So sorry for the wait. I don't remember if I told you guys or not but I'm studying abroad in Italy until May 12 & currently spending spring break in Barcelona. Hopefully you can understand why I don't get to write as much as I want to. Also, I'm just wrapping up my other story and once that's over, the only thing I'll have to concentrate on (writing wise) is this! Enjoy the update and please review if you're still with me.
Chapter XX
"And you're sure you can trust him?" Merlin asked her once more in a hushed tone. Aria shifted in her seat and watched as the warlock's gaze flickered to and from the sleeping woman they were trying to awake. It had been almost four months since Merlin and Aria had begun to put their plan into motion. As promised, the warlock taught Aria everything he knew- in secret, of course- and she proved to be a more than adequate student. Unfortunately, her lack of confidence in herself and in her abilities proved to be the greatest obstacle.
"I'm sure." Her gaze was hard, the months on imprisonment and tough training slowly forming her into a different person. She was no longer the scared little girl that had given the Lady Morgana a drink of water in the city square. She was a sorceress- granted, not nearly as experienced as Merlin or Morgause, but a sorceress nonetheless. She also took comfort in knowing that even though Morgana was destined to be just as great as Emrys, the woman had learned just a little as she had about their gift. Maybe after all of this was over, they could study together. The thought made her lips curl slightly upward in what resembled a smile.
"Who is he to you, anyway?" she heard the dark haired man ask. Raising an eyebrow in amusement, Aria gazed up at him from behind her lashes.
"What's it to you, Emrys?" The mighty warlock blushed in return, causing her smile to widen.
"I consider you to be my friend, Aria." He admitted. "If anything, I see you as more of a little sister. I…"
"Alright, alright, I got it." She waved her hand, ending his torture. "He's my…friend."
"Ah." Merlin smiled genuinely. "I had a friend like that once."
"Ew, Merlin!" she frowned and leaned forward to smack him on the shoulder. He simply laughed. "Damon's been my friend since we were born."
"Even better." He murmured and Aria chose to ignore him. "You're sure he can get the message to Arthur?"
"Positive." She nodded. "We've been sneaking out of the city since we could walk. If anyone can do it, it's Damon."
"Good. We'll need the distraction Camelot's army provides if we're going to take away the soldier's immortality." Merlin stood and paced around the room as he done hundreds of times before.
"Are you sure this is going to work?" The doubt in Aria's voice was evident and worried Merlin more than he dared admit. If she doubted the plan and herself, there was no guarantee that what he taught her would work and there was no way he was risking Morgana and his son's life in an all-out war.
"Yes." He took her shoulders and hoisted her up slowly. "I'm sure and you need to be sure as well." Aria sighed.
"I'm just…worried. My mother and sister…Morgause'll kill them if-"
"Nothing is going to go wrong." He promised. "I promise."
"You can't promise something like that." Aria shook her head only to be pulled into Merlin's embrace. Burying her head in his chest, Aria allowed several frightened tears to make their way down her face. One day: that was all they had until Camelot's army was scheduled to arrive and Aria had to awaken Morgana. Surely, there would be no sleep for either of them tonight.
She lay in bed, weary and nervous, waiting for the proper time to slip out of her room and into Morgana's. She had memorized the guards' patterns by now and knew exactly when they would change shifts. Rising from her warm bed, Aria changed her clothes swiftly, strapped a knife to her thigh and made her way to her destination in seconds. Merlin was already waiting inside for her.
"Are you ready?" he asked, standing the moment he saw her.
"As ready as I'll ever be." She shrugged before sitting beside the sleeping woman once more. Merlin remained standing, his own fear showing clearly as he watched Aria prepare.
"Remember, it's all about what's in here." He tapped the girl's head. "Stop doubting yourself and you can do anything." Aria nodded before making a show of cracking her knuckles, flashing a brief smile in his direction and closing her eyes. She placed her hands on Morgana's temples and concentrated all of her power on the one task. Before long, lights began to dance in her vision like stars on a clear night and Aria realized that she was in Morgana's mind. There were barriers in place that Merlin had told her about. They were the natural defenses the human mind had to intruders such as her and to get into Morgana's subconscious, Aria would have to either break through or be let in. She channeled all her energy into sending Morgana her own memories of the past seven months. She needed to see that Aria was a friend of hers and of Merlin's. Eventually, Morgana seemed to accept the information and Aria felt herself being thrust forward and into the woman's inner-most mind.
Suddenly, Aria was standing dressed in the same clothes as she was in the real world, and facing a room of almost blinding white. There was a dark mist approaching her and something told the girl not to fear it. Waiting, the cloud turned into a figure and figure Aria knew well. It was Morgana.
"What are you doing here?" the raven haired woman asked immediately. Aria, still slightly stunned from hearing her speak again, took a moment to answer.
"We're getting you out of here." She motioned to the 'room' around them. Morgana frowned.
"How do you expect to do that?" she placed her hands on her hips and waited.
"It's complicated but I can get you out. I know I can." Aria insisted. She was slightly distracted by the bright colors that danced around the woman.
"It's called 'aura'." She explained. "Everyone has one." Waving a hand, Morgana's eyes glowed gold and an emerald colored cloud formed around Aria. She jumped back, startled, only to be reminded that it was nothing to fear. In fact, it was the exact opposite.
"I remember reading about auras. They're your essence, your soul." She recounted from her studies with her mother and Merlin. Morgana nodded with a smile.
"And yours is very pure." She commented. "As is my son's." the woman motioned to the bright red that seemed to dance around her like a flame. Aria then assumed that the purple was Morgana's own.
"He's going to be beautiful." Aria said with a smile.
"You would know." Morgana smiled and stepped forward, placing her hand in the girl's. "I'll try to help you as much as I can."
"Thank you." Aria nodded as she began to refocus her energy. Morgana studied her aura intensely, noticing that the once bright green had now faded into a dimmer version of itself. Aria was beyond exhausted. As if on cue, the girl dropped to her knees with a gasp, taking Morgana with her. The two knelt on the floor in silence as Aria tried to regain her strength. The green refused to brighten. Just as Morgana opened her mouth to offer words of encouragement, the two sensed a presence in the realm with them. Looking around, they saw the white room slowly turning black, as if overcome with a disease of sorts. The darkness was making its way towards them, surrounding them on all sides.
"Morgause." Morgana mumbled under her breathe. She turned to Aria and took her face into her hands. "Aria, listen to me. Concentrate. You're the only one that get us out of here."
"Trying." She strained to say. Morgana quickly wiped away the blood that rolled out of the girl's nose.
"You can do it. I believe in you, Aria. Get us out of here." The rising sense of panic in the woman's voice was not lost onto the girl as the room dimmed much too quickly. She didn't dare open her eyes- she only focused her mind on one thing: the room their bodies were in. She could see it. It was faded and far away but she could see the outline of the room and their bodies, both seemingly asleep. Seeing as Merlin wasn't with them, Aria presumed the attack had already begun. How long was she gone for?
"Focus, Aria!" Morgana cried as the darkness crept inches from their feet. Huddled close together, Morgana focused her own mind on getting back to her Merlin.
Together, the two women felt as if the floor had been ripped from under them. They fell and fell until they were sure they could fall no further. Gripping each other's hands tightly, they were pulled forward and sucked back into their own bodies. Aria gasped awake, tipping the chair she had occupied back and leaning against the dresser for support.
"Morgana?" she called weakly. Making her way to the woman's side, panic grew within her as she realized that Morgana had not awaken alongside her. "Morgana!" She shook the woman's shoulders. Surely, she had been holding on when they had entered their realm?! Aria would have noticed if the older woman had let go. Just then a surge of dizziness and nausea passed through her, sending her to the ground with a thud. Aria remained there, the sounds of battle blurred together as the blood rushed past her ears. She closed her eyes and pressed a hand to her head only to feel the massive amount of blood coming from her nose, giving her an answer as to the metallic taste in her mouth.
"Aren't we the overachiever?" the voice startled Aria, causing the girl to jump to her feet. She swayed where she stood, giving the woman in red something to laugh about.
"Morgause." Aria shut her eyes tightly in an effort to be rid of the blur in her vision. It didn't work.
"You know, I knew you'd try something foolish but it never occurred to me that you'd be this idiotic." The woman in red took a step closer and Aria retreated into the back of the room.
Merlin! She shouted in her mind only receive a loud screeching in return. Dropping to the floor again, Aria covered her ears, desperate to make the sound stop.
He can't hear you, little one. Morgause knelt beside the wincing girl. It's just you and me.
"He's going to kill you." Aria said, a deadly calm suddenly taking over her. Morgause seemed momentarily taken aback by the now expressionless girl but quickly recovered. Lifting her hand, she raised Aria into the air, rendering the girl motionless.
"He's going to try." Morgause corrected before offering the teenager a wicked smile and sending her across the room. Aria cried out as she hit the stone wall at full speed and crumpled to the ground. Slowly, she brought herself into a kneeling position before Morgause swept her aside and into the wooden dresser at the other side of the room.
"How many times do I have to tell you, Aria?!" The woman cried as she continued to throw the girl around like a rag doll. "No. Magic. Allowed." With every word, she threw an object in the room at the girl and watched as she managed to dodge two out of the three of them- the third being a chair that caught her right in the middle. Aria gasped as the air rushed out of her lungs and fell forward. Struggling to intake air, she barely heard Morgause's steps towards her. The older woman took her face into her hands and smiled once more. Aria fought back with her mind, struggling to make sense through the pain that washed through her. Suddenly, a piece of the now broken chair hurled towards the woman in red and caught her in the face. Morgause released her chin and stumbled back, just as surprised as Aria at the amount of force in the blow. Touching a finger to the cut on her cheek, Morgause's once amused expression turned into one of fiery anger. Aria realized her mistake too late as she was pinned to the wall with magic. Morgause approached her and with a flick of her wrist, summoned a snake-like creature into her hand. Aria shrunk back, desperate to get away from the monster she knew to be a nathair.
"What, no threats now?" Morgause whispered in the girl's ear, pushing back a handful of hair and revealing the thin neck. She could see Aria's pulse quicken rapidly and reveled in the fear she caused. Aria tried to squirm away as the creature slid its tongue across her skin as if anticipating what her flesh would taste like. A whimper escaped her lips as she saw Morgause about to begin the incantation.
"Unmicel snaca, suge þa soþan... swilcnesse." Just as the last ancient word was uttered, Aria felt the snake begin to nibble on her neck and slither inside her skin. She screamed for the first time since she was a little girl and felt hot tears make their way down her cheeks. Shaking her head violently, the sounds of the battle outside faded completely from her mind. The only thing that remained was the everlasting agony that washed through her like a tidal wave, only enhanced by the knowledge that she had failed and now, everyone she loved would perish.