Raven scowled. “I don’t care. I just want to get out of here.”
“Icare,” Sage said emphatically. “It’s Father’s key. Was that what he wanted us to have?”
Raven’s stare burned into Sage, her sister’s words hitting her like a ton of bricks. Had their father wanted them to have the box? Her heart hammered against her ribcage. Desperation shone in her eyes as she turned to Landyn for guidance and help.
He shrugged, holding his hands out in concession.
“My only concern is leaving safely,” Raven said, meeting their gazes in turn. “No one mentions the box.” She looked pointedly at Sage. “I don’t want to be imprisoned here. Or worse.”
“But the box,” Sage pleaded.
Raven shook her head and clasped Sage’s hands tightly. Her voice was filled with conviction. “Is not as important as our lives.”
Sage pulled back, her eyes wide. She exhaled an almost imperceptible nod of agreement.
“At least Philip won’t get the treasure,” Christian murmured.
Sage bowed her head and grumpily stated, “We found it. Your father could find it, too.”
Raven frowned. She didn’t like that answer. But Sage was right. The Sterlings had the same directions they did. “We have to warn them.”
Marcus disagreed. “We must escape. Those guards are not going to let us go. Not when we know the treasure is here.”
“Those men are not the bad guys,” Landyn protested, pointing at the door. “They’re trying to protect the treasure.” He shook his head. “I can’t blame them for thinking we’ve come to take it.”
“Take it?” Sage asked in disbelief. “Did you see the amount of treasure? We’d need carts and horses and wagons. We have none of those. How are we supposed to take it?”
“What else can they think?” Landyn asked.
The room fell into an oppressive silence. Raven’s throat tightened, and her chest felt heavy as despair settled like an invisible mist around them.
“They didn’t remove our weapons,” Willow observed. “They must not think we are a threat.”
“Did you see the number of knights?” Raven asked. “I wouldn’t think we were a threat, either.”
Landyn shook his head and squared his shoulders, a determined look on his face. “We’re not a threat,” he insisted. “I won’t fight them.”
Christian wore a solemn expression on his face as he folded his arms across his chest. “Me neither.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Raven said. “We can’t fight all of them even if you would. Fighting is out of the question.”
The door opened, and a group of armed men entered. Raven and the others shrank against the stone-cold wall, and a man walked into the room. He lingered in the shadows but then shifted forward into the torchlight, and Raven could finally see him. He was impressively tall and wore a brown tunic. Streaks of gray ran through his brown hair, and his thick beard nearly reached his waist. He stood before them, inspecting each of them, one by one, his gaze sharp and intimidating.
Willow took a confident step toward the men. She stopped short when the tip of the guard’s sword touched her chest. “You must move the treasure,” she said boldly.
“She’s right,” Landyn agreed. “There are men who will come for it.”
The gray-haired man squinted, wrinkles deepening around his eyes. He scanned Landyn, and his voice was low and suspicious when he spoke. “Landyn Winchester?”
Landyn cocked his head in confusion as he fought to recognize the man. Then, his eyes lit up in recognition. “Valencourt?” He rushed forward and clasped the gray-haired man in a tight embrace. When he pulled back, he marveled, “You escaped.”
Raven was in shock when Landyn unexpectedly greeted Valencourt. She had no other choice but to put her faith in the stranger, hoping he would prove to be a friend and that their situation had finally improved.
The older man nodded and put his hands on Landyn’s shoulders. “I was warned.” He signaled to the men around him with a sweeping motion of his hand, and they reluctantly lowered their weapons. “What are you doing here?”
Landyn gestured toward the others as he spoke. “We were following a decoded book from the Grand Master.” He nodded at Sage. “She broke the code.”
Sage gave a modest smile and shrugged.
