The Lady Nun Vows Revenge by Caroline Rowland

The Silent 240

Chapter 240

"Archers, ready!" Ross barked, his voice sharp as steel the moment that agonized scream echoed from the woods

Over a hundred Black Flag soldiers instantly drew their bows, arrones aimed squarely at the treeline

"Wait-wan! We surrender! We surrender"

Panicked voices rose from the underbrush. The ambushers clearly hadn't

expected to be discovered before the party had even entered the forest-let alone have one of their own already pierced clean through

With arrows already nocked and a storm of death just heartbeats away, the would-be attackers wasted no time

en fools!" Ross thundered. You dare lie in wait and lunch an ambush on the road? Get out here-now-before we cut

all down!"

Terrified, the would-be ambushers scrambled out from the woods, some crawling on hands and knees, white-faced and shaking

Nolan narrowed his eyes at the sorry lot. "Which hill did you crawl down from?

The bandit leader dropped to his knees and sobbed, "We-we were once from Onyxgrave Bastion. But the stronghold was attacked, our leader slaughtered, most of our brothers killed. Only a hundred or so of us survived. We were starving. desperate-we just wanted to steal some food, not lives. Please, have mercy-we swear we'll never try this again!"

The man's voice cracked with fear, eyes locked on the corpse behind him-his comrade who'd been skewered through the chest by Nolan's warning shot. That arrow had missed him by mere inches. He was lucky to be alive and knew it

Nolan listened in silence, then nodded slightly toward Ross.

Ross's eyes gleamed coldly as he bellowed the single word: "Fire."

Screams erupted. The remaining bandits scattered in all directions-but the Black Flag archers were faster. Arrows flew like hail. In mere seconds, the entire bandit group lay dead.

a team behind to handle the bodies, Nolan said calmly, as if ordering the weather. The rest of

Bradford

was over as

But as their carriage rolled forward. and passed through the

clutching the curtain in fear. Even Isabelle's eyes widened for a beat, but she recovered

she said coolly. They were

Miss Henderson, are you really going through with

"But if I don't try. I'll end up married off to that disgusting pig, crawling as a concubine. I'd rather die on my feet than live like

She would gamble everything.

Henderson family and stay near Eliza forever. Eliza might hate her now, but she didn't care. She would

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Chapter 240

waiting. Let Eliza beshe main

Nolan's feelings. Sooner or later,

wandering hearts, and even the most ordinary would take three i

make sure Eliza saw his true nature now. Better to disillusion her early-so that if Eliza

be there,

from her years under her stepmother and half-sister-cruelty, scheming, the subtle art of survival.

But Isabelle did.

central carriage where Eliza rode, flanked by guards. A gust of wind fumered the curtain-and for

Isabelle smiled sweetly.

Isabelle smiled sweetly.

turned away and pulled the curtain shut without a

then let out a

smiling like that?"

Isabelle didn't need her understanding. What she longed for was something no one

unfinished embroidery beside her and began to stitch

was already lost in her own world, smiling as she sewed. "Liza

and over, even when the needle

they reached Plutonville, it was