“Why do they want him?” she asked torturedly. “They don’t even like him.”
“I don’t think they want him. They’re using Christian as a pawn to get the rest of us.”
“Why? Why hurt him like that? Why can’t they just let him go?” Tears filled her eyes.
Landyn crossed the room to her side, pulling her into his embrace with a sigh. He ignored the ache from his wound to comfort her. “Marcus will bring him back.”
Willow shook her head again, refusing his reassurance, and stepped back, her fingers brushing across her cheeks as she wiped away tears.
“Marcus was right going alone. They won’t be looking for one man. And Marcus has experience infiltrating and following. Look how long he trailed Christian when he had that book.”
Willow reluctantly nodded.
“Come with us to the boulders.” A mischievous glint sparkled in Landyn’s eyes as his lips turned up into a wide grin. “If you don’t, Raven will return and make you do it.”
Willow heaved an exasperated sigh. “You’re right.”
“There’s nothing you can do for Christian right now. Marcus said they would be back in two days. If they’re not, we’ll all rescue them.”
Willow’s mouth curved into a sorrowful grin. “I shouldn’t have left him.”
Landyn shook his head. “You didn’t. You went for help. It was the smartest thing you could have done.”
“That doesn’t make me feel better,” she said as her lower lip trembled.
A small, kind smile crept across Landyn’s lips. “It will.”
She lifted her sad eyes to him. “Thank you.”
Landyn felt her pain in his heart. He bowed his head slightly and held a hand toward the rear door.
Willow led the way toward the cemetery.
“This is creepy,” Willow said, her brows creased as she ran her fingers over the rough stone of the ancient coffins. “Are we going to stay in here all night?” She glanced anxiously over her shoulder at the entrance, where two large rocks were angled to form an opening.
Raven knew Willow was more concerned with Christian’s safety than with following the directions and couldn’t blame her. They would have to keep Willow busy.
Flickering light from the torch Landyn held fell upon the coffins.
Sage raised her hands and spread her fingers wide, curving them into talon-like claws. “Only until the dead point the way.”
Willow narrowed her eyes and glared at Sage before shifting her gaze to the coffin. “Do you think these men were Templar Knights?”
“Maybe,” Raven replied, ignoring Sage’s kidding, and stood after studying the inscriptions on the coffins. “Look at the cross here. It appears to be a Templar cross.”
“Should we put the torch out?” Landyn asked.
“How will we see?” Willow’s voice quivered with doubt as she scanned the dimly lit crypt.
“The glow,” Sage insisted.
Willow took a few steps backward to the angled boulders at the entrance. “I don’t like this.”
“Don’t worry,” Sage mocked. “The dead won’t rise and eat you.” She removed the torch from Landyn’s hold, placed it on the ground, and kicked dirt to extinguish it.
The torch’s flame was extinguished, plunging the tomb into a complete absence of light. Darkness closed in around them, stifling the air until all that remained was a heavy, oppressive silence.
After a long moment, Willow broke the deafening quiet. “Do you think this is what it’s like when you’re dead?”
