Chapter 11
They rode the rest of the day in silenceuntil the sun began to set. Sage concentrated on the book, not the sorrow in Marcus’s voice when he spoke of his daughter, not on the way his strong arms wrapped around her to hold the horse’s reins, and certainly not on the way his thighs caressed hers.
As the sun began its descent, Marcus pulled the horse into a clearing near the stream. “We’ll rest here for the night.”
Sage looked up from the parchment at the surroundings. Trees lined the small open area, sheltering and secluding it. As Marcus dismounted, brushing against her shoulder, prickles danced along the nape of her neck. Odd. She shouldn’t be thinking of him like this. He wasn’t an honorable man; financially taking care of his daughter didn’t overrule that he had killed Brother Nicolas in cold blood.
She slid from the horse, clutching the book. She had to remember he was a killer.
The sun was dipping low, spreading red and pink wafts through the sky. It didn’t give her much time to decode. She quickly removed the quill and ink from the bags before strolling to a tree. She crossed her legs, sitting down with the open book. Her gaze rose to Marcus, who removed the bags, cared for the horse, and checked its hooves.
Sage watched him for a moment. His movements were reined power. His back was straight with confidence.
A distraction—that was what he was. She opened the book and couldn’t help casting another glance at him. When she saw he was working a stone from the horse’s hoof, she slipped the parchment from her boot, turned to the last page of the book, and made sure she had copied it correctly. She went over the letters on the page, working diligently to make sure it was accurate. She cast secretive glances at Marcus. So very handsome.
Sage worked as rapidly and as precisely as she could. If she got even one letter wrong, it could spell catastrophe.
She pulled out the other parchment pieces and spread them on the ground beside the copy in case Marcus came over. She could use them to cover the replica of the book.
She paused in her work as guilt made her doubt her actions. She looked at Marcus as he lifted the horse’s leg from the ground. She should feel no loyalty toward him, even if he was teaching her to read. She would decode the book with him or without him. Either way, she would have answers.
He held the horse’s leg between his knees and used a dagger to work a rock from the horse’s hoof. His blond hair was streaked with light from the setting sun. His forest-green tunic was tight over his biceps. She sighed softly.
Scowling fiercely, she dragged her attention back to the book. What was wrong with her?
As he finished up with the horse’s hooves, Sage blew on the ink to dry it. Then, watching him as he led the horse to the stream, she folded the parchment copy of the book and slipped it back into her boot.
She glanced down at the book and then the coded parchment beside it. Some words made sense, but others not at all. She heard Marcus come up to her, the leaves crunching beneath his booted feet.
She glanced up at him. “Will you teach me to read?”
He smiled. “We should decode the book for a bit, and then I will teach you.”
She nodded and turned back to the book.
Marcus sat beside her.
“I was thinking…” Sage mused. “If we knew what the book was about, perhaps it would be easier to find words that fit the structure.”
Marcus was silent, contemplating. “It could be about anything, but…”
She shifted her full attention to him. Did he know more about what secrets were hidden in the book’s pages than he was saying?
“If I had to guess, I would say it was about the Templar treasure.”
Sage looked down at the parchment pages in surprise.Treasure?Anxiety peppered her skin.
“It could be a list of all of the treasures. Or where it’s hidden. Or what it is. Gold. The Ark of the Covenant. Spells.”
For the first time, Sage realized how much trouble this book could cause her. “Spells?” she echoed.
“There are rumors the Templars used dark magic to hide the treasure.”
Sage shook her head. “The Templars? The knights who work forGod? TheChristianknights endorsed by the church? I don’t believe they would use spells, especially dark magic.”
“Maybe. And maybe, they are not as holy as everyone believes. Either way, we should keep an open mind when deciphering it.”
Together, they worked on the book. Like the night before, Marcus gave her some ideas and suggestions. They both hunched over the book, Sage on her knees and Marcus sitting cross-legged beside her. His knee rested against her thigh, and for some reason, shivers climbed up her body. For a moment, she was distracted by his knee. The gentle brush and warm pressure sent heat flaring through her. Her breathing came in short gasps, and she wasn’t certain if it was her excitement at decoding the book or…
