Forbidden Magic and Desires

by theELFandWITCH

What would you do when you found yourself falling in love? Would you hide your deepest secrets, if those secrets meant your death? Magic is forbidden, but yet, magic is their only salvation. ArthurxOC & MerlinxOC

11. Episode Ten: The Cathedral of Válnak

Rated M for graphic and lemon scenes. Arthur x OC and Merlin x OC.

We don't own BBC's Merlin, only our OCs and the ways the plot of the series is effected by their presence. This chapter is our own plot line, therefore we own it.

In a land of myth, and a time of magic. The destiny of a great kingdom rests on the shoulders of a young boy; his name: Merlin...

-x-

Shadows loomed over Camelot as clouds tumbled over the beautiful stars on their dark blanket. A faint, shrill wind screeched through the vacant streets of the lower town, rustling hay across the dirt. The palace stood majestically over its smaller counterparts with several lights flickering in the many windows. Azura sat in her chamber with her ferret standing on her lap as she wrote on a blank journal page with a white-feathered quill. Her hand writing was small, bold cursive letters that filled the page with the days events and her hopes for the next day. A candle was lit by her left, shedding its stare upon the soft parchment as she wrote.

There was a knock on her door, but she paid no mind, she did not wish to speak to anyone. It had been many days since Uther had read the declaration she had drafted, the one that ceded what lands she had left under her name over to Camelot. The people of the the city seemed delighted while others in its residence tried to question why such events had come, the prince being one. Azura would not speak to him, nor hear the words he wished to share with her; it was a touchy subject which could be answered with a moment of deep thought. It was her life or her land.

"Azura, please let me in," Arthur begged from the opposite side of the closed door. This had to have been the seventh time this evening he had tried to enter her chamber, with no luck.

Azura looked up from her journal and set her eyes upon the clouds that hovered in the sky and the silent town below. The feather of the quill flicked her cheek while she thought. Then she saw it, a pair of moving shadows within the streets, each with a faint red glow. Her window was open and she could hear the sounds of the outside world, not that there was much to hear but the soothing serenade of the nightingales and crickets. However, there was a voice on the window, one that sent chills up and down her spine like none other had before.

She rose to her feet and reached for the cloak on the back of the chair she had been sitting on. Felipe leapt onto the desk, smearing the wet ink on the parchment, watching her as she tied the cloak around her neck hastily and grabbed her brother's sword from the far right corner. Securing it to the tie around her waist, she pulled open the door and walked passed the aggravated Arthur who nearly fell over.

"Azura?" he asked, following her down the hall.

"I saw something in the town," she said, descending down the steps quickly, like she was hovering in the air.

"What?" Arthur asked, running to keep up with her pace.

"I don't know, but I hope it was a big pigeon," she replied, stepping out into the courtyard and proceeding toward the town. "Check that way, don't alert anyone, it may be nothing." She pointed to the rightward path as she continued forward, not giving Arthur a chance to argue or change the subject.

The gravel turned to dust as Azura passed through the barren streets with nothing but shadows following her every step. There was a musky scent on the air, a scent that belonged in a graveyard, the ghastly stench of death. Her hand gripped the hilt of the sword tightly, ready to draw it in a seconds notice. She hoped it was just her wild imagination, but there was a feeling in the pit of her stomach that would not go away.

The wind screeched and forced Azura to a stop as she covered her eyes to avoid catching dust in the eye.

"Hey there, princess," a low voice said, "Thought I was never going to find you."

Azura lowered her arm before her eyes. Before her was a black horse with a rider glowering from its back. A tattered cloak billowed in the wind as it blew to the west, pulling back its shield over the rider's face. A pair of deep set, ruby-red eyes stared back her, watching as she stepped backward and drew the sword. However, she found the broad chest of another horse in the back. Her head whipped around and a second set of red eyes stared at her, starving and greedy. She stepped to the right and faced the two riders, a single blade between them and her. "Don't come any closer," she hissed.

"Talk, run, has no fun," the second rider said lowly; his voice was husky and dark, she remembered it from the last time. "Scream, dream, all you want. Two bloods here, two bloods there. Must take one, another will come."

A hand wrapped around her arm, pulling her closer to the horse that now had no rider. Azura pulled away, slashing the blade in the air as she ran toward the palace. "ARTHUR!" she screamed, watching as the second horseman spurred his horse into a gallop after her.

Her feet came to a halt, a man stood before her with his red eyes beating down upon her like a hammer. His fingers curled around her neck as the clouds parted and shed moonlight into the street. The man's lips parted as he lifted her up with pure strength of his arm. The sword in her grasp collapsed onto the floor as she gazed down at her assailant. Two long fangs glimmered in the silver light, drenched in fresh, crimson blood (not her own).

His skin was like ice against her warm flesh, chilling her to the bone. Shivering, she raised an arm and brought it down hard upon the man's arm, breaking his grip on her throat. Gasping for breath, she ran in the opposite direction and slipped passed the rider and horse who turned to intercept her.

"ARTHUR!" she screamed as she dashed away from the muffled laughs behind her.

The man was before her in a flash, she had never seen a being move so fast. Unable to stop, she collided with him and fell backward as his stance stay firm and unaltered. Bending down stiffly, he caressed her cheek with the back of his cold hand and grinned at the spark of panic in her eyes. With a blow to the skull, her rapid breaths ceased.

-x-

Arthur looked up, hearing Azura's voice screaming against the wind; it startled him at first, causing him to jump as he stepped. Drawing his sword with a shrill shriek of the metal against the scabbard, he ran through the shadowed alleys toward the path she had taken. The silver moonlight faded as he stepped into the scene. His eyes had yet to adjust to the darkness and all he could see was a shadowed figure lift another from the ground and place it on the horse that tapped at the earth impatiently.

The figure glanced back, hearing Arthur's soft footprints on the soil, and his eyes met that of the puzzled prince's. They pair of orbs were red, bright and deathly and Arthur stepped forward, knowing magic, or like thereof, when he saw it.

A second horse galloped passed him, nearly sending him off his feet for the beast's body was so close to his. "Go we must!" the second horseman shouted, raising an arm in the air and pointing to the darkened gates in the distance.

Arthur grabbed the dagger on his belt and threw it as hard as he could; he was running as fast as he could, heart racing. The steel whirled through the air with a gentle hurr and pinned the second horseman in the back; he fell off of his horse that continued onward without a care that his rider had fallen. Arthur ran after them, shouting Azura's name but the rider's horse was too quick for him.

The prince of Camelot stood in the open gates of Camelot, watching feebly as the sole rider rode off with his Azura; there was faint laugh on the bitter wind. "Sound the warning bell!" he shouted angrily to the guards that were stationed in watchtower.

With a glance in the direction of the dark wood, seeing nothing but the shadows that extended from the trees, Arthur ran back to the man who had a dagger digging deeply into his back. The man was laughing as the prince approached him, greeting him with a hasty boot to the face. "Where did he take her!" Arthur shouted and kicked the man onto his back; by doing so, he pressed the dagger further into his flesh.

"Oh, you would want to know. But yet, I know not only the raven knows," the man riddled, staring up at Arthur with his red-hot eyes; his blue lips, greyed with shadows, curved into a grin. "Two... bloods."

His eyelids fell over his eyes as he took another boot to the face.

-x-

Kadian was woken from the sound of the warning bell blaring through Camelot. She rose to her feet and slipped her feet into her shoes before grabbing her cloak and leaving her chamber; it was all one swift motion. The halls had become lively with startled and confused people who mingled with each in hope for some answer. Running to the council chamber, she caught her father's stare in the face. "What's happening?" she asked and avoided her father's gaze as she crossed the chamber.

"I don't know," Uther replied as he shook his head and rubbed his tired eyes; he did not enjoy being woken from a very pleasing slumber. A guard rushed into the chamber and did not bother to dip his head. "Why has the warning bell been sounded?" Uther demanded, raising his eyebrows as he fought off a yawn.

"Lady Azura has been kidnapped," the guard panted heavily. "The prince is on his way." He remembered to dip his head as he turned and exited the chamber.

Uther placed his head in his hand, rubbing his temples soothingly. "Who could've done this?"

Kadian's eyes widened, how could someone kidnap Azura? Her father shared the same questions as more and more citizens of Camelot awoke in the palace and town, filling the corridor with commotion. The knights raced into the chamber and positioned themselves around the hall to protect the king if necessary. Kadian began to shake, it was the first time she ever felt she needed the protection of the knights her father had appointed.

Finally after several minutes of panic, Arthur came into the hall meeting his father who ran to him, demanding to be filled in on the situation. "There were two of them," Arthur explained as he fought to catch his breath, "both tried to make a run for it... I tried to stop them, sire, I truly did. I got one in the back with a knife, but the other got away... with Azura. I ask permission to ride out in pursuit."

"Go," Uther said, pushing his son toward the doorway. "Where is he?"

"The dungeons!" Arthur shouted as he ran from the room and around the corner.

Kadian turned to her father as he told the knights to split into parties and be ready to ride out once his son had been suited in his mail. "Is there anything I can do, father?" she asked trembling after the knights scrambled from the chamber.

"Spread the word, no one is to leave Camelot until Azura is found," he stated heatedly, trying to suppress his anger that furrowed his brow.

She dipped her head and ran through the corridors, returning to her own chamber to change into something more pleasing than her nightgown. The first person on her agenda to tell was Morgana, who was watching from her windowsill. She was just as shocked as Kadian had been when she heard what had happened. Nodding, Morgana and Guinevere raced to tell more of the King's orders.

Kadian dashed into the court physician's chamber, nearly startling Gaius from where he stood. Merlin was still in his bedroom, fast asleep and snoring loudly. She ran into his bedroom, stumbling over something that was hidden in the dark, and pounced on him, shaking him roughly until he was wide awake and shouting for her to tell him what was wrong. Gaius listened from the doorway as she told him what had happened and left his chamber to consult with the king and the court.

The princess pulled Merlin out of bed and ordered him to get dressed and spread the word. She ran through the town, telling all the concern citizens to return to their homes and that no one is to leave the city. At the sound of clattering hooves, she stepped to the side of the street and watched as the knights rode by. Arthur was in the lead, his eyes set on the shadow cast trees around Camelot and pleading that he would reach Azura in time, before anything terrible could happen to her.

-x-

Lemon rays of sunlight peeked over the dark horizon and cast the skyline with rose and amber, the warm colours of dawn. The chaos that began than night barely had calmed, many of the guards searched the city ruthlessly while Uther prepared to interrogate the prisoner Arthur had successfully thwarted during his escape. Unable to spare time to address the concerned people, he gave orders for Kadian to take his place and tell the people the truth, but leave them unaware of the guest in the dungeon.

The princess stood on the balcony; her face was haloed by the morning sun. Below were many of the panicking civilians who beamed at her with wide, curious stares. "People of Camelot," she said loudly, hoping that everyone could hear her soft voice; she swept her gaze across each of their puzzled expressions. She could put a name to every face. "Last evening, one of our own was kidnapped before our eyes. The knights and guard are searching my father's city and the surrounding wood and villages for the man who kidnapped the Lady Azura. Unfortunately, my father is busy organizing this search which is why it is my address you this fine morning. So, until these events have been resolved, it is necessary for all to stay within the city and willingly allow our search parties to look through your homes for any signs that can point to Azura's whereabouts. I ask you not to panic, the situation is under control."

Murmurs arose from the gathered crowd as they all turned to each other. The same questions that rattled through Kadian's mind erupted in the gathered: how could this happen? What was she doing out that late? Are we all in danger? Is there or will there be ransom?

"I ask for your full cooperation so we can bring her home safely. Anyone who wishes to aid in this search can do so by referring to the court physician who will be stationed in this courtyard for the remainder of the morning. He will take down your name and will assign you to a search party when the knights return from the initial search," Kadian stated calmly and the murmurs faded to soft whispers. "Thank you." She nodded her head, smiled weakly, and turned away from the people and returned into the palace, where she met Merlin's waiting arms.

Resting her head on his shoulder, Kadian closed her eyes in means to clear her rattled mind. She felt like crying for the uncertain outcome of the kidnapping. How could anyone outrun an elf? Azura could run faster than light if she wanted, even with the threat of using too much of her limited magic. "It's going to be all right," Merlin cooed, combing his fingers through the back of her hair. "Arthur will find her. The two are like separated messenger pigeons; he'll find her, no matter what it takes."

-x-

Uther stormed down the staircase as he emerged in the musky-smelling dungeons. The stationed guards leapt to their feet and dipped their heads as he passed. Paying no mind, he approached the cell in which the man was leaning against the far well, eyes closed. "Wake up!" the king bellowed, slamming his palms into the steel bars as he glared through them.

The man's eyelids were drawn back as he sighed heavily, his chest rising and falling awkward with his breath. He stared at the king with weary, ruby eyes. Startled, Uther stepped away from the bars for he had never seen something thing that."It is a pleasure, to stand in your presence," he said with a yawn and tilted his head from side to side, cracking his bones harshly.

"Where has your abettor taken her!" Uther asked darkly as he curled his fingers around the steel bars., gripping them tightly again. When the prisoner huffed in replied, he snarled, "Answer me!"

"Riddle me this, riddle me that. Here am I, there she is," the man grinned from his shadows, waving a pale hand in the air carelessly. "Two bloods needed, one taken."

"I ask you once more, where is she?" Uther shook the bars violently, causing the entire wall of metal to tremble. The king gritted his teeth like he was baring them as a ravenous wolf; he would not succumb to the indecency of abductors.

"The sun burns," the prisoner replied with a petty chuckle and heavy breaths, "like what you wish to learn. Bring me sustenance, only then shall I indulge you."

"You will get nothing," Uther growled. Hastily. There was a scary glint in his eyes, but it did not match that of the man across from him who furrowed brow cast dark shadows over the ruby eyes.

"So be it," the prisoner replied, shrugging, and closed his eyes.

Uther reached for the keys on his belt, ready to storm into the cell to interrogate in the man face-to-face, but before the key touched the keyhole a guard race down the stairs. Bowing his head, he received the king's enraged eyes square. "Sire," said the guard, "Prince Arthur has returned to Camelot. He is waiting for you."

Clenching his teeth, Uther released his grip on the keys and turned away from the cell. As the king scaled the staircase to return to the lively parts of his palace, he could hear muffled laughs coming from the shadows cloaking his prisoner. This made him frown and glance grimly over his shoulder

-x-

Arthur looked up as his father walked into the room with his hand on his sword; he flinched at the sound of the door as it creaked on its aged hinges. "Anything?" Uther asked immediately with his voice waning on desperate as he stared at his son.

The prince shook his head hastily from side to side. "Nothing, father, absolutely nothing," he sighed deeply and slipped a gloved hand through his windblown. "It's like the horse sprouted wings and flew away, there are no tracks. It's like they never came or left, but they were there, I saw him take her."

Nodding, the king rested a firm hand on Arthur's shoulder, feeling how tense the muscles were. "Our captive is unwilling to talk," Uther grumbled subtly hesitant. "We will find her, no matter what the cost. Ten thousand men will search Albion if necessary."

Arthur rolled his shoulder rid of the firm hand. He nodded assuringly to himself. "Sir McAllister and Sir Owain are still in the wood. The rest came back to group the volunteers," Arthur stated and looked toward the door as it swung open again.

The court physician stepped into the hall with a roll of parchment in his grasp and dipped his head before approaching them. "Good news, sire, at least twenty men have offered their services to the hunt," Gaius said with a smile and placed the parchment in Uther's waiting hand.

"Twenty men," Uther repeated amazed as he unravelled the parchment and read each of the inscribed names. Rolling the parchment, he handed it to his son. "Return to the search as soon as possible. I will send word to you once our prisoner is willing to speak. Do not leave any stone unturned."

"Yes, father," Arthur replied and departed from the chamber swiftly with the parchment clutched tightly between his fingers like he wanted to squeeze the life out of it.

Once the oak doors shut behind the prince, Uther turned to Gaius with concern written in his eyes. "Tell me, physician, who would dare come to my lands and kidnap one of my wards?" he questioned grimly, like Gaius was a suspect.

"Someone with an act for evil, my lord," Gaius replied with a courteous dip of his head. He studied Uther's expression carefully, trying to read the well-armour thoughts that swam in the forefront of Uther's mind. "Is there something troubling you, sire?"

Uther's head shook slowly as his eyelids came together and his brow furrowed slightly. "It's nothing to concern yourself with, Gaius," the king said gently and set his gaze on his long-time colleague.

"Sire?" the physician asked cocking an eyebrow, but the king raised a hand and silenced him. Dipping his head, Gaius retreated from the chamber.

-x-

A pained moan escaped her parting lips. Her head pounded in her skull like a hammer beating a nail, it was almost unbearable but she forced her eyes open. She set her hazy gaze upon the yellow surroundings, trying hard to focus her vision. There was a series of candles lit upon a single table that was not nearly large enough to be a desk nor small enough to be a night table. She was in a tent, that was for sure, sitting on a large cushion in the centre. Her eyes fell down upon her ankles, where a thick rope bound them together and the red rash they left from her unconscious turning. She wore no shoes and her toes wiggled in the airs as she commanded them to.

What the hell is going on? Azura thought, trying to move her arms but they were bound as well, behind her back. Blinking, she felt a surge of pain move through her skull. A faint breeze rustled the entrance flaps and Azura saw that night-time was either still drifted over the sky or she had been unconscious for nearly a day. "Hello?" she wanted to say, but all she made were muffled sounds as the cloth in her mouth prevented her from speaking.

"Looks who's finally woken," a friendly voice said as a ghastly hand pushed the tent flap inward. "Oh, now look at your face. I truly am sorry, but you refused to cooperate." He stepped completely into the tent, a cloak dangling over his broad shoulders. The hood was thrown back. He had short, greasy black hair which curled around his forehead, deepening the bewitchment of his fiery eyes. His eye were haloed with dark circles, contrasting against his frost-white skin.

"Don't be frightened," he grinned casually kneeling before her. "I will not harm you until my brother returns. That man of yours, Arthur, clever boy. His aim is impeccable."

Azura stared at him, forcing her head away as he traced the bruise he gave her. The man grinned, flashing the fangs that haunted her thoughts. "You don't remember who I am, do you, Azura?" he asked curiously and pressed his thumb against the purple mark.

She winced and pulled herself further away.

"It will be ten years in two days time," the man began and rolled onto his heels as he stood. Tapping a finger to his hollow jaw, he stared down at her. "Your mother, may her spirit rest in peace, never trusted Kier and I. No, she had us thrown from the city the moment she set her pretty blue eyes on us; the same which she passed to you and your brother. How is Jaiden by the way?" He paused, seeing the pain in her eyes as the name rolled over his lips victimising. "Oh, that's right, he's buried in the ashes of your city. Azura, your mother was a clever as you were, always one step ahead. She knew of our plot right from the beginning, before we could even take our sacrifices. But we never gave up and waited for the precise moment. In two days time, the moon will cross over the sun and the sky will turn to blood."

Azura tilted her head to the side, examining the man as he rambled on about his plan. One candle blew out, followed by another, then another. As the shadows stretched across his face, a memory flashed before her eyes.

Rain drizzled on the streets as the people of Luthrembel danced in the square as part of the city's Midsummer's Day celebration. Her mother was running for shelter, but Azura stood in the centre of the square, gazing up, into the grey clouds that poured rain upon her. As everyone ran for cover, Azura stayed still with her arms outstretched, enjoying the feeling of the cold water on her skin. There were two figures stalking toward her, each with the faint red glow she saw the night of her abduction. She could hear her mother calling for her from the palace, but she remained still, enchanted by the pull of their red eyes.

"There you go, love," he grinned, "remember that fateful night? Your mummy isn't here to save you this time."

Azura watched as he stepped away, toward the tent flaps. His eyes swept across her face as he disappeared into the darkness. The last candle blew out, casting Azura into darkness as she remembered; she knew very well who the man was.

-x-

Receiving word that she was looking for him, Merlin entered Kadian's chamber and swept his gaze cautiously across the chamber; all was safe. Kadian sat at her desk with a tall pile of books scattered across the tabletop and a quill hovering over a blank piece of parchment. "I want you to come with me," she said softly as she stood, placing the quill into the inkwell, "to the dungeons."

"You're not thinking..." Merlin protested and stepped forward as if to stop her.

"Yes, I am," Kadian nodded as she met him in the centre of the chamber. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she pulled him down and pecked him gently on the lips. "It would be safer to have a sorcerer with me than my father's men. I need to know who or what we're dealing with. No human could have taken Azura that fast; she can be quick when she needs to be, quicker than anyone person could imagine."

"Alright," Merlin sighed and brushed her hair from her face. She smiled softly as his warm breath cascaded upon her face gently. "You better be careful."

"I'm always careful. It's you who's the clumsy one," Kadian smirked, releasing her captive, and walked around him to pull open the door. Shaking at the shrill shriek the hinge made, Merlin took Kadian's hand and followed her through the door.

-x-

The princess descended down the ghastly staircase of the dungeon's, ignoring the greetings from the posted guards who were playing cards on a flat table. She continued on her way, pulling Merlin along, and gave the guards specific orders to stay put for she would not be long. There were shadows hanging along the walls like cobwebs, slinging across the old steel bars and stone in a magnificent, intricate web. From the furthest cell, they could hear a prisoner panting heavily with exhaustion and evident lack of water.

"Stay here," Kadian instructed and continued forward. Merlin stood still, out of view of the cell, and folded his hands behind his back, impatiently twiddling his thumbs. Her plan, obscure and dangerous as it was, put a nasty, uncomfortable feeling in the pit of his stomach.

She stood before the bars and gazed into cell, glancing at each of the haunting shadows that leaned against the walls. At first, she saw no one in there, only darkness, but then, as she focused on the cell, she saw a faint, ruby glow against the back wall. "Hello?" Kadian called as her thin fingers curiously curled around the bars.

"Pretty, witty princess so full with pity," the prisoner chimed as he sat forward; two torches burst into flames at her sides, sending a brilliant, orange glow into the cell. His red eyes stared up at her and his head tilted to the side. "Have you come with sustenance?"

"You will get nothing until you tell me where my friend is," Kadian retorted harshly.

"Here I am, there she is," he said as he stumbled onto his feet. The man was before her in a flash, his face fully illuminated in the orange glare of the torches. His eyes were rimmed with black circles and his flesh was white as fresh, winter snow. The strands of his hair were long and black, curling down to his chin. He coiled his cold fingers around hers, pressing his forehead against the bars. "Your smell brings forth a quell of my thirst. Two bloods needed, one taken, the other..." He cocked his head intriguingly to the side. "...mistaken."

Kadian forced her body not to shiver as his chill climbed up her arms. "Who are you?" she questioned softly.

"Kier's the name which rattles this dame," the man replied, his cold lips curving into a wide smile. He flicked a finger toward her face and instinctively, she drew back. "The name of the brother is none other than shadow." His eyes drew Kadian closer until their noses nearly touched. "Second of two, your blood is untrue. With just one drop, I can make things stop."

Kier's lips pulled back. His pointed fangs reached toward her neck as it fluctuated with her rapid pulse. "Kadian!" Merlin shouted and ran forward, pulling her back before the man's fangs could puncture her smooth skin. An enchantment left his lips and the prisoner flew back against the stone wall hard and with a bone-cracking thud. The dagger in Kier's back, which had yet to be removed, dug deeper, inflicting the suffering that he would not be denied.

Kadian's head shook as she came back to the dungeons, eyes wide with fright. She stared at Kier's pained face as he tried to reach for Arthur's dagger to pull it from her cold flesh. Racing forward, she grasped the bars of the cell, shaking them. "You're a vampire!" she exclaimed. "Tell me what you want with Azura!"

"Two bloods need, one taken, the other... now, shaken," Kier riddled from his slump against the wall. "Winds screech and all you can too is beseech the dweller of shadows. You know the price, just choose right; before all is too late."

Merlin pulled Kadian away from the cell and held her in his arms as it sunk it: her life had been inches from being lost. "That's enough for now," he whispered and led her up the stairs, where the guards had been startled by their creeping steps.

-x-

Gaius sat at his bench, experimenting with his phials of multiple substances. He knew that darkness had come to Camelot, but his mind was too restless to sleep; something greater was being plotted. "What happened to her?" he gasped as the door swung inward and Merlin lead Kadian into the chamber.

He brought her to a vacant stool and stroked her back gently, trying to sooth the fright out of her.

"V-v-vampire," Kadian shuttered as she unconsciously ran her hand along the side of her neck, feeling for the invisible marks where Kier would have bitten her. "He's a vampire..."

The physician's eyes widened as his white eyebrows rose with shock. Turning to Merlin, he received the acknowledgement that he did not want and shivered subtly. It took him several seconds to recollect himself before he spoke. "What would two vampires want with Azura?" he mused, rubbing his chin unconsciously.

"He won't say, just that they need another... they need me..." Kadian shivered, rubbing her hands on her opposite arms like she was overcome by a chill.

"Merlin, get her a blanket," Gaius stated and carried his stool to be in front of her; Merlin nodded and vanished into his chamber. "Tell me everything, Kadian. We won't let them harm you."

Returning to the main room, Merlin draped a thick, warm blanket over her narrow shoulder. He wrapped his arms around her, pressing his chest against her back, and shared his warm as he listened to the story he witnessed.

-x-

Azura tumbled onto her stomach after nearly two hours of trying to move. She looked up from the dirt and grass that was in her face, squinting to see through the haze before her eyes; having starved and being rejected water, her head was slightly light and foggy. The cloth was still pressed against her lips, preventing her voice from expelling into the air. Her wrists and ankles had started to ache and were flushing a purple tone.

She could see a jagged stone on the opposite end of the tent that called for her to drag her self over in means of freeing her arms. Doer ulu uns'aa lu'harventh l'chanash'gi valbylis ussta da'rex, she thought and concentrated hard on the coarse edges and rough texture of the stone. Doer ulu uns'aa lu'harventh l'chanash'gi valbylis ussta da'rex.

The stone twitched and leapt into the air full of animated life as it followed her begging commands. It hovered above her and slow descended upon the tight rope binding her wrists, swinging from side to side like a pendulum until the strands were severed. As the loose strands collapsed onto the dusty ground, Azura's hands shot to the cloth in her mouth and pulled it down. She gasped for air, glad to finally be free from its foul-tasting entrapment. She felt drained of energy, the enchantment took a lot out of her, but now she could scream to the heavens in hope that someone was near enough to hear and rescue her.

The eerie sounds of snapping twigs and rustling grass forced Azura to put herself in the position she had been before she collapsed to the ground. Hesitantly, she placed the cloth between her lips and folded her hands behind her back. Her kidnapper entered the tent and slowly lit each of the cold candles on the table with a single match. His eyes turned to her, darker than before. "I swore to myself that I would not feed... until my brother had come," he said weakly, each syllable hanging on his breath. "But your exotic aroma, the sweetness that it puts on the wind, wakens my thirst."

He was on top of her now, his breath chill against her cheek. His touch was like ice as he continued to speak in a low, seductive tone as his hand caressed her soft skin. "It will only hurt... for a moment," he said, kissing her cheek and lower his lips onto her neck.

She pushed his head away with her hand. He was thrown back, against the small table holding the candles. Flames leapt onto the yellow tent fabric as she ripped the rope around her ankles and dashed from the tent before the flames could scathe her. The grass was wet beneath her bare feet and the earth moulded between her toes as she ran, throwing the cloth to the ground. Shouting for help, she raced through the cheers with the faint echo of the vampire calling for her to stop.

The moonlight kissed her face as she leapt over a fallen tree and landed without a sound. As if there was no altercation in her stride, she continued onward like a blur through the trees. However, she did not get far before she came face to face with her kidnapper again. He pressed his cold hands against her shoulders, halting her where she stood with his red eyes fixing upon her silver face. "You don't have to run," he grinned, slipping her hand through her hair to bring her head and neck closer to him.

Azura brought her knee up and caught him in the gut as his moist lips pressed against her neck again. She pushed him down and bolted forward again without glancing over her shoulder to see what damage she had caused. Before she could blink, she was soaring through the air, her feet a good three metres off the ground. The vampire jumped into the air after her, fast as lightning, and pushed her to the ground mercilessly.

Crack!

Her ankle snapped and an ivory bone pierced through her fair skin as she collapsed onto the earth. The back of her skull slammed against the ground last and her eyes glazed over. When she came too, several moments later, he was on top of her again, holding her still with his body weight as his hands held her down by her shoulders. "You had to make things difficult, didn't you?" he asked, lowering his face to her chest; refraining himself from sinful temptation, he moved his lips toward her neck. "Now, I have no choice but to kill you."

Adrenaline swam through her veins and with every ounce of strength, elven and not, she tossed him to the side before his teeth could sink into her neck. Despite the dire pain that shot through her entire body, she rose to her feet only to take a full body tackle from her kidnapper. His arms released her as she was thrown back by his brutality. Her feet skimmed across the damp grass until it disappeared, down a steep hill that was ridged with rocks.

Azura's hands grappled with the stones, trying to cease her movement, but little luck. The sharp edges dug into her palms as they slid over the stones, cutting her skin and coating the stones' edges with drops of blood. It seemed like ages before her back slammed against the earth and she was launched over her shoulders until she was on her stomach, gazing up at the very tip of the slope she had fallen. Her hands stung as the dew on the grass seeped into the wounds.

This was it, she could not run any more; she could not fight him. He was too strong and too delirious from thirst to see reason. His tackle alone should have damaged her enough to have killed her, breaking her ribs and cutting her innards, if the fall from the cliff had not. What magic she had left was mending her wounds, like it had when the griffin swooped into Camelot; it would only be a matter of time before her reserve ran out and left her to die from the lost of blood.

Then, a gloved hand covered her mouth and forced her to breath through her nose. Her eyes glanced to her right, seeing a glint of silver and her chest relaxed. It was Arthur.

The prince rose a finger to his lips, telling her to remain silent, and ran an inspecting hand down her aching body; his touch made her tremble, especially when his hand fell upon her bleeding, broken ankle. Nodding to himself, assuring his plan, he drew his sword and disappeared into the shadows.

The vampire stood on the top of the cliff, gazing down with dark ruby eyes. A grin was upon his chin as he leapt down with no care in the world if he stumbled over a rock or two. His feet were slow against the earth as he approached the wounded Azura. He took his hand and tilted her chin upward, setting her bright blues on his face.

The edge of Arthur's sword stretched across his throat. "Not another move," he growled, "or it will be your last."

"Arthur," the vampire grinned, releasing Azura's face and shifting his red eyes on the prince, "we haven't officially met, have we?" He chuckled. "My name is Ze'el."

"Silence," Arthur snarled and stepped out of the shadows without moving his sword.

Ze'el took in a deep breath, scenting the blood that stained the earth, and shook with pleasure. His pupils spread across his eye; there was blood on the prince, he could smell it and how close it was. The burning desire for the blood pushed him forward. The sword cut his throat as he took hold of Arthur, pinning him against the nearest tree, but Ze'el did not bleed and his flesh folded together to repair the damage.

Azura could hear Arthur gasp for air as Ze'el crushed his windpipe. The chain mail covering his body would do little against the brute strength of Ze'el, the metal was crushed along with his throat. His hand released the blade and it plummeted to the ground by his boots. "Ze'el," Azura hissed as she grinned, "you're too late. The sun has begun to rise."

Ze'el turned away from the human struggling in his grasp and to the horizon where faint rays of pink light peered over the mountains and treetops. He was gone before either of them could blink. The sun was a vampires natural enemy, first to the werewolf. If Ze'el had stayed a second longer, he would have burst into flames as the yellow gaze touched his cold skin.

"Arthur?" Azura asked softly as she watched him slide limply into a slouch against the tree. "Are you alright?"

The prince looked up at the sound of his name and rose to his feet. With quick, stiff strides, he knelt beside her. "Don't worry about me. What happened to you?"

"I've had worse," she sighed and winced as she tried to move; the attempt sent her body into small convulsions that eased before Arthur could react. "My ankle's broken. If you hadn't come when you did..."

"Shh," Arthur cooed and lifted her to be sitting; his expression waned as she trembled as he moved her. He took her hands and examined the cuts that were etched in her fingers and palm. Placing them down on her lap, he met her concerned gaze and reached up with a tender hand to caress her cheek. "You had me worried sick."

"I tried, I really did," Azura stated, slurring her words, and leaned against him. Her entire body was throbbing and she curled her fingers over her palms that bled.

"I know you did," he said tucking her hair behind her ears. "Next time you see something, we search together, do you understand me? I don't care whether your pissed off at me or what-not." When she nodded her stiff neck and her eyelids were growing heavy, he lifted her into his arms and let her head fall against his chest. He carried her without a fumble in his step and placed her on the saddle of his horse that grazed some distance away. Mounting behind her, he trapped her between his arms as he took the reins. "Just keep talking to me, we'll be home soon."

"About what?" she asked weakly.

"Tell me about... your mother. What did she look like?" Arthur answered, resting his cheek on her head. "Anything, just stay with me."

His cheek felt cold, unnaturally freezing, on the top of her head

-x-

Kadian lay awake in Merlin's bedroom. He sat beside her, rubbing his hand up and down her side comfortingly. Neither of them could sleep; Gaius was sitting awake in his chamber, anxiously await for someone to return with Azura and douse all the worry and doubt that had filed Camelot. Kadian's eyes stared out the window, at the lightening sky and the puffy clouds that moved along with the wind. There was a knot in her chest that caused her to jump at every creak and crack inside and outside the room. Merlin was trying to coax her, get her to fall asleep with the knowledge that he would stay up until she woke, but her mind was too startled to sooth.

Then, the bell echoed through the stirring city, bold and cheery. Kadian sat up and rose to her feet, pulling Merlin along with her. They ran to Gaius who had been startled by the ringing as well. He hoped it meant the same thing they did: the knights found Azura alive.

Voices erupted from the hall and a guard pushed open the door to Gaius' chamber, quickly explaining the injuries Azura had sustained. Arthur came in, holding Azura in his arms; she looked pale and barely awake, barely alive. There was blood smeared across her clothing and Arthur's mail and the red ooze was still dripping. Kadian had to look away when she saw the bone sticking out of Azura's ankle and the ghastly black and purple bruise on her face. Gaius rapidly gave Merlin many orders to get different supplies that he had placed on his bench as Arthur gently placed her on cot.

Her fingers were curled so tightly around Arthur's armour that they had to pry them off. "Don't leave me!" she pleaded, her fingers snapping back to the mail each time they were pried away. "Please!"

"Shh," Arthur cooed and took hold of her wrists tightly and placed them on her lap. "Gaius will take care of you. I will come back."

"Don't go!" Azura cried as he stepped away. She grabbed his the collar of his mail and pulled him to her. The guard took hold of her waist and tore her off of the prince.

Kadian's eyes widened as the mail stretched as Azura was dragged back; there was blood spread across her brother's neck, dried against his skin and hiding the wound that was its source. Arthur turned, despite Azura's pleas, and left the physician's chamber, moving his mail to its position against his neck.

Gaius asked the guard and Merlin to leave his chamber as he inspected Azura's ankle. Tears were swimming down Azura's face as Gaius touched her ankle and the bone that pierced the skin. "Azura, this will hurt," he stated, placing his hands on both sides of her ankle. "I must set and place a tourniquet on it before it starts to heal in the wrong place."

Azura extended her hand toward Kadian who took it without a second thought. The princess could not watch as Gaius snapped what part of the bone had begun to heal and manoeuvred the break to be aligned with its other half. Azura's grip was strong and Kadian felt like her hand was about to shatter into millions of pieces by the time Gaius lifted his hands. "Almost done," he informed. He stitched the wound made by the jagged bone and bound it in two layers of white linen bandages before setting a splint.

Kadian brushed Azura's hair from her face, watching the tears as they formed and flowed across her cheeks. Never before had she seen Azura cry with so much pain and anger in her eyes, not even on their trip to and from Luthrembel; then, the tears had been of sadness and grief. "Listen to me," she whispered hoarsely as Gaius tied the splint to her leg, "we have Kier in the dungeons. He's been rambling on about two bloods. What does he mean?"

"I-I don't kn-know..." Azura stammered between short breaths; she shut her eyes and took a long breath. "You must find Arthur. I-I think he was bitten."

"Bitten? By the other vampire?" Kadian gasped.

"Yes," Azura nodded wincing as her neck popped. "You need to heal him, get rid of the venom before it turns him. I hadn't noticed it before. You'll need to..."

"Azura!" Uther exclaimed as he ran into the chamber with open arms, cutting off her sentence. "You're alright right. We were so worried, all of us."

Gaius took hold of her hands and pressed the cuts that were etched there. They were nearly healed, but as his fingers pressed against each wound, blood oozed down into her palm.

Kadian got to her feet and said that she was going to retrieve fresh clothing for Azura. She left the chamber with one last glance at Azura as Uther asked question after question like she was a prisoner in the dungeons.

-x-

There was determination in her eyes as she walked through the corridors, avoiding all the maids and servants that were scurrying about to do as their masters had demanded. She came to her brother's chamber door and pushed the door, cursing that it was locked from the inside. "Arthur," she called, banging on the wood, "let me in."

There was nothing coming from within the chamber. She slammed her hands against the wood in hopes that it would fly open, but it remained still on its hinges. Waving her hand before the key hole, the gears shifted until the door swung inward. Kadian stepped into the chamber, the mess that it was, and gazed around, frantically, for her brother.

He was standing in front of a mirror with his chain mail and tunic resting at his feet. His eyes were shut and his hands clasped the edges of the table holding the mirror. Kadian saw the two, tiny punctures that were embedded in his neck, the ones that Azura had attempted to reveal in the physician's chamber. The blood had been cleared, but a ghastly white remained and it was spreading down his back and up the sides of his face. "Arthur?" she called, stepping toward him cautiously.

"Stay away from me," he replied hastily.

"I will do no such thing," Kadian protested as she crept closer and closer to her brother and the mirror. The alteration in his skin colour had stretched across the right side of his face. "I can stop this, you just need to trust me."

"It's too late," he growled through heavy breaths. His heart was beating profusely in his chest, stressing to continue supply blood..

"You're still breathing, it's not too late," she replied, placing a warm hand on his chilled skin. Her thin fingers traced the small holes, shivering as she remembered that she had come inches away from suffering the same fate.

Arthur whipped around and pushed her to the ground. His eyelids had parted, revealing his converted stare. The blue in his eyes was fading away and was being taken over by red pigments. He was trembling as he stood over her, eyeing the throbbing vein on the side of her neck, but he stepped back and stood in the far corner with his hands to his face.

Kadian rose to her feet and moved toward her brother, who stepped away. They played this game for several minutes, picking up speed until Kadian was running to stop her brother. Finally, she trapped him between herself and the foot of his bed. "You have to let me help you. Have you forgotten what they did Zu?" she asked sneering; the stripes of white were crawling across his chest and face. The venom, the method in which vampires made their king, brought him closer and closer to living death.

He forced her back and froze as strange, menacing words escaped her lips. "Na therapeúteí apo to deyleteyrió!"

A hand rose to her startled lips, the ones who had defiled the main law of Camelot. It had been nearly twenty-one years that her secret stayed a secret. Now, she had blurted out an enchantment, one meant to cure her brother of the vampyric disease spreading throughout his body. Surely, that would give her a pardon on the matter; she hoped.

Arthur stared at her, ignoring the venom that expelled from the wounds instantly on his neck from whence it was injected, burning his skin as it returned to normal. The holes vanished as his flesh pulled across them, mending the incisions. His heavy breaths relaxed, there was no need to cling to them any more. Colour returned to the white splotches on his skin. The blue flooded back into his reddening eyes until it matched the shade of the enchantress' before him.

He pointed at her accusingly. "What did you just do?" the prince shakily asked.

"I-I...er..." she stuttered through the mask her hand formed.

"Magic... that's what you did..." Arthur answered for her, finally overcoming the paralysis that had fallen on him. The poison felt hot and sticky against his fingers as he rubbed his neck. "Can I... you know..."

"You would know if you could," Kadian sighed lowering her hand cautiously. Her entire body was quaking like the floor was about to give way beneath her feet.

Arthur stayed where he had been captured. It hit him square, all the reasons for various happenings in his entire life time. The early days when Kadian mysteriously escaped from being locked behind doors-which he still enjoyed doing; the reason behind the grain sacks moving to catch Azura as she was tossed from the clutches of the griffin; and the main reason behind her aiding the druid boy when he came to the city. All the memories flickered before his eyes, the golden poultice that cured Guinevere's father and the light from the cavern the blue-eyed enchantress left him in to die; it had all been her (so he thought). How could he had been so naïve? His own sister was an enchantress, all these years and never once did he suspect her as he rode out to capture sorcerers to die in the square by the executioner's axe.

"I won't tell," Arthur said plainly as the mobility of his legs returned, "as long as you swear to never use magic on me for any reason, even if I'm dying."

Kadian nodded stiffly. "I swear," she replied and sighed relieved, but even then, her beating heart did not slow. However, she thought it would have been ironic that Uther could have a vampire son and a sorceress for a daughter. "You're welcome, by the way, if it's any consolation."

There was hesitance in his voice when he thanked her, like he was unsure whether he could thank a sorcerer. A secret like this that she had kept hidden for so long was frightening. This new knowledge made him wonder what she could do with the magic; he had seen a single enchantment destroy an entire city and cure the most deathly of injuries. Throughout his life, Arthur viewed magic, all magic, as evil, like his father, but this enlightened him with an entirely different aspect. He knew his sister too well, they shared the same blood, she was far from evil and would never harm someone unless it was necessary.

As awkwardness seeped in between them, the princess turned and exited the chamber with a single glance back at her rattled brother. There was a smile upon her face. Finally, one member of her family completely understood her and it quelled the pit that it had made.

-x-

Azura was in her chamber, lying on her bed with her broken ankle elevated on a pillow. She had woken not to long ago, the weariness had consumed her and she was out so fast, Gaius thought she had died. Linen bandages were wrapped around her hands and itched as she flexed her fingers; they would be removed by the next day's night. The purple bruise on her face had already began to vanish as well and was a faint yellow colour now. She watched as Gaius checked her vitals once more.

He looked up at her. "This would be twice you've come to me like this. When someone finally manages to kill you, I may have to applaud him," Gaius smiled, pleased that her pulse was normal and she had no fever. "Get some rest and stay off your feet for the next while. I will check on you in the morning."

"You're too kind, Gaius," Azura smiled as she laughed at his joke. "Thank you."

The court physician smiled as he retrieved the supplies he had brought with him. He bid her adieu and shut the door softly behind the skirt of his navy robe. Now, the chamber went silent, glowing in the faint candlelight. Felipe had slithered off to steal some food from the kitchens and had yet to return.

"That's it, I'm bored," Azura grumbled and sat forward with a start only to be shot down by a surge of pain. She scoffed and rolled her head to the side to stare at the flickering candle on her night table. Not even the tiny flame made a sound nor did the wax the dribbled down the side.

She moved her head and gazed up at the ceiling, each subtle speck that was a different colour and the tiny dust particles that clung for their lives. Her thoughts were rabid as they clouded her mind, crossing over each other and forming an overload. Two bloods, that was what Kadian told her Kier said in the dungeons. Why two and not three or one? What could they use her blood for?

Kier and Ze'el were two very, old vampires, her mother had told her the evening they had tried to abduct her the first time, with strange ambitions. Kier was the eldest, always speaking in riddles to confuse his enemies. Ze'el was younger, but not by much. He spoke with haste and cruelty, intimidating his prey. Azura did not know whether they were real brothers, back when they were humans, but it really did not matter.

Vampire, the name brought forth many memories from the days she spent in the library of Luthrembel, with and without her mother. She had read nearly every novel among the many shelves, and she remembered something from each. Her mother had read her stories of the ancient ones, the blood-suckers that roamed the night-land, the weeks after Ze'el and Kier tried to snatch her the first time. She started from the very beginning of the vampyric time line, when the first vampire created another. What was her name? she asked her mind as the words that were on the pages swam before her eyes. Whoever she was, she was the mother of the entire vampire race. If only I had the book... Geoffrey has it... It's all the way on the other side of the castle... Gaius would sense that I was on my feet, he's strange like that...

Azura sighed and ran a hand through her hair, combing through the knots in place of her comb, which was resting on the desk just on the other side of the chamber. Slowly, she pushed herself up, into a sitting position. Her ankle jerked slightly as the top half of her moved, but there was no pain which relieved her. She sighed again, aggravated that she was confined to not only her chamber, but the very bed she sat on for at least three days before her magic healed her ankle well enough to put weight on the bones, even then one wrong step would shattered the mended tissues and muscles. It had not occurred to her how much the ointments Gaius slabbed on the wound itched. Her stiff back would not allow her to reach forward and scratch it, even then, Gaius would strongly recommend avoiding doing so to prevent wound irritation or what not; the physician had given her a lecture once the King had left to spread the word that she was well.

There was a soft knock on her door and she turned her head to look at it. Did someone honestly expect her to walk over and pull it open for them? "I think its open," she called with a laugh.

The wooden door slowly creaked open hauntingly. Arthur stepped into the chamber and lifted his eyes off the floor to meet her bright stare. "You're not going to bite me, are you?" Azura asked humorously as the prince shut the door behind him.

"Oh, you're funny," Arthur grumbled, clearly unamused, and crossed the chamber to sit on the edge of the bed.

"I thought so," she smiled, tilting her head to the side. He stared at her and she gazed back, letting silence slip in between them. Azura could tell that his mind was troubled, therefore impairing his ability to start a conversation, but, suddenly, he began to laugh and leaned close to kiss her gently on the cheek.

"Well, not until you're better," Arthur grinned and brought his legs onto the bed so he could sit beside her.

She took his chin with a soft hand and made him look straight into the sternness of her blues. "Don't you ever, ever keep secrets from me, Arthur Pendragon," she hissed; she did not care that he winced at her grip. "I don't like them, and you're lucky your father doesn't know, nor will he ever." Her voice was harsh and her intimidating stare endorsed her words.

Arthur sighed and took her hand in his, lowering it from his face. He held it tightly and kissed her cheek again. "I'm sorry," he said softly and received an accepting nod when he paused. "How did you know?"

"You grew cold." Azura glanced at his neck where the two marks had been, it was its normal colour.

"Not that."

"Oh. It's a long story."

"Tell me. No secrets, remember."

"On our trip to Luthrembel, I caught her using magic, well... more like allowed her to. I just knew," Azura explained, leaving out as much detail as she could. Flinching, she forced herself to sit up further. Arthur made an attempt to have her lay back, but she brushed his hand away. "I get this feeling when I'm around magic; its a complicated feeling. I-I don't know if I can explain it."

"Try."

Azura thought for a moment, raking her brain for the proper terms that would avoid telling him that half of her was elven. "It's a warm, occurring feeling. It's like feeling the presence of someone that is not there, or ever was. Other times, it's a chilling, erratic sensation, like walking in a graveyard alone under a full moon. I don't know if you understand. It's an out-of-place feeling."

"It's like that when I'm around you," Arthur said sweetly, unconsciously even, as he tucked the strands of her hair behind her ears.

Her heart sunk into the depths of her chest; if she had slanted ears, he would have realized what he just said, but still, he was oblivious. "That's different," she said quickly in one breath. "Being an enchantress and being me are completely different. Emotions are affiliated with magic, so I think."

Arthur chuckled slightly. "Sounds about right," he smiled, kissing the top of her head before rising to his feet. "Do you need anything?"

"A new ankle," Azura grinned.

"You're cute," he sighed. "Seriously."

"Yeah, there's a book in the library. Geoffrey will know which one it is; it's on vampires," Azura replied with a grin. "I want to do a bit of research. Something Kadian said got me thinking."

"Alright," Arthur nodded and went to the door, reaching for the doorknob. He glanced at her again and smiled. "I'll be back soon. Father'll want a word."

"See you later, then."

-x-

Kadian pulled open her chamber door, leaving it open as she stormed inside. The walls seemed grey even with the pale yellow light seeping in through the curtains. Her hands were trembling still, the enchantment she said spiralling through her thoughts like a ghost. She had decided to take a walk around the palace to calm her mind, but the constant greetings and bowing from the servants caused her to twitch and she retired to her chamber. Merlin had not been present in the physician's chamber when she went by, which frustrated her slightly and sent her nerves off in even more directions. He needed to know what happened, both about Arthur nearly turning into a leech and about her mishap in blurting out a spell. Gaius could never find out, he would start on a boring lecture that would make Kadian wish that she was never born.

The princess sat on her bed and fell backwards, reaching for the fluffy pillow that watched from its place against the head board. She pressed the pillow down, upon her face, to drown out the sounds of her resented screams. Her cries faded once every ounce of air had escaped her lungs, leaving her breathless, and tossed the pillow away from her face. This brought her down to the level of every sorcerer her brother had encountered. It was no doubt that he could piece together all happenings to her, especially the ones that could not be explained.

"Kadian?" a soft voice asked from the doorway, which had been opened without her knowing.

Merlin flinched as she jumped to her feet, ready to defend herself verbally and physically if necessary. Each of her tense muscles relaxed as her uneasy eyes fluttered onto Merlin's startled face. Gaius had told him that she had been looking for him.

"Merlin, I need to tell you something..." Kadian sighed, sitting back on her bed and running a trembling hand through her blonde hair. He went over to her and took a seat beside her, slinging an arm across her back and pulling her close to him.

"What is it?" he asked when she leaned against him, resting her head on his shoulder.

Kadian went to speak, but her voice was too soft for Merlin to hear. She paused before repeating herself and pressed her eyelids firmly together as she succumbed. "I've been found out," she whispered as footsteps passed by the chamber door.

The young warlock's eyes widened and he released her. "What? How?" he demanded, forcing his voice to stay calm, despite the worry and fury that boiled within him.

"He had been bitten, Merlin," Kadian said, locking her blue gaze with his widened eyes. "I didn't mean to. He was changing so fast and wouldn't let me help. It was a complete accident."

"Who's he?" Merlin asked, clenching his jaw tightly.

"My brother," Kadian admitted with a sigh, rising to her rattled feet again to start pacing the bedside. "I didn't know what else to do. I couldn't let him turn into that thing in the dungeons. I'm sorry, Merlin."

A soft sighed escaped his lips as he let his fury vanish. If it had been anyone else, like a knight or even Uther, his anger would not have left so easily. Her reasons supported her actions, sure enough, but doing so could have cost her her life. "What's going to happen when something involving magic happens in Camelot and the knights and guards can't find the source? Is Arthur really going to keep this between you and him?" he questioned, slipping his fingers through his shaggy, dark hair.

"He has to," Kadian grinned. "I'm his sister. If he turns me in he'll be accused of having magic too. Besides, he knows that I would never do anything to harm Camelot."

Merlin nodded as he took a deep breath, taking in everything she had explained. If the vampires had never come to Camelot and taken Azura, none of this would have happened; Kadian's secret would still be locked and neither of them would be in this situation. "Then, we must be more careful, from now on," he said, rising to his feet, and held his arms open for her.

She took the invitation and rested her head against his chest, her arms embracing him as he embraced her. Magic was a burden in more ways than it was a blessing, especially in Camelot. What was the point of having the ability if it could not be used to help the people you care about the most?

-x-

Sunset peered over the horizon, its bright stare staining the sky orange and red. Clouds took the shade of smoke as the window blew them across the sky, over the palace of Camelot where Uther Pendragon stood upon the balcony attached to the throne chamber. The crown on his temple glistened in the dying light, blinding anyone who gazed upon it with awed eyes.

The king looked out, across his city, streets and land, remembering the chaos that maimed them nearly twenty-one years ago. Magic had been evil then, and it was still evil to him now. Below his scrutiny, several servants and guards layered branches around a towering, malignant stake. The wood was enveloped in shadows as the day's light left its broad face. In the early hours of the morning, just as the sun began to rise, a vampire would be restrained against it; facing the feared fate of the sun' s scowl.

Within the walls of the king's palace, the prince roamed through the corridors once he had finished speaking with his father about the method of Kier's execution, which Arthur nearly begged to do himself, but was denied the pleasing opportunity. He headed for the library to collect the book that Azura asked him to get, the one about vampires. Each time the word vampire was said or entered his thoughts, Arthur shivered as if his skin was turning cold and death was at his door.

Arthur pushed open the oak doors, sending dust flying into the air as he proceeded inside. The chamber was lined with several grand, walnut bookcases on which many leather-bound tomes, scrolls and texts on various subjects. It had been a while since Arthur had stepped foot in the library, the last time he recalled being there was during his schooling. Cobwebs were perched in the corners and slung across the bookshelves like vines would trees. In the far back of the chamber, in the centre of the bookcases, stood an oak desk with a large text laid open on its surface. Behind the desk sat Geoffrey of Monmouth, the court genealogist and keeper of the library, with an owl-feather quill in hand as he scribbled notes onto a piece of parchment to his right.

Geoffrey gazed up at the prince and a curious smile stretched across his face. "Looking for something, sire?" he asked, placing the quill in the ink well.

Arthur approached the desk. "Yes," he stated, "Azura asked me to get some book on vampires. She said you'd know which one."

The smile upon the old man's face grew as his eyes brightened at the mention of Azura. "Ah, yes, yes," Geoffrey said, rising to his weary legs and walked around his desk and to the front-most bookcase on the right. "Methinks, it is... ah." His hand skimmed across a black spine, rimmed with gold. Under his breath, he read the name written on the side before removing it from the shelf. It was average size with about four centimetres worth of pages. "Here you are, sire," he said, placing the text in Arthur's hand, which tucking it underneath the prince's arm. "Tell the wonderful lady that I hope she will be well soon."

"I will, thank you," Arthur nodded and left the library. The prince made his way up the stairs and down the corridor. He passed Merlin along the way, giving him a task to do before the manservant disappeared down the stairs without acknowledging he had heard. It had not occurred to him that Kadian's chamber was next to Azura's, never had he made an effort to know. His hand rasped against the sealed door to Azura's chamber and pushed it open at the welcome of her soft voice that barely penetrated through the wood.

She smiled at him as he came in with the text tucked under his arm. "Ah, something to keep me from insanity for a while," she said, taking the book from his possession and resting it on her lap gently with no pain. The cover flew back as her hand flipped to the beginning. The print was fairly large, but not large enough to read from a distance.

Arthur took a seat beside her and lifted the text onto his own lap, telling her that he would read it to her. And so he did, ignoring her as she corrected his pronunciation on names and words like asphyxiation and pestilential. Azura listened to his voice, being soothed even as he read the gruesome tales of the ancient vampires and their creator: Lylith. She was portrayed as having long, black hair and red eyes that cut through the dark air like a knife with skin as pale as the moon and cold as snow. It was said that she roamed the several centuries ago, reeking havoc on the citizens of the ancient Albion.

Lylith, queen of the vampire race, drank the blood of many creatures, human, elven, dwarf and even animals when the time called for it for three centuries before a human confronted her. This human was named Ginsle, a brave knight who served as the King's right-hand. He became the first vampire slayer as he rode through village after village and kingdom after kingdom. Ginsle scoured the land through is youth and old age until he found the vampire queen, in a magnificent cathedral many leagues east of where Camelot now stood. The windows were said to have glowered purple when the full-moon stared into the centre of the cathedral and the shadows hissed things into Ginsle's ears as he approached.

Vampyrism, the belief that vampires were the superior race and the protectors of the earth from hell, had been taken up by many at that age (hence giving the building the classification as cathedral). Humans worship Lylith as a god and brought her sacrifices each full-moon to, what the worshippers called, the Cathedral of Válnak. The sacrifices were young virgins of a unique taste, rare to be found wandering the lands. Some virgins were sorcerers, hybrids, pixies, and faeries; it was said that Lylith had the pleasure of feasting on a maenad and was able to manipulate her worshippers to dance amok and drink until the liquor poisoned them.

"During one, fateful night, under the full-moon," Arthur read with Azura leaning against him, "Ginsle entered the dark, vacant cathedral. The placed reeked of blood and old, rotten flesh. He gazed around, basking in the purple light that reflected off a slab of iris marble which lay in the dead middle of the chamber. Lylith was waiting for him and rose from her seat upon a gold and diamond throne. Their brawl raged throughout the night, Ginsle's blood never touched the floor of the cathedral, only the stale blood of Lylith. When the sun rose into the sky the next morning, Ginsle emerged from the cathedral and held the queen's head for all to see before it erupted into flames as the sun touched it. Against the raging wind, a voice cried: 'One day, you will all see, my queen shall reign again under shining Luna.'"

"It is said that when two unique tastes are presented, she will arise from her ashes and take a new host," Arthur concluded, hiding the horror in his eyes, as Azura reread the last paragraphs on the page.

"Of course," Azura said, gazing out, at the now darkened sky. It made sense why she had been taken by Ze'el and Kier in the first place: they wanted her blood to sacrifice.

"What?" Arthur asked, shutting the book softly to avoid damaging the binding. "Is that why they took you? For a sacrifice?"

Azura turned to him. "Well, it does fit," she nodded and shrugged. "I mean, who else would be that stupid to abduct me?"

"What is in your blood that a vampire queen would like? By the myths, you'd have to be something of magic," Arthur said with a hint of suspicion in his voice; he stared at her quizzically, studying her face for something that he would have never seen before.

"Well, we both know I'm not magic," Azura mumbled, trying to keep her voice soft, "My father always said I could heal quicker than most. But, maybe Kier and Ze'el just want to get back at my mother, I don't know."

Arthur chuckled and sat up. He had leaned back against the pillows until he was lying down, with her next to him. "Well, what ever their reason, you're home now and safe. That's what matters," he kissed her cheek as he, stiffly, swung his feet over the edge and rose to his feet.

"Get going, you," Azura grinned, swiping the book from his grasp before he could place it out of her reach. "Your father will be waiting, and dawn's not too far away."

"Can I come back later?" Arthur asked with a pleading look.

Azura laughed. "You don't have to ask," she said, leaning toward him to treat him to a kiss on the lips. "I can't lock the door from here."

With a smile and hesitant steps, Arthur left her chamber, shutting the door behind him softly. He walked passed his sister's chamber, hearing nothing but the wind that howled inside through an open window on the other side of the sealed door.

-x-

Kadian sat in her chamber before the open window, hearing footsteps outside her door which set her nerves off. She wished Merlin would come back, and stay with her until she knew that nothing was going to happen to her and Arthur would not go back on their deal. Having magic had never frightened to her before, even when she watched her father execute sorcerer after sorcerer in the square.

Her eyes were upon the stake that towered over the shadows cast by the flickering torches. Already, citizens of her father's city had gathered to await Kier's execution. The vampire's riddled words were cycling in her mind, replaying as she analysed them for deeper meanings. She knew that she was named their second target, but surely their plans to abduct her had changed when Azura ran from Ze'el's grasp and returned to Camelot thanks to Arthur. Still, Kadian did not want to fall asleep that night: Ze'el was still at large, even with his brother scheduled for execution the minute the sun peered over the horizon.

-x-

It was not long until King Uther stepped out onto the balcony, wrapped in a maroon cloak fringed with fur. His age really showed as the shadows contrasted the light that fell upon his face. Several of his court members stood at his sides, eagerly waiting to bed sent to their chambers to retire for a few hours, at the most, before they were to start their work. Kadian recognized Gaius among the people around her father, and she wondered why he had come. Arthur soon appeared to Uther's right, gazing enviously at the stake on which the vampire would burn.

Kadian had struggled to listen as Arthur read from the book he obtained from Geoffrey, but several of the passages had been muffled by the wall separating the two chambers. While the doors leading to the dungeons opened, Kadian rose to her feet and gripped the windowsill tightly. Kier's arms were bound behind his back with several guards to his sides, either holding him or escorting him to the stake that called to him. The vampire looked up with his weary ruby eyes, setting them on the shadowy face of the princess. His lips curved into a grin as the men led him onto the layers of branches and bound his entire body to the stake. The curls of his dark hair formed ringlets down to his chin, that pull away as a harsh wind blew Uther's voice toward him.

"The creature before you is guilty of conspiring against the kingdom of Camelot and taking hostage a member of the royal household. By our laws, that alone would merit certain death," Uther addressed, gazing out at the wandering eyes of the gathered. "The existence of this creature, by name vampire, in this kingdom justifies such a penalty. When the sun-"

"Arrogant stooge, you are such a scrooge. The deed is yet to come undone, as the end has just begun. All the second does is wait lonely in the tower, but will the king take the bait?" Kier spoke, letting the firelight glint off his curved fangs.

Bait? Kadian thought as the commotion in the square died down as they awaited the king's reply. You mean this is just a diversion?

"You stand there, with a glare, trying your hardest to be aware. But you will fail, you mortal infidel," Kier laughed, staring up at Uther with bright red eyes. "Where is she? There she is with old brother Ze'el. Ah, the scent which lingers comes from all the bleeders."

A high-pitched scream rang through Camelot, arousing panic within the gathered. Uther ordered his son to go, and without a second thought, Arthur disappeared into the palace, gripping the hilt on his belt, ready to draw his sword in a moment's notice. The king stared down at the vampire, watching as he grinned like a Cheshire cat. Kier scented the air like an animal and his red eyes grew dark and his muscles tightened and quaked.

The ropes snapped and Kier stepped onto to the stone ground, the branches fracturing under his weight. He took hold of a scrambling person among the crowd which ran for sanctuary in their houses. His teeth sunk into his neck, but his eyes stared up at Uther, who flinched as his prisoner broke free from his entrapment. Blood poured down the back of his throat, quenching the raging thirst in the pit of his stomach and replenishing his energy he lost during his days in the dungeon.

The limp corpse collapsed to the ground with a loud thud. Kier stared up at Uther before he leapt to stand on the balcony railing. His hand curved around the rail as he crouched low before the king like he was bowing. The king's guards stepped forward with their swords drawn and pointed at the vampire who leaned closer and closer to Uther.

"Brother, we must take leave!" A voice shouted from on top of the gates. "The sun, it won't wait any longer!"

"Shadow makes a call," Kier sighed, straightening his legs as he stood. "Farewell, good sir, be well." The shade of his eyes lightened as he leapt away, into the lightening darkness of dawn.

-x-

Arthur raced up the winding staircase and saw the door to Azura's chamber swaying in the shrill breeze. He peered inside as saw nothing and no one, but he did hear, however, soft cries coming from the next chamber. Cautiously, he stalked forward and drew his sword as he approached the door. It was slightly ajar and the prince extended the tip of his blade into his sister's chamber, gazing at the reflection on the steel.

All was clear. Gently, he pushed the door open with a twist of his wrist. The cries grew louder as his footsteps echoed against the walls. He stalked around the bed, waiting to strike down the vampire from the woods, the one who had bitten him. His sword clashed against the ground when his eyes fell upon Azura who sat against the side of the bed, her hand caressing her broken ankle, it was bleeding again. Her face was red and she looked up at him once the clanging stopped. "I tried to stop him," she said, beckoning him forward with her hand. "He took her, Arthur. Kadian's gone."

Merlin raced into the chamber, fists clenched at his side which uncoiled when he saw Arthur lifting Azura to her feet. "Where is she?" he growled.

"Ze'el took her, Merlin," Azura sighed wincing as her toes touched the floor. "I'm sorry."'

"I should have been here, but no," Merlin growled, pointing a finger at Arthur. "You just had to tell me to do this and that and make sure this was perfect. If this is anyone's fault, it's your own."

"Watch it, Merlin," Arthur went to say, but Merlin had already raced from the chamber, stalking down the corridors and into the scattered streets.

-x-

Uther paced in his throne chamber, his hand running through the short hair on his head. First the vampires took Azura, now they abducted his daughter. He had sent the knights, minus Arthur, out into the wood to search for Kadian. He should have seen this coming, that Ze'el would interfere with his plans, but no, he was blinded by his ambition to rid evil from his kingdom. Kier's voice rang in his ears, every puzzling riddle and annoying rhyme. None of it made sense to him. The city had been locked down and the gates were heavily guarded with nearly every able soldier.

The king looked up as Arthur came in with the eldest knights at his heels, followed by the court physician. "What news is there?" Uther asked, shifting his annoyed stare onto them.

"None, father," Arthur sighed. "No tracks, just like before."

"This doesn't make any sense," Uther grumbled, stalking toward them. "Twice, these creatures slip passed you and have taken a lady of the royal household. You must have missed something."

"There is nothing there to miss, sire," Arthur argued.

"They're not looking in the right place, my lord," A soft voice said from the back of the chamber, behind all present. Azura leaned in the door way, favouring her left leg while her right was lifted slightly off the floor. "Kier and Ze'el follow the book and won't stray from it now." She limped closer until she could lean on a chair. "Arthur, you know what I'm talking about. They want to resurrect the queen of the entire vampire race and the only place to do that is at the Cathedral of Válnak."

Uther gazed up at her, seeing the way she masked the pain that shot through her. "That's nothing more than a myth, one we have no time for," he said.

Azura tilted her head to the side. "Two vampires steal your daughter and you won't even bother to listen to the only logical reason behind her abduction and my own," she replied harshly; she did not flinch when he set a dark stare upon her. "As the myth goes, the ritual needs light from the full-moon, the purple marble on which Lylith ashes touched and two worthy bloods of sacrifice, not to mention a new host."

Uther's eyes narrowed in suspicion as he crept closer to her, noting the agreement in his son's eyes. "If what you say is true," he said, causing her to look away at his tone, "where is this Cathedral of Válnak?"

"Miles to the east," she informed. "If I had a map, I could easily narrow the area."

Nodding, Uther motioned for one of the servants standing in the wings of the room get her a map. The knights looked over her shoulder as she took a quill and drew the best route to the east of Camelot, through the wood and to the right of the drawing of mountains on the parchment. She drew a circle, possibly about the size of a shilling. "There," she nodded, rolling the map and placing it in Arthur's hand. "Bring her back safely, Arthur."

Gaius took her firmly by the arm and pulled her from the room, scolding her for her ineptness of staying off her broken ankle. He led her into his chamber and sat her down, forcing her to place her ankle on a stool, and turned to see if Merlin had returned to his chamber. The young warlock was tossing some of the magical artefacts he had collected from the happenings around Camelot into a sack, the Sidhe staff being one. "Merlin, where do you think you're going?" Azura heard Gaius question him.

"You can't stop me," Merlin growled. "I'm the only one who can stop them. I heard what Azura said to the king. Kadian has 'til midnight or she's going to be lost forever. I just can't have that, Gaius. We promised that nothing bad was going to happen to her once Kier named her, and you want to know what? We failed!"

"Merlin, this is not the way to go about this," Gaius protested. "Do you even know a thing about vampires? Like how to destroy them for one?"

"I'm sure I'll figure something out, Gaius. I always do," Merlin replied and slung the sack over his shoulder, pushing passed the physician. He reached for the doorknob, but turned at the sound of Azura's voice.

"Merlin," she said, calm as still water, "don't be fool. There's no magic around that can destroy the undead, believe me."

"Then what do you suppose I do?" Merlin snapped, whipping around to face her. "It'll take all day just to get there."

Sighing, Azura placed her elevated foot on the floor, feeling the coolness that touched the surface. "We have no time to hire a slayer, nor a werewolf, so we'll have to go old-fashioned. In my trunk, there's a frosted phial with a black sun drawn on it. Inside is captured sunlight, a very rare thing to come about; it's a wonder how my mother obtained it. If you use it before the ritual is complete, you can kill, technically re-kill, all the gathered vampires."

"And you're suggesting this now?" Merlin asked, dropping the sack on the floor.

"I haven't actually been here to suggest it, Merlin. Besides, what I am to do? Stroll up to Uther and say: 'here, sire. This is a magical container filled with sunlight that can destroy vampires'?" Azura sighed, running a bandaged hand through her thin hair. "It will work, Merlin. Make sure you are unseen by the knights. Noble as your intentions are, you'll be hung for sorcery. Take my horse, Starlust. She's the fastest horse alive and will get you to the Cathedral before Arthur and the knights."

"That's comforting," Merlin grumbled and ran from the room, leaving the sack on the floor.

"Elevate that ankle, Azura," Gaius ordered as he crossed the room to pick up Merlin's belongings that he dropped on the floor carelessly.

-x-

Merlin pushed open the door to Azura's chamber, successfully slipping through the corridors unseen. He threw open the lid of the trunk and rummaged through the mess inside until he found the frosted phial with a black sun painted on it. This is it, he thought, not bothering to shut the lid before racing from the chamber to retrieve Azura's horse from the stables.

At first glance, Merlin thought he was standing before a unicorn by the way her hair glistened in the sunlight like diamonds and the brightness of her white coat. He saddled Starlust quickly and mounted. She dashed forward as his heels dug into her sides, faster than any horse he had ridden before. Merlin kept his head low as the horse raced through the barrier of guards at the gates.

-x-

Dirt was kicked into the air as Starlust leapt over a fallen tree, and she landed with a soft thud, continuing forward again. Merlin held on to the phial tightly, not wanting it to slip from his hand and shatter that last hope for saving Kadian.

The sunlight dipped in the sky, painting flames across it and coating the clouds in a musky grey It had taken all day, like he had a said and he had yet to come across the cathedral. The greenery was thick around him, entwined with large, brown trees and vibrant flowers. There was an ominous scent on the wind, one that screamed death. He knew he must be close, he had to be.

Starlust slowed to a trot, flipping her mane to dangle on the opposite side. The trees began to thin as the sun started to dip behind the mountains to the west and there was still no sign of the cathedral. Merlin yawned, running a hand through his shaggy hair. "Perhaps I went in the wrong direction..." he said to himself, pulling back on the reins to stop the horse's progression.

Merlin looked about, scanning the tops of the trees for some notion that the cathedral was nearby. Then, he saw it: the tip of a tower, sharp as a razor blade, reaching far higher than any tree in the area. Starlust galloped toward the tower and stop dead in her hooves, gazing up at the cathedral. Merlin followed the horse's gaze, completely awestruck by its immense size. The walls were of smooth, dark-grey stone which was smeared with shadows and centuries old blood. Even with the sun's stare directly upon it, the cathedral looked lonely with its jagged edges and ashen windows. Behind the doors, there were large, arched ceilings lined with magnificent stained-glass windows and Gothic chandeliers and rows of pews where the vampire worshippers would sit before the purple marble slab on which the queen's ashes would be lain for the ritual.

The young warlock took one last look at the giant, circular window that was mantled before the entrance, cut by black steel that curved into drooping flowers and spider webs, and pulled Starlust away from the cathedral. He tied the reins around a tough tree and held the frosted phial in his hand, watching as the colour faded away as the sun vanished behind the mountains. He patted the horse's snout before racing back to the cathedral and entering through a small passage on the eastern wall. There were torch post along the high walls, each sparking to life with a hiss as he passed.

He climb a flight of marble stairs to the upper levels until he reached the highest. To his left, he could see the centre, where the pews were in line with each other staring at the purple marble slab by the alter. A golden statue stood to the left of the marble, taking the figure of a thin woman with hair that flowed around her, covering her flesh from the watching eyes. Merlin stared out across the cathedral, feeling the cool breeze as it swept in through the parted windows and cracks in the building. The sky had begun to darken, faster than Merlin ever believed.

"Come on now, don't be shy. This isn't the only way to die," a voice chuckled as the doors to the cathedral parted.

"Think of it as an honour, to be of some worth to the most superior race in the world," a second voice echoed through the vacant halls. "Ah, look. Our witnesses are arriving just on time."

Merlin watched as vampire after vampire appeared in the cathedral, each physically different except for the alluring red eyes. Ze'el and Kier were in the front and between them was Kadian, her face concealed by a black bag which they had placed over her. Merlin could hear her aggravated cries to be set free, followed by muffled enchantments that could not penetrate her captors. The two vampires were too strong for her to break away from and she was dragged forward, despite her attempts to use her dead weight. Merlin suppressed his urge to scream for them to let her go, but he held his tongue. Sure, he had instant sunlight in his hand, but there were many more vampires to come, who would surely take him out the second he made a run for it.

He took his red scarf and pulled it over his nose as he glanced away from the filling hall. The sky was black and the moon was rising over the hills to the east. Merlin knew the knights would be arriving soon, if they were not stationed around the cathedral already. The voices of the gathered vampires were loud, somewhat obnoxious, as they insulted every part of Kadian, especially being human. Merlin's eyes were on Ze'el and Kier, who bound Kadian to the purple marble with black chains. She stared up at the ceiling, her eyes screaming for help as Kier placed a cloth in her mouth. At one point, Merlin thought she had spotted him, but it was clear she had not when she turned her head away and closed her eyes.

-x-

Outside the cathedral, Arthur dismounted his horse, patting its flank as he turned to his knights which did the same. The prince rolled the map Azura had written on and placed it inside one of the saddlebags. He looked up at the rising moon, catching its silver gleam. There was a cold wind that howled through the thinning trees, which Arthur paid no mind to since the wind felt warm compared to his skin when Ze'el had bitten him. "On me," he whispered to his knights as he turned toward the cathedral, examining the way the moonlight painted the walls and windows. What the myth said was true: a purple glow radiated from the windows at the moon's stare.

Arthur drew his sword and grinned as the knights did the same, the steel ringing like a symphony of chimes. They stalked into the shadows, staying low to the ground, and approached the cathedral.

-x-

Out of the corner of his eyes, Merlin saw a glint of steel against a row of bushes. His attention was swept away by the silencing of the many voices within the cathedral, echoed by the rumble of the doors shutting.

"Brethren," Ze'el bellowed, standing before Kadian and the vampires, "tonight, the moon smiles upon us; and tomorrow, the world shall be in our hands." The hall filled with high screeches from the parted lips of every vampire in the cathedral. The sounds were ear-shattering as a wolf's death song. "The scent which lingers in this fine air is nothing more than the knights of Camelot. What you must do is prevent the inferior from preventing the resurrection of the superior. Now, we begin. Bring forth the ashes of my queen."

Merlin watched as the vampires stalked forward like ravenous animals, their long fingernails bared alongside their curved fangs. In the cup made of cold hands, Kier emerged from the centre of the crowd as it parted to two sides. The screams grew louder and the eager vampires jumped up and down like a band of baboons. Moon light dripped into the centre of the cathedral, following Lylith's ashes as they approached the marble on which Kadian was bound.

Her eyes met Kier's as his cup of ashes parted and the smoked ash cascaded upon Kadian's stomach. She tried to free herself from the bindings, but there was no use, the chains were too tough. Her breaths, as rapid as they were, could not move the ashes from her stomach which stayed firm like they were glued to the blue fabric of her dress.

"Bring forth blood of the first sacrifice," Ze'el demanded raising a pale hand toward Kadian as she struggled to free herself, "of the ever so allusive, elven half-breed, Azura Lightwing." The vampires began to hiss like startled vipers, their voices overlapping like different-pitched waves.

Kier vanished and walked down the aisle again. This time, there was a small phial in his hand; inside was a thick, crimson liquid that pulled the vampires toward it. Kier stood above Kadian, his left hand removed the cork from the top of the phial while his right tipped the container. Azura's blood poured from the phial, onto the ashes of the vampire queen. Smoke rose from the ashes and released a foul, deathly aroma into the chill air.

"CHARGE!" Arthur's voice ordered as the cathedral doors swung inward, knocking several vampires off their feet. The knights of Camelot charged into the hall, each meeting a demon in combat.

"Blood of the second sacrifice," Ze'el continued, his voice ringing above the chaos on the opposite end of the cathedral. His red eyes stared out, watching his kind being cut in half and maimed by the silver swords wielded by the knights of Camelot. The vampires pulled their limbs together and the wounds healed quickly before the knights could move on to another enemy.

Kier removed a dagger from the concealment of his black cloak and slid the blade across Kadian's cheek. The smoke rising from the ashes changed to a scarlet red as the ashes caught fire, burning the flesh beneath the blue fabric, as her blood trickled down the sides of her face.

Kadian's muffled screams of agony and pain forced Merlin's hand to fly to the cork of the instant sunlight. He had to use it now, before she was taken as a host. He could hear the clanging of mail against the cold, stone floor of the cathedral. Arthur broke free from the mass of vampires that swarmed the knights the second they burst through the door. His sword was tainted with black ooze, the dead blood of the vampires, but there was no time to clean the blade.

Purple light illuminated the entire cathedral; the moon was at its peak, directly above the cathedral. Every vampire raised their arms to the night sky, their black cloaks lifting off the floor as their screeches shook the pillars. The golden statue cracked down the middle and fractured off into millions of splinters until it shattered into gold dust, which fluttered upon Kadian's face. The scarlet smoke consumed the burning ashes and spiralled in the air, taking form of the shattered statue. It twisted in to the wavy, curled locks of the vampire queen, moulded together to form her hourglass figure.

"Stop!" Arthur ordered as Kier turned and disarmed him within half a second. Kier's cold hand coiled around his throat, squeezing the life out of the prince.

"My queen, my love," Ze'el said, stepping away from the alter and approaching the smoke figure of Lylith, who stared back at him with ghastly eyes, "your new body awaits. I regret that there is no second option, but this one is special: a sorceress born from two non-magics." His hand motioned toward Kadian, who struggled and thrashed her head from side to side, screaming enchantments in her mind in hope that they would end this suffering.

Lylith's hazy eyes shifted upon Kadian whom she levitated above. "Beth plentyn prin, pobl ifanc a hardd. A tywysoges, beirniadu gan y ffordd ei gwaed cipio gwobr yng ngoleuni fioled. Rydych chi wedi gwneud yn dda," she spoke, placing a grin upon Ze'el chin.

Merlin pulled the cork from the phial, shutting his eyes as the yellow light erupted from the depths of the frosted glass. With one powerful movement of his arm, he threw the phial over the railing. His body trembled at the screams of the vampires that burst into flames, their cold skin melting off their old bones and their red eyes taking their last sight of the world.

Arthur felt Kier's hand release his throat, then rise before his eyes in means to shield him from the blinding light. He watched as Kier's stone-cold flesh broke away, into ash and scattered across the floor. Lylith turned her head toward the upper levels of the cathedral, eyeing the cringing warlock that hid in the shadows. Her smoky form was pierced by the light, like sharp knives, over and over again until she departed from the land once again. Ze'el trembled as he crouched over, trying to shield himself from the sunlight.

Kadian turned her head to gaze at Ze'el, grinning as his cold flesh pulled off his bone and fragment off into ash. His red eyes were the last to burst into ash, they stared up at her and for the first time since these events began, Kadian could see the humanity inside him, the side that was lost many, many years ago. The light grew brighter and Kadian was forced to seal her eyes away until the shrieking ceased and only the hiss of the wind rang through the cathedral corridors.

Blood was splattered across the floor with ash rolling across the carnage that had ended. The knights let their shields fall to the ground and their swords seek sanctum in their sheaths. Bits of mail reflected the yellow light as it faded away, into the purple of the stain-glass windows. Arthur and the knights gazed up, at the full-moon as the violet rays turned to silver. Only the prince saw the red scarf that slipped from view on the top-most floor of the cathedral. The silence stay still, even as the mail clanged when the knights rose to their feet to check for injuries.

Arthur ran over to his sister, his feet silent against the stone floor. He undid the chains binding her wrists, ankles and waist, being embraced within the same second the metal clashed into Ze'el remains. "Thank you," Kadian whispered in his ear, staring up at ceiling and catching a glimpse of the red scarf, nothing more, nothing less. Merlin, she thought which placed a soft smile on her face.

-x-

It was passed dawn by the time news spread through the palace that the knights had reached the gates with the princess. Merlin had entered the city mere minutes ago and slipped into the physician's chamber by means of the secret passages into the castle. Gaius had been restless that evening, pacing his chamber and twitching at every voice coming from the corridor. He smiled as Merlin entered his chamber, pulling the red scarf from his neck and tossing it out of view. "Merlin, you did it," Gaius smiled, embracing his nephew.

"Yeah, I did," Merlin nodded, patting Gaius' back. "Gaius?"

"Yes, Merlin?"

"Can you stop choking me?"

"I'm sorry," Gaius laughed, releasing his surprisingly strong grasp on Merlin. "Get changed, you look terrible."

With a soft chuckle, Merlin disappeared into his bedroom, avoiding being seen by the knights that escorted Kadian into Gaius' chamber. The slice on her cheek had already scabbed. Her dress was stained with her blood, Azura's blood, and the ashes of Lylith. There were dark circles under her eyes, it had been a very long evening. Her expression seemed to brighten when she saw Gaius' friendly face. "It's finally over," she said, brushing his hand away as he reached forward to inspect the cut on her face. "I'm fine, Gaius, trust me."

"I do trust you, m'dear," Gaius smiled. "But, I don't think you want that to scar."

Kadian rolled her eyes and succumbed to the treatment for the wound. They did not speak another word until the knights disappeared from the room. "Merlin, you better get in here," she called toward the sealed door at the top of the small alcove in the back of the chamber.

The door slowly pulled back and Merlin raced down the steps, wearing a navy blue scarf and a pale blue tunic with his brown jacket draped over his shoulders. He embraced her tightly, feeling her chilled skin beneath the tattered fabric of her blue gown. He felt her arms snake around him and wrapped around his back as her chin fell against his shoulder. Tears fell down her cheeks as her grip grew tighter. Her blue eyes clouded with water and her breaths grew short. "It's alright," Merlin cooed, combing his fingers through her blonde hair gently. "I'm here. It's all over now. They're all gone."

"Thanks to you," she whispered, letting her arms slide down his back and to her sides. His gradually did the same, but his hands took hold of her face, softly, and pulled her lips to his. The sweet taste was still the same as all the times before; however, Merlin cherished its presence more than he ever had, because it had almost been lost forever and it would only be a memory that he could reach for, and never take hold of.

Gaius let them have their reuniting moment before saying, "Take her up to her chamber, Merlin."

Merlin, hesitantly, lowered his mouth from her and took her hand in his, leading her from Gaius' chamber and through the corridors. They managed to reach her chamber unseen, most of the city had yet to waken. He laid her to rest and pulled the blankets up to her shoulders as her eyelids felt heavy and it was starting to be difficult to keep them open. He kissed her forehead and tucked the strands of her hair behind her ears. "Get some sleep," he said.

"Don't go," Kadian said, "please."

"I won't," Merlin said and went to lock the door before walking around the bed and sitting on the edge. He kicked off his boots, which he realized were dirty from his night's adventure, and laid down beside her. He slung am arm over her waist as she turned onto her side.

Now she knew. Now she knew that he was beside her, and would protect her while she slept from anything, vampires being her major concern.

-x-

Here are this chapter's translations:

Thanks Eilistraee for Translation

doer ulu uns'aa lu'harventh l'chanash'gi valbylis ussta da'rex

-come to me and cut the rope binding my arms.

Na therapeúteí apo to deyleteyrió

- be cured of the venom.

Beth plentyn prin, pobl ifanc a hardd. A tywysoges, beirniadu gan y ffordd ei gwaed cipio gwobr yng ngoleuni fioled. Rydych chi wedi gwneud yn dda

-What a rare child, young and beautiful. A princess, judging by the way her blood shines in the violet light. You have done well. (it's Welsh)

***Special Shout-Out to Symphonia-Angel-Luna for making a background and banners for the story, located on my profile***

Next time on Forbidden Magic and Desire:

A time of celebration falls upon Camelot, a rare event in which the eldest child of the king receives his title of Crowned Prince. However, a mysterious knight crashes the festivities and throws down a gauntlet to any who wishes to meet him in single combat to the death. Old secrets are revealed in the darkest of times and bonds are stretched to their limits when haunting memories resurface. A powerful sword emerges from fire's breath, ringing a controversial question: will this be the end?