Christian shook his head. He felt useless. Why hadn’t De Molay protected himself?
Jo pushed a rock into the stone wall. With a groan, a section of the stones swung out and away from the wall. She removed a torch from the scone hanging on the wall and stepped into the gloomy passageway. “Follow me.”
“Not another tunnel,” Willow groaned.
Sage looked back at her with a grin.
“We saw soldiers leading the Templars away as prisoners.” Landyn trailed Jo into the darkness and asked, “Did any make it to safety?”
“A few,” Jo answered, walking quickly through the dark tunnel. “Most didn’t fight. They were probably surprised and confused.”
Christian’s lips tightened. “Templars do not run.”
“The order for their arrest came from the king,” Jo stated. “They offered no resistance.”
Deceitful man that he was, Christian thought, grimacing. He could taste the sourness of the man’s treachery on his lips. The king had betrayed them. “Did the king find the treasure?”
Jo hesitated, the light from the torch illuminating her face. Her eyes were solemn and angry. “I’ve heard the king has yet to discover it. He will.” She turned and continued into the tunnel. Rock walls surrounded them, fortified by an occasional beam rising from the ground. The walls appeared to be carved from the surrounding landscape. Dripping water echoed loudly in the darkness. Each step into the tunnel brought the smell of earth and stone.
The tunnel was narrow but not tight. The floor was a little uneven. Someone kicked a pebble, and it echoed down the corridor.
Jo paused before a wooden door to look at them. “You’re welcome to stay as long as you cause no trouble.”
“Where does this cave lead?” Landyn asked, peering deeper down the cave.
“Into the forest. Let one of us know when you want to leave, and your horses will be waiting.”
“We don’t want to endanger you,” Willow said. “This is risky.”
Jo grinned. “A risk I am very willing to take. There is food and drink inside this room. I replenish it when needed, so help yourself.”
“We appreciate this,” Landyn declared.
“I wish there were more I could do,” Jo mumbled before turning and heading back the way she came.
Christian peered into the cave’s darkness toward the exit they had not taken. He could make out the roughhewn walls that led into a void of black. He would feel better if he knew where the end of the tunnel was.
Marcus grabbed the handle and opened the door. A handful of Templar Knights, scattered about the room, looked up from what they were doing. Most were seated on the ground, while a few stood. Their white tunics were smeared with dirt, but the red crosses in the center were untouched.
The room was a small cave with two torches ensconced on the wall. The light flickered in a draft, casting long shadows. A heavy dampness filled the room.
Willow glanced longingly back down the corridor toward the inn.
Sage stepped into the room and moved to a corner beneath one of the torches. She sat on the floor and glanced around the room. Her eyes moved over the knights like a crow darting through a field of lambs. Finally, she reached into her boot, pulled out the parchment pieces, and spread them on the floor.
Raven followed her sister. Landyn and Marcus entered.
Christian stared down the corridor toward the exit. “I want to see where this goes,” he explained to Willow. When he shifted his stare to her, he found her gazing at him. He sighed softly. “I don’t like this. I feel trapped and don’t know these people or this place. I have to make sure you…weare safe.”
Willow grinned tenderly. She stepped in close to him and pressed her lips to his.
Warmth spread through Christian. He knew he was being overly cautious, but with Marcus here and the king’s men rounding up the Templar Knights, he couldn’t be too careful.
She took his hand. “I’ll go with you.”
“You don’t have to. I can handle this alone,” he insisted, brushing a lock of her soft blonde hair from her forehead.
“I know you can. But just in case…” She grinned. “You might need protection.”
