Horvath was getting back up. Veronica saw him reach for the Rising but Balthazar pulled back. The parchment ripped under the force and Balthazar dropped his out of shock. She was shocked too; Incantus magic could rip? Feeling silly she shook it off. Who cared what it could and couldn't do at this point? Both of the sorcerers were startled and a portion of the Rising lay on the floor. Veronica hurried forward and snatched the fallen half from the ground.

The parchment felt secure in her hand. No matter what they had to leave now. Half of the Rising was no good. However, Veronica had only time to take a step back before she started to feel a pull. She saw Balthazar turn to her. Horror was etched on her lover's face. There was barely time to register this before the pull intensified.

Everything she knew after that was darkness. Veronica felt like she had no solidity, like she was nothing more than a wisp of wind. She was floating in no particular direction, but she knew she was lost. Wherever the dark place that she was in now was it wasn't where she was supposed to be. She had to find the Prime Merlinian and a way to destroy their half of the Rising.

Above all she had to find Balthazar though. She had left him alone with Morgana and Horvath. Together they could perhaps slow them down. Apart they didn't stand a chance. Veronica had no control over where she was going though. There was no way to steer, no way to try and find light.

In that state she wandered, lost and alone. Time was stretched and confusing. Veronica knew that she had been there for a very long time. Had she been there one or two thousand years? Either way the fight at Merlin's Keep was long over. She prayed that Balthazar had run rather than avenge whatever had happened to her. If he had run then he was alive. If he hadn't then he was dead.

The thought that perhaps she was dead did occur to her. Veronica wondered if she had somehow managed to become trapped in purgatory. The thought terrified her but she had always thought that death would be more painful than what she had experienced. So she trudged onward wiht her hope flickering like a candle flame.

Then there had been light. It had flooded her, blinding her with its brilliance after so long in the dark. She felt herself pull together. For the first time she felt sensations. The stone beneath her was cold and rough. There was parchment clenched in her fingers. Her eyes were closed but there was an orange film, indicating light somewhere. Veronica struggled to open them. She wanted to see.

"Was that supposed to happen?" demanded a panicked voice.

"No."

The second voice as warm and familiar. Calloused hands lifted her head up and cradled her body to him.

"You weren't supposed to be powerful enough yet," said Balthazar, "At least…I didn't think you were."

"Wait, does this mean I'm more powerful than Morgana?"

Who was talking? Was that the Prime Merlinian? What on earth was going on? How much time had passed?

"I don't know. Maybe Morgana just figured she couldn't do it and didn't try. I don't know," said Balthazar.

His hand closed over hers and pried the parchment from her fingers. She tried to twitch them a little to show she was awake, but she didn't have the strength. There were some shufflings. Veronica could only guess that he had hidden the spell in his clothes, but she couldn't care less. The fact that he was there at all was a miracle.

"Is that the other half of the Rising?"

"Yes Dave," said Balthazar, "I…"

She heard him take a deep breath.

"I'd appreciate it if you'd go back to looking after Becky," said Balthazar, "I…"

"No, I understand completely," Dave said.

Footsteps clattered away.

"Dave," called Balthazar.

The footsteps stopped.

"Thank you," Balthazar said.

"Hey, what're adopted apprentices good for?" Dave said.

There were a few more footsteps and a door shut. Balthazar's rough fingertips caressed her forehead and cheek, drawing her closer.

"Wake up," he murmured, his lips whispering the words against her ear, "Please wake up…don't leave me after all of this…please don't…Veronica…"

She had never been able to say no when he called her. With great effort she found her eyelids fluttering. Finally she pushed them open. Balthazar stared down at her, his face less than an inch away from hers. In the time she had been away he had gained worry lines and he looked exhausted. Yet, when her eyes opened his expression turned into one of intense, concentrated love.

"Balthazar," she murmured.

He clutched her to him and she willed her arms to wrap around him. Veronica tilted her head up and kissed him hungrily. Balthazar responded in kind, his hands roving her back and her hair. Once she had said she could get lost in his eyes, but that wasn't quite true. She could get lost in his presence; not just his eyes.

"Beloved," he said between the kisses he covered her face and lips with, "You don't know…you can't…I…"

He broke away and touched his forehead to hers.

"You never gave up on me," she murmured.

It was only then that she started taking in her surroundings. Gigantic metal towers twisted above them. Some sort of orb hovered in the ceiling and emitted light. It was nothing like the world she had known when she had last walked the earth. A cold feeling clenched in her gut and she held onto him tighter.

"How long was I gone?" she asked.

"Too long," said Balthazar, "Always too long."

"Did you find the Prime Merlinian?" asked Veronica, "What about Morgana? Did-?"

He silenced her with a kiss, this time more gently than before. She felt his fingertips around her throat, clasping a necklace there. Veronica looked down at it and stared. She recognized it as the very necklace she had coveted in the marketplace only days before her imprisonment.

"I'll tell you everything," he said, "in the morning. For now, you're here. We're together again. That's all that matters."

Veronica tilted her head up again and kissed him.

"All that matters," she agreed.