My Merlin Awakening (Book 2, My Merlin Series)

by Priya Ardis

  My heart squeezed at this revelation. Matt never showed me anything beyond himself when I spoke to him.

  Leonora watched me closely. “Do you wait for him also?”

  I frowned. “Wait? Why do you say that?”

  Leonora blushed. “I was here when the bathers came a few nights ago. You were half-asleep. You kept muttering his name.”

  A faint tremor went through Vane’s fingers. So imperceptible, I wouldn’t have felt it if my every nerve hadn’t been engaged. My heart nearly stopped. The tendril of hope I’d been holding in check unfurled. It flared and bloomed with astonishing speed. I strove to keep calm.

  “Matt and I have a special connection,” I told Leonora, trying to bait Vane. “He asked me to wait for him.”

  It was nothing less than the truth. Vane’s bland expression didn’t change, but the tone of the healing did. Instead of pleasure, an edge of pain reentered. I winced when he yanked my shredded skin together.

  “I haven’t given him my reply,” I continued. Total lie. “What do you think, Leonora? Should I?”

  Leonora smiled. “He is handsome. Well worth dreaming of.”

  “Very,” I said cheerfully. Vane’s fingers fisted and the torn tissue on my back sealed with a stinging burn that caused my eyes to water. I inhaled sharply. Sweat broke out across my forehead.

  “He waits for you too,” Leonora said.

  “His ears are not pointed,” Vane said.

  Leonora looked at him in surprise. It was the most he’d ever spoken on a subject not directly related to healing. She said slowly, “No, but that does not mean he has experienced love. Maybe he does not want it to be known. You can choose.” She pushed back her dark hair. Her pointed ear shrunk so that it looked normal. She elongated it again. “It takes a bit of effort, so most don’t bother, and besides, most consider it an honor. A way to show true devotion.”

  “Only if you’re in a time warp,” I muttered. Not that I wanted to jump into bed with just anyone to get rid of my virginal state, but it wasn’t exactly a banner item I wanted displayed. I tried to twitch my ears. Nothing. My ears stayed pointed.

  Leonora laughed. “It takes practice.” Her eyes fixed on Vane’s decidedly flat ears. She looked away, as if embarrassed. I tried not to roll my eyes. Experienced love. Bah!

  Vane finished the healing and stepped away from me, very quickly I thought. I wracked my brain for something else to say, anything to pry open the small chink in his armor.

  “Let’s go,” Vane said gruffly. A guard stepped forward with the diamond necklace. His expression neutral as the necklace went back on, he said to Leonora, “We must still heal the bull.”

  Leonora nodded and waved the guard back.

  “Sleep well,” Leonora said to me.

  “I will and I’ll dream,” I winked, “of him.”

  ***

  Night filled the room. The moon sat bright in the sky outside. Everyday I waited for it to swell to its maximum size. It was almost there. I wondered what would happen when it did. Part of me couldn’t wait. My body begged for release from the relentless cycle of the games. Yet another part of me dreaded whatever was going to happen next. The blood moon was in two days.

  Through my tiny window, a few rays of the moon penetrated. Shadows danced. I lay in bed and watched. I waited. I hoped. The night stretched out and soon enough, my eyes started to flutter close. I almost didn’t hear the door creak open.

  Suddenly wide awake, I didn’t move; I didn’t dare. The door closed. Feet moved swiftly across the marble floor. Moonlight illuminated the the armored breast-plate and red leather skirt uniform of a palace guard. A diamond on a gold chain hung around his neck. Its luminance flitted across Vane’s face before he ducked into the shadows. He climbed into the bed and on top of me.

  His fingers tangled in my hair. “You’re awake.”

  “You came.” I stared up at him. In the dark, I could barely see him. The Dragon’s Eye gemstone winked against my neck. Vane watched it, fixated. I leaned up to whisper in his ear, “See something you like?”

  His fingers tightened in my hair, pulling strands until I winced. “Is he here?”

  The breath I’d been holding came out of me in a whoosh. I grabbed his shoulders and flipped him so I sat on top, looking down. My mouth crashed on his. It didn’t take long for him to respond. Rough palms cradled my face while my fingers gripped the pillow on either side of his. Lips, teeth, tongue, mingled together. I ate him up and didn’t let go until I had to come up for air.

  I sat back, panting a little. I looked down at Vane. Tiger’s eyes glittered in the dark. I said, “You are no mermaid.”

  White teeth flashed. “No.”

  “How long?” I demanded.

  “It took a few days—”

  “A f-few days,” I sputtered. “You knew a few days after?”

  He put a hand over my mouth, drowning out any other epithets. “The guards are still outside. I was able to slip past, but they’ll come if you’re too loud.”

  I quieted.

  He lowered his hand. “Yes, a few days after. It all came back in pieces.”

  “All those times you came. Why didn’t you say anything?”

  “I was never alone, and you needed to believe so they would.”

  My nostrils flared. The real answer was that he didn’t trust me. I grabbed a fallen pillow and smacked him with it. Admittedly, a halfhearted response, considering what a bastard he’d been.

  Vane grabbed my wrist and knocked the pillow aside. He cleared his throat and said the one thing I thought I’d never hear, “I’m sorry. It took longer than I thought.”

  The fight went out of me. I was tired of resisting. So incredibly tired. I put my hands flat on his chest and stared at them. Hard. A tear leaked out anyway.

  Vane dried it without a thought. “Lelex underestimated my magic. I was able to hold off a complete mind-wipe and make it more like temporary amnesia. But it took me days upon days to remember again.” He touched the diamond necklace. “This didn’t help. Only when it was taken off could I make any real progress.” His fingers tightened in my hair. “Only when I was healing you. I fought to remember myself. You were the anchor I held onto.”

  His words almost echoed my own. Expect my anchor was Matt. My fingers slid over the strange smooth metal on his chest. I said, “You better have a plan. We’ve been in this hole for a month.”

  In the shadows, an arrogant brow rose. “Fourteen days. The blood moon is almost here and I think I’ve figured out what that means. It’s taken me this long after following every command to get Theras to trust me enough to move around the palace with minimal supervision.”

  “So you could train Leonidas?”

  He grinned. “You figured it out.”

  I snorted. “Of course, you trained me. I recognized the forms. Did you think I wasn’t paying attention?”

  “I knew you would and be able to defend against them.”

  I smacked my hand against my forehead. “Right! You were helping me by training the enemy.”

  “You needed the help,” he observed. “Ever since you pulled Excalibur, you’ve been hiding behind me. Behind Merlin. Did you think I hadn’t noticed?”

  My body went cold. “So you decided to train me by making it easier for me to get slashed every night. What a master plan.”

  Vane’s gaze didn’t waver. “Not a master plan, but I did take advantage. You almost died in limbo—”

  “I did die!”

  “It’s made you afraid. If you’re going to be the sword-bearer, you have to get over the fear.”

  I was going to kill him. My fingers curled into a fist.

  He read the homicidal intention in my eyes and flipped me back below him, his big body crushing mine. “What do you think I went through watching you night after night? You don’t know how many times I wanted to jump into that damn pit myself. No one has had it easy in this hole.”

  “Right. It’s been so rough for you. Going to banquets
and having Leonora follow you around with big mermaid eyes.” I struggled against him, arching my body until he hissed. In pleasure? In pain? I didn’t know. All I knew was that I wanted a reaction. “Did she feed you any grapes today?”

  “Not any sweet ones.” Vane grabbed my wrists and pinned me against the bed. “I need you to call Merlin. Tell him we’re coming. Tell him he needs to hold on just a bit longer.”

  I stilled. “What’s going on?”

  “I haven’t been allowed near him, but I hear his screams clearly every night. Lelex is no doubt trying to figure out what we know about the danger coming—the irony being we don’t know anything. But Merlin hasn’t broken. As far as I know, Lelex still isn’t aware that you’re the sword-bearer. It might be the bit of information keeping him alive. Except last night I barely heard the screams. It isn’t the blood moon. I’d hoped to use that distraction, but I don’t think we have a choice. My brother won’t last. We have to move tomorrow.”

  I had no clue it was so bad. Matt stayed with me every night and I never asked. Shame choked me.

  Vane released my wrists. He fanned my hair out around me, taking his time. In his pupils I saw the reflection of a dark, spun halo the hair made over the pillows. A finger traced the length of my amulet and paused on the stain of bruises that still lingered. Silent question flickered in hazel depths.

  I caught his hand to stop him. “What do you want me to do?”

  Leaning down, he kissed the pulse beating on my neck just above the damaged skin. “Tomorrow, I need you to die.”

  ***

  Shortly after that, Vane snuck back out. The guards inspected my room every hour. I wrapped my arms around a pillow and squeezed it tight. It was the only comfort to be had in the hard length of the bed. My stomach tied in knots, I reached out for Matt. I waited for several seconds before a faint response came.

  “I’m here.”

  I bit into the fluffy bits of the pillow. “Are you alright?”

  I tried to see inside his mind, to see what he might be seeing. Only darkness stared back at me. I pushed further inside. I opened a door. The dim glow of a sconce showed me three walls of a dingy room. Suspended from chains, I saw Matt’s arms hanging in the air. I looked down at his bare legs, covered with dried blood. Flesh had been torn open in deep lines and left to fester after being whipped. Near his feet, shackles bit into skin. Green pus oozed from the wound, discoloring the area.

  I was seeing what Matt saw. I pushed to see more. A tight, airless box surrounded me. It had no escape. It had no end. A slow suffocation. I couldn’t breathe—

  “No!”

  Matt shoved me out the door with a snarl and slammed it shut. I opened my eyes and saw only my chamber. I took a cleansing breath. It took me a second to center myself.

  I closed my eyes again. In my mind, I saw the door again. I laid a palm against its solid surface.“Matt, why didn’t you tell me? Why didn’t you say anything?”

  “I’ll be fine,” he replied.

  I stood on one side of the door. He remained on the other.

  “I’ll be fine.” He repeated more softly.

  “Hold on, Matt. We’re coming. Vane and I are coming.”

  “Stay with me.”

  The soft plea squeezed my heartstrings. I put my cheek against the plank. “I will.”

  ***

  The next night, guards walked me through a long tunnel. I stepped out into the light of the pit. The crowd cheered as soon as I entered. I looked up at them. I stood once again, an insignificant being, down in the pit as I had done for fifteen days in a row.

  Three levels high, the circle of faces peered down. Leonidas stepped out from the opposite tunnel. The crowd roared with approval. He looked stunning. Under a thin tunic, his tanned skin glistened with just a touch of glossy sweat. The hard lines of his regal face had a dangerous edge. Firm legs balanced as gracefully as a cat. His lips curled in anticipation.

  We crossed the bridge over the short moat and faced each other, armed with our spears.

  It hadn’t been a huge surprise that Leonidas had chosen spears again after actually winning a match. I glanced up at the gargoyle sacrifice standing high atop the pit. Vane wanted me to lose tonight. I didn’t know who would volunteer as a sacrifice, but I had absolutely refused. I wasn’t about to lose a match and watch someone die. Vane eventually caved and came up with a riskier, yet infinitely more acceptable, plan.

  I glanced up again. Good thing, because I would not have gone through with the sacrifice-one-to-save-all plan, even if he’d convinced me it was the only way. A handcuffed and leg-shackled Grey stood at the top of the pit.

  Leonidas circled me. I moved to duck behind a half-wall that sat like a prop at a random location in the pit. My action caused Leonidas to shoot. A shock went through me as one spear struck cleanly into my chest. I ignored the stinging pain and threw my spear in an arc at him. I saw it nick him in the shoulder just before I dropped below the half-wall.

  “Is that all you have?” Leonidas laughed, letting out a shrill whistle.

  As Vane expected, the white bull came flying through a hidden door in the wall and across the moat. I had picked the half-wall so that the bull would come out just behind me. The bull charged me. It bent its head low. The horns aimed straight so it could gore me. I didn’t move. I waited for it to get as close.

  Soft fur tickled my arm when I hooked onto the straps of leather around the bull’s middle. With one hand, I pulled myself onto its side. The bull went past the half-wall and ran straight at Leonidas. Leonidas gaped, collected himself, and then threw his spear. It sunk into the bull, but the stalwart animal never faltered. I hoisted myself fully straight onto the bull’s saddle. I hooked my foot into the stirrups to steady myself and at the same time I took aim with the spear. I let it fly.

  The spear hit its mark. It struck Leonidas through the stomach. I pulled the bull to a stop before it trampled him. Leonidas gasped. His hands clutched the spear as he fell backwards.

  The crowd stared at us, eerily silent.

  I looked up. Lelex stood on the edge at the top of the pit.

  “Get the prince the healer!” he yelled.

  “The winner must be decided, Sire,” Theras said from beside the King.

  Lelex glared at the crowd. “Fine, the maiden wins.”

  The crowd nodded their agreement.

  “Vane.” Theras beckoned. Vane walked up. Only two guards escorted him. Theras removed the necklace. “Heal the prince.”

  As soon as the necklace was removed, Vane grabbed a sword from the older soldier’s side. He kicked him to the floor and caught the King. “I don’t think so.”

  The King laughed. “You’ve tried this once before, wizard, what makes you think it will work this time?”

  “I don’t,” Vane replied.

  “Vane,” Theras said. “Don’t do anything foolish.”

  Vane laughed. “You don’t know me very well.”

  Vane sliced the King’s throat. He shoved Lelex to the ground and beheaded him. The guards looked on, momentarily stupefied.

  “No!” Theras yelled.

  Then, everything seemed to happen at once. A shocked roar arose from the crowd as the guards rushed Vane.

  Lelex’s body fell to the ground.

  Vane put up his hands, palms out. “Agni.”

  Two fireballs shot straight at the guards. While still bound, Grey grabbed a fallen sword. Vane leapt toward him and cut Grey’s chains. Grey started fighting the guards at Vane’s side. It bought Vane time.

  Vane put out his hands and aimed down at the stadium. “Uksati agni.”

  Fireballs, one after another, like a machine gun, hit the sides of the stadium. The crowd screamed. Down in the pit, rocks started to crumble around me. Vane fired two giant fireballs directly at the waterfalls. Stone walls at the mouths of the waterfalls exploded. Water flowed freely. Heat from the fireballs caused the pit to start steaming. Through the haze, I saw Vane blast two more fireballs at the wall
just above another waterfall. The roof started to collapse on that level. Vane had explained that the waterfalls were the ends of two central pipelines. Plugging them would cause water to back up and flood most of the palace.

  Back in the pit, I directed the bull back to its door. The bull whined as it became hard to see through the thickening air. It still had a spear embedded in its hide, but the water seemed to bother the beast more. Above me, Vane and Grey jumped on a floating stone. They sailed down into the pit. Theras and Leonora came through the steam on the second floating stone. They landed at the same time as Vane and Grey. The stones floated close together. Grey jumped off one, while Vane stayed on.

  On the other stone, Theras pushed Leonora behind him. He crouched, facing Vane, with his sword in hand.

  Vane pointed to the crumbling walls around us. “You can fight me and I can kill you. Or you can try to save your prince. The pit is going to collapse.”

  Leonora let out a cry and jumped off the floating stone to go to a bleeding Leonidas lying at the center of the pit. After a brief moment of hesitation, Theras straightened. He jumped off the stone and started to move backwards toward Leonidas. “I will come after you,” he promised. “You will die for your treachery, Vane.”

  “You will have to find me first.” Vane jumped off the stone and ran toward Grey and me. The bull carried me across the bridge into the tunnel. Grey and Vane ran behind me. As soon as we got through, a skeleton crew of guards attacked us. Vane waved his hand and knocked them all out against the wall.

  “You’re no fun,” Grey said to him and lowered his sword.

  “We don’t have time to play.” Vane shot a fireball behind us. Rocks collapsed and closed off the tunnel from the pit. “Merlin is on the level above us. The armory and the other prisoners are near where he’s being kept.”

  I jumped off the bull. The animal went straight to Vane. He snorted in a friendly way and licked Vane’s face. Vane grimaced.

  “Aw, Vane, you have a widdle puppy,” Grey said.

  I struck Grey with the blunt end of the spear. “That poor thing’s been through more than you.” I went to the bull and touched the spear. The bull whined, warning me to stay away from the area. I looked at Vane. “You need to heal him.”