Chapter 19
The first thing I feel is groggy, like a hangover but instead of in my head, it's my entire body. It is still dark, and horribly quiet. The second thing I feel is stone. Cold, hard stone underneath my entire body. But I'm not laying down; I can feel my upper body dragging down with gravity but there's a tightness in my arms as the float in the air around my waist. My head lolls back, knocking against the stone behind me as well as I slowly open my eyes.
As they begin to adjust to the darkness, the memories of what happened what feels like moments before filling my head. The form of another person, looking exactly how I feel sits opposite me. Castor is still unconscious, but he seems alive.
It is a small room made entirely of stone, not a single window. There is one door to the left of me, only a few steps away. I go to move forward, stumbling to my knees but the sound of metal clanging stops me, a heavy-weight bearing on my wrists. I shake my arm, but it happens again.
Chains. I'm in chains like a slave. I scan over Castor, seeing his hands also chained. They are chained individually to the wall. I pull them forward and they stop just before my arm reaches full length if my back is against the wall. My legs, however, are freely lying in front of me.
My breath starts to get away from me, but I remind myself to stay calm. I've watched enough movies to know that panic leads to stupid decisions. I look back over to Castor again, leaning forward so I can see him better.
"Castor," I hiss but his head stays hung against his shoulder. "Castor!" I try louder but I'm not about to shout without knowing who's out there.
I realise that it could be any time of night or even day. There's no way for light to travel through. The knights have to find us. Merlin can, and Arthur will never willingly leave a knight behind if he has any say in it. Not to mention Leon would never leave his closest friend without at least trying.
I just have to wait for them to find us. Merlin has magic, he can take on whoever it was.
A heavy thump sounds outside the door, starting off lightly as though just boots walking on a floor but they become heavier and closer. They're coming down a set of stairs. Another sound of metal clangs – but this one is much lighter and in rhythm with the footsteps. They stop right outside the door and my breathing halts as the metal rattles more against the lock in the door.
It creaks open, the man taking his sweet and pleasurable time as though mocking me with his sense of control. He steps in, holding a torch which lights his face for the first time. It's one I'll never forget. One that irked me out for a good reason before and it's come back to haunt me again. Sir Lorcan.
He was at the jousting tournament all that time ago when I was still new to Camelot. He still has that same greasy, slicked over hair. A sickening look in his eyes that pierces my own. My stomach gurgles in discontent.
He places the torch in a stand on the wall, letting light into the room for the first time.
"I take it you remember me," he chortles, removing his gloves in a casual manner. I don't answer him, not wanting him to know how scared I am right now. He bends down next to me, patting my knee. "Let's wake up your friend shall we."
He picks up a bucket I didn't see before and he throws in contents (which I hope is water) at Castor's unconscious form. The water splashes over him, soaking his clothes. His shirt is torn, mud and grass rubbed on his skin as though he was dragged along the ground. And I don't doubt that I look the same. I can feel the slight sting on scratches along my lower back.
Castor splutters away, coughing and gasping the water out of his lungs. His chest heaves as his eyes dart around the room, focusing on nothing in particular but I see them run along me a few times before finally settling on Lorcan.
"Wha-"
"I'm sorry that I had to wake you," he taunts. "But you were asleep far too long for my liking. And considering it's already midday I thought you'd appreciate me not letting you sleep any longer. We have business to attend to."
Midday? Already?
"Sir Lorcan?" Castor questions in complete and utter confusion. "I always thought you were a weird one, but this is insane. What the hell do you want from us?" he cries, leaping forward only to be stopped by his chains. He growls in frustration, pulling at the with all his strength but they are bolted into the walls securely.
"Actually, I only want something from one of you," he muses, walking to the middle of the room. "I've already asked Elena here once, but she refused then. But I think I can get her to change her mind, or I can have you instead. Either will do."
I hate how playful is voice is, like he knows he's got everything under his complete control. I try to piece together what is happening, recalling the last time he spoke to me. He said he wanted to be my master. But what….
"What the hell do you mean?" Castor shrieks. Lorcan opens his mouth to speak but I cut him off.
"Vessels," I breath. "We're Vessels and he has magic." Castor's mouth drops slightly as his face contorts into rage.
"You want us to do a Blood Oath with you?" he exclaims. The knight really doesn't have a sense of when to talk and not to. "And what? Make you more powerful so you can conquer Kingdoms and take over, huh?
"Well, only one of you needs to. But that's up to you to decide." He fiddles with a small knife between his fingers, digging the blade underneath his nails as he leans against the wall. "And I don't want to conquer kingdoms as you put it. That's far too much effort to maintain. No, I just want to be able to take what's mine and what I want, and a Vessel's power will make that so much easier. I do want Uther and his son dead for their crimes against magic. I might have a little fun with anybody that gets in there way too."
"And you want us to decide who has to join you?" I scoff. "And what, the other person dies?"
"Of course not," he laughs. "I'll send them on their merry way. After I've wiped their memory of course. I have the potion waiting upstairs right now. Don't worry, it'll only wipe a year or two. I'll need them in case something happens to the other," he finishes. The left side of his mouth twists up into a smirk as he tilts his head. "So. Who shall it be?"
Of course, Castor and are not even thinking about the idea of giving up but the thought of a memory wipe scares the life out of me. I don't want to forget some of the most important times of my life, but I won't ever give myself up to him. Castor looks at me and I can see the same thoughts running through his head: how do we get out of this?
"Why don't you just force one of us?" Castor spits. "Instead of playing this game."
Lorcan pushes off the wall, pacing between Castor and I's feet.
"Well you see, the thing with the Blood Oath ritual is that the blood has to be given willingly which means that I cannot force you to participate, you have to consent to the bond."
I didn't know this. But I had bonded with Merlin without knowing. Maybe I consented unconsciously, a part of me willing to connect but I just didn't know at the time.
"Well then," I snarl, pushing myself back up against the wall to sit straight. "It seems you run into a bit of a dilemma. Neither of us would ever willingly give ourselves to you."
Lorcan laughs, his head falling back as the maniacal sound croaks from his throat into the stale air. It carries on for an awkward amount of time, almost comical of a villain's evil laugh. Finally, his head drops forward, small and unfitting giggles escaping his lips.
"Sorry," he says between them. "I just thought it was adorable that you think I'll just wait for you to make a decision. No, sweetie. Soon you'll be pleading and then once I have you both, then maybe I'll get to choose." Sadistic bastard. "I have a full-proof plan you see. It's called torture. I torture one of you while the other gets to watch then we'll play switch and the other person gets to watch. So, one of you will give up, either to save yourself or your friend."
"How did you even know who we were?" Castor asks.
"Magic feels magic," Lorcan explains. "I, just like anybody else with magic can sense a Vessel but they are so rare they probably don't even know what they are feeling. You can feel it too. I was following Elena here for some time, but then you stumble along, and I've found myself with not one, but two Vessels and I'm overwhelmed by the choice."
I open my mind to connect with my body and he is right. There is the slightest tug in my gut, pulling towards him. Nothing near what I feel for Merlin though – not even before or after the bond. Lorcan isn't as strong as Merlin in magic.
"I'll give you an hour to talk but I'll be back to get started if you don't have an answer for me," he chirps, swinging the key around his finger as he walks out the door, locking it behind him. As he saunters up the steps, he whistles a happy tune.
"I'm going to kill him," Castor declares, tugging once again at his chains. His sword is gone, probably lost in the forest or Lorcan has taken it. "Just need a plan."
"He's so different from before. He was so…chirpy," I recall. "It's disgusting."
"Maybe he's just found his true calling," Castor snarls. "Being a sadistic torturer. Never thought he was a good knight."
"Well? Do you have a plan?"
"Uh…not yet" he admits. "But whatever happens, I don't care if I'm screaming for death, do not give in to him. It's a lose-lose situation. He said he would go after Uther. The knights would stop him and if you're his Vessel, they'll kill you as well by default. Uther won't care about you. Not to mention if it comes down to Leon or Arthur, and even Merlin with his magic, they will hesitate and that could kill them. And I don't want to lose the last two years of my life"
I nod slowly in agreement. "Same goes to you. I don't care if he's about to kill me, I don't want to see you by his side. We ride this out until we can escape, or someone finds us. They've got to be looking."
"They are," Castor agrees firmly, looking towards the door. "If they're not then they're gonna have some questions to answer from me," he grunts, still able to keep his playful mood just after being capture by an insane sorcerer. I huff a little in laughter, resting my head against the stone, eyes wandering around the room. There's nothing in here to help us, not that I would be able to reach it if there was.
Without the light, there's no sense of time. I feel like we've been waiting much longer than an hour and it drags by in almost silence, considering we're both exhausted. Out unconsciousness not letting us truly rest. But finally (not that I am pleased about his arrival) the door opens again, Lorcan entering with a much larger bucket. Water splashes against its sides, sending droplet flying onto the floor.
"Well I've already asked her once and Elena here was quite adamant so, Castor – I believe – let me see how much you truly care about your friends," he taunts, setting the bucket down in front of me. My heart begins to speed up, knowing what's going to happen. I glance at Castor, giving him a nod to reaffirm our earlier words. "You know the deal, you agree, Elena is let go."
He grips the back of my neck, bringing my head and body forward, my arms locked backwards, my face hovering about the water. His hand moves up to the back of my head, his fingers digging into my scalp. I take deep breathes, doing everything I can to keep myself calm.
Without any sort of warning, he pushes down on my head, forcing it underwater. I let out a small yelp, already losing some precious air in the process but I remind myself quickly not to scream. I let out small bubbles of air as my head remains under, my lungs beginning to tighten. As I feel like I'm verging on my edge he pulls me back up.
My hair sticks to my face, dripping all over me. He pulls my face up so I look at Castor. Or rather so he can see me. I breathe deeply again, both regaining lost air and preparing for it again.
And I go down, again and again. Each time a little longer and pushing further than I thought I could handle.
My head comes out of the surface once more, my throat gasping in horrid croaks to get air back into my lungs. I cry, though I'm not sure I can manage any actual tears, but Castor hasn't peeped a word and I'm proud of him.
I get pushed down again, but the tiredness ensures I'm unprepared and as I go underwater, I take a breath in. Water fills my lungs painfully and I struggle hard against his hand but he's stronger than me. I'm pushed to the brink where blackness starts to take the edge of my sight away, the urge to take a breath so overwhelming that I almost give in but just as I am about to tip over that edge, the hand releases its self from my head and I fall back against the ground, gagging and coughing up the water from inside me.
"You're both tougher than I thought. I thought one of the Knight's codes was to do everything they can to save a woman over themselves," he muses mockingly. "I guess Camelot isn't held to the same standard. "Well, let's see if Elena is weaker than you."
He picks the bucket back up, plopping it down in front of Castor. I watch exhausted from the floor as he's pulled into the same position I just was, though now I watch from the ground.
I think watching it happen to someone you care about is worse than going through it yourself because you can't imagine the pain, so you just think of the worst possible feeling to substitute it. I have to bite my tongue, screwing my eyes shut so I can only hear to sound of his breathing, the splashing of water and the sound of bubbles breaking the surface.
After a lifetime, Lorcan gives up.
"That was your introduction," he growls. "You're lucky I can't kill you."
Oh, lucky us.
They have to be close to finding us. I'm not sure if I can watch that again.