Page 17 of A Tempest of Intrigue
And I didn’t blame them. “How long does Ivan plan to keep Nottingshire cut off from the roads?”
“I don’t know. I imagine it won’t be too long as trade has to happen, and I doubt he expects to find any answers from anyone here, other than the ones he already has, but it’s making them nervous. And nervous amsirah make mistakes.”
“True,” I murmured.
“He’s going to find her. There’s nothing he won’t do to make sure it happens.”
And I would do whatever it took to make sure it never happened.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
Ellery
I foundScarlet in the barn with her father. While I planned to tell her family about my lightning-bearer ability, I had to talk to her first. She’d been my best friend since we were babies; I owed that to her.
Her family knew I’d planned to help free the prisoners last night. Scarlet and I had kept my identity as the Hooded Robber, and her hand in helping me, secret from them before. Once they learned the truth, there was no reason to keep our other plans from them.
I trusted them with my life and would trust them with this secret, but I still couldn’t tell them everything. I wasn’t ready for that, and Ryker didn’t want to reveal that I could control all five weathers yet.
Truth be told, neither did I. I’d kept my secrets for years, and now everyone in the realm knew a female lightning bearer existed. They may not know my identity yet, but they knew I existed.
It was all happening too fast, and I needed time to adjust. When the time came to reveal more, I would like to be better prepared than I was last night.
After I asked Scarlet to walk with me, we left the barn to stroll toward the crops ready for harvesting. Their harvesting was a project for another day… if we made it that far.
“How did things go last night?” Scarlet asked as we entered the cornfield.
“Good and bad.”
“What happened?”
While we walked, I told her everything about last night. When I got to the part about unleashing my lightning to save the others, she stopped in the middle of a row to stare at me with her mouth ajar.
“Whatdid you say?” she asked in a husky voice.
I took a deep breath and gulped before repeating my words. “I unleashed my lightning on the guards.”
Her mouth fell further open, closed, and dropped again. “How? I… I… I don’t understand.”
“I’m a lightning bearer.”
“Sincewhen?”
I braced for what would come once she realized I’d kept this secret for years. “Since I was eleven.”
I hadn’t believed it was possible for Scarlet to look more stunned than she already did, but she stepped back as she gawked at me. “Since you wereeleven?”
“Yes, that’s when my ability manifested.”
“Huh? Wait! You’ve known foryearsand never told me?”
Her disbelief was rapidly turning to hurt as she looked at me like I’d stabbed her in the heart. “It wasn’t that simple.”
“Howwasn’tit that simple? I’ve told you everything over the years…everything! I don’t have any secrets from you.”
“My parents told me not to tell anyone else.”
She didn’t look at all appeased by my words. “And how many things have we kept from our parents over the years? I robbed carriages with you without ever letting my parents know!”
