Raphael nodded. “Yes,” he muttered, obviously displeased to find them no longer stone.
“What are we going to do with them?” Kendall asked.
“We can’t let them out in public,” Raphael said. “They will have to be acclimated until we can . . .”
“Can what?” Nathan asked.
The men were watching, their expressions suspicious. Raphael lowered his voice. “Attempt to restore the situation.”
“Does he mean put them back?” Jake said. “You can reverse the process?”
Apparently the men had excellent hearing even though they had spent the last many centuries as stone. They surrounded Raphael, protesting that they did not want to be restored as sentinels.
Raphael calmed the men down. “Wait here until we make sure the castle is ready to receive you. We have guests who may be shocked at your appearance. Times are different now.”
“Most assuredly. You allow whores among you?” a big blond asked.
“A whore?” Jake felt Nathan bristling beside him. “She is not a whore.”
The blond frowned. “Honorable women do not dress as such.”
The older man stepped forward, his face stiff. “You dare speak to her in that manner? Do you not recognize your queen?”
Jake grabbed Raphael’s sleeve. The guardian had changed from his Glastonbury sweats to his usual ninja robes. Raphael must have a closet filled with them, Jake thought. “Your queen? What the hell is he talking about?”
“They have been sleeping for a long time.” Raphael’s voice dropped to a whisper. “They are confused.”
“Bullshit. Who do they think Kendall is?” Jake nodded toward Nathan. “And why are they calling him ‘my lord’?”
“Are you ill, my brother?” the older man asked him.
Jake frowned. “Me? No.”
“Why would you ask such a thing? You of all men. Have you forgotten your king?”
The hair on Jake’s neck rose. “Raphael, you want to explain?”
The guardian looked as if he wanted to vanish through the wall. He pulled Kendall, Nathan, and Jake aside, farther away from the men. “They think he’s King Arthur and she’s Guinevere.”
Kendall let out a crazy laugh that ended on a squeak. “You’re kidding?”
“Raphael doesn’t kid,” Jake said.
“Bloody hell,” Nathan said.
“And Jake?” Kendall asked. “Who do they think he is?”
“Lancelot,” Raphael said. “They think he’s Lancelot.”
Jake met Kendall’s shocked gaze and knew she was also remembering the couple in the vision. And how she had called Jake Lancelot.
“This is insane,” Nathan said. “It’s some kind of trick.”
“There’s something I haven’t told you,” Jake said. “When I lost my cross in the temple, I opened the tombs to see if one of the corpses had a cross. I figured if King Arthur was buried there, he might have one.” He stopped and pulled in a hard breath. “King Arthur wasn’t in the tomb. Nathan was in the first tomb, and Kendall and I in the other two.”
Nathan shook his head. “You must have been hallucinating. Some mind trick of the Protettori.”
“At first I thought it was really Nathan, that the Reaper had come back through the portal and killed him. Then I saw the clothes were different. And you . . .” Jake looked at Kendall. “The woman looked like you, but there were slight differences. I think it was the woman in the vision.”
“What vision?” Nathan asked.
“Kendall and I had a vision of a woman . . . and a man. She looked like Kendall.”
“I won’t ask what you were doing to have a vision together, but what does this have to do with King Arthur and Guinevere?”
“Kendall thought the man was Lancelot.”
Nathan’s eyes lightened a shade underneath his frown. “Whose tombs are those, Raphael?”
Raphael looked like he was wrestling with himself, and then he shook his head and sighed. “Arthur’s, Lancelot’s, and Guinevere’s.”
“So they really existed?” Nathan asked.
“Yes. Part of the legend is true.”
“What does this mean?” Kendall asked. “How do they look like us? Or we look like them? Are you saying we’re some kind of . . . reincarnation?”
“I don’t know,” Raphael said. “Not for certain.”
“Then tell us what you do know,” Jake said.
“It was foretold that King Arthur would return when the world needed him. Many still believe it today.”
“You’re saying Nathan is King Arthur?” Jake ran a tense hand through his hair. “Well hell.”
Raphael shrugged. “You saw the tombs for yourself.”
“I was hoping Nathan was right, and it was a mental booby trap designed to drive a person insane.”
“I knew Arthur. I knew all three of them,” Raphael said.
“And they looked like us?” Kendall asked.
“Very much,” Raphael said.
Kendall chewed on her lip, eyes narrowed in thought. “I saw King Arthur in a vision, and he reminded me of Nathan.”
Jake had seen King Arthur too. Twice. Each time, he had thought the same thing.
Kendall stopped chewing her lip and looked intrigued. “So King Arthur really was a king?”
Just like her to focus on the historical side of things and not that they were some kind of damned doppelgangers.
“Some recognized him as a king,” Raphael said.
Jake scratched his bristly jaw, which needed a shave. “If they think Nathan is King Arthur, it shouldn’t be hard to order them to stay here out of sight. Perks of being a doppelganger.”
“Doppelganger?” Nathan scowled. “You think we’re bloody doppelgangers?”
“Is it really any stranger than reincarnation, or any of the other crazy stuff we’ve seen?” Jake asked.
“Sounds odd coming from you,” Nathan said.
“Will all the men know King Arthur?” Kendall asked.
“No,” Raphael said. “But if they didn’t know him personally, they knew his name. They’re all old. That was part of their problem. They were bored. Living so long sometimes takes a toll.”
“If you knew I was Guinevere’s . . . double . . . doppelganger . . . whatever, why didn’t you say anything?”
“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen her,” Raphael said. There was a strange timbre to his voice. “A very long time. I wasn’t expecting it.”
“We have to do something with them,” Nathan said. “They look like they’re ready for a mutiny.” The men were whispering and scowling. And the big blond was testing his sword.
Raphael nodded. “Ask them to wait here for further orders. Tell them they must rest so they can regain their strength.”
“Why don’t you tell them?” Nathan asked. “They must have known you.”
“They aren’t very fond of me,” the guardian said. “I’m the one who put them to rest.”
“Why is that a problem?” Nathan asked.
“It was against their will.”
Raphael tapped his dagger hilt against the wall to get everyone’s attention. Nathan stood tall before them and cleared his throat before repeating the message Raphael had given him.
The men nodded, and it was clear from their reactions that those who knew Arthur had loved their king. If he was their king. Jake still wasn’t sure who King Arthur really had been. A king? A knight? Just a member of the Protettori? As usual, Raphael hadn’t really answered anything.
“Find Marco,” Raphael whispered in a gritty voice. “We can’t let anyone else see the men or find out what has happened here. Someone has to stay with them. They were put to rest for a reason.”
“And that was?” Nathan asked.
“They weren’t . . . stable
.”
“They’re crazy?” Kendall asked.
“So you expect us to babysit crazy guardians who were turned into statues?”
“No. I’ll stay with them. You find Marco and bring him here so we can figure out how to put them back. Knock on the door five times, and I’ll let you in.”
“Would there be a bit of food?” the older man asked, and the others rumbled in agreement.
The bald man patted his groin. “And a piss pot.”
Raphael’s jaw tensed. “Bring food and water, and something for them to . . . relieve themselves in. Damn Marco. Don’t let the guards down here. I don’t want them finding out who these men really are. And give me my cross.”
After Nathan returned Raphael’s cross, Nathan, Kendall, and Jake hurried up the winding stairs. “Are you all right?” Nathan asked Kendall.
“I’m wondering if we’re all stuck in one of my dreams,” she said. “Reincarnation. Doppelgangers. It’s crazy. How are we going to keep those men down here?”
“We could let them help us,” Nathan said. “The Reaper won’t be easy to defeat. I can hire as many guards as money can buy, but these men understand the Protettori.”
“But they fight with swords,” Kendall said. “I’m not sure they’re equipped for a modern battle.”
“Some of them looked like they wouldn’t even need swords,” Nathan said. “There are some big men down there.”
Jake snorted. “Big, crazy men. Raphael said they weren’t stable.”
“And there could be side effects from turning into flesh and blood after being stone,” Kendall said.
Nathan nodded. “This is unprecedented. We need to monitor them first. We should run tests. I could get a medical team in here.”
“We don’t have time for you to play mad scientist right now,” Jake said. “We have a lunatic on our hands. Maybe more than one. The blond and the one called Gregor bother me.”
“Why don’t we just keep an eye on them ourselves,” Kendall suggested. “Before we get outsiders involved.”
“You sound like a real Protettori keeper,” Jake said.
“If I’m going to be a keeper, I need to know what I’m keeping,” she said. “As soon as we find Marco, we need to have a long talk. If we’re involved with the Protettori, they have some explaining to do.”
“They can start with how statues can turn to men,” Jake said.
Kendall tilted her head, thinking. “Well, we know that the statues were alive once. We just don’t know how.”
“You probably know more than anyone besides Raphael and Marco,” Nathan said. “You’ve seen the sentinels when they were alive through your visions.”
“I saw men, but I didn’t see how they became stone.”
“We need a bloody elevator in here,” Nathan said when they reached the main level.
“I suppose you’ll talk Marco and Raphael into including one during renovations,” Jake said.
They arrived at the kitchen and found Fergus making a roast beef sandwich. He hurried over when he saw them, his face alive with emotion. “Nathan, Kendall! Hank said you were back. Where have you been? Marco and I have been dreadfully worried for you both.”
“I’m sorry, Fergus.” Nathan patted Fergus’s shoulder. “We didn’t plan any of this. It was an accident.”
“They fell through another portal,” Jake said.
“Another portal,” he whispered.
“This one was in the temple,” Nathan said.
“My, but this place does try one’s common sense.”
“Have you seen Marco?” Nathan asked.
“Not for some time,” Fergus said. “He vanished right after we got here. He was acting very odd. This has been a strain on him, and he feels responsible. He keeps saying it’s his fault. He was talking out of his head about finding the Reaper before we arrived here. I believe he needs his medication. Is something wrong?” Fergus asked. “You all look rather . . . tense.”
“We are tense,” Nathan said. “We need to find Marco ASAP. He woke some of the statues.”
Fergus’s brows moved up his forehead. “Is that possible?”
“There are several ancient-looking men down in the lower level with Raphael,” Jake said. “And he’s mad as hell.”
“Are they dangerous?”
“I think they’re crazy,” Jake said.
Fergus’s eyes widened. “Where are they now?”
“Raphael’s keeping them locked up,” Nathan said.
“I should be shocked,” Fergus said. “But somehow I’m not. What will he do with them? Can he turn them back to stone?”
“He’s not sure,” Jake said. “Apparently he didn’t know they could turn back into men. Is that sandwich for you?”
Fergus pushed half the sandwich toward Jake. “This just gets stranger. Have any of you eaten?”
“Not yet,” Kendall said.
“You must eat something. You all look dreadful, and I’m sure you haven’t slept properly after all the madness with the Reaper. And if you came through another one of those”—Fergus lowered his voice and looked around to see if anyone was nearby—“things, then you must be tired.”
“We are,” Nathan said, “but we can’t rest yet. We came to get food for Raphael and his . . . friends. He can’t stay down there too long. He was seriously injured in that portal. He should be resting.”
Fergus tsked. “Get something to eat and then rest. I’ll have one of the guards take something down to Raphael.”
“No guards. He doesn’t want anyone else to know about them,” Nathan said.
Fergus stiffened his neck and put on a face worthy of any English butler. “Then I will do it.”
Jake offered part of his sandwich to Kendall and Nathan, but they refused. “Oh, and take a really big bowl. One that can be thrown away.”
“Why?” Fergus asked.
Jake swallowed the last bite. “So they can piss in it. And anything else they need to do. Better find some toilet paper too. That’ll be a pleasant surprise.”
Fergus’s eyes widened but otherwise his expression didn’t change. “I’ll take care of it.”
“You’re a good man, Fergus. If Nathan dies, can I have you?” Jake asked.
Nathan scowled. “I’m not dying. Fergus, are there any rooms available?”
“Most of them are full,” Fergus said. “There are quite a lot of people here, between the guards and the staff. There is a room on the third floor that has twin beds. I think it’s the only room available.”
“Twin beds?” Nathan asked.
“There are at least three, I believe,” Fergus said. “I understand some of the maids were staying there, but they heard strange noises and wouldn’t go back. They said it was haunted.”
“Probably Kendall’s father,” Jake said.
“That reminds me,” Fergus said. “Kendall, your aunt called the mansion and left a message.”
“Aunt Edna? Is she all right?”
“I believe so,” Fergus said. “She said something about good news. She’d tried to call your cell phone and couldn’t reach you.”
“Probably because you were in a portal,” Jake said.
They gathered some sandwiches and water, as well as Jake’s duffel bag that he’d left in the hallway, and went to find their room.
“Where the devil could Marco be?” Nathan asked. “He must know how to revert them back since he’s the one who woke them.”
“He’s probably hiding from Raphael,” Jake said.
They found the room Fergus had told them about. It actually had four beds, but he hadn’t mentioned how tiny the room was. There were three beds on one side of the room, and a lone bed on the opposite wall.
“Pick a bed,” Jake said. “Ladies first.”
The room felt even smaller with Nathan
and Jake in it. Kendall walked over to the lone bed and sat down. It felt good to sit on something soft after spending all that time lying on stone. Her head was a chaotic whirl of adrenaline and exhaustion from the events of the past few hours, but her body had had enough. If she lay back down, she wouldn’t get up.
Jake frowned, as if he didn’t approve of her choice of beds. “I think you should sleep closer.”
“Are you kidding?” Kendall asked.
“No, I’m not.” He tossed his duffel on the bed nearest the door.
Kendall rubbed her arms. She felt grimy. “We’re surrounded by guards. What could happen?”
“I remember thinking the same thing just before you entered a maze and wound up in England.”
“Smart ass.”
Jake scratched his head. “Sorry if I’m being an overprotective ass, but I thought you were dead.”
“Eat your sandwich. You always feel better after eating.” That sounded like she’d known him for more than a matter of days. It felt like she had known him a lifetime.
Nathan sat down on the bed closest to the wall, leaving an empty one between him and Jake. “Let’s eat so we can get some sleep. We all look like hell.”
Jake took a drink of his water. “I have an excuse. I nearly got fried by those damned statues after losing my cross.”
Kendall pulled a cross from her pocket and carried it over to Jake. “Is this yours?”
“Yeah. How did you get it?”
“It fell out of the ceiling and hit me in the head. I guess it came through the portal.”
“That’s why I couldn’t find it. I guess it did vanish into thin air.”
“How did you get out?” Kendall asked.
“I leaped past the statues.”
Kendall’s heart skipped a beat. “Without a cross?”
Even Nathan looked impressed. “Shouldn’t you be dead?”
“Raphael’s vial saved me. The Fountain of Youth works, at least for that. I drank the water after I refilled the vial for Raphael.”
Nathan looked intrigued. “It worked.”
“When I saw the cross I was afraid . . .”
“You thought I was floating around in some other dimension?” He smiled. “I’m flattered. Even with the water, it wasn’t fun. But I’m here.” And he wasn’t going to leave, was the message in his eyes. His hand brushed her cheek.
The Lost Chalice (The Relic Seekers Book 3) Page 9
