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My hopes perked a little at that. “Lady Thornton still doesn’t know he’s a dragon — and that he’s on our side?”
“We think not. So, Daniel was our backup plan.” Then she made a face. “A plan that didn’t call for Prince John marching into Nottingham with a hundred men.”
“With a hundred men and Marian,” I muttered bitterly.
“Then there’s the fact that Lady Thornton didn’t release Bess as promised,” Willa added.
“You didn’t see that coming?” I snarled, though my malice was aimed at my enemies, not my friends.
“We did, but Robynne was right,” Willa said. “Even if that Thornton bitch — Robynne’s words, not mine — released Bess and the children, she could easily snatch new hostages. At least this way, Robynne hoped to lull Lady Thornton into a false sense of security.”
I curled my hands into near-claws. “Marian was thinking along the same lines, but I fear we may have underestimated our enemies.”
Everyone stood in stunned silence, trying to digest it all.
Then, with a whoosh of air and a piercing cry, an eagle swooped into camp. It circled twice, then landed on the far side of the fire. The flames between us hid the details, but I saw the air shimmer as the bird gradually morphed into a man. The huge wings were the last part to shift, making the naked birdman before us a hell of a sight.
Willa grimaced and turned the other way. “The downside of living with a band of male shifters…”
The next time I blinked, it was just Alan a’Dale, shaking out his arms and peering at us with those piercing dark eyes.
“What news, Alan?” John demanded.
Someone threw him a cloak, and he pulled it on while stepping over. “I just flew over Nottingham. Word is, Robynne is to be executed tomorrow.”
Everyone went totally, mournfully silent.
As Alan continued, the news only got bleaker. “Prince John has also announced that he will marry Marian the day after.”
“The eve of the feast of Saint Matthias,” I muttered.
Everyone waited, looking blank.
“Patron saint of carpenters, tailors, victims of smallpox,” I added. “Matthias replaced Judas as one of Christ’s apostles.”
Everyone looked at me as if I were a raving lunatic — or an overzealous clergyman. Everyone but Willa, who stared. “You mean, the way Prince John wants to replace King Richard?”
“That’s what Marian suspects.” I nodded, then snarled. “If he touches her, I’ll kill him. I swear, I will tear that man limb from limb.”
Everyone stared. Then their glances softened, and old Christopher murmured wistfully, “Ah, love.”
All of them quickly caught on to the fact that their local friar was in love with a noblewoman he had no hope of ever marrying. All except Robert.
“In love? Who?” he asked, looking around.
Willa rolled her eyes. “Forget it.”
The men shot me sidelong glances and whispered their surprise to one another.
I glared into the fire, not caring that my secret was out. What did it matter? I could never have Marian. The best I could hope for was to help her get out of this alive so she could go on to live happily ever after with some other man.
My heart bled at the notion, but there was no other way. And since I couldn’t bear to witness that…
I took a deep breath. Then I would die nobly in combat.
All around me, the Merry Men jabbered, tossing out ideas for salvaging a desperate situation. I ought to have felt just as overwhelmed, but calm settled over me, making everything suddenly, eerily clear.
I could see it all play out before me. I would fight boldly, bravely. I would save Marian.
