with my wet face, and his jaw muscles rippled. I took the shirt with a shaking hand, pulled it over me gingerly, and then handed him the cloak. His look were more like a glare. “No. Put it on.”

I obeyed, chewing my lip. “Rob, I’m sorry ’bout the coin—” “Stop.”

I stopped.

“Don’t you say anything.”

I blinked.

“I don’t think I can listen to anything right now. Not after that. Not after seeing you, your shirt all torn like Thom—” His mouth tightened like a drawstring. “And then hearing Gisbourne say fiancé.”

I were trembling so hard I felt like my belly were rattling loose. “Rob—”

“Not. A. Word.” He shook his head, and his eyes went shut. “I just don’t know which one is making me feel like this, like I’m going to vomit up my organs. Did Thom hurt you?”

I shook my head, too scared to speak.

He pointed a finger at me. He weren’t facing me but standing sideways, his arm stretched straight out and his chest bare. “And you’re Lady Marian Fitzwalter, aren’t you? Lord Leaford’s younger daughter. Gisbourne’s intended.”

I clutched the cloak tight, frozen inside and out.

“Answer me!” he snapped.

I nodded. He looked away from me and my eyes stung like they’d been whipped, but truth were, I were crying. Crying like the stupid girl I were. My whole body were beating with pain, and it felt like someone were pressing their thumbs into my eyes.

He nodded, going into the cave and finding a tunic that looked foolish without a shirt. “Don’t move,” he ordered as he walked back out and headed toward the woods.

“Where are you going?” I asked, a hiccup escaping. I pushed my face into my hands. I didn’t want to look at him.

“To warn the others. If Thom’s a traitor, Gisbourne will be on them soon. Stay here.” He took a step. “No, go to Tuck’s. Have him hide you. If I see you sitting in the tavern, I swear I’ll murder you myself.”

I ran all the way, letting the wind pull my tears away. Tuck put me in a small room at the inn, and I curled in a corner, taking the blanket from the bed and wrapping it around me. I twisted up over my knees and sobbed. It felt like losing Joanna all over again, like the only thing that loved me in the world were dead and gone.

An awful long time went by before someone knocked on the door. I jumped.