Authors: A.C. Gaughen

Scarlet (27 page)

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exhausted, and weak, and in a fair bit of pain. He turned to Gisbourne and I saw his back. The cloth were punched through hundreds of times in perfect little rows, and my whole body burned.

They had put him on a Judas board. It were a big board punched through with spikes, fi lthy and covered with blood and fl esh, and they had put Rob on it till his skin broke and the spikes pushed into him.

Whether or not it were today, I’d kill Gisbourne for that as well. If he didn’t kill me fi rst.

“On your knees, Hood. ”

“Wait!” I shrieked. This time my voice were above the crowd, and everyone looked at me. The crowd let me through now, and my shaking legs brought me forward to the guards. “Let me through!” I demanded.

Gisbourne chuckled. “Do it. Let the little thief come. ”

Maybe Gisbourne already knew my plan, ’cause he looked like he just swallowed a canary whole and it were singing out his throat.

They parted and I climbed the dais, meeting Rob’s eyes. He didn’t look angry now. He looked lost. I felt lost. I stared at him and my heart broke fresh again. Loving him felt like drowning in his ocean eyes, like a tide I couldn’t hold back, crashing on me again, fi lling me up with hurt and shame and despair. Standing so close to him, all I could think were the hundred things I should have told him long ago. A hundred moments I’d lost because I were scared and weak and shameful. 212-47765_ch01_1P.indd 265

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It were fair twisted, but maybe doing this, maybe this sacrifi ce would make me, for one breath, the person he could love.

“Please tell me you aren’t really here, ” he murmured, hanging his head. “Please tell me I didn’t save your life for nothing. ”

“Needn’t make it so hard, Rob, ” I told him. “I’m getting you out of here. ”

His head jerked up, and it weren’t anger in his eyes. “The hell you are. Not with him, Scar, please. ”

Gisbourne’s eyebrow twitched at this, but he just crossed his arms, all patient-like now that he were getting what he wanted. I looked back to Rob, all my inner bits crowded into my pipes, and I weren’t sure of a single thing. “Do
not
ask me to watch you die, ” I hissed at him.

Rob’s eyes shifted, shimmery blue and wet like rain-slick rocks. “You think you’re going to fare any better?” he whispered. I looked over and saw Ravenna’s blood, and Gisbourne’s sword, dry and thirsty. I shook my head.

“Are you fi xing to join him, or did you have another reason for annoying me?” Gisbourne snapped.

“A deal, ” I said quick, standing in front of him, standing between him and Rob one more time.

His eyes scraped over me. “What could I possibly want from you?”

“The one thing you couldn’t ever get, not by force or my father, ” I told him, and his eyes fl ared bright. “Two words, Guy. ”

The sheriff chuckled. “I believe the lad wants you to marry him, Gisbourne. ”

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“Another reason you need a thief taker, Nottingham, is that your men should have realized long ago that Will Scarlet is merely a girl. ” Gasps ripped through the hall, and Gisbourne laughed. “Christ, no one knew? Not only that, she’s a noblewoman in clever disguise. None other than my delinquent betrothed, Lady Marian Fitzwalter of Leaford. ”

Everyone were staring at me now, but I just raised my chin.

“Well?”

“What are your terms?” he asked.

“Release Robin and Godfrey. Both of them unharmed. ”

He grinned, looking at Robin. “Well, I’ve already harmed him a little. ”

“Do you agree or not?”

“And why shouldn’t I just kill him now, and then force you to marry me?”

“Like I said, Guy, you can’t force me to say the words. And we ain’t married till the words are said. If you want me, this is your only chance. ”

He stepped forward, squeezing my chin between his thumb and forefi nger. He smiled, but he looked more like a dog baring its teeth. “I will make it a living hell for you, Marian. That is, if you last longer than your friend, ” he said, looking to Ravenna. Rob jerked forward, but I stayed still. “Are you willing to submit to me for his life?”

“Robin the Hood, Robin of Locksley, Earl of Huntingdon—

whatever you wish to call him— is the prince of the people, Guy. He is worth more than my whole life. ”

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“Little that’s worth, ” he spat, pushing my chin away. “Call the priest back, ” he ordered.

“Scarlet, ” Rob whispered behind me.

My pulse set to drumming. “Rob has to be away before I’ll say the words, ” I told Gisbourne.

“How do I know you’ll actually say them?”

“You have my word. ”

“I had your word before. ”

“You had my father’s word. Now you have mine; I’ll marry you today, once Robin’s free and clear. ”

He grimaced. “Fine. If not, at least I’ll get to kill you. ”

“This is hardly your decision to make, Guy, ” the sheriff said, wiping his blood-wet dagger on his arm. Guy’s lip curled back, his big head whipping round to glare at the sheriff . “I caught him. ”

“I
hired
you to catch him. ”

“And I’ll catch him again. But this, ” he said, swinging to look at me again, “can’t wait. ”

“You let him go, and I won’t pay you a farthing until he’s dead. ”

Gisbourne chuckled, staring at me, and his teeth shone white.

“I don’t do it for the money. ”

The sheriff ’s mouth twisted into a sneer, but he shut his yap and didn’t stop Gisbourne none.

Gisbourne leaned closer. “If this is a ruse, Marian, you will know the full extent of the pain I can infl ict. ”

“Two women dying on their wedding day sounds lucky, ”

the sheriff mused.

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“Trust me, I’d take a lot longer than just a day to kill her, ”

Gisbourne said, speaking to the sheriff but keeping his evil eyes on me alone.

I glared at both in turn. “I ain’t as easy to kill. ”

Gisbourne looked pleased by this. “I like a challenge. ” The priest appeared, and the sheriff nodded. Gisbourne sighed.

“Very well, let the Hood go. ”

I turned, whipping my arms round Rob before I could think or stop. He hugged me tight. “I’m so sorry, Rob, ” I whispered, my voice breaking.

He gripped tighter. “Don’t do it, please. Please, let’s run. ”

“You can’t run. ” I shook my head.

His hands came on either side of my face, holding me up to him. Waves were crashing in his eyes, sure and strong and sweeping. “You are my whole heart, Scarlet. And this is breaking it. ”

My heart cracked open and clear dropped out of me. My mouth opened, and I looked round me and stamped my foot.

“Does this look like a good time to tell me that, you damn stupid boy?” I meant to sound mean but my voice wobbled.

“Now?”

He gave a little smile. “My foul-mouthed warrior. ”

“Marian, ” Gisbourne said, and it felt like a slap. Shaking, I leaned up and kissed Rob’s cheek, blinking back watery eyes. Hell would rise up to Heaven before I cried in front of Gisbourne, even for Rob. “This isn’t over, Robin. You have an awful lot you need to explain. ”

He squeezed me tight. “Stay alive, Scar, so I can have that chance. ”

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“Go. ”

He slipped away from me and struggled down to the people. Their murmurs rose like water to catch him, and several stepped up to support him, carry ing him like the prince he were meant to be. Guards brought Godfrey forward and let them both go from the hall free. It were a strange thing to see, outlaws walking away without so much as a skirmish. Rob didn’t look back at me, and I felt Gisbourne’s hand close over mine sure as if it were closing over my throat.

“I haven’t a ring for you, but I hope you’ll forgive the oversight. ”

“Nonsense, ” the sheriff cried, pulling the silver band from his fi nger and passing it to Gisbourne. He knelt over Ravenna’s body, pried the band from her still fi nger, and handed it to Gisbourne too. “Someone might as well use them. ”

My stomach disagreed as Gisbourne took it and handed me the man’s ring, still warm from Nottingham’s hand.

“Sh-shall we begin?” the priest asked. His hands on the Bible shook.

“Yes, ” Gisbourne snapped.

The priest’s voice wobbled as he said the ill-fated words for the second time that day. He turned to Gisbourne fi rst, asking,

“Guy of Gisbourne, will thou have this woman to thy wedded wife, will thou love her and honor her, keep her and guard her, in health and in sickness, as a husband should a wife, forsaking all others on account of her, so long as ye both shall live?”

“I will, ” he growled, clawing his short nails at my hand. 212-47765_ch01_1P.indd 270

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“And Marian Fitzwalter of Leaford, will thou have this lord to thy wedded husband, will thou love him and honor him, keep him and obey him, in health and in sickness, as a wife should a husband, forsaking all others on account of him, so long as ye both shall live?”

I waited three breaths, and I felt them rush through my lungs like the last gulps of air before drowning. “I will, ” I said. I felt dizzy. All this time, all this fi ghting it, and I had married him.

“You have the rings?”

Gisbourne nodded, taking my hand and pushing Ravenna’s pretty ring on my fi nger. “I take you, Guy, as my wedded husband, ” I said, my voice shaking. “And thereto I plight my troth. ” Sickness washed over me. I trembled as I put my ring on Gisbourne, and he smiled, big and smug.

“I take you, Marian, as my wedded wife, ” he told me, pulling me closer. “And thereto I plight my troth. ”

“Receive the Holy Spirit, ” the priest told him, kissing Gisbourne’s cheek. Gisbourne turned to me, grabbing my chin in one big paw and pushing my mouth to his. It were hard, so hard my teeth bit my lip, and he pushed his tongue at my mouth but I kept my lips closed tight. He pinched my side vengeful-like, but I didn’t open. He let me go.

“You are now married in the eyes of God, ” the priest said. He sounded mournful.

I didn’t wait longer.

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I pulled away from Gisbourne, turning to the gibbet, but he grabbed my shirt and threw me back. He stamped his foot on my chest. “Running so soon, my dear?”

I drew a knife and snarled, trying to drive it into the tendon at the back of his heel, but he jumped free of me. I whipped up, wincing at the pain in my back, and the sheriff caught me, bringing his knife to my throat.

His beard rubbed my cheek and he laughed. “Gotcha. ”

“Let go of my
wife
, Nottingham, ” Gisbourne growled. I didn’t think Gisbourne could surprise me, but that fair did it. The sheriff too, far as I could tell, because he loosed enough for me to wrench his arm back and slam my head into the bridge of his low-born nose.

Gisbourne slashed his sword at my stomach and I jumped back, hissing as it nicked a light slice. “If anyone’s going to kill you, it’s damn well going to be me!” he bellowed. He had to yell for me to hear him. The townspeople were taking the guards and working them over, trying to get to the dais. The bright colors were running blood black, the wedding shattering into violence.

Maybe there were too much going on. Maybe the fi erce pain, like a fl ame coming from my sliced shoulder, were addling my brain. Maybe the cursed ring on my fi nger meant I weren’t so interested in staying alive anymore. What ever the reason, I weren’t as quick as I should’ve been. I backed up again and tripped over Ravenna’s body, and Gisbourne stepped forward and grabbed my throat.

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He dragged me closer to him, and I tried to regain my feet, but I kept slipping in her blood. He squeezed hard enough to hold me up, hard enough to kill.

I tried to yell, but the sound came out a raw gurgle. He tossed his sword up and snatched it from the air by the blade, his hand protected by his thick leather gloves. I started fl ailing, kicking, and hitting, but I couldn’t get him. And where I could, it didn’t seem to matter— he didn’t notice, couldn’t feel it. “It seems you need a reminder of just what kind of a man I am, Marian, ” he said.

He twisted my head so my left cheek were up, and I drew in a thin little wisp of a breath and tried harder to kick, to stab, to claw.

He pushed the tip of the sword into my cheek, biting deep and drawing a new gash where the old scar had lain. My eyes went starry dark, and without any sound on my lips, I moved them in prayer.

Whether they meant it or not, my band (and I’m fair sure God, too) were still watching my back, because it were just that minute that the whole place rocked with the force of an explosion. He dropped me. My head slammed against the fl oor and the cut on my shoulder from the day before screamed. A cough grabbed my chest as I sucked in a breath, scrambling to my feet. It were chaos. The townspeople had charged the dais, and someone were fi ghting Gisbourne.

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eyes and scrabbling on top of the gibbet. I gritted my teeth as I started to climb up the chain, pain lancing through every bit of me and blood running down my cheek.

“Marian!” he bellowed, so loud his voice shook the chain.

“You are my goddamn wife!”

“I said I’d marry you— I never promised I’d stay with you, Guy!” I spat back.

He felled the farmer he were fi ghting, and I halted on the chain, watching the man fall. My hands were slipping and I held tighter, not sure whether to go down and help or run.

“Scarlet!”

I slipped a bit as I swung to the voice, seeing John thunder through the swinging swords with nothing but his fi sts. “John!”

“Get the hell out of here, Scarlet!” He met Gisbourne and smiled. “I’ve got this under control. ”

I watched John strike a blow that knocked Gisbourne’s sword away, and I shook my head. My husband were a fool. John would trounce him in a moment’s time. Relieved and hurting both, I took my time climbing toward the raf ters.

“Honor, obey?” Gisbourne shouted, grappling with John.

“This is what you call being a good wife?”

I stopped. “I never said I’d be a
good
wife, Guy. Just that I’d marry you. ”

“Guards!” he roared. “Guards! Someone will burn alive for this, Marian!”

But the guards were all fair busy at that point, and no one paid him a bit of mind. I kept climbing.

“You traitorous bitch!” he yelled. “You goddamn liar!”

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