Page 96 of Far From Sherwood Forest

“It was one of the first times I ended up in the hospital. You were a nurse there.”

“I’ve played many roles.”

Behind me, Henry mutters, “Like a bear that explodes into fucking butterflies.”

The Spirit giggles. She lifts her hand into the air, fingers curled like claws. A second later, her hand shimmers and grows fur as her fingers turn intoactualclaws, her entire hand transforming into a bear paw.

“Ivy.” Henry says her name like a parent scolding their child.

Her hand returns to normal, and she gives him a sheepish grin. “Sorry.”

I peer at him over my shoulder in awe. “You have the Spirit of Sherwood Forest wrapped around your finger.”

He rolls his eyes and shrugs like it’s no big deal.

“I apologize for deceiving you as well, Robin,” Ivy says, dragging my attention back to her. “I came to check on you and was worried about how sick you were, which is why I had all those tests run because my magic can only do so much. I wantedto make sure there wasn’t anything seriously wrong.”

Maybe I should be upset, but I’m not.

She saved Henry’s life.

“Thank you.”

She smiles again, and I have a feeling she knows my appreciation is for more than her concern forme.

“Well, are we getting out of here or not?” Henry asks, his impatient voice booming through the clearing. Maybe he really is eager to get this over with, but I think it has more to do with diverting attention away from the fact he cares about Ivy more than he wants to admit. “I think we have a spoiled prince who needs to be taught a lesson.”

“Right.” Ivy claps her hands together in front of her. “But you all can’t go like this.”

She doesn’t give us a chance to question what she means, throwing her hands back out in a wave over us. One second, I’m wearing the thick, rough fabric of jeans and the soft cotton of my t-shirt, and the next, it’s the lighter linen of trousers and a tunic and my old, green cloak, the hood draped over my head. The strap of a quiver hangs from my shoulder, full of arrows and a bow tied to its side.

I look back at Henry to see that his clothes have changed as well. He’s dressed in all black from his trousers to his coat, and a sword hangs from his belt. We’re both wearing the exact same outfits we were during our last day in Sherwood Forest.

Damn, he looks good in all black. Especially with the hint of chest hair peeking out from the deep collar of his tunic.

Our eyes meet, and Henry’s narrow.

“I think I hate you again,” he grumbles, but his eyes sparkle with amusement.

Laughing, I wink at him as memories of what happened the last time he hated me flash in my mind.

“Nowyou’re ready. See you on the other side, boys.”

Ivy claps her hands again, and this world fades away.

It happens the same way it did before. Reality shifts around us as the trees appear to shimmer in the muted daylight. Where everything was still moments ago, a gust now blows through with the force of a gale, whistling its way through the trees and rustling our clothes and hair. Something tingles through me as though I can literally feel the magic.

The sun vanishes. The trees change.

Then the wind dies.

It’s over just as quickly as it began.

We’re back in Sherwood Forest.

My gaze locks with Robin’s, and he gives me a little grin and arches a brow, like maybe he’s waiting for me to suddenly turn back into theSheriff. Even if he’s Robin Hood again, that’ll never happen. That man is dead and buried. I prefer it that way.

“So what do we do now?” John asks.