Blood Red (67 page)

The man beside her offered her a pint of ale. She took it and gulped it down.

“The name’s Iron Hans.”

The man held out a long, grubby hand. He wasn’t a big man, but tall and lean. His scruffy hair was orangey-red, as was his full beard that covered most of his angular face, and surrounded a proud, prominent nose.

Red took it cautiously and shook firmly. “Red.”

He narrowed his eyes at her. “Blood Red, I know who you are.”

Red tensed. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Wolf tense as well.

“You killed my brother-in-law.”

He stared into her. Red stared back, not about to back down. She would show no weakness.

A slow grin spread across Hans’ face. “That’s okay, he was a bastard, anyway. If you didn’t do it, I know I would have.” He slapped her on the back.

Everyone at the table laughed heartily. She looked 132

Blood Red

over at Wolf. He smiled and she could see him relax.

She smiled back and took a big gulp of her drink.

Rapunzel elbowed her in the side and leaned over.

“I did not know you were so…known.”

“Red is more than known. She’s legendary.”

Red turned toward the new voice. A petite woman with blond ringlets sat at the end of the table, with a face like an angel and a smile like Satan. Red had not seen her when she first entered the room. But as she looked at her now, she knew who the woman was.

“I did not realize my name had traveled so far.”

“It has girl, it has. Quite like a rotten stench, I think.”

Red bristled at the comment, but kept her face still.

She would give this woman nothing, especially not the pleasure of her spite.

“And you’d be?”

The woman grinned. She speared a piece of fruit with her knife. “I’d be Goldilocks. You have heard of me, I’m sure.”

Red thought for a moment. “No, sorry, can’t say I have.” She took a sip of her ale, hiding her smile. “No, wait. I have heard about an ugly woman of fair hair who runs with a band of outlaws, stealing and robbing the poor. Not much better than a whore who sells her soul for money, I would think. Would that be you, by chance?”

Rapunzel sighed under her breath. “Can you not be civil for one moment of your life?”

Red paid her no mind and continued to stare at Goldilocks. She had heard of her. The stealing and robbing bit was the truth. The whore part was 133