Ever My Merlin (Book 3, My Merlin Series) (17 page)

The charm around Matt’s neck glowed, and somehow, a small space opened for us through the crowd of crazed humanity. We made it to one of the two narrow exits—steep steps that led down the mountain. Several people cried out under the onslaught of shrapnel rocks from the collapsing shrine. The river of humanity around us tightened as people shoved and fought to get to the exits.

Matt navigated me through them. I glanced behind me. The whole shrine had fallen into the sinkhole opened by the portal. For a second, I thought the worst was over. Then, the mountain rumbled once more. A single crack extended from the spot where the shrine had been and out towards the huts in which the priests lived. The whole summit was going to collapse.

Those who were able-bodied streamed down the mountain as quickly as they could. Several elderly pilgrims huddled together, their mouths moving in silent prayer.

“Matt, there’s no way these people are going to make it out,” I shouted above the noise, yanking him to the side into a small, hidden corner under a rock outcropping.

“There’s nothing we can do!” Matt yelled back. “Even if I used every charm I have, there’s not enough magic to stop this.”

I took hold of his chin and turned it so he could view the collapsing summit. The sinkhole widened. More people shrieked as they pushed forward. The monks were gathered beside the elderly, trying to help them join the fleeing visitors. “We did this, Matt. We have to help—”

Matt pulled away. “There is nothing I can do.”

“Not you, but—” I pulled out the
Dragon’s Eye
from my pocket and started to unwrap the handkerchief around it.

Matt grabbed my wrist. “No!”

With a quick, accomplished twist, I freed myself. “Do you have a better plan? Because I’m not letting a single person die up here because of us—that’s not good enough for me.”

Matt cursed. I saw him work over the possibilities before he came to the same conclusion. He took the amulet from me. “You’re not doing this—I am.”

I watched him unwrap the amulet. He touched its chain and it started to glow. I slapped my hand over his.

“Ryan—” Matt hissed.

I ignored him. I called urgently, “
Vane
.”

Closing my eyes, in my mind, I saw a shut, wooden door. Matt appeared beside me on a grey cloud. He wore his usual grumpy look. Around us, nothing existed but a hazy limbo. Underneath, we stood atop a surprisingly solid cloud. Matt lifted a medieval-looking door latch. The wooden door swung open toward us.

Vane lounged against its thick doorframe on the other side. “Both of you. You must be desperate.”

“A mountain is collapsing,” I said, trying not to squelch a visceral rush of pleasure at the mere sight of him.

“Interesting.” He grinned as if he could read my thoughts—which he could. “And how did you do that?”

“It doesn’t matter,” said Matt quickly. “Can you stop it?”

Vane paused. “Adam’s Peak.”

Beside me, Matt ground his teeth. “Yes.”

“Now, what could you possibly be doing there?”

“What do you want in exchange, Vane?” Matt ground out.

“Ah, you know me so well, brother.” Vane smiled. “The snake, of course.”

Matt scowled. He glanced at me. I raised my brow. As if he didn’t know my answer.

“Agreed,” Matt groused. “We’ll leave it somewhere for you to pick up.”

The green depths of Vane’s eyes flickered. “Or you could take a sip now.”

I shook my head. “It doesn’t work on me.”

“You tried? After I asked?” He smiled devastatingly.

The green in his eyes receded. I ignored my heart when it skipped a beat.

“You shouldn’t have,” Matt said furiously. “It could have killed her.”

The clouds shifted under Matt and me, a rumble of distress reminding us of the mountain’s shortening fuse. I stumbled. Matt caught and steadied me.

“Stop being a bastard,” said Matt. “We agreed to your demands. Are you going to help or not?”

Green flashed in his eyes. The monster stirred. Its eyes locked on Matt’s hands around my waist. Vane snapped his fingers. Matt disappeared.

“What?” I started, stumbling again with my support gone. I caught the doorframe with my hand. It brought me uncomfortably close to Vane.

Vane leaned into me. “He was getting tiresome.”

I stayed in place. “Are you going to help or not, Vane?”

He looked at his cuticles with a bored expression. “There’s the matter of price.”

“Do you always have a price?”

“Always,” he promised. Straightening away from the doorframe, he shook his finger at me. “Why didn’t you tell me that the Medusa blood is gone?”

Matt had agreed too easily, and Vane had seen right through it. I swallowed. “What do you want, Vane?”

He leaned closer. Lips hovered over mine. Vane’s hazel eyes with only a faint ring of green around the irises. He said, “You took the blood.”

I was mesmerized. I whispered, “Yes.”

His lips pressed hard, crushing soft flesh against unyielding teeth. Lightning in a bottle, electricity crackled across my lips. The ground shifted and I could have cared less, lost in the rapture of the kiss. The sensations spiked, threatening to overwhelm me. Then, he pushed deeper. His fingers tangled in my hair.

“
You’re mine, sword-bearer
,” the monster whispered.

I shoved at Vane’s chest and pulled back, managing to add a few inches between us. “I don’t belong to anyone.”

Hard green covered his irises like a shield. “Did you kiss him yet?”

“Why do you care?”

Vane’s lips twisted into an icy smile. “You’re the sword-bearer. The fate of this world rests in whoever controls you.”

I gasped. I couldn’t help it. The cruel words ripped at the core of all my fears. My hand shot out to slap him. He caught it before I could connect with his cheek. His other hand tightened in the tresses of my hair, making me wince.

He growled, repeating, “Did. You. Kiss. Him?”

“None. Of. Your. Business.”

“Good,” he replied, seemingly satisfied.

I scowled.

Green receded from his eyes and he released me. “Put on the necklace. I’m not close to you and you don’t have Excalibur. Channeling my power is not going to be easy.”

“When is it ever easy with you?” I muttered.

A finger slid along the line of my jaw. “It could have been.”

He snapped his fingers again and limbo began shifting. Fluffy bits of white cloud rose around me and hardened into forest-green hedges. The world darkened and we stood, once again, in the maze on Aegae. I gazed at Vane. The words we said—the decision I made when I didn’t choose him—throbbed within the confines of the hedges. Silent shadows haunted the air, oppressive mournful shapes that threatened to swarm me, sucking the life from my bones.

Vane smiled. He was torturing me and he knew it.

Leaning down, he whispered into my ear, “Do you regret this yet?”

Tears prickled in my eyes, which I closed to hold back. To shut him out. I fought to keep holding on to myself. To survive this. To survive him.

I opened my eyes to find I was back on the mountain.

Matt stood in front of me. The mountain shook. People rushed by. I couldn’t hear any sound beyond the pounding of my heart. He silently handed me the necklace. By the odd expression on his face, I wondered how much he’d seen despite being banished by Vane. I didn’t have the courage to ask, and as soon as I snapped on the necklace, I didn’t have the strength. Vane’s magic flowed through the necklace with reckless abandon.

I dropped to the floor with a strangled gasp. My hands touched the wounded surface of the mountain. I shuddered under the onslaught of a foreign power. Unfiltered, raw, angry magic threatened to tear me apart. Above us, the clouds thundered. Lightning flashed between them and heavy rain poured down in sheets. People cried out in further dismay, fearing a living dragon spewed fire off the mountain summit.

“
Help her, Merlin,
” Vane commanded in my head.

I barely noticed Matt drop to his knees behind me. His arms wrapped around my body and Matt took control. Somehow, he directed the magic into the ground, and the earth soaked it up like it did the rain.

I managed to stay strong for another few seconds until the mountain calmed.

***

“Vane, I pegged a deer. It’s in the woods. Fifty paces in that direction.” The little princess stood at the mouth of the cave, pointing outside.

A chilly breeze blew in. Under a warm, fur coat, I barely felt its sting. I’d never worn anything so warm before in my life. I could get used to it. I looked at the tiny girl, her gold-brown hair clumsily plaited and tied to keep it out of the way. I’d plaited it for her after some persuasion. With a sigh, I tossed kindling into the fire I’d just started. “Why didn’t you bring it with you? I hope you didn’t leave it alive.”

She wrinkled a pert nose. “It is dead, but I’m not touching it. You made me do the kill. It’s yours.”

I stood up, sword held casually in one hand, and walked closer. I loomed over her. “I made you because we have no other food.”

“It watched me. Sad and not…” Her piquant face looked down at the ground. “It was an easy shot. It walked in front of the arrow.” Lifting her head to glare at me, she repeated, “You clean it up.”

I repressed a sigh. “As you wish, princess. Get the bedrolls ready. We get up early.”

“I know,” she muttered as she marched off. The end of the bow she slung around her shoulder slapped against the back of her legs. Made for someone much bigger than she, the curved bow had an elegant design, but was very simple at the same time. Considering the amount of gold in the hidden chamber, I had no doubt it was specially made for her.

I stepped out of the cave.

“You’re letting her walk all over you,” a thin boy said. He held a slim sword in his hand as he stood on sentry duty. I walked to him and silently directed him to correct his stance. He eagerly complied. Worry clouded his eyes still, but they also held a sliver of hope. We were far from his destroyed home, and everyday he grew stronger and the grip on his sword grew more adept.

I asked, “Anything to report?”

“No one.”

I nodded. I managed to grab some handfuls of gold and a few other supplies on my way out of Carthage. Through luck, I evaded the other soldiers and escaped the city without drawing attention. Besides the supplies, I also acquired two additional burdens. I called myself twice mad for giving in to their pathetic doe-like gazes and allowing the two children to accompany me. I knew better than to let innocent pair of eyes to affect me. Yet, there was something about the little princess that tugged at me. As if I was meant to know her… I shook my head, disgusted with myself for even thinking such useless thoughts

Nearly one month later, we were camped in the middle of a forest in Gaul. I would not have made it so far so quickly without the aid of a tiny little girl with delicate hands and a royal pedigree. The cave, our rest stop for the night, lay high up. We were trying to remain as far away from the greatest predator that roamed the woods—man.

Septimus. The depths of the man’s debauchery, the depths I’d been forced to sink into with him, I would bear on my soul forever. I wished I had the power to heal him, so I could gut the rotting bastard again. I cursed myself for even thinking of him. The crystal necklace sat heavily around my neck. I had its brother, but nothing I tried worked. The crystal held my magic bound without mercy. I remained powerless.

A creek flowed at the mouth of the cave and water thundered down over slippery boulders. A smattering of rocks made the creek easy to cross. Red rays of the fading sun danced off the smooth stones and leaves floated down harmoniously as they fell off the nearby trees.

I had no idea what lay ahead.
First, we must survive today.

I drew out a knife from my belt. “Stay alert, Lord Perseus. I’ll return shortly.”

He made a face. “I asked you not to call me that name. Our kingdom is lost. My father is gone. My mother is…” The boy stared up into the setting sun, tears brimming at the edges of his eyes. “I have nothing.”

The remark hit uncomfortably close to the bone, but I had something the boy didn’t—a brother, one who waited for me to find my way back home.

I asked, “What should I call you then?”

“We travel toward Britannia. I should like a new name for a new home.” Then, he bit his lip. Uncertainty fell over a youthful face that couldn’t have seen more than ten seasons. “I don’t know. I shall have to think on it.”

“Keep an eye on your sister,” I said, walking into the forest.

“As if anyone could,” the boy groused. “She only ever listened to our mother.”

I had to agree. The baby princess, with her big, innocent eyes, was a real hellion. Exactly as she said, I found a small doe pinned to a tree, hanging on the shaft of her arrow. She made one clean shot through the side. It didn’t suffer. The princess hit the correct spot to cause minimum pain. Lifting my knife, I jabbed it into the deer’s tough skin. I got to work. A few hours later, my stomach full of venison, I yawned.

Only small embers remained in the fire.

“
Asana agni
.” I tried. Nothing happened.

With a grimace, I placed dry twigs to keep the low fire burning during the night. A murmur escaped from the sleeping princess next to me. As soon as she lay down, she fell into slumber. One hand was tucked under her chin and the other rested trustingly next to my thigh. The sound of the water relaxed me. Even on Triton’s island, it was always the ocean that finally lulled me into sleep. I glanced down at the girl again and wondered briefly if I would ever be able to sleep so well. I doubted it. Life would never be safe enough for me.

She shivered under the cold breeze of the night and the boy pulled his blanket tighter around her. He moved to settle down next to his sister.

“The Vandal king was her father?” I asked the boy.

He nodded and yawned. “I don’t know much about it. From the gossip, I know the incident surprised them all. My father chose to ignore my mother’s dalliance. What else could he do?”