Cloaked by Taylor Hobbs

Author:Taylor Hobbs [Hobbs, Taylor]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: romance, historical
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Published: 2018-07-17T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Eleven

Robin’s ragtag rebel army was no match against the Duke Belaq’s soldiers. The rebels thrived in the dark, collecting information, usurping the kingdom from within. A full-on confrontation against trained soldiers would be a bloodbath.

Weighing her options, Charlotte decided to hold off on sprinting to the pub. There might be hundreds of soldiers combing the streets.

She shut the door and started to pace, forcing herself to think rationally before careening out the door to warn her brother. I might stand a chance if it was dark out. But confronting men twice her size, with no backup, in broad daylight, would be suicide. She was also a known rebel associate. Her usually-friendly neighbors would not think twice to point her out when threatened with bodily harm from Belaq’s men.

I’m a sitting duck in this house all alone. Charlotte decided that moving was better than hiding inside and waiting for them to find her. She pulled out one of Henry’s threadbare tunics and threw it over her clothes. Next, she scraped at the dirt floor to gather a handful of soil, which she smeared on her face and arms. A scrap of bedding served as a kerchief to hide her hair, and she kicked off her shoes to complete the disguise of a poor beggar child. Her appearance wouldn’t hold up to close scrutiny, but she just needed to avoid immediate detection as she navigated the streets.

Once outside, she forced her heart to maintain a steady pace. With eyes cast downward as she hugged the alleys and storefronts, she had almost made it to the pub before she was stopped. “Oi, girl!” one of the soldiers yelled to her.

So close. “Algonian or Croantian?” he asked her. She simply shook her head, eyes wide with confusion. He stepped forward, any evidence of false friendliness gone. “I asked you a question.”

Again, Charlotte shook her head, but motioned to her mouth with her hands. She started an elaborate series of hand gestures until he finally sighed. “A dumb mute. Fine. You’ll have no information for me.” As an afterthought, the soldier reached a hand out and shoved her backward into the mud. Charlotte fell without protest.

Glaring at his retreating back, Charlotte watched as a bystander who had watched the exchange approached the soldier. Uh oh, she thought. Need to leave. Right now. Using all of the swiftness and grace that Fawkes had taught her, Charlotte was out of sight and down the alley before she could be questioned further.

Through her fear, Charlotte reveled in the adrenaline high. She hadn’t felt a thrill like that since her time with Fawkes. Risking her life and sneaking right under the enemy’s nose was terrifying, but she had also forgotten how much of a rush it gave her. Feeling so alive yet in control brought Charlotte closer to her true self.

The outside entrance to the cellar was finally within sight. Thankfully, she spotted none of Belaq’s men in the immediate vicinity. The two rebels assigned to guard the door sat on wooden crates, looking bored and clueless.

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