The next day, final preparations for the ball, kept everyone busy, but they were able to meet for a short while in Zeke’s study. It was already lunch time so Merlin and Juliette brought lunch from the kitchen and they ate while they talked.  "What do you think Gilbert will do now?", Zeke asked Sébastien, around a mouthful of food.  "Tonight at the ball would be the perfect opportunity for him to try to find a new vessel and get close to Merlin", Sébastien replied thoughtfully.  "Tonight? So soon?", Merlin queried, wiping the corners of her mouth with a paper napkin.  She hadn't expected him to strike so quickly and she had to admit that she didn't think that she was fully prepared for another confrontation with the necromancer.  "I agree with Sébastien, I'm afraid. Gilbert is not a patient man and he knows that we won't be expec

Zeke escorted the two women through the gardens, as they strolled back to the terrace, when suddenly he caught a whiff of an unfamiliar scent. He froze, his body tense, as he looked around the gardens, trying to pinpoint the source. The hairs on the back of his neck stood on end, bristling, as the scent grew stronger. He sensed movement from the edge of the forest, something was moving out there, under the trees, and it was getting closer.  Sensing the tension, radiating in waves from Zeke, Merlin paused and turned to look back at him. He stood rigidly, in the middle of the footpath, staring into the darkness of the forest. Following his line of sight, she strained her eyes, trying to see what he was seeing, when Juliette appeared beside her.  "Merlin", Juliette's voice was barely a whisper.  "Get inside Juliette. Now!", she hissed, standing in front of her.  Juliette looked aroun

The book in the library was, in fact, a grimoire of sorts, but with no discernible family heritage. They spent the next few days poring over its contents until, eventually, they found what they were looking for. It was rare for a witch to absorb the powers of another, but it wasn't impossible, and so there existed a spell that could reverse it. But with Merlin’s powers being what they were, Juliette was confident that it could be done.  Once they were sure that they were ready, they went to discuss it with Zeke, taking the grimoire with them.  "And you're sure that this will work?", Zeke questioned them for the third time.  "Yes", they answered in unison.  "And no one will get hurt?", also the third time that he repeated the question. "No one will be hurt, I'll make sure of it", Merlin reassured him.  "When exactly are you plann

Merlin cowered on the hard, stone floor, shivering and gasping for air. She heard the woman's voice inside her head and echoing outside in the chamber at the same time. She slowly raised her head and stared into her gold-flecked brown eyes. The woman's lips moved and this time she clearly heard her voice, soft and lilting,inside the chamber. "Get up Merlin"She struggled to her feet, using the sarcophagus for support while keeping her eyes on the woman in front of her. "Who are you?", she ground out through clenched teeth. "I am Angeline and we are the Ancestors"As she spoke, her voice became amplified, sounding like a dozen or more voices, speaking in unison. Around her the air shimmered and undulated as more figures appeared like ghostly apparitions before flickering and fading out. "Where is Juliette?", Merlin demanded, standing upright. "She is safe""Show me""First we need to talk""No! Release Juliette and then we'll talk", Merlin countered. "You talk as if you have a ch

Juliette found herself sitting on the ground in the cemetery, the stark realization hitting her, as she felt the sharp pebbles digging into the skin on the front of her legs and knees. The palms of her hands were stinging from when she had landed on the pebbly surface and used them to break her fall. A thick fog covered the ground and unable to see through it, she pushed herself up and onto her feet while peering nervously around her. She turned around in a full circle, straining her eyes, as she searched for Zeke in the fog.Apprehension was starting to build inside her when she heard a faint whimper some distance away and quickly she headed towards the sound. She hadn't gotten far when she stumbled against something hard and solid, sending her forward as she fell face first on top of Zeke. Quickly scrambling away from him, she looked to see if he was alright, when he growled at her from where he lay on the ground. "What the hell Juliette?""I'm sorry, I didn't see you", she apologi