This takes place somewhere between Syren and Darke. I know it sounds weird, but trust me, you are not minus one chapter. Author out.


"So you'll do it?" Septimus asked anxiously.

"Of course." A smile played across the girl's lips. "It sounds very... interesting."

Septimus wanted to be sure. "Are you sure?"

The girl nodded. "Merrin Meredith, huh? Sounds fun."


Merrin Meredith, as it happened, was strolling away from Ma Custard's, chewing through his daily crate of candy. He looked around suspiciously. Ma Custard was starting to get mad at him for paying on credit every day for three weeks straight.

Suddenly he was tapped lightly on the shoulder. He spun around, choking on a particularly sticky licorice snake. The girl who had tapped him waited patiently while he hacked up the remains of his precious snack.

When he finally looked up somewhat tiredly, the girl fixed a piercing stare at him, making him look away uncomfortably. "Excuse me," she said loudly and clearly. "Do you know someone named... Merrin Meredith?"

Merrin paled. "Uh..." He faltered, staring at the ground. "N- no, I'm just Daniel Hunter."

"No, you aren't." She took a step towards Merrin, who was starting to panic. The girl wasn't much older than him, but she had a good few inches of height on him.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Merrin yelled, and ran for it.

About thirty seconds later (Merrin made sure to count), Merrin looked behind him, and saw no trace of the girl. Relieved, he shuffled over to the nearest store and slid down the wall.

"Hey."

"Argh!" Merrin made a rather un-manly noise and jumped about a foot in the air. The girl found it rather impressive. She believed that fear brought out a boy's true character... so this "Merrin" was going to be fun to watch.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you." Her voice cut through Merrin's panicked, confused thoughts like a blade through where he wore the Two-Faced Ring, his left thumb. No, don't think that way, Merrin.

Meanwhile, the girl was grabbing the back of Merrin's collar and twisting it around in her hand. "All right, let's go," she said, as casually as if they were best friends going to Wizard Sandwiches. She began dragging him down the street. Merrin, who had just recovered from the licorice snake attack, found his windpipe being smashed into his spine. He was having a very bad day. But then, how was that that any different from any other day he had?

The girl glanced back at Merrin, pity in her eyes. She knew that the next few days would be particularly miserable for him. Septimus Heap was pretty ruthless, she thought, to ask her to take care of this pathetic little boy.