sidhe_faerieTitle: The Thin Veil (Part 3)
Rating:
Pairing/s: Arthur/Gwen, Merlin/Morgana
Character/s: Nimueh
Summary: The past brings more than just ghosts to the Pendragon Estate.
Warnings: Violence
Word Count: 792
Prompt:234. No! STOP!
Author's Notes: The Thin Veil on AO3
The Thin Veil (Part 3)
The woman raised her hand towards Arthur who was limp on the floor. “You don’t want to do that, Merlin. I will kill him before your weak magick has the chance to scorch my pretty dress.”
“I doubt you have the power you once did, Nimueh.” Merlin lowered his hand. He was calling her bluff. It was a dangerous move but he needed to see her true reason for being there. “You are but a specter and I am not.”
“Are you so sure about that?” Nimueh turned to Arthur and raised him off the floor and pinned him to the wall again. “It will be a pleasure to finally kill Uther Pendragon’s son. It’s such a pity that your father isn’t here to see me get my revenge.”
“No! Stop!” Gwen stood up and took a step forward. She glanced at Merlin then turned to Nimueh. “Please don’t hurt him. He is my heart, my husband. Uther is dead and gone. Go back to where you came from and seek your revenge on him there.”
“Only the dead can go through the veil and I am very much alive.” Nimueh sneered. “Would you like to join your loving husband when I am done with him, Guinevere? Or would you like to join his rival, Lancelot?”
“Enough of this! Let Arthur go!” Merlin raised his hand again and sent a flaming ball of magick towards Nimueh.
Nimueh dropped her hold on Arthur just in time to dissipate the fire ball. She looked at Merlin with a look of surprise and grinned.
“You are not as weak as I thought but you still won’t kill me.” Nimueh laughed and raised Arthur off the floor again. “Not in this lifetime. The fire has all but gone out in your eyes. You have been domesticated by the woman whose life you took.”
Morgana came to behind Gwen and Merlin and sat up. She saw the woman in the beam of moonlight and felt the anger rise in her chest. Quietly, she got to her feet and moved into the shadows. She leaned against the heavy cupboard in the corner and felt her fingers tingle as her anger increased.
“No! I’m not weak, not in this lifetime, not in any lifetime.” Merlin raised both hands before sending two fireballs toward Nimueh.
In the shadows, Morgana sent a fireball of her own. She knew at least one of them would get through Nimueh’s defenses.
Morgana was right. Nimueh couldn’t dissipate all three fire balls and was caught full on by Merlin’s second volley and Morgana’s one. She screamed and fell back releasing Arthur who fell to the floor with a thud.
Merlin looked behind him to see where the other fire ball had come from. He smiled when he saw Morgana leaning against a cupboard. “Are you alright, Love?”
“My head is throbbing. Is she dead for good this time?” Morgana sunk to the floor. “Finish her off if she isn’t, will you?
Merlin nodded. He walked over to Nimueh’s body and knew instantly that she was dead. She was nothing but a smoldering heap of burnt flesh.
Gwen had run to Arthur and was cradling his head in her arms. “Merlin, he’s barely breathing. Help him, please.”
Merlin went over and lifted Arthur off the floor and put him in the bed. “Arthur! Can you hear me?”
Arthur mumbled something but his eyes were still closed.
Merlin held his hand to Arthur’s chest and whispered a spell.
Arthur’s eyes flew open and he gasped for air. “What happened? There was something in this room. I must have blacked out.” He reached out for Gwen. “I’m alright Guinevere. Don’t cry.”
Gwen took Arthur’s outstretched hand. “I thought I was going to lose you.”
Arthur smiled at her. “Never.”
Merlin walked away from the bed to where Nimueh’s body lay on the floor. Morgana stood up and went to his side.
“How did she remember through so many lifetimes?” Morgana asked as Merlin wrapped his arm around her.
“Hate is a strong memory enhancer.” Merlin looked out the window at the full moon. “This night isn’t over and the veil is growing thinner by the second. I can feel it.”
Morgana moved closer to him. “You think she will come at us again tonight?”
“Not her but there are others that may come calling.” Merlin waved his hand and lit the candles in the room. “We should stay close.”
Morgana looked up at Merlin’s face and knew that he was worried. She took his hand and started to lead him back to a settee along the wall. She was just about to say something when a cold wind blew out all the candles.
“Merlin?” Morgana called out. “MERLIN!”