Becoming famous didn’t sound like a good idea to me. More questions Matt— no, Merlin— had conveniently skipped answering.
I looked at the girl. A pang of pity filled me. She reminded me of a lost puppy at the pound. “You’re risking your life just to be famous?”
The girl straightened away from the column. “Aren’t you?”
I shook my head. “The gargoyles were after us. We had no choice.”
A red eyebrow lifted. “If you say so.” She grinned and her gaze turned to the courtyard. The soccer match had become a semi-wrestling match with a group of guys. “You have to admit though, it’s not so bad here.”
I smiled. It was the kind of statement Alexa would have made.
Marilynn came out of the building. She pointed us to the other building. “Ms. DuLac. Ms. Cornwall. Let’s go. I will introduce you to the head of the residence hall. She will explain the details of the arrangement.”
Turning on her heel she strode into Morgan Hall. I hurried after her. The other girl followed slowly. The minute I stepped inside Morgan Hall I felt at home—maybe because the country chic décor matched Sylvia’s study in Boston almost perfectly. I wondered what Sylvia would say if she saw it. I had a feeling she had no idea how deep the Ragnars’ ties to the wizard world went.
Marilynn led us past a spacious living area with huge couches and an enormous plasma screen TV. She stopped at a small office tucked into a far corner of the first level. “Ms. Joseph, I have new students for you. Arriane DuLac and Georgiana Cornwall.”
A stout woman with round glasses and rosy cheeks sat behind a desk. She was watching news coverage of the sword on her flat screen LCD. She reluctantly turned away from it when we entered the office. She gave us a brisk once-over.
“My name is Ryan—”
“I’m Gia—”
We both burst out at the same time. I smiled at the red-haired girl. She grimaced.
“That’s all well and good,” Ms. Joseph held out two keycards. “Ms. Fay didn’t inform us that we needed a room until this morning, but everything is ready. You will share. We have four to a room here, but since you are joining late in the semester there will be only two of you. The card has the room number. You can show yourself to the room. You’ll find a welcome package on your bed with some essentials. Other than that, please show up promptly to meal times. Food will not be kept waiting for you if you miss it.” She finished with a shooing motion. “That is all. Go on now.”
“Aren’t you going to show them the common areas?” Marilynn asked.
“I’m sure they’ll figure it out,” Ms. Joseph said. “The girls are old enough. We don’t need to coddle them, Ms. Fay.”
Marilynn’s face twisted into a mask of frustration. “Fine, I suppose I can show them.”
“Uh hum,” Ms. Joseph said turning back to the TV. We’d taken a few steps outside when she stopped us. “Wait. Is he back, Ms. Fay?”
Marilynn turned back. “Who?”
“Don’t be coy, Ms. Fay,” Ms. Joseph said. “You attended his lectures just like the rest of us before he left…and it wasn’t to hear him speak.”
Marilynn turned red. “I don’t know what you’re talking about—”
“Merlin, of course.” Ms. Joseph sighed like a little girl. “I never imagined someone like him being so handsome. Do you know when he’ll start his lecture series again? I get asked about it every day, you know. There is a list of witches eager to sign up. It’s not just the student witches either. I’ve been talking to Sir Calvin over at the teachers’ residence—”
“Ah, yes,” Marilynn cut her off. She glanced at me. Then away. “I will ask him, but I don’t know if the lectures will happen. He is quite busy.” She nodded at Ms. Joseph’s monitor. “You can understand why.”
“Yes, of course.” Ms. Joseph sighed in disappointment.
“Merlin taught here?” I asked.
“Oh, yes,” Ms. Joseph replied. “When he first woke, the
I looked at the girl. A pang of pity filled me. She reminded me of a lost puppy at the pound. “You’re risking your life just to be famous?”
The girl straightened away from the column. “Aren’t you?”
I shook my head. “The gargoyles were after us. We had no choice.”
A red eyebrow lifted. “If you say so.” She grinned and her gaze turned to the courtyard. The soccer match had become a semi-wrestling match with a group of guys. “You have to admit though, it’s not so bad here.”
I smiled. It was the kind of statement Alexa would have made.
Marilynn came out of the building. She pointed us to the other building. “Ms. DuLac. Ms. Cornwall. Let’s go. I will introduce you to the head of the residence hall. She will explain the details of the arrangement.”
Turning on her heel she strode into Morgan Hall. I hurried after her. The other girl followed slowly. The minute I stepped inside Morgan Hall I felt at home—maybe because the country chic décor matched Sylvia’s study in Boston almost perfectly. I wondered what Sylvia would say if she saw it. I had a feeling she had no idea how deep the Ragnars’ ties to the wizard world went.
Marilynn led us past a spacious living area with huge couches and an enormous plasma screen TV. She stopped at a small office tucked into a far corner of the first level. “Ms. Joseph, I have new students for you. Arriane DuLac and Georgiana Cornwall.”
A stout woman with round glasses and rosy cheeks sat behind a desk. She was watching news coverage of the sword on her flat screen LCD. She reluctantly turned away from it when we entered the office. She gave us a brisk once-over.
“My name is Ryan—”
“I’m Gia—”
We both burst out at the same time. I smiled at the red-haired girl. She grimaced.
“That’s all well and good,” Ms. Joseph held out two keycards. “Ms. Fay didn’t inform us that we needed a room until this morning, but everything is ready. You will share. We have four to a room here, but since you are joining late in the semester there will be only two of you. The card has the room number. You can show yourself to the room. You’ll find a welcome package on your bed with some essentials. Other than that, please show up promptly to meal times. Food will not be kept waiting for you if you miss it.” She finished with a shooing motion. “That is all. Go on now.”
“Aren’t you going to show them the common areas?” Marilynn asked.
“I’m sure they’ll figure it out,” Ms. Joseph said. “The girls are old enough. We don’t need to coddle them, Ms. Fay.”
Marilynn’s face twisted into a mask of frustration. “Fine, I suppose I can show them.”
“Uh hum,” Ms. Joseph said turning back to the TV. We’d taken a few steps outside when she stopped us. “Wait. Is he back, Ms. Fay?”
Marilynn turned back. “Who?”
“Don’t be coy, Ms. Fay,” Ms. Joseph said. “You attended his lectures just like the rest of us before he left…and it wasn’t to hear him speak.”
Marilynn turned red. “I don’t know what you’re talking about—”
“Merlin, of course.” Ms. Joseph sighed like a little girl. “I never imagined someone like him being so handsome. Do you know when he’ll start his lecture series again? I get asked about it every day, you know. There is a list of witches eager to sign up. It’s not just the student witches either. I’ve been talking to Sir Calvin over at the teachers’ residence—”
“Ah, yes,” Marilynn cut her off. She glanced at me. Then away. “I will ask him, but I don’t know if the lectures will happen. He is quite busy.” She nodded at Ms. Joseph’s monitor. “You can understand why.”
“Yes, of course.” Ms. Joseph sighed in disappointment.
“Merlin taught here?” I asked.
“Oh, yes,” Ms. Joseph replied. “When he first woke, the
Similar Books
