My Merlin Awakening (14 page)

Two other guardians joined Clarence to greet them. By greet, I mean, they patted them down for weapons—magical and non-magical. Rourke handed Clarence an ebony walking stick.

I frowned. “He wasn’t using a walking stick on the rooftop.”

Matt nodded. Pulling out a cellphone from his pocket, he texted Clarence. We watched Clarence read the text. He nodded and spoke to Rourke. The gargoyle king didn’t look happy, but he gave the walking stick to one of his bodyguards, who in turn, put it in the limo. The bodyguard then held out his hand for Rourke to use as support.

I recognized one of the bodyguards as well. Dark red hair and as much of a giant as Rourke, he tried to kill me with a broadsword. Finally, Clarence turned to look back at Matt, who stood at the center of the front window. The gargoyles had passed screening.

Vane stood beside him. “Are you sure you want to let them inside?”

Matt nodded at Clarence. Vane sighed. Clarence led them to the door. A few other guardians came out of their hiding positions and followed the gargoyles into the manor. Rourke’s eyes immediately went to Sylvia as he entered the living room. Rourke emerged from the circle his bodyguards formed around him.

Vane pushed me further behind him to keep as much of himself between the gargoyles and me as possible. When I skirted around his reach and moved to stand beside him, he gave me such a frustrated look that I almost smiled.

The bodyguards frowned, but Rourke took a slow step closer to Sylvia. “I am glad you agreed to see me. You look as stunning as the last time we met.”

Grey moved in front of his mother.

“It’s alright, Grey,” Sylvia put her hand on his arm and stepped out from behind him. “Rourke won’t hurt me. We knew each other a long time ago… since before you were born.”

“We went to school together.” Rourke smiled.

Everyone else in the room looked stunned, including the other gargoyles.

“Yes, but it was a long time ago,” Sylvia said. “Why are you here, Rourke?”

Rourke chuckled. “Straight to the point as always. I’ve missed that.” His expression turned somber. He put a hand on the back of a sofa that sat between us and leaned on it.

“It’s not good news, I’m afraid,” he said. “I know I told you I would not bother you unless it became absolutely necessary. Well, it has—”

Sylvia’s hands clenched as she pulled her suit jacket tightly around her. “What has happened?”

“It is Oliver, my son.” Rourke looked at me. “I vowed I would take control of him, but I must say I underestimated the lad; he has escaped me. He has vowed vengeance upon your family for the loss of his.”

Apparently, Rourke hadn’t heard about what happened in Salem last night. Oliver had been thwarted, but I had no doubt he’d try again. I glanced at Vane. He leaned closer to me. Vane had killed Oliver’s mother to protect me. Oliver blamed both of us.

Rourke watched Vane with interest. “Not only that. He plans to usurp me as king. He—” He looked back at Sylvia.

“That’s not possible, unless…” Sylvia frowned, looking down at the floor. Then, her eyes snapped back to Rourke. “What did he do to you?”

Rourke grimaced. “He poisoned me.”

CHAPTER 7 – THE ATTACK

CHAPTER 7
THE ATTACK

Sylvia’s hand went to her mouth. Rourke moved to take another step toward her, but swayed. His bodyguard caught his arm before he fell.

“I’m alright, Colin.” Rourke straightened with effort and pulled his arm away.

“Sit down, Rourke,” Sylvia commanded.

Matt asked, “Why have you come to us? Do you want us to try to heal you?”

“You cannot. Even with all your power, Master Emrys, you will not be able to heal this.” Rourke let out a small laugh. “The gargoyles have been hoarding this little weapon since before Arthur’s time. It comes from the island of a people we called the Ancient Guardians, the Guides. They entrusted us with a rare creature that we’ve protected for more than an eon, a beautifully deadly monster. We discovered not long after we took over as its caretaker why the Guides chose us. The creature possesses venom that attacks the very essence of life—it triggers a response that accelerates aging.”

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 the trident’s triangular headpiece.