Aubrey always enjoyed history; history books, period dramas on television, and even historical buildings. She always dreamed of owning her own period cottage at some point in the future. A goal she didn't ever think she would achieve – especially on a librarian's salary.

'Merlin's Keep' was everything she had ever wanted and more. Large open fireplaces, exposed wooden beams, and stories hidden in every nook and cranny just waiting to be discovered. Aubrey would be lying if she said she didn't covet the man's library. There were titles in there she had heard of but never dreamed she would lay her hands upon. And she had. Her fingers had brushed tentatively across the spines, her eyes greedily taking in the titles with a bibliophile's hunger. They were all perfectly preserved, as if only a few days had passed since they had been bound in leather.

Aubrey pulled a tome from the shelf and held it delicately in her hands. She brushed her finger tips across the cover and sighed. Her mother had never been a religious person but there was something in her bookish heart that loved the fact she held a seven hundred year old copy of the bible.

"It didn't take you long to find the books," Andrew murmured  as he stepped further into the room. His shoes clomped across the bare stone floors. "Have you seen Him yet?"

The moment of indulgence swept away with just a few words. She trailed her fingers across the leather covering one more time before she hefted the large manuscript up onto the shelf. She let her fingers linger for a moment. It was a connection to the person she had been before, the one who seemed to be moving further and further away from the person she was now.

"No," she replied softly. Turning, she met the man's questioning gaze. "I was searching for him when I found this place. I got a little side tracked."

The policeman rubbed at the back of his head and gave her an indulgent smile. "I can understand that."

Aubrey frowned just a little at the look in his eyes. For a second she thought she saw -. She shook her head and offered the man a small smile in response. It wouldn't do any of them favours if she dwelled on it for too long. They were meant for different things. Aubrey wasn't the most experienced when it came to matters of the heart but she knew with certainty that nothing good would come of it if she gave him even a moment of hope.

Why give him hope when she would always belong somewhere else? She almost wished she was still the stuffy librarian. Andrew was the kind of man she would have wanted before. The man she could have settled down with.

She would have been content. She would have settled.

Yet she knew there was more waiting for her. It probably would never involve a relationship or a picket fence. Aubrey was meant for something else – something different.

Clearing her throat, Aubrey dragged her gaze away from him and glanced around the room once more. A shiver coursed up her spine. Despite how much the building was a historian's dream, there was something missing from this place. Something was just off.

Aubrey rubbed her hands up and down the lengths of her arms. She would trust her instincts. It was all she had.

"Come on, let's get out of here and find Merlin. The sooner we get the sword we can leave."

Taking the lead, Aubrey strode from the room like the hounds of hell were on her tail. The pair encountered many dead ends and locked doors. Finally they found Merlin in a small cramped room. Wooden crates were stacked up on either side, their lids cracked open to reveal priceless artefacts and ancient weaponry.

Merlin huffed out a breath, withdrawing his arms from another crate before pushing it to the side. "There you are. Grab a box and start looking." When they both stared at him, Merlin growled. "Now."

Andrew rolled his eyes but swiftly grabbed the nearest sealed crate. Aubrey however was not so easily swayed. "Manners will get you everywhere."

"I thought this was time sensitive to you. It's your friend's life on the line not mine."

Aubrey folded her arms over her chest and stared down at him. So what if her heart rate spiked at the thought of Tiberius suffering because of her. So what if Merlin was right? "We would get through this much quicker if you told us what exactly we are looking for. You've seen the sword before. We haven't."

Merlin grunted in response. "You'll know. Even this mundane human you insist on carting around with you will recognise the blade for what it is. It radiates power."

"And you just store something powerful in a non-descript crate in the middle of all of these other crates?"

"Of course. If I created a vault with thousands of layers of protections, people would know I have something valuable. I would have to deal with people trying to steal it just for the challenge. Humans are strange that way." Merlin waved his hand around the room. "But, if you leave it in a box in a random room in your home and people will just assume it is junk – not worth the time or the effort to steal."

"That's stupid. All it takes is one person to look for someone to realise that this junk is not actually junk."

"That's true but only invited guests can find my home. And you are the first guests in hundreds of years. The suspect list would be rather short if something went missing and my retribution would be – painful." Merlin lingered on the last word, almost as if he was savouring it. There was a gleam in his eyes and a flush to his cheeks, especially as his gaze moved to Andrew. It was almost like he wanted Andrew to do it. He wanted him to steal an artefact so that he could exact his revenge.

Ignoring the unsettled feeling within her gut, Aubrey hefted a box off of the top. She prised her fingers under the lid and ripped open the box. Inside was a simple iron blade. The handle was carved and ornate but it didn't speak to her. Placing the crate to the side and started on the next one.

On and on it went, the group working in silence. Only the creak and scrape of crates being opened and moved the side filled the air between them.

"Oh." Andrew breathed out, breaking up the monotony.

Aubrey turned her head to see the man reaching inside of the box. He yelped a moment later, his hand cradling his hand to his chest. Even from across the small space she could see the angry red welt on his palm.

Merlin cackled, "I probably should have warned you not to touch. Only the worthy can wield the blade."

"You did that on purpose." Andrew retorted, his hand still against his chest.

Merlin's lips curled up into an ugly sneer. "Prove it."

"Stop it. We are not doing this again." Aubrey cut in before the pair began another argument.

Pushing from the floor, her knees ached in protest. Still, she moved over to Andrew and took his hand in hers. As she unfolded his hand, he hissed in response. Aubrey almost hissed in sympathy. The welt looked like a fresh burn. It was red, swollen and weeping clear liquid.

"We need to get this treated. I don't want you getting an infection." Aubrey spoke into the tense silence before her eyes drifted to the open box. The sword nestled within was impressive. The blade was made from long gleaming steel, the edges sharpened to give a lethal cut. Etching has been carved into the blades. They were almost certainly druidic runes of some sort. The grip and guard were fashioned from black leather and gold. More runic carvings decorated the exposed metal. This was it – Excalibur. The power radiating from it was calling out to her. It wanted to be held. It wanted to be used. It almost felt -. Aubrey sucked in a sharp breath. "It's alive."

"It's sentient." Merlin corrected. "There's a difference."

"Sentient, fine. Not that it makes much difference. If the sword can only be possessed by those worthy, how is that going to help me?" Aubrey asked, crouching down so that she could get a closer look. She held her hand out over the box, the energy radiating from the blade brushing against her skin like a lovers caress.

"Because I suspect you are one of the few who could ever us it. Even I am unable to wield the weapon I created. I could once but it no longer sings to me."

Aubrey jolted. "Is that what that is?" She hadn't really noticed it at first, it had been just a soft humming in the background. Yet as she drew closer to the blade, it grew louder. It wasn't unpleasant – it was strangely soothing.

"See, it has already chosen you. It calls to you even now. Take it. One touch is all it takes to know." Merlin's voice was insistent, his eyes taking on that manic gleam once more.

Aubrey automatically withdrew her hand. Merlin's insistence immediately brought warning bells clanging loudly in her mind. "Is this a trap?" She asked, her eyes narrowing as she looked between the gleaming blade and the man opposite from her.

"There's only one way for you to find out. Take the blade."

"Don't do it. I don't trust him." Andrew protested, placing his uninjured hand around Aubrey's wrist.

"I know, but we need all the help we can get. And if there is a change this can help Tiberius, I willing to take that chance." Aubrey replied, her conviction growing as she spoke. Her chin tilted up defiantly as she let her eyes roam from one man to the other. When neither uttered another word, she reached out across those final few inches.

Her hand wrapped around the hilt of the sword quickly, closing around so tightly as if she was expecting the sword to hurl her away. There was nothing. Just the coolness of the leather on the palm of her hand.

"Well, that was rather anti-climactic." Aubrey muttered, drawing the sword from the box and holding it before her. It was lighter than it looked – far lighter than the swords Tiberius trained her with. It felt perfect in her grip. She twirled it through the air, jabbing at some invisible foe. It was perfectly balanced too. It was almost as if it had been made for her.

"Just wait for it." Merlin muttered, his hands clasped tightly before him while his gaze remained focused on her.

Andrew chose that moment to pipe up. "Wait for what? If she ends up hurt because of you, so help me God, I will make your life a misery." He growled, jabbing his uninjured hand in the other man's direction. "I may not have special powers, but I own a gun and I know how to use it. I'm also good at digging holes. They'd never find your body."

"Such fighting words from such a mundane human. While amusing, I would prefer it if you were quiet." Merlin replied calmly, his focus unbroken.

Aubrey sucked in a sharp gasp. "Oh, wow."

It started as a tingling against the palm of her hand. Nothing too alarming. And then she felt the power of the sword, the one which has been calling out to her moments before, reaching out to her. She felt it flowing from the hilt and up her arm, moving closer and closer to her heart. Aubrey attempted to release her grasp on the sword but it was as if they were bound around the hilt. Her heart thumped loudly, as if it too could send the oncoming storm.

Her body lurched as the energy fused with her heart, sinking deep so with each frantic pulse of her body it was spread through each and every part of her. Until Aubrey didn't know where she ended and the energy began. They were just one combined entity. It was unsettling. Yet, it felt oddly right. It was as if the sword belonged to her – as if it had been waiting in the box all of those years just to find her.

"My mistress. My Queen." The words flitted through her mind, as no more than a whisper, but she still heard them.

It worked like a slap to the face. Aubrey snapped open her eyes as she rocked back on her heels. Her lungs burned. She sucked in several sharp breaths desperate to relieve the pain. It was as if she had been holding her breath underwater for several long minutes and now her starved body was trying to recover.

"Aubrey? Can you hear me?" She felt a tentative hand on her shoulder. "Is everything okay?"

Aubrey started down at the sword in her hand for a long minute before looking up at Merlin. "You need to start explaining. Right now."