The Vengeful Robin

by Erica Andrews

  I laughed; the sound surprised me. Then, pretending not to notice her questioning stare, I let her draw me back to the camp for what I was certain would be a tongue lashing from Jon, though not for the reasons Lily thought.

  Jon hated to be pushed back against. And I pushed on everything.

  When Lily kept glancing back, I gave her what she wanted—to rehash my relationship. Lily thought because she was happy, everyone had to be. And she was convinced Jon was my happily ever after. “We’re over, Lily. Have been for months.”

  She paused, then rocked back and forth on her heels. “He doesn't think it's over.”

  My heart lurched. I wished it was true, but I remembered exactly what he’d said to me. “Lily, he can’t commit. He needs time.”

  Halting in her rocking, Lily placed her hands on her hips before tapping her foot, her hair a golden halo around her head. “Oh, don't give me that crap. He said he needed time to think, which let me remind you, you said you wanted, too. You were both freaked out about everything. But when he agreed with you, you got angry and said never mind, that if he needed time, he could have all the time he wanted.”

  Heat rose in my cheeks. I’d forgotten I told her that. Since escaping the castle, I’d been shaky, vulnerable. I’d let her and Jamie get me drunk one night, and it ended with me blubbering and crying over the man I’d lost. “You're right, but if he needed time then I was too messed up to stay around and wait for him. I couldn't watch him flirt or bring other women back to his tent while he took the time to think. Not after what happened back home. I needed steady, unwavering, and… Well, he wasn’t it.”

  Lily frowned, walking closer to me. “Does it help to know he’s just as miserable as you, if not more so? And that, even though you left him, I haven't seen any women going into or leaving his tent?”

  I hiccupped, then laughed. “Surprisingly, it does make me feel better. Thanks, you’re an awesome best friend.”

  She leaned in, pushing me off balance. “Yeah, I know. What would you do without me?”

  I rolled my eyes again. “Let's just get back to camp so I can get my ass chewed.”

  “What were you thinking?” Jon paced inside his tent, running his fingers through his hair.

  I itched to touch those long, silky tresses. Often, after we had sex, he’d lie there as I fiddled with the strands, comforting the both of us.

  “Are you even listening to me?”

  He pulled me from memories better left forgotten, then stopped pacing and stood, staring at me. The little wrinkle between his eyebrows showed easily, broadcasting his irritation to anyone who knew him well enough. I always could gauge his frustration by the way his eyebrows dipped and the furrows between his eyes grew deeper, and right now, they were pretty deep.

  “Sorry, I was just thinking. And by the way, I had everything under control. They’re all dead, aren't they?” I couldn’t help it. My stubborn side forced itself to the fore.

  He tugged at his hair again as the furrows on his forehead deepened even further. “That's not the point, Robin. You should have taken backup. But you had to do it your way and take all the women out there alone, with only you to guard them. One of you could have gotten hurt.”

  He glanced at my leg for emphasis, as if daring me to admit that I had been hurt.

  I waited in silence for him to finish, although knowing that moment was a bit of an inexact science with Jon. Glancing about the room, I stifled a yawn before sitting in the purple upholstered chair by his desk. I elevated my leg, even though I had no need to, since the throbbing had diminished to a mere flutter. As I tried not to listen to Jon’s endless monologue, I shuffled back and forth. If I was going to get in trouble, the least I could do was lounge in comfort.

  In an effort to look casual, perhaps even uncaring and complacent, I threw my other leg over the arm as he continued to pace. The shadows under his eyes stood out in the dimly-lit tent. Having the women we’d rescued hide out in his camp had started to take a toll on him, so, even without the events of today, I was the reason behind those shadows he carried. I’d added to his burden. Someday, maybe I could make it up to him. Now, though, I needed to show him I wasn't a wilted flower, that I wasn't looking for a hero to come save me… again.

  I took a deep breath, ready to interrupt him. “Jon, I'm not a wet-behind-the-ears recruit. I had it handled.”

  He paused mid-stride and glared at me. “You had it handled, did you? And what if they’d taken you back to your uncle? Then what? Would you handle that? Do you want to go back to the dungeon I rescued you from?”

  Three months before, when my uncle threw me in the dungeon, Jon unlocked the cuffs around my wrists. But his constant reminders were wearing a little thin. Even if he hadn't come for me, I could have escaped on my own. It wasn’t as if I’d been waiting around for Jon to be my knight in shining armor.

  In fact, Smite—now my informant—slipped me the key to my freedom during an unexpected kiss moments before Jon arrived. Honestly, Jon just happened to get there before I could use it. I could have easily left without his help… easily. I swear. And his comment about me being taken back to my uncle simply reminded me of another one of the many reasons our relationship never moved past nights in bed. Besides his inability to commit, he never pulled any punches.

  “No, Jon, I don't want to go back. And I don't need to be reminded. I remember in graphic detail what happened to me. But you wouldn't really know, would you?” I pushed myself to standing, careful as I shifted my weight onto my healing leg.

  His gaze dropped to my calf, concern deepening the shadows around his eyes. Just another thing for him to worry about.

  Gingerly, I approached him, aware of his gaze still on my leg. “Do you want me to tell you everything that happened in that dungeon? To get you to understand why I needed time? I was captured, Jon. Beaten.”

  He closed his eyes, regret and pain morphing his face into one full of sorrow. He wasn’t ready to hear any of it. Hell, I wasn’t ready to tell him.

  With a sigh, I stepped back, resigned to things we couldn’t change. “It’s okay that it’s too much for you.” A hollow laugh fell from my lips and his eyes caught mine, the pain reflected there almost surpassing my own. “You need more time... Hell, I need more time. I just don’t have time.”

  He grimaced, and I regretted my quick temper and even quicker tongue.

  Without another word, I hurried to the tent flap. I’d probably undone whatever process had taken place to fix my leg with so much moving about. Still, the treatment would complete its work again. And it would eventually hold if I rested long enough and allowed my body to mend. Curtain in hand, I paused and looked back at Jon. He’d slumped into the now empty chair, his head resting in his hand.

  “Look, I had the situation under control, but if you want me to take someone else along next time...” I paused. “Then I will, but it will be someone I choose.”

  His head tilted up slightly, and I stared into his blue eyes, wishing for something he wasn't ready to give, and longing crept through me. But I couldn’t afford to wait for him to decide, either. Heartbreak lay down that road. “And Jon, even if we can't be together, you need to start trusting me in something—even if it's just my training.”

  Unable to stand there and see him look at me with wanting, I pulled the flap up and left the tent before we could do what we always did. Which was either argue or fall between the sheets. And the latter I wasn’t ready for. We’d already spent far too long running in circles and never reaching one another.

  And I was tired.

  Jon’s tent was just one of a number of similar tents surrounding the main common area. His was possibly slightly grander than any of the others, but only because he was de facto leader of our group of rebels and lost souls.

  The aroma of cooking food wafted to my nose, and my stomach growled in response—healing always made me hungry and slightly sleepy. Women congregated to gossip around the fire where they went about their tasks of mending
clothes, preparing food, and supervising the few small children who ran around. Unfortunately, I wasn't exactly friends with any of them.

  Sure, I’d rescued them, and we had a connection because of circumstances, but to them, I was Princess Robin, and pretty much just a big, bad soldier. So, even with our current shared home, we were still miles apart. I could never be like them, and they didn't want to try being like me. They were content with being rescued and waiting on men to validate them or control their lives and be the key to their happiness.

  Me? Even as a princess, I wanted more, which was why I joined the nation’s army in the first place.

  Now, I wasn't a princess or a soldier. I was just me.

  Robin Locks.

  2

  Smite

  * * *

  “Where is she?”

  Crickets chirped not far from where I waited in the tall grass, and sludge squelched between my boots with every move that I made. Hot and humid, I twisted my neck to get away from the blood-sucking insects that seem to prefer this hellhole to the dry, cool forest. The swarms of mosquitoes were vast this time of the year, and the sound of their wings buzzing past my ear caused me to jerk and twitch like I’d lost control of my body. On the edge of the enchanted lake, I should have known what to expect. The wildlife in this part of the kingdom was always mysterious.

  My hair fell into my face, and I pushed it away while I held back a sneeze brought on by the weeds and flowers that surrounded me and the lovely women in my company. More lovely wildlife. Of course, until a few months ago, I would never have ventured this far from the castle. Soldiers weren't allowed such freedom away from supervision and our chain of command, especially roaming onto this land right here. Jon Little and the old king had been friends of sorts. And if not friends, they’d long since reached an understanding. The old king had gifted Jon a parcel of land to live on as he pleased without interference from the Crown. But that all changed a few months ago. When the king died, his brother, Prince John, now King, failed to uphold his agreements and promises and instead started to make changes that suited his own agenda.

  And with those changes, I made some of my own. In fact, my whole allegiance started to shift. One of the first changes I made was to help Robin and Jon. So, here I was, at our hellhole of a rendezvous point, on the very edge of a sanctuary for those broken by a war-torn country. To my right, I could just glimpse King John’s castle above the trees. To my left, there were only trees, although I knew somewhere deep within the forest, Robin and Jon lived in a campsite full of hidden women.

  Funny, when I first caught a glimpse of Robin, other than far away as the untouchable princess, I never thought I’d aid and abet a criminal. Or that I’d become a traitor to the Crown. I’d always thought of myself as law-abiding—law-enforcing, in fact—but perhaps everyone faced a similar choice when the truth came to light for them and they were forced to make a decision. After Robin escaped the dungeon, that’s exactly what happened to me. I saw things I never expected to, made my decision, faced my own personal day of reckoning… and I became her insider.

  We worked together in secret, helping the girls who’d become part of King John’s collection of castoffs.

  The three women with me remained still, frightened little birds who barely glanced at me, and the mud caking the hems of their dresses dried into cracked, stiff weights. But they were right to be scared. Mere hours ago, we fled the castle in a last-minute rescue attempt, and they weren’t safe until Robin spirited them away to the hiding place. Even then, safe was a stretch. They would simply be safer.

  My skin itched where the bedeviled flying beasts had bitten me earlier, and I fought to stop scratching the constant annoyance. They were larger than most bugs, and their bites burned. Only the soothing ointment made from one of the flowers from this area would help.

  The things I do for this woman… and she has no clue.

  Of course, that was partly my fault. Instead of telling her exactly how much I admired her—admired the strength and beauty she seemed to carry within herself—I promised to help her instead. So, I remained in the castle, watched for her signals, listened for the whispers that told me when the time was right.

  And today, I saw those signals. Heard those whispers.

  The stars had aligned and word from Robin arrived at the exact same time people on the castle patrol had suddenly become ill. Mayhap with help from a certain cook.

  Robin had friends in hidden places, even if she didn't realize it.

  Vulnerable, the guards had scattered toward their rooms, and I took my chance while chaos reigned. No one would miss me or the ladies I took… at least for a while. Once they were done with them, the other soldiers didn't pay attention to the girls they’d broken.

  With darkness covering us, I led the women from the castle to the only place they were safe. The enchanted forest.

  I glanced at the red and orange hues that painted the sky. It was beautiful, but it also meant my deadline drew near. I’d have to wait until nightfall before I returned to the castle. I could make it back quicker alone than when I had other people to worry about.

  It took meeting Robin to realize I needed to help the resistance. I could make a difference I couldn’t make while wearing my uniform and carrying out my usual duties.

  Before Robin was arrested, rumors had always circulated about what was happening behind closed doors. Not that I took stock in what a bunch of men bragged about, but the rumors were always there just the same. Whispered stories told that if soldiers wanted a woman for the night, all they had to do was go find Prince John's castoffs. Even now, it turned my stomach. I understood more than some about what went on with people with darker tastes, which was why I was honest when I told Robin I prefer my women willing. What surprised me was the number of soldiers who didn't care if they were or not.

  Even a week after Robin escaped, I struggled with what they’d done to her and what that could mean for our land. My emotions high, I fought the instinct to go it alone and help the women still being victimized. Until one day, after hearing more bragging around the soldiers’ table at dinner, I finally came to blows with a recruit not much older than me. Anger enveloped me as I shoved the older man against the wall. The terror in his wide eyes stopped me from drawing further attention to myself, and I even straightened his uniform for him—complete with a patronizing pat on his chest to complete my half-assed apology—before I returned to my room… only to discover some of the answers I’d been searching for.

  An arrow, slender and beautifully carved, pinned a brief note to my headboard. The paper fluttered in the gentle breeze from the open window—the window I’d closed before heading down to the mess hall.

  I ripped the paper from under the arrow and turned it over in my hand, but it was unsigned, simply requesting the pleasure of my presence at the enchanted lake. Well, the language wasn’t as flowery, but even without a name, the arrow gave away who it was from, so I could pretend it was an invitation rather than a cursory summons.

  Robin.

  Curiosity strummed through me as I held the letter. I sensed it meant change… change to me, change to others. Fear held me in its grip, but deep down, behind that, sat the relief at finally having a goal. More than a goal. I had someone to guide me.

  Besides small glimpses of her around the castle when she’d still been Princess Robin, the first time I really saw her was when she hung from chains in King John’s newly remodeled dungeon. I almost laughed at the memory. Would have if the situation hadn’t been so dire. She’d been taunting Ramons. Even knowing what he had in store for her, she pressed on, looking pain and death in the face.

  She was magnificent.

  So, when I received her missive, and my heart thundered at the prospect of seeing her again, there was no question… I went.

  * * *

  Now, months later, I sat among the wildflowers and weeds with three battered women, waiting for the signal—for her and her plan that I’d do anything to see c
ome to pass. And I’d continue bringing girls to safety for as long as she wanted me to.

  Chirp.

  Chirp.

  She’d arrived.

  I stood to watch as she crested the hill.

  Looking like a goddess on a battlefield, she was as beautiful and strong as I remembered. A rebel warrior through and through, she wore green leather pants and a tunic, and the hint of a smile played on her lips. No evidence lingered that she’d been beaten to the brink of death. Her once swollen and discolored face had fully healed. I almost lost myself in my admiration of her. And then she turned and smiled at the man who climbed the hill behind her.

  Imposing. That was the word to best describe him. Yeah, definitely imposing, with his broad, tall frame and long, black hair. A stab of jealousy ran through me. Just those few moments in the dungeon had endeared her to me, which was why, when I received her note, I came running. Not out of love—though given the chance, I was sure I easily could—but because of her strength and passion. And as she gazed at the man by her side, I realized that she’d never look at me like that.

  I took in the man smiling down at her once more, the man for whom her face lit up as she so easily returned his joy. He was a bear.

  And I... maybe the wolf. A lone one, picking out my quiet rebel path.

  There was no comparison.

  With a soft snap of my fingers, I attracted the young women's attention and nodded toward the west to show them where we were headed. When I saw they all understood, I slowly crept to Robin’s location, knowing she and her man, whoever he was, waited to take the girls to a safer place.

  As we grew closer to Robin and the imposing man at her side, I realized Jon was nowhere in sight.

  Interesting… Although he deserved better than me longing for his girl.

  Robin moved forward with a frown, looking at the girls trailing behind me.