Hey guys, so this my first fanfic on this account. I had another one a while back, but forgot about it, and don't know my password. I changed my e-mail since then anyways, so this is a whole new me on this site.

Basically, this is set just after Ptolemy's Gate. Kinda... BartimaeusxKitty, though, from some aspects you could take it as a NatxKitty... Kinda, again. O.e

How could it possibly become a NatxKitty, you ask? Isn't he... dead? Well, we shall wait and see.

Ignore my terrible spelling...

Enjoy! ^^ Read and Review, please.

DISCLAIMER: No, I don't own The Bartimaeus Trilogies... I wish I did, believe you me... No, my books tend to be rather more gory and bloody. I wouldn't dare post them on the internet.

BARTIMAEUS

Chapter 1

Oh my... What have we here?

Oh great... Here we go again. I rolled my metaphorical eyes, feeling the bonds drag me back, kicking and screaming*1, till my essence had almost completely been drained down that sink leading to hell. Or, as you humans prefer to call it, Earth.

Guises, guises guises. I felt tempted to wander towards the small Egyptian boy... But, for one reason or another, felt it would be best to honour a certain magician who saved me from another certain doom a while back*2. I had chosen wrong.

I wrinkled my nose at the magician before me. He seemed... familiar. "Let's get this over with." I said snidely, in no mood for my usual antics. I hadn't a clue as to how long it'd been, but I wasn't planning on sticking around for long. The Other Place awaited me, and I was far too worn out from my last outing to get up to much.

"Let's not rush this, demon," Said the tall, dark haired magician in the pentacle opposite me. Did I recognise that voice...? "I have a task of great importance for you right now."

"If it's so important, why can't you just get it over with?" I stared at the magician once again, folding my arms slightly. That face... I examined his facial features, hair in particular. Greasy, dark hair. Hadn't been washed in years, I'd say.

The magician began to run his fingers through it for a few moments, loosing patience with the djini. Such vain creatures, humans... I decided to sit this one through. The magician had not answered me for some time now. "Well...?"

"Such enthusiasm." The human spat sarcastically at me, still staring at his reflection in the mirror.

"Well then, whilst we're getting to know each other, may I ask who, or what, I am serving?"

"Surely you have heard of me..." The magician said, waving his hands about his face. I noted the two spots hiding above his brow that he was trying to cover up. I rolled my head back, bored stiff to the bone. "No matter. I shall introduce myself anyhow. My name is Edward White."

"Never heard of you." I said in a rather snarky tone. Not that I actually had heard of him. His name was a mystery to me.

"You demons are all alike. You have no respect for those genius magicians out there. I'll have you know that I am the creator of a number of spells and tortures alike. I was the inventor of... blah blah blah..." The rest was lost on me. I had no intention of listening to the creature babble on about all of his 'amazing' discoveries.

Well, it made a change from my usual master. Honestly, if that kid had summoned me today I wouldn't be half surprised... Well, maybe a bit. Considering, well... You know.

The mortal continued to study his appearance in the mirror, playing with his parting, flicking his thin hair from side to side. Ridiculous... I muttered to myself quietly, waiting for him to do something, give me a charge, anything to get me out of this low roofed dingy apartment.

"Where are we anyway?"

"Egypt." The magician replied bluntly. ...Egypt? But... I dismissed the thought. Obviously he was on vacation, or a business trip, or whatever it is that magicians do.

Suddenly, I caught a glimpse of my guise in the mirror. But I thought I was... I frowned. This wasn't right. My guise, of who I thought to be a certain magician, was all too similar of this mysterious 'Edward White'.

Nathaniel...

I dismissed the thought again. Preposterous. The boy was dead as a doornail. Dead as Fraqual and Nouda. Dead as Jabor and the bearded mercenary... Or so I thought.

The door creeked open slightly.

"Who is it?" The magician called, halting the door with his foot.

"It's just me with the tea." A rather feminine voice rang from the landing.

"You may enter." He replied, turning his attention away from me for a moment.

The door opened wide, and the dark haired girl stepped through. Oh yes... she'd changed. Matured alot, I presumed. Even dyed her hair. But that was the same girl. Good ol' Kitty Jones. I smirked.

The girl looked up, seeing me again for the first time in however many years it had been. Oh, you should have seen her face. I thought she would have been a little more enthusiastic than that. She dropped the tray of tea to the floor. The pots and teacups rolled around.

'Edward' began to clench his teeth, annoyed at the girl before him.

"Oh my... What have we here?" My voice rang jubiously. "Which of you are we now? Lizzie Temple? Clara Bell? Oh dear Kitty..."

*1 Of corse, metaphorical again. You don't think I'd actually do that with no-one around to stare and embarrass?

*2 Don't make me say his name. It's too embarrassing to know that I was wrong about him all these years. I suppose, from some aspects he was a bit like Ptolemy, towards the end. But then... I look at it again, and think otherwise.

So, what did you think? I had to leave it there on a cliff hanger, and am already working on the next chapter.

Remember to leave a review please. Subscribe if possible, because I update fast(as in, two chapters a day, kind of thing) and want you to be able to get the next chapter as soon as it's up.

XP. I know. I suck at names... 'Edward White'... Anyways, super 3 to The Bartimaeus Trilogies, and it's aweshome author, the epic Jonathon Stroud.