My mouth fell agape. Who would tell him that it’s me?
“How do you know it’s her?” someone asked. “Everyone stolen from says it was a boy.”
“She may or may not be the thief, but even if she is not, she is still an outlaw,” the king said.
“Why?” someone in the back of the crowd asked.
“She has killed two people, I have a witness for that,” he said. “She murdered Nick Terrell and William Bohen.”
I saw William open his mouth to protest that he was alive and I slapped a hand over it, shaking my head and mouthing ‘wait.’ He nodded, his eyes sparkling with anger, and I took my hand away slowly, ready to put it back so he wouldn’t alert them we were here. He’s alive, and I’m the newly made outlaw. That would not end well.
“Have you seen the bodies?” someone asked.
“No,” the king said, “but they have not been spotted for days, and the witness says that she dumped them in the river not far from here, and he couldn’t find them when he went looking.”
“Who is this witness?” I heard someone ask.
“I am the witness.”
My eyes widened and my mouth fell open as I looked at who spoke. It was Him. But—I killed him, he was dead. No pulse, no life. He had returned to the Evil One! How could he be standing up there now, alive as ever? I could see the wound from the arrow going through his skull, steadily healing along with every other injury I had given him. I could suddenly feel every wound he had given me; the busted shoulder, the broken foot, the crushed fingers, they all hurt.
“I saw her murder them in cold blood,” he said, and I shook the thought of the injuries. “She slit their throats from behind and dumped them in the river. I—I looked for their bodies…but it was to no avail.”
He must’ve spent a long time perfecting that lie. He should be the outlaw, not me! He’s done so many terrible things, including Nick’s murder. Why does he even want me to be an outlaw? So I’m dead? But wouldn’t he want to be the one responsible for my death?
“She shall be killed on sight,” the king said, holding the paper up to the tree and motioning to the guards. One of them stepped forward and handed him a nail and hammer, and he secured it to the trunk. “The reward is fifty gold coins.”
He left after that and everyone else followed, leaving William and me alone in the tree. I checked to make sure everyone was really gone and slithered down the trunk, then walked over to the paper with my name on it. I’m really an outlaw now; I can’t stroll into town whenever I feel like it anymore. And what about William? Why would he say that he’s dead when he’s not? He could’ve just blamed Nick’s death on me, but he chose to say they’re both dead. But…why?
“So I’m just dead now.”
I turned and my gaze landed on a confused looking William, reading over my criminal poster.
“I guess so,” I said, turning back to look at it as well. “But why?”
“So you wouldn’t be able to go near anyone,” he said.
“But I have my cloak, and I’m really wondering why he’d say you’re dead,” I said. “What does he have to gain from that?”
“I have to stay in the woods and hide now, or come out in the open and clear your name. Let him know where you are.”
I have to admit, that makes sense. The thought of hurting his family, though…they’d think he’s gone, murdered by me, and his body may never be found. They’ll hate me for something that didn’t even happen, but them hating me is not what troubles me. The fact that they think he’s dead does.
YOU ARE READING
For the Love of Robin Hood
Fantasy**Second book in the Robin Hood trilogy** Robin and William have spent the past couple weeks fooling around and playing games like Hunt, thinking the threat is gone completely. Little do they know that he is not dead, that he was granted more lives...
