A Warlock's Blood - 2/2
Title: A Warlock's Blood
Author: lullabylily
Word Count: (this part) 5300
Characters: Arthur/Merlin
Rating: NC-17
Summary: People are dying. A vampire is terrorizing Camelot. And this particular vampire has taken an unsavoury interest in Merlin…
(Loosely) based on/inspired by this picture prompt: William Bouguereau "Dante and Virgil in hell"
A/N: Delay due to LJ's troubles two weeks ago. Finally found some time to write the last paragraphs and post this. Yay!
Read chapter 2 on AO3
Read chapter 1 on AO3
∼*∼*∼
The next victim caused an even bigger uproar among the castle’s inhabitants. The man was discovered within the castle’s walls. It was a knight. Sir Karl. Merlin was with Arthur when the prince first laid eyes on the lifeless body. A man wearing chainmail and a helmet while carrying a sword had still fallen prey to a vampire.
It seemed an outright declaration of war. But it was hardly a fair battle. Even if they assembled an army, they had no idea what they were looking for. Was it one vampire or several of them? Was Camelot being targeted and what for? Where would it strike next?
One thing was firmly established; nobody was safe any longer. Uther looked up from the body to Arthur, wearing an expression of fatherly worry that said: You could be next.
Merlin shuffled closer to Arthur. Arthur looked sideways at him. For a moment it looked as if he would tell Merlin not to worry, that all would be fine, that they would overcome this as they had overcome everything else-immortal armies, dragons, mad gargoyles… But the words never came.
∼*∼*∼
Sometimes Merlin was talkative in the aftermath of their coupling. Arthur usually hated it. He just wanted a silent Merlin to cuddle with and to fall asleep on. But he had never kicked Merlin out of bed. Merlin smiled at the thought when he started questioning Arthur that night.
“Nobody saw something suspicious? A stranger-any stranger-entering the palace?”
Arthur groaned into Merlin’s neck. “No! I’ve told you this before.”
Arthur had mumbled the words into Merlin’s neck, but Merlin still managed to catch them.
“It’s very strange. Vampires aren’t supposed to be invisible.”
Arthur sighed and straightened up, positioning his back against the headboard. His hair looked deliciously dishevelled and for a moment Merlin was tempted to forget about his investigation and just run his hands through those soft blond locks.
“Since when did you suddenly become an expert?”
“Oh, I did some reading.”
Arthur rolled his eyes. “Why does this sound like you meddling with things I told you not to meddle with? When I give you orders, I don’t do it to hear myself talk, you know.”
Merlin rolled his eyes back at Arthur. “Someone has to concern himself with how the vampire can be defeated. Someone has to stick his neck out.”
Arthur’s eyes widened. “Your neck is exactly what you should not be sticking out, you harebrained fool!”
“Harebrained fool?” Merlin buried his head in the pillow, laughing.
Arthur laughed along with him, although he told Merlin it was ‘no laughing matter.’
For a moment they shared a comfortable silence, the pleasant afterglow sending tiny shivers down their backs.
“Gods, look at you!” Arthur exclaimed suddenly.
“What?” Merlin tried to school his face into an innocent expression.
“You! That look in your eyes! Like you’re about to go out there and thump it on the head with a stick or something!”
Merlin smiled. “It deserves a thump on the head.”
Arthur shuffled down until his eyes were on the same level as Merlin’s. “I don’t want you to go out there and try to…find that bloodsucking monster, Merlin.” His voice was soft, intense.
Merlin could only return the earnest expression, until a small smile played at his lips. “You’re worried about me.”
Arthur gave him a sharp cuff on the head. “Yes, I worry about you!”
The prince pressed his body on top of Merlin’s. “That is why I will not let you go anywhere near that beast,” Arthur continued.
He grabbed Merlin’s wrists, pulled them over his head and held them there. “I will have to keep you restrained, of course. Since you’re rubbish at following orders.”
A slightly hysterical giggle escaped Merlin’s lips as arousal spread through his body at the feel of Arthur pressed against him like that, Arthur holding his wrists that way…
“I’ll just have to tie you to my bed and keep you here forever!”
Arthur leaned in to kiss Merlin without letting go of his wrists. The kiss was taunting, and Merlin bucked into it, wanting more, more, Arthur, more… Arthur didn’t let him down. Soon he was attacking Merlin’s mouth with the same determination he displayed on the battlefield. And Merlin happily succumbed to it.
∼*∼*∼
With his next victim, the vampire left a note.
“Emrys,” Uther read aloud. “Must be a code. Have Geoffrey look at it.”
Merlin tensed. He wanted to snatch away the small piece of parchment from Uther’s hands, only remembering his position just in time. There was no mistaking what he had heard. Emrys. The name the Druids had given him. But it wasn’t the Druids that were giving him a message; it was a vampire. A vampire who knew about him and who wanted him to know he knew. His head was spinning, but a prickling on his neck meant Gaius was staring at him, and he knew he had to focus.
To Merlin it was becoming clear that a one-on-one confrontation with the vampire (gods help him if it was more than one) was inevitable.
“This is getting out of control. I have to go after it,” Merlin said decidedly, when he and Gaius reached their quarters.
Gaius stared at Merlin incredulously. “You have no idea what you’re up against! Not to mention any idea of where to look for it.”
Merlin tore a piece of bread from the lump on the table. “I’ll go into the forest. It will find me.”
Gaius grabbed Merlin’s arms. “You plan to go out there and pose as prey?” He shook Merlin. “It will find you and kill you. You are no use to Arthur or to Camelot when you are dead!”
“I’m not going to die.” Merlin smiled sheepishly. “I won’t let it kill me.”
Gaius’s face contorted into something between anger and exasperation. “I’m afraid you won’t have much choice in the matter if you meet this monster unarmed,” he added, repeating his earlier warning. “Vampires are strong creatures of magic, Merlin.”
“I’ve bested strong sorcerers before, I’ll manage. It’s my destiny. It’s in my blood.” Merlin tried to smile at the old man.
“Your blood? You will lose almost every drop of it if you go out there on your own!”
Merlin stared at his feet.
“You don’t understand, Merlin. A vampire’s power will be comparable only to the power of the dragon. You only managed to control Kilgarrah thanks to the dragonlord abilities you’d inherited. You have no such defence against a vampire.”
Merlin clenched his teeth. Gaius didn’t understand; not being able to fix this, not being capable of defending Arthur and Camelot was not an option. He’d have to find a way. The sooner he faced this creature, the sooner he’d know what he was up against, and the sooner he could find a way to defeat it. Because defeat it he would. For Arthur.
“You don’t understand. The vampire already knows I’m here, he knows I have magic. That note… He’s going to come after me anyway. It’s better that I go after him first, I’ll have the element of surprise.” Merlin reasoned.
“The element of surprise won’t help you.”
Merlin bit his lip. “It’s the only thing I’ve got. That and my magic.”
“You’re going to need more!” Gaius argued, “The only possible defence against a vampire that I know of is a ruby, an ancient precious stone guarded for centuries by the Druids. The reflection of the moon in the jewel would create a ray of red light capable of destroying a vampire’s frozen heart.”
“The Ruby of Norroway…” Merlin sighed, “I’ve read about that too, Gaius. It must have been how the Druids got rid of the vampire last time… I can ride out to find the Druids tonight, ask them for help again. Bargain with them without the king finding out,” Merlin tried.
“If the king did find out he’d have you hanged. Besides, the druids haven’t been sighted anywhere near Camelot in ages. The forest of Eldar is where they are rumoured to have been sightings. That is at least two days on horseback from Camelot.”
Merlin groaned, “ We don’t have that much time.”
“I think you may be right about that,” Gaius said seriously.
“Then I don’t have a choice,” Merlin made for the door, “I need to face this creature alone. Tonight.”
Gaius surprised Merlin with a sudden quickness and stepped in to block his path.
“I can’t stop you, Merlin, but I will try anyway. All I ask of you is to think before you act.” He said gravely.
Merlin stared longingly at the door, then back to Gaius. “How many more have to die? I can’t wait until it kills Arthur.” He hadn’t meant to nearly choke on those last words, the fear in his voice ringing loud and clear. “Weakening that creature with my magic is the best chance we’ve got, even if I may not be able to destroy it entirely. I can at least try to chase it away, bargain with him, injure it, maybe…”
Merlin listened to his own feeble and uncertain plans, knowing they were doing nothing to convince Gaius. “I’ve made up my mind. You can’t stop me,” Merlin made for the door, ignoring Gaius alarmed shout of “Merlin!”
∼*∼*∼
It was surprisingly chilly, despite the fact that it was spring, the temperature still dropped considerably at night.
He walked away from the gates, wanting to put some distance between him and the Citadel. But after a few paces he already slowed down, suddenly afraid to leave behind the only shelter.
He quickly found a small clearing in the woods. The trees were eerily lit by the moonlight and it was deathly quiet around him, his own breathing sounding loud and heavy amongst the softly rustling leaves.
He recalled what Gaius had sad about the vampire having integrated in normal life. There was no guarantee he would come to look for Merlin here. And yet the note… the vampire could very well be on the lookout for him… The vampire could have been observing his every move and followed him here, hiding behind him even now…
A branch snapped behind him and Merlin turned around to face the source of the noise, heart hammering in his throat. Slowly the figure revealed itself. It was a man; pale, built lithely and red hair glowing a strange orange in the dim light. Merlin vaguely recognized him. He must have seen him before… on the market, maybe?
“Who are you?” Merlin asked, keeping the tremor out of his voice.
“My name is Ulpior.” The man spoke. He was several feet away but Merlin could clearly hear his voice, though the man had not yelled.
“Ulpior.” Merlin tasted the name on his lips. It helped to name evil, it made it less transcendent, less invincible. “Good name for a vampire.”
Ulpior smiled at him. “Why do you think I am a vampire?”
“Who else would dare venture out in the woods after curfew?” Merlin said calmly.
“And yet here you are. By yourself at that.”
Merlin swallowed, ignoring the tight feeling in his chest and the voice in his head berating him for not listening to Gaius.
“I came here to find you.”
“I know, Emrys. Though it’s ‘Merlin’ they call you here, isn’t it?”
Merlin shivered. Ulpior’s voice sounded calm and controlled. Merlin had encountered his share of evil before, but there had always been something mad about them, something about their minds that bordered insanity. They had been corrupted to a point beyond rationality. But Ulpior stood there, watching him with calm eyes.
How easily the creature must have been able to infiltrate in Camelot’s daily life. How well he must have played the part of the simple peasant. He looked nothing like a dangerous magical creature… But Merlin could sense his magic when he searched for it with his senses. It was unmistakably present: strong like a deeply vibrating hum. It was menacing too, it filled Merlin with cold fear, even from those few moments in which he tentatively reached out to touch the creature through his magic.
“You have to leave Camelot. This kingdom is under my protection and I am telling you to leave. Now. Before I make you.”
Merlin let his irises turn amber, conjuring the magic from inside of him. It was ready for him, awaiting his command eagerly.
Ulpior laughed softly at him. “I always suspected you were a brave one.”
“I mean it!” His magic was raging now, already close to slipping from his control.
“You really believe you can order me around?”
A million defensive and aggressive spells came to Merlin’s mind at the same time. But he did not have a tactic, a plan. He couldn’t decide on a single one of them.
“What is your grudge against Camelot? Why are you attacking its citizens, its knights?”
Anything he could find out about the vampire’s motives he could use to defeat the creature.
Ulpior shrugged. “My kind does not hold a grudge against this place. I would not have actively sought it out if it hadn’t been for you, Emrys. Your legend precedes you.”
Breathing grew harder. Merlin panted as he tried to hold up the magic, body trembling from the effort it took.
“I don’t want to take your blood to kill you, Merlin.” Ulpior continued, “You’re a creature of magic, like I am. I couldn’t kill you.”
Merlin looked at the creature disbelievingly.
“Well… I could kill you”, Ulpior grinned menacingly, “but I have no wish to do so. All I want is a little taste.”
“Come on, let me have it… just a little bite; a kiss if you will. If you grant me this I will leave Camelot and its people alone. I will travel elsewhere for my needs, to Mercia perhaps; that would probably best suit Camelot’s wishes.”
“Why should I believe I could bargain with you?”
“Very clever. You have my word, young sorcerer. That should be enough. Either way, you won’t have much choice in the mater.”
Ulpior drew closer; in response to this threatening proximity Merlin conjured a protective bubble with a few well-chosen words and a surge of magic.
Ulpior growled. “What’s this, little warlock? Are you afraid of me?”
“I won’t let you kill me!” Merlin yelled back at the creature.
A creature was what Ulpior had become; eyes glowing red and his body tall and unnaturally thin. He emanated magic of a fearsome, dark kind.
“I told you I don’t intend to. But don’t irk me into killing you. How long do you think that bubble is going to last? How long do you think your little spells can really hold me off?” the vampire taunted.
As long as it takes Merlin thought. But he knew deep down that his magic wasn’t a match for the vampire’s. He would lose a battle, if ever it came to that.
“Do you want to find out what happens when your spell fails, as it inevitably will? I will kill you!” Ulpior yelled at him, his face contorted into something ugly, “and I’ll kill that prince of yours too, if only to taste you on his skin.”
Merlin’s heart skipped a beat; he almost lost his concentration and let go of the magic sustaining the bubble. “What do you mean? Leave Arthur out of this!”
Ulpior grinned menacingly at Merlin’s fierce reaction. “You can’t fool me the way you can the rest of the court. I can smell him on you and I could smell you on him.”
Merlin shivered, and damned if it wasn’t partly because the idea that he carried Arthur’s scent and that Arthur smelled of him was arousing.
“Let your shield down, Merlin. I won’t kill you if you do. I won’t kill Arthur. You have my word that I will leave Camelot for good if you grant me this.”
Merlin clung desperately to his magic surrounding him, the only thing keeping Ulpior from taking him. It was anguish, having no way out. He couldn’t trust a vampire. But could he wait until the vampire broke through his defences, angry and vengeful, killing him and Arthur as well? Did he really have a choice? Ulpior had taunted he did not have a choice; he’d refused to believe it. Until now…
The moment Merlin let go of the magic circle around him; Ulpior was on him, pulling him towards the moist ground, arms working to restrain him as effectively as possible.
Merlin’s head swam with fear. “You weren’t going to kill me,” he protested weakly.
“No Merlin, just a little kiss, just a little kiss.” Ulpior murmured, his voice strange now that it was laced with hunger.
Merlin felt Ulpior’s physical superiority like a metal chain binding him to the ground, into the earth. There was no way he could ever dream to escape Ulpior’s grip, not without magic. And Ulpior would not allow him use of his magic, of that Merlin was certain. For several moments he stopped breathing altogether, fear paralysing his body.
But then Ulpior’s fingers tugged his hair, forcing his head back and Merlin growled out in pain.
Ulpior attacked his neck before Merlin could even squirm underneath the creature’s invading presence.
Merlin whimpered when he felt mouth, tongue and teeth graze over the sensitive, torn skin of his neck. His body was tense, his muscles screaming and his magic swirling around of him wildly. But Ulpior’s magic strengthened, seemed to draw power from his helplessness, from his feeble struggles.
It hurt. Merlin couldn’t feel the trickle of blood, but that didn’t mean Ulpior wasn’t drawing any blood. Merlin only felt the grazing teeth, sharp and painful, his tongue, cold and wet on his skin.
Ulpior was relishing in it. Merlin could feel the vampire’s pleasure cascading off his vile body in waves. He drew from Merlin’s wild, unguarded magic, taking it the way he took people’s blood, the way he was probably taking Merlin’s blood, Merlin’s strength and eventually, Merlin realized, his life.
Merlin hated this sensation of involuntarily sharing his magic. No - not sharing - having it forcibly drained from him.
“You taste delicious, Merlin.” Ulpior seemed to have halted his attack to speak, but the burning sensation on Merlin’s neck did not relent. “So good.”
One hand was delved into Merlin’s hair, the other wrapped around Merlin’s collarbone, as if ready to choke him. Ulpior didn’t need his hands to restrain Merlin. Merlin tried pushing against the body holding him, grasping Ulpior’s shoulder, pushing, nails digging deep into unfeeling flesh. His brain was clouded with hurt and he wanted to hurt in return, but he only succeeded in deepening their bodies’ contact. It was then that Merlin realized he was naked. They were both naked. He didn’t even feel the cold air brushing against his skin. All he felt was how he was rapidly losing the battle - if it could even be called a battle. His strength seemed to be squeezed out of him like juice from an overripe piece of fruit. His body was going limp around him. All the while his mind was screaming at him in frustration, begging him to fight back.
Ulpior sucked his neck deeply and Merlin moaned despite of himself as a cold, hard cock pressed up against Merlin’s thigh. In that one irrational, drugged moment, something like arousal spiked through Merlin’s body before it quickly morphed back into pain and nausea.
“Please…” Merlin managed. It sounded weak and Ulpior hummed in approval. This was it then, Merlin thought, Ulpior would drain all the magic and life out of him, until he was just as cold and empty as the creature’s body pressed so tightly against him.
“Step away from him this instant.”
It was Arthur’s voice. It sounded so far away Merlin thought he might just be imagining it. “Arthur…?” he managed, almost choking on the word.
“What?” Ulpior momentarily broke off his attack on Merlin’s neck, dropping Merlin to the grassy ground beneath them.
“The young prince,” Ulpior said tauntingly, making the hairs on Merlin’s skin stand upright, “how nice of you to join us. But you shouldn’t interrupt us.”
“Oh I really think I should.”
Merlin’s drugged mind became a little more lucid at hearing the Arthur’s voice. He wanted to get up, to tell Arthur to leave while he still could. “I have it under control,” he wanted to lie, but all he managed was a hoarse mumble.
He did manage to turn from where he was lying; looking for Arthur in the distance but all he saw was a strange, red light.
Then a high-pitched scream resounded, echoing against the trees, and darkness returned in full.
For a moment Merlin could hear nothing but his own heartbeat. One terrified thought entered his mind, as he imagined the scream he’d heard had been Arthur, dying, as Ulpior wielded his own dark magic to deliver a deadly blow. A second passed and he wondered if the vampire was going to return to him, to finish the dreadful torture he’d started.
But then Arthur was at his side. “Merlin! Merlin, are you all right?”
Fear and adrenaline fell away so quickly that Merlin started shaking all over.
“W-What happened? What did you do?” Merlin asked when he found his breath again.
“Nothing much.” Arthur said, Merlin noticed he was sweaty and breathing heavily, “Just me saving the day. As always.”
“What?” Merlin protested, picking up on Arthur’s arrogance.
Arthur held up something in his hand. Merlin strained his neck to look at it. It was a jewel, red and shimmering in the moonlight. The ruby. “How did you…?” his voice croaked and Arthur put his fingers on Merlin’s lips, “Shush, I’ll explain when we get back.”
Arthur didn’t say anything about Merlin’s nakedness. He wrapped his Camelot cloak around him and helped him get up. “Can you walk?”
“Yes.” Merlin said. Then he proved how wrong he was by collapsing. Arthur’s arms wrapped around him before he could hit the ground. “Maybe not.” Merlin admitted before everything went black.
∼*∼*∼
"Merlin... Merlin can you hear me?"
Gaius’ voice sounded really far away.
“What's wrong with his eyes?” Arthur. Merlin wanted to reach out, tell him that he was fine, but he couldn’t move.
“It's the magic, sire, working to restore its levels back to what they were before the monster attacked.”
Suddenly cold hand touched his forehead. Merlin shivered and moaned, the touch reminding him of the vampire's cold hard skin pressed against him.
“Magic is a part of Merlin,” Gaius’ soft but firm voice continued, “it literally courses through his veins. We need to give it time to stabilize again. That's what's causing the fever. It's a good thing, really, his magic also soothes any lingering effects of the blood loss he suffered.”
“Will he be all right?”
“I believe he will be, sire.”
Gaius' hand left his forehead. "Here’s a potion he should drink as soon as he wakes. I believe he just needs rest and a warm bed. But send for me if his condition does worsen."
Merlin couldn’t be sure, but it felt like Arthur was holding his hand all through the night. There were moments of semi-wakefulness, in which he heard Arthur’s whispered words of “You’ll be all right. You will be fine.”
When morning came he felt he could slowly reclaim control over his own body. He managed to clasp his own hands around Arthur’s, not before stroking the tousled head of hair on the bed beside Merlin.
∼*∼*∼
“Gaius came to me as soon as you left to face that creature on your own,” Arthur explained the next morning, Merlin sitting up in the bed, leaning against a pile of pillows. “I knew about the Druids helping father before,” Arthur continued. “Father didn’t give out that information willingly, but he had no choice. One aspect of his story didn’t ring true to me, however. The Druids aren’t materialistic; they couldn’t have been after the gold, contrary to what my father may have believed. They wouldn’t have taken much from our vaults, in fact, it was strange they chose to enter them at all. So I went to have a look and had my suspicions confirmed.”
“The ruby,” Merlin muttered, mentally kicking himself for not thinking about this sooner.
“Yes. They didn’t enter to take something out of the vaults but rather they left the Ruby. Perhaps they knew that Camelot would be in need of it again one day.”
Merlin nodded. “Thank you for saving me,” he whispered.
Arthur ruffled his hair, “You just rest.”
“Here?” Merlin asked.
“Aren’t you comfortable?”
“Very. But how will I fluff your pillows when I'm sleeping on them?”
“Idiot.” Arthur just said, with a smile in his voice.
∼*∼*∼
It took most of the day for Merlin to start feeling like himself again. At dusk, he got out of bed to light the fire, for when Arthur came back from his practice.
His hand shook slightly as he held it up to whisper the spell, “Forbaernen.”
The fire caught fire a heartbeat later. Relief washed over Merlin. His magic was back.
“I really should reprimand you for this but I'm too happy to see you up and about.”
Merlin whirled around to face Arthur. “Arthur! I didn’t hear you come in.”
“What if it had been the king?”
Blood rushed to his face. “I’m sorry, I didn’t think. I just… had to test if I had control over my magic again.”
Arthur’s expression darkened. “What did that creature do to you, exactly? Gaius said it used your magic against you.” Arthur said solemnly.
“It was more like he… feasted on it…” Merlin said softly. “It felt like he took everything from me, my magic, my blood, my life… like it was being sucked out of me.” Merlin hadn’t tried to put the horrors Ulpior had in words. Remembering it made him shudder. “Come to think of it, that was probably exactly what he was doing, sucking life out of me through my magic.”
Arthur paled. Then a flash of anger crossed his face. “Your magic is supposed to protect you! You shouldn’t have compromised it like that by going after creatures like that without any defence! I swear one day…” his voice choked up, “one day I’ll be too late to bail you out of whatever mess it is you managed to get yourself into.”
He sounded accusing as well as well as genuinely shaken. Merlin felt a knot tighten in his stomach. “I’m sorry,” he whispered.
Arthur breathed heavily but his gaze softened. “Sorry for what, Merlin? Sorry for disobeying my order to stay out of it? Sorry for nearly getting yourself killed?”
Merlin looked at Arthur sheepishly.
“When will you get it in that thick of skull of yours that it’s not always up to you to save the day? I thought things would change now that you no longer have to keep your magic secret from me... I thought that would mean you wouldn’t sneak out behind my back to face off with the next indestructible evil, in order to keep Camelot safe…”
“To keep me safe.” Arthur added softly.
Merlin’s eyes flashed golden at that, a rush of magic coursing through his veins almost beyond his control. “I could never stop trying to keep you safe,” Merlin said, voice low and urgent.
For a moment it looked like he’d really made Arthur furious. Then Arthur’s mouth was crushing his in a feral kiss that quickly grew desperate as Arthur clung to him, one hand clenched around the hair in Merlin’s neck, the other grabbing his tunic. Merlin relaxed into Arthur’s fierce embrace, ignoring the need for air until Arthur broke the kiss and dropped his head against Merlin’s chest like the fight had gone out of him momentarily.
“I’m here now, I’m fine,” Merlin muttered into Arthur’s neck. Finally Arthur let go of Merlin and they both fell into their comfortable routine. Merlin lighting the fire, fluffing Arthur’s pillows and pouring him a cup of mulled wine.
“Join me,” Arthur said, prompting Merlin to fill a second cup before sitting down next to Arthur in front of the fire.
They sat in silence for several long moments. Bodies growing relaxed from the warmth and the wine. Merlin’s nerves were finally no longer the jittery mess they had been before.
Slowly, clothes were loosened, laces were getting unfastened and Merlin was grinning as his nimble fingers pulled away his neckerchief.
Arthur froze suddenly, staring intently at Merlin’s neck, his expression darkening. Merlin grew uncomfortable under the scrutiny of Arthur’s gaze. “What?” he asked finally. His fingers shook as he moved them to trace Arthur’s gaze. He winced as he felt a strip of flesh that was still raw and sore from where Ulpior had bit him. He pulled his hand away as if it was burnt.
“He marked you.” Arthur bit out, “I can’t stand that he branded you like that.”
Merlin’s fingers slowly reached to touch the wound again. Feeling his Adam’s apple right above it bob slightly when he swallowed. “I’m not branded, Arthur. It’s a scratch. It will heal and fade.”
Merlin wasn’t sure it would fade away entirely. It could very well leave a scar. But he wanted to reassure Arthur, who was still looking at his neck unblinkingly.
“You are mine.” Arthur blurted, “I need to mark you as mine.”
Merlin shivered. He felt the heat emanating from Arthur’s body and the air around them suddenly seemed intoxicating.
“I always knew you had a possessive streak,” Merlin muttered before leaning into Arthur to catch his lips in a chaste kiss.
Arthur drew back. “You think this is funny?”
Merlin shook his head, forcing away the smile that tugging at his lips. “No, not at all.” He took Arthur’s hand, leading it towards the mark on his neck, letting him push into the blemish until it hurt. “I’ll gladly let you mark me. Anywhere you want.” He added deviously.
Arthur’s nails dug into Merlin’s skin, reaching places that were still sore, still bruised from the vampire’s attack, but Merlin didn’t feel the pain. Merlin needed Arthur to leave bruises all over his skin and he eagerly pushed and tugged and opened his mouth wide and demanding.
Merlin needn’t worry. Arthur would give him exactly what he needed, what they both needed.
∼*∼*∼
The next morning Arthur looked down at Merlin, a worried expression on his face as he examined his ‘work’.
“You are going to be the subject of quite a bit of gossip if I let you walk around looking like this.”
Arthur’s eyes were fixed on Merlin’s neck and Merlin lazily ran his fingers over the skin. Some of them were painful and Merlin imagined them looking purple, the colour stark against his pale skin.
“That’s what the neckerchief is for.” He said, leaning back against the pillow again. Not quite ready to get the daily routine started. He was sure Arthur wouldn’t mind having his breakfast served a little later.
“You do look quite… gorgeous like this too.” Arthur muttered.
Merlin grinned.
He repressed the urge to ask if he could mark Arthur in return. Knowing it would be difficult; the prince couldn’t appear in public with any visible sex-induced bite marks, though Merlin was sure he’d be able to find a spot on Arthur’s body to leave his mark without anyone ever finding out.
He would run down some ideas by him later on. Until then, he would happily kiss the morning away.
The end.
Author: lullabylily
Word Count: (this part) 5300
Characters: Arthur/Merlin
Rating: NC-17
Summary: People are dying. A vampire is terrorizing Camelot. And this particular vampire has taken an unsavoury interest in Merlin…
(Loosely) based on/inspired by this picture prompt: William Bouguereau "Dante and Virgil in hell"
_-_Dante_And_Virgil_In_Hell_(1850).jpg){kind=link}
A/N: Delay due to LJ's troubles two weeks ago. Finally found some time to write the last paragraphs and post this. Yay!
Read chapter 2 on AO3
Read chapter 1 on AO3
∼*∼*∼
The next victim caused an even bigger uproar among the castle’s inhabitants. The man was discovered within the castle’s walls. It was a knight. Sir Karl. Merlin was with Arthur when the prince first laid eyes on the lifeless body. A man wearing chainmail and a helmet while carrying a sword had still fallen prey to a vampire.
It seemed an outright declaration of war. But it was hardly a fair battle. Even if they assembled an army, they had no idea what they were looking for. Was it one vampire or several of them? Was Camelot being targeted and what for? Where would it strike next?
One thing was firmly established; nobody was safe any longer. Uther looked up from the body to Arthur, wearing an expression of fatherly worry that said: You could be next.
Merlin shuffled closer to Arthur. Arthur looked sideways at him. For a moment it looked as if he would tell Merlin not to worry, that all would be fine, that they would overcome this as they had overcome everything else-immortal armies, dragons, mad gargoyles… But the words never came.
∼*∼*∼
Sometimes Merlin was talkative in the aftermath of their coupling. Arthur usually hated it. He just wanted a silent Merlin to cuddle with and to fall asleep on. But he had never kicked Merlin out of bed. Merlin smiled at the thought when he started questioning Arthur that night.
“Nobody saw something suspicious? A stranger-any stranger-entering the palace?”
Arthur groaned into Merlin’s neck. “No! I’ve told you this before.”
Arthur had mumbled the words into Merlin’s neck, but Merlin still managed to catch them.
“It’s very strange. Vampires aren’t supposed to be invisible.”
Arthur sighed and straightened up, positioning his back against the headboard. His hair looked deliciously dishevelled and for a moment Merlin was tempted to forget about his investigation and just run his hands through those soft blond locks.
“Since when did you suddenly become an expert?”
“Oh, I did some reading.”
Arthur rolled his eyes. “Why does this sound like you meddling with things I told you not to meddle with? When I give you orders, I don’t do it to hear myself talk, you know.”
Merlin rolled his eyes back at Arthur. “Someone has to concern himself with how the vampire can be defeated. Someone has to stick his neck out.”
Arthur’s eyes widened. “Your neck is exactly what you should not be sticking out, you harebrained fool!”
“Harebrained fool?” Merlin buried his head in the pillow, laughing.
Arthur laughed along with him, although he told Merlin it was ‘no laughing matter.’
For a moment they shared a comfortable silence, the pleasant afterglow sending tiny shivers down their backs.
“Gods, look at you!” Arthur exclaimed suddenly.
“What?” Merlin tried to school his face into an innocent expression.
“You! That look in your eyes! Like you’re about to go out there and thump it on the head with a stick or something!”
Merlin smiled. “It deserves a thump on the head.”
Arthur shuffled down until his eyes were on the same level as Merlin’s. “I don’t want you to go out there and try to…find that bloodsucking monster, Merlin.” His voice was soft, intense.
Merlin could only return the earnest expression, until a small smile played at his lips. “You’re worried about me.”
Arthur gave him a sharp cuff on the head. “Yes, I worry about you!”
The prince pressed his body on top of Merlin’s. “That is why I will not let you go anywhere near that beast,” Arthur continued.
He grabbed Merlin’s wrists, pulled them over his head and held them there. “I will have to keep you restrained, of course. Since you’re rubbish at following orders.”
A slightly hysterical giggle escaped Merlin’s lips as arousal spread through his body at the feel of Arthur pressed against him like that, Arthur holding his wrists that way…
“I’ll just have to tie you to my bed and keep you here forever!”
Arthur leaned in to kiss Merlin without letting go of his wrists. The kiss was taunting, and Merlin bucked into it, wanting more, more, Arthur, more… Arthur didn’t let him down. Soon he was attacking Merlin’s mouth with the same determination he displayed on the battlefield. And Merlin happily succumbed to it.
∼*∼*∼
With his next victim, the vampire left a note.
“Emrys,” Uther read aloud. “Must be a code. Have Geoffrey look at it.”
Merlin tensed. He wanted to snatch away the small piece of parchment from Uther’s hands, only remembering his position just in time. There was no mistaking what he had heard. Emrys. The name the Druids had given him. But it wasn’t the Druids that were giving him a message; it was a vampire. A vampire who knew about him and who wanted him to know he knew. His head was spinning, but a prickling on his neck meant Gaius was staring at him, and he knew he had to focus.
To Merlin it was becoming clear that a one-on-one confrontation with the vampire (gods help him if it was more than one) was inevitable.
“This is getting out of control. I have to go after it,” Merlin said decidedly, when he and Gaius reached their quarters.
Gaius stared at Merlin incredulously. “You have no idea what you’re up against! Not to mention any idea of where to look for it.”
Merlin tore a piece of bread from the lump on the table. “I’ll go into the forest. It will find me.”
Gaius grabbed Merlin’s arms. “You plan to go out there and pose as prey?” He shook Merlin. “It will find you and kill you. You are no use to Arthur or to Camelot when you are dead!”
“I’m not going to die.” Merlin smiled sheepishly. “I won’t let it kill me.”
Gaius’s face contorted into something between anger and exasperation. “I’m afraid you won’t have much choice in the matter if you meet this monster unarmed,” he added, repeating his earlier warning. “Vampires are strong creatures of magic, Merlin.”
“I’ve bested strong sorcerers before, I’ll manage. It’s my destiny. It’s in my blood.” Merlin tried to smile at the old man.
“Your blood? You will lose almost every drop of it if you go out there on your own!”
Merlin stared at his feet.
“You don’t understand, Merlin. A vampire’s power will be comparable only to the power of the dragon. You only managed to control Kilgarrah thanks to the dragonlord abilities you’d inherited. You have no such defence against a vampire.”
Merlin clenched his teeth. Gaius didn’t understand; not being able to fix this, not being capable of defending Arthur and Camelot was not an option. He’d have to find a way. The sooner he faced this creature, the sooner he’d know what he was up against, and the sooner he could find a way to defeat it. Because defeat it he would. For Arthur.
“You don’t understand. The vampire already knows I’m here, he knows I have magic. That note… He’s going to come after me anyway. It’s better that I go after him first, I’ll have the element of surprise.” Merlin reasoned.
“The element of surprise won’t help you.”
Merlin bit his lip. “It’s the only thing I’ve got. That and my magic.”
“You’re going to need more!” Gaius argued, “The only possible defence against a vampire that I know of is a ruby, an ancient precious stone guarded for centuries by the Druids. The reflection of the moon in the jewel would create a ray of red light capable of destroying a vampire’s frozen heart.”
“The Ruby of Norroway…” Merlin sighed, “I’ve read about that too, Gaius. It must have been how the Druids got rid of the vampire last time… I can ride out to find the Druids tonight, ask them for help again. Bargain with them without the king finding out,” Merlin tried.
“If the king did find out he’d have you hanged. Besides, the druids haven’t been sighted anywhere near Camelot in ages. The forest of Eldar is where they are rumoured to have been sightings. That is at least two days on horseback from Camelot.”
Merlin groaned, “ We don’t have that much time.”
“I think you may be right about that,” Gaius said seriously.
“Then I don’t have a choice,” Merlin made for the door, “I need to face this creature alone. Tonight.”
Gaius surprised Merlin with a sudden quickness and stepped in to block his path.
“I can’t stop you, Merlin, but I will try anyway. All I ask of you is to think before you act.” He said gravely.
Merlin stared longingly at the door, then back to Gaius. “How many more have to die? I can’t wait until it kills Arthur.” He hadn’t meant to nearly choke on those last words, the fear in his voice ringing loud and clear. “Weakening that creature with my magic is the best chance we’ve got, even if I may not be able to destroy it entirely. I can at least try to chase it away, bargain with him, injure it, maybe…”
Merlin listened to his own feeble and uncertain plans, knowing they were doing nothing to convince Gaius. “I’ve made up my mind. You can’t stop me,” Merlin made for the door, ignoring Gaius alarmed shout of “Merlin!”
∼*∼*∼
It was surprisingly chilly, despite the fact that it was spring, the temperature still dropped considerably at night.
He walked away from the gates, wanting to put some distance between him and the Citadel. But after a few paces he already slowed down, suddenly afraid to leave behind the only shelter.
He quickly found a small clearing in the woods. The trees were eerily lit by the moonlight and it was deathly quiet around him, his own breathing sounding loud and heavy amongst the softly rustling leaves.
He recalled what Gaius had sad about the vampire having integrated in normal life. There was no guarantee he would come to look for Merlin here. And yet the note… the vampire could very well be on the lookout for him… The vampire could have been observing his every move and followed him here, hiding behind him even now…
A branch snapped behind him and Merlin turned around to face the source of the noise, heart hammering in his throat. Slowly the figure revealed itself. It was a man; pale, built lithely and red hair glowing a strange orange in the dim light. Merlin vaguely recognized him. He must have seen him before… on the market, maybe?
“Who are you?” Merlin asked, keeping the tremor out of his voice.
“My name is Ulpior.” The man spoke. He was several feet away but Merlin could clearly hear his voice, though the man had not yelled.
“Ulpior.” Merlin tasted the name on his lips. It helped to name evil, it made it less transcendent, less invincible. “Good name for a vampire.”
Ulpior smiled at him. “Why do you think I am a vampire?”
“Who else would dare venture out in the woods after curfew?” Merlin said calmly.
“And yet here you are. By yourself at that.”
Merlin swallowed, ignoring the tight feeling in his chest and the voice in his head berating him for not listening to Gaius.
“I came here to find you.”
“I know, Emrys. Though it’s ‘Merlin’ they call you here, isn’t it?”
Merlin shivered. Ulpior’s voice sounded calm and controlled. Merlin had encountered his share of evil before, but there had always been something mad about them, something about their minds that bordered insanity. They had been corrupted to a point beyond rationality. But Ulpior stood there, watching him with calm eyes.
How easily the creature must have been able to infiltrate in Camelot’s daily life. How well he must have played the part of the simple peasant. He looked nothing like a dangerous magical creature… But Merlin could sense his magic when he searched for it with his senses. It was unmistakably present: strong like a deeply vibrating hum. It was menacing too, it filled Merlin with cold fear, even from those few moments in which he tentatively reached out to touch the creature through his magic.
“You have to leave Camelot. This kingdom is under my protection and I am telling you to leave. Now. Before I make you.”
Merlin let his irises turn amber, conjuring the magic from inside of him. It was ready for him, awaiting his command eagerly.
Ulpior laughed softly at him. “I always suspected you were a brave one.”
“I mean it!” His magic was raging now, already close to slipping from his control.
“You really believe you can order me around?”
A million defensive and aggressive spells came to Merlin’s mind at the same time. But he did not have a tactic, a plan. He couldn’t decide on a single one of them.
“What is your grudge against Camelot? Why are you attacking its citizens, its knights?”
Anything he could find out about the vampire’s motives he could use to defeat the creature.
Ulpior shrugged. “My kind does not hold a grudge against this place. I would not have actively sought it out if it hadn’t been for you, Emrys. Your legend precedes you.”
Breathing grew harder. Merlin panted as he tried to hold up the magic, body trembling from the effort it took.
“I don’t want to take your blood to kill you, Merlin.” Ulpior continued, “You’re a creature of magic, like I am. I couldn’t kill you.”
Merlin looked at the creature disbelievingly.
“Well… I could kill you”, Ulpior grinned menacingly, “but I have no wish to do so. All I want is a little taste.”
“Come on, let me have it… just a little bite; a kiss if you will. If you grant me this I will leave Camelot and its people alone. I will travel elsewhere for my needs, to Mercia perhaps; that would probably best suit Camelot’s wishes.”
“Why should I believe I could bargain with you?”
“Very clever. You have my word, young sorcerer. That should be enough. Either way, you won’t have much choice in the mater.”
Ulpior drew closer; in response to this threatening proximity Merlin conjured a protective bubble with a few well-chosen words and a surge of magic.
Ulpior growled. “What’s this, little warlock? Are you afraid of me?”
“I won’t let you kill me!” Merlin yelled back at the creature.
A creature was what Ulpior had become; eyes glowing red and his body tall and unnaturally thin. He emanated magic of a fearsome, dark kind.
“I told you I don’t intend to. But don’t irk me into killing you. How long do you think that bubble is going to last? How long do you think your little spells can really hold me off?” the vampire taunted.
As long as it takes Merlin thought. But he knew deep down that his magic wasn’t a match for the vampire’s. He would lose a battle, if ever it came to that.
“Do you want to find out what happens when your spell fails, as it inevitably will? I will kill you!” Ulpior yelled at him, his face contorted into something ugly, “and I’ll kill that prince of yours too, if only to taste you on his skin.”
Merlin’s heart skipped a beat; he almost lost his concentration and let go of the magic sustaining the bubble. “What do you mean? Leave Arthur out of this!”
Ulpior grinned menacingly at Merlin’s fierce reaction. “You can’t fool me the way you can the rest of the court. I can smell him on you and I could smell you on him.”
Merlin shivered, and damned if it wasn’t partly because the idea that he carried Arthur’s scent and that Arthur smelled of him was arousing.
“Let your shield down, Merlin. I won’t kill you if you do. I won’t kill Arthur. You have my word that I will leave Camelot for good if you grant me this.”
Merlin clung desperately to his magic surrounding him, the only thing keeping Ulpior from taking him. It was anguish, having no way out. He couldn’t trust a vampire. But could he wait until the vampire broke through his defences, angry and vengeful, killing him and Arthur as well? Did he really have a choice? Ulpior had taunted he did not have a choice; he’d refused to believe it. Until now…
The moment Merlin let go of the magic circle around him; Ulpior was on him, pulling him towards the moist ground, arms working to restrain him as effectively as possible.
Merlin’s head swam with fear. “You weren’t going to kill me,” he protested weakly.
“No Merlin, just a little kiss, just a little kiss.” Ulpior murmured, his voice strange now that it was laced with hunger.
Merlin felt Ulpior’s physical superiority like a metal chain binding him to the ground, into the earth. There was no way he could ever dream to escape Ulpior’s grip, not without magic. And Ulpior would not allow him use of his magic, of that Merlin was certain. For several moments he stopped breathing altogether, fear paralysing his body.
But then Ulpior’s fingers tugged his hair, forcing his head back and Merlin growled out in pain.
Ulpior attacked his neck before Merlin could even squirm underneath the creature’s invading presence.
Merlin whimpered when he felt mouth, tongue and teeth graze over the sensitive, torn skin of his neck. His body was tense, his muscles screaming and his magic swirling around of him wildly. But Ulpior’s magic strengthened, seemed to draw power from his helplessness, from his feeble struggles.
It hurt. Merlin couldn’t feel the trickle of blood, but that didn’t mean Ulpior wasn’t drawing any blood. Merlin only felt the grazing teeth, sharp and painful, his tongue, cold and wet on his skin.
Ulpior was relishing in it. Merlin could feel the vampire’s pleasure cascading off his vile body in waves. He drew from Merlin’s wild, unguarded magic, taking it the way he took people’s blood, the way he was probably taking Merlin’s blood, Merlin’s strength and eventually, Merlin realized, his life.
Merlin hated this sensation of involuntarily sharing his magic. No - not sharing - having it forcibly drained from him.
“You taste delicious, Merlin.” Ulpior seemed to have halted his attack to speak, but the burning sensation on Merlin’s neck did not relent. “So good.”
One hand was delved into Merlin’s hair, the other wrapped around Merlin’s collarbone, as if ready to choke him. Ulpior didn’t need his hands to restrain Merlin. Merlin tried pushing against the body holding him, grasping Ulpior’s shoulder, pushing, nails digging deep into unfeeling flesh. His brain was clouded with hurt and he wanted to hurt in return, but he only succeeded in deepening their bodies’ contact. It was then that Merlin realized he was naked. They were both naked. He didn’t even feel the cold air brushing against his skin. All he felt was how he was rapidly losing the battle - if it could even be called a battle. His strength seemed to be squeezed out of him like juice from an overripe piece of fruit. His body was going limp around him. All the while his mind was screaming at him in frustration, begging him to fight back.
Ulpior sucked his neck deeply and Merlin moaned despite of himself as a cold, hard cock pressed up against Merlin’s thigh. In that one irrational, drugged moment, something like arousal spiked through Merlin’s body before it quickly morphed back into pain and nausea.
“Please…” Merlin managed. It sounded weak and Ulpior hummed in approval. This was it then, Merlin thought, Ulpior would drain all the magic and life out of him, until he was just as cold and empty as the creature’s body pressed so tightly against him.
“Step away from him this instant.”
It was Arthur’s voice. It sounded so far away Merlin thought he might just be imagining it. “Arthur…?” he managed, almost choking on the word.
“What?” Ulpior momentarily broke off his attack on Merlin’s neck, dropping Merlin to the grassy ground beneath them.
“The young prince,” Ulpior said tauntingly, making the hairs on Merlin’s skin stand upright, “how nice of you to join us. But you shouldn’t interrupt us.”
“Oh I really think I should.”
Merlin’s drugged mind became a little more lucid at hearing the Arthur’s voice. He wanted to get up, to tell Arthur to leave while he still could. “I have it under control,” he wanted to lie, but all he managed was a hoarse mumble.
He did manage to turn from where he was lying; looking for Arthur in the distance but all he saw was a strange, red light.
Then a high-pitched scream resounded, echoing against the trees, and darkness returned in full.
For a moment Merlin could hear nothing but his own heartbeat. One terrified thought entered his mind, as he imagined the scream he’d heard had been Arthur, dying, as Ulpior wielded his own dark magic to deliver a deadly blow. A second passed and he wondered if the vampire was going to return to him, to finish the dreadful torture he’d started.
But then Arthur was at his side. “Merlin! Merlin, are you all right?”
Fear and adrenaline fell away so quickly that Merlin started shaking all over.
“W-What happened? What did you do?” Merlin asked when he found his breath again.
“Nothing much.” Arthur said, Merlin noticed he was sweaty and breathing heavily, “Just me saving the day. As always.”
“What?” Merlin protested, picking up on Arthur’s arrogance.
Arthur held up something in his hand. Merlin strained his neck to look at it. It was a jewel, red and shimmering in the moonlight. The ruby. “How did you…?” his voice croaked and Arthur put his fingers on Merlin’s lips, “Shush, I’ll explain when we get back.”
Arthur didn’t say anything about Merlin’s nakedness. He wrapped his Camelot cloak around him and helped him get up. “Can you walk?”
“Yes.” Merlin said. Then he proved how wrong he was by collapsing. Arthur’s arms wrapped around him before he could hit the ground. “Maybe not.” Merlin admitted before everything went black.
∼*∼*∼
"Merlin... Merlin can you hear me?"
Gaius’ voice sounded really far away.
“What's wrong with his eyes?” Arthur. Merlin wanted to reach out, tell him that he was fine, but he couldn’t move.
“It's the magic, sire, working to restore its levels back to what they were before the monster attacked.”
Suddenly cold hand touched his forehead. Merlin shivered and moaned, the touch reminding him of the vampire's cold hard skin pressed against him.
“Magic is a part of Merlin,” Gaius’ soft but firm voice continued, “it literally courses through his veins. We need to give it time to stabilize again. That's what's causing the fever. It's a good thing, really, his magic also soothes any lingering effects of the blood loss he suffered.”
“Will he be all right?”
“I believe he will be, sire.”
Gaius' hand left his forehead. "Here’s a potion he should drink as soon as he wakes. I believe he just needs rest and a warm bed. But send for me if his condition does worsen."
Merlin couldn’t be sure, but it felt like Arthur was holding his hand all through the night. There were moments of semi-wakefulness, in which he heard Arthur’s whispered words of “You’ll be all right. You will be fine.”
When morning came he felt he could slowly reclaim control over his own body. He managed to clasp his own hands around Arthur’s, not before stroking the tousled head of hair on the bed beside Merlin.
∼*∼*∼
“Gaius came to me as soon as you left to face that creature on your own,” Arthur explained the next morning, Merlin sitting up in the bed, leaning against a pile of pillows. “I knew about the Druids helping father before,” Arthur continued. “Father didn’t give out that information willingly, but he had no choice. One aspect of his story didn’t ring true to me, however. The Druids aren’t materialistic; they couldn’t have been after the gold, contrary to what my father may have believed. They wouldn’t have taken much from our vaults, in fact, it was strange they chose to enter them at all. So I went to have a look and had my suspicions confirmed.”
“The ruby,” Merlin muttered, mentally kicking himself for not thinking about this sooner.
“Yes. They didn’t enter to take something out of the vaults but rather they left the Ruby. Perhaps they knew that Camelot would be in need of it again one day.”
Merlin nodded. “Thank you for saving me,” he whispered.
Arthur ruffled his hair, “You just rest.”
“Here?” Merlin asked.
“Aren’t you comfortable?”
“Very. But how will I fluff your pillows when I'm sleeping on them?”
“Idiot.” Arthur just said, with a smile in his voice.
∼*∼*∼
It took most of the day for Merlin to start feeling like himself again. At dusk, he got out of bed to light the fire, for when Arthur came back from his practice.
His hand shook slightly as he held it up to whisper the spell, “Forbaernen.”
The fire caught fire a heartbeat later. Relief washed over Merlin. His magic was back.
“I really should reprimand you for this but I'm too happy to see you up and about.”
Merlin whirled around to face Arthur. “Arthur! I didn’t hear you come in.”
“What if it had been the king?”
Blood rushed to his face. “I’m sorry, I didn’t think. I just… had to test if I had control over my magic again.”
Arthur’s expression darkened. “What did that creature do to you, exactly? Gaius said it used your magic against you.” Arthur said solemnly.
“It was more like he… feasted on it…” Merlin said softly. “It felt like he took everything from me, my magic, my blood, my life… like it was being sucked out of me.” Merlin hadn’t tried to put the horrors Ulpior had in words. Remembering it made him shudder. “Come to think of it, that was probably exactly what he was doing, sucking life out of me through my magic.”
Arthur paled. Then a flash of anger crossed his face. “Your magic is supposed to protect you! You shouldn’t have compromised it like that by going after creatures like that without any defence! I swear one day…” his voice choked up, “one day I’ll be too late to bail you out of whatever mess it is you managed to get yourself into.”
He sounded accusing as well as well as genuinely shaken. Merlin felt a knot tighten in his stomach. “I’m sorry,” he whispered.
Arthur breathed heavily but his gaze softened. “Sorry for what, Merlin? Sorry for disobeying my order to stay out of it? Sorry for nearly getting yourself killed?”
Merlin looked at Arthur sheepishly.
“When will you get it in that thick of skull of yours that it’s not always up to you to save the day? I thought things would change now that you no longer have to keep your magic secret from me... I thought that would mean you wouldn’t sneak out behind my back to face off with the next indestructible evil, in order to keep Camelot safe…”
“To keep me safe.” Arthur added softly.
Merlin’s eyes flashed golden at that, a rush of magic coursing through his veins almost beyond his control. “I could never stop trying to keep you safe,” Merlin said, voice low and urgent.
For a moment it looked like he’d really made Arthur furious. Then Arthur’s mouth was crushing his in a feral kiss that quickly grew desperate as Arthur clung to him, one hand clenched around the hair in Merlin’s neck, the other grabbing his tunic. Merlin relaxed into Arthur’s fierce embrace, ignoring the need for air until Arthur broke the kiss and dropped his head against Merlin’s chest like the fight had gone out of him momentarily.
“I’m here now, I’m fine,” Merlin muttered into Arthur’s neck. Finally Arthur let go of Merlin and they both fell into their comfortable routine. Merlin lighting the fire, fluffing Arthur’s pillows and pouring him a cup of mulled wine.
“Join me,” Arthur said, prompting Merlin to fill a second cup before sitting down next to Arthur in front of the fire.
They sat in silence for several long moments. Bodies growing relaxed from the warmth and the wine. Merlin’s nerves were finally no longer the jittery mess they had been before.
Slowly, clothes were loosened, laces were getting unfastened and Merlin was grinning as his nimble fingers pulled away his neckerchief.
Arthur froze suddenly, staring intently at Merlin’s neck, his expression darkening. Merlin grew uncomfortable under the scrutiny of Arthur’s gaze. “What?” he asked finally. His fingers shook as he moved them to trace Arthur’s gaze. He winced as he felt a strip of flesh that was still raw and sore from where Ulpior had bit him. He pulled his hand away as if it was burnt.
“He marked you.” Arthur bit out, “I can’t stand that he branded you like that.”
Merlin’s fingers slowly reached to touch the wound again. Feeling his Adam’s apple right above it bob slightly when he swallowed. “I’m not branded, Arthur. It’s a scratch. It will heal and fade.”
Merlin wasn’t sure it would fade away entirely. It could very well leave a scar. But he wanted to reassure Arthur, who was still looking at his neck unblinkingly.
“You are mine.” Arthur blurted, “I need to mark you as mine.”
Merlin shivered. He felt the heat emanating from Arthur’s body and the air around them suddenly seemed intoxicating.
“I always knew you had a possessive streak,” Merlin muttered before leaning into Arthur to catch his lips in a chaste kiss.
Arthur drew back. “You think this is funny?”
Merlin shook his head, forcing away the smile that tugging at his lips. “No, not at all.” He took Arthur’s hand, leading it towards the mark on his neck, letting him push into the blemish until it hurt. “I’ll gladly let you mark me. Anywhere you want.” He added deviously.
Arthur’s nails dug into Merlin’s skin, reaching places that were still sore, still bruised from the vampire’s attack, but Merlin didn’t feel the pain. Merlin needed Arthur to leave bruises all over his skin and he eagerly pushed and tugged and opened his mouth wide and demanding.
Merlin needn’t worry. Arthur would give him exactly what he needed, what they both needed.
∼*∼*∼
The next morning Arthur looked down at Merlin, a worried expression on his face as he examined his ‘work’.
“You are going to be the subject of quite a bit of gossip if I let you walk around looking like this.”
Arthur’s eyes were fixed on Merlin’s neck and Merlin lazily ran his fingers over the skin. Some of them were painful and Merlin imagined them looking purple, the colour stark against his pale skin.
“That’s what the neckerchief is for.” He said, leaning back against the pillow again. Not quite ready to get the daily routine started. He was sure Arthur wouldn’t mind having his breakfast served a little later.
“You do look quite… gorgeous like this too.” Arthur muttered.
Merlin grinned.
He repressed the urge to ask if he could mark Arthur in return. Knowing it would be difficult; the prince couldn’t appear in public with any visible sex-induced bite marks, though Merlin was sure he’d be able to find a spot on Arthur’s body to leave his mark without anyone ever finding out.
He would run down some ideas by him later on. Until then, he would happily kiss the morning away.
The end.