Welcome to the next chapter of TFR!
First off, I need to thank all the people over at the Heart of Camelot (go over to that; it's a Merlin website for all us writers and fans and graphic makers; it's amazing and I love it). They put up with my ramblings in the chatroom and my occasional plotbunnies. Thanks to them, I have 3 upcoming story ideas which you can find at the end of this AN (I am so sorry this is so long!)
Secondly, I was reminded of how my beginning chapters have all those mistakes in them and everything, so starting now, I am slowly going through them and fixing the main grammar/spelling mistakes. I never proofread, and I'm sorry about that. Luckily, I have a beta now, and even when I proofread, it's always late at night when I do it, so I apologize whole heartedly for that!
Thank you to my beta CaptainOzone. She's the best beta ever! She was awarded the Outstanding Beta Award :)
In this chapter, Tom is Cenrad. Colin is Merlin. Joe is Will. Richard is Gaius. Laura is Freya. Georgia is Vivian. Katie is Morgana. Angel is Gwen. Bradley is Arthur. And surprise!character is surprise!character :D
Remember to check my website whenthestormisthrough which is my TUMBLR url. I post chapter updates and some excerpts as well as all things Merlin on there.
Enjoy the chapter, and please review. I like to hear what you thought of the chapter, what you didn't like, any questions or concerns, your favorite parts, and any suggestions/comments about my writing in general.
Onto the chapter,
Erin
{Recommended Reading: What Happens by carinims01. I love that story, and the sequel is amazing. Also, I want to thank her for promoting this story on her Merlin page. It made my day, and hopefully, this will repay her 3}
After TFR, I have 3 story ideas that I will possibly write next. You guys can vote on whichever one you would like to see. I'm still trying to figure out how to set up a poll on my profile, so until I do, you're free to leave a note in a PM or review telling me which one you'd like to see, or you can check on my profile and see if I put the poll up if I find out how to do so.
Arthur's Bane - in which Merlin is Arthur's bane, prophecized to be the one to kill the king he's sworn to protect.
Once and Future - in which Sefa is the serving girl to Queen Guinevere; she has magic and is destined to protect the Queen, but she doesn't know Merlin's duty as Emrys.
One More Miracle - in which, at the end of Season 4, Agravaine kidnaps Merlin and brings him to Morgana when the servant tries to warn Arthur of his uncle's betrayal. Morgana gives Agravaine a potion to make him look like Merlin and convince the king that his friend is the traitor (follows Season 4 finale; AU end to 4x11, 4x12, 4x13)
WARNING: mentions of child abuse, graphic violence/murder scene
Chapter Nine
"You know I'd fall apart without you,
I don't know how you do what you do.
'Cause everything that don't make sense about me,
Makes sense when I'm with you."
- Wanted by Hunter Hayes
Colin didn't know anything except for the pain.
He bit his lip in an effort to fight against the searing agony and the urge to scream out with the voice that had already been strained to its limit that night. The taste of metallic blood going down his throat as he choked down a sob sent his stomach spiraling with nausea. Each kick to his chest forced him forward, and he found himself fighting to escape his foster father's wrath. Each time, Tom chuckled darkly at the pain he was intentionally inflicting upon Colin while the boy struggled to hold in his cries.
"I told you to go along with it!" his foster father yelled above Colin's blood-stained figure. "I told you to use your magic!"
Tom seemed to think it was simple for Colin: obey or witness more pain. Though his drunken mind severely limited his thought process, the older man knew his foster son couldn't handle much more of the torture he was sentencing him to. Colin had positioned himself so that his injured shoulder was protected, his exposed back bearing the brunt of the attacks. Eight months in Tom's care had taught him a lot, and he had more strength that he could muster if necessary.
"Do you want me to hurt them?" Tom whispered in a sugar, sweet voice, "Because I will. Make me. I dare you.".
In between his gasps for breath, Colin rolled away from his foster father, "You stay away from them!" His cry bounced off the walls of the apartment, and though he was trying to keep Laura and Joe from witnessing the ordeal, he knew they had awoken the moment Tom had stumbled into his room, dragging him out of bed with one purpose.
He had found a use for Colin's magic.
Colin struggled to find a way out of Tom's grasp, but the older man flipped him onto his stomach, applying pressure to the boy's upper back. The action caused pain to mount on Colin's ribs, and he cried out once more. The cruel drunk above him chuckled, cutting the air with an icy edge.
"I can bring sweet Laura in here. I'm sure she—"
"Leave her alone!" Colin screamed, his cobalt eyes glazed over in pain. "Y-You… This… This has nothing to do with her!"
Tom grabbed his upper arm and threw him against the wall; Colin bit his lip to hold back the howl of pain. His drunken slurs were running through one ear and out the other, and Colin found it harder than ever before to understand him. He tried to shake Tom's hand off, but he was slowly losing strength, shaking slightly from his injuries. His head was throbbing; his heart was pounding. His world was spinning, and vertigo crashed over him.
Colin wanted it to end.
The warlock raised his head as he heard a door open, and a disheveled Joe stumbled out of their shared room. Tom was oblivious to the younger boy's presence, too busy grabbing at Colin's white, blood-stained t-shirt and attempting to shake some sense into him. Colin cried out in protest only to be roughly backhanded across his face. He felt the blood rush to his cheek, clotting to form a bruise sooner or later. This was an entirely new concept, and if Tom weren't drunk, he wouldn't have done such a thing. He had to hide his true nature; bruises on his ward's face wouldn't help his case.
The new bruise began to throb harshly, but Colin ignored it, his eyes flashing to Joe's rigid form. He tried to signal for the other boy to flee, turn back to his room or perhaps join Laura in hers. Tom wouldn't touch them; Colin wouldn't let him. Joe didn't catch Colin's indication, merely narrowing his blue eyes in began to fidget. Tom couldn't know Joe was watching, or he'd turn around and inflict the same punishment on the bystander.
A blur ran past Colin's vision, and his foster father's weight disappeared above him. He was startled to see Joe hovering over his still figure, Tom unconscious against the couch. Colin tried to regulate his breathing. Pain radiated through his body; fear was all he felt. He blinked back tears; it would be no use to let them loose. Tears that fell meant nothing at all for they came far too frequently. Colin learned long ago that he had to be strong; tears wouldn't help his situation.
Joe stretched out a hand to aid his foster brother, raising him off the ground and onto shaky legs. After the entire ordeal, all it had taken was one shove and Tom had come undone. It wouldn't have happened if he hadn't been drinking, Colin knew, but he was grateful all the same. He turned to thank Joe, but the younger boy held up a hand for quiet. Silence settled in, and Joe's eyes fluttered shut as he let out a small sigh. For as long as he had known Joe, Colin could read him like an open book even when he tried so hard to keep his emotions in check. However, now, in the midst of the pain and confusion, Colin could not detect any real emotions from Joe's stoic face. Passivity radiated off of the seemingly paralyzed teenager in front of him.
Suddenly, Joe grabbed his hand, pulling Colin's trembling form back to their bedroom. Colin sighed, preparing himself to return to his soft blankets and warm bed. He entered the room and made a move towards his bed, but Joe held up a hand in protest. Much to Colin's amazement, Joe gestured to the window on the far wall.
"You need to get out of here," Joe said, his voice low and controlled. "Laura and I'll be fine here for a few days. You need to get help."
"I'm not going to the police," Colin protested.
"I know that, you idiot," Joe sneered, a sincere smile adjourning his face, "But I don't want you up to your old tricks, Colin. You can take him throwing you around sometimes, but you're injured. Go to that Richard guy you told me about. He'll help you."
"You still up to the same old magic tricks again?"
Paying no attention to the voice and chalking it up to the late hour, Colin resigned himself to a longing stare out the window at the city. "I ran away when he tried to help. There's no guarantee that he'll do it again."
"Colin—"
"No, you don't understand," the warlock continued. "If Tom finds out, he'll kill him."
Joe shook his head, placing a strong hand on Colin's shoulder. "No, he won't. He doesn't know about Richard."
"Then Santiago—"
"He doesn't even know where Santiago lives."
"But—"
"You're impossible, I hope you know that."
Joe pinched the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes. Colin wondered if the argument was physically straining him. "You need help, Colin. You need a doctor. When he wakes up, he'll go after you. As long as you're back by morning, it'll be fine. I can take care of Laura and myself for a few days; I did it for six years. Just… Have Richard look you over and everything and then come straight home."
"Richard might not even want to help me."
"You won't know 'til you try," Joe said, handing his foster brother a heavy jacket along with a hat and a pair of gloves. "Now, go before I throw you out."
Colin chuckled. "Why would you do that?"
"I don't want your kind here to be a bad influence on my sister."
"Look, I thought I told you I didn't want your kind around here?"
Shaking his head at the distant memory that tugged at the corner of his mind, Colin faced Joe with a mocking grin. "And what kind of people would that be?" Colin retorted in good jest.
"Stubborn asses."
"You'd know, wouldn't you?"
Joe made a move to swat the back of Colin's head, but the older boy ducked out of his range, nearly tripping over his own feet. "Get going."
Colin nodded, his expression turning serious. "You sure you'll be alright alone?"
"We'll manage. We'll survive." Joe gave him a light shove, placing a strong hand on an uninjured area of Colin's back. "Just get help then come back."
Colin cast his foster brother a tight smile, grateful for once that he wasn't alone in his fight to protect everyone else. He waited with baited breath to be sure that Tom wasn't moving around in the next room before dashing across the hall, finding his winter coat hanging behind the front door. He entered his room once more and made a beeline for the window that Joe had already opened. The warlock swung his legs into the frigid, night air, straddling the windowsill as he turned back to Joe, sending him a nod of thanks, and climbed down the fire escape with ease.
When he finally hit the ground, he limped away from the apartment building as quickly as possible, the shivers racing down his spine, the blistery air making his breaths come out in clouds. He was mindful of his injuries though and had only one place in mind. He was returning to Richard's clinic, hoping the offer of help was still valid. This marked a new chapter in Colin's life for it was the first time he was reaching out to someone on his own accord.
Back in the apartment, Joe watched Colin disappear behind a building, ducking into an alleyway in order to keep away from prying eyes. The teenager sighed to himself and exited the room, intent on keeping watch on Laura throughout the night. Before he left, however, he turned back the window where a gentle breeze caressed his face.
"Come home soon, Merlin," Will whispered and shut the window.
Colin needed to stop passing out.
Blinking blearily to clear the exhaustion from his cobalt eyes, he clenched them closed once more before he fully released himself to reality. When he finally regained his bearings from his slumber, he stared dizzily ahead, barely recognizing anything at all even after he recuperated from his morning's confusion. Cobwebs tickled his mind, a vast amount of nothingness filling it. It took a short beat of time before he realized he was nestled under a mound of blankets, warmth reaching deep within his bones.
He turned his head to the side, expecting to find Joe's slumbering form sprawled out on the opposite bed, but he met the concerned eyes of Richard Wilson instead. The doctor's gray eyes narrowed, and Colin's heart beat faster, matching the speed of a hummingbird's wings. The eyes softened when they realized that Colin was finally awake, and the apparent concern in them reminded Colin that there was a life of heaven beyond his prison of hell.
Colin noted the brightness of the room and deduced that it was sometime after dawn. It had been over a month and a half since he had last been in this room, and he was afraid to question the doctor about his last absence. After all, the kind man had reached out to help the warlock only to have him run away when he left the room.
In the two months since he had left though, things had changed.
Colin no longer found himself ducking into alleys, hiding from his foster father in the shadows of the city. He would now wander the streets, occasionally taking Laura out to Central Park when Tom was passed out drunk on the couch. They would often take walks when the night settled in and the temperatures hovered above freezing. Wrapped up in their coats, caps, and gloves, the duo would venture out into the world. They'd walk in the moonlight, beams of illumination streaming through the darkness, unearthing Earth's nocturnal creatures. On most days, a light snowfall was inevitable, providing the perfect atmosphere. However, it was clear spring was on its way by the way the icy ground became covered in slush, green buds already blooming on the trees. They would stay out for an hour or so, immersed in the dense cocoon of stillness that surrounded the city, just enjoying one another's company.
Colin enjoyed the time he spent with Laura. It made him, for the first time in his life, feel wholly human.
He was her protector, Colin realized, and as he turned his gaze back to Richard, he knew the doctor was his.
Richard smiled at him, and Colin's heart gave a sharp thud. His life was turning completely around. For seventeen years, he had been alone, deprived of the love and safety any other child received. He had always wished for some semblance of a typical childhood, but everyone turned him away when they discovered his magic. However, Richard stayed. He welcomed it. He accepted what made Colin so different, and that was what changed his entire world.
"We have to stop meeting like this," Richard said quietly, managing a small smile in face of the serious situation.
Colin gave a small chuckle, his ribs throbbing in protest. Immediately, though, he sobered and bit his lip in hesitation. "I'm… I'm sorry I left. You were trying to help and I—"
"Don't worry about it," Richard said, a warm smile gracing his face. "You need to rest right now. You're sick."
Closing his eyes, Colin took a deep breath before opening them and turning to face the doctor. He blew it out slowly, nestling himself deeper beneath the blankets. A phantom chill nipped at his limbs, shivers rocketing down his spine. He clenched the comforter in his fist, knuckles white from the sheer pressure he applied. He was shaking slightly – from either the air or a setting illness, one couldn't be sure.
"'M sorry for bothering you," he said, ducking his head in shame. "I didn't mean to just show up—"
Richard lowered his gaze and reached out his hand, clasping Colin's shoulder tightly. "It doesn't matter."
"But—"
"I said it doesn't matter. All that does is that you're safe now."
Colin snuggled deeper into his nest, the bitter action causing pain to flare in his aching body. "I needed to leave," he elaborated, ducking his head into his shoulder in shame. "Tom would've hurt other people – like you or Santiago. I… I couldn't let him do that. I couldn't let you die."
Richard brushed Colin's dark hair from his forehead, trying to calm him. "You were only trying to protect me. I understand, Colin."
Colin nodded slightly, and Richard knew that he was experiencing waves of regret and guilt as time passed. "I thought you'd be angry with me."
"No," he whispered lowly, "I was merely worried – up until the moment you walked through that door."
There was a short beat of silence before Richard realized that Colin did not completely believe him. He knew that it wasn't fair to expect the warlock to trust him after years of being abandoned by the ones who were supposed to care for him the moment discovered his magic. The instinct to doubt was so deeply embedded in the foster boy's core that it would be a blessing in itself for him to open up and put his heart on the line one more time.
Wanting to offer him some form of comfort, Richard smiled widely and reached for something lying next to Colin's bed. The warlock raised his head in question, cocking it as he saw the magic book Richard had introduced him too the first day he met the doctor. With trembling hands, Richard opened the book to a random page, searching it for a specific content, his smile brightening.
"Here," he said, placing the book in Colin's lap.
The teenager struggled to sit up, pain shooting down his spine. When he was finally seated upright, he narrowed his eyes in concentration, studying the page closely. "Is… Is this a spell?"
Richard nodded. "You have power, Colin; there's no denying it. Your only problem is learning how to control it."
"And use it for good?" Colin proposed, hesitant as if expecting a negative answer.
"Of course," Richard answered and perched himself on the edge of Colin's bed. "Can… Can you read the language?"
Colin raised his eyebrow in confusion, casting Richard a quizzical expression. "I… I think so. It's… It's…"
"Familiar?" Richard asked.
Colin shuffled close to the edge of the bed. "How… How do I know this language if I've never even seen it before?" He waited patiently for Richard's response, knowing that the doctor was merely distracting him from the guilt overriding his mind. He couldn't have been more grateful.
"It is the tongue of the Old Religion; all sorcerers are born with the Old Religion as a part of them," Richard explained, placing a hand across Colin's chest, feeling the boy's heart pounding against his frail ribcage. "You see, Colin, you were born with magic. You are as much of a creature of the Old Religion as the dragons were."
Colin's eyes clouded over with pain. "So, you mean… I really am a monster?"
Richard looked taken back. "No, of course not! Don't ever think that. You are human, Colin, more human than most people I've met. You are special, and that is something to be proud of."
Colin resigned himself back to the magic book, eyes flickering across the page. "So… Do I just say it?" At Richard nod, Colin held his hand out, palm up, and extended his fingers to their limit. He could feel the magic tingling the surface of his skin, so he took a deep breath and whispered in a strong voice, "Forbærnen."
A single flame erupted in his hand, and Colin nearly fell off the bed in surprise. He could feel its warmth; it felt safe and protected. Richard smiled with pride as he watched the young warlock inspect his first magical experiment, Colin's look of awe filling every shadow of fear he had held.
Suddenly, Colin's eyes became glassy with unshed tears as he reigned in his magic, feeling the flame slip back into his core. He was trembling – from excitement or exhaustion, he wasn't sure – but he knew that what he had just witnessed had changed his entire outlook in life.
The possibility that he was human. The possibility that he could live a normal life. The possibility that someone cared for him…
"Colin?" Richard questioned softly, "Are you alright?"
Colin merely nodded as a reply, and suddenly, the doctor engulfed the foster boy into his arms. Colin felt the tears slipping unhindered down his cheeks, and he refused to hold them in. He wondered if this was what family felt like. Here, in Richard's embrace, all his pain, suffering, torture, and lies never mattered. No matter what he had had to go through in the past mattered to be able to feel like he was truly worth something for the first time in his life.
It showed him that, against all odds, he had survived all of the chaos life had thrown his way.
In Richard's arms, Colin had found a home. It was a place that he had never known, created to be where he truly belonged. He had been searching for such a place for so long, and now, to finally find it caused him greater joy than ever before.
He never wanted to leave.
After a while, Richard withdrew from the embrace and placed his hands on Colin's shoulders. He stared at the warlock long and hard before sighing. "I'm trying to gain custody of you, Colin."
While it was unusual for Colin to cry, it was such a raw feeling he was experiencing that it caused him to gently sob, his tears cascading in rivets. This moment was so truly and completely unbelievable. Even now, disbelief was etched across his face, and Richard merely chuckled. He'd earn the boy's trust soon enough, and he knew today was an important step in assuring so.
"Thank you… Oh God, thank you," Colin whispered lowly when a sudden thought struck him. "Wait… Richard, they… Laura and Joe… They… You have to help them too!"
"Don't worry," Richard answered with a warm smile. "I'll take care of everyone. You don't have to protect them all your own, Colin. I'll help now. I'll take care of you."
Indeed, Colin realized, he may have just found his first home – his family.
Her heart jerked in her chest.
"Leave me alone!"
Her footsteps reverberated off of the alley walls, mixing with her pleas for help and protests towards her attacker. Her high, soprano voice rang out through the night, twisting like a symphony of melancholy music. There seemed to be no end to the shadows that followed her, shadows that only grew larger and darker as time went on.
Her pursuer chuckled darkly, but she couldn't pinpoint his or her exact location. "Weak… Spineless… To think that you were once royalty."
Something hard collided with her face, sending her sprawling out across the cement; she scraped her palms, having lost her gloves somewhere in the chase. A beam of moonlight surrounded her, the only thing visible at the end of the alley. Black dots danced across her vision, and she propped herself up on trembling hands and knees.
"What's the matter, Princess? I thought you'd like to play a little game."
Her attacker skittered along the walls of the alleyway, keeping to the shadows. The girl sobbed helplessly, fear crawling up he throat. "Please… Please! I… I don't understand! I'm not a Princess!"
"Are you sure, Vivian?"
She felt the man's hot breath against her cheek, and she whirled around only to watch him retreat from her view. "I don't understand!" she wailed, wriggling away from his general direction. "My name's Georgia! I'm Georgia! I'm not Vivian! You've got the wrong person!"
She stood up, employing the use of her legs, but her attacker lunged forward, tackling her back to the ground. Her body felt like rubber, putty in his hands. She could taste blood on the tip of her tongue, and she wished he would have his way with her and just let her go. She wanted to go home. She'd comply with whatever he asked of her if it meant she could return to her apartment and live just one more day.
A hand caressed the side of her face, a finger tracing her cheek. "You're so beautiful, Vivian."
She merely sobbed in reply. Georgia could barely think straight. She just wanted it all to end. After a few moments, she opened her eyes to spot her attacker standing above her. She squinted against the movement, watching another figure approach the man. It was a woman. Georgia raised her gaze to meet the woman's piercing brown orbs, determination and defiance glittering behind them. The golden-blonde hair cascaded in tight ringlets down her back, the bangs pulled back, out of her line of vision, so that it would not disrupt her combat abilities. She wore brown boots, pants, and a tight-fitting purple shirt. A midnight black cloak was wrapped around her shoulder, and it hovered above the floor, swishing in the light breeze.
"Very good, Cenred," the woman purred. The girl bit her lip as the woman approached, ducking her head from view. "Don't ignore me, My Lady. Savor the world while you can before I take you out of it."
"W-What?" she managed, gasping out through her sobs. "Why're you—?"
"Agan mé bealucræft!" the woman chanted, stretching her hand towards Georgia's figure.
Georgia's breath caught in her throat, and she felt her heart thunder to a stop. She gasped for air, her shoulders heaving forward as she tried to draw in oxygen, but she was quickly dying. The woman's eyes glowed a molten gold, and if she could cry, Georgia would. A soft ringing filled her head, and she could feel her world slipping away as she faded after it. Before she was all but gone, Cenred stepped forward, a malevolent glint in his brown eyes, and raised a knife.
There was a flash of silver, moonlight bouncing off the blade, before the cold metal came in contact with Georgia's skin.
It sliced across her neck without hindrance, blood spilling from the deep throat. Georgia was drowning, and her heartbeat faltered before falling silent. Stillness descended upon the trio, and a yellow mist appeared to seep from the dead teenager's body, rushing through the air and into the woman's outstretched hand.
She breathed deeply, her eyes glowing brighter before dimming. She chuckled at the increase of power flooding through her veins; killing Georgia had rewarded her with more magic. "Emrys," she mused, smirking sharply, "Your magic is quite powerful."
"We'd better leave, Morgause," Cenred advised, casting a worried look over his shoulder. "The police could come any second. She was screaming pretty loud."
The witch nodded, smiling brightly. "You're right, Cenred. You're dismissed. Return home and keep watch over Emrys. We're closer now more than ever. Only a few more lives and we can begin our attack."
"How many more are there?" Cenred inquired. "We've taken care of Caerleon, Annis, Vivian, and her father. How many more until we can defeat that sorcerer?"
Morgause chuckled darkly. "Don't you understand yet, you idiot?" Her eyes flashed wildly, and the old king felt his stomach lurch in fear. "Each and every person who had a hand in Emrys's destiny has returned. When he cast that spell, a little bit of his magic returned to this world in each one of us. His magic brought us back, and his magic keeps us here. By killing these people, I gain the power of the renowned Emrys, the power wasted on a worthless servant - the one who served a weak and spineless king."
"How long until you've got enough power to take the rest from him?"
Morgause turned on her heel and began to amble down the alleyway, Cenred following in suite. "Not nearly enough. These minor characters of legends aren't enough. The people who mattered to him, the people he was tied directly too… They're the ones we need to find. They're the ones who harness the most of Emrys's magic…"
Her voice trailed off as she paused, mind searching to identify their next target. "I'll hit Elena in Jersey tomorrow. You keep watch over Emrys. Do not let him out of your sight, Cenred, or you'll be the next on my list."
Without another word, Morgause strode away from the scene, her hair swinging with her movements, beginning the journey that Nimueh had laid out years before when she learned the truth of the great Emrys's last magic act.
It would all end soon.
Morgana couldn't see anything.
She was trapped in the darkness, pain flaring through her body as she twisted her body to spot some form of light. Her stomach clenched in panic when she realized that the silence and the stillness was disappearing, muted sounds heard in the distance, but she was still blind to her surroundings.
"Join… Morgana… Kill… Mithian… Emrys…"
Even in her confusion, Morgana knew that the identity of the speaker had once been close to her. She lacked the exact name, however, even though it had been years since she had heard it, the tone harnessed a strong familiarity. A part of her, the evil side she had hidden away since she first retrieved her memories, jumped at its sound; her heart lurched into her throat.
"…Have killed Princess Elena… Nimueh… proud."
The unknown voice was harsh and mocking, yet it had a thin undercurrent of silk that had once provided Morgana comfort in her darkest of time. At least, it had been that way up until the moment she found out the truth. The voice belonged to Morgause, her half-sister through her mother back in Camelot. The two had been united by magic, sharing the blood of the High Priestesses of the Old Religion. A wave of hurt crashed over Morgana, and she bit back a cry.
She had trusted Morgause. Her sister had been all she had.
She remembered all too well the pain at discovering the enchantment her sister had placed over her. It had turned the once beautiful and compassionate Lady into a vengeful witch, unable to rest until she had Arthur Pendragon's head on a platter and his blood staining her throne. Morgana knew, that if Morgause had not enchanted her, she would have forgiven Merlin for the poisoning and ultimately return to the "light side," coming home to Camelot and her father and Arthur and her friends. Sadly, it had taken true tears of remorse to break the enchantment, something only Mordred could break.
Knowing what it cost the boy, how it ended for her… It brought Morgana close to tears.
"Keep Emrys close… Kill Laura… Lady of the Lake… First… Much power… the brother… Don't… Kill Laura."
"Of course, My Lady."
"Kill Laura. She…. Important to Emrys… Means the world… Death will kill him."
Morgana let out a small cry, the sound cutting through her subconscious, and she opened her eyes. She bolted up in bed, running a hand through her sweat-tangled hair, trying to regain her bearings. The voice echoed on through her head, and she was barely aware of Arthur's hand on her shoulder, trying to pull her back into reality. Gwen's voice was frantic with panic, trying to offer some comfort to her friend.
"Merlin!" Morgana suddenly wailed, tears brimming in her eyes. The sound startled her roommate, but she disregarded their reactions. "Morgause knows where Merlin is! She's killing… She's going to kill Laura!"
"Who's Laura?" Arthur asked in a strained voice.
The world was on fast-forward for the Lady Morgana, and she only managed a few words before she fell unconscious, slumping backward into her brother's strong arms. "Lady of the Lake… She's the Lady of the Lake. Need to save… Emrys."