Chapter 7—De fatis Magus

Lara pushes Gawain away to prevent him from lifting her. She struggles to rise but does despite the white ooze sprinkling the wound on her arm and shivers that encase her skeleton.

Merlin sees her and goes toward her but she raises her hand.

"We need to go before Arthur goes worrying about you two," she says. "Reverse the spell."

Merlin hesitates but from the determined look on Lara's face closes his eyes. He recites a long complicated incantation and opens his eyes with a blast of color and wind that goes throughout the cave.

Gawain and Amira sigh as the spell is lifted and Anorra breathes easier in her state of unconsciously while her sister staunches her wound. The sun descends toward the east, signaling that dawn is upon them.

Lara gestures toward the lake she was shivering from with her good arm. "Make a new exit."

Merlin does so with some difficulty as Gawain tries to communicate with the stubborn Amira.

"Amira, ipse portabit Anorra," Lara says rapidly in Latin.

Amira looks unsurely at Gawain then allows him to pick up her sister.

"Let's get out of here," Lara says as she struggles to walk forward.

"Lara, stop," Merlin declares. But Lara is already out of sight, stumbling out of the God forsaken cave where the daughters of King Midas will remain irrevocably.

—Arthur has his hands on his hips, looking around angrily as the rest of his knights awake.

"Where the hell is Merlin and Gawain?" he barks.

Percival groans. "He was supposed to wake me for watch," he says.

"And Merlin is supposed to get us breakfast," Dresban complains.

Gaius stands. "They could be out there, sire," he says cracking his back. He's too old for nights in the forest. He looks at Arthur with worry. "We should go looking for them."

"Arthur!" Lara cries. Her voice cracks as she goes forward through the brush toward them as unintentional tears run down her face parallel to her sweat.

"Lara," Arthur says before he gets a good look at her. "Where have you been?"

Lara chokes out as she collapses onto her hands and knees and Arthur rushes forward.

"Lara," Merlin cries. He rushes to her side and puts his hand on her sweaty brow. She is breathing heavily as the wound on her arm festers. Merlin looks up desperately. "Gaius!"
Gaius kneels next to Lara, Arthur and Merlin and puts his hand on Lara's forehead. He lifts her chin up and she pulls away.

"I'm fine," she breathes.

"We need to get her to Camelot immediately," Gaius says looking over his shoulder. "Percival."

Arthur takes Lara's weapons from her despite her weak protests and Percival picks her up.

"I can walk," she argues pushing weakly against his vast chest. "I can."

They ignore her as Percival puts her on a horse, wrapping a rope around her waist quickly. They all mount, ignoring Lara's protests as Gawain arrives with Amira and the unconscious Anorra.

"God, how many women have we gotten?" Dresban cries.

They see the two servant's clothes and frown.

"Amira, vade cum istis. Cum cura sororis tuae," Lara says in rapid Latin. "They only speak Latin, Arthur."

"Don't worry about that," Arthur declares as he jumps on the horse behind Lara to leave his horse behind for them.

"Elyan and I will bring them back to Camelot," Gawain says seriously. "You go ahead."

The knights of Camelot ride forward quickly; Merlin's horse is just next to Lara's and Arthur leads Trinidad. The villages they pass look as the horde of knights with their king, an old physical, a determined manservant and a wounded lady ride for Camelot.

—Gaius presses the cold cloth to Lara's head as she struggles to breathe. Gwyn grabs the empty bucket of water.

"I'm getting more water," she says shakily with shiny eyes.

As she leaves Arthur rubs the back of his neck as he looks at Gaius work on Lara with worry. Gawain whispers something in Ragnelle's ear and she hesitantly rises and leaves the room. Amira is sitting on the other side of the room with her hand on Anorra's sleeping shoulder, whispering prayers in old Greek.

"I don't understand," Merlin complains roughly. "Why isn't she healing like she should?"

"The metal," Lara chokes. "Bronwyn gave it to our bloodstream to prevent us from getting infection easily, ironically. But—it makes it hard to heal from infection." She shakes her head. "I don't know if it can be taken out."

Gaius looks up at Merlin and Arthur. "The metal can be taken out," he says putting his hand on Lara's shoulder so she won't speak anymore. "Not by me, though. I know of a physician—Sir Ector's house physician in Lot's kingdom who can extract the metal from her bloodstream with cleansing he learned across the sea. But it will take her a long time to heal after that."

"Whatever it takes," Merlin says sternly. He looks over his shoulder. "Arthur?"

Arthur sighs. "Sir Ector is a good friend of Camelot's," he says. "He will allow Lara into his house, no doubt…But I cannot arrange for a fleet of my knights to protect her to go into Lot's kingdom flying the Pendragon banners."

"I will go," Merlin volunteers.

"No," Lara croaks.

"No, Merlin," Gawain agrees.

"You cannot control what I do," Merlin says sternly, glaring at Gaius.

All are surprised by Merlin's attitude toward Gaius. Arthur is confused that no one will let Merlin go with. Gawain grabs Merlin's arm and drags him out of the room.

"Merlin, you can't leave Arthur for too long," Gawain hisses at Merlin in the dark corridor. "You're supposed to protect him."

"You didn't know that until last night," Merlin growls angrily.

"No, but I've known that Arthur is better when you're here," he says. Merlin does not rebuke. "He's a better king when your wisdom and friendship is there for him. Will you forsake that when Lara can certainly care for herself?"

Merlin says nothing.

"I know you don't want to leave her," Gawain says quietly. "And she doesn't want to be separate from you, but if what you tell me is true then it won't be a permanent arrangement."

"Prophecies are prone to change," Merlin says darkly.

"Then you can't take any chances with Arthur, can you?"

Merlin has no rebuttal.