“Let’s find cover,” Landyn suggested, turning his horse away from the river to a group of trees along the road.
The rest eagerly followed, urging their horses into a trot.
Marcus glanced back at the river, its murky brown waters rolling and churning in the rain. He squinted against the downpour and looked across the river but couldn’t spot any signs of a road. Small rivulets steamed off the sodden ground, flowing quickly along their paths to the river. He thought maybe he could wait out the rain and wouldn’t have to cross the water to see a road. He lifted his face to the sky, and thick drops splattered his skin.
If the rain ever stopped.
Disheartened, he turned his steed toward the protection of the trees.
Marcus found shelter beneath the dense canopy of branches, but without leaves, the heavy downpour still managed to soak him. The soft splatter of the rain hitting his leather armor sounded around him. The ground was a mass of mud and sludge, and Marcus’s horse shifted uneasily from hoof to hoof, attempting to find firmer ground.
Marcus’s gaze settled on Sage. Her brown hair was plastered to her head, but her eyes were alight with energy and vigor despite the dreary conditions. The weather had done nothing to quench her enthusiasm, a stark contrast to the rest of the group.
Raven’s shoulders were hunched, struggling to shelter herself from the driving rain. Landyn’s face was a mix of concern and resignation as he stared at the ground. Willow had moved her horse close to the large tree for shelter, and Christian sat stoically beside her, trying to shield her from the deluge.
“The road was supposed to end,” Marcus told Sage. “But I don’t think that was a natural end.”
Sage nodded. “It looks as if the river washed away the road.”
“Why are we doing this?” Raven suddenly asked in irritation.
Marcus knew Raven was frustrated, wet, and ill-tempered.
“We couldn’t stay in France,” Christian said. “Not with Philip after the Templars.”
“Are we any safer here?” Raven demanded. “We’re being followed. And we don’t even know why or where these directions lead! There are too many unanswered questions.” Landyn stroked her back, but she pushed his touch away, holding up her hands in protest. “Is it worth the risk?”
The group stood silently. The steady rhythm of droplets tapping against the trees and splashing into the mud was the only noise that filled the air.
Marcus glanced at Sage, seeing the determination and the frustration in her gaze. She had worked so hard to decode the book, and now, she was eager to answer all the questions. What secrets were hidden within the book’s pages? With each piece of the puzzle she solved, more questions arose. It was an impossible task, yet Sage was irresistibly drawn to it.
“Do you want to stop now?” Sage demanded. “After we’ve come so far?”
Raven clenched her teeth, meeting Sage’s direct gaze.
Willow tilted her head. “I’ve never known you to back down from a challenge, Raven.”
Raven shook her head and swiped a dripping strand of hair from her forehead, her stare shifting from the others. She tightened her hands around the reins. “What do we do now? Wait for the rain to end beneath these trees?”
Willow’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “You usually have the plan.”
“I’ll see if there’s a way to cross that water,” Marcus said, hoping to ease the tension hanging in the air.
“I’m going with you,” Sage insisted.
“We shouldn’t split up,” Raven warned.
“You’ll be able to see us,” Sage reassured her. “You stay here and let some of that anger steam off you.” Sage spurred her horse before Raven could reply.
Marcus bowed his head so they couldn’t see the grin that stretched across his cheeks as he urged his steed after Sage.
“I’m not angry!” Raven hollered after them.
Sage steered her horse down the bank of the river, careful to stay away from the edge. It was not stable, she knew, from the tree falling in. She didn’t want to be dragged into the murky waters.
Marcus caught up to her, having to raise his voice above the pounding water. “We might have to wait until the rain stops. And maybe for days after that.”
Sage cringed. “Raven won’t like that. It will give her more time to complain.”
