Merlin's Secret (A Broken Throne Novella) by Jamie Davis

Author:Jamie Davis [Davis, Jamie]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sterling & Stone LLC
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

CHAPTER 6

Two days later, Artos and his companions stood at the stern of the last ship to leave Europe’s shores. He watched the desperate throngs of people rushing the pier as the ships cast off, before they turned on one another.

The mob turned ugly, attacking any uniformed person they could find, as if the police or soldiers were to blame for the collapse of civilization itself. Images like this were being shared around the world. Artos couldn’t forget if he tried.

He looked down at Ricky, who was standing beside him. The boy shrugged then turned his back on the people on the docks.

Sure, he equated that mob to the ones who killed his mother. But Artos was concerned by the boy’s lack of empathy. He would have to delve into his mind tonight, try to find a course of treatment that might remedy his broken psyche.

The three of them stood there until the harbor was out of sight, slipping over the horizon to the east. Ricky sat at Artos’s feet, reading a book from Artos’s personal collection.

The crowd of passengers thinned as people returned to their berths. Artos decided it was time for them to return to theirs as well. He’d secured first class accommodations. A perk, as organizer of this particular humanitarian mission. Most of the ship’s passengers were confined below decks in the second and third class cabins and bunk rooms.

“Well, gentlemen,” Artos said. “Today, we leave the old world for a new one. Today, we focus on our mission to help humanity reset its future.”

“What do you mean, Mr. Merrilyn?” Ricky asked.

“I mean, my lad, that you can be anything you want. What happened in the past does not define who you must become. You get to start over in life. That is something not many people get to do.”

Ricky looked thoughtful.

Artos said, “What is it you wish to do? I have substantial resources at my disposal in Baltimore. I can help you on your way to a better life if you choose to remain in my service once we arrive.”

Ricky looked around at the people wandering away to their cabins. It took him a moment to find the right answer, then he finally whispered, “I want to learn to use my magic. But I don’t want anyone to know that I have it. That’s what killed my mother. People knew what she could do and they hated her for it.”

“I already promised to teach you. If you choose to hide your remarkable talent, then that is your choice. I won’t betray your secret to others if that is your wish. You have my word.”

Artos rarely made oaths, but this felt necessary. Ricky represented so much promise to set things right with the world. And yet, a nagging worry ticked at the back of his mind.

“Come, let us go back to our cabin. Mr. Gunderson will fetch us some lunch while we start honing and tempering your skills. You have considerable power, but not the control required to manage it.

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