The age-gap didn’t bother me so much as his refusal to even consider me—especially now that I was growing more and more comfortable in the past.
Besides, Trini’s oldest alpha was in his late forties and looked much older than Bedivere did. That hadn’t weirded me out at all and neither did Bedivere’s age.
This all led me to the reason why I wanted to learn magic from Merlin in the first place.
Okay, enough distraction, teach me how to use magic,I told Merlin before he could cut in with another sarcastic quip.
Merlin straightened, his eyes turning serious.I have to ask before we begin, whydoyou want to learn magic so badly? Both Eleanor and Juneau were hesitant to use it at all at first.
A stray thread of something nasty filled my chest, the same one that happened any of the few times he spoke of the two other omegas he had pulled through time first.
I pushed it down before shrugging.I want to be able to protect Arthur and the rest of my pack and heal them.
Merlin frowned.Healing magic is no easy task—even if your affinity for water lends itself to that sort of spell.
I had figured as much but I still wanted to learn it anyway.
The night that we healed Arthur together I had lain down next to the alpha and inhaled deep lungfuls of his scent to comfort myself. Listening to his steady breathing, I made the decision that I was going to change the future with my own two hands.
If I could heal him, Gawain, Bedivere, and even grumpy Lancelot, then maybe we could truly get to know each other past the push of instincts that I was currently experiencing.
The conclusion that they were my scent-match mates was easy to come to, but I still didn’t know much about the other three besides Arthur.
And even Arthur was still a bit of an enigma.
I had woken up in his arms the next morning, but he hadn’t touched me past a kiss to the side of my head before he got up to go help in the fields.
He hadn’t come back to our chambers that night or last night and Andrivete had apologetically told me that he was busy in his study catching up on everything he had missed while he was away.
On one hand I understood, Arthur was the king after all, but on the other hand there was a tiny, more selfish part of me—the part that was wholly omega—that was jealous about not having my alpha all to myself.
I know it’s not an easy spell, but I want to learn it anyway,I told Merlin firmly, shaking away all thoughts except for my desire to change the future.
Merlin sighed with surrender before nodding. Very well, but we must start at the beginning: calling the magic to you.
Okay,I agreed readily.Where do I begin?
First you must learn to get in touch with your inner reserve of magic,Merlin explained, reaching for my hand. Almost immediately my insides felt warm as I watched Merlin’s eyes begin to glow.My magic calls naturally to yours, but you will need to be able to do this on your own on purpose. You have already been doing it on your own with your various…ah…outbursts of rain.
I tried not to dwell on how fluttery his words about our magics calling to each other naturally. I had felt it that night, but I wasn’t quite sure what it meant, but it made my face flush nonetheless.
Instead, I focused on his teasing words.
I didn’t know how to control it then, I didn’tmeanto make it rain,I protested, crossing my arms over my chest.
Yes, that is exactly my point,Merlin shot back, his lips twitching up into a cheeky grin as he released our hands and the magic faded away from me again.If you can’t even call your own magic to you, there is no chance that you will ever be able to heal anyone.
My eyes narrowed at him.So teach me then.
I would if you stopped cutting in,Merlin scolded despite the fact that it had been him who had provoked me in the first place.
You know,I said, carefully, hoping the gods would let me get this shot in despite it being about the future.When I used to read about the Merlin in legends he always seemed so wise and cool.
Did I?Merlin seemed tickled by my words, his chest puffing out with pride.
Yeah,a slow smile spread on my face,but now I know that sometimes myths are really far off from the real thing.
Merlin’s expression fell and he glowered at me.You are very fortunate you are my queen, Gwen, or I fear I would make your skin turn green for such cheek to a teacher.
