My Boyfriend Merlin (20 page)

His face serious, Vane shrugged. “I like to be prepared.”

I grabbed the handle and opened the door. Vane blocked me. In the dark, his face loomed above me. He leaned down so that his lips almost grazed my skin.

“I’ll drive,” he said.

“Oh.” I let go of the door handle. “This is the driver’s side. Wrong door. I’d forgotten.”

I stopped babbling when he put his hand around my waist to lead me around the car and help me step up into the SUV. Even through the thick coat I wore, his touch felt oddly warm. I stared out at the road as he walked briskly back to the driver’s side.

“Did you see anyone else leave?” I asked when he got in the car.

“No candidates, but they will be there.”

We drove along the dark road. There were no streetlights so we had to depend on the car’s headlights to see. Trees swung in eerie rhythm as we crossed underneath.

Vane glanced at the stars. A full moon shone in the pregnant sky. “Tonight’s a good night to be a gargoyle. They’re at their most powerful at the end of the lunar cycle.”

“What about wizards?” I asked.

“We like the sun,” he answered.

I sat back into the plush seat of the SUV. The antique styling of the car’s interior told me it was very expensive. Apparently, Vane was doing well. Realization dawned. I turned on him. “You sell magic!”

“It’s the new way.” He patted the dashboard lovingly. “A much better way.”

I snorted. “A greedier way. Matt rides a bike.”

“A Ducati motorcycle is not just a
bike
,” Vane corrected. “He may not be selling magic but he’s not above using it to get what he wants.” He gave me a sidelong glance. “Merlin can’t change what the wizards have evolved into. He just needs time to get his thousand-year-old ideas up to speed.” The sky lightened as we approached town. Vane drove along the narrow streets. I took in the narrow brownstone buildings with their picturesque moldings. The whole town looked as if it had been around for a thousand years. Then again maybe it had been. I was in England. Everything was old here.

In town, Vane found a place to park a few streets down from the square where the festival was taking palace. I got out and was immediately hit by an icy burst of wind. Shivering, I drew the coat I had thrown on at the last minute tightly around me, but it didn’t do much to protect me. I stumbled along the rocky road in my heels. My teeth chattered. Tentacles of wind wrapped around my exposed legs.

Vane came around the car and grabbed me. He whispered into my ear. “
Tapa.
” Instantaneously my skin warmed as if he’d thrown an electric blanket over me.

“Thanks.” I sighed.

We walked towards the laughter coming from the town’s center. Vane hurried in front of me. “I need you to be alert in case we get separated.”

“What happened to being my shadow?” I scowled at his back. “Matt was right. I shouldn’t have listened to you.”

Vane’s deep brown eyes glittered with flecks of gold under the streetlights. “We need to draw out the gargoyle. He’s not going to do that if I’m at your side the whole night. Don’t tell me you’ve lost your backbone, candidate. How do you expect to train for Excalibur if you can’t face down a single gargoyle? Or were you hoping to hide behind my brother forever?”

“Fine,” I bit out. “But if this goes bad and I don’t make it—just remember you’ll be facing the Council alone.”

Vane tucked back a lock of hair that had escaped from the wool cap I wore. “If this goes bad and you lose even one golden strand, it won’t be the Council I’ll be worried about. My brother won’t let me live long enough for that.”

His words caused a warm flush. “You really think Matt would do that? For me?”

Vane stiffened. “Do I look like I want to be involved in your teen love saga? Ask someone who cares.”

“Did you recently turn into a jerk or have you been one since birth?” I retorted.

“Since birth.” With a quick twist of the boot heel, he turned back towards the festival. “But enough flirting. Let’s get this started.”

My mouth opened and closed like a startled guppy. I stalked after him. “I was
not
flirting. I don’t know how I let you talk me into this.”

“That was the easy part,” Vane said sneeringly. “All I had to do was imply that your little group might be in danger and you practically begged to come. You and my brother are perfect for each other. Both martyrs the pair of you.”

I wanted to stick out my tongue at him. Instead I sniffed. “Nice try, Vane. Don’t try to distract me though. Why don’t you tell me why you’re really here, Vane? Why do you want to help us get the sword?”

“I thought Matt told you—why do I do anything? To save myself, of course.”

“Yes, that is the reason.” I huddled into the warmth of my coat, letting the heat spell warm me. I stared at his back as we walked. “I just hope that is
all
the reason.”

At the town’s square, people in glittering costumes milled around a running fountain. The Avalon Prep buses off-loaded to the side. Pockets of students in glittering party dresses filled the square. A long stone monument marked the center.

Every nook and cranny of the small square was occupied. Colorfully costumed people drank from old-fashioned goblets. Booths had been setup offering various food, drinks, and souvenirs. Near the monument, a high stage showcased a band.  They alternately crooned and riffed their guitars in hard rhythm. A crowd gyrated to the beat.

“I’m going to find a spot up next to the stage. It’ll be easiest to keep an eye on you from there,” Vane said. “You mingle around.” He took out a cellphone from his coat and held it up to me. “If you spot someone you know, call me. The number is already programmed in.”

“That’s your great plan,” I said. “That’s lousy.”

“If someone is after you, they will find you.”

“Fine. Whatever.” A booth filled with feather masks caught my eye. I started to move towards it.

Vane grabbed my arm. “Don’t get lured away.”

I scowled at him. “I can take care of myself.”

“Don’t be foolish. This isn’t a game. The gargoyle won’t hesitate to kill you.”

I rolled my eyes. “I am the bait, remember?”

“I see now why you aggravate my brother so much,” he said making a sound of frustration. He slapped the cellphone on my palm and tapped its screen. “Call. Don’t think. Call.”

Without waiting for a response, he took off.

I saw him head towards the stage. I went to the booth selling masks. I paid for a soft-looking one with silver owl feathers. I was putting it on when a hand touched my shoulder. My nerves were so jumpy, I almost shrieked.

Blake’s face leaned into mine. “Don’t freak. It’s just us.”

“Us?” I took a step back. Grey, Gia, Paul, Oliver, Blake and his friends, even Mark and the rest of Vane’s candidates milled around the booth.

I gaped at the crowd. “All of you are here?”

“We weren’t going to let you have all the fun,” Gia said. “I figured if you could sneak out so could we.”

I crossed my arms. “And how did you?”

Gia grinned at Blake. “This one is not a bad wizard.”

Blake’s ears turned red. “My spell wouldn’t have worked if you hadn’t distracted the teachers. We snuck into one of the buses.”

“Buses.” Grey snorted. “Limos, you mean?”

I made a face. That’s what I got for believing Vane. So much for protecting Grey from danger, now he was right smack dab in the middle. “Don’t you think they’re going to notice when so many candidates are gone? We’re going to get caught.”

“I am allowed to be here,” Blake said.

“You’re still a candidate,” I reminded him.

“Don’t be such a downer, DuLac. We won’t get in the way of your date. Are you going to tell us now who he is?” Gia glanced around the crowd. “Not that it’s really necessary. I think we can be fairly sure it’s a certain teacher we know.”

Oliver said. “But I saw him going to the Council building as we were heading out.”

Grey raised a brow. “So where is he?”

“He went to get drinks,” I said thinking quickly. “I’m going to meet him over at the band.”

Blake stated in an eager voice, “We’ll come with you—”

“Uh.” I quickly tried to think of an excuse to stall him.

Mark looked at us with a bored expression. “DuLac can get her date by herself. I’m going to see the band. This might be our last fun night. We shouldn’t waste a minute.” He looked at the other candidates. “Who else is coming with me?”

“I hear the band’s sold out across the Continent.” Blake pointed to an open spot just before the stage on the other side of where Vane had gone. “If we go now, we can get a great view. Why don’t we save a place for Ryan?”

“That’s a great idea,” I said quickly. “I’ll meet you there with him.”

Grey glanced at the spot before turning back to me with a skeptical expression. “You’re not trying to lose us, are you?”

“No!” I let out a small laugh. “I’ll be there soon.” I started walking before they could come up with another probing question.

“You are so meeting Merlin, aren’t you?” Gia called out as I hurried away.

I dialed Vane on the cell as I walked in the direction where he’d headed off. I had to convince him to call this off and force everyone to go back to school. The call still hadn’t connected as I walked past several booths. I was glancing around trying to spot Vane when I saw a face that made my heart stop. Blond hair. Tall frame. Impossibly square jaw.

Morgan.

He was talking to someone under a street lamp. I couldn’t see the other person very well—only their profile with a hooked nose under the shadow of the streetlight. However, Morgan stood under the beacon of the streetlight which had my mind spinning, I tried to move. To duck. I couldn’t. It shouldn’t have been possible. He looked up. He spotted me.

Morgan broke off his conversation and slipped into a line in front of a closed tent booth. Without taking my eyes off the booth line, I hit redial on the cell.

Vane picked up the call. “What is it, DuLac?”

 “My ex-boyfriend…is here.” The Morgan look-alike paid an attendant and went into the booth.

“The dead one?”

“How many do you think I have?” I hissed. “Yes, the dead one. The gargoyle.” I looked at the top of the tent. “He’s gone into a booth called Mysterious Faces. There are a few people in line. I don’t want to lose him. I’m going after him.”

Vane cursed. “Wait, DuLac. It’s a glamour. He’s not real!”

I clicked off the cell. He was very real. He’d given me the same half-smile that had made me say yes to our first date. Two giggling pre-teens holding hands went into the booth ahead of me.

“Two tickets,” the attendant said.

My hands shook as I tore off two tickets and handed it to him. The attendant opened the tent flap. I reached into the inner pocket of my coat and put my hand on the knife Vane had thoughtfully provided and I entered. Inside, I saw immediately why the booth was called
Mysterious Faces
. It was pitch black with soft glowing strobe lights. Beast and ghoul faces had been painted onto mirrors. The couple in front of me was having a great time seeing their faces become contorted into various beasts.

I walked through the narrow maze, heart pounding. Every twisted face seemed to jump out at me and every face to be Morgan’s. I remembered only snatches of Morgan’s beast face. Adrenaline had been running rampant in me the night he’d attacked my mother. I remembered the shock in his eyes before Vane had chopped his head off. I remembered the blood on the tile. My mother’s blood.

I turned a corner. Another monster mirror jumped out at me. I turned to walk past it. The reflection reached out a hand. A knife gleamed in the dark as it swung down towards me. It took me a second to realize it was real. Using a technique I’d learned in Vane’s class, I kicked at the knife. Thankfully my skirt had enough give so I didn’t fall flat on my face.

The gargoyle’s knife got knocked aside. I pulled out my own knife. Morgan’s face flashed in the dim flickering light. I didn’t hesitate to stab him. The knife went into his shoulder. He looked surprised. I felt Matt’s amulet on my neck warm. It cast a shadow over the gargoyle. His face changed to a round cherub face that I’d never seen before.

“You’re not Morgan,” I said.

“No.” The gargoyle grinned, his face twisting into beast form. He pulled the knife out of his shoulder. It fell at my feet. The wound—which should have been fatal—started healing rapidly.

I grabbed the knife and ran. Cursing my high heels, I stumbled out of the back of the tent and into a small alley. The gargoyle came after me. I ran down the alley.  I almost made it out.

Another man blocked the way. He wore a red jacket.

He grinned. “You didn’t think we’d come alone.”

Hands closed around my waist from behind. I let out a small scream.

“It’s me,” Vane hissed. He pushed me into a stairwell I hadn’t noticed before.

The Morgan look-alike caught up to us. The two gargoyles circled Vane.

“We’ve got protection amulets, wizard,” the Morgan look-alike said. “Just give us the girl and we’ll let you go.”

Vane spat out a spell and let it loose at the gargoyle. The gargoyle’s amulet glowed but it didn’t negate Vane’s attack. Vane said his spell with more force. The gargoyle’s amulet broke. Vane opened his palm and a lightning bolt hit the Morgan look-alike in the chest. The gargoyle fell to the ground with a thud. His eyes rolled backward. He looked dead.

Vane leapt toward him. He took a knife out his pocket. “
Aayat,”
he said. The knife expanded into a sword. Vane chopped off the fallen gargoyle’s head.

The other gargoyle made a surprised sound.

Vane turned to him with a cruel smile. “The amulet is only as powerful as the wizard who made it. He should have gotten a bargain on that one.” Vane opened his palm and a fireball appeared. “Want to test yours?”

In the blink of an eye, the gargoyle came at me. He grabbed me around the neck and put me in front of him as a shield.  “Try it, wizard, and I’ll snap her neck.”

Vane shrugged. “What makes you think I care about this one?”

“Don’t underestimate us, wizard. Her name is Ryan. She is Merlin’s. You know as well as I do that she is special.” The gargoyle pulled me further into the alley. He pushed me down a short stairwell and kicked open a door. We stumbled through into some kind of basement. A cavernous dark room in where the only light came through a small rectangular window.