Fountain of Secrets (The Relic Seekers) (6 page)

“We’ll find something,” Jake said. “We’ll sleep in the tower if we have to.”

“Dinner’s ready in the dining hall,” the guard said. He left, and Jake and Kendall walked slowly, taking it all in. Kendall stopped when the castle came into view. It didn’t look as imposing now, probably because she knew there were so many armed guards protecting the place.

Jake stopped beside her. “You OK?”

“We’re missing something.”

“This time you have my permission to explore all you want. A rat couldn’t get through all those guards and statues.”

“Thank you for your permission, my lord. Any other instructions?”

“My lord, I like that.”

“You would.” She walked toward the castle without waiting for him. In the distance she saw the statues. She noticed the one with the sword tip she’d broken off on her first trip to the castle. It was watching, almost as if it were alive. And then she thought she saw it move. Marco and his wild ideas. Jake was probably right about the old man being on too many pain meds.

“Should we check on the treasure first?” She looked toward the woods where the chapel was hidden.

“Wait until morning. It might look a little suspicious if the guards see us there in the dark.”

“We’ll have to work quickly in the morning.”

“Won’t it take a while to catalog everything?” Jake asked. “I’m not the expert, but there were some amazing things in that room.”

“Beyond amazing. I doubt there’s a treasure its equal anywhere. We’ll have to catalog it quickly for now. We can finish when we unpack it.”

“Wherever that is. Nathan will probably do it himself so we don’t know where he’s hiding it. He doesn’t seem inclined to share where he’s hidden the Spear of Destiny.”

Kendall didn’t like that either. Nathan obviously trusted her and Jake, or he wouldn’t have sent them to pack up something as valuable as this treasure. But Jake’s blatant attempts, and even Kendall’s subtle hints, hadn’t gotten him to divulge the spear’s location. “I’m sure he has his reasons.”

Jake shook his head. “If he stabbed you, you’d say he had a good reason.”

“You need food. You’re getting cranky.”

Dozens of people were at the castle. Security guards, cooks to feed the guards, maids to handle laundry and cleaning. Kendall wondered if the castle had once looked like this, bustling with activity. Nathan hadn’t wanted to let more people know where the castle was located, but he’d decided that it was more important to have heavy security in place.

They found rooms on the third floor. Kendall expected Jake to make some smart remark about sharing, but he didn’t. After they put their things inside, they went down to the dining hall to find something to eat. The security guards had changed shifts and were gathered in small groups eating and talking about the castle. Kendall overheard bits of conversation about statues and the strangeness of the place. Nathan had apparently warned them of the dangers without giving away too much. Jake excused himself and went to talk to the head of security again.

Kendall took the opportunity to explore, hoping something would click. Some message from the stones or something to reveal what she was missing. She found herself wandering the floors and discovered another entrance into the mural room where they’d found the round table and the relics. The treasure room underneath the chapel surpassed this by far, but there were enough relics in here to keep a museum busy for a long time. Suits of armor, chain mail, weapons, scrolls, gold figures… There was even a crown.

The round table in the middle of the floor was huge. Thirteen ornate chairs surrounded it. They were old, she suspected. When she touched the back of one, she was certain. They were beyond old. She heard whispers that she couldn’t identify. English, she thought. Not as it was spoken in this time. Old English? She heard shouts and a ringing sound like the clash of swords. Both Marco and the Reaper—posing as the historian—had said the Protettori were an ancient order. How ancient?

Kendall moved around the room, touching and feeling until the impressions became too strong. She backed off for a few minutes, letting her senses calm before starting again. A fascinating oak cabinet revealed a hidden catch that opened a door in the top. A golden cup and a vial sat on the shelf. The sensations and whispers began to overwhelm her. If she didn’t leave, she’d be useless tomorrow. She trusted Jake, but she didn’t know how much he knew about properly packing up artifacts.

Back in her room, she took something for a headache and climbed into bed. After she finished crating up the treasure, she would go back to the mural room and explore some more. That golden cup intrigued her. In the middle of the night she woke up. She’d been dreaming about the tower room and the blood on the bed. The dull throb was still knocking at her head, but there was a sense of urgency so strong she worried that Jake was in trouble. She left her room and climbed the stairs to the tower room. Jake wasn’t here. No one was.

She stood at the foot of the bed where she and Jake had slept, unsure what had drawn her here. Was she subconsciously hoping to see the ghost? Or looking for answers about the portion of a letter she’d found underneath the desk the last time she was here? She looked at the faded brown covers and remembered the blood she’d seen. She walked the room, trying to connect with the feeling that had drawn her here. After a few minutes without getting anything, she started to leave, when she heard a cry. Whirling, she saw a woman lying on the bed, her belly large with pregnancy.

A monk sat beside her, holding her hand. His body blocked the woman’s face. He leaned over and wiped her forehead. “You should have let me know sooner. I just got your letter.”

“I wanted to. But it was a mistake between us, and they would have cast you out.”

“It wasn’t a mistake. I love you. I would have taken care of you and the baby.” He touched the woman’s belly. “You should have waited for me to come to you. It’s dangerous to travel in your condition.”

“It’s more dangerous there.” She gripped his hand. “He’s trying to kill me.”

The man’s shoulders stiffened. “Kill you? What do you mean?”

“There have been two attempts already, accidents that weren’t accidents. And someone is following me. I know it’s him.”

“Did he follow you here?” The man’s voice sounded breathless with fear.

“I don’t think so. I didn’t know where else to go, and I had to let you know about the baby in case you didn’t get my letter. In case he… in case he succeeds. You have to take care of her, find a home for her.”

“It’s a girl?”

“Yes.”

He touched the woman’s belly. “I’ll protect you. You and the baby.”

“I don’t deserve your help, not after what I did. I’m sorry I betrayed you. He used me to get to you.”

“That’s what he does. Don’t worry about him now. We have to get you to the hospital. You’re bleeding.”

Red stains were spreading underneath her. She was hemorrhaging. If she didn’t get to the hospital soon, she would die.

“Get to the hospital,” Kendall said, forgetting that she was talking to the past. She couldn’t see their faces. She wanted to move but was afraid the vision would fade.

“There’s no time,” the woman said.

“No, we can get help.”

She cried out in pain and clasped her hands over her stomach. “It’s too late.” Her hands moved from her stomach to grasp
the man’s hands. “Please, take care of the baby. Promise me you’ll take care of her.”

“I promise.” His voice was rough as if he were crying. He leaned down and put his face against her stomach. His shoulders were shaking. She cried out again and he lifted his head. “I’m going to get Marco.”

He knew Marco? But of course, the scene was happening here, and Marco said there had been a woman here once, but they didn’t speak of her. Why? Who was she?

The man stood, turning slightly, and Kendall saw his face for the first time.

Her father.

T
HE SHOCK HAD
just registered when the woman’s face came into view. Her features were twisted with pain, but Kendall recognized the woman from the one grainy photo she possessed. Her mother. Kendall’s legs shook as she started toward the bed. She stretched out her hand and the vision faded.

“No.” She grabbed the footboard, but the bed looked just the same as it had when she and Jake escaped the castle. Messy covers, but no woman giving birth. No mother. No father. “Come back.” Kendall crawled on the bed and grabbed fistfuls of covers, trying to reconnect with the vision. Still nothing. She touched every part of the bed, and when that didn’t work, she lay on the bed in the same spot her mother had lain twenty-eight years ago. She forced her heartbeat to calm and took slow, steady breaths. Still nothing. “Please come back. Please. I need to know what happened.”

“Kendall?”

She sat up and saw Jake in the doorway.

“What are you doing? Are you crying?” Jake strode to the bed and sat, assuming much the same position that her father had when he’d sat by her mother. He brushed a damp cheek. “What happened?”

“I had a vision.”

He looked apprehensive. “Want to talk about it?”

“I saw my dad. And my mother.”

“Here?”

“The woman who gave birth in here was my mother.”

Both eyebrows shot up. “You saw her.”

She nodded. “I was born in this bed. My God, I killed my mother.”

“What was your mom doing here? Women weren’t allowed. What was your father doing here for that matter? You said he was an archaeologist. Was he working here?”

“He was dressed like a monk, and he said he was going to get Marco. I think my father was one of the Protettori.”

“Damn.”

“The scrap of paper we found underneath the desk was a letter she had written to tell him about the baby.” About Kendall. “But she was afraid she would be killed before he got it.”

“Killed?”

Kendall told Jake everything she had seen in the vision. “Who would try to kill a pregnant woman?” she asked.

“A jealous husband. Maybe she was married and he found out she was pregnant by someone else.”

“I don’t know. I guess I’ll never know.”

“What do you know about your mother?”

“My dad said she died when I was young. He didn’t talk about it much. I was curious, but he seemed so bothered when I asked, I stopped asking. I can’t believe he hid all this from me.”

He slid his hand underneath hers and linked their fingers. “You were a little girl. How could he have told you? We’ll ask Marco when we get back. Maybe he’ll have some answers.” His eyes were dark as they studied her face. “You look wiped out.”

She nodded. That was one of the worst things about visions. They sucked the life right out of her. She wanted to lean against him and rest, and after a second’s hesitation, she did. She laid her head against his chest and closed her eyes. With each beat of his heart, she felt herself regaining strength. He was strong. Protective. A good man, despite that sarcastic, rebellious armor he wore to keep people at the distance he wanted. His arms moved around her back, his head resting against hers. Sometimes she just wanted to be normal, to know only what everyone else knew, the things normal eyes saw and normal ears heard.

He held her for several minutes, until the shock of her vision faded. His fingers moved lower, rubbing small relaxing circles over her spine, and she wished she could forget about the past and questions without answers. She wanted to feel the things a man and a woman who were hugging on a bed might feel. She wanted to feel him, all of him, outside, inside. Without really thinking it through, she lifted her face and touched her lips to his. “Thank you,” she whispered against his mouth.

He put a hand behind her head, holding her close when she would have moved away. “For what?”

“For being a friend.”

“What if I want to be more?” he asked, his mouth hovering over hers. Then he lowered his head. His mouth was hot, and she grabbed him and held on. The feel, the smell, the taste of him was almost overwhelming. After a minute, she pushed away to grab a breath and clear her senses, but he didn’t let up. One hand ran down her back and moved along her hip to her thigh.

She gave up on breathing and gripped the back of his head, pulling him closer. “Take your clothes off,” she said.

He lifted his head and gave her a smoldering look. “You’re sure?”

She was tired of being careful. Tired of being alone. “I’m sure.”

He let out a possessive growl and kissed her harder. Then he cursed and pulled away. “Damn.”

She felt cold after being in his arms. He wasn’t getting undressed.

He sighed, a sound of disgust.

“You don’t want me?”

“Damn straight I want you, but you’ve had a hell of a shock.”

“You’re afraid I’m just caught up in my emotions.”

“Are you?” He sounded uncertain.

“I don’t think so.” But her voice sounded as uncertain as his had.

He put a hand on either side of her face and whispered, “You are going to come to my bed, but I want you to know exactly what you’re doing when it happens.” He pulled her into his arms and held her for a moment. She could feel the indecision and frustration running through him. In that moment, whatever it was that she felt for him grew, and she knew she could easily fall in love with him.