To Break a Curse

Chapter 14

The five of them stood just outside of the stone circle. Rose, Will and Oliver were wearing their clothes from the 21st century to save explaining why they were dressed differently when they got back. Their Camelot clothes were wrapped up in a bundle attached to the cloaks the queen had insisted they wear in case they got cold.

Goodbyes were always hard, thought Rose. She gave Tom a hug, 'look after yourself.'

'He'll be fine,' said Merlin. A shiver went down his spine but he ignored it.

'And say goodbye to Gaius for us,' added Will. Gaius had still not made an appearance by the time they had left Camelot. Storm had calmed down a bit and was already planning with Torrent what to do next; she hadn't given up.

'And tell chef thanks for all of the extra food,' said Oliver mischievously.

Just as Will and Oliver were saying their goodbyes to Tom, Merlin realised that something was happening in the stone circle. The stones were glowing as they had done when the four of them had arrived in Camelot, but the hairs rising on the back of his neck told him that this was not the stones getting ready to take Rose, Oliver and Will home.

He tensed, but was distracted by Oliver coughing and saying, 'can anyone else smell that?'

They all sniffed, and then Will and Rose started to cough as well.

Merlin and Tom looked at each other – what was happening?

'There!' shouted Merlin suddenly. A cloaked figure was standing in the middle of the stone circle.

'Is that the evil wizard?' Tom stared in horror.

'Yes!' Merlin quickly realised what was happening: if the wizard knew that Tom had returned to Camelot and had lifted the curse, the easiest place to kidnap him again would be near the stone circle.

Will staggered and choked as the gas that the figure in the stone circle had created grew thicker. His vision blurred and he realised it must be some sort of gas to knock them all out. He fell to his knees, trying not to breathe it in, but it was hopeless. Hazily, he heard Merlin and Tom shout spells at the cloaked figure, but they didn't seem to work.

He saw Rose collapse and dragged himself over to her. He and Oliver reached her at the same time and tried to shake her awake, but to no avail. Will slumped forward, fighting to clear his head.

Oliver felt the world start to spin around him. Coughing, he rolled onto his back and saw the cloaked figure come to stand over him. His vision went black just as he felt rough hands hauling him up. Then he lost consciousness completely.

Merlin watched in alarm as the wizard conjured a shield against the spells he and Tom were firing at him and started to drag Oliver toward the stone circle.

He and Tom ran toward the wizard just as he deposited Oliver in the middle of the stones and began to take Rose too.

Merlin and Tom each put an arm of Will's over their shoulders and managed to get him away before the wizard could take him as well.

They then watched helplessly as the stones transported the wizard, Oliver and Rose away.

***

Will rolled over and retched. He gradually became aware of his name being frantically called and opened his eyes gingerly.

'What happened?' he tried to sit up but collapsed back down again as the world span around him.

'Will!' cried Tom desperately. 'Rose and Oliver have been taken!'

'WHAT?' Will struggled to his feet, putting a hand on a tree to steady himself.

'The evil wizard came back,' said Merlin wearily. He explained that the gas had not affected him and Tom because they had magic; the wizard had clearly not known this.

Will pointed an accusing finger at Merlin, 'this is your fault! Where are they now? Tell me!'

Dread was coursing through Will's veins, he was furious with himself for not protecting them and he was full of fear for them both; he knew the answer to his question even before Merlin said it: they could be anywhere and anytime in the world.

***

The effect of the gas wore off Oliver first. He groaned and opened his eyes. None of what he saw made sense: he was meant to be in the forest either saying goodbye to Tom or back in the 21st century, but instead he felt a hard stone floor underneath him and was staring up at a the wooden beams of an attic ceiling.

Something had clearly gone very wrong. Then he remembered the knockout gas.

He sat up but groaned and slumped back down again, feeling sick and dizzy. When he felt a little better, he tried sitting up again.

He was in a small attic room with a single window, which, from his position on the floor, only showed a patch of sky.

Oliver looked around to see if there was anything else in the attic and saw Rose in a crumpled heap on the floor behind him.

'Rose!' moving made him feel nauseous again, but he crawled over to her and shook her shoulders. There was no response so he tried calling her again. She was very pale and a horrible thought made him check her pulse. Relief flooded him: she was still breathing.

Suddenly, he heard footsteps approaching from outside the door. His heart started to hammer – he didn't want to face this alone.

Then, somehow, his fear turned into anger: He was angry that they had been stopped from returning home and angry that they had been kidnapped.

The footsteps carried on past but Oliver kept a hold of his anger, knowing it might come in useful later.

He cradled Rose's head and shoulders on his lap, leaning his back against the whitewashed wall. Almost without realising, he started to talk to her, gently stroking her hair back from her face:

'I know what Will thinks of me; that there was only a day or so between, you know, liking Cara and liking you, but I've loved you for longer than that. I'm not sure when it started, but I first realised it the day you fell off the logs telling me what we had to do to break the curse. You're funny and clever and kind and pretty and when we danced at the ball it was one of the best moments of my life.'

Oliver realised that a blush had come into Rose's cheeks and she was smiling faintly.

'You're awake, aren't you?'

Rose opened her eyes, smiling and blushing furiously. Oliver felt a moment of embarrassment that she had heard everything but then reasoned that he had wanted her to hear it anyway, deep down.

Rose tried to sit up and went pale again. Oliver helped her sit up against the wall, saying, 'I know, I think it's the gas wearing off.'

Rose barely heard him. She said, 'did you mean all of that?'

Oliver went red and nodded, still with his arm around her.

Rose kissed him. Oliver decided that this was now the best moment of his life.