Sorry for the wait, you guys. I really agonized over this chapter because I wasn't exactly sure how I wanted to go about writing it. I hope you guys like the way it turned out! Thanks always for your feedback 3

…

Arthur…

The king gasped, flinging himself into a sitting position. But his nightmare had already begun to fade as he glanced around. It was raining lightly in the forest, bringing a chill with it. The light of dawn was just beginning to spill in through the gaps in the trees, but it was soon obscured by the gray clouds. It gave the forest an ominous feel to it, flinging Arthur further into dread. Merlin was slipping out of his reach. He could feel it.

Arthur stood, rounding up his gear swiftly and made for his horse.

"Time to go," the king announced, his voice ringing authoritatively around the small clearing.

His knights roused instantly, as they had been trained to be quick on their feet. Leon returned from where he had been keeping watch, his eyes flicking over Gwaine, Elyan and Percival blinking awake.

"Sire, it's been almost a week. We can't keep going on like this. We still need to rest just a bit more," Leon said quietly.

Arthur huffed, his jaw clenching. "Fine. You all can catch up with me, but I'm going."

Leon rested a gloved hand on his arm. "Arthur—"

"I lost him, Leon," Arthur said, his voice cracking with emotion. "I can't fail him again. Not when we're this close."

Leon sighed, then nodded in submission. "We'll find him."

Leon grasped Arthur's shoulder, and Arthur couldn't help but feel grateful and a bit guilty. He had given his knights no warning when he returned to Camelot in a frenzy, babbling incoherently about a monster and a lost manservant. His loyal knights had instantly volunteered to help, of course, especially when they discovered it was Merlin in need of help.

Arthur remembered going to Gaius before they had left on their rescue mission. The old man's eyes were red and glistening with worry when he saw that Arthur had returned alone. The king swore to him that he would find Merlin and return him, no matter the cost. The physician looked doubtful, but he had smiled slightly. Gaius then told Arthur to try to fight the creature with silver weapons. It wouldn't kill the thing, but it might give them a fighting chance.

Now here they were, parading through the forest after days of tracking. The creature was steadily moving away from Camelot. It seemed to know how to cover its tracks, but Merlin was clever. He left behind small traces: torn bits of his tunic, or boot prints left from a purposely heavy foot. It filled Arthur with hope—Merlin was alive, and he was still fighting in his own way. That was all Arthur needed to continue.

Arthur was the first to mount his horse. He watched impatiently as his knights followed suit. Gwaine was right behind him, followed by Elyan and Percival. Leon took the rear, keeping a watchful gaze so nothing could sneak up on them. Arthur could tell they were exhausted—hell, he was exhausted—but he couldn't rest until they got Merlin back.

"Remember, Gaius said this creature is most active at night. We need to take advantage of the daylight."

His knights nodded, their jaws clenching determinedly. Arthur pressed on, leading them deeper into the forest.

The succubus seemed to have been following a cave system, jumping from one cave to the next. Arthur had a feeling it didn't like the sunlight very much, which didn't surprise him in the slightest. The last cave they had found had a snuffed-out fire that had gone cold long ago, but what had worried Arthur was what looked like vomit against the back wall of the cave. The king could tell just by looking at it that Merlin had been very malnourished. He also realized Merlin had stopped leaving clues behind.

Merlin was giving up. Either that, or he was losing his ability to fight back. Arthur didn't know which thought was worse.

The king shivered as he nudged his horse faster. The day was quickly passing and Arthur had only a vague idea about where they were going. He kept an eye out for more caves, but it felt like something else was guiding him along. Arthur was beginning to feel a chill in the air, more than what felt natural. He remembered that horrible icy fog that had engulfed him before he passed out, that awful night when he lost Merlin. His gut was telling him to follow the cold.

They were getting close.

Don't ever search for us. If you do, he will die. The vile words cut through Arthur's mind like a knife, almost stopping him in his tracks.

It had to have been an empty threat. The succubus seemed to need Merlin; was desperate for him. Arthur still didn't understand why that was, but that wasn't important. The king could ask as many questions as he wanted after Merlin was finally safe again. That is, if Merlin could figure out how to kill it.

Rain clouds had now completely blotted out the sky, casting long, dark shadows along the forest floor. The horses were growing agitated, as if sensing an approaching storm. Elyan's horse appeared to be particularly perturbed, shifting abruptly on its hooves.

"Perhaps we should dismount," Elyan suggested, his eyes widening.

Arthur nodded curtly. He heard the swift pounding of booted feet as they each dismounted. His neck prickled. There was more than just a storm brewing. He drew his sword, hearing his knights doing the same from behind him. Arthur's breath began to cloud as the temperature plummeted.

"Stay alert. Keep your silver weapons ready," Arthur hissed.

They mostly had silver-tipped arrows and several crossbows to defend themselves. Arthur himself had only a silver dagger on his belt. Fighting the succubus wasn't the way to kill it, after all. It was mostly defense.

"Arthur, look," Gwaine said, pointing to his left.

Arthur turned his head and his breath caught. There was a small cave opening, covered mostly by thick undergrowth. Arthur would've completely missed it if Gwaine hadn't pointed it out. He snatched up his silver dagger, holding it out next to his sword as he approached the cave entrance.

"Arthur?" a timid voice called.

The king and his knights swiveled around to see Merlin standing amongst the trees.

"Merlin!" Gwaine cried, his crossbow lowering.

"No, that's not Merlin. Hold your weapons steady!" Arthur demanded, seething with barely-controlled rage. How dare this thing try to trick him a second time.

"How can you be sure?" Gwaine asked, his crossbow wavering.

"It's me, Gwaine. You came all this way just to shoot me? Come on," Merlin said with a grin.

"The succubus tried to trick me like this before. It's not him—Merlin shouldn't even be able to stand. He's been drained for days."

Arthur felt the eyes of all his knights on him. They all looked afraid—afraid of hurting their friend. But Arthur knew the truth, and his knights trusted their king's word. He met their gazes and nodded ever so slightly.

And all hell broke loose.

A shower of silver arrows whisked through the air and hit Merlin's chest, sending him toppling to the ground. Arthur had been right. Merlin melted into a shrieking, half-rotted creature of bone and grime. Dark mist rolled off of its shoulders and surrounded them, making it hard to see. Arthur heard cries from his men as the creature swooped in with teeth and talons, swiping at them before melting back into the dark. The cold was awful, crawling its way into Arthur's chest and making it harder to breathe. He brandished his dagger, waiting for the next attack.

He felt a hand on his arm and jumped, but it wasn't the monster. It was Gwaine. All Arthur could make out through the suffocating dark was soft brown eyes.

"Arthur, go find him."

Gwaine sent another volley of arrows into the air. Arthur heard a piercing screech and turned away, praying that the silver would be enough to keep his men safe. Arthur ran blindly forward and stumbled in through the cave entrance. He held his hands out and walked. The last time he had been this blind in a cave, he had been searching for the mortaeus flower for Merlin.

Always the damsel in distress, Arthur thought with a snort.

That was when his eyes caught on a dim light flickering about. His heart jolted in his chest and he rushed forward. The light was from a small fire, barely enough to keep one person warm. But it was enough for one person. One very important person, who must still be alive. Arthur's breath left his chest in a ridiculous, giddy sigh of relief when his eyes adjusted and he saw a small figure huddled near the fire, lying on his side near the dying flames.

"Merlin!"

The figure on the ground started, looking up with bleary eyes. "No, not him. Just stop—stop doing that."

Merlin's voice was hoarse and brittle. It tore at Arthur's heartstrings. The king knelt next to his friend, soaking up his image in the dying firelight. Merlin's neck and upper chest was still covered in blood and his eyes were dull with pain and blood loss. He didn't seem to be able to even raise his head. His whole body was shaking. Arthur lifted his friend to a sitting position and rested his head on Arthur's shoulder.

"It's me, you idiot. I've been looking for you," Arthur said, his voice cracking with emotion. The succubus must've been toying with Merlin in the way it had tormented Arthur. The thought was sickening.

"Arthur… you—you're really here?"

Arthur felt himself smiling despite everything. "It's really me."

"You need to go before it gets back."

"Merlin, don't be stupid—"

"Arthur please," Merlin whispered shakily.

Arthur grasped both sides of Merlin's jaw, forcing his servant to look him in the eyes. "I'm not leaving you alone again. Not ever."

The king lifted his servant as gently as he could, draping Merlin's left arm over his shoulders and practically dragged him from the cave. Merlin fought weakly, his breath quickening.

"It's no use, Arthur. It's connected to me. It'll never let me go."

"You have to find a way to destroy the link, Merlin. You can kill it. You just have to figure out how."

"What if I can't?"

"You can. You always figure everything out."

Merlin stopped struggling, but whether it was from submission or exhaustion, Arthur couldn't be sure. After some maneuvering, they reached the cave entrance where a light was now spilling through. Arthur twisted awkwardly, threading his arms around Merlin's until his hand curled around his dagger once more. Arthur held it out as they stepped out of the cave, where the dark mist had dissipated, leaving four panting knights in the open, spread about in the clearing.

"You gonna stab me with that tiny thing?" Elyan quipped, though his eyes looked tired.

Arthur frowned. "Where did it go?"

"The thing just disappeared. Got tired of eating arrowheads, I guess," Gwaine said with a smirk.

Then Gwaine sort of just collapsed onto Merlin, wrapping him in a giant bear hug. Merlin gasped for breath in between laughs.

"Careful, Gwaine," Arthur bit out, struggling to keep Merlin upright.

"Right, sorry. It's just really good to see you, mate."

The knights all agreed enthusiastically, taking turns ruffling Merlin's hair or patting him lightly on the back. Merlin's eyes glistened as he looked at each of his friends. He looked so relieved—it made their long rescue mission entirely worth it. Merlin's big, hopeful eyes turned to Arthur suddenly.

"Do you think she let me go?" he asked, though it was barely a whisper.

Arthur's stomach twisted. No, no he didn't. Something wasn't right about this. But those desperate blue eyes were still on him, waiting for a response.

Arthur swallowed. "We should get back to the horses. Let's not push our luck."

Merlin looked worse in the evening light. He was too thin, covered in grime and looked utterly spent. Not to mention the blood smeared all over his neck. Arthur half-carried him through the clearing, careful not to jolt Merlin as if he might shatter. Arthur was hyper-aware of every sharp intake of breath and muffled whimper, no matter how hard Merlin tried to hide it. He found himself whispering apologies and encouragement as he guided his friend along.

"Almost there, Merlin. Then you can finally rest. I promise."

Merlin leaned entirely on Arthur now, lacking the strength to shuffle forward.

"Arthur?" Merlin sounded panicked.

Merlin looked up sluggishly, but his eyes were wild, more alert than they had been before. Arthur's heart jumped.

"Merlin? What is it?"

But he didn't need to respond. A horribly familiar trickle of crimson began to slide from Merlin's nose. Merlin's lashes fluttered, his brow furrowing in what looked like pain. Arthur cursed. He should've known things had gone too smoothly. The king lowered Merlin gently to the ground, but his heart was hammering in his chest.

"Merlin, you can fight this, remember? Find the link and break it."

Merlin was shivering now, his lips turning an alarming shade of blue. Arthur felt his knights hovering over them, but he didn't dare look away. Merlin winced, his eyes squeezing shut.

"It… hurts," Merlin said between gritted teeth.

Arthur grasped Merlin's hand with both of his. "I know. Just keep trying."

Merlin was panting, locked in a battle in his own mind. His head tossed weakly from side-to-side and his hand clung desperately to Arthur's with surprising strength. Blood was now streaming freely from Merlin's ears as well as his nose. Arthur's body instinctively moved Merlin onto his side before his mind caught up with him, before Arthur realized what was about to happen.

This seizure was worse than the ones before. The dark mist had returned, making it harder to see. He could only catch glimpses of Merlin convulsing, streaks of red making him barely visible. Arthur was trembling, barely able to hold Merlin in place. He had a horrible feeling that the seizure was killing him. Merlin was dying.

"You can't do this, Merlin. You can't give up!" Arthur yelled into the mist.

The only reply he got was Merlin's sudden scream of agony, tearing through the dark mist and piercing Arthur's heart.