by K L Rymer
At once I want to rip that shirt off and see what’s beneath.
Matthew hangs his head in shame, stepping behind Myrddin as he uses my biological father as a shield.
He won’t look me in the eyes. Good. He should be guilty, the asshole.
“H-hey there, Bryn...” he mutters next. “I’ve... been looking all over for you.”
I grit my teeth. “Don’t you hey me.”
Another tense pause as we all just glower at that fiend.
Myrddin breaks the silence next as he releases an exasperated sigh, holding his palms up. “Now, now, there’s no need to get so hostile...”
“Hostile?” Angelina breathes, blue eyes glowing. “He betrayed us, Professor!”
The wizard considers what she says, pursing his lips. “True, he did... But only because he wanted to defeat his father...”
Zahara scoffs. “That makes no sense.”
“Agreed,” Damien replies, locking his red, scorching eyeballs on the mage. “I say we just shoot him down where he stands.”
All three of them aim their weapons at my former boyfriend, but Myrddin steps in front of them. “Well, if you want to shoot him down, then you will all have to get through me first.”
I watch as the vampire, the Unseelie, and the demon freeze. Damien’s face tics as Angelina bares her fangs. Zahara clenches her jaw.
They won’t dare challenge Myrddin (because they know they will lose), but I can see they’re conflicted.
Can we even trust Myrddin now? After all, how do we know the Humphreys don’t have him under their spell?
Myrddin rolls his green eyes. “I am not under a spell, Bryn. Seriously. It’s like you don’t know me at all.”
He’s right. That was a ridiculous thought. He’s mother fucking Merlin for crying out loud...
I peer to the others. “Guys, do as he says... If Myrddin trusts him, then so do I... for now.”
I offer Mattie a lingering look. He still doesn’t meet my eyes, and I die a little inside.
I just want to stare into those piercing grays.
“What?!” Zahara barks.
“You’re crazy...” Angelina hisses.
“I say we shoot him down when the old man’s not looking...” Damien suggests
I growl. “I said, stop!”
“What is with all the ruckus?!” Thomas snaps, popping his head out of the tent, and my heart flutters when I see he has no glasses on again. Maximus sticks his own face out, looking just as pissed as his rider.
I watch as the shifter’s eye bulge the moment they land on Myrddin and Matthew, and now he stumbles out from the tent, fumbling with his glasses
“P-Professor? Matthew Humphrey?”
Matthew sighs, noticing my reaction to Thomas, and if I’m not mistaken, he looks a little jealous. “In the flesh...”
The shifter comes to stand beside Angelina and the others, and already I see that inner alpha coming through. There was a time he would have been cowering away like Felicity and Nora (a typical omega).
Jack’s just so nonchalant about everything, so he prefers to stand in the shadows and watch as everything unfolds.
The shifter’s eyes burn bright gold. “What are you doing here, Humphrey?”
Mattie keeps his gaze on his toes. “I... I guess you could say that I’m here to make a truce. For real this time...”
“Whatever...” Angelina sneers.
Myrddin throws her a scathing look. “That’s enough now, Mrs Ambrose. That’s enough from all of you. Now I will see no more hostility directed at young Matthew. He is on our side now and that is my final say. Understood?”
The four of them eyeball Matthew suspiciously as he hangs back in the shadows, and one by one they lay down their weapons (Thomas lays down his wolf’s claws).
A prominent silence follows soon after, broken only by the sound of Myrddin’s loud clap. “So... care to update me on the current affairs? I see you’ve all been doing well without me. Very, very well.”
He smiles at all the baby dragons again.
I huff as I sit down beside the fire. Maximus’s golden shell still lies in fragments.
Unbeknownst to my housemates, I’ve been keeping fragments of each baby’s shell.
Just a little memento for me to look back on when all this shit is over.
“Well, you better sit, Professor,” I say. “You’ve missed quite a lot.”
...
An hour later we’ve updated Myrddin on the current affairs. Matthew has wandered off to be alone with Gwyneira.
Since we’ve all been spending time with her lately, we have all come to trust the White Dragon.
Brynmawr wholeheartedly trusts her, and if he does then so do I.
She is carrying his child after all.
We’ve just finished introducing Myrddin to all the babies. As you can imagine, he is particularly very smitten with Sparkle Hearts and Zelina. Not so much with Shadow Stalker though.
The wyvern perches upon the demon’s shoulder like an evil parrot again, expelling a sharp breath as a cloud of vapor escapes his mouth.
I don’t even want to know what his breath smells like; I’ve not gotten that close. (It probably smells like rotten souls.)
Myrddin chuckles as he lets Sparkle Hearts lick his face. “Simply adorable! Baby dragons are everything I imagined them to be. I bet you were just as precious too, hey, Brynmawr?”
Funny, that’s the exact same thing that I said to the big ass dragon.
The Red Dragon doesn’t look the least bit amused. “I suppose, Boy Wizard. Except I wasn’t bright, bubble-gum pink. And I didn’t smell like strawberries...”
Myrddin grumbles when he hears the nickname. “Must you with that atrocious name? I thought we were past that?”
Brynmawr sneers, showing all his impressive teeth. “Nah, anything to get you all riled up, Boy Wizard...”
The wizard mutters under his breath, placing Sparkle Hearts back on her feet as he nudges her along. “And I can’t believe you’re going to be a father...”
“I’m just going to pretend that I didn’t hear that. You’re important to Bryn... I’d rather not roast you...”
The wizard and the dragon ignore each other’s presence now, and another quiet stretch befalls camp.
I ask the wizard the next question on my lips; the one I’ve been dying to ask him ever since he vanished.
“Professor, where did you go exactly?”
So far all I know is that Mattie let Myrddin go, so long as he gave him his powers back, which I’m thankful for. But I will never admit that to the bastard’s face.
He’s not out the doghouse yet.
A wide beam stretches across the wizard’s face. “Why, I was in space, of course, Bryn. Well, the cosmos... You know how fond I am of inter-dimensional travel after all.”
My head spins just thinking about it. I haven’t even gotten the hang of teleporting throughout my own universe, yet Myrddin can travel through different dimensions.
He really is the Rick to my Morty...
Maybe Myrddin can take me to space sometime too.
I shake my head, meeting his green eyes. “Still... it would have been nice if you’d just called, you know... I was worried sick.”
“Aw, I love you too, Bryn.” Myrddin throws an arm around my shoulder, giving my blonde head a noogie.
I button my lips. I know I promised in the depths of Hell that I would tell this man how I felt about him as my father, but I won’t blurt it out. Not in front of everyone. That would just be embarrassing.
The father/daughter bonding can wait.
I push his arm away and ask him my next question. “And why, Professor, do you think that we can trust Matthew all of a sudden? Why the change of heart? You were right up there with the likes of Angelina. He can’t be trusted.”
Angelina tapers her electric blue eyes. “Damn right he can’t.”
The wizard brushes a hand through his peppered hair. “Truth be told? I feel sorry for
him. He’s had a rough childhood.”
“Oh, boohoo,” Zahara chides, downing yet another beer. I have no idea where she’s stashing it all.
Myrddin shakes his head. “Have some empathy for once, Zahara dear.”
She cackles. “Yeah, I’ll feel sorry for him when Hell freezes over. No offence, Damien...”
The Unseelie peers at the demon. He smirks as his wyvern hisses on his shoulder. “None taken.”
Myrddin looks me pointedly in the eyes. “Bryn... he really is a good boy deep down. He just wants to save his sweet mother after all. Don’t tell him I said this... but I don’t think there is hope for her. He’s fighting a lost battle, but he’s deadset. But once he learns to let her go, then he can truly be free of his father’s influence. It’s his love for her that is holding him back. Nothing more.”
There comes a sniff, and we all turn to Felicity. She’s actually crying for the asshole, the sweet little thing. “Poor, poor Matthew.”
Damien sighs as he stands above her, yet there’s no missing the little shine to his own eyes.
Everyone looks depressed now. Even Angelina and the ass dumped her for me.
Matthew may be an ass but he doesn’t deserve to go through the pain of losing his mother, and I hope that makes everyone understand his motives a little more.
Don’t judge someone until you have walked a mile in their shoes after all.
A lump clogs my throat as Myrddin’s words confirm what I knew all along, and my heart breaks for poor Mattie.
I know I may hate his guts right now, but I still love him. You can’t just stop loving someone that easily; that’s not how it works. No matter how much they hurt you.
Still... I don’t want to see him hurt.
Gwyneira and Mattie soon return, and I can’t help but notice the relaxed smile on the mage’s face as he keeps a tender hand against the dragon’s belly.
I take it she’s told him about her bun in the oven, and now Mattie grins like a proud uncle.
Please... If anything, that baby dragon will be my niece or nephew. Not his.
“We’re back,” Gwyneira announces, coming to a halt by her beau Brynmawr. Mattie stays by her side.
Myrddin swivels around, and a broad smile stretches across his face. “Ah, I take it you two had a heart to heart then?”
Mattie scratches the back of his head, nervous to be back in camp again.
Yet I notice the others aren’t so hostile around him now. In fact, they look a little sorry for him.
“Yeah,” Mattie replies.
Myrddin’s smile doesn’t leave his face, and I see he genuinely does care about Matthew. Even after he betrayed his trust a second time. “Splendid!”
No one else speaks. We all just stare at the mage, and I gush as pink colors his cheeks.
Bless... he’s shy and embarrassed.
Gwyneira speaks at last. “So, Matthew and I have proposed an idea...”
We all turn to the she-dragon.
“What is it, Gwyn, dear?” Brynmawr asks.
The White Dragon’s ice-blue eyes flicker around camp, and I notice lately they don’t look as cold anymore. As a matter of fact, they’ve started to appear friendly.
She’s still a ruthless bitch when she wants to be though (I’ll still never get over that whore thing).
“Matthew would like to challenge Bryn to a duel...”
The others rush to their feet, namely the same four from before. The wallflowers hang back once again.
“What?!” Thomas bellows.
“You’ve gotta be shitting me?” Zahara snarls.
“I knew he couldn’t be trusted,” Angelina sneers.
“Like I said, let’s just shoot him down.”
That was Damien.
It’s Gwyneira’s turn to stick up for Matthew now. “Absolutely not! If any of you dare lay a hand on him, I will burn you all.”
They sit at once. As I said, the White Dragon is lethal. Even the likes of Angelina and Damien would do well not to piss her off.
I look to the mage and the she-dragon now. “Why a duel? What purpose will it serve?”
Matthew breathes a sigh, and finally, he looks me in the eyes. My heart swells when I gaze into those storm clouds again.
“Because, human... I want to earn back your trust. It’s simple. You beat me in a duel, I’ll allow Myrddin to take all of my powers and never give them back. But if I beat you... well... I guess I finally get to join Mendacious. As I should have all along. ”
“You will never be Mendacious...”
Myrddin snaps. “Mrs Ambrose!”
The vampire closes her plump mouth, scowling up at her ex-boyfriend again.
I rise to my feet, stepping towards him as I offer him my hand.
Why not? It’s a pretty fair deal. If he wins, we will accept him into our tribe with his powers fully tact. If he loses, well... he loses his powers and becomes our bitch.
“Deal.”
Matthew’s brow disappears into his hairline as I extend my hand. But then ever so slowly, a smirk curls his lips, and a bit of the old Mattie returns.
Good. I’ve missed this asshole.
He takes my hand, and electricity shoots up my arm, and I know he got a reaction too. Yet he remains nonchalant, never taking those piercing grays off me.
“I look forward to fighting with you, Bryn.”
Chapter 22 - Bryn
Mattie and I stand back to back as we wield our swords in front of us.
Mattie can actually shift his powers into many weapons, but he has promised to fight fair and only use his sword.
I’ve had a little training from Mr. Tanaka and Shankfoot, but compared to this two-hundred-year-old mage, I’m green.
I’m just grateful our prophecy turned out to be a lie after all and we really weren’t meant to fight but come together as one. Maybe this was what the prophecy foresaw after all, this lame-ass duel.
Still... I don’t want to lose. I’m the queen of snark Bryn Williams after all. I don’t like losing.
“You ready?” Matthew says behind me, flexing his back muscles.
I close my eyes, feeling the heat of my sword beneath my fingers. “Ready.”
“Go!”
Mattie swivels, sweeping his white sword around. I gasp, throwing up my own sword as I parry the attack in the nick of time. Our clashing weapons send a metallic clank throughout the surrounding woods.
Thank god it’s not a fight to the death indeed. I could be dead right now. Mattie just took it for granted that I would have been able to dodge his blow.
My arms shake as I hold back his sword, and a handsome chuckle rumbles inside his chest.
I glare up into his gray eyes. The mother fucker is enjoying this.
“You’re sweating, human.”
I bare my teeth, wishing I could spit in his face but that would be very dishonorable and kind of gross.
We’re knights after all. And we should fight fair.
Well, at least I like to think of myself as a knight. I did conquer a dragon (by befriending him of course).
I summon all the strength that I can, pushing him back with my sword, and Mattie takes up another fighting stance as he circles around me.
The rules are simple. The first one to knock the other’s sword from the other’s hand wins.
Matthew grins. “Not bad. I see you’ve had a little practise.”
I wipe the sweat from my brow. “Shut up, Humphrey, and come at me.”
His eyes widen in pleasant surprise. “With pleasure.”
He releases a battle cry, aiming another swipe at my head, and I produce one of my own.
Our swords clash yet again, and now we’re at a stalemate.
Sure, Mattie is physically stronger than me so it won’t be long until my arms buckle beneath the pressure, but I hold on.
In fact, I think he may even be going easy on me a little and my blood boils.
Is he for real? Now he wants to be romantic and let me win?
One side of his chiseled mouth quirks. “But I don’t want to hurt you. You’re but a little woman after all.”
“Ugh, fuck you!” Zahara snaps. “Cut his head off, Bryn!”
I shake my head, seething. “Are you really going to play the sexist card?”
Mattie shrugs. “I’m just being a gentleman after all.”
That does it. I throw all my strength into him now, and finally, I knock the sword from his hands. It lands on the leaf-strewn floor with a hiss, fizzling out at last.
I place the tip of my sword beneath his chin, my heart raging. “You... you didn’t even try to block my attack. You were going to let me win all along, weren’t you?”
His gray eyes gaze into mine pleadingly. “Yes... I’m prepared to take any punishment you deem fit. I don’t deserve your forgiveness or sympathy, Bryn, but if this is the only way to right the wrong that I have done to you, then so be it. Do with me as you wish.”
He drops to his knees, spreading his arms out wide, and I really wish he hadn’t made it sound like an innuendo.
Now I’m definitely tempted.
I turn to the White Dragon. “You knew what he was planning all along, didn’t you?”
Gwyneira drops her head, and my own dragon offers her a sympathetic glance.
“Yes,” she replies. “We both agreed in the end that there was no other way to make everyone forgive him.”
“Yeah, but taking his powers away never stopped him before,” Angelina points out. “He still managed to betray us all from right under our noses.”
“His father only needs to threaten him again,” Thomas adds, and everyone murmurs in agreement.
I palm my face, and to say that I’m conflicted would be an understatement. There is absolutely nothing stopping Matthew from betraying us again. Absolutely nothing.
A breeze sweeps through camp and the babies cry out in alarm. Shadow Stalker hisses, and I wonder what has gotten all of their knickers in a twist.
I remove my hand from my face, and my heart leaps to my throat when I see that familiar, leggy deerhound.
“Gelert!”
Only the dog doesn’t come to me though. He trots toward that kneeling bastard on the floor, the one spreading his arms out.
The dog stops beside him, licking his face, and I stare.