sidhe_faerieTitle: The Thin Veil Part 2
Rating: PG
Pairing/s: Merlin/Morgana, Arthur/Gwen
Character/s: Specter, Sorceress
Summary: A woman from many lifetimes ago comes to seek revenge and she is using the thin veil between worlds to her advantage.
Warnings: violence
Word Count: 896
Prompt:233 "Why are you doing this to me?".
Author's Notes: The Thin Veil on AO3
The Thin Veil Part 2
Arthur relit the candles and sat down at his desk. He looked up at the painting of his father. “You don’t intimidate me, Father. I’m the Duke. I have the power now. You are nothing but a rotting pile of bones. You can’t hurt me or mine anymore.”
Arthur finished his work and retired to the room he shared with Gwen. He never saw the shadow that followed him to his room.
The hour was near midnight and the house was silent when Morgana reached over and found Merlin’s side of the bed was empty. She sat up and looked around.
“Merlin? Where are you?” Morgana couldn’t see anything in the dark room.
“I’m here.” Merlin said from the window. “Go back to sleep, Love.”
“I can’t. I’m dreaming again. Horrible things.” Morgana’s eyes finally made out his outline. She could tell by the way Merlin was standing that he was troubled. “There is something bothering you and I want to know what it is. The truth please!”
“It’s just…I felt a presence earlier.” Merlin shrugged it off and came back to sit on the bed. “I’m sure that I’m just imagining it.”
“No. You aren’t imagining it. There is something here. It was causing my dreams.” Morgana grabbed Merlin’s hand. “What are we going to do?”
“We have to use our magick.” Merlin picked up her hand and kissed it. “Whatever this is, we have to be the ones to stop it.”
“Merlin, we promised Arthur we wouldn’t practice the arts again.” Morgana reminded him.
“We may not have a choice.” Merlin leaned towards Morgana to kiss her.
Suddenly there was a scream down the hall.
“That was Gwen.” Morgana threw the covers off and got out of bed.
“Wait!” Merlin made it to the door before she did. “We have to be cautious.”
“Gwen just screamed. Cautious has just flown out the window.” Morgan pulled on the doorknob. “Let me out!”
Merlin opened the door and pulled her behind him. “Stay behind me. I didn’t want you to be hurt.”
“Merlin, I have magick the same as you. We need to do it together.”
Morgana held onto his hand as they made their way down the dark hallway.
Merlin reached the door of Arthur and Gwen’s room and pushed it open. He froze in his steps. He wasn’t prepared for what he saw next.
Arthur was pinned above the fireplace by what looked like a ghostly image of a knight. Arthur was struggling against the hand at his throat and having trouble breathing.
“Please let me go.’ Arthur struggled to speak. “I haven’t done anything to you. I don’t even know who you are. Why are you doing this to me?”
The hand of the specter tightened around Arthur’s throat until Arthur lost consciousness. It released him and turned as if looking for another target.
Merlin stepped forward and stopped Gwen from rushing to Arthur’s side. He pushed her back towards Morgana. “No Gwen! Don’t move! It wants you to go to Arthur so it can get you too.”
“Who is that and why does he want to kill Arthur?” Gwen cried as she clung to Morgana. “Merlin, please, do something. Arthur may be gravely injured.”
“Merlin, just do it before it attacks us all.” Morgana said angrily.
Merlin held out his hand and whispered a spell. Nothing happened. He felt the anger rise in his chest.
The ghost laughed. “I don’t think your magick will work on me, Sorcerer. I am not of this world. I was sent to deliver justice.”
“Justice for whom?” Merlin demanded of the specter. “Arthur has harmed no one. Why do you want to harm him?”
The specter laughed. The sound echoed around the room. “Arthur has had many lifetimes. You know that…Emrys! You know who he is and why he must be punished. My master demands it.”
“We are no longer those people. Death wipes the slate clean. We start fresh with each new life.” Merlin was trying to stall as he went through spells in his head that may send the specter back through the veil once again.
“Then why do you still have your magick?” A voice from a dark corner asked. “I doubt it is as strong as it was when we first met.”
“Who is there?” Merlin shouted toward the voice.
“Now, now, Merlin.” The voice taunted. “I want my revenge on Arthur first then I will take my revenge out on you!
Morgana raised her hand to cast a spell and was sent crashing back into the wall behind her. Gwen ran to Morgana and sat on the floor holding Morgana’s head in her lap.
“Gwen, is Morgana still alive?” Merlin asked without looking back.
“Yes. She is just unconscious.” Gwen started to cry. “Why are you doing this to us? We don’t even know who you are.”
“Merlin knows me.” The woman laughed. “Tell her, Merlin. Tell her who I am.”
“Merlin! Who is that woman? Why is she trying to kill us?” Gwen sobbed.
The woman laughed and walked into a beam of moonlight. The light fell on her face and revealed who she was. “Remember me now, Merlin?”
“Yes I do.” Merlin held out his hand toward the specter again and shouted a spell. The specter disintegrated. Merlin held out his hand toward the woman. “I do remember you.”