A/N - Last chapter. Thanks to everyone who's read, commented, favourited or subscribed to this. I hope you enjoyed it :).
AMAM
"This is amazing," Elyan said, as he came into Arthur's office, staring at the papers in his hands.
"What did you find?" Arthur asked.
"The information you were able to download had years' worth of data," Elyan answered, sitting down in the chair across from Arthur. "It's going to take months to get through it all and that's not even half of what was on that computer you hacked."
"Anything on the 'Wrath of Magic'?" Arthur asked.
"Yeah," Elyan replied, standing up and making his way to the whiteboard, pinning a map to it. "You remember that map we found, with all the buidlings?"
Arthur nodded, standing up and moving over to Elyan.
"Well, I think I know what it is now," he continued, picking up a marker pen and drawing the four spots they knew. "In the information, it talks about a five point star, connected with water and magic."
"Water and magic?"
"A Sidhe and Sorcerer," Elyan replied. "I'm not sure how it's all connected, the information cuts off before it gets to that. But I do know they need water, a Sidhe and a Sorcerer, surrounded by five points of power and magic. The connection will allow magic to flow like water, but that's where the information stops. It doesn't say exactly what the 'Wrath' part of the ritual means, or why the creatures would want to set it loose."
"We have four of the five points," Arthur murmured, staring at the map. "And I'm assuming the 'water' is somewhere in the middle."
"I think I know what they're going to use," Elyan said, circling a place on the map. Leaning closer, Arthur frowned as he recognised the address.
"That's crazy, there's no water there, Elyan."
"There's a fountain, Arthur," Elyan replied, staring at him intensely. "And it doesn't say it has to be a large amount. It fits, an equal distance from all the points we have so far."
"You think they would use the fountain in the Pendragon building?" Arthur asked, his stomach sinking. It made sense to him, a hit back at the man that had started hunting them down, a chance to let loose their wrath on the man most would want it on.
"Where better to let loose their magic then in the building of the man who's caused them fear for so long?" Elyan replied.
"So they need this 'Emrys' to be their Sorcerer," Arthur said, running the equation through his mind.
"And a Sidhe," Elyan continued, frowning as he stared at the board. "Thing is there aren't any of them around here, haven't been for years, at least from what our informants tell us."
Arthur nodded, before the image of a woman surrounded by water with shining blue eyes, came to his mind.
"Son of a-"
Shaking his head, he took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down, as some of the pieces of the puzzle started to fall into place. Why Sophia had been taken, why Aulfric had reacted the way he had. He wondered if Aulfric had been contacted, or knew about the 'Wrath of Magic' and what it entailed.
"What?" Elyan asked, looking at Arthur and the board, trying to figure out what had set Arthur off.
"Sophia," Arthur replied.
Elyan stared at him for a long moment, before comprehension dawned on his face.
"You thinks she's a-"
"It makes sense," Arthur answered. "Explains why they took her and kept her alive. Maybe they can't turn her because then they lose the element they need."
"Or they just don't want to take that risk," Elyan added.
"So we know where they're going to hit," Arthur said, "and we know one of the who's."
"If we can find Emrys before them, maybe we could use him to lead us to the rest of them?" Elyan said.
"Except we have no idea who he is or even where he is," Arthur replied, making his way back to his desk, running his hand through his hair. "No, we need to focus on what we know already. Pendragon Industries, Sophia, the four points. We'll start surveillance on all the spots and as soon as we see even the slightest hint of movement, we take them out. Stop this ritual before it can even start."
AMAM
Arthur couldn't help but follow the planes of the body next to him with his hands, unable to lie next to the other man without touching him. He let his hands slowly map the arms and chest, gently stroking down the flanks and across the stomach.
"I hope you aren't going to stop there."
Grinning up at the sleepy voice, blue eyes met gold and Arthur couldn't help but lean down and kiss the soft lips, the kiss deepening as the lips responded to his touch.
"Merlin," he whispered, running his hands through the raven locks, happiness flowing through him, before his head snapped to the door.
"Arthur?" Merlin asked, leaning up on his elbows, looking towards the door as well. "There's nothing there."
Merlin tried to turn his head, kissing along his neck, but Arthur couldn't tear his eyes away from the door, knowing in his gut that something bad was about to happen. He was proven right in the next second, the door being kicked off its hinges, a dark, bulky shape making its way in through the door.
He felt his heart freeze for a second, before he was moving, pulling out his gun and rolling out of bed, only to freeze as he heard a gunshot that hadn't come from his gun. Turning his head, he watched in shock as Merlin slumped, his heart leaping into his throat as he scrambled onto the bed.
"Merlin," he murmured, reaching out and touching the man, staring at the blood that was on his hands, before a bark of laughter had his head snapping to the door.
The figure moved forward and Arthur realised he knew the figure.
"Valiant," he whispered, as his eyes met cruel, black one's.
Waking with a jolt, Arthur looked around the room, heart rate slowing as he saw the bed next to him was empty, no one standing in the door way, no one bleeding on his comforter. It was just a dream, though it had felt so real.
It wasn't until he lay back down that he realised that the dream wasn't the only thing that had woken him, his phone ringing and vibrating on the night stand next to him. Reaching over, he ran a hand over his face as he answered the call.
"Hello? Pendragon speaking."
"Hello, Arthur."
Freezing, Arthur felt his heart and breath stop for a second, before starting again, his hand tightening into a fist around the phone.
"Valiant," he muttered, jaw clenched, his teeth gritted so the name came out more like a growl.
"I'm so glad you remember me, little boy. I had thought I left an impression, but you never can be too sure."
"Why are you calling me?" Arthur asked, moving out of bed and making his way over to his computer.
"Oh, I'm hurt, can't … friends call each other and catch up?" Valiant asked, that bark of laughter Arthur had heard in his dream sounding through the phone.
"We're not friends," he growled, trying to keep his tapping on the computer down, not wanting Valiant to catch on to what he was doing.
"But we spent so many glorious hours together," Valiant mocked. "I thought those hours we spent together were so special."
Arthur couldn't help but grip his phone harder, his jaw sore at how hard he was clenching his teeth. He didn't hate many people with a blind rage, even the creatures he hunted he didn't hate with this passion, but Valiant was someone he would take pleasure in killing when he found him.
"I still remember it vividly, Arthur," Valiant continued. "I can't wait to revisit those hours with you again."
"Not if I find you first," Arthur replied, smirk crossing his face as the computer finally gave him what he wanted.
"Oh, I'm sure you and your little team will find me, Pendragon. Seeing as you couldn't take me by yourself."
"I don't need the Knights to take you down, dog," Arthur replied, envisioning all the ways he planned to hurt the thing on the other side of the phone.
"We both know you can't do anything by yourself, Wart. First there was Daddy, there to make sure no one hurt a strand on your golden little head. And now there's your so called Knights. You really are pathetic."
"When I find you, Valiant, you'll regret ever coming here." Arthur tried to control his breathing knowing that he was breathing faster than usual, heart racing, an almost red haze entering his vision.
"I'll be seeing you, little boy," Valiant taunted before hanging up.
Staring at his computer screen, at the tiny red dot on the map, Arthur felt satisfaction run through him.
"You sure will."
AMAM
Arthur knew he should've called someone, should've called one of the knights to watch his back, but a part of him couldn't help but remember Valiant's words. He didn't need his team to take a dog down, had been doing it long before his men joined him in the hunt.
It was most likely what Valiant wanted, but Arthur had the upper hand this time. He knew where Valiant was, and he hadn't wasted any time making his way to where the map on his computer told him the werewolf was. He wasn't stupid though, had staked out the area, watched and waited.
He would finish Valiant, finish the loose end of that case, and the werewolf might be able to give him information about Sophia before Arthur ended him. Although Arthur doubted it.
Getting out of his car, he made his way slowly towards the building, lurking in the shadows, controlling his breathing and heart rate, mind slipping into his Hunter's mode. He almost missed the slight movement out of the corner of his eye, but was quick to pull his stake, swinging around to move towards the alley way that had caught his eye.
Moving slowly, he looked at the shadows, looking for the darkness that seemed out of place. He had had a lot of practice at finding things in the pitch dark, it was all about tones, finding the darkness that seemed to be more. It was something his father had told him he was gifted with, none of his men or Uther able to see what Arthur could see.
He slowed as he picked up the slight change in darkness off to his right, not moving until he was right beside it. He took one deep breath and then dove to the right, feeling satisfaction when he connected, an 'oomph' coming from the body he hit as they collided into the wall and then onto the ground.
Quickly rolling away, Arthur crouched in the defensive position, faking to the left before diving forwards again, arm with the stake aiming for the heart, only to be stopped by a strong arm. Before he knew it he was up against the wall, face mashed against it, arm pulled up behind his back, as a warm body pushed into him.
The creature had moved faster than anything Arthur had ever seen or fought before, and he couldn't help but shiver, whole body singing with sensation at the need to fight.
"Calm down," a voice hissed into his ear, and it only took him a moment to recognise it.
"Merlin?" he asked, trying to pull free, only for his arm to be gripped harder. "Let me go."
"No."
"Excuse me?" Arthur said.
Even though he knew what Merlin was, he couldn't help but be surprised that it was Merlin who was holding him against the wall, holding his arm up against his back, refusing to let him go.
"What the hell are you doing here, Arthur?" Merlin whispered, hot breath against Arthur's ear making Arthur shiver.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Arthur replied, struggling to get his arm free again, only to stop when his shoulder started aching due to Merlin's strong, unrelenting grip.
"Tell me you weren't actually going to go against Valiant by yourself?"
Arthur froze. How did the other man know what he'd been about to do?
"What are you doing here?" Arthur shot back, not willing to admit that had been exactly what he was going to do.
"Trying to stop you from doing something stupid," Merlin replied, breath wafting against Arthur's neck, making him shiver.
"I was just doing recon," Arthur said as he stopped struggling, leaning more heavily into the wall. This seemed to be some sign for Merlin, the vampire letting his grip on Arthur's arm go and taking a step back.
Turning, Arthur took in the slight glow to Merlin's eyes, part of him thinking that they suited Merlin, before he reminded himself that they were a sign of the monster that lay underneath the supposedly clumsy exterior and not something that made them pretty.
Merlin snorted, raising an eyebrow in disbelief.
"Recon?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Yes, Merlin," Arthur replied, mimicking the gesture. "Recon. It means gathering information so that you can make a planned attack."
"You weren't doing recon," Merlin said.
"Yes, I was."
"No you weren't."
"Was."
"I know you weren't, Arthur," Merlin replied. "You were going to do something stupid because Valiant baited you."
"I was not … wait, what do you know about Valiant 'baiting' me?" Arthur asked, leaning forwards, glaring at the vampire. An embarrassed look crossed Merlin's face, before it became more determined.
"It doesn't matter, what matters is that you were going to do something stupid," Merlin said, crossing his arms.
Before Arthur could respond that it did in fact matter how Merlin knew, he was hit from the side, the force pushing him to the ground, a large weight on top of him. Rolling to the side, he managed to get on his back, before the body that had hit him tackled him again.
"Hello, little boy."
Arthur gritted his teeth as he looked up into the familiar face, his dream flashing before his eyes, before he moved. Slamming his feet down, he was able to shift quickly to the left, rolling out from under the werewolf, Valiant clearly not ready for him moving quickly.
He continued to move, quickly getting to his feet, and pulling Excalibur from his belt. He could hear the sounds of a fight going on behind him, and his mind briefly went to the man who'd been occupying his thoughts, before Valiant leaped towards him again.
Arthur dove to the right, Valiant just missing him, before wheeling around and growling. Arthur knew that he couldn't take the man on one on one, that he had to keep moving, tire the werewolf down, and then make his move.
They continued on like that for awhile, Valiant diving towards him and Arthur dodging him, getting in a hit here and there with Excalibur, the stake somehow draining some of Valiant's strength from him. Merlin seemed to be holding his own against the other two werewolves, Arthur briefly wondering who would win in a one on one fight between the two creatures, before his attention was drawn back to his own fight.
A flash of light drew his eyes back to Merlin, Arthur watching in shock as the two men collapsed to the ground under the bricks that had suddenly fallen on them, Merlin's eyes glowing gold. The distraction cost Arthur, Valiant tackling him, getting in two punches to the stomach and one to the back, making Arthur lose the grip he had on his stake. Before Arthur knew it there was a thick arm wrapped around his throat, the other around his waist.
"Stop," Valiant growled, Arthur quickly realising he wasn't talking to him, wasn't telling him to stop struggling, but rather directing it at Merlin.
Merlin froze, hand outstretched, face showing the anger the vampire was clearly feeling. Arthur couldn't help but notice how dangerous Merlin looked, how strong and powerful, how vampiric.
"You try anything and I snap his pretty little neck," Valiant continued, gripping Arthur harder around the throat. Black dots started to dance across his vision, Arthur gasping as he tried to get air into his lungs.
"Kill him and I'll end you," Merlin answered, voice low and threatening.
"He'll still be dead though," Valiant taunted, Arthur trying to meet Merlin's eyes, to tell him to take his shot if he had one. He would gladly sacrifice his life to take Valiant out. Merlin stared at him then, Arthur seeing the moment he made the decision to lower his hand.
"No," he gasped out, holding Merlin's eyes and trying to tell him to take the shot. The one word had Valiant gripping him even tighter, the blackness crowding the edges of his vision.
"There's a smart boy," Valiant said to Merlin, Arthur wanting to hit the man for degrading the vampire.
Arthur saw two people come up behind Merlin, one of them the blonde vampire he'd fought back when they'd first started looking for Sophia, when Merlin had saved him the first time.
"Hello, Merlin," the blonde purred into Merlin's ear, grinning at Arthur's glare. "It's been too long."
"Morgause," Merlin replied, his face a blank mask, Arthur surprised at the lack of emotion.
"I knew he'd be your downfall," Morgause continued, hand caressing Merlin's cheek, nails trailing along it, the sight making anger run through Arthur. "You care too much for these pathetic mortals, Emrys. Him in particular."
Emrys? Merlin was Emrys? Looking over at the other man, Arthur tried to put what he'd learnt about Emrys together with what he knew about Merlin. And he just couldn't see it. Merlin was a sorcerer who would change their world as they knew it? Would lead this 'Wrath of Magic'?
"What do you want, Morgause?" Merlin bit out, turning to glare at the woman, his eyes golden.
"You know what we want, Emrys," she replied, walking past him and towards Arthur.
Unlike Merlin's golden gaze, Morgause's gaze made his skin crawl in a way that had him itching to grab his stake and attack.
"He is very pretty, I'll give you that," she continued, hand reaching out and stroking Arthur's cheek like she had Merlin's. A low growl came from behind her, and Arthur was surprised to see it had come from Merlin, the other vampire's face full of rage.
"Touchy," Morgause said, cruel grin crossing her face. "I'm here to make a deal with you, Emrys. You do what we want, and we don't kill your little blonde boy toy."
"Let him go," Merlin replied. Morgause laughed, stroking Arthur's chest, the feel of it making Arthur shudder in revulsion.
"We're not stupid, Emrys. Now, Valiant's men here are going to take Arthur somewhere … safe. And you're going to do what we tell you to without a fuss. You have my word that we will release him in perfect health."
Arthur could see the moment Merlin agreed, tried to shout out to the other man that he wasn't worth it, but Valiant seemed to realise and pulled his arm tighter. The blackness quickly crowded his vision, his head becoming light, as his surroundings started to feel a long way away from him, everything feeling surreal.
"I'll do it, if I have your word." Was the last thing Arthur heard before he lost consciousness.
AMAM
Arthur felt himself jerk awake, trying to place what had woken him. It wasn't until he looked around and saw the cell he was in, the small bare room, bars in front of him, that it all came back to him. Valiant, Merlin, the fight, and the fact that Merlin was Emrys.
Looking around the cell again, he froze as he saw a figure at the door, staring in at him. He knew he should feel uneasy, should wonder if the figure had come to finish him, but he didn't, a sense of safety and calm washing over him.
"Who are you?" Arthur finally asked quietly, after the figure had remained standing and staring at him.
"A … friend," the woman replied, voice kind. The voice sounded familiar, something in his heart clenching, telling him that he knew the voice, had heard it before, he just couldn't place it. No matter how he strained his eyes, Arthur could only see her outline, the hood covering her face in darkness.
"What do you want with me?" Arthur asked.
"Nothing," the woman answered, a slender hand reaching out from the robe and gripping one of the bars. "Just to help."
"Why?"
"I can get you out of here," the woman said, ignoring his question, taking a step back and kicking the jail door open. "The rest will be up to you."
"Rest of what?" Arthur asked warily, standing up.
"The Knight in shining armour, of course," she replied, holding her hand out. It took Arthur a moment to realise she was holding out Excalibur, the stake almost glowing silver in the dark cell where it lay on her palm.
"The pieces are all in place. They have their Sidhe, their points of power and magic, and now they have the Sorcerer. You don't have much time to get there and stop them."
"I'm not sure I can," he whispered, not sure why he was confessing his fear to the stranger he didn't know. He couldn't help but flinch as the woman appeared right in front of him.
"Of course you can," she murmured, hand reaching out and cupping his cheek. Arthur couldn't help but lean into the hand, something about the woman making him trust her, part of him wanting to stay here in this moment. "Your men are almost here. Good luck, Arthur."
Before he could move, the woman had disappeared, the cell door open, Excalibur in his hand. Arthur pushed his thoughts and feelings to the back of his mind, putting them away to be looked at later, if ever. Right now he had to stop the creatures from completing their ritual and save the people involved.
He couldn't help but feel something like panic when he thought of Merlin in the ritual, something in him clenching hard at the thought of the vampire being hurt.
Making his way cautiously out of the cell, Arthur felt himself slip into the Hunter role that he'd spent so long perfecting. He was able to push everything back, just leaving the calm analytical hunter that he needed to be.
He didn't meet anyone until he got to the top of the stairs, the two hulking men who had just started down the stairs, looking down at him in shock before charging down the stairs. Dodging to the side, Arthur managed to trip one of them by kicking up, before the other one reached out towards him.
Arthur was lucky he was on the stair case, the man's bulk actually a disadvantage with the limited space they had to move in. Add in the fact that Arthur was fast and trained, and he was able to dodge in close and use his stake to incapacitate the man, who quickly joined his colleague at the bottom of the stairs.
Not waiting to see if the two men were getting up, knowing that every second counted, Arthur ran up the stairs, making his way quickly along a corridor. He couldn't recall the way out, but had a feeling that he was heading in the right direction.
"Arthur!"
Arthur couldn't help but slump a little as he saw Leon, never so relieved to see the man in his life.
"Are you alright?" Leon asked, as he ran up to him, eyes running over Arthur's face.
"We have to get to Pendragon Industries," Arthur replied, gripping the man's shoulder, before pushing past him, not willing to dwell on the aches and pains he could only just feel, the adrenaline making the pain almost non-existent.
"Wha- Arthur?" Leon called, following him as Arthur followed the sense that was leading him outside.
By the time they made it outside, the rest of the Knights were already waiting, Leon clearly having told them that he'd found Arthur and where they now needed to go. Wincing a little as he got into the car, he couldn't help but wonder if it was already too late, if the Valiant and the rest of his crew had already started the ritual.
Lance sent him one concerned look before putting the car into gear, peeling out of the lot they'd been in with a squeal of tyres. As they drove, Arthur filled the Knights in, never more grateful for how loyal and professional his team were until that moment. The men asked a few questions, but didn't doubt his word for a second.
They decided to split into two groups; Gwaine, Elyan and Percival would go after Sophia, while Arthur, Leon and Lance would try and stop the ritual from happening.
"What do you think it'll do?" Lance asked quietly, as they drove. "If they do release the 'Wrath of Magic'."
"Do we really want to find out?" Gwaine replied, Arthur seeing him checking his guns out of the corner of his eye. He felt his hand curl more tightly around Excalibur, the feel of the cold metal settling him.
"Whatever it is, it means something bad for us humans," Gwaine continued. "Probably turn us all into zombie slaves or something."
The car fell silent after that, each of the men focusing on what they were headed to do. As they pulled into a spot down the street from Pendragon Inc. Arthur couldn't help the shiver that ran through him, goosebumps erupting on his skin as he got out of the car
He'd been in the area plenty of times, both during the day and night, but the place had never seemed so foreboding before. The street had never seemed so empty, so desolate, the feeling crawling over Arthur's body.
The Knights made their way quickly towards the building, Arthur surprised that they met no creatures on their way before they were crouched behind a row of bushes across from Pendragon Inc. From their spot Arthur could see right into the main reception area.
He felt his heart clench when he recognised Merlin, the vampire tied to something in the middle of the fountain, the water flowing around him making him look ethereal, like the supernatural being he actually was. The blonde, Morgause was standing in front of him, with three werewolves, Arthur sure one of them was Valiant, skulking around the room.
Arthur knew the building so well that he had already planned which doors the Knights would be using and with one motion of his hand, his team were moving. Leon and Lance followed him to one of the side doors, whilst the others headed to the back entrance. Keeping look out, Arthur waited for Leon to pick the lock, running through the plans of the building in his head, finding the quickest path to the fountain.
Leon had the door opened in a few minutes, giving Arthur a quick nod, before pulling the door open. Arthur went in first, moving slowly and as covertly as he could. He knew that the beings would hear them anyway, but hopefully they would be so focused on the ritual that they wouldn't hear them until the Knights were in position.
He was surprised at how calm he had become, the soft weight of Excalibur at his hip, gun in his hand as he moved down the corridor, Leon and Lance flanking him. It didn't take them long to make it to the reception area.
Crouching down, Arthur felt Leon and Lance doing the same behind him, as the three men took in the tableau in front of them.
Arthur couldn't help but take in Merlin, tied to the stake, the vampire looking relatively unharmed, before his eyes were dragged away to a sobbing person off to the side, her blonde hair a mess, eyes puffy and red, tears streaming down her face.
Sophia Trimor.
"Please, please don't do this," she sobbed, chest hitching, her eyes taking in Morgause and Valiant, who had come to stand behind the blonde vampire.
"But it's what you and your kind want," Morgause replied, Arthur hearing the smirk in her voice. "Your chance to return to Avalon."
"I don't want that anymore," Sophia whispered, shaking her head, breaths increasing as a creature came up behind her, dragging her over to the water and throwing her in.
"And yet you don't really have a choice in the matter," Morgause answered, staring at the drenched girl for a long moment, before looking up at Merlin.
"Are you ready, Emrys?" she asked, Arthur feeling anger start to simmer in him at the smug look on the woman's face.
The vampire raised her hand, her eyes taking on the golden hue that Arthur had seen in Merlin's eyes in his dreams, before she started chanting something.
"Move in," he whispered into his comm unit, knowing the other Knights had been waiting for his move.
In a flash, the calm scene that had been in front of them burst into chaos, the Knights moving in in quick formation. Arthur left his men to do their job, knowing that he had to get to Morgause, to stop the vampire who hadn't even glanced at what was going on, her mouth still moving.
Unfortunately to get to the vampire, meant he first had to go through Valiant.
"I'm so glad you could join us, little boy," Valiant snarled.
Arthur didn't allow himself to be dragged into useless banter, firing off shots in quick succession, gritting his teeth when Valiant managed to dodge them all. Deep down he had known that it would come to close combat, that he would have to replay the scene that had almost cost him his life the first time he'd gone up against Valiant.
Holstering his gun, he pulled Excalibur out, feeling a strange kind of strength run through him as the stake sat in his hand. He ignored the feeling, sure that it was just the rush of adrenaline through him, and quickly dodged to the side when Valiant charged him.
When it came down to brute strength, Valiant would win every time, so he had to use his speed and agility, use it to get close enough to plunge the stake into Valiant's heart.
Arthur dodged another one of Valiant's charges, rolling on the ground before flipping back onto his feet, moving in quick enough to stab Valiant. Unfortunately the werewolf had seen it coming, able to get his arm in the way, the beefy flesh of his forearm taking the blow, and then knocking Arthur into a wall.
Groaning, Arthur ignored his screaming ribs, ignored the bruises and aches from his earlier fight with the creature in front of him, knowing that time was running out, that he had to get to Morgause and save Merlin.
"Afraid to fight me like a man?" Valiant growled, his face twisted in a vicious snarl.
Arthur refused to respond, knowing that Valiant was simply trying to bait him into losing his concentration. He only just managed to get his feet under him and away from the wall before Valiant was there. Rolling under the outstretched arm, he turned quickly, using all his force to stab Valiant in the back, only to be struck so hard across the face that everything went black.
He woke up on the floor, what must have been only seconds later, to find Valiant crouching over him.
"You know what your problem is, little boy?" Valiant sneered, as he lifted Arthur up by his shirt. "You overestimate yourself."
Arthur stared up into the cold eyes, small smile crossing his face as his hands curled into fists at his side.
"You know what your problem is, dog?" Arthur gritted back. "You overestimate iyourself/i."
And with that, he lifted the fist that held Excalibur, plunging it into Valiant's chest, right where his heart was beating. He couldn't help the surge of satisfaction that ran through him at the shocked look on the werewolf's face, the creature's eyes dropping to his chest where Arthur's hand still held onto the stake.
The werewolf didn't have time to do anything more than stare, before tipping forwards and collapsing on top of Arthur, making all the aches and pains in the man scream. Pushing the heavy weight off, he pulled the stake out, letting himself take a few deep breaths, before the noises around him filtered in.
He still had a vampire to stop.
Struggling to his feet, he couldn't help the shocked gasp that left him, as he witnessed the tableau in front of him. Morgause was still chanting, but she was covered in what looked like a silver light, which on closer inspection was actually a thin stream of water. Merlin was surrounded in the same, the water wrapped all around him, although he also had a gold light which was rising from his body to meet it.
"Merlin," he whispered, the aches and pains disappearing when their eyes met, the vampire staring at him, before his head was thrown back in a silent scream.
Moving quickly, Arthur ran towards the blonde vampire, knowing it wouldn't be hard to end the creature, what with the way Morgause was so focused on what was going on in front of her. Leaping towards the woman, Arthur's stake only just managed to graze her before he was hit with a pain that brought him to his knees. He still tried three more times, trying from different angles, once trying to use his gun, but he couldn't get close to the woman without the intense pain forcing him to stop.
Taking a few shuddering breaths, he allowed himself to take in the full picture. The silvery stream of water wasn't only surrounding Morgause and Merlin, but was connecting them, them and Sophia, the three locked in some kind of conduit. He couldn't help but wonder if he managed to break the conduit whether he would be able to get to Morgause.
Changing his tact, he decided to try and free Sophia, the Sidhe looking like the easiest to remove. Moving towards the girl they had been searching for, he was glad to see Gwaine was already there, the brunette holding his own against what he could see now was a vampire.
The other Knight saw him coming, and quickly changed his attacks so that Arthur could end the vampire quickly.
"Would've gotten him in the end," Gwaine panted, Arthur nodding already focused on the girl in front of them.
Reaching out, he wasn't surprised when the pain ran up his arm, gritting his teeth as his legs went weak. Gwaine was there in an instant, worried eyes taking in Arthur, hand reaching out to steady him.
"You look like crap, Princess," he murmured, before turning and taking in the scene in front of them.
"We have to break it," Arthur replied, knowing the other man wouldn't push about Arthur's health right now. "They're all linked somehow, but if we try and get close there's a shock of pain."
"We'll find a way, Arthur," Gwaine said, before they were interrupted by another vampire.
"I've got this, you find a way to break the ritual."
Arthur felt torn, wanting to help the other man, but knowing that they needed to end the ritual now. Everything he tried failed, Arthur at the point where he was only just standing on his feet. It wasn't until the latest go that he realised that he was having some affect. Whilst his hand was touching Sophia, even for a second, the conduit was broken, the water losing its silver look. It was then he realised he could stop the ritual.
Moving closer to Merlin, he met the vampire's golden blue gaze, seeing the confusion creep into them as Arthur stopped next to him.
"I wish that I hadn't been such a prejudiced prat," he whispered, realising it was true. He wished that he hadn't let his father's teaching turn him away from someone who he clearly was meant to know, who clearly was meant to be something important in Arthur's life, if his dreams were anything to go on.
"But I'm here now," he continued, staring into the vampire's eyes. It wasn't until he was moving closer, his hand reaching out, that Merlin seemed to realise what was going on. The other man shook his head, a silent 'no' leaving his mouth, as Arthur reached out.
The pain was unlike anything that Arthur had ever felt, rushing over his entire body, making it feel like he was drowning and on fire at the same time. One good thing about the pain was that it made his hand clamp down on the arm he was holding, Arthur glad Merlin was a vampire and so wouldn't feel the pain the same way a human would.
He felt his mouth open, but couldn't say whether he was actually making a noise, his whole world consumed by the agony that ran through him, which seemed to last an age before the whiteness took him away.
AMAM
Arthur woke slowly the second time around, his head taking in the room, trying to figure out where he was, his mind slow to put the pieces together, which meant he was on the good pain killers. And also meant he was most likely in hospital.
"You know if I wasn't so happy you were alive, I'd kill you myself."
Looking up, he took in Morgana's cross face, not missing the concern and worry that was clear to see in her eyes, as his sister strode into the room.
"What happened?" he asked, looking around for water when he struggled to get the words out of his dry mouth.
"You almost killed yourself," Morgana answered, sauntering into the room and sitting on the bed next to him, handing him a cup of water with a straw in it. Arthur took it from her, greedily sucking the water down, only to glare when it was taken away from him earlier than he would've liked.
"And then the injuries you sustained from the fights you'd had almost killed you," she continued, crossing her arms. "Luckily the Knights got you back here in enough time to stop the blood in your lungs from ikilling/i you, and the other injuries, while painful, will heal with time."
"The girl?" Arthur asked, knowing Leon would have told Morgana most of what had happened.
"Fine," Morgana answered. "And reunited with her father, who wants to thank you in person when you're fit enough."
Arthur nodded, the feeling of satisfaction he always got when a mission was finished running through him. There was one more thing he wanted to ask, one more person he wanted to ask about, but he didn't know if Morgana knew about Merlin, didn't know if the Knights had known Merlin was even there. And he didn't want to out the vampire to his crew.
"Are you ready to tell me what's going on between you and Emerson now?"
Whipping his head to face his sister, Arthur gritted his teeth at the pain that shot through him.
"And don't say nothing, Wart," Morgana continued. "He's been hanging around this ward so much that even the janitor has noticed."
Arthur felt his muscles relax, the tension that he hadn't even realised was there fading away. Before Arthur could respond, the door opened, a familiar raven head entering. Morgana looked over at the door, before turning back to Arthur with a knowing smile.
"Don't think we won't be finishing this conversation later, Wart," she whispered, leaning forward and kissing him on the forehead, before standing and sauntering out.
Arthur watched her go, before turning his eyes to the man in the room. Gone was the predatory look he'd seen before he'd blacked out, Merlin standing and staring at his shoes, a blush crossing his cheeks, before he looked up at Arthur.
"Hi."
"Hi," Arthur replied, pushing himself to sit up, not even noticing the sheet falling away from his chest until he heard Merlin's low sound, his eyes taking in the bandages that covered Arthur's chest.
"It's worse than it looks," Arthur joked.
"It really isn't," Merlin replied, taking a step into the room and closing the door.
"I'll be fine," Arthur answered, eyes watching as Merlin moved closer to the bed, one small step at a time.
"I'm sorry," Merlin whispered, Arthur unable to stop the surprise that ran through him when Merlin was standing beside him, hand reaching out and gentle running down the bandages.
"It wasn't your fault," Arthur replied, feeling breathless.
"I should've stopped it before it got there," Merlin said, hand running over the bandages, before moving over the skin above the bandages. Arthur shook his head, wondering if Merlin could hear his heart, the sound of it rushing in Arthur's ears.
"And then at the end … I let you down. I …"
"No," Arthur replied, shaking his head, grabbing Merlin's hand and pulling him closer. "It's the job I do. I'm going to get hurt, Merlin."
Merlin's gaze met his, Arthur unable to suppress the shiver as the familiar tingling sensation ran over him.
"But you'll have to get used to this happening," he continued. "Because it's what I do."
Merlin snorted then, smile spreading across his face, Arthur unable to stop his own from growing.
"What makes you think I want to hang around?" Merlin asked, looking at Arthur a little slyly.
"You love me," Arthur responded. And even though he had meant it as a joke, the way the sensation jumped over his body made him think that he could be close to the truth. Which was crazy, they barely knew each other.
Any other thoughts he had disappeared as Merlin leaned forward, soft lips covering his, gently moving over Arthur's top lip and bottom lip in a caress that had Arthur wanting more.
"I really do," Merlin whispered, before covering Arthur's mouth again.
END