The Safest Place to Hide

19. The Poison

Mordred's eyes darted around the room. Anna had a death grip on his hand. He wanted to try and break free from her, but he feared something terrible might happen if he did.

Cora smiled sympathetically at him. She could tell by the look on his face he was frightened by what was happening.

"Don't move, Mordred," she instructed softly. "Whatever Anna is seeing, she's seeing it for a reason. If you break the connection, between your hand and hers, the vision will be lost."

He nodded in understanding, though it didn't make him feel any better. "Okay."

"What's happening?" Arthur asked.

He and Gwen rushed over together. They hadn't realized anything was wrong until they heard Merlin shout Anna's name. They both harbored worried expressions.

Merlin turned to Arthur. He told him Anna was shaking Mordred's hand and in the middle of it, she had gasped out loud. "Cora told us she was having a vision."

Gwen stated at their hands, which were so tightly locked they were red. "What about?"

Merlin frowned. "I don't know. It's strange it happened when she touched Mordred though."

"Yes it is."

"It doesn't mean anything," Cora spoke up. "It could have nothing to do with him. The power of premonition works in mysterious ways. It could be of someone connected to Mordred somehow."

"Let us hope that is the case," Arthur commented. "How long do these visions usually last?"

"I'm not sure. The one she had about Merlin was her first, and it was no more than a minute."

Merlin sighed wearily. "I just wish we knew what she was seeing."

Anna blinked. She could hear them talking behind her, but she couldn't focus on anything but what she was seeing. There were so many flashes hitting her at once. She saw Mordred standing in front of Arthur, their swords raised in opposition, but it faded away. She saw the ceremony she just witnessed, and then another flash. This time it was all of them. The guards were knocked out. All of them, and the knights. The she saw Arthur and Gwen. Both of them were on the floor, their eyes wide and staring. They were dead, along with Gaius, Cora, Gwaine, Leon, and Percival. She started to think the guards had been dead, not unconscious. The she saw Merlin. He was alive. He was bent over someone, his face distorted with grief and anger. She gasped as he moved away. It was her. She saw herself there on the floor, dead like the others.

Suddenly, there was a bright light, the beginning of the next scene. Morgana breezed through the castle, no one stopping her. She came to where the feast was being held with a smile on her face. Merlin turned toward her in anger.

"Emrys."

His eyes stretched in surprise.

"That's right," Morgana said. "I know who you are."

Another scene took the place of this one. Thorn, one of the sorcerers from the battle, was behind Merlin, but he did not see him. On the floor, someone opened their eyes and rose. He put himself between them and took the blow. The cry of pain from Merlin's hero distracted him, and Morgana saw her chance. She grabbed Arthur's sword from his belt and impaled Merlin with all her might. He fell to the floor. The last thing she felt and saw was Merlin's last breath

Anna finally snapped back to reality, gasping for breath, with tears pouring from her eyes. She jerked her hand away from Mordred's in a hurry. She stared at him.

"I trust you," she whispered.

He smiled gratefully, but he wasn't sure what had caused the vote of confidence.