Part 4 (1/2)

Angry heat rushed over me, and I raised myself over the edge of the roof. ”What have you done to my father, Gisbourne?” I yelled, even over John swearing at me.

Gisbourne looked up and touched his fingers to his forehead, mocking a bow to me. ”Apparently it's easier than I thought to draw you out, my dear.”

The sight of him made my scar itch. He looked well enougha”a little thinner, but still tall, harsh, clothed entirely in black with spots of silver gleaming from his weapons, his fastenings, his sword belt. I had spent so long fighting this man, running from him, fearing him, and he were here, alone. He almost seemed unimpressive.

I couldn't help peering round him to look for some sort of ambush. I caught sight of Much, and he shrugged and shook his head.

”I'm alone,” Gisbourne a.s.sured. ”I called for Robin to speak to you, in fact.”

”Speak.”

”No pleasantries? Haven't you missed me, wife? Everyone at court was quite devastated to have missed the wedding. I accepted their best wishes on your behalf, naturally.”

”Tell me what you did to my father, Gisbourne!”

”You needn't worry about him,” Gisbourne said. ”Lord Leaford is quite unharmed. I only meant that when I married you I a.s.sumed the land and t.i.tle that were promised in our contracta”something, you'll be delighted to learn, that gave me the right to pet.i.tion the prince for the position of sheriff.”

My heart went to lead in my chest. I hadn't thought of that.

”Which he is coming to Nottinghams.h.i.+re to give to me, within a few days. And when he arrives, you will be living under my roof like a proper, dutiful wife.”

”Like h.e.l.l I will!” I roared.

He threw his head back and laughed. ”I've missed this, sweeting. Witty banter. Well, I needn't remind you of the cruelty I can inflict upon your people as sheriff. Clearly it's even entered your mind what I could do to your parents, your home, and dependents as the rightful landholder. But I won't force you with violence, my love. I will entice you.”

”I doubt that,” I snapped back.

Even through the dusk, his dark eyes glittered fierce. ”We can play these games all I want, Marian, but we both know you don't want to be married to me. You married me to save Robin's life, and I will offer you a bargaina”perhaps the Devil's bargain, as it were.”

He took a breath, still smiling at me.

”I'll annul our marriage as soon as the prince leaves if you live with me while he is here.”

Hope rushed fast like a flood into my chest. An annulment? I could live with Robin without the cloud of sin over us. I could marry Robin.

”You'd kill me,” I said. ”There's no trusting you. The second I was close enough you'd gut me like a deer.”

He shrugged. ”My temper can get the better of me, of course, but I don't intend to kill you. Besides, I recall you telling me you were rather difficult to kill, yes?”

”Why would you even want this, Gisbourne?” I asked. ”It's a fool offer.”

”You have my word that I won't kill you, and that once the prince leaves you will have your annulment. Should you accept, you will dress, speak, act, and be fully disarmed the way a lady befitting your station should. These are my terms, and if you would accept them, you need only come to the castle and join me in my chambers.”

”Tell me why.”

”Why isn't important,” he told me, smiling a little. ”The only thing you need to consider is what you're willing to do to marry your dear hero. Because trust me, love, you'll never get an annulment from me otherwise. And if this doesn't go the way I want and you are not under my roof, when I become sheriff I will have no guarantee for what blood my displeasure will purchase. I'm beinga”what's the worda”kind.” He smirked at me in the darkness. ”You're looking quite fetching these days. I can see your scar from here. Lovely.”

I turned from him, hiding behind the ridge of the roof. He laughed, and it were ghoulish and echoed round me in the dark.

”Feeling shy, love?” Gisbourne taunted.

”She gave you her answer,” Rob said. ”You can go. Unless you would like for us to entice you.”

”Think about it, Marian,” he called. ”All the red ribbons you could want. Though I imagine your hair is a little too short for them since our last encounter.”

Frowning, I pushed my hair off my face. It were wild, never staying tied back since Gisbourne had thought he could use it to hold me and I'd cut it off to be free of him.

I reckoned he left then. I didn't hear nothing more, but I didn't move from the roof none.

John called up to me but it were Robin that climbed the roof, taking my hand. ”You're not going anywhere near him, Scar. We'll find another way.”

I nodded and sniffed, and he tugged my hand and we climbed down, side by side. He held fast to my hand the long way back to the monastery, and I loved it. I wanted him near me more than anything.

He showed me the vial the monk had given him as we took out the bedrolls and set them near the fire. ”He said I'll sleep sound,” he told me. ”You don't have to be afraid of me, Scar.”

I tucked close along his side as he drank it down. ”I weren't never afraid of you, Rob,” I said. It were a lie, I think. But it were truth in the notion that the fear weren't never what I chose to hold to. I loved him more than I feared his dreams.

When we laid our bedrolls out, I nudged mine closer to Rob, and he nudged his closer to mine till they slid together and looked like one bed. When we laid down, his arm slid over my hips and snugged me close, his chin hooked over my shoulder and his breath rushed over my neck, like every bit of him were slipping around me and binding us together. This were what two souls merging into one were meant to feel like.

I wanted to stay awake, to treasure this, to roll it over in my mind till I had picked up every little bit of it, like baling hay. But it were just moments before I fell asleep, safe in his heart.

Chapter Five.

I woke in some strange form of h.e.l.l. The fire weren't all out; it were glowing and red and making red glow around me. But Robin weren't behind me, he were on top of me and screaming. His fist crashed down over my face and I yelled too, finding my legs and bucking him off me. I reached for the knife I kept by my pillow when I saw it flash in his hand.

”Scar!” yelled Much as Rob lunged for me.

I swung my leg down and kicked his out so he fell. The knife skittered and Much ran for it. I jumped on Rob, pinning his arms down. ”Robin!” I shrieked. ”Rob!”

He roared like a gutted animal. He twisted his leg up and kicked me hard in the belly. I fell off him and he followed, slamming his bear paw on my face again. I rolled him, punching him back and hitting him so hard in the face it made pain rush up my arm.

”Scar, get him outside!” Much yelled.

Rob rolled me again, but I were ready this time and tucked both my legs up to push him hard back. I leapt up, dizzy and swimming, and grabbed Much's good hand and ran.

We ran for the door and the night and the snow, and Rob followed us, grabbing my hair as we opened the door.

I swallowed a scream but fought tooth and nail to get outside, letting him crush me into the snow.

The moment the snow hit us he sucked in a hard gasp and rolled off of me. ”Scar?” Much called. ”Scar?”

I pushed up off the snow, and it were stained with red where my face were. I were shaking hard and when I tried, my legs wouldn't hold me none, and I fell to the stone in the cloisters.

Much stripped off his overs.h.i.+rt and stuffed it with snow, bringing it back to me and pressing it to my face. Rob were down the row, huffing and trying to breathe and I couldn't help him. My bones were shaking so hard I thought they'd tear straight apart.

”Don't let him see,” I mumbled to Much. ”Please.”