My Boyfriend Merlin (Book 1, My Merlin Series)

by Priya Ardis

Vane stopped the noise by raising one steely eyebrow. “I am Vane. You may address me as such. In this training class, I will make sure you are as fit as you can be. You will also be learning how to win a fight. How to properly defend and attack. We will start with the basics—hand to hand combat before working up to sticks, swords, and guns.”

  A few murmurs of surprise went through the room.

  “Yes, even guns,” Vane said, “Although guns are fairly useless against those well trained in magic, the Council has instructed me to include every threat in the curriculum. However, we have a short amount of time for you to become experts in this area—so I will be spending the least amount of time on this part.”

  “Is that because Regulars are the ones who most have to worry about guns?” I asked.

  “No, DuLac,” Vane said in a measured tone. “It is because we don’t have much time. Period. Don’t worry, though, I’m sure the Council will see fit to provide you with some body armor if you are so worried.”

  Vane turned back to address the class. “Our main objective is to become proficient at all of the sword forms. The sword is the most effective way to kill a Gargoyle or a wizard—”

  “Why is it the most effective?” I interrupted.

  Vane took another long breath. “Swords resist magic. Surely, you knew that. Any other questions?”

  I opened my mouth.

  “Not from you, DuLac,” Vane said. “Let us give someone else a chance.”

  No one said a word.

  “I will start by putting you through a simple series of tests. This will determine your ranking. Every other week we will retest and rank again. Every week I will be the only and absolute judge of where you stand—and, thus, what you will learn.”

  The message in his little speech was clear. Toe the line, take what he dishes out, or suffer the consequences.

  Vane gave us a minute to absorb this. He barked, “Ready?”

  “Ready, sir,” chorused the class.

  “Good.” With that one word, Vane set to torturing us.

  For the next hour we did an exhausting set of aerobic exercises and karate kicks. I was used to working out so I was tired but not winded. The other Regulars—all in good athletic shape—seemed at the same level. Blake and another one of the wizard girls looked as if they were about to pass out. Vane’s candidates glanced around with bored expressions.

  “Next I will be showing you kendo forms,” Vane said. He handed out arm-length wooden sticks. “Watch as I demonstrate. I will only do each form once. Then you will repeat. Your ranking will depend on the correctness of the form as well as your ability to replicate it. If you think you can look at your neighbor to remind you, just remember that they probably don’t know it any better than you.”

  We did that for another hour. At the end of it, I thought I would drop where I stood. I was mentally and physically exhausted. Even Vane’s candidates had been challenged by the mental alertness it took to remember each step when your muscles were on fire.

  “You will pair off into groups,” Vane instructed. “Each of you will pick one form that you have learned. One person will stand in the middle. The others will form a circle around him and attack with their one form. The defender may respond with any form. You will do this for five minutes each. You will not stop until time has been called. This will be your last test.”

  As soon as we started I knew I was going to fail. We paired off into loose groups of five. Blake insisted on going first. He stood in the middle as we charged him.

  It was a massacre. No thanks to me.

  I dropped my stick twice, but Mark the brute and another one of Vane’s candidates hammered at Blake until he fell to the ground.

  “Enough.” I stepped in the middle and held up my hands.

  In two strides, Vane reached our group. “There is no enough. You either win or lose. Since Emerson has not voiced his surrender, why, I wonder, do you feel the need to step in?”

  I stood my ground. “He would if he could.”

  Vane peered down at the fallen boy. “His mouth looks uninjured to me. Emerson, are you able to speak?”

  Blake squeaked, “Y-yes.”

  “Is that all you have to say?” Vane said. “Hesitation will not work against a gargoyle. If you do not have the confidence to stand up in practice then you do not belong in training. There will be no mercy out in the real world. Do you understand, Blake?”

  “Y-yes,” Blake repeated.

  “Stand up,” Vane commanded him. “Learn. Don’t cower.” He turned back to me. “Are you going to be his shield in battle too? We do not have time for showboating, DuLac. Your turn will come soon enough.”

  I gaped at him. Showboating? “I was trying to help—”

  “Helping when you’re not needed doesn’t help anyone but you,” Vane said. “However, since you have so much enthusiasm let us tack Emerson’s remaining time onto yours, DuLac.”

  “But—”

  Vane raised a brow. “Can’t handle it?”

  “What—” I could feel everyone, not just in my group, but throughout the room staring at me. I wasn’t about to let Vane win. I marched into the middle of our circle. Blake was still on the ground. I extended my hand to help him up, but he shook his head and rose on his own. He gave me a wary look as he took his place and closed the gap I’d left in the circle.

  Vane stood just outside the circle. “Emerson had three minutes left. So you will do a total of eight.”

  “Fine,” I bit out.

  The next eight minutes were a disaster. I managed to stay on my feet but I was going to have bruises up and down my body for days. Finally, Vane whistled for everyone to stop. The circle broke and he stepped through to me.

  “Interesting technique.” He picked up my stick that had fallen after being knocked out of my hand near the beginning of my time. “It works better when it’s in your hand.”

  “Maybe you should teach me first,” I replied.

  “Really? I had thought that you didn’t need teaching, since you seem to be under the impression that you know everything.”

  My jaw tightened. “If I knew everything, why would I be here?”

  Gia cleared her throat. “Should we continue, sir?”

  “By all means…” Bowing his head, Vane stepped out of the circle.

  Forty-five minutes later, I hurried out of the training room. I’d never been so happy to leave a class. Before dismissal, Vane had us line up in order. I was not in last place, much to my surprise. Blake, several of his friends, and some Regulars had been ranked below me.

  Unsurprisingly, all of Vane’s candidates made up most of the top ranks. Mark was first. Gia was second. Grey had performed so flawlessly Vane had no choice but to place him third. Oliver and Paul fell positions below Grey. I was surprised Vane had allowed any Regulars in the top ranks. I wondered if the Council had imposed a quota requirement on him.

  In the dressing room, I yanked off my sweat-drenched uniform before I got into the stall still in a heightened state of agitation. A stitch tore on the shirt. I cursed.

  Gia smirked at me. “You should have listened to me earlier and snuck out.”

  Another girl, one of Blake’s friends, came in behind us. “This is ridiculous. He’s punishing all the candidates he didn’t bring in.”

  “No.” To my surprise, Gia looked at the younger girl protectively. “He wants you to succeed. You’re a trained wizard. Unfortunately, you’re just that bad.” She glanced at me. “You, on the other hand, if he didn’t have it in for you before, he does now.”

  “As if you care,” I muttered.

  Gia laughed. “Make your life easier, DuLac. When he says jump just ask how high. Or better yet, don’t—all the better for me. While you’re butting heads with him, I’ll be learning.”

  My shoulders curled inward.

  “Don’t look so defeated.” Gia ducked into her stall. “You surprised me, DuLac. I didn’t expect you to stand up to him. Vane scares the crap out of me.”

/>   I turned to leave the dressing room, mulling over Gia’s words.

  “Hey, where are my boots?” Gia yelled from the stall.

  I smiled in satisfaction. It was short-lived. Almost immediately the weight of guilt bore down on me. Even though she totally deserved it, tossing her boots into the boys' dressing room seemed petty.

  I rushed out of the arched door, back into the gym, and straight into Vane.

  Strong arms caught me before I fell backwards. “DuLac, is your mind ever on this earth?”

  I jerked away from him.

  His expression shuttered. “Never mind.”

  He gestured me towards another small opening on the opposite wall from the exit. “Let’s have a quick word in my office.”

  “Er—” It was all I could think of saying. Gia was right. After that class, I didn’t feel like conversing with him anymore than absolutely necessary. “Grey is waiting for me.”

  He pointed to my bag. “Text him that you’ll meet him later.”

  Damn the digital age. Matt would have never thought to text—he only did it when he couldn’t avoid it—which should have clued me in to the fact that he had grown up in the fifth century. It seemed Vane was different.

  “Uh, I’m really hungry. I don’t to miss dinner. How about later?” I tried.

  Vane arched a gold-tipped brow. “How about now? You owe me.”

  Calling that in already? I muttered in head. Reluctantly, I shot off a text to Grey.

  I followed behind Vane. He topped me by almost a foot. Between his height and broad shoulder, he took up most of my field of vision. Although I knew he and Matt were close in age, the purposeful way he walked made him seem much older.

  Inside the small opening, another set of stairs spiraled downward. I took the narrow steps two at a time to keep up with Vane. When we reached the bottom, he opened a door that led to the most awesome office I’d ever seen. The room had little furniture, yet every inch of wall space had been covered either by a weapon or flat-screen TV. An RPG showed two knights paused in the middle of a joust.

  “You’re playing video games down here?”

  “Role-playing games. They are excellent for improving hand-eye coordination” Vane crossed over to a cushy leather chair, a video game nerd’s must-have accessory. “Something you could improve upon.”

  I eyed the giant TV screen with skepticism. “You asked me here to play games?”

  “No, but you’ll know when I do,” Vane said with a slight leer.

  I felt my cheeks heat.

  Vane leaned back in the chair and pulled out an attached keyboard like he was in a Western drawing out his gun. He punched a few keys. The TV screen flickered on with video footage of Matt and me at the food court at the mall back home.

  I demanded, “What is this? How did you get this?”

  Vane smirked. “Modern magic. Shall we watch? This is my favorite part.”

  On the screen, Matt leaned over to wipe a dollop of mustard from my lips. I hadn’t noticed before but in the middle of a wipe, his face changed. His eyes became glazed and he froze.

  I turned my face up. I hadn’t noticed anything wrong, and our lips met. Tentatively, at first. Then, the kiss became hard and heavy. It went on for an excruciating long minute. Matt broke off the kiss first. He wore an odd expression of pleasure and pain. I opened my eyes on the video. My heart twisted as I watched myself smile shyly at Matt.

  Matt jerked backwards.

  Vane paused the video. “Did you see it?”

  No. My heart was breaking a second time. Matt had not kissed me. I had kissed him.

  I said hoarsely, “See that you’re a perv? Yes, I do.”

  “He had a vision,” Vane said impatiently. “But when you kissed him, it stopped. That’s why he backed away. You blocked it.”

  I said, “What?”

  “Do you understand anything, little girl? I've figured out what's wrong with you,” said Vane. “The gargoyles are stronger. They are just as capable as any candidate we have. But we’ve got an advantage. Merlin’s visions… unless you cock it up.”

  I blinked at him with incomprehension. “I haven’t done anything.”

  “You don't have to. I saw him with you. He's not doing a good job of resisting you.”

  I stared at Vane. After a pause, I turned to leave. “You’ve been down here in the creepy clubhouse too long, Vane. You don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  Vane raised his hand. A breeze came out of nowhere. It tightened around me like an invisible hand. I couldn’t move.

  “Let me go,” I gritted out.

  “Stop being so difficult.” Vane stood up, a hulking form with broad shoulders and a solid chest. He strode up to me. He walked past me to go to a wall filled with various swords, scimitars, and bows. He took down an antique wooden bow and arrow. He notched the arrow.

  He said, “Let me connect the dots. Merlin has visions. It's what he does. If he doesn't have visions, we can kiss this little contest for the sword goodbye.”

  I eyed the weapon in his hand. The arrow pointed straight at me. And I couldn’t move.

  “What are you doing, Vane?” I said.

  His lips curved in a devastating smile.

  CHAPTER 11

  ROUND TABLE

  Vane flicked his hand and I was jerked around to look at the giant TV again. The video of Matt and me at the food court switched to show a painting with a girl wearing a toga. She held her hands over her eyes.

  “Did you know the Lady of the Lake also hung out with the Greeks? Her people went by different names in different cultures but they were the same beings. Most of our powers come from them.”

  “So…?” I drew out.

  Vane pointed to toga-girl. “Her name was Cassandra. She was a daughter of Troy. She was cursed by Apollo to see the future—”

  “But no one would believe her. Yes, I know.”

  “The curse is not just a story.” Vane stood up. “Cassandra survived the fall of Troy. She passed down the curse.”

  “You think I’m cursed like Cassandra?”

  Vane laughed. “No. I think you’re a descendant of Apollo. You render the curse neutral. In my life, I’ve only ever known one other who was a descendant of the Sun God.”

  “Apollo wasn’t real,” I scoffed.

  Vane raised a brow. “I wouldn’t insult them. They may not be visible but reality is in the mind.”

  I rolled my eyes.

  “Apollo isn’t real. Arthur isn’t real. Merlin isn’t real,” he mimicked. “How many times have you said that?”

  I shut up.

  Vane lifted the bow.

  “What are you doing?” I asked.

  “Relax.” He walked up behind me.

  I felt the heat of his body on my back as he reached around me to put the bow in my left hand.

  “Take it.” His voice tickled the curve of my ear.

  My fingers closed around the roughly textured wood bow. “How did you know I’m left-handed?”

  “I know a great deal about you.” Taking my right hand, he positioned my fingers on the string. I clenched my teeth when he turned me to face a target on the wall behind his desk.

  “Now, shoot,” he demanded.

  My teeth clenched, I imagined his smug face in front of the target. I shot. The arrow flew off the bow, slicing a bit of skin off the inside of my elbow as it went. I yelped. The arrow went wild and bounced off one of Vane’s ultra-thin monitors.

  Vane made a sound of impatience. “Stop thinking. Just shoot.”

  Blood dripped from my arm. My eyes stung with tears from the sudden pain. I blinked rapidly to clear them.

  “Stop crying, DuLac,” Vane snapped. “Are you a candidate or not?”

  My lips thinning, I focused on the target. This time when I pulled back on the arrow an odd out-of-body feeling came over me. They say you never forget how to ride a bike. This felt the same. My hand moved as if the muscles remembered how to shoot. Before I knew it the arrow zin
ged past my cheek straight towards the target.

  It hit the small dartboard with a loud punch. The dartboard flew off the wall and smashed onto the floor.

  “Not bad,” Vane said, taking the bow from my hands.

  “Not bad?” I turned around. I realized I could move. I gave Vane a gloating smile. “I killed it.” I frowned. “I’m not sure why, but it felt as if I’d done it before. I’ve never shot a bow and arrow before.”

  “Apollo’s twin sister Artemis was the Huntress. Their symbol was the bow and arrow. This isn’t a coincidence.”

  “Or you just magicked it.”

  Vane smiled. His eyes lightened with the genuineness of it. “I didn’t, but you’ll have to trust me.”

  And oddly enough I believed him. Vane was a jerk, but he hadn’t lied so far.

  Vane grabbed my arm and pulled me toward him

  Before I could protest, he put his hand over the cut I’d gotten from the bow. He mumbled a magic word that made my ears ring. The cut closed. He slid a thumb over the healed skin. I bit my lip as he teased the sensitive area.

  I pulled away from him. “Why did you tell me all this, Vane? Why not tell Matt?”

  “He already knows.” Vane reached out to touch my amulet. “As I said, he’s not doing a good job of resisting you.”

  My heart leapt into my throat. I forced it back down. “What do you want me to do? I can’t just stop seeing Matt.”

  “You can see him. You just can’t… kiss him.” His eyes roved up and down my body. “Proximity is a factor, I think, but you haven’t crossed the line. I want to make sure you don’t.”

  I’m sure my face must have turned a scorching scarlet. Did I have a letter on my shirt declaring ‘H’ for ho? I crossed my arms over my chest.

  Vane looked at me from under hooded eyelids. “Merlin must think you’re special if he gave you the Dragon’s Eye amulet. Only one other has ever worn it.”

  “Who?” I asked, though I wasn’t sure I wanted to know.

  Vane hit a button on the TV and the RPG switched back onto the screen. Vane clicked ‘Save’ on the menu. A closing scene played of a beautiful maiden handing a ribbon to a knight in shining armor riding a white horse.

  My heart twisted a little as I watched the romantic scene. “Is that how it really was?”