Free My Boyfriend Merlin by Priya Ardis

brother in a hospital. They didn’t do that without reason. I believe Master Matt.”
    From the other side of the room, Vane let out a loud yawn. “Should we order lunch while you dither?”
    My eyes narrowed. I muttered, “I’ll take the test just to shut him up.”
    The tension on the fourteen faces surrounding me broke.
    “So will I,” said Oliver with a laugh.
    “So will I,” Grey said.
    The others echoed the agreement.
    Matt looked at Aurelius and nodded.
    “Councilmember Thornton, please bring out the water,” Aurelius commanded.
    A pedestal holding a plain glass bowl was brought forward. Thornton picked up an urn. He poured a bit of ordinary looking water into the bowl. Light from an overhead sconce reflected off the water’s surface. I thought I saw a faint blue shimmer.
    Aurelius said, “Who will go first?”
    “We will,” Vane said. His candidates shadowed him. Vane nodded at a brutish boy who stood in front. “Mark, step up to the water.”
    Mark strode to the pedestal. He cupped his hands together. Thornton prompted him to move his hands over the bowl. Mark complied. Thornton poured water into his hands. He slurped up the water. Around me, everyone stilled in equal parts apprehension and anticipation. Nothing happened for the first few seconds. Then, Mark let out a small grunt. He sank to his knees and started dry heaving.
    I found myself taking a step toward the pedestal.
    “Do not disturb him,” Aurelius warned me off. I stopped.
    Matt moved to stand beside me. “Look at the bowl.”
    Water in the bowl on the pedestal shimmered brighter and brighter. Images flashed through the water—Mark dueled with Vane, Vane defeated him, and Mark fell to the ground.
    “The water shifts through the past,” Matt explained. “In this case, they’ve linked it to the one who drinks the water.”
    “How is that possible?” Oliver asked from behind us.
    Vane gave him a sardonic look. “Magic.”
    I leaned closer to Matt and whispered, “Why these images?”
    Matt’s breath tickled my skin. “It must be the most significant event on his mind. It’s different for everyone.”
    On the floor, Mark shuddered. Thornton set down the urn and helped him up.
    “Well done, son,” Aurelius told him. “Those who see the water are confirmed as candidates.” He gestured Mark to go to Marilynn. “Please report to admissions. She will give you your schedule and room assignment. Welcome to the Avalon Preparatory Academy.”
    The brutish boy tried to retain a tough demeanor, but I saw how slowly he moved as he walked to Marilynn. The rest of Vane’s candidates glanced at each other. Gone was the air of arrogance.
    “No pain. No gain.” Vane crooked his finger at the lone girl of the group. “You’re next.”
    She chewed her lip, hesitating. Vane whispered in her ear. Whatever he said, she must not have liked because her short red hair swung around her face like razors as she marched to the pedestal. Vane watched her go with an impassive expression.
    Aurelius signaled the Councilmember to proceed with the urn. The girl took the water in cupped hand. She swallowed it quickly. A moment later, she let out a loud scream and fell to her knees. She dropped to her knees. Her whole body shook.
    The water in the bowl shifted, showing brutal images. A woman, an older version of the girl, probably her mother, hit the young redhead over and over again. As she watched the beating, the girl started crying.
    I had to look away. Grey let out a low growl.
    “Matt,” I said. “Stop this.”
    Matt raised his hand and the water in the pedestal sloshed, breaking the stream of images. He went to the girl and offered a hand up.
    The girl got up angrily. “You shouldn’t have interrupted the test.” Her hands fisting, she looked at Aurelius. “Did I pass?”
    Aurelius nodded. “Please see Miss Marilynn.”
    Vane signaled another candidate to come forward. A young boy who couldn’t have been more than fifteen walked bravely to