Page 109 of The Robin on the Oak Throne

“I don’t know why I thought it would be bigger.”

Gen snorted. “You’ve said that before.”

Kierse laughed. “I almostalwayssay that.”

Laz guffawed, and Schwartz shook his head. Kierse glanced up at Graves and arched an eyebrow. He was definitely the reason she saidalmostalways.

“But seriously, isn’t some ancient cauldron supposed to be large and impressive? To like, hold ingredients and shit?”

“Apparently not,” Graves said. “There are legends that suggest it isn’t a cauldron at all, but a chalice.”

“Like a cup?” Kierse asked.

“Indeed. In some iterations the sword is a ‘torch,’ as well. It lights the way for the truth,” Graves said. “We’ll see what iteration of the cauldron we get when we steal it.”

Gen raised her hand. Graves’s expression filled with amusement. “You don’t have to raise your hand.”

“Oh,” she said with a shrug. “Sorry. That is a lot ofsecurity for one item. What exactly does the cauldron do?”

Kierse would have laughed at her directness, but she appreciated it. Gen had a way of cutting through all the bullshit to the point.

“The cauldron is an ancient Celtic artifact created by the Tuatha de Danann,” he told her simply. “There are four, and each was created as a means to help an advancing army. The spear that could never be defeated. The sword that revealed the truth to help any strategy. The cauldron to feed an army and heal their injured. And the stone to proclaim the true king.”

Kierse had read all the tales of the objects back in Ireland. She knew this much, and she wondered if Graves was going to expound on his hypothesis. The spear had been more than a spear, after all.

When he didn’t immediately, she decided to test him. “And what happens if you bring them all together?” she asked with a lift of her chin.

Graves’s eyes went dark. “Together they can do great magic.”

“Like a spell?” she pushed. The last time she’d asked him why he was trying to collect all four objects, he’d said that he was preparing to perform a very powerful spell but hadn’t elaborated.

“The legends may be hyperbolic, but they suggest you could do great,greatmagics, the like we haven’t seen since the gods left this plane.”

“Shit,” Laz hissed.

“Don’t get them all together,” Gen said. “Check that off my list.”

Kierse snorted. She wondered which of those “great”magics Graves could ever want to do. “And you just want them ceremonially.”

“Something like that,” he said before glancing away.

“Okay, now that we know to not bring them all together, what exactly does the cauldron do?” Gen asked again.

Graves lifted one shoulder. “I’ve never touched it, Prophet Genesis. Read the cards and tell me.”

“You have theories,” she argued.

“He always has theories,” Kierse agreed.

“Is ‘feed an army and heal the injured’ not enough to go after it?” Laz asked. “That’s treasure to most.”

“It is,” Gen agreed. “But we have food, and we have healers, doctors, nurses. I just thought it would be more…magical.”

“It is,” Kierse said at once. “Isn’t it?”

“There are rumors, legends,” Graves began slowly.

“All legends have a kernel of truth,” Kierse whispered.

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