“This way,” Sage whispered, taking a step toward the town.
Marcus shook his head. They had to get away—as far away from the town as possible.
“My horse is near a group of trees,” she insisted.
“We can take mine,” he argued quietly.
Sage signaled him to follow with a wave of her hand and spun, jogging down the road.
Marcus clenched his teeth but followed her, clutching his side against his bruised ribs.
A few paces down the road, Sage turned off and headed into the brush toward the forest.
Marcus glanced back at the inn. He wondered how long it would be before Guillume discovered he was gone. They should be riding hard out of the town. But he knew Guillume would never stop searching for him or the book. He rushed after Sage.
In the moonlight, he trailed her slinking shadow around farmers’ fields to the edge of the forest. His feet crunched over the branches as he led his horse around the trees. He heard the gentle rush of water and knew a river had to be close. Sage waited for him to join her.
“We should not stay in Les Labadous long,” Marcus advised, casting a glance toward the inn.
Sage nodded and escorted him through a large moonlit clearing filled with tall grass.
“What did the book say?” Marcus couldn’t help but ask.
Sage looked up at him, her beautiful, large brown eyes sparkling in the dim light. “Itisdirections.”
“To where?”
“I didn’t decode the entire book, so I don’t know. I only decoded enough to know I was right.”
“Are you sure?”
She stopped and placed a hand on her hip to stare at him in disbelief.
Marcus chuckled, and his ribs hurt. He tightened his arm around them as he held up a hand. “Sorry.” He rubbed his tongue along his swollen lip thoughtfully.
She continued across the grassy plain.
She had decoded the book. He was so proud of her. He had known she could do it. Now, the book was even more valuable. “I don’t understand,” he finally admitted. “Why did you want to leave the book with Guillume?”
“So he wouldn’t come after you.”
“I know that. But if you haven’t decoded the entire book, we still need it if we want to know where it leads.”
Sage grinned and sheepishly bobbed her head. “We don’t need it. I copied the book.”
Shock erupted inside of Marcus, and he straightened, bringing the horse to a halt. “You copied it? The entire thing? When? Where?”
Sage swiveled to him, her head bowed. “I tried to make it look like I were decoding it. Sometimes, you were sleeping. Sometimes…” She shrugged. “I started at the smithy with Gareth and Thomas.”
Marcus winced in disbelief and astonishment. “You are a planner.”
“I knew I was going to get away. And I wanted the book.” She grinned sheepishly. “It was the perfect way.”
Marcus stared at her in admiration and incredulity. He should have known she was up to something, especially in the beginning. But he had never thought she would be able to copy the entire book. She was amazing. Beautiful, focused, skilled, and ever so intelligent. He reached out and grabbed her hand, pulling her to him. “Why did you come back for me? I mean, you could have escaped, and with the book.”
She softly sighed as she stared up at him. “I could have. But I couldn’t leave you. We’re in this together now.”
“It’s dangerous.”
