“You mean obnoxious?”
“Obnoxious then. Sorry, but I don’t trust easily. I like what I can see and feel.”
“Most people do. It’s OK. You’re being very supportive now.”
“Well, a knight must do what he can. ‘And always do to ladies, damsels, and gentlewomen succor, upon pain of death.’”
“Where’d you learn that?” Kendall asked. “That’s part of the knight’s oath.”
“Must have read it somewhere.”
“What about the White Spring and the inns,” she asked. “We need to find Brandi.”
“I’ll look for Brandi while you rest. Later, we’ll go to the White Spring.”
She nodded. “I am zonked. I get so tired of this.”
“I know. But ninety-nine percent of the world would give their right hand to glimpse what you do. I don’t understand it. I don’t always like it, but it is a gift.”
“Not a curse?” she asked, eyes closed.
Her hair was down, falling over her shoulders. Not a drop of makeup as far as he could tell, but she looked so beautiful it made his chest ache. Hell, what was wrong with him? He’d known her for only a few days, but it felt like it had been a lifetime.
He left her there and walked down the street to the closest two inns. At each, he told the innkeeper he was looking for his friend. He got lucky at the second one. A woman matching Brandi’s description had been staying there. But his luck didn’t last. She had checked out early that morning. Cold feet, he guessed, after they’d almost caught her. The owner said she’d asked about another inn in town.
Jake caught a taxi and went past the abbey into the main part of town. It was obvious from the storefronts that the town was immersed in the legends of King Arthur, the abbey, and the Tor. The area catered to everything from religion to paganism. He checked the inn where he’d hoped to find Brandi, but she wasn’t there. He found a café with Internet service and searched for other nearby lodging. He made several calls with no luck. Then he tried Nathan at the hotel, but he didn’t answer. Jake hadn’t told Kendall, but he was getting concerned that Nathan hadn’t contacted them. Sure he was worried that he’d hurt Kendall, but he could have left a message telling them he was either still cursed or cured.
It was a short taxi ride to the hotel, but Nathan wasn’t in his room. Or he wasn’t answering the door. Jake was about to get management to open the door, when a maid walked by. When questioned, she said she had seen Nathan leave his room yesterday. At least he was alive.
Jake walked out to hail a taxi and glimpsed a woman with red hair. Red hair, near their hotel? And she looked just like Brandi. Jake ran toward her, but when he reached the corner where he’d seen her, she wasn’t there. He checked the shops nearby, but there was no sign of her. Maybe it was his imagination or another redhead.
He didn’t want to leave Kendall any longer. He started to hail a taxi when one pulled up across the street. A woman got out. She looked at Jake as he approached, and her eyebrows rose in appreciation. He’d gotten used to the look. Sometimes he took what was offered. Sometimes he didn’t. Lately, he’d been too caught up with the whole business with Nathan and Iraq to worry about women. Now, he was too caught up with a green-eyed blonde.
Ignoring the woman’s interest, he grabbed the taxi and went back to the house. When he walked inside, Halle was planning the night’s activities. “Good. You’re back. I hope Kendall’s feeling well enough for the moonlight tour and séance tonight.”
“I think she’ll be fine. She was tired. The visions take a toll.”
“They did with Lizzie too, but Kendall’s better than Lizzie. You think Kendall would be interested in doing another tour after this is over? I was thinking Stonehenge and Avebury. I haven’t been since last year.”
Jake didn’t want to disappoint Halle, so he said something vague and then went to check on Kendall. She was still resting. He pulled off his pants and tossed them on the other bed, then climbed in beside her, moving close to her back.
“What are you doing?”
He draped his hand over her stomach. “Snuggling.”
“You can’t wear your pants while you snuggle?”
“You know me better than that.”
“The least you could do is to warn me before you undress.”
“And miss that look on your face?” He smiled. “How are you feeling?”
“Better. Still tired.”
“I don’t think we’ve recovered from that damned cave. I’m still groggy.”
“I guess traveling through a portal will do that. And we lost a day, so we’re behind on sleep.” She started to get up.
He put his hand on her waist. “Where you going?”
“Bathroom. Is that OK?”
“Unless you need help.”
“I’ll manage.”
She crawled over him, but he trapped her. “You have to pay the toll,” he said, nuzzling her neck.
She kissed him hard and then jumped up. He watched her go, wondering what he was going to do about her. She was inside his head, and he was afraid there was no getting her out. He closed his eyes for a second. Yep. Still there. He must have nodded off, because when he opened them, she was there too, but this time she was standing on her head with her back against the wall.
“What the hell are you doing?”
She flopped back over onto her feet. “Trying to wake up, get my blood pumping.”
“I can think of some better ways to get your blood flowing.”
“I imagine you could.”
“I was thinking of a foot massage,” he said, smiling innocently.
“Really? Not something more… carnal?”
He leaned back against the pillow and watched her. “I’m working on my application for knighthood. But if you want something less chivalrous and more carnal, let me know.”
“I’ll be sure to do that. But right now, we need to check the White Spring. We should have time to go before dinner.”
He groaned and got out of bed. He wanted to grab her and climb back in, spend the next twelve hours or so just lying in bed with her, but she was right. There was work to do. “Are you feeling up to this séance tonight?”
“I feel much better.”
They grabbed bottles of water and started across the street. The White Spring didn’t have a trust established to protect it, like the Chalice Well, but there was an attendant, a young man, who welcomed them. The spring was inside a building, dimly lit with candles. There were several flowers and gifts lying nearby.
“Why is it called the White Spring?” Jake asked.
“Because of the calcium,” Kendall said. “It has a sweet taste. The Chalice Well has a lot of iron, which leaves a red stain on the rocks. It’s interesting that the springs are so close but so different. Both of them are supposed to have powers to heal.”
No one else was at the White Spring. Kendall bent down and touched the water, then cupped her hand and drank some. Jake stood nearby, wondering if it would have the same effect on her. She stood after a minute and shook her head. They looked around for a minute longer and then left.
“You get anything?” he asked.
“It’s powerful and old, just like the Chalice Well, but no visions. I think my focus was off. Maybe because the attendant was watching. But I do think the two springs are connected.”
“You think they’re connected to the Fountain of Youth?”
“I know the Chalice Well is connected to the Holy Grail, and the two springs are certainly in close proximity. They’ve flowed steadily for over two thousand years, even in drought. That’s pretty amazing. But I don’t know if that means either of them is connected to the Fountain of Youth. I wish we could get up with Nathan to see if he’s discovered anything.”
“You mean if his curse is gone.”