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A million thoughts rushed through my mind, but none of them came out of my mouth.
I stared at Murdoch in slack-jawed amazement as I tried to work out whether or not he was trying to pull my leg. Was this his way of getting me to quit asking? Give me an answer that was so obviously outlandish as to indicate he had no intention of sharing his secret?
His tone certainly seemed serious enough, but the statement itself beggared belief. The Holy Grail had been the subject of more movies, books, fiction, and fable than almost any other single item in human history. Hell, I’d even spent several months in my late teenage years digging into rumors of its existence.
As had anyone who had ever been faced with their own mortality. The rumor of eternal life was enough to keep the fable of the cup alive. I’d been eighteen then. The revelation of my family’s legacy and destiny had me groping about for any shred of hope. But search as I might, I could find no meaningful proof of the Grail’s existence. I’d set it aside as myth and moved onto other more tangible solutions to my familial curse.
“You want to run that by me again?” I asked, resting my chin on my hand.
“I think you heard me just fine,” Murdoch replied, “and your reaction is about what I suspected it would be.”
He threaded the vehicle through the London traffic, checking the mirrors for any sign that we were being followed.
“The Holy Grail is a myth, Murdoch. Everybody knows that. People have searched for two millennia. No one has ever found more than rumors and speculation.”
“You, Seth, should know better than anyone that just because something is shrouded in myth doesn’t mean there isn’t a kernel of truth at the very heart of it. The Grail is real. I have touched it with my own hands,” Murdoch said, “and now it is in grave peril.”
“You’re telling me, you knew where the Grail was this entire time, and you’ve never bothered mentioning it?” I asked. “You’ve watched me spend almost a decade trying to cure this curse, and all the while you’ve been sitting on the key to eternal life?”
It was hard not to feel at least a little betrayed. We’d been all over the world searching for answers to my curse. If what he was saying was true, I didn’t know what to do with the information.
“The Grail isn’t the answer to your problems, Seth. It never has been and it never will be.”
“How can you say that?” I burst out. “We’ve not even tried anything with it.”
Murdoch held up his hand to stop me. “If I thought for a minute it could cure you, I would have tried years ago.”
“Eternal life,” I stammered incredulously. “If it truly is the Grail, I’d say that is a pretty solid solution.”
“Look at your father and tell me that’s still true?” Murdoch replied. “Eternity with your adversary’s voice in your mind isn’t salvation—it’s purgatory. I would not do that to you for any price. Believe what you will, but I’ve never done anything that wasn’t in your best interest.”
I gritted my teeth to keep something stupid from coming out of my mouth. The more I thought about it, the more I realized he was right. There was a very big difference between not dying and being delivered from my curse. My father’s increasingly unstable temperament was further evidence that Murdoch was onto something.
“What you’re considering now for the first time, Seth, I have dealt with my entire life. The understanding of when to use power for the betterment of others is not an easy choice. Misused, it could violate our entire reason for being. Life is intended to be finite, and I have every confidence you will find a way to cure your affliction.”
“How can you be so sure?”
“It’s the determination that drives you. You say you’re looking for a cure, but along the way what a precious life you have, saving others. That says more about you than anything else anyone might say. That selflessness is the reason I have stuck with you all these years. You do good, Seth. You prevent dangerous relics from falling into the hands of even more dangerous men.
“In Rome, things could have gone much differently. In Panama, again, you made choices that saved untold lives. We both know that came at the expense of your own progress. Coincidence? I think not. God has a plan for you, and it has never involved the Grail.”
“He seems to want us to save it,” I replied. “God seems to pick and choose when things are convenient for him.”
Murdoch laughed. “Set aside your self-pity for a moment and consider what you have lived through. Consider the circumstances you were born into. Cursed? Perhaps. Privileged? Without question.”
I shook my head. “How can you do that?”
“Do what?” Murdoch asked as he changed lanes.
“Blindly trust that He has your best interests at heart when the world seems to be falling apart.”
“It is not blind,” Murdoch replied. “I’ve learned to place my trust in him and his plan. There is a difference.”
In some ways, I envied Murdoch and his ability to trust so completely. Perhaps I was simply too cynical to believe as he did.
“What do you think his plan is now?” I asked. “I’d love to know before we rush into the teeth of another Inquisition ambush.”
“The Grail is to be retrieved and preserved,” Murdoch replied. “It is the vessel that caught the blood of Christ. Anyone willing to murder his disciples is not fit to possess it. Whatever else it might be, it is the most sacred evidence of the divinity of the Son of God. They must never be allowed to possess it.”
“How is that even possible?” Lara replied. “To keep such a secret for so long?”
“Our resolve is total,” Murdoch replied. “We serve for life. When your commitment is absolute, a secret is not a burden—it’s a privilege.”
“You say ‘we’. Who are you? What are you?”
“We are the Circle,” Murdoch replied. “Twelve men with a secret the world would kill for. We have always known that our best hope of preserving the Grail was to keep it hidden. We have, for two millennia. We spirited the Grail out of Jerusalem when turmoil in the region threatened our existence. We brought it back here, to England, seeing the rise of a new world power. We hid it where we figured it would be least likely to be disturbed. The world wars were a challenge, but our organization endured the crusades, so we were well practiced.”
“Twelve? That seems like a lot of people to keep a secret,” I said.
“History can be cruel,” Murdoch replied. “Twelve granted us a measure of longevity. At times, it has caused rumors to reach the public consciousness, but our secret keepers would die before compromising what they know of the Grail and its defenses.”
“Defenses?” Dizzy called from the back seat. “What kind of defenses?”
“They are extensive,” Murdoch replied. “A necessary precaution to ensure the safety of the Grail. Things have been quiet of late. We have become complacent.”
“What if Ben was just a fluke? And the Inquisition have no idea about the rest of you. They could have been sitting on the apartment hoping someone would show up. The rest of you might be safe.”
Murdoch shook his head. “Last night on the flight home, I was overcome with a sickening sensation. When we landed, I started checking on my brothers. Ben isn’t the only one. Most of the others are unreachable. At least three of them are dead too. Secret Keepers in France, Spain, and Greece have all been overcome. The only conclusion that can be reached is that someone is coming for the Grail, and they know far more about us than I ever thought possible.”
“But why now? It’s been two thousand years,” I said. “Why are they coming for you now?”
“Rumors have always surrounded the Grail’s existence. You can’t just disappear something of such monumental worth. People witnessed that day. Subtle as we’ve been through the ages, there are always traces left. Where do you think the myth of Arthur and his knights of the round table came from?”
“The twelve knights?” Lara whispered excitedly. “That was the Circle?”
Murdoch looked over his shoulder at her. “As always, a kernel of truth at the heart of every myth. And try as we might to remain independent, throughout history we have had to rely on the goodwill and courage of others for safety. It’s possible that someone has pieced together those accounts and discovered our truth.”
“That the Grail survived,” Dizzy said as the Humvee turned into Weybridge Manor’s driveway.
“More than that,” Murdoch replied. “That it’s here, and that we are the key to accessing it.”
My heart skipped a beat. “But how would they know who to target? I’m assuming you aren’t on a register somewhere.”
Murdoch shook his head. “Of course not. I’m still trying to figure that out. I suppose it’s possible that if they found one of us, they could simply observe our movements until they identified our brothers.
“We are solitary creatures. If you knew what to look for, I suppose it’s possible to profile us. But it would have taken them years to piece that together. This was no spontaneous action. This is a coordinated assault on the Circle.”
“If they got to Ben, why would they need you?” Lara asked, leaning forward in her seat. “Surely they could get the location out of him.”
“Because there are four entrances and twelve secret keepers,” Murdoch replied. “Four of us hold keys, and they may not know who is currently in possession of them. They need all four, and at any given time, eight of us are holding nothing but the identity of our brothers. The keys move periodically as an added precaution.”
“And you hold a key?” I asked, utterly fascinated.
The Hummer pulled to a halt in front of Weybridge Manor. “Not to the outer cloister, but I am the only man on earth who understands the nature of the defenses inside the inner sanctuary.”
“So even if they got Ben’s key, they can’t get to the Grail?” Dizzy asked.
“Many would die,” Murdoch replied. “But given who we are dealing with, that is unlikely to deter them. With enough time, they would eventually reach the Grail.”
“The Inquisition tried to sunder the Veil in Panama,” I replied. “Dozens died as they tried to navigate the temple’s entrance hall without the proper understanding of its traps.”
“Knight has them on the brink of extinction. They will spend any number of lives to acquire the Grail. It is likely the only way they will reclaim any vestige of the power they once had,” Murdoch replied, “but that is not the Grail’s purpose.”
“Then what is?” Lara asked. “Surely it could do more good if not stashed away.”
“Its spiritual significance is all that matters,” Murdoch replied. “It caught the blood of the Son of God and it is evidence that he walked among us. Setting aside any miraculous properties, the Grail has such compelling spiritual significance it could reignite zealous fires that once burned perilously bright. Men would do anything to possess it. The crusades were fought for less.”
“An uncomfortable thought,” I replied as I pushed open my door. There was one question to which I was dying to know the answer. “How did the Circle come to possess the Grail?”
“We have had it since the beginning,” Murdoch replied. It was an answer that told me precious little. “For two thousand years, the faithful have preserved it safe from the greed of conspiring men. Now everything we’ve worked for is in jeopardy.”
“What are we going to do about it?” I asked. “I doubt you intend to sit here in the manor and wait to see how this turns out. If you believe for a minute that we are going to let you wander into this storm alone, you have another think coming.”
“Seth, you have your own problems.” Murdoch placed his hand on my shoulder. “The Brotherhood, your curse. This is not your fight.”
“They made it my fight when they came for you,” I replied. The Inquisition had tried to slit my throat in a ritual sacrifice in the jungles of Panama. I wasn’t letting them have my friend.
Murdoch leaned in close. “The Grail isn’t the answer to your problem, Seth,” he whispered, “and when I retrieve it, I will be placing it somewhere no man can ever lay hands on it again.”
“I know it’s not,” I said. “This isn’t about helping me. I’m helping you. After everything you’ve done for me, I have your back.”
Sure, there was a natural curiosity in me that wanted to see the Grail, but I also wanted to protect it from the likes of the Inquisition.
Murdoch narrowed his eyes at me. It was almost as if he didn’t believe me. And that thought stung a little. But I supposed, more than anyone else, he’d witnessed my single-minded focus on trying to cure my curse. He had been with me in the catacombs of Rome, and the lost temple in Panama. He knew just how far I was willing to go. What he didn’t know was what Kasey had shared with me.
“Murdoch, even if it could bring eternal life, I know it can’t save me from Aleida. An eternity with her companionship would be torment. I’m not looking to live forever. I just want peace. And if I let this fall into their hands, I won’t be able to live with myself.”
We stood there in awkward silence.
“Besides,” I added, “if we let it fall into the hands of the Inquisition, I’m as good as dead anyway. They hate me as much as anyone alive, except perhaps Knight. With the Grail in their possession, others would rally to their cause.”
“If we know Knight wants them dead, why not tell him?” Dizzy asked. “See if he can help deal with them.”
“Because we cannot risk drawing Knight’s attention to the Grail,” Murdoch replied. “He would take it for himself, just like Ares’ blessing.”
“Then it’s a good thing his week is up, and Ares has taken his toys away,” I said as I led everyone down the side of the manor.
As we trudged past the manor building, Dizzy asked, “Where are we going?”
“If we’re facing down the Inquisition, we’re not going to do it without appropriate supplies. It’s time I showed you the vault.”
I guided them across the lawns to the old shed that housed my hidden storage facility.
Whilst Murdoch had seen it, neither Lara nor Dizzy had been inside. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust them; I simply hadn’t had reason or opportunity to show them. I did have a similar stash-house in New York that they’d seen, but this was my home base. It was where I kept the relics I was worried might fall into the wrong hands.
Opening the shed, I wound past the ride-on mower and my workshop, and led the way toward the back wall and my secret repository. I pried open the panel that served as the entrance to my stash.
“What is this place, Seth?” Lara asked as I set aside the panel, revealing the cavity I’d created between the false wall and the exterior of the shed.
“Just where I store my things. The kind of stuff that wouldn’t be safe to leave around the house. It’s a bit of a tight fit but I’m not heading after the Inquisition empty-handed. Look around and pick your poison.”
Murdoch slipped past me, heading for his equipment lockers. We stored most of our munitions here for when we needed to resupply Gladys. There was a considerable amount of firepower neatly packed into the space.
Murdoch opened his locker and drew out an AA-12 automatic shotgun and set it aside. Not content, he pulled out another and several drums of ammunition. He lugged them out of the vault, set them down on the table, and made his way back inside.
“Don’t mind if I do,” Dizzy whispered, her eyes lighting up like it was Christmas. The vault combined two of her favorite things—weapons and shopping, and she didn’t have to pay for any of these items.
“The lockers in the back have a spare hunting bow and plenty of arrows,” I called after her.
Dizzy tended to favor the bow over traditional firepower, but most of the time she was the weapon. Dizzy in her shifter form was as dangerous as anything in here, particularly because of just how talented she was. She had lightning quick reflexes and adapted on the prowl, like the hunting cats she often favored.
I rested a hand on the small of Lara’s back. “I’m sure you’ll find something to suit your tastes, babe.”
Lara headed inside and, starting at one end of the vault, she systematically made her way through it, opening one locker at a time.
I went straight for the protective apparel and snatched up four lightweight, bullet-proof vests. Next, I burrowed into a lockbox and removed a small pouch of the stones I used to provide light in dark places. You never knew when they were going to come in handy. Emptying the contents of the box, I removed a false bottom and lifted out a pair of high-top sneakers.
“What are those?” Lara asked. “I thought you preferred boots.”
“I do, but sometimes you just need to be a little lighter on your feet.”
I stuck them on the table with the other gear and made my way back into the vault.
We continued to sift through ammunition, weapons, and equipment. After all, when you were going after the Holy Grail, there was no such thing as overkill.
When we had a veritable mountain of munitions, Murdoch gave a satisfied nod.
“That ought to do it. I’ll bring the car around and we can load up.”
“Where are we headed? You still haven’t told us where we’re going,” Lara called after him.
Murdoch looked over his shoulder. “Glastonbury Abbey. King Arthur’s tomb might be a tall story, but it is the gateway to the resting place of the Holy Grail.”