Sage hesitated for a moment before taking a step forward. If she could buy some time, perhaps Willow or Raven would find them. She pursed her lips and took another footstep. “Let me have the book.”
He tilted his head slightly to the side, and his eyes narrowed. “I think it is safe where it is.”
She lifted her chin. “Then I won’t go with you.”
Those cursed lips curled up on one side again. It was a mocking smile. “Very well.” He shifted her sword belt on his shoulder and began to duck into the small opening.
“Wait!” Sage called. Damn him. He was so confident. When he reemerged again, she continued, “The sooner I can see the book, the sooner I can decode it.”
“You won’t be able to see the pages in the dark.”
Sage glanced into the blackness of the passageway, still hesitating. Where were her sisters?
“I’ll give it to you when we get out of the chateau.”
Sage glanced at him, unsure. Was he lying to get her to go with him? She paused at the grate opening, looking into the darkness. The blackness was complete. She glanced at Marcus, searching his face. His jaw was square and clean-shaven. His nose was straight, and his blue eyes gleamed patiently. She clenched her teeth. Was the book worth so much? She could easily escape and race back down the hallway. But she wouldn’t have the book. Or her sword.
Brother Nicolas had said the book was important, dangerous even. And there was no way she was going to let Marcus keep it. She really had no choice. With a sigh of surrender, she ducked her head and entered the gloom.
She started out on her hands and knees, but it was too narrow to crawl, and she lowered herself onto her belly.
She grimaced as she moved forward, her hands clawing into the wet ground. Slick mud. It was completely dark, and she couldn’t see where she was going. The squeaking clank of the grate closing behind her sounded, and she paused. Dread stiffened her body. Had he locked her in and stolen the book? “Are you there?”
Shuffling rustled behind her. “Aye,” he grunted. “Keep going.”
Relief filled her. She wasn’t locked in this pit alone. No, she thought, inching forward. She was locked in the dark with someone she didn’t know anything about, who had killed Brother Nicolas to steal the book and was now kidnapping her so she could decode it. What was she doing? When she got out of this place, she should…
The cramped tunnel suddenly veered right. She barely noticed, except he caught her foot to stop her.
“Let me go first. There is another grate barring the exit,” he told her.
Sage rolled her eyes as she halted and pressed herself as close to the wall as she could. “You couldn’t have gone first?”
“You might not have closed the gate. I had to make sure no one knew we had escaped through it.” He scooched up beside her. The tunnel was very small and tight. His shoulder bumped her knee as he squeezed next to her. She pressed herself back against the wall as he struggled to move by her, but there wasn’t enough room. His shoulder skimmed her body as he crawled forward on his stomach.
As he edged by, she felt a square item in the folds of his monk’s robe.
The book!
She lurched forward into him and cried out. Their bodies touched fully, and she rolled on top of him, trying to get to the other side.
“What are you doing?” he demanded, irritated.
“Something ran over me!” she exclaimed, brushing at her hair.
They entwined, limbs and legs swirled in their struggle to be free of each other. He tried to wriggle to the side where Sage was. Sage tried to pull away, but her foot was wrapped in his robe.
“Move your foot,” he commanded.
She tried to kick free of the garment, and her knee came up, smashing into his groin. He groaned. She smiled secretly, glad it was dark to hide her pleasure. She tried to wiggle away from him.
He slammed his hand into her shoulder, pushing her back against the wall. “Don’t move,” he said hoarsely. His hand remained on her shoulder.
Sage stilled.
After a moment, he began to move forward again.
Sage waited until he had crawled past her before lifting her hand with her trophy. The book. She and her sisters were not robbers, but they had been taught the elegance of lifting items from others in times of need. It was something she and Willow had picked up quickly, but not Raven. Right now, Sage was very happy that it came easily to her.
She held the book, savoring her victory, before shoving it inside her armor for safekeeping. She grinned, very pleased with her accomplishment.
She glanced back the way they came, debating returning, but she knew he would come after her. And he had her sword. She was not leaving it with him.
No. She would wait until they were out of the chateau to make her escape.
