“Something, something road east to first…”
“Crossroad,” Marcus whispered, staring at the parchment in disbelief.
Sage’s mouth dropped as she looked from him to the parchment. She quickly filled in the letters. “Yes!” she gasped.
“Itisdirections,” Marcus stated, sitting up straight and gaped at her with wonder. Prickles rose up and down his spine. “You were right.”
She nodded; her brown eyes crinkled with excitement. “But directions to where?”
“We need to figure out the rest of the code.” Together, they leaned over the book. They were so close to figuring it out. But their time was almost gone.
As darkness set in, lengthening the shadows and casting the surrounding forest in muted shades of black, Marcus became weary of trying to decode the book. The letters ran together, and he was exhausted. Mentally. They had interpreted some words they believed were correct.
He believed they were near to deciphering the code. He looked at Sage. Her forehead was wrinkled with concentration. She needed a break as much as he did. He ran a hand along her cheek and cupped her chin to turn her gaze to him. He leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers.
Sage pulled away. “No, no, no.” She shifted her attention back to the book as Marcus groaned in frustration. “We should stay focused. We don’t have much time.”
Marcus inclined, extending his legs out before him. He blinked purposely, trying to clear his mind of the fog encompassing it from working too long on the book. His gaze moved in a semicircle around the landscape, grateful for something other than parchment pages to stare at. A gentle breeze snaked through the tall trees, moving their branches like fingers. Long shadows that could hide assassins speckled the forest. “I think we need a break.” He reached out and eased the book closed.
She glanced at him, confused as if she had just woken from a sound sleep. Reluctantly, she set the book aside and stood, arching her back. “Maybe it’s not directions. None of the other words fit.”
Marcus stood and lifted his hands above his head, stretching. “Maybe.”
“That’s why we should keep decoding the book.”
He took her hand and guided her away from the book to the saddlebags. He appreciated her dedication, but it was too much for one lovely girl. He opened one of the saddlebags and pulled out a small trencher. He ripped it in half and gave her one piece.
She accepted it, chewing thoughtfully. “Does your cousin know you are trying to decipher the book?”
Marcus shrugged. “It doesn’t matter.”
“Perhaps he doesn’t want you to know what’s in it.” She swallowed.
“He’ll be happy I wanted to help him.” Marcus took a bite of the soft bread. “I was hoping he would give me more coin if I deciphered it.”
“For Rose.” Sage agreed with a nod. She stared down in contemplation at the trencher. “I keep wondering who hired the attackers.”
He knew who she thought hired the attackers: Guillume. “My cousin is family to me. We were very close growing up, but we went our separate ways after our schooling. I was happy to receive the missive from him and even happier to see him.” He bit some bread from the loaf, remembering their warm greeting. It had been in the same inn where he was going to meet Guillume on the morrow. They both had ales and talked for a few moments before Guillume had asked him to retrieve the book. But Marcus had to admit that he didn’t feel the same connection to Guillume now as he had when they were young. That didn’t change anything. He glanced at Sage, admitting, “I envy your closeness with your family.”
Sage scoffed. “Sometimes, it’s wonderful. My sisters would do anything for me. But it was also very suffocating. We were always together. This is the longest I’ve ever been away from them.”
“They must be very worried about you,” Marcus mused.
Sage looked down.
“Would they…” Marcus began but stopped. He didn’t want to insult her.
“Would they what?” Sage demanded, regarding him with her piercing brown eyes.
Marcus took a deep breath. “Would they hire assassins to kill me?”
Sage’s mouth dropped, and then she snapped it closed in indignation. “Never. They would want to finish the job themselves.”
Marcus grinned, nodding. “It was just a thought.” When she remained stubbornly silent, her lips tight and jaw clenched, he added, “Now you know how I feel with your accusations about Guillume.”
She chuckled humorlessly. “I see your point.”
“I know you think Guillume could have done it, but I’m telling you he did not hire those men. He wouldn’t try to kill me. I’m bringing the book to him. I pose no threat to him.”
