My Boyfriend Merlin (25 page)

CHAPTER 16
A CHRISTMAS PARTY TO REMEMBER

A thin man in a grey tweed suit and pencil moustache came out of the palace to greet us.

“I am Charles Dawson. I will be your emissary. I am afraid that the First Member could not greet you personally. As you can see, the Palace is facing quite a crisis with these protestors. However, the staff Christmas Party will still take place tonight. I have arranged for all of you to attend. Until then you may pass the day at a private residence on the grounds. Please follow me.”

Dawson started to walk off, but we all remained in place, trying to absorb the barrage of information he’d thrown at us.

“Mr. Dawson!” Aurelius halted him. He emerged from one of the other cars. Instead of a robe, he wore a regular suit—white, of course. Even in a suit he couldn’t resist showing off his elevated station.

“Over the years of our correspondence with the First Member we suspected that they were part of the Royal Household.” He told Matt, “This is the closest any Councilmember has been to the First Member since your time.” He looked at Dawson. “When do we meet him?”

Dawson’s mustache thinned even more. “The schedule is not something I am at liberty to discuss—for the candidates’ safety as well as the First Member’s. We must be very careful. As secure as the palace is, it also has many eyes.”

“We have not come for games,” Aurelius said. “We must meet with the First Member immediately.”

“Nevertheless those are my instructions. Be assured the First Member knows the importance of your mission,” Dawson said with a steady expression. “You may follow me or you may leave.”

Councilmember Thornton jumped out of the SUV. “How dare you speak to Master Aurelius in such a manner?”

“I am certain the First Member has good reason to be mysterious,” Matt cut Thornton off. “However, Master Aurelius is correct. We do not wish to waste time.”

Dawson nodded. “We have already gone through much to get the Queen’s party moved to tonight. You can imagine what a feat that was. We are lucky it was not too far from the original date.” He glanced at Matt as if he was unsure about him. “You are certain about tonight?”

“Absolutely,” Matt said. A soft breeze flew through Matt’s longish hair. A shadow flitted across his face. His eyes blazed nearly black with power, and for a second, he looked like something otherworldly, something unreal, something not human.

Dawson lowered his gaze. “Of course. Of course. I apologize, Master Merlin.”

Matt’s eyes returned to normal. “Good. Then we shall wait as you ask.”

Dawson gave a visible sigh of relief. With a quick nod, he led us past the palace towards the Royal Stables. A small manor stood to the side. Trees all around the grounds had been decorated for Christmas. Dawson opened the manor door and led us into an airy foyer. Thick red drapes had been pulled aside, allowing the room to be bathed in light. The furniture looked delicate and I winced as some of the candidates flopped down on sofas which were probably priceless antiques.

“There are five rooms upstairs. Multiple sitting rooms downstairs.” Dawson pointed to a small hallway. “There are also two water closets. One up and one down. You will need them to get ready for the party. It is a formal affair—clothing has been arranged for. You will find it in the rooms with your names on them. A dressmaker will be here in a few hours for any last minute adjustments.” His gaze raked over the group. Most of us were dressed in plain jeans and serviceable long-sleeved t-shirts. “Also a hair stylist will be here closer to the evening.”

“We’re not here to go to a party,” Grey said in a sneering voice. “What we need to do to is prepare for the trial.”

I kicked him in the shin. I said to Dawson, “Do you have any other instructions?”

Dawson gave me an appreciative look. “The First Member has not shared anything else with me.” He walked to a pair of glass-paneled doors that led outside. “ However, this house was especially chosen to allow you access to this.”

We rushed to the doors. Dawson swung them open. A huge terrace had been enclosed by dense evergreens. Delicate ornaments and silver garlands decorated the trees. Practice mats lay across the cobblestone terrace. Small wooden racks filled with different weapons lined the edges.

“A training area,” Grey said.

Gia jumped down the short stone steps onto the terrace. “It’s cold.”

Matt uttered a word, “
Agni
.”

The wind shifted. A soft glow formed all around the terrace, forming a bubble. I stepped out. I no longer felt the wind. The whole area had been insulated.

Matt said, “Glamoured to hide the area from prying eyes and protect you from the weather.”

Dawson looked at Matt, impressed. “The First Member gained special permission to prepare the manor, but didn’t have enough to draw on to do an insulation spell.”

Blake glanced around us. We could still see the palace in the distance. “
Who
is this First Member?”

“Most likely a steward or someone of the sort.” Blake let out a groan. “I just hope no one put a spell on the royal family.”

Dawson’s mustache twitched. I had the distinct feeling he was laughing at us.

Grey raised his brow. “Do we get food?”

“The pantry is stocked. Tea will be served, of course.” He gave me a little bow. “If there is nothing else, I will take my leave.”

Matt nodded in dismissal.

“It was an honor to meet you, milord,” Dawson said. With a last awed look at Matt, he left.

“I need some food,” Grey said.

A few others followed him into the house.

Aurelius sought out Thornton. “The Council will be wanting an update.”

Aurelius and Thornton went inside.

Gia and Mark went to the swords. Gia picked one up and swung it in the arc.

“Nice.” She stepped through a first level sword form. The sword seemed to sing as it cut through the air. She whistled. “Very nice.”

“Want to practice?” Mark looked at me.

Mark had thawed considerably since the night of the festival. Vane often put us together to spar, but I was still surprised he’d ask me on his own.

“Not a chance,” Gia said for me. “Mark, you’re with me first.”

The remaining candidates filed out onto the terrace next to Gia and Mark and started picking through the weapons.

I remained beside Matt. “Why did he call you milord?”

Matt’s lips quirked up. “You don’t miss anything, do you?”

“That’s not an answer.”

“The First Member has a title—Lord Protector.”

“Arthur made you Lord Protector? Isn’t that the real ruler of the country?”

“I was the head of the wizards.”

“But he was king, so it was just a title to pacify you? He doesn’t sound like the best king to me. I don’t even get why he passed the trial.”

Matt colored. “He was the best candidate. Vane and I trained him.”

“Vane trained him too? You never said that before.”

“I asked Vane to do it. No one compares to him.”

“I see. Arthur used magic to bring the kingdom under his rule. Then, he turned his back on it because it became a threat to him.”

Matt cocked his head. “He gave me the title when he was young. Later, he feared I wanted to take over. I never did. Then, when he found out about the gargoyles, he lost all reasoning.”

I frowned. “I don’t understand.”

“I never told Arthur there were other supernatural beings in the world. He found out that wizards had been holding a truce with the gargoyles and decided that we were amassing a supernatural army. It wasn’t true, of course. The gargoyles wanted to be left alone in their mountains. Many of them are in the Pyrenees, some in the Scottish Highlands.”

Matt watched the candidates spar for a minute. “I had hoped that Arthur would bring a new light into the world where wizards, Regulars, and gargoyles could all walk free without having to hide from each other.”

“You wanted Arthur to be the bridge.” I said. “Why him?”

“He had a way of bringing people together. He always seemed to know what to do.” Matt looked up at the sky.

“What would the sword-holder do today?”

“So much has changed. The world is smaller. I’m amazed at how adept the gargoyles have become at blending in. The wizards in this century should learn from them. Instead of hiding in remote areas and relying on spells for money, we should aspire for more.” Matt turned blue eyes on me thoughtfully. “I am hopeful it will happen.”

I sent him a narrow glance. “You didn’t answer the question.”

“You mean besides keep it from the gargoyles?” he said. “I’m not sure yet.”

Reaching out, he tucked a stray curl behind my ear.

I moved away from him. “Don't. You wouldn't want to risk the curse.”

Matt stilled. He said after a pause, “I didn't ask for the visions, Ryan. I'm doing this for you.”

I snorted. “I thought it was for the world?”

“The two are the same—”

“Personal goals coincide with yours. Didn’t you just blast Vane for that?”

“You overheard quite a bit.” He moved closer to me. “You made the right choice, Ryan.”

I looked out over the candidates practicing. Grey had come out of the house and was now sparring with Oliver. I touched the amulet on my neck. “I made the only choice.”

Vane.
I called him silently. A faint heat emanated from the amulet. In a trickle the heat slowly expanded and grew stronger.

Matt put a palm over mine and pushed the amulet back down. Cold stone fell against my chest. My heart banged against it. “Don’t start depending on him, Ryan.”

I looked at him. “How did you know I was thinking of him?”

Matt’s lips quirked into a half-smile. “I know you. And I know him.”

I looked at Matt for a long moment. “I didn’t kiss him, Matt. He kissed me.”

Matt’s jaw tightened. “Maybe not then, but would you now?”

I hesitated. Over the past few weeks, I’d seen much more of Vane. I’d seen how much he held the world at bay, but how much he wanted to fit in. And I found… I liked him. I liked how he didn’t hide what he wanted. Something of what I was thinking must have shown on my face because Matt’s expression darkened.

“Forget him. You can't help everyone, Ryan. Vane will take everything and give nothing.”

“And you’re the kind who always thinks he’s right, but doesn’t believe anyone else can be!”

Matt’s face puckered.

I took a bracing breath. “Given that you both have only each other left in this century, don’t you think you’re being harsh? He’s your family. You don’t like it, but he's a survivor, Matt. So are you. You don't want to see that.
You
don’t want to see that you and he are not all that different.”

“No,” Matt said vehemently. “Vane does what he does for Vane. I'm—” His voice dropped to a whisper. “I'm struggling every day, every minute, not to reach for what I want.”

Matt moved until his body just brushed against the back of mine. I wanted to lean back on him, to let everything fall away, to not worry about what came next. But I held myself stiff. My throat parched from a never-ending thirst, I forced myself to ask, “What happens after the sword, Matt? Will you give up the visions then?”

Matt put his hands on my arms. A soft tug and I would fall back against him. I held myself in place.

He sighed. “I can’t say. I don’t know what will be needed from me.”

My hands moved up to hold his. “I don't need a promise, but I need a possibility.”

“I don’t know what will be needed from me,” he repeated.

My shoulders drooped.

His hands tightened on me. “I can find a way.”

“No. Save it, Matt. I may not have much time left and I want to spend it with someone who cares.”

I pulled away. He let me go.

Grey grinned at me when I walked up to him. Without a word, he threw me a sword. I caught it easily with one hand.

***

The day passed all too quickly. Matt ducked away to who-knows-where. I spent the morning sparring with various candidates. By late afternoon, I’d slipped on a gorgeous silver gown cut to emphasize every curve I had. A red cashmere shawl covered the skin shown off by the scoop-necked dress. Gia wore a green gown in the same style. Two other girls wore similar gowns.

The hairstylist finished with Gia’s hair. With a shy nod, she left. Grey came in. We had taken one of the bigger rooms. I stood at the window looking out across the front of the manor. The sky darkened bit by bit, throwing the palace grounds into blackness.

Grey came up beside me. He wore a breathable black suit and a red button-down shirt. He tugged at his collar and loosened a white Christmas tie. He arched a brow at us. “How are you supposed to take the trial in those outfits?”

“We look awesome. Thanks for the compliment,” Gia said with a snarky grin.

I pushed aside the gown on my shoulder to reveal a black tank.  “We’ve got these stretchy suits on underneath.” Gia pulled up her skirt to show black leggings.

Grey shook his head. He turned back to look out the window.

“Think there’s still time to change our minds.”

“Do you want to change yours?” I said.

He shook his head. “They’ve already attacked you twice. You were right. This is our fight now. I just hope whatever happens tonight ends it.”

I looked out the window. The palace loomed ahead of us. The fading light made the shadows seem sharper. I took his hand and squeezed it tightly. “We’re in this together.”

“Did I ever tell you how annoyed I was that my mom adopted you?”

I let out a laugh. “Don’t overwhelm me with sentiment—”

“It’s the best thing that happened to me,” Grey said. “I would have never gotten through the past few months without you.”

I ran my hands on the line of his shoulders, brushing off imaginary dirt from the tight line of his fitted suit jacket. “Alexa would say you look too hot for your own good.”

He put a hand around my shoulder. “Alexa would have loved this. The party. The palace.”

I nodded, my eyes bright. Grey hugged me hard.

“Sorry to break this up,” Gia said.

She didn’t look sorry at all. I suppressed a smile at the sour expression on her face as she glanced back and forth between Grey and me.