The Lost Chalice (The Relic Seekers Book 3) (15 page)

“How do you keep the rogues from becoming sentinels?” Nathan asked. “For that matter, what makes the guardians turn into sentinels?”

“A guardian who chooses to become a sentinel takes a vow . . . and other things take place. A ceremony.”

“What kind of ceremony?” Kendall asked.

“That doesn’t matter now. We have to find these rogues.”

“They couldn’t have vanished,” Jake said. “Unless they found your unfinished portal.” That caused a few moments of chaos, until they found a clue—a sandwich crust near a far wall.

“The bolt-hole,” Raphael said. “They found the bolt-hole. I forgot about it.”

“Do all the rooms have bolt-holes?” Nathan asked.

“No. But this one hasn’t been used in centuries. It’s not stable.” He gritted his teeth. “I hope it collapsed on them.” He pulled out his dagger and dug at a stone near the sandwich crust. There was a clicking sound and two stones slid back, leaving an opening in the floor similar to the one in the temple that led to the fountain.

“Where does it lead?” Jake asked.

“To the railroad. Damn Marco. Why did he wake them?” Raphael looked like he wanted to take someone’s head off. “I’ll check out the bolt-hole. You find Marco. Have the guards search the castle and grounds.”

Raphael grimaced and started down into the hole. There appeared to be steps.

“Don’t you need a flashlight?” Jake asked.

“No.”

“You can see in the dark?” Nathan asked.

Raphael’s eyes lightened until they were so pale they glowed. “So can you,” he said as he disappeared.

“That’s nice,” Jake said, his voice flat. “You can see in the dark too.”

Kendall threw him a warning glance.

Nathan found Hank and had the guard and his men start searching for Marco. “Let’s check his room again. Maybe he’s in bed now.”

“I’m getting worried that no one’s seen him in hours,” Kendall said.

“He reminds me of my grandmother,” Jake said. “She had Alzheimer’s there at the end. Her memory came and went. Half the time she didn’t know who she was. She talked crazy shit, sometimes wandered around the neighborhood.”

They found Marco’s room unlocked. He wasn’t there, and his bed—a four-poster that looked like something from the dark ages—showed no signs of being used.

“Look at this place,” Kendall said. “This furniture is old, really old. I can’t begin to date it.” In addition to her expertise with relics, Kendall knew a lot about antiques.

“Like Marco,” Jake said. “Where could he be?”

They moved around the room, looking at the heavy pieces of furniture, hoping for some clue. Kendall turned with a worried frown. “I don’t think he’s been here for a while.”

“Is that your sixth sense talking?” Jake asked.

“Maybe. I just can’t feel him here. Not that my sixth sense has been on track lately. I hope he’s not wandering around outside. His memory comes and goes. He could be lost.”

“The guards haven’t seen him,” Nathan said.

“Marco probably has ways in and out of this place that we don’t know about,” Jake said, feeling Kendall’s sense of alarm. “Look for his suitcase.”

“I’ll check the closet,” Kendall said. “No suitcase, but he has a lot of robes, and one pair of jeans.”

“Marco in jeans?” Jake lifted a brow. “That’s hard to picture.” Even harder was the tighty-whities he found in a dresser. He didn’t show the others. It felt too irreverent.

Nathan was checking the top of the closet, where Kendall was too short to reach. “He’d probably be as young as Raphael if he hadn’t stopped drinking the water.”

“Was he old when you and Nathan were here as kids?” Jake asked.

Kendall tucked a robe back into place. “He was younger, but not a lot. He must have stopped drinking the water before then. But I glimpsed him as a much younger man in a vision the first time I met him, when Jake and I were locked up in your hotel.”

Nathan frowned at the memory. “I’d like to know why he stopped drinking. It must be some sort of punishment.”

“Self-imposed?” Jake asked. “What could he have done to deserve that? Maybe Marco’s the Reaper’s son.”

“I seriously doubt it.” Kendall bent and looked under the bed.

Jake saw Nathan glance at her ass. He cleared his throat and when Nathan looked up, Jake lifted a brow.

Nathan’s jaw tightened. “I don’t see a suitcase.”

“It’s not here either,” Kendall said.

“I don’t think he’s at the castle any longer,” Jake said, voicing what he felt in his gut.

“This doesn’t feel right,” Nathan said.

“Look at this.” Kendall held up a map that was lying on a heavy antique desk. “Looks like he was planning on going somewhere.”

Jake and Nathan crowded close, staring at the map. Jake cursed.

“What?” Kendall asked.

“It’s a map of Prague. That’s where the Reaper’s portal led.”

CHAPTER TWELVE

P
RAGUE
.” R
APHAEL STOOD
in the doorway. His tattoos contrasted with his pale face like ink on a newspaper.

Jake pointed to the map. “Marco’s suitcase is missing and he has a map of Prague.”

Raphael walked inside, his face bleak. “Marco’s going after the Reaper. We have to stop him before he gets killed.”

“We can take the jet,” Nathan said. “I’ll check with the guards again to make sure no one’s seen him before we go rushing off after him.”

“No.” Raphael shook his head. “I’ll go to Prague and look for the Reaper while you start searching for the chalice.”

“You’re still injured,” Kendall said. “You shouldn’t be alone.”

“It’s more important that you are protected,” Raphael said. “The Reaper needs you to find the chalice.”

“We’ll protect her,” Nathan said, sharing a look with Jake that said at least on this they agreed. Each of them would die for Kendall.

“I suggest you start searching for the chalice immediately,” Raphael said. “Let Nathan’s guards look for the rogues, wherever they are.”

“No sign of them?” Jake asked.

Raphael shook his head. “I don’t want them exposed to the public, but we can’t waste time looking for them. I’m afraid for Marco.”

It was obvious to Jake that Raphael cared for the old man. “Nathan’s guards are good. They’ll find them.”

Nathan looked a little surprised at the admission from Jake. “Should I tell the guards who the men really are?”

“No,” Raphael said. “I’d rather they continue to think the men are my friends.”

“Your old, crazy friends who don’t even speak like modern men,” Jake added. “They’ll probably buy it. You’re not exactly normal.”

“We don’t even know where to start looking for the chalice,” Kendall said.

“You’ll find it,” Raphael said.

“You sound sure,” Jake said. “Do you know something we don’t?”

Raphael studied Kendall, his expression soft. “I trust her.”

Jake didn’t like the way he said it. It wasn’t the words, it was the possessive way he’d said them. He hoped Raphael wasn’t falling for her too. Jake already had enough competition in Nathan . . . King Arthur. What the hell . . .

“You were considering killing her just a couple of hours ago.”

“I explained that already,” Raphael said, walking to the door. “I must depart.”

“Are you strong enough to travel?” Kendall asked.

“I have to be.”

“Don’t you need more water before you go?” Jake asked.

“We all do,” Raphael said. “This is going to be dangerous.” They followed him to the room where the water was kept.

“This is where I saw the vials,” Kendall said as she passed the round table. “I don’t suppose this table was used by King Arthur?”

“It was,” Raphael said. “This was a scaled down version of the original.” He found the vials Kendall had discovered and handed one to each of them. “Later, we’ll have a ceremony, but for now, carry this with you.”

“What kind of ceremony?” Nathan asked.

“A confirmation.” Raphael opened his vial and took a drink of water.

“What do we do with the water?” Kendall asked. “Drink if we’re injured?”

“Drink some now,” Raphael said. “Save the rest for if you need it.”

“It’s a Protettori first-aid kit,” Jake said. He turned up the vial and took a drink. The water left a strange sensation as it rolled over his tongue and down his throat. He felt . . . more. More alive. More alert.

“Wow,” Kendall said. She looked like she’d jumped off a cliff and landed on her feet.

Her senses probably heightened the sensations of taking her first drink of water. “Intense?”

She looked at the vial. “I feel like I could fly.”

“Don’t take too much,” Raphael said. “It can be dangerous.”

“Raphael, I know you have confidence in my abilities, but do you have any ideas about where we should start in our search?” Kendall said.

“Start with Luke’s journal. He’s been searching for the Holy Grail for a long time. I’m sure he will have notes, probably in code, on what he’s discovered. That may eliminate some false leads. Trust your instincts.” Raphael took another drink of water. “Happy hunting,” he said and disappeared through the mural on the wall.

Kendall laid the journal on the round table, thinking how incredible it was that King Arthur had used it. She wondered which seat he had used, and briefly considered trying to find out. Then Nathan sat next to her. She looked at him and felt light-headed, thinking that he could have some part of King Arthur in him. She didn’t understand reincarnation, had never believed in it, and wasn’t sure she did now, but there had to be some explanation for all this. If Nathan was King Arthur, she and Jake had betrayed him. While she had been married to Arthur, she’d fallen in love with Lancelot. And had an affair with him, if her visions were correct. Poor Nathan.

“Do I have dirt on my face?” he asked.

She shook her head, feeling guilty and sad. “No. Just thinking.”

“Want to share?” Jake sat next to her.

Kendall looked from him to Nathan, her thoughts whirling. She couldn’t explain
that
part of her thoughts, but she could discuss the rest. “What if it’s true?” She didn’t need to explain her question. They knew what she meant. “Here we are sitting where they probably sat.” Although that may not have been true for Guinevere. Women were treated so poorly in those days, being looked at as property, and worse. But
they
hadn’t treated her that way. Kendall froze. Holy crap. Were those her thoughts? Or Guinevere’s?

“Can anyone else join that conversation going on in your head?” Jake asked.

Nathan grinned. “She’s always been like this.”

That made Jake frown, and then Nathan too, as he realized what he’d said.

“Sorry, I was just . . .”

“I know,” Jake said. “It’s a lot to believe. King Arthur and the Holy Grail, the Fou
ntain of Youth, Christ’s crucifixion. I feel like I’m stuck in one of my screwed-up dreams.” He put his elbows on the table, and Kendall wondered if Lancelot had ever sat that way. He grinned. “Hell, maybe you guys aren’t even here.”

Nathan reached around Kendall and knocked Jake’s arm out from under him. “That answer your question?”

Kendall was afraid he’d hit Nathan back, but instead he snorted. “Thanks, Arthur. I guess if it’s a dream, we’re all in it.”

Nathan leaned back in his chair, his brow in a puzzled frown. “I still don’t see the whole King Arthur thing. And Guinevere and Lancelot. It’s too far-fetched.”

Jake and Kendall shared a quick, knowing glance. They had both seen King Arthur in Kendall’s vision, and each had commented on his resemblance to Nathan. Jake ran a finger along a scar on the table. He almost seemed to follow it without looking.
Had he made it?
Kendall wondered.

“Like statues that used to be alive and a guardian who’s two thousand years old,” Jake said.

Kendall ignored the intoxicating male scents wafting from either side of her and focused on the smell of old leather. She knew some things about the journal. It had belonged to a man, but that was no surprise. It was high-quality leather, handmade. She knew the shop where it had been purchased. Not where, but she could see the interior of the shop. She could even glimpse handwriting at times and smell the ink. But those things didn’t tell her who the Reaper was or where the chalice was hidden.

Jake and Nathan watched her, their faces anxious, waiting for her to find some clue. She’d just drunk the water. Raphael said that would help her sixth sense, but it hadn’t revealed the journal’s secrets so far. Maybe she needed more water. Turning to the sketches, she studied them again. There were four drawings, four relics. The first one was the Spear of Destiny. The second one was the bowl from the Fountain of Youth. The third one was also a bowl or a cup, but smaller. This was the chalice, the Holy Grail that she’d seen cradled in Christ’s hand at the Last Supper, and later, clutched in Joseph’s as he knelt at the foot of the cross, catching drops of Jesus’s blood. Like the bowl in the Fountain of Youth, the chalice wasn’t fancy. Just an old wooden cup.

The fourth sketch was faded, hard to make out. One thing at a time. Kendall looked at the third picture again. She put her fingertip on it and tried to concentrate, to pick up a hint of anything that might help. She flinched.

“Did you get something?” Nathan asked.

“I saw you.”

Nathan’s brows rose. “Me?”

“Adam.” Just a quick flash of him as a boy. “Maybe you’re supposed to figure it out.” She handed him the journal. “You were good with languages. Part of this is written in Latin, some Italian, some very old English, and some in code.”

Nathan didn’t deny that he was Adam. After his memory at the grave, maybe he was beginning to believe it. Nathan took the book. He had nice fingers, and Kendall found herself trying to picture Adam’s hands. They had usually been dusty.

Nathan sniffed the journal.

“What are you doing?” Jake asked.

Nathan shrugged, and a hint of smile touched his lips. “I’m not sure.” He flipped through the pages of writing and sketches. “I think the answers are in here if we could figure them out. The Reaper must have found clues about who stole the chalice from him.”

“I can’t imagine anyone powerful enough to steal from the Reaper,” Kendall said.

“It doesn’t take power,” Jake said. “The Reaper couldn’t have kept it with him all the time, and half the world is searching for it. What do you know about the chalice, Nathan? You must have looked for it. Every other collector has.”

Nathan turned another page. “I checked out the common legends, explored a couple of them, but never found anything that seemed legitimate.” He frowned at the page. “There’s an indention here.” It was on one of the pages near the sketches. He tilted it to the light. “I can’t make it out. Anyone got a pencil and paper?”

Kendall found a pencil and scrap of paper. Nathan laid it over the page and softly began to make a rubbing. Shapes started to emerge. “Those are letters,” Kendall said.

When he was finished, he held it up, and they all studied it. “It’s a name,” Nathan said. “Maryanne.”

“Who’s Maryanne?” Kendall asked. She touched the rubbing, trying to pick up something. She didn’t see anything, but she felt an overwhelming sense of dread.

“Get anything?” Nathan asked.

“No, but I felt something. Fear. What do you think that means?” She looked at Jake and saw him staring as if in a trance. “What do you think?”

“I don’t know.” He shook his head. “I think we need to get out of this room. Feels like it’s closing in.”

“Why don’t you go down and get some drinks,” Nathan said. “We’ll keep working.”

Jake nodded, which surprised her after the scene at the graveyard. He seemed to be watching her closer than usual.

He left the room, and Kendall and Nathan bent back over the journal. There were references to the Fountain of Life, which they assumed was the Fountain of Youth. What they needed was some reference to the Holy Grail.

Jake came back with refreshments a few minutes later. “Any luck?”

“No.” Nathan blew out a sigh and rubbed his shoulders.

“Too bad we can’t just blink and go where we want like Raphael. We’re stuck with flying or using outdated portals—” Jake stopped, and a half grin touched his lips. “Hell, I can’t believe I said that.”

They all chuckled, and she and Nathan continued poring over the journal. Jake started exploring the room. He was examining a particularly valuable parchment, which was making Kendall nervous. “Don’t touch that. You might accidentally destroy something.”

“Want me to go blow something up while you two play with the journal?” His sarcasm was a cover for frustration. He didn’t have the same appreciation for rare objects that she and Adam—Nathan—had. Jake was a great treasure hunter, she had no doubts, but he didn’t have the patience for the small details.

“No, we need you here.” She smiled and let her eyes tell him that
she
needed him here.

His face relaxed, and he continued to wander the room as she and Nathan studied the journal.

“What do you make of this?” Kendall asked. It was a word. The first letter was faded. The last three were
u
-
l
-
a
.

Nathan studied the word. “Maybe an
a
.
A
-
u
-
l
-
a
. That’s Latin for
palace
.”

“Palace?” As in the palace of a prince. Kendall looked at Jake, who was studying a crown that she seriously hoped he wasn’t considering trying on.

“Palace.” Jake frowned and put the crown back. His face looked stiff. “The one in Iraq, I would assume.”

Kendall tapped the pencil on her jaw. “We know the Reaper was in Iraq looking for relics, and Thomas told Brandi the Reaper was really searching for the Holy Grail. So he must have had reason to believe the prince had the chalice.”

“Didn’t the Iraqis accuse you of stealing the relics?” Nathan asked, eyeing Jake with a suspicious gleam.