Page 97 of Far From Sherwood Forest

Everyone looks at Ivy, but I already know what to expect.

“Don’t look at me.” She holds her hand out in front of her like she’s casually checking her nails. “I’m not allowed to directlyinterfere.”

“How is none of this directly interfering?” Robin asks skeptically.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about. I just took you guys on a much needed vacation. I only brought you back in time for the celebration of King Richard’s return tomorrow.” She looks at me and winks. “Good luck.”

Then she’s gone, vanished into thin air.

“Fucking witch,” I grumble with a shake of my head.

“Spirit.”

It’s a disembodied whisper in my ear, and I shoo it away like it’s a pesky fly.

“Okay, seriously,” John says, looking between all of us. “What’s the plan here?”

No one answers because we don’thaveanswers. Ivy just dropped us back in this world, pushed us out of the nest and expected us to fly. She’s lucky I actually like her or I’d be planning on strangling her the next time I saw her.

The night starts to press in on us, dark and quiet, as we all try to come up with an answer to John’s question. The clearing we arrived in is similar to the one we left behind. Moonlight shines through the breaks in the trees, bathing the faces of Robin and his Merry Men in silver. A white halo glows around Robin’s hooded head.

If I still believed in angels, I’d swear he was one.

Maybe he is. The angel come to save the people of this world.

He turns to Will, completely oblivious of the thoughts in my head. “How did you know the prince is planning an ambush for the king if the Spirit isn’t the one giving us any information?”

“We captured one of his guards,” Will answers.

Alan takes over, adding, “We thought maybe the prince had something to do with your disappearance. Of course, that’sbefore we knew what Will knew.” He cuts his eyes at Robin’s cousin who ducks his head in shame. “We know where the ambush is supposed to take place, and the Spirit just said the king’s returning tomorrow.”

“So we know the when and where,” Tuck says. “Now we just have to stop it.”

Robin nods. “And convince King Richard that the prince was behind it.”

I grunt and cross my arms over my chest. “That’s not going to be easy. John is Richard’s younger brother. If he trusted him enough to leave the throne in his hands while he went off on his Crusade, then he’s not just simply going to take our word for it.”

Robin’s face falls, his mouth pressed into a thin line.

As I stare at him, I compare him with the Robin I knew the last time we were here. He’s different, just like I am. He might be Robin Locksley now, but maybe here he can be RobinHoodagain.

I know I can’t think like theSheriffanymore, but…

I could use him to my advantage.

“Unless,” I say with a slow grin, “it comes from Prince John’s own mouth.”

Robin narrows his eyes at me shrewdly. “You have an idea?”

“I have an idea.”

It’s time to bring the Sheriff back from the dead for one last chase.

I couldn’t go into Robin’s camp with him and the others. Instead, I’ve settled in on higher ground with a slightly obscured view of the celebrations going on for Robin’s return. The raucousnoise of cheering and laughter reach me all the way up here where I’m resting on the ground with my back against a tree.

There are more than just his Merry Men who make up his camp. Women, children, and entire families are down there, ones who once decided to follow Robin into the forest instead of living under Prince John’s rule.

Once again, I feel that familiar fear that Robin might not choose to return with me after all.