“My dagger. I told them they weren’t getting out unless it was in death.” He sounded so ridiculous I couldn’t help the cackle that shattered the stillness in the tiny courtyard.
“Why are you laughing?” He hissed.
I let a cold, vicious grin spread across my face as I said, “They’re witches, you fool. You gave them a way to get out of their cell and come and find you. And when they do, we’ll carve out your heart for what you and your men did to Rosemary.”
He caught my chin between his thumb and forefinger and brought his face down to mine, our breath mingling as he said in a low, dark voice, “Not until the bond is broken, Enchantress.”
11
STEFANO
Isat at the head of a roughly carved, pock-marked wooden table, surrounded by the leaders of the rebellion. John Little and Will Scarlet leaned over my shoulder, watching as I sketched a basic map of the castle’s interior.
“And this is the dungeon, it would be best to enter here. From what I saw, there are usually only two guards on duty.” I pointed to another section of my drawing. “Here is where the prince’s rooms are. This is where he keeps his jewels and gold. It will be difficult, but worth the effort if we can get in here.”
On my arrival at the Burrow, I’d told the rebel leaders that I had been a guard working at the castle, but after only a few days on the job there had been some unfounded accusation against me and I’d been forced to flee. When they’d pressed me on it, I’d said that some coin had gone missing, and I had suspected my supervisor of taking it, but when I’d raised the issue it had become my word against his, and he had claimed I was the thief. Rather than be thrown in the dungeons or lose my hand to the chopping block, I had made a run for it and decided joining the rebels was my best option.
I’d worked on that story for ages, and watching them swallow it hook, line and sinker had given me a rush of pride.
Then John had explained they were planning to break into the castle and steal enough gold to help all of the struggling villagers, and they needed someone with inside knowledge to show them where to go. So, I was invited to the next meeting to draw a map of the castle layout and help them to plan their attack.
These rebels were far too trusting. But, fortunately for them, I wasn’t here to interrupt a rebellion. I was only here for Morgaine.
“What about the princess’s room? Won’t she have valuables worth stealing?” Will asked.
“She’s not a princess,” John replied. “She’s just a lady.”
I bristled. “No, her jewels are also kept in the prince’s rooms in a vault and taken out each time she wears them. There’s no point entering her tower, it would only risk your capture for no reward.”
I wasn’t sure what made me say it; in truth I had no idea where Lady Gwyn-Marie's jewels were stored, or whether she had anything of value in her rooms. But I wanted to protect her. She was an innocent in all of this, she didn’t deserve to be put in danger just because her father and grandfather had made the people of the Royal Forests so impoverished with their wartime tax rises.
If anything, bad weather was the true enemy of the English people. Hard winters followed by wet summers had killed most of the crops, starved the livestock, and left farmers and landowners with nothing to show for their hard work. Or so I had been told. It had been a similar story in Sicily in recent years, but our warmer climate had saved us from devastation, unlike the people of Sherwood.
After the meeting, I took my lunch in the great hall. I sat down to eat the eggs and potato cakes Agatha served, instinctively sitting across from Morgaine, who studiouslyignored me as she picked at her own meal. Once the other rebels had vacated the table and we were alone, she finally glanced my way.
“What have they got you doing?”
I shrugged, nonchalant. “Drawing a map of the castle so they know where to break in and steal the prince’s gold.”
Her brows shot up. “They know you’re?—”
“No, no,” I said, quickly. “I told them I was just a guard. What are you doing?”
Her expression soured. “Washing clothes.”
“Is such domestic work beneath you, Morgaine?”
She hesitated, then said, “Yes.”
I chuckled, and her eyes flickered, softening with surprise at the sound.
“Why are you helping them?”
I frowned. “What do you mean?”
She laid down her spoon and considered me for a moment. “They’re your enemies. These people are working against you from the shadows. Their whole aim is to destroy the place you’re planning to return to; to dethrone the prince and bring down the institution that gives you power and wealth and status. Why would you help them?”
I held her gaze. I didn’t care what she thought of me; she could handle the truth. I leaned closer and dropped my voice to a conspiratorial whisper. “Because if the rebels attack and the royals are weakened, it will be easier to seize control. If Prince John is hurt or killed, I will have all the power.”
