My Merlin Awakening (4 page)

I said, “Have you talked to Gia? She’s left like a zillion messages.”

Grey gripped the back of the chair he’d been sitting on. “She’s at Avalon Prep. I’m in Massachusetts. It’s just not a good time for us… to talk.”

“Well, can you tell her that?” Geez, boys could be such jerks.

He looked down at his feet. “I will. I will.”

Guy-speak for, “I plan to keep avoiding her until she gives up.”

“Later.” Grey rushed out before I could harass him any further.

I pulled up a picture on my laptop of Grey, Alexa, and me from six months ago. Alexa sat in the middle with her arms around both Grey and me. Grey’s air of casual arrogance matched his easy football captain-looks. Alexa’s classical face beamed with a smile that could have launched a thousand ships. I stood slightly off to the side with a forced smile and a full set of white teeth. I wrinkled my nose at the stiff image of myself. I hated taking pictures.

“Smell something unpleasant?”

I jumped, startled, as Vane’s voice broke through my reverie.

CHAPTER 2 - THE WORLD BECKONS

CHAPTER 2
THE WORLD BECKONS

“What?” I said.

He pulled out a bucket-seat that looked like it was meant for a five-year-old and dropped into it. The chair strained a bit, but held him. He flicked my nose with a finger. “You’re adorable when you’re upset.”

I scowled and shut the laptop. “I see something upsetting right now.”

Vane’s lips tightened to suppress a smile. “Why so hostile, love?”

“You whacked me on the head with a ball!”

“You deserved it.”

“I didn’t like it,” I said.

“That’s the first real reaction I’ve gotten from you in a month, except when I have my tongue down your throat.”

I gave him an irritated look. “You’re the worst mentor in the world. You haven’t helped me with anything.”

“I called the witch museum for you,” he said.

With his usual perverse sense of humor, he had me researching the witch trials. I was one of the select few in the world who knew that wizards were real. After all, one sat in front of me right now, and I found the whole history of the trials disturbing. Exactly what Vane had been hoping, I was sure. He loved any history that portrayed the downtrodden and persecuted life of wizards, conveniently overlooking how disgustingly wealthy many of today’s wizards had become.

He continued, “I set up the venue for your exhibit. The rest is in your hands. Besides if I try to help, you’ll tell me all my ideas were complete
shite
. You hate it when things aren’t exactly how you want.”

“When things aren’t right,” I corrected him.

“Exactly,” he said smugly.

I narrowed my eyes. “Sounds convenient… for you.”

“Sounds as if this is going to be a long conversation.” Vane made a circle with his hand. A faint red light surrounded us, forming a nearly invisible bubble.

“What are you doing?” I hissed. “What if someone sees you?”

“You can talk as loudly as you want now.” He rocked back in the tiny plastic chair, lifting the front two legs off the ground. “The bubble doesn’t allow anyone outside to hear anything inside. They’re only going to hear some mumbling.”

I glanced at the open door and the faint red light between that veiled us. “I don’t know.”

Vane waved his hand. The door closed shut. “Happy?” The legs of Vane’s chair slammed down. He yanked me out of my chair and onto his lap.

I let out a surprised squeal. “Have you lost your mind?”

Vane nuzzled my neck. “Definitely. You are gorgeous.”

“The door has a window.” I pushed away from him, even as my fingers dug into muscled shoulders, wanting to pull him closer. “You’ll get fired if anyone finds out about us!”

“So many rules in this century,” he muttered. “Tell me why we’re here again? The Council asked you to return to Avalon Prep.”

The Wizard Council’s base operated out of Avalon Preparatory School. I muttered, “I’m not a wizard. I don’t belong there.”

“You’ve proven yourself more than is necessary.” He pulled me closer to him and said softly into my ear, “You belong anywhere.”

I jerked my head up to look at him. His eyes were filled with such naked sincerity that I had to lower mine. My heart melted just a little. I stared off into space. Finally, I said, “I needed to come home.”

He tucked a stray, dark-blonde strand of hair behind my ear.  “Hence, we came. But we’ve been here for over a month and you don’t seem satisfied. You’re distracted. Not just out on the field, but all the time. What is going on?”

“I’m fine.” Unconsciously, I touched the red gemstone amulet I wore around my neck. The one Matt had given me.

Vane’s eyes narrowed. “Is that what is distracting you? My brother?”

“What? No—” I bit my lip. “Maybe. I was just wondering if he was all right.”

“He’s fine,” Vane said. “My brother can take care of himself.”

Vane’s fingers tangled in my hair as he yanked me close. “Forget about him,” he said harshly.

Steely arms wrapped around me. I leaned into him, burrowing into his chest. His warmth seeped into my skin. The tension in my shoulders eased bit-by-bit the more heat I drew. I lifted my head. Our lips were barely inches apart. I swallowed. What was I doing with Vane? Could I really handle him? He was older… in more ways than just age. Being with him was thrilling and terrifying at the same time. I tried not to be overwhelmed. I turned away.

“How about if we go see a movie tonight?”

After a pause, he said, “You know we can’t. It’s not safe for you.”

“It’s just a movie. Nothing is going to happen if we take one night off.”

“I can’t be seen out with you.”

“You’re a wizard. You can figure out a way. Disguise yourself somehow.” The window showed a sky painted with moody shades of grey. My words came from deep down in my throat. “I want to go on a real date.”

“We’ve been on a date.”

I scowled. “Making out on the couch doesn’t count.”

Vane’s lips curved up. “It’s safer than going out.”

I didn’t think so.
I pushed away from him and sat back in my chair. “
No
one is coming after me.”

Vane looked at me like I was idiot. “Of course, they are.”

“No one even knows I am here.”

He snorted. “The gargoyles almost burned down your house. Believe me, they know where you are.”

If I thought a tantrum would have worked with Vane, I would have thrown one. Instead, I crossed my arms and stuck my jaw out. “I’m going out tonight, Coach—whether you like it or not. The Council charged you to protect me, not to jail me.”

“I’m not here because they asked,” he said.

I sniffed. “You won’t even let me go to a coffee shop. All I do is school, house, school, house… repeat. It’s ridiculous. I. Am. Done.”

“You’re exaggerating. You’ve been to several games,” he reminded me.

“You rushed me into a van after each one! I didn’t even get to hang out with the team afterwards. I may as well be locked in a dungeon with the amount of freedom I have.”

“If I were to lock you up in a dungeon, I guarantee you would not be bored,” Vane said softly.

Bedroom eyes beckoned me. Trying not to blush, I stood up.

“Besides, you’re more of the tower type,” Vane commented. “I don’t see why you’re complaining. I did get you a pint of ice cream.”

I jumped up and stomped my foot. “It’s not funny! Can’t we just pretend to be normal for one night?”

He looked at me for a long minute. “As you wish. But we go only where I say.”

I blinked.
Had he actually given in… for once?
“There better be popcorn.”

I broke off with a gasp as the amulet around my neck suddenly started burning. It seemed to tighten like a noose on me. Making choking sounds, I tried to pry it away, but it wouldn’t move.

“Ryan!” Vane stood.

The world trembled around me. The room shook just as it had done during the Total Tremor. Vane grabbed me by the waist and steadied me. He yelled past the noise of the shaking room. “Matt is having a strong vision. Allow yourself to see it. Shut your eyes.”

I stared into Vane’s hazel eyes. I held onto them for as long as I could. Then, drawing a deep breath with effort, I did as he said.

In the dark, the first thing I sensed was the smell of wood and earth—Matt. I
was
seeing what he saw through the amulet. Matt had presented a number of enchanted amulets and rings to me and others in a select group of students at Avalon Prep. Almost immediately, I’d been drawn to this one. Called
The Dragon’s Eye
, a large ruby gemstone sat embedded in a dull gold pendant.  The matching golden chain was thick and more like a rope than the light chains I was used to. I wouldn’t have normally gone for something so medieval looking, but this one had struck me. The connection had been so strong that I’d wanted to gouge out the eyes of my friend, Gia, when she had grabbed it first.

Later, I found out that the amulet had been made by Matt and formed a special connection between us—a connection that linked our thoughts.

Images flooded my mind.

An ocean. Just off the coast of a tropical island. The water boiled, creating burping bubbles of steam. A huge explosion of smoke burst like a geyser out of the water. Red fire and lava spewed out the sides of a tornado of smoke.

The scene shifted. Another ocean. No land anywhere in sight. A curvy billow of smoke spewed up for miles in the sky.

Again, the scene changed to a barren chain of islands. The whole land mass rumbled as three smoke stacks blew out of the ocean and from various places on the islands. Frantic waves in the ocean pulled and pushed in a violent tug-of-war. In one slingshot movement, the water pulled back and then released, unleashing a wall of water that rose and rose until I could swear it touched the sky.

I opened my eyes with a snap. “Tsunami.”

Everything in the room had moved just a bit. My laptop hovered close to the edge of the desk. I turned to Vane with wide eyes. “What happened? Another tremor?”

“I don’t know.” Vane sat me down. The plastic chair groaned as I dropped onto it. Vane flipped my laptop open. With a few clicks, he pulled up a news site.

BREAKING NEWS, it declared in bright red letters.

Vane clicked on a video.

A news report played. A clean-shaven reporter in a tidy suit clutched an iPad and spoke from a news desk. “It happened here just moments ago and reports confirm that it seems to have happened everywhere—another tremor spanning the entire globe. Many are asking if it is the Total Tremor again. However, this one seems to have been on a much smaller scale. Not much damage from what we have heard, so far. Just a rattling. The bigger question is what caused it…”

Vane paused the video stream. “This is what you saw?”

“No.” I rubbed my forehead. “I saw erupting volcanoes on the ocean. Five of them. They seemed to be in different places all over the world. Then, I saw a tsunami building on the ocean.”

Vane’s gaze sharpened. “Merlin had a vision about the ocean?”

“Where else would you have a tsunami?” I grabbed the laptop from Vane. I punched up the term “underwater volcano” in a search engine. I clicked on a news clip about one that caused a tsunami. South Asia. 2004. Images of the hundred-foot high tsunami I’d seen in my head played out on the news clip. The news clip changed to show the aftermath—scene after scene of destroyed villages and homeless people followed.

“This is what’s coming, but what I saw is going to be much worse.” My eyes swam with tears.

Vane cursed. Reaching out, he caught my shoulders and steadied me. “Why can’t he shut this out from you like he’s shut me out?”

Vane and Matt’s powers were connected. At one point, Vane had been able to talk to me through the amulet. Once Matt found out, he’d blocked Vane, but for some reason, he hadn’t blocked me. Well, I suspected the reason. I refused to verbalize it… even in my head. I could never tell Vane. Truthfully, I was glad Matt had shut him out. He was intense enough to have as a boyfriend. I didn’t need him in my head too.