by J. M. Briggs
“No,” he admitted with a small flinch. “Merlin called while they were taking me home. I didn’t… I didn’t want to be the one to explain,” Bran finished with an apologetic look.
“Tell us what?” Jenny asked with widening eyes. “Oh no! Is Arthur okay?” She looked around frantically. “You said Aiden was the one who was hurt!”
“He was,” Nicki snapped so violently that Alex instinctively reached over and gripped her shoulder. “He is the one who is hurt. He’s in the intensive care unit.”
“Then what is going on?” Lance asked in a soft calm voice.
His lower tone made it obvious how loud the rest of them had gotten. Alex gave him a grateful look and was suddenly aware of everyone looking at her. Nausea washed through her and Alex felt her knees locking up. Swallowing Alex tried to think of some way to avoid this conversation.
“Uh… well…”
“Alex is the Iron Soul, not Arthur,” Morgana’s clear voice cut in behind them.
Alex almost fell over in relief as Professor Cornwall stepped up next to her and placed a hand on her shoulder.
“What?” Lance questioned with obvious confusion while Jenny’s jaw slackened and she stared at Morgana in stunned silence.
“Arthur was really the reincarnation of Medraut,” Morgana provided before shaking her head and adding, “Mordred. He was just pretending to be the Iron Soul so that he could steal Cath- Excalibur.”
“But- but,” Jenny stuttered before she gestured to herself and Lance. “But-”
Morgana raised an eyebrow at Jenny with a tight expression. “You were tools in the masquerade. Obviously Merlin and I were on the lookout for the love triangle so he played it through with the two of you.”
“Jenny was dating him for years before this,” Lance pointed out with a worried glance towards the pale Jenny. He put his arm around her and this time she didn’t try to shake it off. Instead, she leaned weakly against Lance who looked torn between relief, worry, and shock.
“That is one of many worrying things,” Morgana agreed with a nod to Lance. “None the less, Cath- Excalibur was given to Alex by the Lady of the Lake and she used it to destroy a dangerous Old One to protect Ravenslake. Arthur himself admitted to her that she was the real Iron Soul.”
“He just told you that?” Lance asked doubtfully, trying his attention towards Alex.
“After he stabbed me and I was dying,” Alex managed to say earning looks of horror from Jenny and Lance. “Aiden saved me,” she added in an even lower voice. She forced herself to look at Morgana. “How is he?”
Morgana opened her mouth to answer but paused as Professor Yates strode out of Aiden’s room and headed over towards them. His brown eyes lingered on Jenny and Lance for a moment before he exchanged a glance with Morgana. Stopping next to Morgana he slid his hands into the pockets of his jacket.
“Aiden’s parents are with him,” Merlin informed them softly as he looked at all of them in turn.
“And his condition?” Nicki asked urgently, looking between Morgana and Merlin frantically. “We’ve done the explanations to Jenny and Lance, but how is Aiden!” She demanded impatiently.
Alex desperately wanted Morgana to say something optimistic, to reassure them that Aiden would be fine, but she knew that her expression meant that wasn’t going to happen. Morgana shook her head sadly. “The doctors are at a bit of loss to explain Aiden’s collapse I’m afraid. They are already seeing to the marks left by the Shadows he fought off, but he’s in a deep coma. The doctors have put him on mechanical support to make sure that nothing shuts down and he’ll be going in for some tests soon to determine how much function he has left. There is a chance that he will recover, but…” Morgana trailed off, her eyes dropping to the ground as she broke eye contact with them.
A sharp gasp escaped Nicki and she stumbled back, her expression completely stricken. Lance caught her gently as her knees threatened to buckle and Jenny looked at her with sorrowful eyes. Alex just felt numb for a moment before guilt began to claw at her chest. Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes, but she forced herself to look at Morgana’s face.
“Is he going to die?” she asked softly, nearly choking on the words. In her chest, her heart jumped and her lungs felt constricted.
“I don’t know Alex,” Morgana told her gently turning her sad green eyes towards her. “He’s in very fragile condition right now.” She reached towards Alex, but she stepped back from Morgana. “Healing magic requires a mage to pour their magic, their energy into another and transform it. Aiden pulled you back from the brink of death.”
“We warned you about healing with magic,” Merlin reminded them all sadly with a shake of his head. “If he remembered the warning then Aiden made a very brave choice.”
“What exactly has happened to him?” Lance asked calmly with a neutral expression and Alex was suddenly very grateful that he was there.
“When Aiden healed Alex he poured his own magic and much of his life force into her due to how close she was to death. His organs were beginning to shut down when we arrived here.”
Jenny had a small sound of alarm, reaching over and gripping Alex’s arm tightly. Alex just felt sick to her stomach as she wondered if someone in a coma could become brain dead. She wanted to look over at Nicki, but couldn’t bring herself to.
“The bottom line is that you children need to prepare yourselves,” Merlin told them softly, reaching towards Alex who stepped out of his reach. “The odds of Aiden recovering from this are not good.”
“Are you saying that you can’t help him?” Nicki asked in a soft thin voice. “Not at all? Isn’t there a spell that will keep him from slipping away?”
“Nicole,” Merlin said gently turning to look at her. “Healing magic has its limits. I’m afraid that even if all of us combined what magic we could safely muster to help him the shock to his own system at receiving magic from different sources could harm him.”
“Merlin and I will be slipping in when we can and giving him some magical power,” Morgana informed them all softly. “With the help of modern medicine and a little magical boost, there might be a chance.”
“Can I see him?” Nicki asked in a small quivering voice.
Alex forced herself to look over at her friend, reminding herself that she deserved whatever guilt and pain she felt for it. Nicki was ghostly pale with her freckles standing out sharply and her watery eyes shimmering in the lights of the waiting room.
“There is a limit of two people inside the rooms at a time,” Merlin told her gently. “Let Aiden’s parents stay with him for now.”
“But you were in there!” Nicki protested gesturing towards the room.
“I used magic,” Merlin told her in a low voice. “The doctors and his parents didn’t notice me, but you don’t have the control for that.”
“Great so you can go invisible now?” Bran asked with a frustrated chuckle.
“No, not invisible,” Merlin replied with a small smile at the attempt. “I simply suggest to them that I’m not there. Cameras can still pick me up and it doesn’t work on other beings with magic.”
“It’s really only good for sneaking around a bit,” Morgana said with a small nod towards Bran. “You kids can go home, we’ll keep you informed,” Morgana added, but no one moved earning a small sad smile from her.
Lance and Jenny shifted nervously as they stood on the edge of the group as if uncertain if they were supposed to be there or not. Alex wanted to tell them it was okay, but her mouth went dry as she looked at them. She was staring as her mind tripped over the realization that if she was really the real Iron Soul then it meant that she was one they betrayed. There was no rush of anger at the thought, but instead a pang of sympathy.
It occurred to her that they really shouldn’t just be standing in the hallway. Alex was about to suggest to the other that they go into the waiting room where they could sit down and have more privacy when Morgana’s phone chirped. The professor reached into her pocket to r
eject the call, but a moment later it rang again drawing everyone’s attention. Morgana gave Merlin an apologetic look. She pulled it out and her eyes widened at the number on the screen as her face contorted with rage.
“Morgana,” Merlin called as the phone rang once more.
“Arthur,” she growled earning a wide-eyed look from Merlin who looked at Alex and the others.
He glanced towards the waiting room door and waved his hand. Green magic shimmered around him earning a soft gasp of surprise from Lance and Jenny. Morgana pressed a button on the phone and then with a beep the speakerphone turned on.
“Hello Morgana,” a crisp female voice laughed over the phone.
Alex shivered at the sound of the voice and looked at Morgana only to see a look of shock and horror on her face. Merlin began to reach for the phone, but Morgana tightened her fingers around it.
“Can’t be,” Morgana whispered. Her voice was weak with complete shock. It was disturbing.
“What’s wrong my precious girl?” the voice cooed to Morgana.
Alex felt a wave of anger that pushed away all the complicated emotions that were churning in her gut. She grabbed onto the anger and clung to it desperately as she looked at Morgana and watched the older mage swallow thickly.
“Hello Scáthbás,” Morgana choked out earning a soft gasp from Merlin. “May I ask how you are alive?”
“It seems that we both are here to see the fall of the Iron Gates,” the voice on the other end of line said imperiously. “I suppose I should have known that things like you and Merlin couldn’t die like proper humans.”
“How are you alive?” Morgana asked with a strong voice as she gave all of them a warning look.
Nodding, Alex stepped back from the phone a little and gently tugged Nicki back who was glaring at the phone with murderous eyes. Jenny looked ill as she stared at the phone and Alex wondered what was going through her head.
“Don’t you remember my dear little mage? I was bound to the Iron Gate when you murdered me. All around me the magic of the Iron Gate was still settling. I became a part of it.” The cheerful and pleasant tone in the voice faded away and turned sharp and cruel. “Imagine it, my sweet Morgana, the Queen of the Sídhe surrounded by iron for three thousand years. Constant agony, but I escaped when the gate began to fail, and I will make you suffer for it.”
Merlin’s expression darkened and Morgana’s expression hardened, but she forced a small smile on her face. Her face was so tight that it looked ready to crack or maybe even shatter.
“So did your boy make it out of the water tunnel?” Morgana questioned in a light voice. “I understand that he went diving in after a certain sword.”
“Of course he did; I’m calling from his phone after all. No need to worry about Arthur, he found his way home.”
“But he doesn’t have the sword,” Morgana declared with a victorious smirk. “He lost that.”
“Yes, well, you lost your Iron Soul. Maybe I can’t open the gates right away, but they will fall soon enough and you can’t create any more.”
Alex wanted to speak up, but a warning look from Merlin kept her silent. She tightened her fists so hard that her nails dug into the flesh of her palm. To distract herself she looked over at Jenny only to see her friend looking very ill and clutching Lance’s arm tightly.
“We’ll just have to see how this story plays out, won’t we Morgana?” Scáthbás sneered. “Tata darling.”
The other end became static and a moment later the call ended. Morgana glared down at her phone for a moment before putting it back in her pocket with a dark expression. Jenny made a strange small sound and tightened her grip on Lance’s arm.
“This is insane,” Jenny said in a thin almost hysterical voice. “That was-”
“Not now!” Morgana hissed without even looking at Jenny. “Ambrose we need to-”
“You don’t understand,” Jenny insisted quickly in a stronger voice with a shake of head that sent her long curls flying. “That was Arthur’s mother!”
“Are you certain?” Morgana asked with wide eyes, reaching out to grasp Jenny’s shoulder.
“Yeah, I grew up with him remember?” Jenny offered weakly looking sick to her stomach. “That’s definitely his mother’s voice.” She swallowed weakly and with a pale face added, “And she used to call me dear Jenny or precious Jenny exactly like that after my mother died.”
Something flickered over Morgana’s face as she studied Jenny’s face for a long moment before she finally released her shoulder. Morgana reached over and gripped Alex’s shoulder before looking over towards Merlin.
“Do you think there is any point in going to California to find them?”
“No, she wouldn’t stay at the Pendred home. I suspect they just dumped the phone so tracking that wouldn’t be of much help to us. If she is indeed his mother then they have been planning this for a long time.”
“They set us up,” Alex added dropping her eyes. “All of us.” Jenny looked ready to be sick and Alex more than understood the sentiment.
“Indeed; Arthur dating Jenny was a brilliant move,” Merlin observed with sigh. “Morgana and I assumed that since he had powers and a connection to Jenny and Lance that he was the Iron Soul.”
“He was using my blood too,” Alex offered, wrapping an arm around herself a chill spread through her body at the thought. “That’s how he was able to do magic with iron.” She swallowed back a shudder. “He collected three more vials of it before he left.”
“What do you mean collected?” Bran asked looking very ill. Alex gave him a look and he grimaced. “Shit, he’s a sick bastard.”
Jenny made another small sound of distress and Alex almost echoed it. She shivered despite herself at the memory of the vials being forced up against her wound. The phantom pain returned and Alex grimaced as she tried to calm down. Everyone politely looked away.
“We need to deal with Arthur’s car and arrange for him to have departed from school so next semester doesn’t bring any questions that the kids can’t answer,” Morgana observed with a sigh, reaching up and massaging her temple lightly. “Ambrose, can you keep an eye on Aiden? If Arthur did escape the water tunnel and discovers what happened he might come back.”
“I’ll stay here,” Merlin agreed with a nod before looking over at Alex. “But Alex, you do need to rest. Your body may have healed, but you used massive amounts of power tonight and have been through severe trauma.”
“I’m staying,” Nicki announced and Alex noted that her roommate didn’t look at her.
“You shouldn’t be alone-” Morgana began to protest.
“I’ll be fine,” Alex interrupted quickly, pushing a strand of blonde hair out of her face.
Returning to the waiting room, Alex grabbed her coat and pulled it on. Alex fingered the fabric that Merlin had mended to keep it from attracting attention. She desperately wanted to turn around and storm into the ICU, demand to see Aiden and try to help him. Looking down at her hands Alex could still see some traces of blood despite Morgana using some kind of wipes on her hand while Merlin got Aiden into the SUV. Without looking at the others, Alex left the waiting room and began to walk down the hallway only to stop as she realized that she had no car. As she began to turn around she found Lance standing behind her with a soft smile that carried too much pity for Alex’s comfort.
“I’ll take you home,” Lance told her with a small reassuring smile, his tone not really leaving any room for argument as he reached out and put a hand on Alex’s shoulder. He turned and looked back towards the others. “Any others need a ride?”
“That’d be good, thanks,” Bran agreed with nod. He looked over at Nicki, reaching out and squeezing her hand. “Text me if there is any news.”
Nicki said nothing but nodded with her eyes still downcast. Jenny looked torn, but then walked towards them placing herself on the other side of Lance. Bran walked over and stayed by Alex, moving with short and slow steps as they made the trek out of the hospital.
Unable to think of anything to say, Alex stayed quiet the whole drive back to campus from her place in the back seat next to Jenny. They stayed on opposite sides of the bench seat of Lance’s truck and never touched.
When they got to campus Alex said a quick thank you to Lance only to get another smile and a nod from him as he tried to help Jenny out of the back. Jenny wasn’t having it and quickly jumped away from him and headed off towards Upham Hall. Lance sighed and shook his head, but Alex couldn’t think of anything to say. She slowed down enough for Bran to walk with her to Gallagher Hall, but once they were inside she headed up to her room without a word.
The dorm room felt alien to her as she stepped inside and Alex decided against turning the lights on. She felt her way down the hallway and used her card key to open her bedroom. Stepping inside, Alex kicked off her shoes and shrugged out of her winter coat. A fog of exhaustion began to creep over her mind and with a grateful sob Alex collapsed forward onto her bed. Tears spilled from her eyes into her pillow as her fingers twisted in the fabric of her comforter. She cried and screamed into the pillow until somehow she fell asleep only to be greeted by nightmares.
