Page 79 of Far From Sherwood Forest

She takes a few steps forward, stopping several feet in front of me and crossing her arms. “I’m not your enemy, Henry.”

“You have a funny way of showing it,” I snarl, pulling at the vines holding my arms back.

“They’re only there so you don’t try to kill me,” she says with a faint smirk. “Not that youcould. But I’d rather talk than fight.”

My jaw clenches. “I have nothing to say to you.”

“Then you can listen.” Dropping her arms to her sides, she takes one more step closer, and her smirk vanishes, replaced by a sad turn of her mouth that I might believe was sincere if I wasn’t currently blinded by hatred and rage. “I’m so sorry I left you.”

“I don’t want to hear that.”

“I know you don’t. Because you need somebody to hate for it. And that’s okay; you can hate me. But you’re still going to listen to my apology because you’ll have a decision to make afterward.”

Leaning forward as far as I can with the vines still pinning me back, I scowl even harder. “If the decision is if I’m going to crush your windpipe with my bare hands or shoot you with my gun, maybe I’ll do both.”

A grin briefly lifts her lips. “At least I didn’t have any expectations this place would tame those anger issues of yours.”

“Go fuck yourself.”

She sighs and bows her head with what might be hurt. “I really am your friend, Henry. I always have been. I didn’t lie about that. I just…I made a mistake. A really big one.”

“You’re right. You never should have fucking brought me here.”

“No, that wasn’t a mistake. I might have magic, but I’m not perfect. I brought you all here, stayed long enough to make sure you found the cabin, and then went back to Sherwood Forest. But when I did…” She pauses, her frown deepening. “I didn’t realize that time worked differently between the two places. I didn’t realize I was leaving you alone for so long. For what it’sworth, I’m really fucking glad I came back in time.”

“Because you didn’t want that on your conscience.”

“Because I never wanted you dead!”

The forest seems to fall silent as I’m torn between wanting to believe her and feeling that familiar shame.

Ivy takes another step toward me as though by closing the distance between us, she can lessen my disdain.

“I like you.” She shrugs with a sheepish smile like she’s not used to saying that.Thatis something I can actually relate to. “It’s been decades since I’ve let myself get attached to a mortal.Decades. I know what it’s like to be alone too, Henry. When I showed up at the cabin that day, it felt like we both needed each other.”

Again, Iwantto believe her.

“You were the only friend I ever had,” I admit. It’s hard to because it’s a sad fucking truth, but I know it does what I want when I see a hopeful smile on her face. I lean forward another half inch and glare harder. “But now I know it was all a fucking lie.”

Her smile falls. Her eyes turn wet.

I almost—almost—feel bad.

“It wasn’t,” she said, her voice smaller than before. “Not even a little. I lied to you, yes, but never about that. Ididcare. Ido.”

Straightening, I let my back rest against the tree as I stare at her with indifference this time. “Then tell me the truth now. What the fuck is the point of all this?”

She briefly glances away but eventually accepts the change of subject. “The prince cannot be allowed to take King Richard’s throne.”

“So why haven’t you stopped him?”

“Because I can’tdirectlyinterfere.”

“And sending us here isn’t directly interfering?”

There’s another hint of a grin on her lips. “I’m pretty good at finding loopholes.”

“But what’s the point? What does that have anything to do with me or Robin?”