Part 2 Silver Swords and Sharp Teeth

(Authors Note: I own nothing.)

The next thing I was aware of was the feeling of warmth. I had to be dreaming, right? Then I remembered the men who had attacked us and jerked awake. My vision was blurry and I fought down the nausea, desperate to find Arthur. A voice from nearby made me panic more.

"Shhh young one. You're still feeling the effects of the potion those men gave you." My brain took a minute to let her words sink in.

"Arthur." I slurred.

"Your friend is safe. He was not wounded. He is very worried about you, though I doubt he'll ever tell you that."

"Where?" I couldn't manage more than one word at a time. Black spots danced in my vision as a very pretty, if blurry, woman came into view. She was insanely pale with hair the color of fresh wheat. Her eyes drew my shattered focus though. They were brown, or were they? They looked almost red.

"He is right across the hall. I have told him he should rest for a while before you go back home." He smile scared me but I was rapidly losing my grip on consciousness.

"Arthur." I breathed as I slipped once more out of the waking world. But this time my magic was awake. It pulled at my mind, warning me of danger. I let it pull me along until I saw a dimly lit dungeon. There were no windows in the cells and the windows in the hall that lead to them were so heavily covered I couldn't tell if it was day or night. Then I heard him.

"Let me out of here you witch! I swear if you've hurt Merlin I will tear you limb from limb!" Arthur. I watched each of the cells carefully. There! A glint of silver showed me where he was. His seemed to be the only occupied cell. He still had his sword, only his crossbow was missing. That wasn't normal. He was unharmed; she hadn't lied about that at least. Several of the men who had attacked us were standing guard outside his cell. All were rather badly bruised and several were bandaged quite a lot.

He struck out at the bars with his sword; he chipped the bar but jarred his sword.

"You're just going to break your sword." The woman who had lied to me appeared suddenly from the shadows. Arthur lunged up to the bars.

"Who are you? What have you done with Merlin? I swear if you've hurt him..." She cut across him.

"Calm yourself, little prince. I am aware that you must return to your castle soon. Your friend is safe and you shall be released soon, then you can go your merry way."

"If you're just going to let us go, why kidnap us in the first place?" She laughed.

"Oh no, you misunderstand. You are free to go. Your friend, you called him Merlin? He stays. I need him. His blood will be very useful." Arthur paled and I felt my stomach object heavily to my current situation.

"What?" Arthur breathed. The woman laughed. Arthur seemed to have lost all reason. He reached through the bars and stabbed the woman through the torso. He yanked his blade out of her but couldn't get it back through the bars. He had dropped it in shock. She hadn't fallen, she wasn't bleeding. She hadn't even called out in pain. She was looking down at the gaping wound in her torso and she was pouting.

"And I was going to let him recover fully before I drained him. But it looks like I don't have much of a choice now." She walked away and Arthur called after her.

"Leave him alone! I swear I will kill you! What are you!?" I tried to wake up but I couldn't. Then I felt a cold hand jerking me back to my own mind. She was there, her pale hand resting on my forehead. I tried to move, to scream, to use magic, anything. But nothing worked. She smiled.

"Shhh young warlock, this won't hurt. For long." She fisted my shirt and pulled me into a sitting position. I couldn't resist no matter how much I wanted to. She untied my neckerchief, careful to keep in contact with my skin. I somehow managed to choke out a question.

"What… are… you?" My voice was strained and it hurt to speak but I had to know. She smirked.

"I was once a sorceress. But one day a priestess of the old religion became jealous of my power. So she cursed me to be what I am now. Not truly human, but not truly a creature of magic either. But I can break my curse if I drink the blood of a powerful sorcerer. It would seem fate has smiled on me and brought me something better, you." She pushed my head to one side, away from her, and bit into my neck.

I screamed but it gurgled off. I could do nothing but sit there and get rapidly more light headed. The room spun and black spots danced in front of my eyes. Finally just before the world went completely dark she let go, brushing her fingertips across the two puncture marks healing them. She smiled as she let me fall and I let myself sink into oblivion.