"Here you go." Andrew murmured as he handed a steaming mug of tea to Aubrey.

Smiling her thanks, the red head watched as he crossed the room and gave a matching mug to the pale faced woman seated opposite. Every few seconds her body would shudder and tremble as if plagued by a feverish chill. Obviously communing with spirits was even more arduous than it looked.

Blowing onto the steaming tea, Aubrey watched the woman as she struggled to hold onto her mug. Even after ten minutes Evelyn appeared as if she would be blown over at every minute. It didn't stop her from fluttering her lashes at Andrew at every opportunity. He didn't seem completely unaffected by the older woman's attention either.

Rolling her eyes, Aubrey sipped on her tea to try and hide her impatience. The prophetic words which had spilled from the other woman's lips were spinning around her head over and over again in a constant loop leaving her feeling more than a little unsettled. Saviour or destroyer? It was as if her life was suddenly so much more and it wasn't necessarily a good thing. At times she almost wished she was back in the library sorting books on to the correct shelves. The Dewey Decimal system was a lot easier to deal with. Even after she had woken up inside her coffin and been told of her new destiny, Aubrey could never have imagined this for herself.

Andrew came and perched on the arm of the chair Aubrey was sitting on. He laid a hand on her shoulder and gave it a squeeze. She closed her eyes and let a slow breath leave her lips. She hadn't even realised how much she needed even a modicum of comfort. He didn't look at her or show any signs that he had spotted her sign of weakness.

Aubrey laid her free hand over his and gave it a small squeeze in acknowledgement before returning her attention to the cup before her.

"Let's get on with this." Evelyn ordered after a moment of silence, chugging the hot tea before she set her tea cup on the small coffee table and then pushed to her feet.

She attempted to take a step but just staggered forwards. Andrew hand left Aubrey's shoulder abruptly as he rushed to the weakened woman's side and wrapped an arm around her waist, catching her before her legs could give out. Evelyn looked up at him though her lashes and gave him a soft womanly smile. It was a smile which spoke of more than just gratitude. Aubrey bit her lip to stop a giggle from escaping as she watched the man blush hotly in response.

"If you'll help me over, we can see if we can sort out this sticky situation you've got yourself in." Evelyn said calmly, her voice strong despite the weakness in her body.

The pair hobbled over to the sofa where Merlin's unconscious form was convalescing. Aubrey disliked the fact that his face had not changed since they had stolen his body from the room at the Cathedral. No growth of facial hair, no twitch of a muscle, no sign he was even alive except for the barely noticeable breathing. He may as well have been dead.

"I've heard about this curse but I have never seen it in effect. It's quite extraordinary. Of course there are modern drugs which can cause the same symptoms but their effects are temporary. This is true magic of old." Evelyn murmured as she stretched out both of her hands and held them above the prone body.

Aubrey shivered at the tone in the woman's voice. There was admiration and something more – almost lust for that dark knowledge.

"Do you know how to get rid of the curse?" The red head asked, her eyes watching every move the other woman made.

Andrew shot an impatient look over at her, his hands still holding onto the seemingly frail woman's waist as she continued examining the body.

Evelyn moved to the end of the sofa when Merlin's head rested and let loose a sigh. "If I'm to believe the stories, true loves kiss is the cure to a sleeping curse. This, however, is real life and not some bloody fairy tale where everything can be solved with the magic of a kiss."

"Good because I don't know where I'd even find his true love. This man has been asleep for centuries." Aubrey muttered before taking another sip of her tea.

"No, he's only been asleep a few decades." The other woman replied, placing hands on either side of his head. "And if I thought it would work, I'd get out my candles and call upon the spirit of Morgan Le Fey to wake him up. Yes, I know exactly who he is. Yet, even if I tried, I don't think it would help. No, this man is brilliant; stubborn but brilliant."

"Which means?" Aubrey asked impatiently as the woman continued with her theatrical hand waving.

"He's designed the curse so he will only wake when he wants to. He's obviously waiting for something. I'm assuming when a certain event occurs it will trigger the end of the curse and he will wake up."

"Well isn't that dandy." The red head sighed in defeat, running a tired hand over her face. He was her hope. Her hope to save Tiberius from his horrible fate and yet it was all falling between through her fingers like water. No matter how desperately she fought to hold on to it, her hope just continued to drip away.

"Don't give up yet, Little Miss Grumpy Pants." Evelyn barked back. "Do you think I will fail so easily? The spirits have let me see the possibilities. Your best chance of saving your ... mentor... will be with the knowledge of this man. Now shut up and close the curtains, I need silence and darkness to work."

Aubrey's brows rose at the woman's tone but still she followed her orders and closed the curtains.

The room plunged into the darkness as soon as they were pulled across the windows. A few rays of sun light escaped around the edge of the curtain but there was nothing she could do to prevent it. Instead, she moved around the edge of the room, closing the doors to prevent any unnecessary light filling the room.

The room fell quiet. The only sound was from their breathing but even that felt too loud in the dim room. Aubrey closed her eyes and leant against a wall. She didn't want to be anywhere near Evelyn when she was playing around with things magical. She fought the urge to rub her hand up and down her arms as a tingle of energy coursed over her skin. The red head knew if she took a step closer to where all of the action was happening, the sensation would intensify.

Reluctantly she pulled open her eyes. Aubrey bit her lip to prevent herself from gasping. Andrew, who had been stood directly behind Evelyn, had backed away from the one as much as he could without removing his hands from her narrow waist. His face was contorted into a strange mixture of terror and awe.

Evelyn was glowing. It would not have been visible in the day light or under bright studio lights yet in the darkness she was lit from within by thousands of tiny stars which glittered beneath the surface of her skin. It was eerie watching the way that they pulsed and moved through the network of veins. It would have been beautiful if it wasn't for the grotesque way the woman's face was contorted. It was caught in a moment of pure agony. Her mouth was open as if she was screaming but no sound escaped except for her harsh breathing.

She shuddered violently. The move startled Andrew so that he almost dropped her. His fingers dug in tighter and he gritted his teeth in preparation for what was to come.

At first there was just the rustle of clothing, the air moving as if stirred by a body passing close by. Goosebumps formed on Aubrey's arms as a bone deep chill settled upon her.

And then the voices started. First they were just whispers, muttering and chattering. Head whipping from side to side, the red head blood felt like ice in her veins. There was something else in the room with them – something not of the living.

Aubrey shook her head. What was she even thinking? First, she had to acknowledge the existence of dragons and ancient warriors and suddenly she was expected to believe in psychics and the talking dead. It all felt like a step too far.

"Got you." Evelyn cried out triumphantly drawing Aubrey's gaze back to the woman.

There was nothing nice or pretty about the expression on her face. She looked crazed as she focused her attention on the limp and defenceless form before her. Her white hair had fallen from its braid at some point and was instead standing up on her head in a manic white halo as if charged by static electricity.

"He knows so much. I can see it all in his head. I can almost taste it. There is so much power." Evelyn moaned in dark delight. "And it is right there for me to take. You're right, I could take it all right now and he would never know."

The chattering voices hovering around the group grew louder and more urgent, almost as if they were urging the woman on. Aubrey watching the eerie expression on the other woman's face as her lips twisted up into a twisted smile.

"Evelyn, you need to find yourself." Aubrey called out, her feet remaining firmly in place as if they had been stuck to the floor with glue. "Ignore the voices and focus."

"What's going on?" Andrew asked, his eyes unable to see anything but the Evelyn's back from his position.

"I thought I asked for quiet." Evelyn ground out between gritted teeth, bending over Merlin's still body. "If you want my help you need to be quiet."

Aubrey bit back her reply. It was clear that the woman was fighting for control. The red head's hands still went for her missing blades. Instead, she watched as the older woman rested her forehead against Merlin's, her lips moving over constantly as if chanting though the red head was unable to hear a single word.

The pressure within the room kept increasing, getting heavier and heavier as the white haired woman exerted more of her will into her work.

"Damn men, always so stubborn. Fine, choose to remain sleeping." The white haired woman ground out, her fingers dug deeper into the sides of Merlin's face. "Maybe you'll wake up and find yourself cursed with eternal impotence. Don't test me. I will do it. I know that you can hear me, Emrys."

There was a pause. Even the voices who had been chattering away just moments before fell still.

And then there was a ragged gasp.

The white haired woman stumbled back a step as if struck with a physical blow, falling backwards into Andrew's waiting arms. The voices of the spirits, which has stilled for just a moment, came back louder and more insistent than before.

"You are a heathen," an unfamiliar male voice groaned. "A lady should not curse a man and especially on such delicate matters."

Even without the now muted glow emanating from Evelyn's skin, Aubrey could see every detail of Merlin's face as he let loose another groan. With one hand clutching at his head, he waved his over hand through the air. "Be gone spirits." He muttered quietly. There was a careless power within his voice it sent the chattering beings fleeing from the room.

Aubrey resisted the urge to roll her eyes. True loves kiss wouldn't have worked but threaten a man's anatomy and suddenly he's curse-free.

"Now, are you going to tell me why I was so rudely awakened? And why have I been kidnapped?" Merlin asked.

No one made an attempt to speak. Aubrey found herself lost for words. She had had a plan. Get Merlin to help her rescue Tiberius and yet here he was and she had no clue what to say to him. He was a legend.

"You better start talking before I start imparting some curses of my own."

"I did not kidnap you. I merely required your assistance but I could not very well get answers from an undead man." Aubrey answered, stepping forwards to draw Merlin's attention to her.

Peeling open his eyes, Merlin turned his startling pale blue stare on her. "You. I have seen you before in my dreams." He paused and cracked a grin. "You are the Atlantian who killed the Matriarch."

Opening and closing her mouth a few times, Aubrey hesitated. "How do you even know about that?"

"Don't worry. I've been waiting for her to get her well-deserved fate for centuries." Merlin reassured her as he pushed himself up into seating position. "Unfortunately, no matter how much I wanted to step in, I knew that my destiny did not belong in Atlantis and it was not my destiny to become involved in such trivial matters."

"Trivial matters? She was corrupt."

"Yes, but I knew that her time would come to an end. Just as I knew that you would come. It was foretold."

Aubrey ran a tired hand down her face. She didn't have time for this. "As nice as that is, I need your help."

Wincing, Merlin slumped back down on to the sofa and threw a hand over his eyes. "By all means, carry on. Whatever you say cannot be worse than what I am feeling."

"I need your help. The Matriarch may be dead, but her sycophants have gained the leadership in Atlantis. I don't know what they are doing but they have my mentor."

"And let me guess. You want my help to rescue him?" Scratching at the blonde scruff upon his chin, Merlin looked away. "I'm sorry, Atlantian. I cannot help you free him. I am unable to return to Atlantis. I have not been gone all of these years due to my own free will. I was banished. Until my it is lifted, I will never be able to set foot there again."

He lifted his hand and showed her his palm. Aubrey felt sick. Where once a Ying-Yang symbol had adorned his flesh someone had pressed a hot brand into his skin and melted to the lines away. She had not noticed it the entire time he was unconscious. She had not wanted to see it; she hadn't wanted to know the implications as there were only a few recognisable lines left of the original symbol.

Searching his face, Aubrey looked for something. She searched for a sign to show that it was all a joke –that all of her efforts hadn't been for nothing. But there was none.

"Oh God, what am I supposed to do?" She asked as she looked to each of them for answers. "What was the point in me finding you? Maybe you should just curse yourself again and sleep away the years while the rest of us fight for our future. We all know what happens in Atlantis affects the rest of the dimensions."

Aubrey received no response. Andrew just held mutely on to Evelyn. The poor man appeared as lost as she felt. The white haired witch in his arms just stared at Merlin with a raised brow. And then finally, there was the still statue of a man who just laid there and watched her. He didn't even try to defend himself.

Aubrey shook her head. "I'm not giving up." She muttered, tearing her gaze away. She pinned Andrew with a stare and gestured to the door. "Let's go. I'm sure Evelyn can figure out how to get him back to sleep. "

She took three steps – just three- towards the door.

"Wait!"

Holding still, hands fisted at her sides, Aubrey refused to look back.

"I cannot come with you to Atlantis. However I may be able get you the help you require." Merlin paused and, had she looked over her shoulder, Aubrey would have seen him pulled a tired hand down his face. "I will help you, Atlantian. And then, when your friend has been rescued, I will need you to do something for me."

Not even hesitating, Aubrey allowed her fists to uncurl and turned to face one of the greatest Atlantian's that ever lived. For some reason she felt like she was promising too much but it didn't stop her. "Deal."

Thank you for reading and for being patient with me. As ever, this chapter is unedited and has taken on a mind of its own. If you see any glaring typos, or if anything doesn't make sense, please feel free to let me know. And if you enjoy the chapter, please leave a comment or like - I love hearing from you. Kat