My Boyfriend Merlin (26 page)

“It’s time,” she said.

Grey strode up to her. “One thing before we go—”

Gia squeaked as he swept her up in a smoldering kiss.

I watched them with mixed emotions. I was happy for Grey, yet I yearned for the same thrill.

I touched my amulet. The gemstone heated.

A breeze flitted around me. I thought I heard it whisper.

“Dorothy.”

***

The group gathered in the foyer of the manor—a tide of black suits, neatly swept back hair, and sober faces. Matt, Aurelius, and the rest of the guardians herded us into the black SUVs. We rode along the cheerily decorated pathways up to the Palace.

Twin Christmas trees framed the entrance and invited us inside. Matt kept me close by his side as Dawson led us in. Blake, Mark, and Grey followed behind us. The other candidates all followed behind them. Wind rushed around us. Above us, the sky held an eerie pink moon that stood out against a blanket of dull stars.

My mouth opened in awe as we stepped into the Palace. Lush garlands, delicate ornaments, fresh bright red poinsettias, and soft white water fountains decorated the hall leading up to the lush Grand Staircase.

“Welcome,” Dawson greeted us. He pointed us over to the security line. “You are all on the list to get inside, but you still need to get past security.”

We were early for the party, but the line was already a hundred or so long. Women swirled about in beautiful gowns and men in finely cut suits. They all talked and laughed, warming the echoing chamber-like room with comforting chatter.

It took forever for all of us to pass through the metal detectors. The last security guard surprised us by surreptitiously searching us with a magical amulet built into a metal detection wand. I passed by Councilmember Thornton.

He looked me over from head to toe, the he winked at me. “Lovely… gown, Ms. DuLac.”

I gave him an odd look. Dawson motioned for our attention. Gathering us around, he led the group up the red-carpeted staircase into a beautiful gallery. Everywhere Grecian marble statues, elephant-sized oil paintings, and gold filigree crown moldings decorated the opulent interior of the Palace.

The main hub of the party spanned two rooms—a supper room and the biggest ballroom I’d ever seen. Throne-like chairs sat under a red domed canopy overlooking the entire ballroom.

I peered into the supper room. Long tables adorned with white tablecloth and centerpiece garlands and candles had been set up. Doing some quick math, I figured about a few hundred place settings.

I elbowed Matt. “Think we’ll get to eat?”

Matt rolled his eyes. “Is food all you think about?”

“Not always,” I whispered. “Lunch was three hours ago.”

I eyed a beautifully set up punch bowl. It had a gurgling fountain in the middle. I started to gravitate towards it. “How about a small drink?”

Matt grabbed my elbow and pulled me away. “Later.”

Several of the Queen’s staff eyed our group curiously. They greeted Dawson who casually explained us as a special services group. This got an even wider-eyed response, but no one asked any further questions.

Dawson led us inside the ballroom. He pointed at a panel on the wall. “There’s a hidden door there and a secret passageway that leads down. We had the ballroom especially opened for this reason. I can tell you the First Member said Her Majesty was not thrilled about it. But it is the most convenient way for you to slip away a few at a time.”

“Did you relay our message to the First Member?” Aurelius asked.

Dawson inclined his head. “The whole country is watching the protests. The First Member hopes that once the sword is actually pulled we can bring the stone out again. It might satisfy some of the unrest—” Dawson broke off as another guest came up to greet him. He hustled the guest away quickly and turned to Matt. “Master Merlin, you must go first.”

“What do I do?” Matt asked.

“The vault is directly beneath us. You will need to open it.”

The noise level in the room increased as music started. Brightly colored people glittered under the teardrop chandeliers like shiny jewels as they milled around in celebration. They laughed and drank while we stood next to the door that might lead us to our deaths. Appropriately enough the hidden door showed a mural of a lion with wings.

For the first time, I truly noticed the depictions of lions tucked into every corner of the Palace. The Royal symbol itself had a lion. A light bulb went off in my head. My eyes widened.

“Matt,” I said.

Horns blew loudly. The sound bounded down to us. A man in a deep voice announced, “Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth.”

I stared at the diminutive yet radiant woman who stepped out from a closed room at the other end of the banquet. A crown tucked neatly into her hair bun, the Queen had dressed in a sedate gown for the celebration. Except for the crown, she could have passed for a commoner.

I drew Matt aside and whispered, “Is that the seeing stone on her crown?”

CHAPTER 17
THE TEST

From the window, the clouds flitted across the reddening moon marring its luminosity.

“That ruby looks like the one on my amulet.” I pointed to the Queen’s head. A flash of red-hair at the Queen’s side caught my attention. A woman watched the Queen with a hungry gaze. The woman turned and saw me. She looked down quickly to hide her face, but she wasn’t quick enough. It was Marla, Sylvia’s assistant.

“Matt.” I grabbed him and pointed at her. “Marla!”

“Impossible,” Matt said. He mumbled a spell under his breath. A whoosh went through the room. Several men and women clutched their faces. I noticed one by Marla. One minute he looked like a non-descript man, the next minute his face changed into that of a beast’s.

“Gargoyles,” Matt said under his breath.

“Get the Queen,” Aurelius said from directly behind us. “She’s the First Member.”

Aurelius had heard our whole conversation. Matt and I turned just in time to see him clasp his hands together.

“
Agni
.” His voice boomed through the ballroom.

Fire blew out across the room. Matt raised his arm to stop it.

“
Nimita,
” Aurelius shouted and the walls trembled. The whole Palace shook.

Screams rent the air as half the ballroom’s floor collapsed.

Matt floated several people in the air. I could see the concentration on his face as he moved them to the sides of the room away from the giant hole in the floor. As soon as they touched ground, the hapless guests scurried under the dinner tables. Before Matt could turn on Aurelius, he and all of the guardians who came with us directed a barrage of blue fire at Matt and the Queen.

Matt wavered under the onslaught. The Queen fell to the ground. I caught Matt before he could fall. Paul and Oliver came up beside me and caught Matt’s other side. Oliver took the brunt of Matt’s weight.

Below the destroyed ballroom floor, the square vault containing the giant Stone stood bared. Fractured light glinted off the Sword.

“How?” Matt gasped as we stood looking down at the vault from the sidelines. “Even combined you are not strong enough.”

“How do you think, Master Merlin? I channeled the gargoyles’ strength,” Aurelius said with a smug smile. I looked across at Marla. Her face changed into its beast form. She smiled at me with large pointed incisors. About twenty or so other guests standing around her also shifted into gargoyles. The remaining guests—presumably all Regulars—cowered under the tables. They huddled together, their eyes locked on the gargoyles in terror.

Aurelius said, “They are at their height tonight, while you are—”

“Diminished by the solstice,” Matt finished for him.

“Exactly. With their power we do not need you anymore.” Aurelius raised his hand. Blue fireballs glowed in his palms. “Goodbye, Merlin.”

Thornton strode forward, but it was not Thornton’s voice that said, “I wouldn’t do that.”

The voice sent a shiver down my spine.

Aurelius squinted at him. “Who are you?”

Thornton’s face morphed into Vane. He winked at me.

“Glamour,” Matt said.

“Catch him,” Aurelius shouted.

“Nice vault. I see a powerful protection spell around it. Do the gargoyles really believe you can get them the stone?” Vane mocked loudly.

In a blink, Marla crossed the room to grab Aurelius by the neck. She put a long nail on a pulsating artery. “You promised us the Stone, wizard.
Eef
you don’t deliver, we will rip apart everyone in this room piece-by-piece starting with you.”

Aurelius scowled. He threw her hand off with a quick magical blast. “Patience, or neither one of us will get what we want.”

The other traitor guardians turned to Vane, ready to attack.

Aurelius laughed. “They are all pledged to me, Vivane. You are outmatched.” He commanded the guardians, “If he moves, kill him.”

Aurelius strode to the Queen. Marla pulled her up into a chair. Aurelius held a fireball in front of the Queen’s face. “How do we get past the protection spell?”

A few of the guests tried to crawl out from under the tables to help the Queen. Aurelius whispered to the fireball and tossed it at them. It roared loudly and expanded into a fountain of flame, blasting a guest across the arm. He screamed and rubbed his hand on the floor, stamping out the fire. Shaken, the other guests scurried back under the tables.

The Queen shook her head. “I will tell you nothing.”

Marla grabbed the Queen by the neck. The Queen’s wizened face turned purple.

“Killing me will only make the spell stronger,” she choked out.

“A lifeforce spell,” Aurelius said.

Marla dropped the Queen into a chair.

Aurelius mused, “But what is the key?”

“You’re a traitor, Second Member,” the Queen said calmly.

“I am your
savior
.” Aurelius pointed at Matt who was almost collapsed on top of me. “It’s your ancestor who is the traitor. If it weren’t for him and your support of his ridiculous notions, we wouldn’t be in this mess. I’m not about to change our whole way of life because some old relic woke up with some idealized vision of what we should be.”

“Merlin is a far greater wizard than you could ever hope to be,” she said. “We are approaching a war, Second Member. Merlin’s visions have been our best hope of averting it.”

“His visions are nothing,” Aurelius spat. “If we had stopped selling magic, we would have become weak ages ago. Where would we get the money to train our children? Do you have any idea how much it takes to keep ourselves hidden?” He waved his hand in the air. “Allow me to reply—no, you don’t. Because you don’t actually
do
anything. I do. I make the plans. I arrange the details.
I
should be in charge. Period.”

“Greed has clouded your vision,” the Queen said.

“You know nothing!” Aurelius screamed. He blew her backwards until she toppled to the floor.  “Open the vault.”

The Queen shook her head.

Aurelius thrust out a hand. He blasted Dawson, who’d been standing on the periphery. Dawson let out a scream of pain so loud it shook the room. He dropped to the floor.

I put my hand to my mouth. I took a step toward Dawson.

“Cease, candidate,” Aurelius barked at me. “How many of these guests do you think I can take out with one fireball?”

“No,” Matt said weakly. Pulling away from Oliver and Paul, he shouted a spell. Swords appeared in the candidates’ hands. The candidates all fanned out in front of us.

Matt sank to the floor. Oliver stood over Matt. His expression turned cruel. “Training is over, Master Merlin.”

Matt’s eyes widened in surprise. Oliver hit him, knocking Matt out.

I turned to go to Matt. Paul blocked my way.

“You will die. My brother deserves as much,” he said, before his face morphed into that of a gargoyle’s.

“Finish her,” Marla snarled.

My eyes on Paul, I backed away. I asked Marla, “Why target me?”

“Your boyfriend still hasn’t told you?” Marla laughed. “Paul, restore your family’s honor. Finish what Morgan could not. Do not fail your queen.”

With the flicker of an eye, Paul lunged at me.

Vane cursed. “
Vitisthate.
”

A burst of wind blew Paul across the room. His head struck the wall emitting a loud crack.

“Enough!” Aurelius crooked a finger and a guest from below one of the tables floated out. “How many more must die before I get what I want?”

The Queen hurled a ball of light at Aurelius.

Aurelius deflected it. It bounced back on the Queen. With a strangled cry, she collapsed.

“No,” Blake extended his hand with a fireball and lobbed it at a gargoyle.

The gargoyle screamed as the fireball hit him. He rolled on the ground to put out the fire, then, got right back up. The other gargoyles changed into beast form and took out their swords.

The candidates and the gargoyles faced off. The gargoyles formed a line like experienced soldiers ready for hell. Oliver stood against us at the head of the gargoyles, his face alight with anger. He looked ready to kill.