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Keeping the Grail at Glastonbury Abbey was the equivalent of hiding your priceless Jordan memorabilia at the United Center. If you were going to hide one of the greatest secrets the world had ever kept, why would you do it in the one spot everyone was sure to start looking for it?
“No way,” Lara replied. “Everyone has heard the rumors about Glastonbury, and archaeologists have been crawling all over the site for the past two centuries. If there’s one thing everyone agrees on it’s that, if the Grail exists, it certainly isn’t there.”
Murdoch smiled. “A conclusion that suited us immensely. The fact that everyone has already scoured Glastonbury made it the ideal location to conceal the Grail.”
“But there have been archaeological excavations, ground-penetrating radar, and dozens of other tests as they’ve tried to preserve what’s left of the original structures,” Lara said.
“I’m well aware, Lara.” Murdoch laughed. “The activities there have been closely supervised by the Circle for centuries. You are presuming we use nothing but mundane means to hide it. That is not the case.”
That certainly expanded the horizons on what was possible. The Circle had to be employing arcane artifice to keep their sanctuary hidden all these years. It also explained why no one had ever found it. They would have been looking for buried structures, not glamours and arcane workings.
I pointed at a workbench beside my lathe. It had a number of timber offcuts and a chisel sitting where I’d left it.
“Why don’t you take us through it then, Murdoch? What’s the plan?”
Dizzy and Lara gathered around the workbench as Murdoch moved the timber offcuts until they formed a haphazard outline of the site at Glastonbury.
“The ruins of Glastonbury Abbey sit on the site the Circle originally chose to preserve the Grail. Over the years, we used our influence with the church and others to promulgate enough fable to preserve the site. The structures themselves are largely unimportant. In reality, the entire area only served to house the gateways to the Grail sanctuary.”
“But you couldn’t afford for the site to be redeveloped or sold,” I said, “as tends to happen to valuable land that has lost the goodwill of the Crown.”
The abbey had fallen into disrepair when its last abbot was hung, drawn, and quartered under Henry VIII.
Murdoch tapped the table. “Exactly, but little if any of the superstructure actually rests in the mortal plane.”
“But that would mean...” Lara paused.
“It’s beyond the Veil,” I answered.
They hadn’t concealed the Grail with magic, in our world; they’d created an entire sanctuary in another.
“In truth, it is somewhere in between,” Murdoch replied. “Not quite in our world, and not quite in theirs. It occupies the place between them.”
“How is that even possible?” I asked. “The space between them... I didn’t think there was anything between realms but the Veil.”
“I would love to satisfy your curiosity, but I was not the sanctuary’s creator,” Murdoch replied with a sigh. “I’m simply its most recent guardian.”
“And the only way in is Glastonbury?” Dizzy asked. “We can’t reach it from elsewhere.”
“No,” Murdoch replied, resting his finger on the building that represented the Lady Chapel. “It is the first line of the sanctuary’s security. And the more tests that were conducted at the abbey, the more assured everyone became that there was no truth to the rumors. If anything, the existence of the Grail has been fading from the minds of men for the best part of a century. I don’t know what has changed, but we must retrieve the Grail before those zealots do.”
I studied the makeshift map. “How do we get into the sanctuary then?”
“There are four keys,” Murdoch explained. “And four gateways.”
“Four?” Lara asked, ever the skeptic. “Surely, one would have been more secure?”
“As I said, I am simply the guardian. I don’t understand the logic that went into its creation. Though this much I do know. The sanctuary was designed to be accessed in concert, by four supplicants working in unity. The gates will only open when all keys are in place.”
“All the gates?” I groaned. “We need all four keys to get in?”
“Indeed. Heaven’s gates are closed to those who come alone. Save a soul and save your own. That is why we hid the keys, rotating them between members of the Circle. Not only would someone have to find the location of the sanctuary, but they would also need to find all four keys. Then they would have to locate and place all of them to open the gate. Unless they do that, nothing changes and the abbey remains a ruin. Once all the keys are in their proper place, the gates of the sanctuary will open.”
“Then why don’t we simply find the other members of the Circle?” Dizzy asked. “We get one of the keys and they’re screwed. No one will be able to open the gateways.”
“Because I’ve been trying to reach them all day, and the only one I’ve had any luck with is already at Glastonbury. None of the others have been responding to our protocols. I suspect the same evil that’s already befallen Ben has caught up with them, too.”
“So, if we don’t know what has happened to the other members of the Circle, we’ll need to head to Glastonbury,” Lara concluded.
“We’ll need to locate the other keys and secure the sanctuary,” Murdoch said. “If it has already been breached, we will need to retrieve the Grail. I expect resistance will be considerable.”
Murdoch’s tone gave me the impression he was looking forward to it. The Inquisition would be held to account for Ben’s life. That much was certain.
“Where are the gateways?” I asked. “You mentioned there are four?”
“Yes. We’ve done what we can to preserve the structures at the abbey primarily because they house the gateways to the sanctuary. The four locations are the Abbot’s Kitchen, beneath the Lady Chapel, a stone near the tomb of King Arthur and his wife Guinevere, and the foundations of the Abbey House.”
Lara shook her head. “I still don’t see how that’s possible.”
“To the untrained eye, they simply appear as old stones, and they are. They’re ancient. Each has a cleft big enough for a key. You wouldn’t know what they were unless you were looking for them.”
“So how do we get in?” Dizzy asked. “I’m always up for a heist.”
Murdoch raised an eyebrow. “A rescue mission, not a heist. And we start with the Abbey House to meet with Lucius. We go after the one key we have a clue about, then we do what we can with the others. I suspect if the Inquisition are hunting us, the other keys will already be on the way there.”
“All roads lead to Rome,” I said.
“I would hope there would be far fewer demons than Rome,” Murdoch replied with a sigh. “I’d settle for none.”
I looked up toward Heaven or at least where I pictured it might be. “From your lips to his ears. Let’s say we make it inside. What can we expect in the sanctuary?”
“Once the portals open, each reveals its own path to the inner sanctuary. They are time-consuming to traverse, and not without their own perils to those who would trespass. Again, upon reaching the inner sanctuary, the key holders must work in unison. If they attempt to enter the sanctum alone, the sanctuary will permit them, but it will also unleash the sanctuary’s defensive measures.”
“Defensive measures?” My heart skipped a beat. Murdoch wasn’t one to exaggerate. If anything, he tended to understate things.
“The last line of defense to preserve the Grail,” Murdoch replied. “I have never seen them active but like the wrath of God, they are meant to be terrible to behold.”
“That is as vague as it is unhelpful.” I leaned against the table.
“And more than a little ominous,” Lara added.
“And the Grail is there in the inner sanctum?”
“Yes, I can guide us there, but we must hurry. The Inquisition could already be on their way.”
“That’s my fear,” I replied. “If they find your friend at Abbey House, they could be inside before we arrive. We’re already miles behind in this race.”
“Glastonbury is almost three hours away,” Murdoch said. “We won’t get there until after midnight, so we best get on the road quickly.”
“What do you intend to tell your father?” Lara asked, placing her hand on my wrist.
“Nothing. It’s better to ask forgiveness than permission. Besides, he’ll be busy looking into the curse. Hopefully, we’ll be back before he knows we’re gone.”
With every fiber of my being, I doubted it would be that simple, but there was also no way I was telling my father about the Grail. I’d sworn an oath and I wasn’t breaking it now. Besides, I didn’t entirely trust what he might do with that information. He was staring down Death’s barrel now. The Grail might prove too much of a temptation for him.
“Provided we’re not murdered by a bunch of fanatical zealots,” Dizzy replied. “Have I told you how much I don’t like these guys?”
“In Panama, they tried to sacrifice me to welcome Armageddon,” I answered. “I’m not particularly fond of them myself.”
“That’s what the guns are for,” Murdoch added. “This isn’t a diplomatic undertaking.”
His eyes were alive with the burning desire to repay the injustices done upon Ben.
“You know what they say about revenge, Murdoch. You’d best be prepared to dig two graves.”
“I plan to dig a whole lot more than that,” he said, “and if any of you have any hesitation about that, you best stay here.”
“We’re with you, Murdoch,” Dizzy replied. “Now and always. That’s how family works.”
“Then we need to get this stuff loaded up.” I scooped up one of the duffels we’d packed and carried it out to the car.
We headed west. The Humvee wound quietly through the night as Murdoch took the A303. He was silent. Dizzy rested in the front seat, and Lara and I sat together in the back.
Lara leaned in close. “It’s so dark, the two of us could get up to all sorts of mischief back here.”
A gleam in her eye accompanied the wickedly suggestive whisper.
“What did you have in mind?” I whispered back.
Lara reached into her bag and pulled out a small blanket. Spreading it across our laps, she flashed me a knowing smile.
I raised an eyebrow. Surely, she wasn’t serious.
Then she reached down by her feet, searching her bag for something. She pulled out a binder. Popping it in into our laps, she looked at me and laughed.
“Had you going there for a minute. Sorry, hun, high time we did some wedding planning though, don’t you think?”
She opened the binder which was packed to the brim with magazine cutouts, pictures, and brochures. I had to admire her foresight. I had been so distracted with the Grail, I hadn’t even seen the ploy coming.
“No need to be so disappointed, Seth,” she said with a smile. “We’ll have the rest of our lives to misbehave.”
“I’m not disappointed,” I replied. “I mean, don’t get me wrong, I was all in. I was just hoping New York would free us of the baggage that’s been holding us back, so we could plan our wedding without it looming over our heads.”
“It’s only there if you let it be,” she said. “Curse or no curse, you can choose to live in spite of it. Show Aleida that no matter what she may want, you won’t wallow in misery.”
Lara was right. Curse or not, if there was one thing the last few weeks had drummed into me, it was that no future was guaranteed. I needed to live more in the present, and not let my fear for the future get in my way. Plan for it, sure, but I couldn’t keep standing still.
“It’s true.” I smiled. “Bring it on.”
She flicked beyond the first page. It had half a dozen different styles of cakes spread over both pages with tiny lines of scrawled handwriting beside them all.
“You best be along for this ride, then,” Lara said. “If I have to twist your arm, Mister, misbehaving of any sort is going to be off the table.”
Dizzy raised her hand and mimed cracking a whip before letting out a giggle.
“Go to sleep, Dizzy,” I said. “Two against one hardly seems fair.”
“Why do you think the scrapbook starts with cake?” Dizzy replied. “That was my doing. I’ve got your back, Seth. When it matters.”
I laughed and looked down at the page, doing my best to decipher Lara’s notes. It looked like they had been written in size four, and were an almost horizontal line at some points. “How on Earth do you read this?”
“Never mind the notes.” Lara pointed at the cake on the left, a simple and elegant three-tier cake covered in white fondant. “This one is gluten free, dairy free, and quite delicious. Of all the cakes on the page, I think it would be best to accommodate our potential guests.”
I raised an eyebrow. I hadn’t seen a guest list. Not yet anyway.
“My father is lactose intolerant. The cake will score you a few brownie points,” she added.
“Your father will be there?” I’d never met Lara’s parents and despite my attempts to look into them, I’d never had any success. Perhaps Section Nine had scrubbed her records to protect their identity.
“Yes, and don’t change the subject.”
“Sounds good to me,” I answered, “though the design seems a little pedestrian. I’ve always been a fan of cakes with pillars.”
Lara cocked her head to one side as she tried to determine whether or not I was serious.
“Seth, your billionaire is showing.”
I raised my hands. “You asked for my input, and now you’re making fun of it?”
“A cake with pillars it is,” she replied, turning the page. I was met with a double spread of white lace tablecloths.
With everything going on in my life, it was difficult to muster an interest in linens. But they meant something to Lara, so I silently repeated the mantra I was sure every man had uttered during his wedding preparations.
Pretend to care, pretend to care, pretend to care.
“I can’t say that I feel particularly strongly about any of these,” I replied. “Do you have a favorite, dear?”
“Well, if we are having a cake with pillars, I don’t suppose you’d be willing to spring for the French lace, would you?”
I scratched my chin. “I’ll dig around in the piggy bank and see what I can scrounge up.”
“French lace it is,” Lara said, before flipping the page to one titled, Menu.
“Now here is something I can get behind.” I ran my hand over the page. “Just as long as we actually get to enjoy the meal too.”
Maybe it was my stomach talking, but in spite of having overpaid for a mountain of pastries at the Tea House, we’d never gotten to eat them. The Inquisition had interrupted afternoon tea.
“Perhaps a good idea for all of us,” Murdoch said as he pulled off the A303. He found a roadhouse, and one drive-through later we were back on the road with burgers, fries, and chocolate shakes for everybody.
“The dinner of champions,” I said before I took a long swig of my chocolate milkshake. I pointed at the scrapbook. “What were you thinking for the meal?”
“A simple three course meal, nothing too ostentatious,” Lara replied. “We’ll need a few choices for the main. Something with red meat, and then chicken or fish. A vegan option too, of course. Make sure there’s something for everybody. For dessert, I was thinking...”
“Tiramisu?” I said, taking my best guess. Or perhaps my best hope.
“You read my mind.” Her smile widened. “I don’t suppose that little bakery on the Upper East Side could be convinced to cater. Distance might be an issue. Perhaps we can poach their head baker for a day or two.”
“We can always make a call,” I answered. “See what can be done.”
“There’s that can-do spirit.” Lara nodded. “That leads us to venue.”
She flipped the page to a double spread that was completely blank.
“Why do I feel like this is what you really wanted to talk about?”
“You know me too well,” she answered. “Your family is in London, and mine is in the US. Where exactly are we going to get married?”
“Wherever you wish, my dear,” I replied, figuring that was the safe answer. “I will marry you on any continent.”
“You two are adorable.” Dizzy chuckled before taking a bite out of her burger.
“You don’t care where we get married?”
“I didn’t say that.” I reached for one of my fries. “No doubt my parents would prefer we did things in London. Ideally somewhere close to home where they could monitor the security. We have influence and control here. In the US, we’re on foreign soil, and depending on how things go with Lynch, we could be at odds with the government. Lynch has a lot of pull.”
“Are you really thinking of turning him down?” she asked.
“I’m thinking I need to be prepared for that eventuality. While Lynch is offering us the carrot now, we need to remember the stick. This is the same man who blew up our car and we were only feet from it. If we don’t do precisely what he wants, he’ll have no hesitation in killing us both. A life in the Brotherhood is a life following his agenda. I won’t be running the shop, at least not anytime soon. He’ll be giving orders, and we’ll be expected to take them. It’s a compromise we shouldn’t eagerly embrace.”
“I thought you might say that. London it is, but...” She held up a finger. “My compromise is this, though. I pick our honeymoon destination. Anywhere in the world. Two weeks, no phone, no interruptions, no work. Even if the world is ending, we get on that plane and we stay there.”
“Well, if the world is ending, a flight might be a little pointless,” I answered.
“You know what I mean. Two weeks, just us, in a remote location where we can enjoy some peace.”
“Sold,” I replied.
She’d come to this negotiation looking for two weeks alone with me. I felt awful and wonderful all at once. I hated that she thought she had to compete for time alone with me, and wonderful that she loved me enough to put up with the scorching dumpster fire my life had been of late.
I loved her too. No matter how well trained she might be, dragging her into these situations never got any easier. What was I going to do if something happened to her? I’d never forgive myself.
I took her hand and squeezed it tight.
There was a tick from my watch as the clock struck midnight. My phone vibrated in my pocket. I drew out my phone and tapped the screen. The latest message read, twenty-five.
My date with decision for the Brotherhood drew one day closer. A month had felt like a lot longer when I’d been staring down a city full of vampires.
As I eyed the text, the phone started to ring.
It was from the same number. Which could mean only one thing: Andrew Lynch wanted to talk.
I hadn’t spoken to the head of the Brotherhood since a Sidhe assassin had tried to kill us both. Well, tried to kill me, in Lynch’s house. In my haste, I’d stolen a car and left him to fend for himself. Had Lynch discovered why the Sidhe was there? Was he tracking me?
He was the head of Clandestine Operations for the United States government. Did he know where I was heading, and why?
My heart beat faster as I gripped the phone.
I stared at the screen, unsure whether or not I wanted to answer it. Andrew Lynch was not a man to be ignored, but where we were headed, I couldn’t help but think his timing was more than mere coincidence.
“You aren’t going to get that?” Lara asked, pointing to the phone. “It’s him.”
“I know, but I’m not sure that I should. He can’t threaten me if he can’t speak to me.”
“True, but as the Director of Clandestine Operations, I’m sure he’s mastered sending a text. May as well hear him out.”
I sighed and picked up the call. “Hello?”