Merlin's Supernatural Academy: Complete series (Books 1-4) : A Young Adult Supernatural Academy Series

by K L Rymer

  They still vow to support me after all and I’m flattered, truly. I just have no idea where to start.

  After all, I can’t do this alone. I was meant to have my housemates and Myrddin fighting with me, but how the hell am I supposed to take on Matthew senior?

  A shame. Especially after his bleak assembly the other day. You could even hear a pin drop from a mile away after he delivered the news: “The humans are going down...”

  Okay, he didn’t exactly say those words, but it was pretty close. He announced his evil plans to take over the human world to a full audience, and no one knew how to handle the news.

  Sure, the supernaturals despise humans as much as the next bear shifter, but still... I don’t think any of them would deliberately inflict any harm. Well, except for vampires.

  I mean, it is murder. Matthew senior plans to eradicate all sapiens, and my mother is one of those sapiens! I will die before I let him touch a hair on her pretty, mousy brown head.

  Matthew senior’s free to do what he wishes with Larry though.

  Yet no one protested. They just sat back and let that maniac prattle on and on about killing innocent lives (children and all).

  What could they do anyway? So long as he has Diafol by his side, he’s untouchable.

  There’s never been a more ferocious beast; I still have yet to see him in his dragon form, but I will never forget the black shadow that took over the school. It was like a storm cloud had gathered, and the cold... brr.

  No. The supernatural students would rather just let that evil mage do as he wishes. So long as it doesn’t affect them, who cares about the suffering of seven billion people.

  Do you know how many supernaturals there are in the world? One million. That’s all. They’re horribly outnumbered, which is why they live on the sidelines of human society.

  Get rid of the humans, and they will have more space to roam.

  Several pairs of eyes look up at me then. I catch Darius watching me carefully, a massive alpha. His inner wolf’s shining through, his eyes burning brilliant gold.

  Then I spot Caleb studying me with those glorious, pale blue eyes. His long angel wings are folded neatly behind his back, his halo glowing brighter than the sun in the sky...

  Row the muse stares at me too, her long hair tied back in a beautiful bun. Her eyes are lilac.

  Then there’s Laura the wood nymph with vines and flowers growing out of her hair.

  What gives? Why are they all ogling?

  Mr. Higgles rambles on with his lecture, but he, too, peers my way, nodding his head.

  In fact, they all nod.

  Seriously, why all the nodding? They look like they belong on my car’s dashboard! Is it some kind of signal or something?

  A silent breath leaves my lips.

  Wait... are they all with me? Do they oppose Matthew senior’s plans too? I mean, he is taking it a tad too far.

  Supernaturals need humans after all (how will vampires feed? Sirens tempt men with their songs?)

  They’re trying to communicate with me as quietly as possible. Best not let Headmaster Humphrey find out after all.

  There’s no telling what that man would do. I’m sure the Black Dragon has ears everywhere... I just hope he never heard me speaking with Orion, Clara, and Katy the other day.

  Finally, the bell rings, and Mr. Higgles finishes his lecture.

  “Class dismissed.”

  I wait until everyone packs up and leaves before I finally stand up, heading out the door.

  Next period is free. But I’d rather go up to Mendacious tower and think. Not that there’s anything else to do up there (it’s not like I can play Monopoly alone).

  On my way out the door, I bump into the hulking, suited form of Diafol. His pale blue eyes cut holes into me the moment I crane my neck, and the blood freezes in my veins.

  A smirk crosses his mouth. “There you are... An interesting class just now. I was listening on the other side of the door, of course. That Higgles seems to despise humans as much as I do...”

  I narrow my eyes, pushing past him, but he follows after me at a steady pace. Trails of smoke curl around him as he moves. Once again, other students scurry away.

  The temperature in the hallway has dropped. He does bring winter with him wherever he goes after all.

  Is he going to follow me everywhere now? Maybe Matthew senior started to get suspicious of the other students and suspected they would try and help me in secret.

  “I have good news...”

  I sigh, picking up my pace.

  Good news with him always means bad news...

  “Would you like to hear?”

  “No,” I reply.

  “Well, you’re going to hear regardless. The headmaster has decided to let you resume your studies in the human world...”

  I freeze, turning around to make sure he’s not pulling my leg. The smirk grows over his lips.

  “What?”

  “You heard me, child. Headmaster Humphrey has given me permission to escort you to the human world so you can finish your degree. Sure, you may be a little late halfway through the semester, but I’m sure we can pull some strings...”

  My heart pounds as I swallow, wondering for the life of me why Matthew senior would allow me to return to Bangor.

  It’s just so out of character. It’s definitely not out of kindness. There has to be a catch.

  “W-why?”

  Diafol shrugs. “I guess he just felt guilty about whisking you away before you finished your exam.”

  I grit my teeth. “Oh, I finished... you both have nothing to worry about, but I wasn’t born yesterday.”

  He quirks a brow. “The Y2k was pretty much yesterday. Twenty years is like two seconds in my eyes...”

  I step up to him, gazing up into those frosty blues. “I know something’s up, and I swear... I will figure it out while getting myself a cozy little zoology degree. I meant what I said. I will become the next Steve Irwin...”

  Diafol frowns. “Who?”

  I smirk. “You miss a lot when you’re sleeping under a glacier for millions of years.”

  Finally, I whirl away, marching to Mendacious quarters.

  They may have won the battle...

  But not the war.

  Chapter 8 – Matthew

  The time has come for all of Mendacious to make the final bond with their dragons, and so Myrddin disappeared to the cosmos and returned with silver threads.

  They will be the tethers that bind them to their dragons, and like Gwyneira and I, they will be able to communicate with their dragons remotely and see through their eyes.

  It’s vital out on the battlefield.

  Once again, I’m a mere bystander as I watch the likes of Felicity Thorn binding her soul to her dragon, and I can’t help but smile.

  Everyone else does the same, and soon enough all seven members of Mendacious have bonded for life with their dragons.

  It can never be broken now. Not even in death.

  Nora gasps. “This is amazing! Zelina, let me peer through your eyes.”

  The green, snakelike dragon smirks. “Only if you promise to stop being such a baby when we next fly...”

  The gorgon bristles, pointing a finger at her dragon. Zelina is bigger than her now at the size of a full-grown horse. “Hey, flying is scary for some people.”

  I turn to Thomas and surprise, surprise, they both got it instantly. Maximus soars into the sky as Thomas remains on the ground, watching the world through his dragon’s eyes.

  He’s doing the drag and lift with his arms again, and I imagine he’s repeating the mantra telepathically to Maximus.

  Zahara and Elvira have already vanished, but I imagine they’re communicating telepathically now, sharing inappropriate comments with one another.

  Jack and Buddy nod back and forth and only the gods know what those two talk about.

  Felicity and Sparkles meditate while Damien and Shadow share their sinister thoughts.

  A s
mirk curves the demon’s lips, and the wyvern snaps, flapping away.

  Damien rolls his eyes and says out loud, “It was just a joke, Shadow, but you can’t deny it anymore. I can read your thoughts!”

  “Shut up!” Shadow hisses.

  “Can’t hide what anymore?” Felicity asks, opening her eyes.

  She and Sparkles watch Damien curiously. Hope glimmers inside the pink dragon’s big, blue eyes as she stares after Shadow.

  The demon shrugs. “Nothing... Shadow’s just too ashamed to admit that he has a heart deep down. It’s okay, Shadow... I used to be like you too! But we can both change!”

  “I said, shut up!”

  By now the shadow dragon has vanished to the darkest shadows of the oasis. He and Elvira managed to get used to the bright lights of the magical realm, but their powers have diminished as a result. Now they can no longer feed off souls like they used to.

  And it seems Shadow Stalker has gone soft in the process (soft for a certain, pink dragon).

  I chuckle, tucking my hands into my pockets as I stride away. I find the portal inside the woods to the human world.

  Angelina and Azure watch me carefully as I take my leave, and soon enough, I find myself inside the narrow alleyway in Bangor.

  The place where Bryn and I had our sexy encounter...

  I shouldn’t really come here, but sometimes, I just need to be alone with my thoughts.

  So I decide to walk the streets of the city, noticing the influx of students. Of course, classes started about a month ago as we’re in the middle of October.

  If my bastard father hadn’t taken her away, Bryn could have been amongst those students in her third year.

  She really has come a long way since the day I first met her, and I’m filled with pride. The girl took to the supernatural world so naturally, and she still managed to do all her work for the academy and the university.

  A truly remarkable feat.

  Now all that hard work has gone to waste because of my father.

  I soon find my way up the hill to the building where I last saw her. She told me she would have been graduating here next July in her cap and gown, but again, that won’t be happening.

  My father really is a dick.

  A flame of bright red hair catches my attention through the glass doors of the old, stone building, and now the person steps out.

  Her vivid blue eyes fall on me, and we just stare at each other for a while. I see the anger, and I see the sadness. But I mostly see the confusion.

  The girl’s probably been worried sick about her American friend.

  I offer her a tight smile. “Hello, Megan... How have you been?”

  She pinches her lips, and that wrath that redheads are most famous for finally shines through. “Don’t hello me. You’ve got some serious explaining to do...”

  I chuckle, a little nervous. “That really is a great accent. Tell me, did you happen to know Lennon personally?”

  Megan scoffs. “No. Liverpool’s not that small, ya know. We’re not as inbred as people think.”

  She marches forward, tossing her canvas bag over her shoulder. It has the University’s emblem on the front.

  “Follow me.”

  I guess I have no other choice but to follow. I suppose the girl deserves an explanation. Not only is her friend missing but her world is vulnerable. My father plans to attack the humans soon enough. Her and her little sister’s lives are in danger.

  ...

  We found a bench in the park. I’ve just finished telling Megan everything. The scouser doesn’t look my way once. She keeps her eyes forward, staring at something I can’t see.

  She’s not the least bit surprised. She knew all along that supernaturals were real. Just not to such an extent.

  “So, you shoot lightning from your fingertips?”

  I scratch the back of my head. “Yes...”

  She rolls her eyes at the clouds. “I can’t believe Merlin was real all along... and Bryn was his daughter...”

  “Yes again.”

  I flinch next as she snorts loudly. “Are you going to tell me she pulled the sword from the stone too, and she’ll become the next queen of England?”

  “Erm... no. We don’t actually know where that sword is. Myrddin does have a replica in his office though.”

  She chews her lips, and now her gaze falls on a Welsh flag flapping in the distance. “But she did wake the Red Dragon in Dinas Emrys. That’s close enough...”

  I chortle. “You really are laidback about all this.”

  Megan shrugs. “As I said... I’ve always had some inkling. I still speak to my grandfather after all... He died before I was born...”

  A shiver runs up my spine. Believe it or not, but ghosts are still a mystery to supernaturals. They make little sense to us, so it’s not that common that we see them.

  What are they and what exactly are they made of?

  Megan closes her eyes, breathing steadily through her nostrils. “When...?”

  I peer at the wet ground. A light drizzle falls from the sky, coating our hair. “I’m not sure, but it could be any day now...”

  She laughs. “And it’s not like I could warn anyone because I will only get sent to the madhouse. Shit...”

  My father will be planning his attack on the human realm soon enough. I’m not sure in what capacity. The Black Dragon brings eternal winter. At most, it seems he wants to freeze them to death.

  Megan reaches into her pocket, passing me a small pin. My eyes widen when I recognise the Dancing Dragons.

  “I found it in PJ Hall. I remembered Bryn used to wear one just like it all the time. Even on nights out. Now I know why... She used this thing to teleport, didn’t she? Kind of lame she can’t do it herself, being a wizard and all...”

  She hands it to me and I turn it over, a lump lodging in my throat. It takes me back to the night of the V-day ball when we danced for the first time, and Bryn had looked so beautiful...

  I could have stared into her forest green eyes all night.

  I definitely knew by then that I had fallen in love with her (I’ve always had a thing for a girl in a red dress).

  “Jesus... I didn’t mean to make you cry...”

  I wobble my head, stirring my thoughts elsewhere. “I’m... I’m not crying...”

  “Yeah, you are, Matthew... Sorry... I just thought you ought to have it. Bryn means a lot to you after all. I can tell.”

  I twirl it between my fingers, giving it back to her. “No. You keep it. Have you always wanted to know what it’s like to teleport?”

  Megan’s blue eyes pop and I laugh out loud. Humans can be endearing at times.

  She snatches it out of my hand. “Why not. At least I can skip the train tickets. Three trains it takes me to get back home to Liverpool, you know.... Three bloody trains. You supernaturals are lucky.”

  “I guess we are... Just make sure no one sees you disappearing and reappearing out of thin air.”

  Megan scowls, shoving the pin back in her pocket. She’ll never want to part from it again. “Do you think I’m stupid?”

  My chuckle reverberates through my chest as I rise. It’s about time I got back. I’ve been in the human world for too long now, and the lingering looks the humans give me are worrying.

  I am wearing my battle armour. As I said, war can strike any moment.

  I look back down at Megan. “Well, see you around...”

  Before she leaves, she takes out her smartphone. ”Give me your number, and I can call you. You said supernaturals use smartphones too. Need to know I have someone to call when the shit hits the fan...”

  I scrutinise her for a moment, then release an exasperated breath, taking my phone out (my armour has pockets after all).

  After we exchange numbers, she throws her tote over her shoulder and smiles. “Tell Jack I said hi when you return. I thought he was a little on the big side... A titan... I can’t believe it.”

  I match her grin. “And just think... he was in
disguise back then. He’s even bigger in real life.”

  Megan’s jaw drops, and that’s how I leave her as I find my way back to the portal, laughing to myself.

  Humans really are precious.

  Chapter 9 - Bryn

  I eagerly take notes at the back of the lecture room, listening to my ordinary human professor discussing conservation.

  How I’ve missed this. Normality...

  It’s my first day back at Bangor after all, and I have some serious catching up to do.

  Sure, finding out that I was the daughter of Merlin was cool, but it has its cons. For one, I didn’t get kidnapped by dragons back when I lived life as a simple human.

  No... life was just boring and predictable.

  Said dragon sits two rows behind me. The other students actively avoid him, and I’m not surprised. He looks like Dracula with those fierce blue eyes and fangs.

  He’s pretty pissed that he has to sit in a room full of humans. After all, he abhors them and pines for their extinction.

  As a matter of fact, that’s what this class is all about. Evading the extinction of critically endangered animals and I shut my eyes.

  Shit. Just more reason for Diafol to hate humans. We‘re the number one cause for the decline of many species, and every so often I can feel him growling, eager to kill someone...

  His arctic home is melting for one. Because of humans...

  If we’re not destroying the planet with our cars, then we’re throwing trash into the sea.

  Fuck... humans really are messed up, and there are seven billion of us. I say us because I am and always will be human first (and because Mattie always called me human too). I identify as a human, even though I am half wizard.

  So I make a silent oath to myself.

  Matthew senior will not harm the human race. It’s not his place to pass judgment. (That’s God’s will and he ain’t no god.)

  However, there are human organizations who are actively trying to help the planet, and they’re worth saving.

  I’m sure Diafol’s eyes light up when the professor starts talking about saving those poor orangutans in the Indonesian islands.