“We have to take a chance!” I said, seizing his soft deerskin sleeve.
Marcellious shook his head. “I don’t think so. You’re barely healed. We need to give you more time to get better.”
“I don’t want more time! I want to go find Malik! And, if you don’t accompany me, I’ll go alone!” I said, balling up my fists by my side.
“Don’t be stupid. A woman traveling alone in these times would be a disaster. You’d never survive!” He flicked his fingers at me.
“Come on. You know I’m strong. I survived ancient Rome, didn’t I?”
“Yes, and Roman kept watch on you at all times,” Marcellious said, the blood vessels in his neck throbbing.
“Except when he didn’t, like when you kidnapped me.” I leaned forward, crowding Marcellious.
Marcellious lifted his palms again. “That was a mistake. One I’ve apologized for.”
“Never mind that. I’m only saying you know how capable I am. I’m going with or without you.”
We just stood there, glaring at one another while a breeze blew across the plains, rippling the grasses.
Finally, Marcellious said, “It’s going to be a long journey.”
“But we’ll pursue a plan like you wanted,” I countered.
His jaw worked back and forth as he studied me. “All right. We’ll go. But Emily is coming with us.”
I was practically giddy, on the verge of hugging Marcellious. “Of course! I wouldn’t want to just leave her here. We’re family.”
“And I’ve got to marry her first,” Marcellious said. “I promised I would marry her after the battle.”
“Oh, come on. You don’t want to rush your wedding,” I said.
“Like hell, I don’t! We all know how quickly lives can be lost. Anything can happen to us at any time. I said I’ll go with you, but I have terms, too. And being married to Emily is one of them.” His jaw set into a block of iron. “I’ll only go on this journey if my wife is by my side.”
“Then, let’s go tell her that. She needs to weigh in on the decision.” I turned and headed toward her teepee, assuming Marcellious would follow.
We found her inside the teepee she shared with Leaping Deer.
She sat on the floor, plucking leaves from some herbs and placing them in a basket. Her face brightened when she saw us. “Olivia! You look better! What’s happened to put a smile on your face?”
I lowered to my knees before her. “We need to go on a journey together. It might be dangerous.”
I filled her in on the Malik story, and she listened intently, studying my face the entire time.
“And there’s one more thing,” Marcellious said, standing stiffly beside us. “I want us to get married, Emily, before we go.”
He fell to one knee and said, “Will you honor me by becoming my wife?”
Emily leaped to her feet. “Oh, Marcellious! I would be most honored to marry you right away. When shall we do it?”
“As soon as the chief is available,” Marcellious said, his cheeks red.
“Oh, I’m so happy!” Emily said in her usual enthusiastic manner. She turned to me. “Isn’t this wonderful? We’ll travel to find this Malik fellow as two married women. We’re going to find Roman. I know we are!”
She held out her hand to me, and I took it, rising to my feet. Then, she reached for her necklace.
“Oh!” I said. “We forgot to ask John James about your necklace!”
Emily’s expression fell, but she said, “That’s okay. You have other things to worry about.”
