My Merlin Awakening by Priya Ardis Read Free Book Online Page A

clarity. Sylvia sat behind the mammoth writing desk, separating her from Matt. As if she needed to place a barrier between them. Matt stood next to one of the large armchairs facing the desk.
    “He can’t come here!” Sylvia said, her face pale.
    “The Council received the message just yesterday. I rushed back to them and then straight here. He will only agree to come to Ragnar manor,” said Matt. “The gargoyle king has asked to see you specifically, Sylvia, and I want you to agree.”
    The walls of the spacious office seemed to shrink around Sylvia. Trees knocked against a thick-paned window and even though it couldn’t have possibly allowed any of the winter chill inside, Sylvia shivered. She glanced at the picture of Alexa on her desk, as well as the walls upon walls of leather-bound books that appeared to have not been read in years. She avoided looking at Matt.
    “I c-can’t,” she said. “You don’t understand.”
    “You must,” he said. “Rourke has promised to give us something we desperately need in exchange for this meeting. Something I have been seeking ever since Excalibur was pulled from the stone. If you care at all about Grey and Ryan, you need to allow this. Their future—no, all our futures will be changed if you do this.”
    “That is what I’m afraid of,” Sylvia muttered.
    “I have a small army outside for your protection, but I doubt we’ll need it.”
    “He won’t hurt me,” Sylvia said. “But I won’t risk Grey and Ryan—”
    “No need to worry. I will have them taken out of here tonight.”
    “Ryan doesn’t want to leave,” Sylvia said. “A lot has happened. She needs time to recover and lick her wounds for a bit.”
    Matt rubbed his forehead. “There is no time left. It ran out as soon as the second tremor occurred.”
    “If they find out about Rourke, they won’t go,” Sylvia said.
     “Once I tell Vane who is coming tomorrow, he won’t give her a choice.”
    I’d heard enough. Seething with anger, I let go of Matt’s mind. The link untethered with a loud snap. My eyes flew open. Footfalls sounded inside the office. “Whoops.”
    Vane hissed at me, “I told you to be quiet.”
    The office doors flung open. Matt halted at the sight of me standing in the hallway. His lips thinned in a strict line of disapproval. He looked over my shoulder at his brother. “Do you have any idea what you’ve done?”

 
    CHAPTER 4 – A HAUNTED HOUSE

    CHAPTER 4
A HAUNTED HOUSE
     
    “What’s going on?” Grey asked.
    “The gargoyle king wants to see Sylvia and she’s going to let him.”
    “What? I’m not letting that monster near her.” Grey rushed toward the office to see his mother.
    Matt moved to let him by. He took a few steps into the hall.
    “How can you ask this?” I asked.
    “Rourke didn’t attack Alexa, you know that.”
    I was about to grumble, “They’re all the same,” when he beat me to it.
    “They are not all the same. We need to find out why Excalibur is here. He can tell us.” Matt took another step toward us. “I am not here on a whim. I was not removed as Second Member. I asked to be released—for this reason. We need to know why the sword has been sent to us. You saw my vision today. I’m trying to stop it.”
    “You had a vision?” Blake asked. “Was it bad?”
    “Very bad,” I said. “What does it have to do with Rourke?”
    “I am hoping Rourke knows how we can stop it.”
    Vane moved to stand beside me. “You haven’t answered the question. Why does Rourke want to come here ?”
    “I don’t know,” Matt repeated impatiently. “I’ve agreed to the meeting to find out.”
    I took a breath. “Is it because of me? Does he think he can turn me into one of them?” A gargoyle. Just the thought left me horrified. An old memory of a cold monster with protruding fangs and long claws jumped to the surface of my mind. Red blood on white stone tile. One of them had torn my mother apart and tried to do the same to me.
    Vane