Author's note: Here it is! Finally! For those of you who have stuck with this series...thank you. I'm not sure how quickly updates will come, but I will work on it as steadily as I can until it's finished. I'm excited to being Killian and Emma final adventure to you! Newbies: Read This Isn't Everything You Are and Fallen Empires first or you will be mightily confused.

Disclaimer: Nope, still not mine.

Prologue

The witch crouched over the fire, stoking it roughly. She needed to build it up in order to summon the goddess properly. Without magic, which in this case was extreme irony. But she'd exhausted all other avenues; the goddess was her last hope.

"You shouldn't do this," a faint female voice said into the darkness.

"Because of your vision? Come now, Cassandra," the witch said dryly. "When have your visions ever been accurate?" She knew the rumors surrounding the would be seer. Cursed by the gods to see the future but not be believed. The witch had never heard of such a thing; the Priestess would never give such a gift to someone maliciously. Sister always said not to toy with foreign gods, the witch remembered. But her sister was gone. And her brother had made her an outlaw.

All because of that sorceress. Emma Swan.

The fire blazed higher; the witch added more logs, careless of the heat. After the destruction of her home, she no longer feared the flames. It was another thing the Swan girl had taken from fire reflected the hate she felt in her heart: hate for everyone who'd crossed her, for those who'd taken everything she held dear. The witch wouldn't rest until those responsible had been punished.

"Those distant bells toll,

And are heeded not,

An end is beginning,

Heads will be left to rot.

Darkness is coming,

Chaos will reign,

Aphrodite's child slumbers,

Thanatos' bane.

Awake, fair maiden,

Helpmeet to Dolos,

Poseidon calls,

To a world reborn."

The witch tutted impatiently. Cassandra had been spouting the same lines over and over for the better part of a day. She could make no sense of the poor girl's insane ramblings, nor did she want to. She had problems of her own. At last, satisfied that the fire was ready, the witch began her summons.

It took longer than she expected. The witch was accustomed to having her will obeyed instantly; the goddess seemed to be resisting her. She redoubled her efforts, chanting and gifting her offering. The flames glowed blue then violet, nearly blinding her with their brilliance. The witch blinked, trying to focus on the sight before her.

"Why have you summoned me, mortal?" the goddess spat.

The witch went against every instinct she had and knelt in supplication. She was only going to get one chance at this, the old crone had warned her. She eyed the goddess's torches warily, but bowed her head. "I am but a humble penitent, seeking your wisdom and guidance," the witch said.

The goddess scoffed. "Hardly, Morgan Pendragon. You are the embodiment of the sad state of this world. Only extreme desperation would drive someone as proud as you to seek my aid."

Morgan Pendragon rose, dark blue eyes flashing in the firelight. "I want what was taken from me. I want vengeance."

The goddess laughed. "Then it is Nemesis you seek, not Hecate. What you want, Morgan Pendragon, is power."

Morgan stood her ground; she would not cower before this foreign goddess. She was a king's daughter. "Yes, power to overcome my enemies. Are you going to help me or not?"

Hecate considered her. Morgan could feel the goddess's gaze bore into her, the subtle power of the goddess sending shivers down her spine. Morgan may not believe in the goddess, but she would be a fool to deny her power. She was going against every teaching of the High Priestess for this audience; her very life would be in danger if she failed. But Morgan had nowhere else to turn; Hecate was her last hope.

"Who is this...Swan?" Hecate asked, startling her.

Morgan scowled. "She's the sorceress who took everything from me."

"And you want her dead?"

"I want her to suffer. As I have." After Morgan's abortive attempt in Camelot, she'd been running. Her home destroyed; her own brother determined to bring her under his power. No doubt he wanted her dead as well; Morguese had always warned her against their treacherous usurping brother. Morgan had been unwilling to believe, but now Arthur had shown his true colors. He would be dealt with in due course and Morgan would take her rightful place on the throne.

"And what do you have to barter with, mortal?" the goddess demanded. The light from her torches flashed around her, seeming to weave into her red gold hair. The sight reminded Morgan forcefully of Guinevere; she suppressed the spark of anger with difficulty. Arthur's queen was a faithless whore who Morgan would see exposed before this was through.

"I have nothing," Morgan said. "Nothing except my life and my magic."

Hecate stared at her incredulously. "Nothing? You are either very foolish or very desperate to call me here with nothing to bargain. What use would I have for your miserable life?"

Morgan bristled. "I am a king's daughter, you worthless hag! Now..."

Her air way got cut off by the invisible hand around her throat. Morgan's feet left the ground just enough to let them dangle underneath her. "Listen well, child. You are arrogant. And deceitful. Full of anger and mistrust. For every calamity you claim has befallen you, you have caused a score. And yet, I am going to accede to your request. And when the time comes, I will exact my price. Do I have your consent?"

Morgan had been very careful, building the fire at the crossroads, just as instructed. Any agreement reached in the crossroads was magically binding. Her vision blurred around the edges, the lack of air causing her to fight for consciousness. She didn't know what Hecate's price would be; she learned long ago from her master that all magic came with a price. As blackness began to cloud her mind, Morgan nodded as best she could. She was well and truly out of options.

Hecate smiled serenely as she released Morgan. The witch fell to the ground gasping and spluttering, clutching her throat. "You are mine now, Morgan Pendragon," the goddess said evenly. "You have forsaken your Priestess and have come into my service. I expect obedience. In return I will give you the power you seek."

Morgan opened her mouth to argue, now that she had her breath back, but bit her tongue when she saw the soft blue flames in the goddess's eyes. "Very well, my lady," she said, bowing her head.

The fire was merely embers now. Still, the goddess lingered. Hurry, sister, she thought impatiently. Our Master calls for me.

"Is it done?"

Hecate did not need to turn to know from whom the voice belonged. "Yes, it is done," she said with the same equanimity she'd given to the obsessed witch. "Tell me, sister, what is this witch to you? You've been taking an unusual interest in the mortals lately."

"It would behoove you to do the same, sister," the blonde goddess said curtly, appearing out of the mist. "Things are moving. Faster than the Master fortold."

"And what of Olympus? Are they as in the dark as ever?" Hecate chuckled at her little pun, something she would not have dared in front of their Master.

Her sister, Nemesis, looked at her drolly. "You know full well I am not welcome among those prattling fools, sister," she said with distaste. "It is of no consequence in any event. Soon they and all who follow them will be no more."

Hecate and her sister did not always agree, but on this they were united. The gods of Olympus looked down on them, treated them as little better than errand boys and girls, slighting their power. It was a situation that had come to a head in the past, and would no doubt do so again. They were immortal after all. And everything in the world was cyclical. But this time...the Master promised them. Things would be different.

"You still have not explained what you desire from the witch, sister," Hecate reminded her. "Why this particular mortal?"

"Can a goddess not empathize when a kindred spirit has been wronged?"

Hecate looked at her sister, one elegant brow raised. "Very well, keep your secrets, sister. The mortal is mine now; I will find out soon enough." With that, Hecate vanished.

Nemesis smiled wickedly. "Indeed you will, sister. Indeed you will."