Merlin and Livia were soon joined by Morgana and Gwen in the latter's house. After introducing the witch properly to the two other women, they all started to discuss what Gwen and Morgana had discovered.
"There doesn't seem to be any logic, all sorts of people are struck," Gwen began. "Men and women of all ages, children, even babies..."
"There is no obvious common point between them," Morgana continued. "They come from all parts of the city, but the southern area has clearly been affected the most."
"There must be a source of contamination somewhere, probably south of the city," Gwen suggested. "It has to be something everybody is using. Could it come from the water supply, like that one time?"
"Merlin, you're not saying anything," Morgana remarked.
Indeed, Merlin had remained very silent. Even if a source of contamination could be identified, someone must have set it there. "There are many wells, all around the castle," he finally said. "If it came from the water supply, all parts of the city would be affected equally."
"What about you, Livia?" Morgana enquired. "Since you managed to cure this curse once, you must have an opinion on what could have caused it?"
"I... I really don't know... This isn't exactly my area of expertise..." Livia answered distractedly while biting her nails.
Merlin noted she looked troubled. Actually, she didn't even seem to really care about their current discussion. He assumed that knowing of Dunstan's presence in Camelot was certainly worrying her.
They probably shouldn't count on her for any sort of brainstorming.
"What about a shop?" Merlin asked the two other women. "What shops are there in the southern -"
Merlin was interrupted by a loud bang on the door.
"What was this?" Gwen wondered aloud.
She immediately headed for the door and opened it with apparently no concern for any possible danger. There was an old man lying on the doorstep, unconscious. According to his body's position, it looked like he had collapsed in the street and banged his head on Gwen's door during his fall. Both his neck and a large portion of his head had turned into wood.
"I know this man, he lives down the corner," Gwen said, then asked the others: "We can't leave him like that, help me carry him to my bed."
Both Merlin and Morgana complied right away. While doing so, Merlin realised one of the man's arms and one of his legs were also rigid.
"He's a widower and has no children. He has no one to look after him..." Gwen told them sadly while examining the man's disease. She turned to Livia: "Can you heal him? He's a good man. He's been so kind to me after my father died..."
Livia hesitated for a second. "I wish I could, but I can't, I'm sorry..." she finally answered apologetically. "I'm not powerful enough."
"But you managed to heal Gwen," Morgana insisted. "Shouldn't it be the same?"
Merlin could tell from Livia's lost look that she had no valid answer to provide other than the truth. He hurried to intervene: "The disease is apparently at a more advanced stage for this man. Healing him would probably require more power than was necessary for Gwen, right?"
"Yes, exactly," the witch agreed with a hint of relief in her voice.
"For the moment he's out, but he must have been in a lot of pain if he collapsed," Gwen pointed out. "Is there any of that drug you gave me left?"
Morgana handed her the small vial forgotten on a shelf, and Gwen gave the man a few drops. While still unconscious, he now looked a little more peaceful.
"Merlin, you were suggesting something about shops in the southern area?" Morgana encouraged him to continue.
"Yes, what if one shop, probably located in the southern area, sold a cursed item to all these people?" Merlin resumed.
"It's mostly a residential zone, there aren't that many shops," Gwen remarked. "There's... A blacksmith... A baker..."
"The baker! Bread!" Morgana exclaimed. "Bread bought there could contaminate people from all around the city!"
"But you said there were sick babies too," Merlin objected, "and they don't eat bread. What are the other shops?"
"A tailor... A candlemaker..." Gwen continued.
"Candles. The smoke..." Merlin thought aloud.
"If it were the candles, then all the members of a family living under the same roof would be sick, and that's not the case," Morgana pointed out.
"We should get back there. People will usually go to the shops closest to their homes, maybe we can find a more precise place where more people than anywhere else got sick," Gwen reasoned.
Even though he was the one who had suggested it, Merlin didn't really believe in the theory of a shop selling cursed items. How could hundreds of people fall sick at the very same time, overnight? For him, the only plausible explanation was that someone had cast a curse that night, and another one a day before on Gwen only. And if there were more affected people in the southern area, that was probably because that was where the spell caster had been. In any case, identifying some sort of central zone could still help determine where the curse had been cast.
Arthur chose that moment to join them, opening the door rather violently. He headed straight for Merlin, jaw clenched and fists closed, not granting anyone else a single look. He seemed downright furious, Merlin wasn't sure he had ever seen him like that.
"Arthur, is there anything wr-"
"What is this?" Arthur interrupted coldly and dropped a book on the table.
Merlin's blood froze as he recognised it immediately. His magic book.
"What is this?" Arthur repeated, a little louder and more angrily.
"I... don't know what to say..." Merlin mumbled, not daring to look at Arthur in the eyes.
"What about the truth, for instance?" Arthur urged. "So how long? How long has this been going on? From the start? Or did you learn along the way?"
Merlin shook his head evasively. Ironically, now that his secret was out, he really couldn't think of anything to say one way or the other.
"I can't believe I've been so stupid and so blind! I should have understood long ago!"
Arthur wasn't yelling, but he was so obviously and completely upset and outraged that it was all the same. Merlin remained silent, still staring at his feet.
"All this time, you were lying to me, betraying me while I gave you my entire trust!"
Arthur's accusations finally triggered Merlin's reaction. He looked up at him at last. "I never betrayed you! I've always served you faithfully and to the best of my abilities! I have nothing to be ashamed of!"
"Really? How do you call this then?" Arthur demanded, pointing at the magic book.
"Erm, it's my book," a small voice intervened timidly.
Merlin suddenly remembered he and Arthur weren't alone. All the others had remained respectfully quiet during Arthur's outburst.
Arthur turned to Livia and snorted. "What are you doing? Is this sorcerers solidarity? Is it custom to lie to protect one another?"
"No, really, it's -"
"It's not your book," Arthur stated categorically.
"But it is," Livia insisted shyly.
Merlin knew what she was doing. Indeed, lying to protect him. But Arthur would never believe her. It was too late, he was already too far down his own reasoning.
"You want to play that game, fine!" Arthur complied. "Where was it?"
"I hid it under the floor in Merlin's room, I thought I'd retrieve it later," Livia answered.
"Nice guess," Arthur conceded, though Merlin remembered he had put it back there that morning in front of Livia. "What's in it?"
"It's an encyclopaedia of magic, including spells and a bestiary."
"Naturally," Arthur agreed wryly. He picked up the book and opened it so he only could see. Then, he asked sneakily: "What's on the last page?"
"I don't know the whole book by heart."
"What's on the last page?" Arthur repeated, imperturbable.
Livia hesitated. "It's a spell. A spell to... freeze water."
Merlin knew she had provided the correct answer – but how, he wondered?
"It's not your book," Arthur persisted nonetheless.
"There's a torn page near the middle," Livia continued.
Arthur flipped the pages until he got confirmation. "I don't know how you're doing this, but still, it's not your book," Arthur maintained, but Merlin thought he sounded like he was starting to doubt.
"It's a family heirloom, my mother gave it to me as a gift. Check the flyleaf."
Reluctantly, Arthur opened the book to the first page, and seemed to read something – and what that could be, Merlin had no idea, as far as he knew the flyleaf was blank. Then Arthur closed the book and remained silent. He had his back to Merlin, so the latter couldn't tell what was going on his mind. He couldn't until slowly, Arthur handed the book to Livia.
Arthur stayed still a few more seconds, and finally turned to Merlin. "It seems I made a mistake. I owe you an apology," he began with obvious efforts. "I'm deeply sorry, I found this book in your room and immediately jumped to the wrong conclusion. I hope you can forgive me for my bad judgement. I promise I will make it up to you."
So his secret had been saved once more, at the very last second this time... But strangely, Merlin didn't feel relieved. He didn't feel relieved at all. Quite the opposite.
Even if Arthur had been angry, which was absolutely legitimate after all, he hadn't reacted half as bad as he could have. He hadn't come with knights to arrest him and take him to the dungeons as soon as he had found out like he should have according to the law; he had come alone to discuss it face to face with him. He hadn't been concerned about the magic itself; he had been concerned about the trust he had put in Merlin.
And for a few seconds, Merlin had tasted freedom. No more lies, no more secrets...
This was his chance, maybe his one and only...
"Arthur, you were right, I am a warlock," Merlin declared.
Arthur sighed. "Merlin..."
"I'm serious, this is my magic b-"
"Merlin!" Arthur interrupted. "I made a fool of myself, I get it, and I won't doubt you again. Could we please drop the subject once and for all?" he requested with wounded pride.
"Of course," Merlin whispered with disappointment. One step forward, three steps backwards...
"Good. Now, Morgana, go back to the castle. The King is looking for you and if he doesn't find you in the castle soon, he'll understand you've been gone and it could spoil everything we're trying to do here." When Morgana opened her mouth to protest, Arthur immediately continued: "This is not a suggestion, this is an order."
Morgana hesitated only very briefly. Without a word, she nodded and left the house. Merlin supposed that if for once, Morgana had obeyed without complaining, that was probably because Arthur looked a lot like his father when he was upset like this, and that made him quite intimidating.
"I have a few things left to settle, I'll be back in a few minutes," Arthur announced and left hurriedly.
Gwen watched him leave with a worried look. "I, erm... I also have a few things to do, so I'll..."
"Just go after him," Merlin encouraged.
Gwen followed Arthur outside, leaving Merlin and Livia alone with her unconscious neighbour.