"They need to stop treating us like babies!" Meriel said, crossing her arms.

Kai rolled his eyes as he reclined on the bed. "They're right, Meriel," he said. "I don't like you getting wrapped up in this. Magical creatures are not to be trifled with."

"I'm a magical creature," Meriel reminded him. "And so are you."

"She's already taken you from us once. And I don't want you anywhere near a Dullahan."

"You're being overprotective again," Meriel said, giving him a disgruntled look. "You all are. I can take care of myself."

"Let's not test that," Kai said, sitting up.

"Who the devil are you talking to?" Finn asked, pushing the door open.

Meriel waved a hand. "Myself. I'm so angry at them all. Why can't we help?"

"We can," Finn said. "We just have to be sneaky."

Meriel looked at him thoughtfully. "What did you have in mind?"

Finn closed the door behind him. "I think we should take her by surprise. They're not expecting us, are they?"

"I know, I know!" Meriel said over her shoulder. Then she turned and hastily covered up by saying, "I know Papa will be furious with us."

"Just start crying," Finn said. "He never can deal with you crying."

"You're right!" she said trimphantly. Then she turned and said a little more loudly, "We're going to do this."

Finn raised his brows. "Come on, then. We've got no time to waste."

###

"Are you ready?" Henry asked.

Morgan - disguised as Emeline - gave him a nod. "We'll need to get around the guard at the gate."

Henry made a face. "My mothers have probably told them to be on the lookout for me, but I know all the secret passages in and out." He gave her an unrepentant grin. "Being the future king has its privileges."

"Then let's go," she said, giving him a conspiratorial grin of her own.

Henry pulled her in, giving her a quick kiss. "I wouldn't trade you for the world," he said, cupping her face.

She pulled away from his hands. "Come on, then. There's no time to waste."

He stared at her a moment, prompting her to say with a smile, "Are we going to stare at each other all night?"

"I just -" Henry shook his head. "What if we can't stop him? The Dullahan? What if the phoenix fire isn't enough?"

"But it will be," she reassured. "You're going to be the king. A king never doubts himself."

"You're right," Henry said, clenching his hand into a fist. "Come on, this way." He tossed her the extra cloak and pulled his own closer about him, then he led her to the wall behind the grand stairway into the hall. He pushed hard on three different bricks in succession, and the wall swung open.

###

Emma and Regina stood examining their handiwork.

"That'll slow her down," Regina said.

"If not stop her outright," Emma added.

Regina shook her head. "Don't count her out so quickly. This witch has been practicing since long before you or I were born - that means she's powerful."

"Then I guess we'll -"

Emma broke off as the spell suddenly brightened in a fierce flash of light that drove them both backwards, throwing their hands up to deflect the glare.

"What the hell was that?" Emma demanded.

"The failsafe." Regina glanced around. "Come on, we have to get to the south wall."

"What do you mean failsafe," Emma asked. "And why the south wall?"

"Rumple put in a failsafe," Regina explained, "in case the castle was ever attacked. If Henry could get to the South tunnel, there's a protection spell set into the exit to the outside that's sealed by blood magic."

"So whoever is attacking would be shut out," Emma said.

"Exactly. Leaving you or Rumple free to come and go - and protect Henry."

"Let's go." Emma waved her hand, and she and Regina appeared in front of the south wall, just in time to see Morgan, holding Pandora's box - and Rumple getting sucked inside it.

Morgan glanced over at Regina and Emma. "Did he think I wouldn't recognize blood magic? I knew he'd be waiting."

"Even without him, you're outnumbered," Emma said. "Give it up, Morgan. You're not getting back inside."

"Outnumbered?" Morgan made a scoffing sound. "By the two of you? Please."

"Let's just toast the bitch!" Regina said, throwing a fireball. Morgan easily deflected it, sending a stream of flame back at Regina. Emma countered with a blast of her own, but Morgan stretched out her other hand and retaliated, sending a violent jolt in Emma's direction that bounced off her hand, causing her talisman ring to glow bright blue. It ricocheted and hit a nearby tree, felling it, and she and Regina barely got out of the way in time.

Emma rolled to her feet, only to see Regina, beating on the inside of another magical glass prism, but before she could get over to help her, Morgan sent another blast, and Emma countered with everything she had. Morgan was powerful - and they were running out of time.

###

"What the devil was that?" Robin asked as Killian shook the numbness from his hand.

"I'm not entirely sure. I've never seen my ring glow like that." Killian's fingers were tingling, and that wasn't all. "The stone is a special sea diamond. I have a feeling something - or rather, someone - caused that."

"Emma - and Regina's with her," Robin said. "Let's go!"

They ran down the dock and up the road to the main castle, only to stop short at the sight of Meriel, running towards them.

"Papa!" She ran for him, throwing herself into his arms. "You're all right!"

"'Course I am, little love," he reassured. "What's this all about, then?"

"My talisman," she said, still gasping a bit for air. "It only glows when - when there's magic involved."

"Emma!" Killian looked over her head at Robin. "Where's your brother?"

"Up in that tree," she said, pointing off to the right.

"Finn!" Killian shouted. "What the devil!"

"The brownies found something," Meriel said, "But they couldn't bring it down."

"Killian - " Robin said urgently.

"I know!" he looked torn, but Robin held up a hand. "Stay with your children. If Morgan has managed to thwart Emma, she's likely to come for the children next."

Killian's jaw flexed. "You're right."

"I'll go to the castle and see what's happened. Stay here, and stay hidden until I return."

"Thank you," Killian said, ushering Meriel toward the trees as Robin took off running. He turned to look sternly at his daughter. "Now, why don't you tell me why the hell you and Finn are both out here."

Meriel stared up at her father, took a deep breath, and promptly burst into tears.

###

"Hey!" David shouted, and Morgan turned just as he threw his sword straight at her. She halted it in mid-air, but barely dodged the arrow Snow sent her way, as she was too busy throwing another bolt at Emma.

"You can't keep this up forever!" Emma shouted, aiming a burst that Morgan met dead-on.

"Please," Morgan sneered. "I could file my nails and still keep you all at bay. You're only a minor nuisance."

She waved her other hand as David's dagger flew toward her, then waved it again as another volley of arrows came - this time from Robin, who jumped out from behind a nearby wagon.

"Need a hand?" he asked, nocking another arrow.

"Keep her busy!" Emma shouted, bearing down and hitting Morgan with a blast powerful enough to send her staggering. A flurry of arrows and another dagger followed it, causing her to turn in order to counter them. Emma took advantage of her momentary shift and brought her fist - with the talisman ring - down on the glass prism, punching her way through until it shattered.

Morgan turned back as Regina leaped out, pulling out a fireball. She sent one more blast at the group and then she vanished in a cloud of gray smoke.

"Get Pandora's box!" Emma called to Regina. "I'm going inside!"

"You're hurt," Regina said, raising Emma's bleeding hand.

"It's nothing," Emma said, passing her other hand over it and healing it. "I have to get to Henry."

"Go!" Regina urged.

"We'll get Killian," Snow volunteered as David nodded.

"Rumple, Robin and I will guard the outside," Regina said. "She's bound to be back, and it's nearly time for the full moon. The Dullahan won't wait."

Emma raised her hand, vanishing, as David and Snow raced off toward the docks.

Regina turned the lid on the box, opening it. Rumple looked dazed for a moment as he appeared.

"You'd think I would have seen that coming," he said.

"Save the self-recrimination for later," Regina replied. "Emma's with Henry - you and I need to make sure that she doesn't come back with a friend."

Rumple nodded. "The Dullahan will come whether Morgan is here or not. It's nearly midnight, and my golden perimeter will only keep him from taking Henry away, not killing him."

"Surely there's some way we can silence him," Robin said. "Can we find a way to make him drop his head?"

"For what?" Regina asked. "A rousing game of football?"

"No, he may be onto something," Rumple said. "If we can get his head, we can imprison it in a box of gold."

"And he won't be able to speak?"

"His terror should silence him," Rumple said. "It might even end him."

"You mean kill him?" Robin clarified.

"He's already dead," Regina said. "But if a gold box kills the undead, I say we go for it."

"Let's get to the main road," Rumple suggested. "He'll be riding in upon it."

Rumple waved a hand, disappearing, and Regina and Robin took off at a run. Neither of them saw Morgan emerge from behind the cart nearby. She walked over to the broken shards of glass scattered on the ground, and picked one up, running her finger gently along its edge and smiling at the trace of Emma's blood staining her finger.

"Now then," she cooed as she sauntered over to the nearest wall. "Let's take care of this protection spell."

She raised the hand with the bloody finger, touching it lightly to the surface, and as her hand went through the barrier of the spell, she sent a blast of powerful magic through it.

"Your gold won't save you," she said, looking off toward the road. "And Camelot will soon be mine."

A moment later, she was gone.

###

"I've got it!"

"Finn! Get down here!" Killian called out. "Don't make me come after you!"

He stood with his hands on his hips, staring up at his son, who was midway up a tree.

"I'm coming, I'm coming," Finn said, dragging something with him and slinging it over his shoulder. "Wait till you see what I've got!"

"You're about to get a sore bottom if you don't mind me," Killian said. "Meriel, stay close!"

"I'm trying to see what's going on at the castle," she said, walking back to where her father was. "Franjean, can you and Rood get over there?"

"We're all going there in a moment," Killian said. "I want you both inside where it's safe." He gave a violent start and his head whipped around. "What the devil do you think you're doing?" He thundered.

A very sheepish Rood stood facing him on the branch directly behind his head. "I was just wondering if your hair was as soft as it looks."

Killian's eyes narrowed. "Stop that."

"We can go to the castle," Franjean said, motioning to Rood to come down. "Let the biglings carry the stupid thing."

Finn hit the ground a moment later, grinning triumphantly at his father. "Have a look at this," he crowed, tossing the large piece of tapestry down on the ground. Meriel reached over, unrolling it.

"Oh my God," she gasped. "Finn! It's the tapestry!"

"We saw the witch hide it in the tree," Rood said. "Is it valuable?"

"It's her source of power," Killian said, rolling it back up. "And if we can destroy it, we can destroy her."

He suddenly whirled, pushing the children behind him as two figures approached in the darkness.

"Stand down," David called out. "It's us. Emma sent us to get you."

"Grandpa!" Meriel ran for him, hugging him tight. "You're both all right!"

He held her close, shaking his head at Killian. "Let me guess...they decided to sneak out."

"We need to get them into the castle," Snow said. "Morgan is here. Henry managed to trip a failsafe that Rumple set up - the whole castle is protected by blood magic now."

"Which means I can't get in - but you can," Killian said. "Take the children, get them to safety. I'll stay out on the perimeter with my new friends." He glanced down at the brownies.

"Let's go," David said, taking Meriel's hand as Snow rolled up the tapestry.

"Henry will have the phoenix fire," Snow said. "We can burn this as soon as we get in there."

"Don't drop the spell until we're sure the danger has passed," Killian called out as they left. He turned back to the brownies. "Let's go. I want to walk the perimeter to make sure the entrances are sealed."

He took off at a brisk stride, and Franjean smacked the back of Rood's head as the smitten brownie stared at Killian's backside.

"Come on," he said disgustedly.

"He said we were friends," Rood sighed as he followed after.

###

"You're all right? You're sure?" Emma asked, running her hand over Henry's head.

"She didn't fool me for long. I only wish I hadn't kissed her," he complained. "Blech."

"What tipped you off?"

"It's a silly thing, really," Henry said. "Just something that we always say to each other. I always tell her I wouldn't trade her for the world, and she answers me a certain way. She didn't this time."

"Well it was smart thinking taking her into that tunnel and sending her ahead of you."

"We have to find Emeline," Henry said. "The witch could have hurt her."

"We can start searching the castle," Emma said, "But I don't want you outside. And the last thing Emeline would want is you to be in danger."

Henry nodded reluctantly. "I can take care of myself."

"I know you can, Henry, but this witch is powerful. Your grandfather and Regina are working on a way to stop the Dullahan, and I've got you covered in here."

"We've both got you covered," Snow said as she entered the hall.

"Where's Dad?" Emma asked.

"He's with Killian. I figured I'd join the party since I can get in. I can watch over Finn and Meriel while you keep an eye on Henry."

"Good thinking," Emma said. "Any sign of our headless friend?"

Snow shook her head somberly. "Not yet. But it's nearly midnight."

"Mom...Emeline," Henry reminded her.

"Yeah. Let's start looking," Emma said. "I feel a lot better knowing we're all safely in here."

She and Henry moved off into the hallway as Snow broke into a slow, smirking grin behind them.