Previously in Betrayal
A/N: This is just a recap for those who want to know what happened in the first book. If you have finished reading Betrayal previously and feel like you don't need a reminder of what has already happened, feel free to jump ahead to chapter 1 (technically the prologue)! Don't worry, you won't miss a thing. For those who are new to the series or those who just want a quick reminder of past events, read on!
In the first installment of the Shadow Hunters trilogy, the story centers around a female assassin named Eva. When Eva was a bit younger when William, a member of the Shadow Hunters, killed her abusive stepfather and, not wanting to leave her alone to starve, takes her with him back to the Sanctuary. Delvin, the leader of the assassins, is annoyed by William's request to let her join but eventually gives in. For years, William is tasked with training Eva and over time they grow close, fall in love and get married.
Three years into the marriage, William decides that he's done with being an assassin and asks for Delvin's blessing to leave with his wife to make a new life for themselves. Shocked by this request, Delvin sends William, Eva and the other three assassins on a contract to kill the Prince of York and says that he will give Will his answer when they get back.
After a successful mission, the group starts to head back to the Sanctuary. Eva and Will share a romantic moment together and Will tells her about his plan to start over together. The next day, the group is ambushed by a group of bandits that they find out were hired by Delvin to kill them all. However, the plan mostly fails except for when one of the bandits runs a sword right through William right in front of Eva, leaving him to die in her arms. Once her beloved is gone, Eva is out for blood when she rides back to the Sanctuary to confront him only to find two bandits looting the place. Killing one and taking the other as a prisoner, she finds out that Delvin fled to Bradford and forces the bandit to agree to take her to him before knocking him out.
Once the bandit is locked in a room, the rest of the group returns and they have a funeral for William and allow Eva to say goodbye. William's last willing testament is read and Eva receives her husband's things including a letter addressed to her from her late husband which gets put away, unread.
The next day Eva wakes Isaac (the bandit) and they set out for Bradford. In her vulnerable state, during their journey together, Eva bonds with Isaac and finds out that while he was hired by Delvin, he didn't actually know him and that he also lost his spouse when a northmen raiding party came through his village. Isaac tells Eva how the northmen forced him to watch as one of the men raped and kill his pregnant wife before setting their home on fire. Eva taught him how to shoot a bow so that he could serve as a backup when they found Delvin.
During their travel, they come across Isaac's old group whom are holding some women hostage. They tie up the other bandits and interrogate them to find out about a man named Giles who is set to pick up a customized sword and deliver it to Delvin in Bradford. Eva then kills the men and releases the women. One of the women turn out to be the daughter of the blacksmith whom is making the sword and offers to help them and gives them the sword. They hunt down Giles and kill him so he can't go back after the blacksmith or his daughter and ride to Bradford. Once there, Eva has second thoughts about bringing Isaac as she has started to care for him during their time together and sends him away to wait for her.
Acting as a courier, Eva delivers the sword to Delvin and she reveals her identity to him by pulling off her hood only to find out he's been expecting her. The two fight it out and in the end, Delvin lies on his back with Eva standing above him, Will's sword poised above his heart and ready to avenge her husband. Isaac, seeing another one of the assassins heading to where Eva and Delvin are, runs back to warn her but is knocked out. As Eva is about to slam the blade through Delvin's heart, Lucia, Eva's fellow assassin, shows up and shoots Eva with a tainted arrow allowing Delvin to slit her neck and wrists while he and Lucia flee. Luckily the tainted arrow was to slow her heart so that she wouldn't bleed out while two guards, who turn out to be the other two assassins, are able to tend to and save her.
Waking up at the Sanctuary a week later, she finds that Isaac stayed to make sure she was okay and that Lucia and Delvin fled to somewhere in France.
While awaiting more information on Delvin's plans and whereabouts, Eva recruits Isaac and trains him for the next few years as Will did with her. The two grew to be close friends and inseparable.
One day while coming back from completing a contract, they stop in Papplewick to try and see if they can learn anything new about Delvin. Instead, they are recognized by King John's guards as wanted assassins and hauled off to Nottingham. Eva is brought before the King and given a deal. Her freedom and gold in exchange for killing Robin Hood. She agrees and is told that she is to make him fall in love with her then when he is most vulnerable, kill him.
Isaac is also released as her backup and, unlike the previous people John hired to kill Robin, they are able to locate him after about a month of tracking and convince Robin to let them join by Eva showing off her skill with a bow.
Over the course of a year, Robin and Eva become close and start falling for each other as Eva's guilt about her secret mission and her need to avenge William starts to consume her. Then, after a passion filled night between the two, she finally realizes that she loves Robin and is unable to complete her deal with King John. Eva confesses her betrayal to Robin who, heartbroken, pushes her away and ties up Isaac. Eva flees back to Nottingham to turn herself in after failing to complete her task and she is sentenced to hang the next day.
Back at the camp, Isaac tries to explain Eva's betrayal and the reason she didn't go through with it. Not wanting to lose her, Robin sets Isaac free and the rest of the game except for Much go to rescue her.
The next day as Eva has the noose around her neck and is about to be hanged, Robin shoots the rope and she falls beneath the stage where her bonds are cut loose by Will Scarlet and the rest of the gang fights against the guards. Robin, who is shooting from a nearby tower sees Eva run back into the castle to retrieve Will's sword. The others are able to escape while Eva finds her late husband's sword and is cornered by Guy of Gisborne. He's about to strike her but Robin arrives and pins his arm to the wall with an arrow. When he gets loose, he calls the guards and they back Robin and Eva up into a corner. One of the guards are ordered to kill Robin and they get ready to shoot him in the heart but Eva steps in front of him and take the arrow to her right shoulder blade. She pushes Robin out the window and he lands in the water of the moat below before breaking the shaft of the arrow off and jumping in after him.
They narrowly escape and slowly make their way back to camp. Eva's wound wears her out but she's able to get bandaged up so she can make it to camp. Once there she and Isaac agree that now with King John's men and a group called the Black Knights after them, the only place safe for them to hide out is the Sanctuary.
They stop in Worksop where the Blacksmith and his daughter live. Eva finds out that he's sick and Isaac has courting his daughter, Sabine, for the past couple years. Robin and Eva try to get some alone time and rest but it is cut short when Will Scarlet comes to tell them that the guards are searching for them. They flee and make it to the Sanctuary near Southwell. Dyota, Eva's fellow assassin and the new leader, welcomes them and allows them to stay and hide out. The other assassin, Edric, is happy to see Isaac and Eva again after no word from them in a year and accidently makes Eva's wounded shoulder hurt more to the point that Will Scarlet's wife, Djaq, is forced to remove the arrow head. She is bandaged up after her wound is cauterized and her arm is put into a sling.
That brings us to book 2 where the assassins and outlaws live together in the Sanctuary while the King, the Black Knights, the Sheriff and Gisborne are looking for them.