Willow met Sage’s gaze over the back of her horse, grinning widely. “When has anything worthwhile been a good idea?”
Chapter 2
The Hawke sisters had been traveling most of the night. Sage had given Willow the book back, and her fingers itched to hold it again. To look at it. To turn each parchment page over carefully. What did the words inside reveal? What knowledge could she learn from having it read to her?
She led the way on horseback down the road toward the chateau, excitement churning inside of her.
“We should rest,” Raven called.
Reluctantly, Sage agreed. Her bottom was numb from riding for so long. She guided them to the side of the road, where a hill spread upwards to their right and flat land to their left. No place for robbers to hide. She wasn’t afraid of robbers or brigands; like her sisters, she was skilled at sword fighting. She just didn’t want to be delayed getting to the chateau.
They dismounted. Sage ran her hand over her steed’s bottom, and Achilles nickered and tossed his brown head. He was likely as tired as she was but not nearly as eager. She moved to his head and checked the bridle and reins.
Willow arched her stiff back before heading for the side of the road.
Raven bent over, stretching out her tired muscles.
When Sage was done inspecting Achilles, she heard the rustling of pages and glanced at Willow. Her sister sat cross-legged on the ground, holding the book and flipping through the pages. Sage approached her. She sat beside her and bumped her shoulder into Willow’s to get her attention. “Trying to read it?” she teased.
“I think I’ll leave that to Brother Nicolas. Or you. You’ve always wanted to read.”
Sage sighed. “I wish someone would teach me.”
Willow nodded and continued to turn the thick pages.
“Does it have pictures?” Raven asked, joining them. She stood over them, gazing down at the book.
“No,” Sage answered. “That’s why we’re taking it to Brother Nicolas. He can read it.”
“What do you expect to find?”
Sage shrugged. Just having a book was a treasure to her. A mystery. A puzzle. She was hoping that if Brother Nicolas read it, she could learn some of the words in it.
“The secret to the universe?” Raven mocked. “The fountain of youth?”
Sage rose quickly, annoyed. “You know it’s not always about gold and riches. What if it tells you a secret fighting method? A forgotten way to fight and win.”
“What would I do with that? I already know how to fight.”
“You can always be better,” Sage snapped and stalked away from her to her horse. Raven never understood her hunger for knowledge. She and her father weren’t like her. They didn’t have a mind like hers. She saw things differently than they did. She wanted to know why, and they were content never to wonder.
They arrived at the chateau by mid-morning and were escorted to Brother Nicolas in the keep’s catacombs. He was an old man, with hardly any hair on his head and weathered, wrinkled skin. His back was hunched beneath the brown monk’s robe he wore.
As they entered his chambers, he rose slowly and crossed the room to greet each of them with hearty embraces as if they were longtime friends.
In truth, Sage barely remembered him. She felt uneasy as she stood in his hug. He clung to her as he finished, using her shoulder as a brace to return to his chair behind a wooden desk. He sat down with a heavy sigh.
His blue eyes were wise, and intelligence radiated from them. The corners of his lips had deep laughter lines. His skin sagged around his chin, and strands of long white hair popped up from an otherwise smooth head. “It’s so good to see you girls, although I would never have recognized you.”
Sage glanced uncomfortably at Willow. Sage wasn’t good at talking to people. Willow was the friendliest out of the three of them.
Willow smiled warmly at Brother Nicolas.
“You were this big,” he held out a hand three feet from the floor, “when I last saw you three. And you were a rambunctious lot!” He chuckled.
“How long ago was that?” Willow asked.
He pursed his lips in thought. “Neigh on twelve summers.”
“Twelve?” Willow gasped.
About a year after Mother died, Sage thought. Father must have brought them here while he figured out how to care for them. She couldn’t imagine that a chateau of monks would have been much help with caring for three rambunctious girls.
Brother Nicolas nodded. “Of course, you came back for visits. But not often.” He gazed at Willow through narrowed eyes of thought. “You must be Willow.”
Willow beamed, pleased.
He laughed and swatted at his knee. “I remember those golden ringlets. Cried all night for your father. We didn’t know what to do with you! You drove Brother Peter mad.”
“She still drives some people mad,” Raven muttered.
Sage grinned.
“I’m so pleased you came to visit again,” Brother Nicolas said.
Sage glanced at Willow, urging her to show him the book with an insistent nod.
“Well, actually, we came to ask a favor of you.” Willow untied the pouch and opened it to remove the book. “We would like you to read this to us.” She handed him the book.
Brother Nicolas took the book. He angled it toward the light of the torch ensconced on the wall, studying it for a moment. He opened it and scanned the parchment pages. “Where did you get this?” The merriment had left his voice.
“It was a gift,” Willow explained.
“A gift?” Raven echoed, staring at her with a hard look.
Obviously, Willow had forgotten they had told Raven she found it. Sage stepped up to the desk, waiting anxiously to hear him read.
“Hmmm.” He turned to the first page, moving forward until his nose all but touched the page. All his good-naturedness evaporated, and a deep frown etched into his weathered forehead. He straightened and leaned toward them. “Who gave you this book, child?” he asked in a soft, almost whispered voice.
“A man,” Willow answered evasively.
Raven rolled her eyes and shook her head.
“Leave this book with me. No good will befall you if you keep it.”
The sisters all looked at one another.
No good would befall them? Sage’s curiosity was enflamed. Her insides clenched tightly, and she mentally begged Willow not to leave it. She shook her head slightly.
Willow wondered, “Why do you say that?”
He pointed one of his crooked fingers at the first page, moving from one figure in the text to another. “I’ve been around for far too long. I’ve seen every kind of book there is. You can’t read this. It is babble.”
“Babble?” Sage echoed, frowning in confusion. “Why would someone write a book that you can’t read?”
“Oh, you can read it. After you figure out the code.”
“Code?” Sage glanced at the book on the desk with a new thrill gripping her.
“It has a hidden code.”
“A hidden code?” Raven echoed.
Sage leaned forward eagerly. “Can you decipher it?”
“It will take time,” Brother Nicolas admitted. “But I can decipher it.”
“Can you teach me?”
“Sage!” Raven objected. “We don’t have that much time.”
“I would love to teach you,” Brother Nicolas said enthusiastically, ignoring Raven’s interjection. “It gets lonely down here. I would enjoy the company.”
“Sage,” Raven said between clenched teeth, grabbing her arm. “Can I talk to you?”
Reluctantly, Sage moved away from the desk and into the corner, out of earshot of Brother Nicolas. Her gaze was pinned on the book on his desk.
Raven followed her. Her black hair slightly swayed as she glanced back at Brother Nicolas and then at Sage. “You can’t stay.”
“I want to learn,” Sage said in a whispered tone, hungrily eyeing the stacks of books around t
he room.
“The only reason I came is that you said we’d be back to Sybil’s farm before Father arrived.”
Sage shook her head in denial and glanced at Raven. “You came because we are family.”
“Which is even more reason for you to come back with us.”
“This is what I’ve always wanted. To learn. Brother Nicolas can teach me to read. To decipher the hidden code. How can I leave? How can you ask me to?”
Raven glared at Sage. Her mannerisms mirrored Father’s when she became angry.
“Tell Father I left on my own accord,” Sage suggested.
“He will never believe that. He knows we would never let you go alone.”
Sage sighed softly. “Fine. Then go and get him. Bring him back here. I will talk to him when he arrives. I will take full responsibility.”
“Sage—”
“I’m not leaving, Raven.” She spun and walked back to Brother Nicolas and Willow.
Raven stood stiffly with her hands tightened into balls for a long moment. Finally, she followed Sage angrily. “Sage is staying,” Raven announced. “To help Brother Nicolas.”
“Father won’t mind,” Sage told Brother Nicolas, even though she knew her father would be furious. “Brother Nicolas is a friend.”
“Willow and I will wait for Father’s return at Sybil’s farm. We’ll bring him back here.”
“Bring him back?” Brother Nicolas echoed in confusion. “There’s no need to bring him back. He is already here.”
Chapter 3
Guided by another monk, Willow and Raven left to find their father.
Sage remained with Brother Nicolas. She walked about the cave-like room, running her finger over the stacks of books lining the walls, eyeing them with awe. “Where did you get all of these books?”
Brother Nicolas chuckled softly. “Some were donated. Some I’ve collected. Some were here before I arrived.” He narrowed his eyes thoughtfully at her. “You were the little one who always wanted to know why. A long time ago, I taught you some things before you left. Do you recall?”
Sage spun on him, a fond grin on her lips. “Of course, I remember.”
Brother Nicolas nodded and sat back in his chair, his arms crossed over his chest.
“I remember everything you taught me.”
“Everything?” Brother Nicolas repeated, amused. His smile faded, and he surveyed her through pensive eyes. “Can you read?”
Sage sighed, and her shoulders drooped. “No. I can sound words out, and I can read two-letter words like ‘in’ and ‘to.’”
“Do you know the alphabet?”
Sage nodded. “Yes.”
“Do you remember anything about ciphers?”
Sage cocked her head to the side, trying to remember. “It was so long ago. I remember you telling me about a cipher.” She thought about it for a moment. “You said a cipher is a code where each letter has been changed to hide the message.”
Brother Nicolas smiled in admiration. “How do you break the code?”
Sage shrugged and walked up to his desk. “It depends what type of code it is.”
Brother Nicolas pushed the book across the desk toward her. “Can you read anything in here?”
She stared down at the black leather cover. “No,” she answered without touching the book. She had already leafed through the pages and couldn’t pick out any words. Not even the simple ones that she knew.
“And why can’t you read it?”
She shook her head, frustrated and embarrassed. “Because I can’t read.”
“But you told me you could read simple words.” He tapped the book. “Why can’t you read this book?”
Sage looked at the book for a moment before picking it up. She opened the book and scanned the letters on the parchment. There were no two-letter words that she recognized. She frowned. “There are no simple words. No ‘and’ or ‘to’ or ‘at.’”
“Why is that?”
She considered his question. “It’s in code,” she stated, staring at Brother Nicolas with excitement. “These letters don’t form words we know. We have to crack the code to understand the text.”
He grinned proudly. “Exactly.”
She continued to peruse the parchment page. She rested her bottom on the desk, her back to him. “But what kind of code?”
“That’s what we have to decide.” He bent and opened a drawer in his desk.
Sage didn’t pay attention. The words themselves made no sense. Her gaze settled on a two-letter word. When she tried to sound it out, it wasn’t a word. It made no sense. “Here’s a two-letter word. If I sound it out, it says ‘zoo.’ Z and a U.”
“It’s coded. Those letters are attributed to other letters in the alphabet. We have to figure out what word that is. What two-letter words do you know?”
Sage rolled her eyes. “There are dozens. To. Do. In. It.”
Brother Nicolas smiled and picked up a quill. He dipped it into an inkpot and wrote down the alphabet on a blank piece of parchment. “It’s trial and error. Figure out what letter the letters correspond to and we figure out the code. Look for single letters. Those might be easier. There are only a few of those. A. I.”
Sage flipped through the book. Then she spotted one. “Here.” Sage placed the book on the desktop and pointed the word out to Nicolas. “G. It’s a G.”
“So, G could be code for A or I.”
“I see. And that would correlate to all the other G’s in the book.”
Brother Nicolas nodded in agreement. “Unless we are wrong.”
Sage nodded, examining the page. “Unless we are wrong.”
“It takes time,” he said. “Patience.” He dipped the quill into the ink again and wrote down the first line of the book on a blank parchment he had on the desk. Then, he replaced all the G letters with A. “Do you understand what I am doing?”
Sage watched the quill move slowly over the page and nodded.
Brother Nicolas sat back in his chair.
Sage turned the book so she could see it. Her gaze shifted from his piece of parchment to the book and back. Excitement fizzled through her body, and she could barely keep her toes from tapping.
“Sage,” Brother Nicolas called.
Sage was too busy looking for similar letters on the book’s parchment page. She knew she could do it. Her skin prickled with exuberance. Her mind whirled with possibility at the unfurling of clues. She loved working on puzzles, and this was the biggest and most challenging she had ever faced.
“Sage,” Brother Nicolas called more firmly.
Annoyed, Sage looked up at him.
His gaze was level and intense. “You must not share this information with anyone. Do you understand?”
Every instinct Sage had wanted to return to the puzzle before her, but somewhere deep inside her, Brother Nicolas’s warning stirred apprehension. Her gaze swept his wrinkled face in confusion.
“The information we decode from this book must remain secret. You can’t tell anyone.”
Sage looked down at the book, at the letters, at the parchment pages. Someone had gone through a lot of trouble to keep the message in this book hidden. Still, how could she keep it a secret from her family? From Willow or Raven? Or her father?
“It was coded for a reason,” Brother Nicolas explained seriously. “You may already be in danger. But you must not tell anyone what you discover.”
Sage sighed softly and agreed with a quick nod of understanding so she could return to concentrating on the book.
“That’s a wise warning, Brother Nicolas,” someone called from the doorway.
Sage glanced away from her book to see a monk standing near the entrance of the room. She gauged him with a brief glimpse. A monk. Tall with short blond hair. And then, as if beckoned, she returned her gaze to the book, the letters consuming her complete attention.
A familiar hiss filled the room. Annoying. She didn’t want to take her concentration from the book. But somewhere inside her,
alarms flared. She knew that sound. A sword being pulled from its sheath!
Her hand dropped to the pommel of her sword. Too late.
The monk pressed the cold steel tip of his sword to her neck, shaking his head and clucking sympathetically.
She lifted her chin beneath the pressure of the steel. Every reflex she had demanded she protect that book.
Brother Nicolas rose. “Brother Marcus, what is the meaning of this? We are working.”
“I’ll take the book,” Marcus ordered in a soft voice.
Panic flared inside Sage. No! She didn’t budge because of the sword pressed to her neck. She swiveled her eyes without moving her head to Brother Nicolas but could only see his shadow against the wall.
“The book?” Brother Nicolas asked, confused. “It is meaningless.”
“Then you won’t miss it,” Brother Marcus stated.
“You won’t be able to read it,” Sage said through clenched teeth. “It’s coded.”
One side of his lips turned up in a grin. “That’s why you will be coming with me.”
Chapter 4
Sage’s stomach dropped, and her world careened on its axis.
“No. Let her go,” Nicolas commanded from behind her. “She can’t read it. She will be of no help to you.”
Sage swallowed and shifted her gaze to the empty doorway. Where were her sisters?
Marcus stepped in a semi-circle around Sage, keeping the sword tip to her throat until he was within a hand’s grasp of Brother Nicolas’s desk...and the book.
He was too close to the book. She had to do something. “What kind of monk has a sword?” she wondered aloud.
“A false one,” Brother Nicolas accused.
Marcus reached for the book. Before Marcus could touch it, Nicolas rose and lunged forward, his old fingers stretching for the book. Marcus whirled toward Nicolas, bringing his sword around.
With the sword gone from her throat, Sage backed away and drew her weapon in one fluid movement.
For a moment, no one moved. Nicolas’s splayed hand covered the book on the desk. Marcus leaned into Nicolas, and his arm bent with the old monk’s weight as Nicolas sagged against him. Marcus had been too quick turning his sword toward Nicolas. The sword had pierced Nicolas’s stomach.
Sage: Medieval Romance Beauties With Blades Page 2
