My Boyfriend Merlin (16 page)

Oliver coughed. “It’s not the Regulars, Ryan. It’s you.”

“Huh?” I said, in between chews of a limp chip.

Gia sauntered over to our table. “DuLac, seems it’s gotten out that you’re dating the most legendary wizard in the whole world.”

I choked on a chip. Coughing, I spit it out. “What?”

Gia plopped down in an empty chair. “I’m pretty sure Ms. Joseph is the center of all gossip around here. I’ve made you super-popular.”

I glared at her. “Find your shoes yet?”

“I knew it was you.” She scowled, then turned to smile at Grey. “But don’t worry, DuLac, your brother retrieved them for me.”

Grey gave her a very male look. “Glad to help.”

She winked at him. “Nice training session. You should have been placed in front of Mark. You clearly did better than him.”

“Thanks,” Grey said, surprised.

“I was a Regular until Vane found me, and if he hadn't, I would be still. But Vane is wrong. With Merlin on your side, the Regulars have as much of a shot as the rest of us.”

I sniffed. “Does this mean you’re not going to tank us anymore?”

“That was genius with the door, wasn't it, Goldilocks?” Gia chuckled.

My cheeks puffed at the nickname.

Blake and a friend of his came up to our table. He adjusted his glasses and cleared his throat. “May we join you?”

“Are you sure you won’t be contaminated by sitting with us lowly Regulars?” Grey said.

Gia rolled her eyes. “Sit down, wizard boy. Can you conjure up some buttered ale? I hear it’s a must-have at English schools.”

Blake groaned in response. Oliver and I let out a laugh.

“Buttered ale?” Grey made a face. “Sounds gross.”

Everyone at the table laughed again.

I rolled my eyes. “You kill me, Grey.”

Mark the Brute and the rest of Vane’s candidates came into the dining room. They elbowed out the other wizards waiting politely in line to get a table. Mark frowned when he noticed Gia with us.

“Later, kids,” Gia mumbled to the table.

She went to talk to Mark. Within a minute, they were arguing. Gia stomped off out of the dining room. Mark went over to his friend at a nearby dining table.

“Trouble in paradise.” Grey whistled. He shoved a large forkful of rice in his mouth, took a hurried swallow of water, and got up. “I’ll see you later.”

 “Where are you going?” I asked.

“I saw her looking up the way to the library earlier.” Grey slung his school bag over his shoulder. “Think I suddenly feel the need to study.”

Oliver leaned forward. “The brute won’t like it.”

“I can handle it.” With a cocky smile, Grey ambled away.

Blake tapped his fingers nervously on the table. “I've been thinking… after the training today… there’s something not right. Why go through this training with us? Why not have us take our chances with the sword right now? Why wait when we're in a 'race' with the gargoyles?”

Oliver took a loud bite of a chip. “Why?”

Suddenly, I felt very aware that everyone else at the table was watching me as they waited for an answer. I took a breath.

“I don't know,” Blake answered. “But she can find out… from Merlin. I heard that you and he are shagging—er—I mean you and he are close.”

I sputtered. “We are not shag—doing that.”

“Nice one.” Blake’s friend elbowed him.

“It’s a good idea.” Oliver stepped in. His gaze fixed on me. “The point is you’re the only one who can get him to talk.”

I touched my amulet. Realizing what I was doing, I forced my hand back to the table. I sighed. “Fine.”

I met Blake’s gaze. “Are we friends now?”

“There can be only one winner, but the sword will decide who. We can work together to make sure we all get a chance.” He started to get up.

“I like you too.” I turned my mega-watt smile full on.

Blake stumbled. The back of his knees knocked against the heavy chairs. He straightened, self-consciously raking his hand through his jet-black hair.

“And thanks for trying to help me today,” he mumbled.

He and his friend walked away.

“Forget it, Emerson,” I heard his friend hiss at him. “You have no chance with her. She’s got Merlin.”

My smile dimmed. I looked around the dining hall. A girl from a few tables over gave me a semi-awed look before she turned back to her friend. They all figured I had Merlin in my pocket. Except it was pocket with a black hole and it kept drawing me in deeper.

***

Two weeks later, the trees in the courtyard had adorned themselves in a bright array of fall leaves. More and more they sought rest on the ground as winter closed in on us. The occasional wind scattered the leaves creating eddies of earthy colors.

The sweet October morning filled my senses as I stood in Matt’s class defending myself against a pain spell. Bench tables and seats had been moved out of the way and stacked up high against the sides of the rectangular room.

We continued to practice defending against spells. The amulets neutralized some types of magic automatically, but the trick was in knowing which ones. All of it came down to recognizing the magic thrown at you. Who knew there was such thing a confusion spell to make you believe you’d turned into a toad (aura color: purple) and one that could actually turn you into a toad (aura color: green)? Only the most powerful wizards could perform the whole range.

I glanced at Matt from across the room. He smiled as he talked to a girl, one of Blake’s witch friends. He glanced over at our group and my heart leaped. His eyes went straight past me.

My mind on Matt, I didn’t quite hear when Blake shouted something to me.

Before I knew it, the pain spell we’d been practicing hit me sideways. I screamed and fell to the floor writhing. Pain shot through my body in sharp steel ribbons.

Matt rushed over. “Ryan, use the charm. Fight it.”

I closed my eyes. I could hear my teeth chattering. Pain threatened to overwhelm me.  “H-help,” I said.

“You can do this, Ryan.” Matt’s hand soothed my hair.

It only increased the sensation of pinpricks driving into my skin and burrowing through my muscles. I shut it out and instead thought only of the amulet. Warmth spread out bit by bit like a slow unfurling of an umbrella. Seconds felt like hours but slowly the pain receded. I opened my eyes.

“I’m so sorry,” Blake said, his face ashen. “I meant to shoot that to Oliver. I don’t know what happened. It went wide—”

Oliver said anxiously, “It bounced off my shield.”

“The amulet can act as a deflector as well as a neutralizer.” Matt helped me up. He took me over to his desk and sat me down in the teacher’s chair. I leaned back into the smooth wood. “Remember this the next time you think you can’t break free, class. You can. I think that’s enough for today.” Matt inclined his head at the wide-eyed students. “You’re dismissed.”

The class dispersed. Students grabbed their bags from the side of the room as they headed out.

“So sorry, Ryan.” Blake lingered over me.

“It’s alright. I’ll be fine,” I said hoarsely. My throat felt sore as if I’d been screaming for hours.

His face ashen, Blake nodded and walked over to his bag. Grey handed it to him with a quick pat on the back.

“I don’t know who looks worse.” Matt stood over me, beside the chair. The last student left the classroom. “You or him.”

I looked up at Matt with a dry look. “Thanks.”

“No matter, this was good for everyone to see,” he said. “We haven’t gotten to it yet, but you can turn your shield into a weapon.”

I stared at him in disbelief. Not only had he not bothered to ask if I was okay, he was actually going to dismiss the whole thing as a great demonstration. I rubbed my arms and winced; my skin still stung with pain.

“That’s more words than you’ve said to me in two weeks,” I grouched.

Matt’s face tightened.

“Were you in love with Guinevere?” I burst out.

He raised a brow. “I see you’ve been talking to Vane.”

“You made the amulet for her.”

“What? No. Is that what Vane told you? She was Arthur's wife. Let me be clear. I was not in love with her. Arthur asked me to make the amulet for her.”

“How can I believe you?” I said.

Matt knelt down next to the chair. He turned it until I was facing him. “Do you want to believe me?”

I sighed. “Why are we still training, Matt? Why are we sitting here while the gargoyles are trying to get the Sword as we speak?”

“It’s safer for you and your little followers if you don’t know.”

I colored. “I don’t have followers.”

“I can’t tell you,” he repeated

I scooted back in the chair. “You don’t want to tell me. There’s a difference.”

Matt cursed. His fist clenched. A bench beside us exploded with a loud wham.

I jumped up.

My legs weak, I stumbled.

Matt caught me by the waist.

A small tendril of hope uncurled inside me as his gaze searched my face.

He sighed with reluctance. “Ryan—”

I grabbed his shoulders. “I thought a wizard couldn’t make something explode without getting drained.”

A brow lifted with arrogant confidence. “I’m not just any wizard.”

My fingers dug into tight biceps. I knew I shouldn’t. There was too much at stake, but I couldn’t help it. I wanted Matt. In my head, I whispered.
Matt.

Something of what I was thinking must have shown on my face because Matt’s fingers on my waist tightened. Before I knew it I stood smashed up against him. I could smell nothing but his scent—of time and earth and desire all mixed up in one.

He muttered against my mouth. “Ryan, please—”

CHAPTER 12
GARGOYLES

“Ryan.” Grey and Gia ran into the classroom.

Matt broke away. I leaned on the desk.

Gia mumbled, “We heard an explosion.”

Grey noticed the exploded bench. “Ryan, are you alright?” He moved to cross the room toward me.

I shook my head. “I just need a few minutes.”

Gia grabbed Grey. “Right. You heard her.” She marched Grey to the door. She tossed a wink over her shoulder. “We’ll see you at lunch.”

She closed the classroom door as they left. I heard Grey mumble an ineffective protest.

Matt moved to the stand on the other side of the desk. “We can’t do this, Ryan. I haven’t told you the consequences.”

The clock tower chimed outside. Seconds passed in infinite increments on an undefined scale.

“Because I’m marked by Apollo?” I said.

Matt cursed. “Is there anything Vane didn't tell you? There is no proof the curse actually exists. But how can I risk it? There's too much at stake.”

“Fine, I understand.” I walked slowly to get my bag. I opened the classroom door to leave and paused at the threshold. I turned to face him. “Just because we’re not going out doesn’t mean you have to do this alone. I am your friend.”

Matt stuffed fisted hands into his trouser pockets. The grooves of lines on his face deepened with grim regret. “I failed Camelot once before. I trusted too much. Look where it got us. Look where it got Arthur. I won't allow the same thing to happen again. Not this time.”

“I see.” My fingers tightened on the strap of my gym bag. “You want me to call you Matt, but it's you who won’t let go of Merlin.”

***

I slipped into my spot in the training spot, still fuming over after my encounter with Matt. Every time we had a real conversation, I ended up with nothing. I wanted to smash something. My insides churned all the way through the first forty-five minutes of forms until I was too exhausted to think anymore.

Vane walked past me with a snide expression. “Looks as if you have a bit of excess energy today. Wonder what could have caused it?”

Gia had obviously ratted me out to him. We bent down into a lunge. My hamstrings and thighs burned but I held them perfectly perpendicular to the floor. I didn’t reply.

“Not speaking today?” Vane continued. “You do look a bit, shall we say, disheveled.”

A boy in front of me snorted. To my relief, Vane rounded on him and started taunting him instead. A few minutes later we broke for weapons training. Vane assigned me to do figure eights with long staffs along with the rest of the lower ranks while the higher ranks picked out practice swords.

I marched over to Vane and threw my staff at his chest. “I want to talk to you.”

Vane caught it easily with one hand. “About what?” He tossed the staff back at me.

I caught it, surprising myself.

Vane gave a nod of approval. “I see you are learning something, despite all the time my brother is wasting teaching you magical defense. Any competent wizard will beat you despite your trinket.”

I touched the amulet. “We’re doing just as well as the trained wizards.”

“They should be destroying you. It’s pathetic how lacking in practical experience the students at this school are.” Vane looked down his nose at me. “What do you want, DuLac?”

“I want to learn swords.” I tossed the long staff back at him. Vane knocked down the staff without touching it. It clattered to the floor.

Someone in the room gasped.