Ryder

Merlin shows up. Also, there is a confrontation with Ryder's mother.

I found myself surprised that Caden had arrived so soon. Styxx had said he wouldn't show up for a few days and yet there he was. Even stranger was the fact that I actually liked him. Styxx had been sure that I wouldn't like him at all. Caden was a decent guy, it seemed. Quiet and a bit reserved, though. He didn’t look much like his brother. He had dark brown hair and he was nearly a head shorter than Styxx. Still, they had the same silver eyes and the same nose. They looked different enough to be their own person but alike enough that you knew without asking that they were brothers. Unlike Ryan and I. With Ryan and I, you couldn't really tell us apart aside from the fact that I was tattooed and he wasn't. If I didn't have the tattoos and piercings, though, you wouldn't be able to tell us apart all. Which was something we'd taken advantage of in our younger years. Sometimes, before I'd gotten my first tattoo and ruined it, we would trade places for weeks on end. He would be me, studying War Magick, and I would be him....studying all sorts of interesting things. It had been fun but I'd gotten my first tattoo on my sixteenth birthday and ruined it for us. 

 

Entering my Suite, I locked the door from the inside - a servant had tried to enter the previous night while I'd been asleep and freaked me out - and went to the kitchen. This way, only Styxx would be able to open my door. He knew how to open doors with Magick which was why he'd insisted that I start locking my doors from the inside. The servant that had shown up in my bedroom - at three in the morning no less - had scared the s**t out of me and I wasn't about to be scared like that again. Therefore, I locked the door from the inside. 

 

The kitchen, I'd found, had been fully stocked. I grabbed a glass of water and brought it to my bedroom. Taking my shirt and pants off, I slipped beneath the blankets in only my boxers and snapped my fingers to turn out the light. Snapping your fingers wasn't needed to turn out the light but it was a fun way to do things. All you really had to do to do stuff like that was focus your Magick and it would accomplish whatever it was that you'd wanted done. It was one of the best things about being a Mage. Having Magick was, of course, always amazing but it was even better when you were laying in bed and didn't want to get up to turn off the light. Ryan had always called me lazy when I'd done it in front of him and maybe he was right but it was still deadly useful. Especially because I couldn't see very well in the dark which meant that, if I attempted to get up and turn off the light, I would probably find myself dead because I would trip over something and break my neck.  

 

In a few minutes, I'd fallen asleep. I awoke what seemed like only minutes later. It had actually been about four hours. I woke to Styxx standing next to my bed, staring down at me. He told me that Merlin had arrived and that I needed to get dressed. Groggily, I slid out of bed and pulled on a pair of black sweatpants and a black muscle shirt. Styxx had already left the room by the time I turned around and I headed across the hall to Styxx's rooms where Merlin and Styxx were waiting for me. When I got there, Styxx handed me a cup of black coffee and I accepted it gratefully. After taking a few sips, I found myself able to think clearly and looked at Merlin. 

 

Merlin was nothing like I'd been expecting. I'd been expecting someone like Styxx. Muscled and powerful looking. Merlin was neither of these things. Instead, he was a lanky boy with smooth ivory skin and white-blonde hair. He had green eyes and wore a pair of jeans with a white t-shirt. All in all, he looked like a seventeen year old boy rather than one of the most powerful Mages in existence. The power exuding from Merlin was almost tangible. It flowed from him in waves, permeating the room with its intensity. And suddenly it hit me. This was Merlin. The single most powerful Mage in the world. He had taught Styxx everything he knew. And I was face-to-face with him.  

 

Our eyes met and I felt his Magick touch mine. He let his Magick mingle with mine for longer than Styxx had but I knew he had his reasons. One of them was undoubtedly that he wanted to see how strong I was. When he pulled his Magick away, he grinned at me and held out his hand. Obviously I'd already passed whatever test he'd been doing. When he spoke, his voice was tinged with a strange accent but held a hell of a lot of power. 

 

 "It is nice to finally meet you, Ryder." 

 

"It's an honor sir."  

 

Merlin laughed. "Please. I'm no sir. Arthur would have laughed himself silly had he heard you call me that." 

 

"Why?" I asked. 

 

Merlin smiled, lost in a memory. "To Arthur, I was just Merlin. Not some powerful Mage. The first time someone called me Lord Merlin he laughed until he cried. He found it hilarious that someone could think me a Lord." 

 

Styxx laughed. "You said he called you a bumbling idiot the first time you met." 

 

Merlin laughed again. "He did." Looking to me he explained, "Arthur and I met when he and his knights came looking for me. They needed help with some beast that had come to terrorize their kingdom. He didn't believe that I was me for three days. Finally, we met someone that knew me and he believed them. We traveled to Camelot and I destroyed the beast for them. Not that I remember what it was. Arthur kissed me afterwards and begged me to stay with him in Camelot. Guinevere wasn't happy with it but...well Arthur didn't love her. The legends have things backwards. Guinevere only married Arthur because her father wished it. Not long after we got together, she ran off with Lancelot." 

 

"He really didn't believe that you were you?" I asked. 

 

Styxx raised an eyebrow. "Would you have believed him? Merlin looks more like a fifteen year old boy than he does a powerful mage."  

 

I laughed. "Maybe not at first. But I'd believe him when I'd felt his power." 

 

"Once he'd been informed of who I really was, Arthur was quite apologetic. He said much the same thing the both of you did. That I looked younger than I was." 

 

"How old were you when you met Arthur?" I asked. 

 

Merlin frowned. "Three hundred maybe? I was quite young then." 

 

"Wow. So the history books do have something right. You were much older than him." 

 

Merlin laughed. "Didn't stop him from loving me, though." 

 

"I daresay it wouldn't have stopped anyone. Age is but a number to the Immortals." Styxx said quietly. 

 

Merlin's smile faded and for an instant he looked troubled. Wiping the sorrow from his expression, Merlin looked more closely at me.  

 

"Styxx was right. Your Magickal core is quite strong. almost as strong as my own was. You have great potential, Ryder. I'm glad Styxx has chosen you. It's been too long since he's had an apprentice." 

 

Styxx nodded. "I plan on having him around for quite a while." 

 

"What are you teaching him first?"  

 

"The Ancient Arts. I'm teaching him in much the same way that you taught me."  

 

"A good way. He'll most likely understand the modern Magicks better that way." Merlin said, taking a sip of his tea.  

 

"Exactly."  

 

"So tell me what has been going on as of late. You said something about Ryder's mother."  

 

I rolled my eyes. "She isn't very happy that I gained an apprenticeship with Styxx. She's coming here this afternoon to try and talk Styxx into dropping me for my brother. Nevermind the fact that Ryan has no interest whatsoever in an apprenticeship with Styxx. He prefers to learn War Magick."  

 

Merlin looked thoughtful. "Would you mind if I stayed for this visit of hers? I won't cause any trouble, of course, I simply want to observe and make sure she will not cause any problems."  

 

Styxx shook his head. "Of course not. You're more than welcome to stay as long as you like." 

 

I nodded. "She's going to cause trouble, though. When Styxx refuses to drop me, it's going to piss her off. And when Mother is pissed off, she's willing to do whatever it takes to destroy whatever pissed her off." 

 

Merlin nodded. "I've heard stories about her. Cold woman. Much like Morgana was. If she starts trouble with you, I will be staying around until the trouble has passed. Styxx is like a brother to me...and I wish to become close to you as well. Besides, if she does cause trouble, I want to be here to help protect you. She has an army at her disposal." 

 

"And we have...nothing." 

 

Styxx shook his head, looking over at me. "Not true. Once the news gets out, we'll have supporters. People willing to help and protect us. We may not have nearly as much support as she will but we will have enough to keep us safe. Besides, we'll have Merlin on our side. There are not many people who, when they realize who he is, will want to get on his bad side. Not only that but there are also people who won't want to get on my bad side."  

 

"You're probably right. I'm just hoping it doesn't come to that." 

 

"We are as well. However, if it does come to that, you must not blame yourself. This would not be your fault. Your mother will have made the decision. Not you." Merlin said quietly.  

 

"I know it isn't my fault. I just wish there was something I could do to make her stop this nonsense. She's going to do something incredibly stupid because she's not going to get her way and I can't stop her." 

 

Merlin gave a small nod. "I know what you mean. Morgana was much the same. Oh, she didn't exactly start out as a cold-hearted b***h. At first, Morgana was quiet and kind as well as beautiful. It was only after Uther denied her the throne of Camelot that she changed. When Arthur became king, she and a group of other Mages declared war on Camelot. I felt that I could've stopped her or done something to make her stop. I know now that I couldn't have done anything to stop her. She was hell-bent on revenge. Just don't let it turn into you blaming yourself for her actions as I did. I spent a century believing that Arthur's death was my fault. And all because I couldn't have stopped Morgana."  

 

I looked at the floor. "I'll try not to." 

 

Merlin sighed. "It's not going to be easy, of course, but blaming yourself isn't going to help anything." 

 

"He's right. You cannot blame yourself. If I blamed myself for every bad thing that happened in my life, I would have no life left to live." Styxx commented, looking at me. 

 

I looked up at him. "I'll do my best not to blame myself. But...how could it not be my fault? I chose to leave her house instead of doing as she told me." 

 

Merlin rolled his eyes. "You'd have been miserable if you'd stayed there. Helena would have kept asking things of you, things that you couldn't have done without feeling guilty for it. You did the right thing by leaving, Ryder."  

 

"I feel like I did the right by leaving. But if she...if she does something stupid, like declare war, how do I justify that to the families of the people she'll kill? Because she will kill, I know my mother well enough by now to know that no one who supports us will be safe from her."  

 

"We will protect those we can and we will bury those we can't. But their deaths will not be on your hands, Ryder. It is your mother whom will have the bloody hands. She will have declared war, she will have ordered their deaths. Her. Not you." Styxx said in a stern voice, silver eyes boring into mine.  

 

As we sat talking, Caden entered the room and sat down on Styxx's left side. He wore a pair of dark blue jeans and a black t-shirt. As he sat down, he accepted a cup of tea from Styxx and studied us carefully. For a long moment, he didn't speak. he simply stared at me, silver eyes curious. Finally, he spoke in a calm voice.  

 

 "I've been listening to the strange conversation you were having and I've come to the conclusion that, if there had been any doubt in my mind before, you are not who your mother said you were. If you were, you wouldn't care who died." He paused, considering what to say next. "Styxx and Merlin are right, by the way, you will not be at fault for what she does. She makes her own decisions and you are not responsible for stopping her."  

 

Styxx nodded as a servant came into the room. He alerted us to the fact that my mother had arrived and the four of us stood together. Merlin was the first to exit the room. Styxx and Caden left next and I brought up the rear, almost afraid of what I would find when I got down there. Downstairs, my mother stood in the Sitting Room. She wore her best blue suit and her long black hair was pulled into a tight bun. She looked more like a school teacher than the Head of an ancient Order but I could feel the power she held. It did not mask Merlin's power nor did it even come close to his...but she was powerful. Styxx told her to sit down and she sat on a bigh-backed chair in front of the couch that Styxx and I were sitting on. Merlin chose to stand directly behind us, showing that he supported whatever decision we chose to make. Caden sat beside me, his silver eyes dark with anger. Mother had lied to him and he wasn't at all pleased about it.  

 

 "Thank you for agreeing to this meeting, Mr. Lancaster." Mother said, her voice almost too sweet.  

 

"It was my pleasure." Styxx replied. Mother didn't seem to notice the sarcasm dripping from his voice.  

 

"Who do you have with you? I was expecting to meet with you alone."  

 

'Of course you were. All the easier to convince him to do what you want.' I thought bitterly. Beside me, Styxx glanced at his brother and mentor. 

 

"The dark haired one beside me is my brother Caden. Behind me is my mentor, Merlin himself."  

 

Mother's eyes flitted from Caden's face to Merlin's. She stared at him for a long moment, seeming to have no words. Merlin drew himself up to his full height, hand braced gently against my shoulder. He was giving me his support without saying a word. I straightened my posture and gave Mother my best blank stare. She would not get to me. Her manipulations would not convince Styxx to reconsider and I would be fine. She stared at Merlin's hand for a moment, eyes carefully assessing the situation before she spoke in a sweet yet cold voice. 

 

 "I was hoping to speak to you about an apprenticeship for my son."  

 

Styxx raised an eyebrow in answer, not speaking. Mother's face flushed and she looked embarrassed for a moment. Carefully, she cleared her face of any emotion. Behind me, I could feel Merlin's Magick closing around me, blanketing me in comfort. Styxx too enveloped me in his Magick, carefully keeping his face blank. Caden looked over at me and gave a small smile, ensuring me that he was on our side. After a moment of silence, Mother spoke again.  

 

 "I was speaking of my older son, Ryan. He's the first born, you see, and he needs an apprenticeship more than Ryder," she spat my name out as if it were poison, "does. Ryder is a second-born son. He does not deserve or need the gift that you have given."  

 

Styxx raised an eyebrow and finally spoke. His voice was devoid of emotion but the power behind it was incredible. He stared directly into my mother's green eyes. As he spoke, Merlin stared at my mother as well, an air of anger building around him. 

 

 "So, if I am to understand you, it is only because Ryder is a second born son that you wish me to take my gift and give it instead to his brother?"  

 

Mother's back stiffened slightly. "Second born sons do not need apprenticeships. Their sole purpose is to do what their family asks of them. Ryder has gone above his station in life and it isn't fair to his brother who deserves it more than he does." 

 

At this, Caden threw back his head and laughed. Mother didn’t have any idea the insults she was pretty much directing right at Styxx. She had no idea that he was a second born son himself. If she knew how terribly she was portraying herself, she would probably have worded it differently. Or not. Mother thought herself above everyone else. She probably thought she would be coming in here to manipulate Styxx into doing what she wanted. Which, knowing the kind of person Styxx was, was kind of laughable. This time, after she'd spoken, Styxx raised both eyebrows but he didn't speak. Instead Merlin spoke. His voice was quiet but held authority and power. The sound of his voice made Mother shiver a bit, though she covered it easily. 

 

 "You do realize that both Styxx and myself were second born sons, correct? And we are the most powerful Mages in existence. Now, if you'd like to give us an actual reason why Styxx should take on Ryan instead of Ryder, you may give it."  

 

Mother straightened her back and looked Merlin directly in the eyes. "What are you even doing here? This was supposed to be a private meeting."  

 

Caden spoke now, voice filled with silent anger. "Merlin is here because he's Styxx's mentor. Not only that but he has taken an interest in Ryder's education as well. I am here because I am Styxx's brother and have decided that Ryder is worth standing behind."  

 

Mother raised an eyebrow and I almost felt the urge to gulp. She only got that particular look when she was about to say something that could potentially get her into trouble. Well, in this case it would get her into trouble. Usually, it just meant she was going to be incredibly insulting. And, just as I'd known, when she spoke she was insulting.  

 

 "I don't think any of you ought to be here. This was between Styxx and I. Not anyone else. None of you have any right to be here. What use are you, anyways?"  

 

"This is my property and I have given them my permission to be here. If you do not like that, you are welcome to leave." Styxx said calmly, looking at her carefully.  

 

Mother sighed, giving Styxx a fake apology. Once he'd accepted it, she moved on. This time, she tried to justify her need for Styxx to drop me and take on Ryan by telling him that I wasn't powerful enough. She told Styxx that Ryan was more powerful than I was and that Ryan was also more willing to learn. It was when she started explaining that I was a rebellious and anti-social person who didn't like authority that Caden spoke up. His voice was like ice and his silver eyes were lit with anger. Beside him, Styxx was sitting with his back straight and his silver eyes locked on my Mother's face. Behind us, Merlin's own eyes were cold.  

 

 "Yes, that's what you said when you emailed me, isn't it? That Ryder was a power hungry, rebellious kid. That he would take my brother for granted. Right? But you see, I've discovered something much different. Ryder isn't power-hungry. He's not rebellious in any way that could ever hurt us. And he's not taking advantage of my brother. Ryder has shown nothing but a great willingness to learn and kindness. You lied to me. You are lying to my brother. And we do not take kindly to liars." 

 

Styxx opened his mouth to speak but Merlin beat him to it. Merlin's normally gentle voice was cold and filled with anger. He stared at Mother with dark eyes and an expression of the same rage on his face. His power filled the room, making the atmosphere that much more intense. Styxx glanced at me and wrapped his Magick around me protectively. I wondered why he was being so protective before I felt my mother's Magick trying to break through the protective barrier. She was trying to attack me. Merlin sensed this and his anger heightened. His eyes blazed with sudden fury and his Magick cracked like a whip in the air. 

 

"Once, I compared you to Morgana herself. Now I know that you are nothing like Morgana. Morgana had a heart. She knew what kindness was. You are a cold-hearted, evil b***h. How could you say such things about your own son? How could you use your Magick to attack him when he's done nothing but sit and listen your lies against him? Ryder has more potential than anyone I've ever met besides Styxx. He is quite nearly as I strong as I am. Someday, your son will be a world renowned Mage and you will have done nothing but try and stop him from living up to his potential. As of now, I declare myself his personal mentor. Attack him again, witch, and feel my wrath."  

 

Mother was pale when Styxx finally spoke in a voice devoid of emotion. "I will not trade Ryder for his brother. Merlin and I shall both teach your son the best of Magick. You will have to find someone else to listen to your lies because I will not." 

 

"You will regret this. All of you. I will make you regret this." 

 

Styxx laughed. "Go ahead and try. Anything you do to me and mine I will do back. But I warn you, when I strike you will feel it in the very core of your being." 

 

Looking her dead in the eyes I issued my own warning. "Should you dare to attack us, I will make sure you never do it again."  

 

Her eyes flashed. "You dare to threaten me?! I am your mother!"  

 

I kept my face blank as I replied. "You may have given birth to me, Helena, but you have never been my Mother."  

 

Mother glared at me. "You will regret this, boy. No one insults and threatens me. Watch your back you disrespectful little brat." 

 

Styxx stood, raising himself to his full height. His eyes flashed dangerously and his Magick crackled around us. Merlin lay a hand on his shoulder, not to restrain but to lend power. Together, Styxx and Merlin stood side by side, a wall of power and authority. Caden and I stood on either side of them, watching the scene play out with interested eyes.  

 

 "When you threatened my apprentice, you lost the right to any respect. We do not respect those that disrespect us."  

 

Mother turned to face him. "Ryder is my son and I will show him whatever I choose."  

 

Merlin gave her a withering look. "Ryder is our apprentice. He is under our protection and we will dictate what is said to him. Now leave. If you return, it had better be with an apology. Otherwise, you will not be met with welcome arms." 

 

Mother narrowed her eyes and I could almost see the wheels in her mind turning. "As I said before, you will regret this. You have made the biggest mistake of your existence."  

 

Turning away from us once more, Mother stormed out of the Palace. As the front doors slammed behind her, the rest of us turned to look at each other. Styxx and Merlin had deflated a bit and were lowering the Magick shields they'd erected to protect me against her. Caden sighed and sat back down. He snapped his fingers and a servant appeared with a pot of steaming tea. He poured himself a cup and added two cubes of sugar before taking a long drink. Styxx, Merlin, and I sat down and sighed in unison.  

 

 "Well, that went about as well as I'd expected." I said at last. 

 

Merlin, who had his eyes closed and was concentrating very hard on something, spoke in a voice that was barely above a whisper. "She's going to declare war soon." 

 

"Have you had a vision?" Styxx asked. 

 

Merlin nodded. "Tomorrow evening, she will announce that the war against the Lancaster Clan has begun. She will make it seem as though you have slighted the Eternal Order in some way. Many will choose her side over yours...but you will have supporters as well."  

 

Caden looked at us thoughtfully before speaking. "I might as well stick around." 

 

Styxx looked at him. "I would not ask this of you, brother. You should not feel obligated to stick around." 

 

Caden rolled his eyes at his brother. "Shut it, will ya? I'm not sticking around because I feel obligated. I'm sticking around because you are family and family sticks together. Besides, this is the most exciting thing to happen in ages. I want to be a part of it."             

 

Styxx rolled his eyes. "We're glad to have you in any case." 

 

Merlin looked between us all. "I will stay around as well. I do not trust Helena Sullivan and I would like to be here when the war begins." 

 

"You are always welcome here, Merlin. I will have one of the houses on the island set up for you. I know how you like your own space."  

 

"That would be perfect."  

 

I stood. "Seeing as how we're not able to do anything before she officially starts a war, I'm going to read. I'll be in my room if anyone needs me." 

 

Styxx nodded. "How far have you read into that book?" 
 

"I'm on the third chapter right now."  

 

"Okay. Let me know when you’ve finished." 

 

"I will." 

 

I left the room then, thinking about what Merlin had said. War was coming. War with my mother. Was I really prepared for that? Could I really handle going to war with her knowing that Ryan could get hurt? The thought made my chest ache but I couldn't back out now. Styxx, Merlin, and Caden had stuck their necks out for me and I couldn't let them down. No, we would go to war with my mother and we would win. And if she even thought about hurting Ryan, I would kill her myself.