Fountain of Secrets (The Relic Seekers)

by Clenney, Anita

  “I am. The cave did something to me.”

  “That goes for all of us,” Jake said. “I’d like to believe it was poor air quality, but I don’t think it was.”

  “I think falling through the portal, or whatever that was, drained our energy.” And maybe she wasn’t the only one affected by that shadow she’d sensed. She would have to keep an eye on both of them.

  “That cave isn’t normal. I don’t know how, but we lost a day in there,” Nathan said.

  “Come again?” Jake said.

  “It’s not Tuesday. It’s Wednesday,” Nathan said. “We lost time.”

  After Kendall and Jake had absorbed the shock, Kendall told them what the woman in the shop had said about fairies stealing time.

  “This whole place is strange,” Jake said. “Like the Protettori’s castle.”

  “The castle and this place are obviously connected. Maybe the monks at Glastonbury Abbey weren’t really monks,” Kendall said.

  CHAPTER TEN

  FERGUS HAD MADE reservations for them at the nicest hotel in Glastonbury. Jake and Kendall were given adjoining rooms for security. Nathan’s room was on another floor.

  The rooms were luxurious, but Kendall hardly paused to explore as she headed for the bedroom. She was going to take a bath as long and as hot as she could stand it. She thought about Nathan and Jake and the Fountain of Youth. She drifted off and woke up with her chin touching the water. She climbed out and dried off before putting on a plush robe and slippers provided by the hotel.

  When she walked out, Jake was lying on her bed, sound asleep with an open book beside him. Shaking her head, she walked toward the bed. Glastonbury Abbey was the title of the book. She considered pinching him, but he looked so peaceful, she just stood and watched him for a minute. He was wearing his stolen sweats, but his hair looked damp as if he’d showered. His face was relaxed, mouth slightly open, jaw shadowed with a hint of beard. His face was as incredible as his body. How could a man look so good? she wondered as she picked up the small pillow from the foot of the bed. She smacked him on the stomach with the pillow, and he bounded off the bed.

  She jumped out of the way. “Why are you sleeping in my bed?”

  “I brought you some books. Hell, don’t ever startle me like that. I could have hurt you.”

  “And I’m not supposed to be startled to find you asleep on my bed in my locked bedroom?”

  “I knocked. You didn’t answer. I came in. Bodyguard, remember? That’s how it works unless you want me to stay in here all the time.”

  “I’m surprised I was able to sneak up on you.”

  “I’m off my game from that damned cave. Nathan sent you some books.” He pointed to the stack on the table, then picked up the one that had fallen on the bed. “There’s some interesting stuff about the abbey in here. I was reading about the black knight who guards the abbey. Lots of people claim they’ve seen him.”

  “We need to explore the abbey,” Kendall said. “We’re wasting time here.”

  “We can’t go anywhere without clothes, unless you want to wear your sweats. Nathan’s having some things sent over until our bags arrive. Why don’t you rest until then?”

  “I’m tired, but I don’t think I can sleep.”

  “Then we’ll research.” Jake plopped down on her bed again. “Grab a book.”

  “You can’t research in your room?”

  “Two heads are better than one.”

  Kendall took a seat on the bed opposite him. There were plenty of chairs in the room, but she preferred studying this way, and there was something comforting about having him here. They both read in silence, sharing interesting tidbits as they stumbled on them.

  “This says Glastonbury is considered one of the most powerful energy centers in the world.”

  “Sounds like new-age stuff to me,” Jake said.

  “The area is crossed by ley lines. This says one line runs through Saint Michael’s Tower on top of the Tor, and then straight through what would have been the high altar at Glastonbury Abbey. And another through the Chalice Well.”

  He stretched his legs and bumped his foot against hers. “Aren’t ley lines like imaginary lines connecting sacred sites?”

  She nodded. “Some people put a lot of faith in the lines. Many ancient sites are crossed by the lines, like Stonehenge. Even Celtic and Christian sites. Several of the great cathedrals are connected by the lines.”

  “Stonehenge isn’t far from here,” Jake said.

  “No. And there’s another stone circle at Avebury. It’s the largest stone circle in Europe.”

  “Stone circles… Reminds me of statues that electrocute.”

  “I’ve never heard of Stonehenge electrocuting anyone. But it does make a person wonder if there’s a connection. We’ve just learned of a secret order that protects powerful relics, and now we’ve magically traveled to a place full of mystical sites.”

  Jake looked like his wheels were spinning.

  “What are you thinking?”

  “That I wish I were on a fishing boat.”

  “But this is exciting,” Kendall said.

  “So is pulling in a trout. I don’t like things I don’t understand.”

  “You don’t understand me.”

  He gave her a look that melted her midsection. “You’re the exception.”

  She turned away and opened another book, this one about the Tor. At one time, the ocean’s waters came right up to the base of the Tor. The bare, oblong mountain would have been visible from the sea. “This is interesting,” Kendall said. “The Tor has been a sacred site for thousands of years. Even before Joseph of Arimathea brought the chalice here, ancient civilizations used the place for religious and learning purposes. I remember hearing that. Here’s one I hadn’t heard. King Arthur supposedly used the Tor as a stronghold. Glastonbury is thought to be the Isle of Avalon. And one of the Celtic legends is that it’s the entrance to the underworld where fairy folk live, just like the woman at the gift shop said.” Kendall didn’t know about fairies, but she was pretty sure there had been knights there.

  “Sounds like science fiction,” Jake said.

  “Might I remind you that we just fell through a portal?” Kendall said. “If you want more historical information, how about this? The lady at the gift shop was right about this too. The monks supposedly hid their treasure and relics in tunnels and caves under the Tor. Did you notice how one side of the Tor has terraces cut into the hill?”

  Jake nodded.

  “This says some experts believe the terraces are part of a maze of tunnels underneath the Tor. Some kind of labyrinth.”

  “A maze… That sounds disturbingly familiar,” Jake said.

  “If the monks hid their treasure in these tunnels, there must be some connection to the Protettori since their maze led to the Tor. Marco said they were in other places as well.”

  Several minutes later, she found something in the pages that made her head reel. There wasn’t just a powerful well here. There was also a powerful chalice. The Blue Chalice, or the Blue Bowl it was sometimes called. Experts and psychics said it was from Christ’s time. It was kept at Little Saint Michael’s, the house that was used for accommodations for Well Companions, people who supported the Chalice Well Foundation.

  Kendall looked up from the book to tell Jake about her discovery, but she saw he was asleep again. She thought about waking him, and instead she curled up on the bed near his legs and closed her eyes. She dreamed about Adam and the plane crash. When she woke up, she saw Jake sitting on the bed, watching her, his face thoughtful.

  She sat up. “I guess I was sleepy.”

  “You were dreaming about Adam.”

  “Did I say something?” she asked.

  “You were calling for him.” Jake brushed her cheek with his thumb. It was damp. “You were crying.”

  “I dreamed about the plane crash. I dream about it a lot.” Especially in the past few days.

  “You said he was twelve when
he died, and you were ten. I know you loved him. Still do.”

  “I did. He was…” her world. “He was my friend. I didn’t have anyone else. Our fathers were always on some archaeological dig or looking for a new relic. Neither Adam nor I had a normal childhood. He looked out for me like you do.” She smiled.

  A strange look crossed Jake’s face. She had touched on a nerve, but she wasn’t sure what it was. There was a knock on the door and Jake went to answer it. A bellboy had two bags for Kendall from Nathan.

  “I’m sorry, I thought this was her room,” the bellboy said.

  “It is. You got bags for me?”

  He nodded and handed Jake two more bags. They contained clothing; jeans, shirts, underwear, shoes for Kendall and basic equipment.

  “We need money,” Kendall said.

  “He gave me some when we first got here. I guess Fergus had it sent over. And we have new cell phones. Yours is on the table. It must be nice to pick up the phone and have the world at your feet.”

  “Then I guess we can leave,” Kendall said.

  “Sure you don’t want to rest longer?” Jake asked. “That damned cave wore me out. How are you feeling?”

  “Tired. I think that black shadow ghost thing did something to my head.”

  “If it wasn’t a ghost, what could do something like that?”

  “The Reaper?”

  “Hell, you think it was the Reaper?”

  “Maybe it was Raphael. I saw him in the maze, and he must be powerful if he can come back from the dead.”

  “I hope he’s not here. Marco said he was looking for you. He wants his cross.”

  “That’s why you’re sticking so close?”

  “It’s my job.”

  “Let’s go see Nathan and find out if the fountain worked.”

  Kendall quickly dressed in one of the outfits Nathan had sent, and they went to his room. He wasn’t in.

  “Should we wait for him?” Kendall asked.

  “No. He said for us to go on and he’ll meet us later.”

  “Did he seem OK?”

  “I think he wants to be alone. He doesn’t trust himself around you. He’s afraid he’ll get pissed at me and hit you again.”

  “We can’t waste any more time. We have to get back.” Kendall told him about the Blue Chalice. “I want to see it, but it’ll be hard to get inside. The house is used for private guests who are supporters of the Chalice Well Gardens.”

  “Then we’ll have to break in. You think it’s one of the Protettori’s relics?”

  “Who’s to say the Fountain of Youth is a well or a fountain? Maybe it’s a chalice.”

  Nathan felt a tingling in his neck as he walked through the lobby. He looked back, expecting to see Kendall or Jake, but he didn’t see anyone watching. He had sent a few items of clothing and money to their room so they could get by until their things arrived. He didn’t like that her room was so close to Jake’s, but he was worried about her safety. There had been attempts to kidnap her in Italy. It may have been Edward’s plot, but if the Reaper was so desperate for these relics, he must realize how valuable she could be to him. Nathan had. And though he had some issues with Jake, he trusted him to protect her. He trusted Jake more than he trusted himself right now.

  The change was happening more often, especially when Kendall was nearby. He was afraid if he didn’t get rid of the curse soon, he’d end up killing someone. He had shoved her. What if he’d killed her? If he had gotten angrier and attacked Jake, he could have killed both of them.

  He went into his suite and locked the door. His prison for the next day. If he didn’t change in the next twenty-four hours, that should mean the fountain worked. He didn’t know where it had come from—something from his past, the years he couldn’t remember? Fergus said he’d been in an accident, the same accident that killed his family. His father had witnessed a crime, Fergus said, and the family had been put into a witness protection program. But they had been killed anyway, except for Nathan. He couldn’t remember them. Not a trace of a father or mother. Because of the witness protection program, there weren’t any pictures, any clue of what his life had been like before. Only one face was familiar to him, but it made no sense.

  He pulled back the covers and stripped. He dropped his clothes on a chair and lay down on the silky sheets. He closed his eyes and remembered lying with Kendall in his arms. He blocked out the intruding image of Jake snuggled up to her back two feet away and remembered the feel of her, her scent. He would rather be sleeping next to her in a cave than without her in a luxurious bed. As sleep took its hold, he prayed that the curse would be gone when he woke.

  The fire was hot. He could feel the flames, but he couldn’t see them. He couldn’t see anything. He held tight to the hand pulling him away from the heat. He tripped and fell, but the man helped him up.

  “Hurry,” the man said. “Hurry or we’ll both die.”

  Nathan’s eyes flew open. Someone was in the room. His muscles tensed and his eyes started to burn. He threw back the covers and leapt to his feet with a growl. He heard a gasp and someone ran for the door. A woman. Not Kendall. He got there first, planting his hand against the door so hard he heard the metal creak.

  “Don’t hurt me!” The woman held up her arm to protect her face. Nathan flipped on the light. It was Brandi. The redhead lowered her arm and scrambled away from him, eyes wide. Her gaze moved from his eyes to his crotch, and he remembered he was naked. He felt the adrenaline rush calming. He grabbed his pants and slipped them on.

  “What the hell are you doing here?” he asked her.

  “Following you. What’s wrong with your eyes?”

  His eyes. Damn. “It didn’t work.” He dropped onto the bed, his body heavy with disappointment.

  Brandi stared at him. “What didn’t work?”

  Despair was sometimes like a living thing. Right now, it was clawing at his chest as if trying to remove his heart. He’d hoped, even knowing it was probably a false lead, still he’d hoped the fountain would work. He couldn’t keep living like this. Now he was back to square one, searching for damned relics that might not even exist, and might not be his cure even if they did. He would never have a chance with Kendall. “Nothing. Why are you following me?” he asked, too disappointed to be angry.

  “I want the Spear of Destiny.”

  “No.” He rubbed his eyes, still hot, which he hoped was from the bloody curse and not unshed tears.

  “It has to be destroyed,” Brandi said.

  “It’s safe.”

  “Nothing’s safe from him,” Brandi said. “The only way to make sure he doesn’t get it is to destroy it.”

  “I’m sorry, but I can’t destroy it.” Obviously the fountain hadn’t worked, not that he’d really expected the Protettori to hide the Fountain of Youth where anyone could drink from it. His only hope was to collect all four relics. And there was no guarantee that would work. All his hopes were based on some damned dream that he didn’t understand. “How did you get here?”

  “I flew in this morning.”

  “How did you find me here?”

  “I was at the Chalice Well when I saw you. How was the fountain?”

  So she’d seen that. “Wet. Cold.”

  “What were you doing? Taking a bath?”

  “I was thirsty. How do you keep turning up where we are?”

  “I think we’re following the same clues.”

  “Clues?” Nathan asked.

  “For the relics. I know you must have some idea what you’re searching for.”

  “How do you know what the relics are? What did Thomas tell you?” Thomas was the closest connection Nathan had to the Reaper. Nathan wondered if he should have been grilling Brandi along with Raphael.

  “He knew the Reaper was looking for the Fountain of Youth, and he kept talking about England. I put two and two together. I’m not the only one who saw you at the well. There was a man watching all three of you.”

  “A man? What did h
e look like?”

  “I couldn’t see him well,” Brandi said. “He was standing in the trees. When I saw him, he took off. He was tall. I know that much.”

  Raphael. What the hell had he done? Jake wasn’t strong enough to protect her against Raphael. He had to find them before Raphael did.

  Brandi moved a step closer. “Are you OK?” Her tone softened.

  “No. I’m bloody cursed.”

  She shrugged. “Aren’t we all?”

  “I suppose. I would offer you something to drink, but I didn’t invite you.” And he was in a hurry to leave.

  “I don’t want a drink. I want the spear. I will find it. Where are Kendall and Jake?”

  “Around.”

  “You’re just like your image.”

  “What do you know about my image?”

  “Dark, mysterious. Loves relics, hates people.”

  “I don’t hate people.”

  “You don’t like them.”

  Nathan stared at Brandi.

  “I know because I’ve spent my whole life avoiding people too.”

  “I thought you were a nurse.”

  “I am. I was. Now I’m hunting the Reaper.”

  “That probably won’t end well.”

  She gave a wry smile. “I know that. I have to try. He killed everyone I’ve ever loved.”

  At least she could remember everyone she’d ever loved, Nathan thought. “Jake’s going to want to talk to you. He wants to know why Thomas shot him.”

  “He didn’t. It only looked like he was firing at Jake. He was shooting at a man behind Jake. Thomas thought the man was trying to kill him.”

  “So Thomas saved Jake’s life.”

  “The irony is that the guy wasn’t shooting at Jake at all. He was shooting at Thomas. He’d found out Thomas was working undercover for the Reaper.”

  “What was the Reaper doing in Iraq?” Nathan asked. “Jake knows it wasn’t really about the prince selling weapons to terrorists.”

  “That was just a cover. The Reaper wanted the prince’s relic collection. Supposedly he had a fantastic collection, acquired illegally of course. The Reaper needed Jake and his team to get the relics. From what Thomas told me, the Reaper expected a fight. These relics were very valuable.”