My Boyfriend Merlin (28 page)

The last layer of the roof dropped. We jumped onto the Stone together. The rooftop had completely disappeared.

I pulled Grey in for a hug. Grey grabbed me tightly. “Tell Mom goodbye for me.”

I shook my head. “You tell her.”

Oliver hit Grey over the head. He caught Grey before Grey fell off the stone. They teetered towards limbo. I pulled them back.

Blake gaped at us. “W-What?”

“I’m making sure Grey gets home,” I said, handing him to Blake.

“He’s going to kill me,” Blake muttered. Holding Grey in one hand, he pulled me into a one-arm hug and squeezed tightly. “We’ll never forget you.”

Then, without another word, he carried Grey to the sword.

I bit my lip, trying not to cry.

Oliver stared at me. “I should kill you, but I have feeling you’ll suffer worse alive.”

I grabbed his sleeve. “Why do you hate me?”

It was my last chance to ask him anything. It was my last chance to ask anyone anything. The enormity of what I was doing hit me. I would be totally alone…
forever
.

Oliver’s mouth twisted into a bitter smile. “I’ve been watching you from the beginning. The candidates didn’t pick you as their leader because you are smart, DuLac. They picked you because you would sacrifice yourself if it came to it. Looks like they were right.”

My fingers tightened on his sleeve. “Our bargain?”

“I knocked out Ragnar for you, but I can’t guarantee what happens on the other side.” With a sneering smile, he pulled away from me.

Blake, Grey, and Oliver touched the Sword. They disappeared.

I sat down and stared out over the neverending expanse of nothingness.

I was alone.

CHAPTER 18
THE SHOT HEARD AROUND THE WORLD

Completely, totally alone.

I sat on top of a floating rock and the cold metal gleam of the sword was the brightest thing in the universe. My body shook. An ice blast of wind sent a draft straight through my sheer gown. My body shook harder but I didn’t move to stop it.

It was as if I’d distanced my mind already. There was nothing left to hold onto.

It would have been easy to step off the stone and let myself float away.

I touched my amulet. A sudden burst of heat pulled me back. The charm spread warmth across my skin. The red gemstone burned brightly.

A white horse thundered along limbo, straight up to me. It stopped just parallel to the Stone. Matt sat on top.

Another horse appeared to the left. A jet-black stallion with an ornate saddle carried Vane.

“What are you doing here?” Matt demanded.

“About damn time you touched the amulet, Dorothy,” Vane said. “I see you made it to the witch’s castle.”

I gaped at him. “I’m losing it,” I muttered.

“Stop wasting time, Vane.” Matt said, “Ryan, if you fall into limbo, you lose the trial.”

I blinked. “How are you here?”

Vane smirked. “We’re not really. We’re talking to you the same way we’ve been communicating back in the real world. In your head. It took me awhile to figure out, but apparently my ingenious brother put a little safety into the amulet—mind reading.”

“Something you weren’t supposed to know how to use,” Matt muttered.

“My powers are tied to you,” Vane said.

“W-What?” I sputtered. “You can read my mind?”

Vane smirked in confirmation. “If you want to kill him, you have to come back.”

“How?” I looked at the sword. “If I touch it, I die.”

The Stone wobbled and stopped for a second. My heart paused along with it. The Stone restarted with a sputter.

“This is not going to last much longer,” Matt said grimly. “Listen, Ryan, there is another way than the three working together. You have to show the Sword sacrifice.”

I stared at him. “I’m the last one here! What other sacrifice is there?”

Vane’s horse snorted in agreement. Vane snapped at Matt, “What have you seen?”

Matt ignored him. “You have to pull the sword.”

“How is that sacrifice?” I asked.

Matt reached out with a translucent hand to touch my forehead. My eyes widened as images of what he wanted me to do flooded my mind.

“Oh.” I swallowed. “What happens on the other side?”

“Whatever you do here will probably follow you through.”

“Oh.” I swallowed harder this time.

Vane leaped off the horse.

Matt’s jaw dropped in surprise. “You shouldn’t be able to get off the horse.”

Vane’s hands cupped my face. “Whatever he’s told you, whatever he doesn’t want me to see, I want you to understand one thing—the trial is yours. Only you know what to do.” With a quick search of my face, Vane stepped back.

It took me three strides to reach the sword.

“Get back on the horse,” Matt shouted at Vane.

The horse neighed with corresponding urgency. Vane pulled himself onto his skittish stallion.

The Stone came to an abrupt halt. I pulled out the Sword. I felt the ground give way.

I plunged it into my stomach.

***

Excruciating pain spread out in an expanding wave. Then, black curtained my eyes. Breath left me. For a second I was stateless, nowhere and everywhere at once. My body split into a million pieces, then each particle slowly reattached.

I couldn’t scream.

Only the Sword tethered me to myself. Slowly, my body reformed. My mind rose back into consciousness. I opened my eyes. I stood on top of the rooftop again. Yet this time, the red moon shone down brightly illuminating the stain of blood on cream stone.

A battle raged in full color.

Whatever truce we’d made to exit the trial had been lost.

Matt, Vane, and the other candidates stood backed up to the Stone, surrounded by Marla, Aurelius, and the gargoyle candidates. On the front lines, Matt dueled with Aurelius. The other wizard candidates were taking on the traitor guardians. Many of the candidates who’d been alive just a few minutes before lay broken and bloodied on the unforgiving stone.

No one had noticed my appearance on the Stone. I fell on my knees.

“Ryan,” Grey shouted.

“The Stone stopped spinning,” someone said.

Vane leaped up the Stone to reach me. I barely noticed as he pulled the Sword out of my stomach. Vane laid me across the Stone.

“She has the Sword.” I heard Oliver scream. “Get the Sword!”

“Grey,” Matt shouted. “Keep them away.” Then, he appeared over me, next to Vane.

I tried to keep my eyes open.

“Do something,” Vane shouted at him.

Matt grabbed me. Burning heat climbed into stomach. I cried out as fire consumed me. My mind threatened to cave in. Then, my vision clouded.

My breathing slowed. My body slowed.

“You’re losing her!” I heard Vane cry somewhere far away. “If we don’t do this together, she’ll die!”

“Fine!” I head Matt snap.

I closed my eyes. Every corner of my existence fell away, leaving me free to float in peace.

A powerful jerk yanked me back. A hammer shattered through the calm. With a gasping cry, my eyes flew open. The sudden centering left me nauseous. The smell of blood and sweat seeped back into my pores.

“Matt? Vane?” I said.

Vane laughed. A faint glow of blue and red fire around me dissipated.

“You’re back,” Matt said.

He touched my face and lay down next to me.

“Matt!” I pushed myself up. Matt lay still on the Stone.

“He’ll be fine. He’s just spent,” Vane said.

To my surprise, Vane grabbed me up into a hard kiss. “No more dying, DuLac.”

“I died?” I said.

I touched my stomach. The skin on it stretched out smoothly without even a scar.

“Ry!” Grey yelled.

My attention turned abruptly back to the battle. The candidates and gargoyles hacked away at each other. The two sides seemed equally matched. I glanced at Arthur’s sword.

Your sword.
The wind whispered.

I picked up the Sword. It burned with yellow fire.

A beast-like howl sounded from behind the gargoyles. Oliver looked up from in front of the gargoyles.

Although my bones still felt hollow with weakness, I forced myself up.

I lifted the sword high. “It's over, Oliver. I have the Sword.”

The gargoyles paused as they absorbed my words. They looked uncertainly to Oliver.

“The gargoyles will not be defeated today. You are no one, Ryan. I will be King. The Sword will be mine,” Oliver shouted.

Beside him, Marla nodded. Her gargoyle face became feral and lit with excitement. “The others will be here soon. They don't have a chance.”

An army of gargoyles streamed over the walls of the Palace and onto the rooftop, surrounding the Stone.

Oliver stood at their head. “Give up the Sword and no one else has to die.”

Matt stirred behind me.

Vane helped him, putting Matt’s arm over his shoulder to hold him up. “The gargoyles have come to play. Any bright ideas?”

“Stand behind Ryan,” Matt rasped. “Ryan, keep holding the Sword no matter what.”

Matt put his hand on my right shoulder.

Vane put his hand on my left shoulder.

“Just a small spell,” Matt said.

“Are you sure? We could take care of them today,” Vane replied.

“I’m not killing off a whole race,” Matt retorted. “Besides I don’t have enough to do much more.”

Vane sighed. “If you say so.”

The gargoyles advanced on the candidates. Oliver lunged at Grey with a loud battle cry.

I gritted my teeth. “Can you stop arguing for a sec and do whatever it is you’re going to do before we get slaughtered?”

“You’ll need to focus us, Ryan,” Matt said.

“
Svapati
,” Vane said.

“
Svapati
,” Matt repeated.

I gasped as a shock of energy ran through the Sword. I had to resist the urge to drop it. A wave of translucent color spread out across the rooftop until it covered hundreds of gargoyles.

Within seconds, the gargoyles lay fast asleep. All expect the few who had been candidates.

Matt and Vane let go of me. Vane set Matt back down.

My heart racing, I lowered the sword.

Oliver jumped past Grey. He tried to lunge at me. Vane knocked him down. Oliver fell hard on the rooftop.

“It’s over, Oliver.” I ran to him and put the sword at his neck. “What will this be? The third time you’ve failed to kill me?”

“Fourth,” Oliver retorted. “Who do you think sent Morgan?”

“What?”

“Kill her!” Oliver yelled at the remaining gargoyles.

“Stop!” An older man stood on the roof’s ledge. He was about the same age as Marla with a shock of blond hair.

The gargoyles on the rooftop stilled.

Four other gargoyles stood beside him, two on each side. I recognized one of the gargoyles. He was one we’d captured in the alley at the festival. The one who’d escaped.

“Who are you?” I demanded.

The blond man spotted the sword in my hand. He walked closer until he stood only a few feet away. “You pulled the Sword?”

“Yes,” I said.

Vane came up beside me. “And she has shown she can use it. Do yourself a favor and leave.”

The blond man let out a dry laugh. “You dare to command me? Do you know who I am?”

Vane lazily folded his arms in front of him. “By the way they followed your command, I would say— the King?”

“My name is Rourke,” he said with a nod. He glanced at the sleeping gargoyles on the rooftop. “Gargoyles, wake!”

To my dismay, the army of gargoyles began to wake up. The candidates gathered together and lifted their swords in readiness.

Rourke continued unperturbed, “But I do not know this Morgan. Marla’s orders were to take care of all the candidates. It seems as if there has been considerable effort to deal with you.” He hooked at finger at Oliver. “Son, I would order you to tell me about M—”

“No,” Marla said. In a flash, she threw a dagger straight at me. At the same time, Aurelius let loose a fireball straight at me.

Still sitting on the Stone just behind me, Matt deflected the fireball with one hand. Vane caught the dagger just inches before it reached my face.

The fireball boomeranged back on Aurelius. He screamed as he burned. The fire blazed with such heat that within seconds his body charred down to just bone.

Marla took out another dagger. Vane let loose the dagger he’d caught. It struck her in the head.

“No, Mother!” Oliver cried out. Marla fell to the ground. Oliver ran to her and picked her up in his arms. He sobbed into her neck.

Rourke, his face changing into a hulking blond beast, turned on Vane. “You have killed my consort, wizard. There will be retribution.”

The gargoyle from the alley stepped forward carrying a cell. “Sire—”

“You work for Marla,” I said.

“No, lass. I am the King’s servant first. I helped the Queen only as long as I believed it to be in his interest.” He said to Rourke, “Sire, the First Member has rallied more wizards to her. They will be coming. We should go. We have already lost the Sword.”

Wizards floated up from the hole in the roof from inside the palace. The Queen stood between them. She walked though them to the front. Hundreds of wizards fanned out behind her.