The Wizard's Secret (18 page)

“Yes, Master. I will get the right one.”

“Until then, leave it here, where it will be safe,
because this is the only one I have. The recipe only made three servings. One
rolled off the table and fell and I tested the other one out on the cook.”

“Is that why we lost half the staff? I thought the
cook was married.”

“Yes, she was. Anyway, I planned a romantic dinner
with Nimue, so make sure no one disturbs us.” He went back down the stairs.
Before following him, Quinn nudged the bottle just a little further away from
the edge.

Once the door closed behind them, I sighed and Asiago
let go of the amulet. “We need to get the recipe for that potion. We can do the
reverse of it when we get home.” I let the invisibility spell over our stuff
fall and it felt like a huge weight off my chest. It was creepy, but the potion
kept our bodies invisible. I certainly didn’t want to try full invisibility
over both of us for so long.

We went downstairs to check the books. Each of us got
a pile and sat down on the floor. I took the amulet off and we both wrapped it
around our wrists so we could understand the words.

“That’s odd,” I said, realizing there was a design
painted in black on the floor. I stood up and climbed several steps to see the
design better. Recognizing it, I gawked. “That’s a portal.”

“Well, we already know he’s a wizard. Do you know
where it leads?”

“No. I only know the one Merlin taught me to get here
and the one we used to banish my brothers to a magic-less world.” I sat back
down and opened another book, determined to focus on helping Merlin.

Once we had scanned through those books, we put them
back and grabbed another set. This went on for the rest of the night.

*          *          *

It was completely black, there wasn’t enough space, I
couldn’t breathe, and the only thing I could hear was the whispering. I was
both asleep and awake at the same time. For the first time, the whispers felt
more like words than a sinister hissing.

*          *          *

“Ayden!”

I jerked awake, startled and confused as to where I
was. I felt lost, trapped, and suffocated. “What’s going on?”

Asiago looked enthusiastic, which was an odd
expression on a necromancer. “I found the potion!”

“Potion?” The words seeped very slowly into my brain.
All at once, everything came back to me. I had fallen asleep looking for the
potion Gmork had used so we could reverse it. Our invisibility potions had also
worn off overnight. “Oh! That’s great!”

“Well, I’m almost certain. The only thing is that it
is supposed to come out white and I’m pretty sure the potion upstairs was
dark.”

“I don’t think it was.”

He shoved the book into my hands and started running
upstairs to check. I picked up the Siren and put it back around my neck, then
checked out the page Asiago had the book open to. It was all handwritten and so
old that even the Siren had trouble translating it. There was a description of
the potion and then a very detailed list of instructions and incantations.

“You’re right,” Asiago called. “It’s definitely---”
his words were cut off with a loud crash.

“Are you okay?”

“Well… I’m alive. At least I will be until you get up
here.”

I groaned and ran up the stairs to find that Asiago
had tripped over an old broom. The potion in his hand had smashed against the
stone floor. Fortunately, there wasn’t any blood on his hands, although he had
scraped his knees really badly.

“I didn’t mean to,” he grunted, trying and failing to
sit up.

I took his arm and pulled him up. “I can’t be mad at
you when you found the potion. It would have taken me forever. We have until
sunset, so you’re just going to have to remake it.” I started searching the
room until I found three empty, red, glass bottles that looked just like the
previous one. Then I found a very small cauldron, mortar, and pestle.

Asiago gaped at me. “I can’t do it! I’m not a
sorcerer, and that ring I was given is completely dead.”

“But it’s sorcery, and I said I wouldn’t do it. I
don’t want to make the potion that curses Merlin!”

“Didn’t Merlin say we would all die if it doesn’t
happen? You’d be saving his life.” He shrugged. “I mean, I’m okay if you don’t
want to. I always wanted to die by being sacrificed to some malevolent deity,
but I’m not that hard to please. As long as it’s painful and unique…”

“We aren’t going to die!” I took off the Siren and
handed both the amulet and the book to him. “Gather the ingredients. I’ll get
the equipment ready.” He disappeared down the stairs and I got to work. First,
I found a few pails of water and rinsed out the cauldron, mortar, and pestle,
because I didn’t want Nimue drinking the residue of some other potion. Then I
went down to the first level to gather my bag, wand, and staff. After a lot of
searching, I found a small pit built into a table with fire sticks and a metal
grate to sit the cauldron on.

“This should be it,” Asiago said, bringing up the
last batch of ingredients.

He handed me the book and amulet. When I read through
it, I sighed. This was not going to be easy. “I hate this.”

“I know. Are you certain you have to?” Asiago asked.

“I don’t know what a paradox is, but I trust Merlin
that it’s bad. If I never met Merlin, I don’t know where I would be now.
Probably dead.”

With my wand, I lit a fire under the cauldron and
started adding the ingredients. We were very lucky that Gmork was so organized
and had labeled everything. I added two bottles of bitter ale, which were
labeled as a pint each. It was enough that I didn’t have to worry about adding
water. Then I added a handful of nightshade, a gold coin, three cobwebs, a
small handful of powdered wolf stone (from a fresh grave), a medium pinch of
powdered wolf’s fang, and a large pinch each of blue lotus, yarrow root,
powdered wolf’s heart, powdered lapis lazuli, powdered black moonstone, and
powdered white moonstone. I mixed all ingredients together with my wand,
allowing my magic to seep into it, and brought it to a simmer.

As the book instructed, I let it simmer for
thirty-three heartbeats. It was a good thing I could count. Reluctantly, I
pulled the dress of a young child out of a leather sack, opened a large crystal
bottle, and strained the mixture through the dress into the bottle. The potion
was a light brown color.

There was also a large jar of graveyard dirt that I
had to dump out in front of the window. I set the crystal bottle in the dirt.
“It has to sit here until the potion turns white as the full moon. Or… maybe it
says it has to be done under the full moon. Let’s hope that’s not right.”

“What if we run out of time?”

“I don’t know.” The final step was to repeat the
incantation three times. “Oh, no. The last sentence of the incantation is
illegible. Part of some of the words are still there, but not enough for the
amulet to translate it.”

“I thought Merlin taught you magic. Can’t you just
add something?”

“I don’t know. It can’t be worse than leaving
something out. I’ve got an idea. Even though he’s a wolf, Merlin is wise and
kind.” I found a quill pen and some ink to rewrite the last sentence so that I
didn’t say it wrong when I was repeating it.

Urge, pain, overwhelming flame

Growing tail, pointed ear and sharp
fang

Blood rush, growling rage

Burning power, the wolf’s hour

Fur, claw and muzzle clad

Before the blood moon’s

Invisible red glowing sand

Muzzle, black nose, furry chest

Pierce me, and manifest

You now become what you truly are
.

“What kind of magic is that?”

“Merlin’s kind of magic.”

“Something occurred to me,” Asiago said.

I nodded. “You were thinking that they said the curse
was supposed to make him vicious, but Merlin isn’t vicious.”

“How did you know?”

“I was thinking the same thing. I know we put our
intention into the potions, so mine wouldn’t be as evil as Gmork’s… but why
didn’t Gmork’s potion make him vicious?”

“Maybe Nimue is too pure of heart. Maybe she affected
the potion.”

That made more sense than my theory. I put the book
in my bag so that we could reverse the curse later and started looking for any
more books I could use. When it was getting very close to sunset, the potion
finally started to change. “It’s turning white!”

Unfortunately, it was turning very slowly, and we
were running out of time. Everything was cleaned up and ready, I just had to
pour the potion into the red bottles. “That’s white enough,” Asiago said.

“Not yet. It’s still changing.”

“Quinn is already late. We’re going to get caught.”

“Just wait until it’s done.”

The sun was completely below the horizon and I heard
a shout from one of the servants outside. We didn’t have any more time. I
grabbed the crystal bottle and started to pour the potion into the smaller
bottles.

Just as I put the lids on them and slipped the two
extra bottles into my bag, I heard the door open. “Oh, no.” I waved my wand
over us.
Make us and everything we touch invisible
!

Fortunately, the spell worked, but we had to scramble
to get everything back to the way it was supposed to be. I could hear the
footsteps. When Quinn’s head popped up over the top of the stairs, I dropped to
the floor to reach my bag and staff at the same time.

Although the sound made the small wizard glance up,
we were already invisible, so he didn’t know what made the sound. I held my
breath as he approached the table, very narrowly avoiding my arm, which was
stretched out to reach my bag. I looked up and watched Quinn pick up the potion
and study it. Finally, when I felt like my lungs were going to combust, the man
turned. I took a chance, let go of my staff, and yanked my arm back before he
could step on it. Luckily, he didn’t see the staff appear. As soon as he took a
couple steps away, I touched my staff again and it vanished.

Once he disappeared down the stairs, I breathed. I
only got up when I heard the door close. “We made it,” I whispered. Knowing I
had to reserve my magic, I let the invisibility spell drop and got out two
bottles of the invisibility potion.

“We need to get out of here.”

“No, there’s something I need to do first.”

“We got what we need.”

“Yes, but Nimue betrayed Merlin. I need to see if
Gmork did something to make her do it or if she is really that rotten. Give me
the Siren.” He did and I put it on. “You can stay here, where you’re safe. I
will go to Nimue’s room and spy on her, just until Merlin gets cursed.”

Asiago sighed. “Don’t blame me when Merlin finds out.
I’m going to sneak into the kitchen and try to get some food.” He opened the
lid of his invisibility potion and drank it down. I did the same. As soon as we
faded, I used my wand to make our clothes and my stuff invisible.

It wasn’t difficult to find my way back to Nimue’s
room. As soon as I rounded the corner, however, I saw Gmork and Quinn speaking
outside her room. I started to duck before I remembered that they couldn’t see
me.

“Here is the potion, as you requested.”

“Good. After I make her drink it, I will leave so
that Merlin is not suspicious when he gets here. Once he changes, he will try
to escape. He will be powerless, but you must not kill him. He is mine to
kill.”

“So we just let him go?”

“Of course not. Once he enters this room, put up a
magical ward so that no one can open the castle doors.”

“Why does there need to be magic over the doors if he
can’t open them with paws?”

“Because he will be very strong and could break down
the door. I will make a dramatic entrance as soon as he is trapped.” Quinn
nodded and ran off to do his job. Gmork barged into Nimue’s room, leaving the
door slightly open. “Good evening, my love.”

“Just leave me alone, Gmork. I refuse to eat with
you.”

“I think you are about to change your mind. We have
just caught and imprisoned Merlin.”

“What?! Let him go! Don’t hurt him!”

“I would be happy to let him go. All you have to do
is drink this potion that will make you fall desperately in love with me. Once
you are all mine, he will be free to go.”

“Please… don’t make me do this. I know you weren’t
always like this. What happened to you to make you so hateful? You were my
friend.”

“I already told you; I got tired of losing everything
and everyone important to me. Even Merlin left, and he was my friend long
before you were ever born. Then I met an old enemy of his and learned what my
‘friend’ was really like. Merlin is jealous of my power. He even learned the
secret to immortality and tried to keep it to himself. I know better now,
though. I know I am the only one I can trust.”

“Merlin is forgiving. He will---”

“Stop begging,” Gmork snapped. “There will be plenty
of time for that later. Drink the potion or Merlin will be dead before I walk
out of this room.”

I couldn’t see them through the gap, in the door, but
the long silence was ominous. I knew what she was doing. “There. I still hate
you. Now release Merlin.”

Gmork just laughed evilly. “Give it time.” I heard
him walk back to the door and I ducked out of the way. “And, just between you
and me, I never had Merlin captured. He is on his way up to rescue you now.
Good luck.”

He passed by me, only to stop a few steps away, turn,
and stare right at me. He scowled, as if he was trying very hard to see me.
Once again, I held my breath. Finally, he turned and walked away. I snuck into
Nimue’s room through her still-open door. The woman was sitting on her bed with
a mixture of shock, horror, and delight on her face.

I wanted to say something. Instead, I stepped out of
the doorway when I heard footsteps. A moment later, Merlin entered. Although I
knew it was him, he was not as he described. He was about as tall as my father
and had the same lean, athletic build, but his face was not as severe. His hair
was mostly medium brown, with some strands light as gold and others almost
black. It somewhat resembled his fur. His eyes, however, were the same exact
gold color as his wolf eyes.

“Merlin!” Nimue exclaimed, running to him and hugging
him. “How could you risk coming here? How did you even get in?” They pulled
apart. When he leaned forward to kiss her, she put her hand on his chest to
stop him.

“I came to save you. Did you really think I would
leave you in Gmork’s hands?”

“He’s too dangerous!”

“I can handle him. We should leave now.”

“How did you get in the castle?”

“I convinced the dragon to let me in. After that, it
was easy. I will find you, wherever you are, and I will always save you. I love
you.”

She leaned her head against his shoulder. “I love
you, too.”

It was physically painful not to shout when she
looked up into his eyes and kissed him. It only took a moment before he stepped
back and clutched his chest. Merlin’s expression was only surprised until he
stumbled backwards into Nimue’s vanity, and then his face tightened in pain.

“What’s wrong? What’s happening?” Nimue asked
worriedly.

“My chest feels tight. I feel dizzy.” Then he
suddenly fell to his knees with a pained gasp. Sweat soaked his hair and shirt.

“Merlin!”

“Get… back,” he said, gruffly. I heard what sounded
like bones snapping before he shouted in pain. His clothes tore and his body
reshaped into the wolf form I was familiar with. Fur sprout all over his body
and his half-formed paws grew sharp claws. Nimue reached out for him and I
reacted instinctively. At the same time Merlin snapped wildly at her, I grabbed
her arm and pulled her back, causing her to trip.

Merlin curled in and clawed at his abdomen as if he
could tear away the pain. Nimue kept calling his name desperately. When Merlin
finally opened his eyes, they were glowing red. There was nothing I could do
when he charged her, only to get caught in his shredded clothing and land
beside her. I could see the inner struggle as part of him tried to bite her and
the other part tried to save her.

Eventually, his wolf body settled down and he opened
his eyes. This time, they were their normal gold. Before Nimue could act,
Merlin scrambled to his feet and backed away. It was weird because I could see
it in his eyes that he was yelling something, but I couldn’t hear anything. As
I expected, Merlin turned and scrambled out the door, flipping and flopping all
over the floor in his effort to figure out how to run on four legs.

Nimue didn’t try to stop him. Instead, she picked up
something shiny on the floor and studied it. It was a gold ring with a large
black stone on it. Clearly in shock, she stood up and went out onto the
balcony. “I suppose you’re wondering what just happened,” Quinn said, suddenly
standing in the bedroom doorway.

“How did…?”

Quinn smirked. “That potion my master gave you was no
love potion. It made it so that when you kissed Merlin, he would change into a
wolf. Not just any wolf, either. He has no magic, which means he---”

“He can be killed. You made him mortal.”

“No.
You
made him mortal.”

“Turn him back.”

“There is no turning him back. I was supposed to
catch him for my master, but he slipped through my fingers. We were surprised
he was in control of himself, as we expected him to kill you. It hardly
matters; if he doesn’t give into bloodlust, he’ll come back for you, and we’ll
be ready when he does.”

“Please, no!”

“Continue begging all you want. It won’t change
anything, I just like hearing it.”

“Just leave me alone.”

“As you wish. Merlin will return for you and we will
be ready. I wonder if he’ll kill you. Perhaps I should let him reach you before
I kill him. My master will be angry, but at least you’ll be out of my way. If
he is in control of himself, I’ll just have to kill you myself and make it look
like he did it before I kill him.”

Before Nimue could say anything, Quinn left and shut
the door behind him.

What makes her betray Merlin
?
She obviously
loves him right now
.

While I was thinking about what Gmork and Quinn said,
Nimue had gone out on the balcony. Before I even realized what she was doing,
Nimue climbed up on the rail and jumped. I rushed out onto the balcony, shocked
and horrified, but instead of a bloody mess, I saw Nimue standing in a bed of
flowers. Merlin had trained her in magic.

She ran off into a small orchard of trees, so I hid
my bag and staff under her bed, climbed over the ledge, and held up my wand.
“Make it so the fall doesn’t hurt me,” I told the wand, more desperately than I
would admit. I had climbed trees as a child, but I’d never fallen from this
height.

Knowing I was going to lose track of Nimue if I
didn’t hurry, I let go. For most of the fall, there was no sign of help from my
wand. Then, right before I hit the ground, there was a pulse and I felt myself
collide with something very soft. Of course, that immediately disappeared and I
hit the ground unaided, but it felt like I had only fallen a short ways instead
of the entire distance.

I tried to shake off the vertigo as I got up and
followed after Nimue. The garden was beautiful and surrounded the castle. Only
the tall, stone wall divided it from the outside world. There were sections of
the garden with different types of flowers, bushes, and trees. I figured Gmork
had the garden designed to make Nimue happy, because it didn’t seem like
something the dark wizard would fancy.

When I finally caught up to her, she was kneeling
next to a beautiful lake. In the middle of the lake was a fountain with white
lights somewhere under water. Small, colorful lights swarmed over the water. I
thought they were fireflies until one of them flew up to Nimue. Then I felt a
sinking sensation in my stomach.

They were fairies.

“Please help me,” Nimue begged. “I accidentally
cursed Merlin and took his immortality and magic away. Gmork is going to kill
him! Please help him.”

“There is nothing we can do. We treasured you as our
own daughter, but he belongs to the dragons. We even told you that loving him
would be your downfall.”

The one who spoke to Nimue was small enough to fit in
my hand. Her hair was glowing white, while a pink glow surrounded her little
frame. Her white dress was more of a slip that seemed to dim and brighten with
the pink glow. Surprisingly, her voice, though very soft, was not as high
pitched as I expected from such a small creature.

“I don’t care! I will give up magic if I must! Just
tell me how to save him!”

“We cannot, and neither can you.”

“Then tell me who can!”

“He will not live long enough for you to find someone
who can save him.”

“Who?”

“Death.”

“Death? How can death save him?”

“This curse is not as simple as anything you have
encountered. The only one who can break it is the person who created it, and
they must do so because it is what they want most. It will also kill them.”

“It will kill Merlin?”

“It will kill the one who breaks the curse.”

Nimue slumped into the grass. “Gmork would never
sacrifice himself to save Merlin.” She sat up as a thought occurred to her.
“Gmork created the potion, but he used it on me to kiss Merlin. Does that mean
I can save him?”

“No. It must be the creator of the potion.”

“I could never get Gmork to release Merlin from the
curse, but there must be a way to protect Merlin.”

“Not as long as the dark wizard is after him.”

“Then give me a way to send him somewhere else.”

“There is only one way to save him.”

“How?”

Three fairies dived into the water, only to rise up a
moment later with the syrus. “This is called the syrus. It is a very powerful
box that can contain even the strongest magic, but it will also protect
anything inside. Lock Merlin inside this and bring the syrus back to us. We will
send him to another world and make sure someone can release and help him.”

“But he would never fit in this,” she said as the
fairies lowered the box right into her hands.

“It is magic, Nimue. Using this syrus will be a
betrayal of everything we taught you; it requires blood magic.”

“But blood magic is the darkest of all magics.”

“Yes, it is. First, you must smear your blood on the
latch and offer it some of your magic. Then a passage will appear on the front,
which you must read.”

“What does it say?”

“That will depend on you. It will guide you to what
you need most. Once you read the passage, it will open using your power. The
final component is a genetic sample of the person you are imprisoning.”

“Like what? He will be angry with me, so I doubt
he’ll let me close enough to get some of his fur.”

“You will have to convince him to let you lock him
up.”

“He would never leave me to defeat Gmork by myself.”