Page 112 of A Tempest of Revelation
I nodded to Ianto, and he waved in return, but I was here to see Ellery. She lay at the front of the house, her belly against the roof and her bow and quiver before her.
I stayed low as I crept toward her. We couldn’t have someone inside one of the homes hear our movement and come out to see what was happening.
Thankfully, most of the buildings closest to the center of town were businesses and no one lived in them, but a few, such as this one, were homes. Ellery was one of the few who had taken up a position on a house; only the most well-trained and nimble had been allowed to do so.
I settled to her left on the slanted roof. We were a good hundred feet from the guards, but that distance meant nothing to her arrows.
Below, someone shouted, and a door slammed as some of the town’s residents made their way along the street. This late at night, most homes and businesses were dark, but the taverns, bordellos, and gambling halls remained open.
Only one tavern was close to this section of town, and music drifted from its open windows. However, Nottingshire was stillfar quieter than before, and dozens of prisoners were displayed in the town’s center. Despite the occupants’ desire to lose themselves in alcohol and debauchery, the reminder of what lay outside their door was a mood killer.
Still, when someone shouted something beneath me, I peeked over the side as two men leaned against each other while making their way down the street. Their loud, slurred words bounced off the buildings as they staggered back and forth while trying to hold each other up.
They moved away from the guards who paid them little attention and took a turn in the road before vanishing. The return of the Hooded Robber and the carisle distributed throughout the town had brought a brief period of hope, but the presence of the guards had doused much of it.
I turned away from the alley to study the guards again. Between distributing more carisle throughout the other towns and plotting this rescue attempt, I’d barely slept for the past five days. If all went well, I’d sleep like a baby tonight.
Ellery removed three arrows from her quiver and set them on the roof without making a sound. She drew her bow closer before turning her head toward me. Her hood kept her eyes and features hidden.
“We’re going to succeed,” I told her.
“I know.”
She still looked far too fearful for my liking.
“Are you all set?” I asked.
“Yes.”
I crawled closer, and through my hood, kissed her forehead before slipping back to the end of the roof and over the side. Holding on to the edge, my legs dangled in the air before I released the roof and fell. My knees bent to soften the landing before I hit the ground.
CHAPTER NINETY-SIX
Ryker
The housesclosest to the town center had been forced to shelter guards. When they weren’t on shift, they were in these huts, near the prisoners and available for help if necessary.
The darkened homes told me they were asleep, but once this started, there was a good chance they could be alerted to what was happening. The plan was to be gone before they arrived to aid their fellow assholes.
To help with this, I lifted the branch I’d placed against the side of the home earlier tonight and slid it through the door handle before wedging it against the sides of the building. It wouldn’t hold for long, but it would slow anyone trying to exit the hut.
I crept toward the second closest home, further down the street, and did the same thing there. Throughout the town, those of Tucker’s followers who were also on the ground were all blocking any doors with guards behind them too.
After days of studying them, we knew which huts the guards were staying in. We’d brought the branches in throughout the week and placed them strategically around town for tonight.
Some had stood against homes for days while we’d hid others nearby. No one had taken or moved any of the branches.
Kneeling, I rested my fingers on the hardpacked dirt beneath them while studying the guards. To my left, Tucker materialized at the end of his road and knelt.
Throughout the other alleys, more of Tucker’s followers approached us on the rooftops; the others readied themselves for the attack to come. Covered from head to toe in black, they all blended in with the night, but I knew where to look for them.
To my right, Callan and Luna stopped at the edge of their road and knelt to wait for the signal to move. Over the past five days, the siblings had proven to be good with weapons and stealthy enough to be on the ground for this mission.
They’d also learned the truth of what we were doing, who robbed the king, and our plan to build an army big enough to take down Ivan. Luna had practically salivated over our plan and was more than eager to help.
Callan had stood in shock while he studied Ellery and me. I could tell he wasn’t as pleased by our revelation, but he’d vowed to help.
This mission had required a lot more of Tucker’s followers than what was necessary to rob Ivan, but many were on the rooftops. Once they finished their part, they’d open a portal and leave before the guards got anywhere near them.
