The Lost Chalice (The Relic Seekers Book 3) (12 page)

He left his hand on the stone and closed his eyes again. He took the scrap of memory and this time didn’t run from it. He let it settle, let it breathe and take form. In the space of a heartbeat, he was no longer in the graveyard, but on an airplane headed for hell.

“Where are we going?” Adam asked.

“Away from here. I have some business to take care of,” his father replied.

He was worried, Adam thought. He had that line in his forehead. He was probably upset over the trouble at the castle. What trouble? He couldn’t remember, but for a second he’d remembered getting into trouble with Kendall. They got into trouble a lot. Why couldn’t he remember? “Are Kendall and Uncle William coming?” Adam asked.

“Not this time.”

Adam didn’t have time to reply. An explosion rocked the plane, throwing him from his seat. He felt flames hot on his face and smelled smoke, but everything was black. He crawled to his knees, but he couldn’t see. “Dad!” he screamed.

Kendall woke up again, and this time she was alone. What a crock, she thought, after all that fussing about them protecting her. She stepped outside the door in time to see Nathan vanish down the hall. Where was he going? Curious, she followed him. He and Jake had better not be having some midnight meeting, plotting to send her away for her own safety.

She saw Nathan speak to the guard at the front door, but she didn’t see Jake. She didn’t know this guard’s name, but she’d seen him around. “Which way did Nathan go?” she asked.

The guard pointed. “That way. He’s taking a walk. Should you be out here?”

“I’m going to walk with him.”

The guard’s lips quirked. Kendall could imagine what he must be thinking, with them taking a walk in the dead of night. “I’ll take you to him.”

“That’s not necessary. I’ll catch him.”

“Hurry then. He’ll have my hide if you’re out here alone for two seconds.”

“I will.”

She lost sight of him once, and was afraid he’d changed and was using his speed skills. She’d never catch him then. The moon was almost full, giving ghostly shadows to the castle and the trees. She smiled to herself, thinking how he was sort of like a werewolf. Not in terms of the hair, fangs, or four legs, but with the ability to change to something else.

She caught sight of him near the graveyard. Why would he come here unless he was meeting Jake?

He squatted down beside the graves and reached out to touch one. There was a set to his shoulders that made her heart ache for him. Sadness and confusion rose off him so clearly that if she were a normal person, she’d have thought she was seeing a ghost.

She waited in the trees out of sight and watched, not wanting to pry, but too concerned to leave. She saw it happen. One second he was touching the grave, and the next he was lying on the ground. Kendall ran toward him and knelt down. “Nathan. Can you hear me?”

His voice was hoarse as he cried out for his father. Kendall shook him gently. “Wake up, Nathan. It’s just a dream.”

He let out an agonized cry, and lurched to his feet.

She knew it was dangerous, considering his abilities, but she rose and touched his cheek, wet with tears, and her head felt like a bomb had gone off behind her eyes.

Flames were everywhere, stinging his eyes and burning his throat. He couldn’t see, but he could feel the heat. “Dad!”

Someone grabbed his arm and pulled him. He stumbled trying to keep up. “Father?”

“No, it’s William.”

“Where’s my father?”

“Hurry, Adam. We have to hurry.”

“We can’t leave him.”

“We must or we’ll both die.” William pulled him away from the crackle and heat of the flames. “Come with me. I’ll take you somewhere safe.”

“What about my father?”

“I’ll go back for him.”

But he heard the truth in William’s voice. There was no chance for his father.

He couldn’t fight his uncle, he couldn’t even see. Caught in his shock, he allowed himself to be pulled away. When he woke again, he had no idea where he was or who he was. There was a man with him, urging him to hurry. He was breathing strange, rasping, and kept saying he was sorry. So sorry. “Tell her I love her.” And then he wasn’t breathing anymore.

Kendall opened her eyes, overwhelmed at what she’d seen. Her father’s death through Adam’s eyes, and the crash that killed Uncle John.

Nathan was watching her, his eyes amber, but she wasn’t afraid. “It was just a dream.” She wiped his damp cheek and knew she was crying too. For him, for her. For his father and hers, who had died to save Adam.

Nathan held her hand there, his eyes filled with pain. She could feel the residue of memories crashing through his brain like waves battering a ship. He touched her face softly and then pulled her into his arms. He held her there, his chest pounding against hers, her tears soaking his shirt.

CHAPTER TEN

J
AKE RETURNED FROM
the bathroom and went dead-still at the sight of the empty beds. His stomach dropped and he yanked open the door, calling Kendall’s name. She didn’t answer, so he started downstairs. He’d just gone to take a piss. She couldn’t have gone far. The guard was still at the front door. He frowned when he saw Jake running.

“Is everything OK?”

“Have you seen Kendall?” Jake asked.

“She went for a walk.”

“You let her go out in the middle of the night!” What the hell was she thinking? What was the guard thinking?

The guard looked defensive. “She’s not alone,” he said stiffly. “Mr. Larraby is with her.”

Nathan was with her? Jake didn’t care that Nathan had superpowers. He had no business wandering around with Kendall after they’d just been lost. “Where did they go?”

The guard looked as if he was unsure whether to tell him.

“Tell me now.”

The guard frowned and pointed.

Jake hurried in the direction, wondering what the hell Nathan was thinking. A better question might be, what was he thinking with? He had worked himself into a frenzy by the time he saw them. And when he did, he felt like he’d been hit with a sledge hammer.

They were hugging. More than hugging. They looked like vines that were intertwined.

“So you sneaked out so you could be alone?” Jake ground out.

They jumped apart, both looking guilty. “Jake? We were . . .”

“I can see what you were doing. Couldn’t you have found an empty room instead of out here in the open where anyone could attack you?”

“We didn’t . . .” Nathan rubbed his chin, and Jake saw a damp trail on his face. Tears?

“It’s not like that,” Kendall said. “I followed him. I thought you two were meeting behind my back, plotting to send me somewhere that the Reaper couldn’t find me.”

“That led to this?” Jake was hurt and pissed, and he wanted to kick something. Starting with Nathan.

Nathan’s eyes narrowed. “It was just a hug.”

“Don’t do that,” Kendall said, turning on Nathan. “It wasn’t your fault. It wasn’t anyone’s fault. It was just a . . . moment.” She glared at Jake. “He was having a nightmare and I touched him. I got pulled into it.”

“He was having a nightmare in the graveyard?”

“He touched my father’s grave, and he remembered the fire. He remembered his father dying. And mine.”

Well hell. He looked at the tears on Nathan’s cheeks.

He must have noticed because he wiped them away with his hand. “She was just comforting me.”

“Looked like you were ready to throw her down right here.” He hadn’t intended to say that last part out loud, but hell, they could have comforted each other with a pat on the back or a few kind words, instead of with their bodies pressed together like moss on a rock.

“Jake!” Kendall’s eyes flashed green fire.

“Show a little respect,” Nathan said, his voice hard.

“I’m going back to the room,” Kendall said, and stalked away. Nathan and Jake lagged behind.

“Don’t be mad at her,” Nathan said, his body stiff with tension.

“I’m not. I’m mad at you. You know how I feel about her.”

Nathan’s face tightened, and they walked on in silence. The guard looked at them as they approached. “Everyone OK, sir?”

“Fine.”

When they got to the room, Kendall was coming out. “Where are you going?” Jake asked.

“To sleep someplace else.”

“No, you’re not.”

“I am, and you’re not going to stop me. Neither are you,” she said, looking at Nathan. “You can post a damned guard outside my door.” She stomped off toward the tower room.

“I guess we can take turns watching the door,” Jake said.

“I think we’d better get some guards,” Nathan said. “She needs some distance from us.”

“Trouble in paradise?”

Jake turned and saw Raphael standing behind them. “Paradise? More like hell.”

“What’s wrong with Kendall?” Raphael asked.

“She’s pissed,” Jake said.

“I can tell.”

“I’ll post two guards outside her door,” Nathan said.

“What about that damned secret entrance?” Jake asked. “Do we want to tell them about it?”

“No,” Raphael said. “I’ll guard the secret doorway. The guards already know too many of our secrets.”

They posted guards and Raphael went off to sit near the secret doorway, leaving Nathan and Jake free for a whole lot of awkwardness. They settled into their beds, with Kendall’s empty one lying between them like the Grand Canyon.

“You weren’t supposed to fall for her,” Nathan said after a while.

“I didn’t mean to,” Jake said. “She got under my skin.”

“She does that.” Nathan was quiet for a moment. “Just remember your first priority is to protect her, not . . . anything else.”

“I’d die to protect her,” Jake said.

“So would I.” Nathan’s voice was low, almost menacing. “And I’d probably kill anyone who broke her heart.”

Jake met his gaze and quietly nodded. “Me too.”

It took him a long while to go to sleep, and he still hadn’t cleared his head of the image of Kendall and Nathan wrapped in each other’s arms like lovers.

It was happening, he thought, his chest aching. He was losing her.

Raphael stood over the bed, wondering if he had the courage to kill her. It would be a high price, but it might be the only way. There would be hell to pay from Nathan and Jake. That was an understatement. Both of them were in love with her. It wasn’t a surprise. She was nearly as beautiful now as she had been then. There were some differences, her clothing and her manner. He hadn’t recognized her at first. But he hadn’t been expecting her. He sighed, still holding his dagger over her chest, watching it rise and fall with mesmerizing rhythm. He lowered the tip of the blade until it almost touched her breast. A perfect target. It would just take one strike.

The mind-numbing comfort of exhaustion had finally stilled Nathan’s thoughts with sleep when he woke with the realization that something was wrong. He sat up and saw Kendall’s bed empty. The first rush of panic faded when he remembered she was in the tower room with the guards and Raphael keeping watch.

Jake wasn’t in bed either. Where was he? Nathan hadn’t even bothered to undress before getting in bed, so he shoved his feet into boots and hurried from the room. The sense of danger was growing stronger as he climbed to the tower. He saw someone at the top of the stairs. Not one of the guards. His eyes started to burn and he was about to lunge when the figure turned. It was Jake.

“What the devil are you doing?” Nathan whispered.

“The same thing you are. Checking up on her.”

“Can’t you keep away from her for two seconds?”

“I couldn’t sleep, so I sent the guards away. Might as well stand guard myself and let them go somewhere more useful. I’ve got a bad feeling—” As if on cue, a scream came from inside. Jake wrenched open the door in time for them to see Raphael standing over Kendall’s bed with a dagger.

Nathan’s body fired up like dry timber soaked in gasoline. He shoved Jake aside and lunged across the room toward Raphael, who was frowning at the dagger that had fallen from his hand. Just before Nathan crashed into him, Raphael looked up and grabbed Nathan’s arms, holding him back. Nathan’s head felt like it would explode. He was too hot. Burning up. Images flashed in his head. Kendall when she was a girl. Falling in the tomb, trying to hide her damp eyes after she’d had an intense vision. Staring at the dead snake that had almost struck her. Her shame as his father ruined her birthday. Pain seared his head like a poker had been driven into his eye. He felt himself melting like hot metal.

Kendall jumped out of bed and rushed to Nathan. “What did you do to him?”

Raphael started to kneel, but Jake grabbed the dagger that had fallen and pointed it at him. “Don’t move.” He knew it was foolish. Raphael could turn him into hamburger, but he was operating on adrenaline. It was pounding through his system, making him tingle all over.

Raphael’s eyes narrowed, but he didn’t fight. “I didn’t hurt him.”

“Doesn’t look that way to me,” Kendall said, bending over him.

Jake’s hand tightened on the dagger. “What were you doing with this?”

“Thinking about whether or not to kill Kendall.”

Jake’s mouth dropped open. He pointed the dagger at Raphael’s throat. “Kill her!”

Raphael looked unmoved. “I decided not to.”

Kendall raised her head and stared at Raphael. “Why would you want to kill me?”

“To keep Luke . . . the Reaper from finding the chalice.”

Kendall and Jake fell silent. Nathan stirred and Kendall leaned closer. “Nathan, are you OK?”

He groaned and climbed to his feet. “Keep Raphael away from her.”

“I am,” Jake said.

Nathan rubbed his head. “What the hell was he doing?”

“Deciding not to kill her,” Jake said.

Nathan’s eyes flared and a rumbling noise sounded in his throat.

“Calm down, Nathan.” Kendall touched his face. “He was trying to protect the chalice.”

“By killing you?”

Kendall held on to Nathan’s arm. “To keep the Reaper from using me to find it. It’s extreme, but I see what he was thinking.”

“You can put my dagger down,” Raphael said to Jake. “I’m not going to kill anyone.”

Jake didn’t budge.

“If I wanted to kill her,” Raphael said, “I would have already done it. If I wanted to kill her badly enough, I would have gone through you and Nathan to do it. I don’t want to kill her.”

“I don’t trust you,” Jake said.

“I can understand that. I wouldn’t either in your situation. I merely considered killing her as the means to an end. The Reaper will try to use Kendall to find the Holy Grail. If she’s dead, he can’t.” Raphael’s voice sounded thick with emotion. “Don’t judge me. I know you’ve all been faced with tough calls, weighed the odds.”

Jake had many times, but this was Kendall. And it was his fault she had slept alone in the tower room. If he hadn’t reacted with jealousy when he saw Kendall and Nathan hugging, she wouldn’t have felt the need to get away. “How can we be sure you won’t try again?”

“In part, because I need her to find the chalice too. And if I kill her, the Reaper will probably find some other way to locate the chalice.”

“Geez, thanks,” Kendall said, lips tight.

Raphael looked at her, his eyes steady. “I swear to you, I will not kill you. I will protect your life with my own.”

Kendall stared at the guardian, and Jake was certain she was reading his thoughts. She didn’t usually
pry
, but this would warrant it. Her eyes widened slightly and her lips parted as if she’d seen something startling. Raphael looked fierce, protective, but then his expression went blank. “I believe him,” Kendall said. “Now, do you know what’s wrong with Nathan?” She tried to help him toward the bed, but his legs weren’t steady. He was a lot more solid than he looked. Jake took his arm and helped him.

“Damned curse,” Nathan muttered.

“It’s not a curse,” Raphael said. “You just don’t know how to use your powers yet.”

“Whose fault is that?” Nathan asked. “You’re the one who knows how all this works, and you haven’t told us anything. If we’re going to be part of the Protettori, we need to know what we’re doing.”

“Taking a vow you didn’t understand when you were children doesn’t make you part of the brotherhood,” Raphael said.

“You don’t know.” Jake smiled, his lips hard. “The person you decided not to kill is the Protettori’s next keeper, according to Marco.”

Raphael looked disturbed. “He said this?”

“He did, and he said Nathan is a guardian. Looks like you’re not alone anymore.”

“But how can he be a guardian? He’s . . .”

“I’m what?” Nathan asked.

Raphael didn’t answer.

“King Arthur?” Kendall asked. “You think he can’t be a guardian because he was King Arthur?” Kendall frowned. “That doesn’t sound ridiculous at all.”

“He isn’t ready,” Raphael said.

That wasn’t what he was going to say. Jake wished he had Kendall’s gift to read minds. He looked at her to see if he could pick anything up secondhand, but Kendall wasn’t paying attention to her would-be murderer now. She was trying to get Nathan to lie down.

“I’m fine,” Nathan said. But he was leaning on Kendall, who had sat beside him wearing Jake’s boxers and T-shirt. Now her soul mate, returned from the dead, was injured. Another mark in Nathan’s favor.

“If he was once King Arthur—” Jake stopped. Kendall was right, it did sound ridiculous. “Then he’s already been one of the Protettori.”

Raphael pulled out a vial and handed it to Nathan. “Drink this. It’s not poison,” he said when Nathan stared at it, his eyes narrowed in suspicion.

“Isn’t drinking the water dangerous?” Kendall asked.

“Not if taken correctly. It will become your lifeblood. It gives you strength and helps you control your abilities.”

Nathan rubbed his head. “What if I don’t want them? When you were holding me in the temple you said there was a way to get rid of my . . . abilities.”

Raphael’s eyes were so still he looked like a corpse. “It would require a great sacrifice.”

“What?”