That meant one were still down there. Rob went to the entrance first, drawing his bow and charging down the stairs fast. He let loose one arrow and moved forward. I followed behind him, seeing the guard go down with an arrow clean through his throat. I heard him gurgle his last breath and I cringed. Someone dying made it a bad night, especially so early in.

We shot forward, Rob grabbing the dead guard’s keys as I set to picking locks. This were the worst bit; we hushed everyone, but we knew no matter how long it took, it would be too long. Every breath ratcheted up the danger.

People started coming out, families lumped together, and I counted as we sent them to the front.

“Rob,” I called.

“Yeah?” he whispered.

“Twenty-six.”

He nodded. “One must be downstairs.”

“He’ll have company.”

“I can handle it. Get these people into the tunnel and I’ll meet you; we’re running out of time.”

I nodded, racing up to the front.

“Follow me as close as you can!” I told them, going up the steps and peeking out. Nobles were flooding out of the residences now, giving us some small bit of cover for the next part, true, but every pair of eyes that were looking the other way could just as quick look at us and raise the alarm.

“Run,” I ordered, and I shot up, going to the door and pushing people into it. The fire sent smoke pluming in the air, and everyone in the courtyard were watching it.

Thirteen people had rushed past when I saw Ravenna. She came out of the residences ’cross the courtyard, the sheriff a step behind. She looked at the people and spun sharp away, taking the sheriff’s arm and leading him toward the arrow slots in the wall. When they moved I saw Gisbourne there, standing by the wall, looking out.

Sixteen went, then eighteen, then twenty, then Gisbourne turned. He saw me, and his chin lowered and his eyes turned evil and hateful.

“Run!” I shrieked, lacing knives through my fingers like cord till steel pointed out between every knuckle. He yelled for the guards. The rest of the townspeople flew up out of the prison, and I hid them, standing in front of them and blocking the way to the tunnel as guards began to charge me.

I began spitting knives, going for killing blows. There were too many people here, too many that could turn on me and start to fight against me. I needed more time, and I needed Robin.

“That one is mine!” Gisbourne roared, jogging up and drawing his sword, a huge Claymore with a black hilt. He crashed the first arc down and I twisted away, throwing two knives into the necks of two guards as they headed for the tunnel door. Gisbourne grunted and lunged forward, but I stepped close and managed to stab his sword arm. I ducked away but he grabbed my hood, ripping backward.

He had the coil of my hair inside my hood, and he chuckled, jerking me backward till I fell.

“Got you,” he laughed.

My blood fair boiled as he tugged again, dragging me. “You think I give a damn about my hair?” I spat. I twisted quick, ducking my head and slicing off the hood and my hair with it so I could wriggle away and jump up to stand against him. “And you never had me, not for a second.”

With that I flicked a knife at him that landed in the soft outer bit of his shoulder. He dropped his sword like deadweight, falling onto a knee with the heft of it.

An arm grabbed me round the waist and I stepped on the guard’s foot, then slammed my elbow to his face, knocking him out. At least that were one I didn’t have to kill. Another guard were opening the door to the tunnel, and I vaulted past Gisbourne. Clutching my last two knives, I flipped till I stood on my closed fists, the knives sticking out like wagon wheel spokes, and came up in time to spin my sharpest into his neck. He fell just short of the door, and twin threads of horror and victory spun through me at the sight.

Rob crested the stairs with a man covered in blood, bare walking on his own, leaning heavy on Rob. Gisbourne jumped to his feet, a black thrill in his eyes as he moved toward Robin. For a full breath I were frozen, staring. Gisbourne fixed on Rob, but Rob never so much as raised his eyes to Gisbourne. Rob were only concerned for getting the man safe.

Rob were a hero, through and through.

And I were none. But then, disreputable, angry, once-noblewomen had their place too, and whether Rob wanted it or not, I would always stand between him and Gisbourne. A thief could die to let the hero live.

It took me three steps, pushing off the dusty ground fast as I could, to get to Gisbourne. He were raising his sword at Rob, a twisted smile on his face, as Rob tried to pull the man away and weren’t fast enough. With a banshee scream I dove forward, darting at Gisbourne and tackling him round the waist, heaving him away from Rob. Gisbourne’s sword came clumsy down over my shoulder, and I shrieked as the blade split my skin in two, biting deep.

He grabbed my throat, flipping me over and heaving himself on top of me. He squeezed my throat, and water popped out my eyes. “That’s all I want, you little tramp,” he spat, spat in true, all over my face. “I want to see you die. I want to see the light tamp out of those devil’s eyes. You humiliated me and taunted me for all these years, and now I want to feel it as you die.”

I scrambled for breath, scratching at his face and twisting my legs ’bout. I punched his face but he just laughed, like he were possessed by some demon. I pressed my thumbs into his eyeballs and he swatted me away like a bug.

Fireworks were going off inside my own eyeballs, zigging strips of lightning that dazzled. I could feel my body flipping around without my say-so, panicking for air.