My Merlin Awakening (Book 2, My Merlin Series)

by Priya Ardis

  Colin cleared his throat. “Are you sure we should tell them all this, Sire?”

  “Yes, it was my responsibility to protect us from the venom and I failed.” Rourke moved slowly to sit down on the sofa, his shoulders slumping slightly. “I hoped that with the influence of his mother removed, Oliver would become the leader I know him capable of being. However, he has become blinded by anger… and fear.”

  Sylvia sat across from him. “What is going to happen to you?”

  The strong lines of Rourke’s face crinkled as he smiled. “My handsome face will be the first to go, no doubt. Because of the gargoyles’ regenerative powers, I will be able to hold out longer against the rapid aging. However, I would say, within a few months I will die of old age.”

  “Have you even had a healer attempt to reverse this?” Sylvia demanded.

  Rourke looked pointedly away from the wizards in the room. “We’ve had years to… test the venom. Believe me, there is no wizard who can heal this. But there is a way—”

  “So now we get to it,” Vane said, “Why you’re actually here.”

  Rourke gave him an impatient look. “I have not come without a plan. I do not expect you to help we gargoyles without repayment of some kind. In this case, my answer lies with yours. We know what you seek and we can help you find it.”

  Colin’s phone beeped loudly. He took it out with an apologetic look. Moving off to the side, he started tapping away on the screen.

  Matt cleared this throat. “And what, exactly, do you think we’re seeking?”

  “Did you think you had managed to keep it a secret?” Rourke gave Colin a smug look. “You see, they do not know everything.”

  “We managed to get Excalibur despite the gargoyles, so don’t underestimate us,” I retorted.

  Rourke got up with effort. “Do not get too comfortable with the sword, little one. Oliver has more of the venom. If he gets close enough, he can win the sword back and you’ll have surrendered the fate of your world to him. Kill you and the whole balance of power changes, doesn’t it?”

  “Watch your words, gargoyle,” Vane snarled.

  Matt’s hand glowed blue, ready for an attack.

  “Enough!” Sylvia jumped up. “Rourke, you are not here to harm Ryan, so stop threatening her.”

  To my surprise, Rourke colored at the reprimand.

  Matt asked, “What do you think you know, Rourke?”

  “You seek the knowledge of the Guides in the hope that you can contact them about what is to come. To know why the sword has returned to us. I wish to find them as well. In our lore, the Guides safeguarded a cup that if drunk from could cure anything, or so it is said. The creature was theirs; I have no doubt it can cure me.”

  “A cup that heals,” Vane said slowly. “You mean the Holy Grail? I saw the movie. The legends of Arthur going after the Grail are completely wrong. We know nothing of it.”

  Rourke’s lips twisted into a smile. “I don’t know if it is the same cup, or that the stories have gotten intertwined, but I do know this—the cup I seek exists.” His lips curved into a sly smile. “And I can help you find it.”

  Matt met his gaze steadily. “Let us say that we do seek the same commodity. You said you had information.”

  “The way to find it is hidden here—”

  Colin lifted his gaze from the phone. “They already know, Sire. I am getting reports from our men tracking Oliver. They traced him to the House of Seven Gables this morning. A man on the street says he saw someone of Oliver’s description run out of the house last night. He also saw several other men. There were lots of noises and strange lights up in the house afterward. The wizards were there.”

  Rourke straightened. He looked at Matt. “You found it?”

  “If we did, why should we tell you?” Vane said.

  “Because you have no idea what you’ve found and I do. If you want to find what you seek, we must work together.”

  “You need us to work together, old man,” Vane said. “You’re the one dying.”

  Sylvia inhaled a loud, shaky breath.

  I squeezed Vane’s arm in warning. “How can we trust you, Rourke?”

  Rourke sent me a steady look. “I can offer you no proof except the knowledge that we share a common goal. Beyond myself, finding the answer to the trident concerns all of us—gargoyle, wizard, and regular alike.”

  “Trident.” I thought to Matt. “Rourke knows.”

  “But dare we trust him with it?” Matt thought back.

  My fingers dug into Vane’s skin. Do we have a choice? This is why we are here.

  Matt waved a hand in the air. The trident appeared out of nowhere and dropped onto the coffee table.

  Rourke’s eyes widened with reverence. “How did you get it?”

  Matt said, “It wasn’t easy. A nymph protected it.”

  “Makes sense,” Rourke replied. “This belongs to the Fisher King.”

  “Ah,” said Matt.

  “Who is the Fisher King?” Grey asked.

  “If the gargoyle texts are correct, the trident is confirmation. The legend says that the Fisher King protected the cup of life.” Rourke waved his hand in excitement. “He ruled a neighboring kingdom during Arthurian times.”

  “A neighboring king that you fought?” I asked Vane.

  Vane looked at me first in surprise and then in speculation. “Yes. King Pellam. Bran of Pellam. We pushed back his army and went on the offensive. Percival and I breached Castle Perilous. I fought him in the throne room and wounded him grievously, but somehow, he rose up again. He almost killed me. I rallied and drove a lance straight through his heart. Percival and I were the last ones to see his eyes open. Or so we thought. We left him only to find later that his body had disappeared. He escaped somehow. It was speculated that he magically healed himself. A wizard alone would not have been able to heal him.”

  “He used the cup,” Rourke said.

  “You didn’t go after him?” Blake asked, moving out of the shadows near the fireplace.

  Vane shook his head. “There was no need. We’d taken the castle and the land. The kingdom belonged to Arthur.” He met Rourke’s gaze. “We found no cup.”

  Rourke frowned. “Wherever he went, the Fisher King took the cup with him. I cannot believe you wouldn’t pursue that.”

  Vane gave Matt a dry look. “I wouldn’t know. I was but a lowly knight—not privy to such things.”

  No one spoke for a minute.

  “Matt?” I prompted.

  “Galahad trailed him,” Matt admitted. “He traveled far away from Camelot. I stayed in touch with Galahad for some time. Then, things happened in Camelot that required my attention and I lost track. In the last communication between us, Galahad said the Fisher King sought the Guides. He needed guidance to retake his kingdom.”

  “Galahad,” Vane murmured. “What other secrets are you sitting on, brother?”

  “Where did he go?” Rourke asked.

  “South. He crossed the channel into Gaul—France. I know that much. I saw him cross mountains, but I do not know exactly where he landed.”

  Vane bent and picked up the trident. Everyone in the room stilled as if stunned that he dared to touch a sacramental object. He didn’t seem to notice. “This is the answer.” He looked at Matt. “If this really was the Fisher King’s, then there can be only one key to the lock.”

  Matt took the trident from him. “Yes, that makes sense.”

  “I don’t understand,” I said.

  “What unlocked Excalibur?” Vane asked.

  Matt looked at me. “We need some blood.”

  I stared at the three points of the trident. “Forget it. I am not repeating that.”

  Vane’s lips curved up. “Relax, DuLac. We don’t need to skewer you with the thing. Just a few drops.”

  With a grimace, I held out my hand. Matt took out a knife from his coat and cut a thin line down my arm. I bit my lip and focused on not pulling away. Blood dripped from my arm onto the center of t
he trident’s triangular headpiece.

  Nothing happened. Vane grabbed the trident.

  “What?” Matt protested.

  “My turn.” Vane blew on the trident. The blow turned into wind. An aura of green surrounded the trident. Vane released the trident and it floated in space. For a moment, I smelled warm, salty air. Then, the trident dropped.

  Matt handed me the knife… Excalibur, I realized. Matt called the trident and it floated into his hand. He ran a hand down the trident’s spear. “Symbols. I don’t recognize them.”

  Sylvia stepped forward. “Those are Chimeran letters.”

  “Gargoyle tongue?” Vane asked.

  Rourke stood up. He peered at the symbols and spoke them out loud in gargoyle tongue.

  Vane translated, “Lost City of Thera.”

  “You speak Chimeran?” Rourke asked, surprised.

  Vane shrugged. “I am skilled at speech.”

  Rourke’s gaze sharpened. “Yes, I had heard that.”

  “Thera.” Matt said. “The underwater volcano.”

  A shiver went down my spine. I met his gaze. His vision sat between us.

  Grey turned to Vane. “The eruption of Thera was one of the biggest events in the ancient world. The city of Akrotiri was destroyed.”

  “Yes.” I cleared my throat. “We learned about it in history.” I gave Grey a pointed look. Vane had us studying Thera and now the trident was leading us straight to it. It couldn’t be a coincidence, but whatever his explanation, I didn’t want to bring it up in front of the gargoyles.

  “It is enough to convince me.” Rourke walked to the edge of the room with an unsteady gait. “I plan to leave right away. I am sure you will want to book your own passage. I will set up a safe house for us there. Only a few of you should come. Too many will arouse suspicion. Oliver does not suspect I have turned to you. Thera is now called Santorini. The archeological site for Akrotiri is there. It is not a big place and I would rather not attract any attention.” His gaze found Sylvia, who sat silently on the sofa. “Sylvia, you are, of course, welcome anytime.”

  “What makes you think we intend to go at all?” Vane said.

  Rourke glanced at Matt. “It is the only lead you have. You found the trident.” He glanced at me, then at the fresh wound on my arm. “You were meant to find it. I mean to stow along.”

  “Why should we include you?” I asked.

  “Besides allowing me to save my life?” Rourke laughed. “You know we can help you. Oliver will know you have found the trident. He will not be far behind. My son can be very single-minded. It makes him dangerous. We will guard you.”

  Vane raised a brow. “We can protect ourselves.”

  “Let me be clear.” Rourke straightened to the full height of his frame. “You have the trident, but Greece is gargoyle territory. Without us, you will never set foot on those islands. It will take you months to try to find a way around us, if you ever do. You know it is time you cannot afford to waste. A war is upon us, although we do not know its purpose. It began as soon as Excalibur appeared.” He lifted a regal brow at Matt. “What is your choice, Merlin?”

  Matt hesitated.

  In my hand, Excalibur pulsed. I almost yelped and dropped it. No one else noticed, but to me, the message was clear. I thought to Matt, “Say yes.”

  He didn’t look at me, but his eyes flickered. He nodded. “We work together.”

  ***

  “Wizards working with those beasts,” Blake said as soon they left. “What have we come to?”

  “Have you been hanging out with Mark?” I asked.

  Mark, one of the Candidates and Gia’s ex-boyfriend, was one of the most obnoxious and thug-like persons I’d ever met. He reverently believed that wizards were superior to everyone else. A sentiment instilled by Vane—not that Vane was paying attention to Blake.

  Vane rounded on Matt. “What do you think you’re going to find at Thera?”

  Matt blinked. “As Rourke said, knowledge of the Guides.”

  “Rubbish,” Vane retorted. “ You’re looking for the Lady. You’re not going to find her. She is long gone. She abandoned us.”

  Matt sat down on the sofa. “No, I don’t believe that.”

  I’d seen Vane act cold. I’d seen him be cruel. I knew he could be completely selfish, but I’d never seen him so angry. He spat out, “We couldn’t find her in Arthur’s time. What makes you think she’s still around? The cave was empty. We should know. We were the last ones in it.”

  Matt’s face darkened. Any mention of the cave he and Vane had been imprisoned in for fifteen hundred years made him understandably moody. His cotton blue button-down shirt clung to lean muscles as he ran his hands through his hair. “The Lake water still exists.”

  I said slowly, “The Lady of the Lake is a Guide?”

  “Guides. Gods. It’s easy to confuse the two. She and her kind have been around since life began on this world, I think. There are many creatures who roam this earth, but keep to themselves,” Matt said. “Long ago, I did not send Galahad on a quest to find the Grail, but to follow the Fisher King to the Lady. Whether or not the cup is real. This certainly is.” Matt held up the trident. “Can’t you see it’s made of the same magic as Excalibur? They are both her instruments.”

  “You’re pinning our futures on a dream,” Vane muttered.

  “It’s the only lead we have,” Matt snapped. “Even if we don’t find her, we have to look.” He turned to us. “Do you remember when you were in the trial?”

  Blake, Gia, Grey and I all nodded. As if the mark the trial had left on the Candidates could ever be erased or forgotten.

  Matt lifted a hand and started drawing in the air. A stream of blue light came out of his finger like liquid paint. He made a picture of tall, black pillars and curved arches. “You told me there were pillars all around the place you were in.”

  “That looks like typical Roman construction,” said Vane. “Nothing out of the ordinary.”

  “You’re not looking closely enough,” Matt said. “I doubt Ryan even noticed this while she was going through it. Since then, I have reviewed her memories—”

  “You let him review your memories?” Gia asked, aghast.

  I made a face. It’s not as if I could help it. Even if I’d been able to block Matt at all, the trial was too intense for me to hide while our minds were connected.

  “What did you find out?” Vane inquired impatiently.

  Matt pulled back on the floating picture with his hand. It zoomed in on the arches. A small carving stood out in the stone. “The trident. It was there at the trial.”

  Vane squinted at the image. “There’s more. There’s an eye on the other side and a… crescent moon? What do they mean?”

  “I’m not sure, but I am certain we shall find out,” Matt said. He waved a hand and the images disappeared. I was only too happy.

  The trial was not something I cared to relive.

  Grey faced Vane. “What I don’t understand is how you knew. You made us study Thera just this week.”

  “I didn’t.” Vane rubbed his chest. “However, I have been having some strange dreams—about water. I thought it related to the witch trials. I keep dreaming I am being drowned. I wonder if it’s my mind making connections…”

  Matt picked up the trident and handed it to Vane. “What do you feel when you touch this?”

  Vane took it without expression. With a wave of his hand, he pushed back the coffee table to create space in the middle of the room. He twirled an awkward figure-eight in the air. Then, the movements became smoother, more practiced. I took a breath. The faint scent of salty sea air—the same scent I smelled in the attic of the Seven Gables—grew more potent in the living room. He continued for a few minutes, but nothing else happened.

  Vane stopped. “It’s a nice enough lance, but I don’t sense anything special.”

  Under my hand, Excalibur pulsed again. A trace of sea air tickled my nose.

  I walked up to Vane and took the
trident from him. Vane let me have it without comment. Soon I was twirling the trident like a familiar lance. When I first started training with Vane, he drilled all of the Candidates with lance-fighting forms before allowing us to advance to swords. I saw Vane move one so fast I could barely see its outline. I, however, was never particularly good at the lance.

  Yet now, I realized, I was moving the trident with tremendous speed. Instinct made me halt suddenly. Its tip pointed at the center of the fireplace… and Blake. A shot of fire burst from the trident.Blake jumped out of the way with a yelp and fell to the floor with force. The shot of fire blasted through an iron grate and the stack of wood inside the hearth exploded into flames.

  “Ryan!” Gia ran to help Blake get back up.

  Matt took the trident from me. “I think we’ve seen enough.”

  I blinked and shook the cobwebs from my eyes. “I don’t know what happened. It overtook me.”

  “You are the sword-bearer.” Matt said. “Vane defeated the Fisher King. He broke the trident’s allegiance and left it open for anyone to master it.” He gave me a meaningful look. “A sword’s allegiance only extends as far as its master’s ability to command it.”

  As could Excalibur’s allegiance change and be taken from me, he meant. I was getting tired of hearing the same thing. I had not gotten weak, dammit! And if I had, it was my right. It was still my life wasn’t it?

  “Not anymore,” Matt thought to me.

  My irritation must have shown on my face, because Blake interjected hastily, “Can I try the trident?”

  “There’s no need for you—” Matt started.

  “There is every need,” Vane interjected. “He is a Candidate. Let’s see if it works for him.”

  Blake twirled the trident in the same manner as Vane and I had done. Within minutes, the trident whirled faster than I could see. Blake stopped. A shot fired from the trident, and the flames in the hearth exploded.

  Grey jumped up from the sofa. “I’m next.”

  “Me too,” Gia chimed in.

  “Please.” Sylvia stood up from where she’d been sitting beside Grey. “Don’t burn my house down.” Her eyes traveled over to the broken window. “Once was enough.”