Shepard

I should have known something was wrong when I came home with a headache. It's the first sign that someone has tried to use magic on my mind. But everything felt so fuzzy- like something was keeping me just under the surface of clarity.

I was laying down in Simon's room when I started to feel too warm. I took off my jacket and the Jackalope patch I added to it years ago caught my eye.

Ever seen a Jackalope in person?

As soon as the memory hit me, I rolled over so fast that I nearly fell out of bed. I sprang to the door and threw it open to reach Penelope. "We have to get to Simon and Baz! Now!"

The girls must have seen the panic in my face because Agatha sprang up to get her purse and keys and Penelope grabbed her amethyst and cellphone. As soon as we got to the car, though, they wanted answers. Penelope kept alternating between calling Simon and Baz while I explained myself. The more I spoke, the faster Agatha drove.

"While I was waiting to hear back from Jack, I met a man named Christopher. He was asking about the patches on my jacket- specifically the Jackalope. He knew things about magic like me. We started swapping stories…" I began.

"And you told him all about your new mage friends?" Penelope asks, glaring back at me while we listen to Baz's voicemail pick up for the third time.

"I didn't- I wouldn't. I was telling him about my adventures before I even met you. But he did something to me. Like Lamb did in the van." I explain.

"He hypnotized you?" Penelope asks as Simon's automatic voicemail message starts in. She ends the call and switches to Baz's number.

"Something like that. You feel an eerie calm come over you as you quickly realize you are no longer in control of your actions." I remember Christopher's face as he watched me silently struggle. I was trying desperately to stand. My hands were spread out across the table to push myself up, but the most I could do was clench the muscles in my arm. He had smiled at me then- just wide enough so I could see the points of his fangs.

"We should have left you after we met that dragon in America," Penelope sneers. "Your big mouth is going to get us all killed."

"He couldn't help it Penelope," Agatha says in my defense. "I saw it when I was with the NowNext vampires. They have a way of keeping people…sedated. They would do whatever the vampires asked, but you could see terror behind their eyes. It was awful."

Penelope looks pointedly away from me as she tries Baz again. "What did he want?"

"Simon. He kept asking me questions about him," I say. "He compelled me to tell him about Simon's magic. He knows that he can only access it with Baz."

"Because you told him!" Penelope groans.

I put my head in my hands. "I know. I'm sorry."

"What else happened? How did you get away?" Agatha asks as she anxiously waits for the light to turn green.

"After I told him about Simon, he took my laptop from me. I couldn't see what he was doing. But he couldn't have gotten the translation because Jack still hasn't sent it. And he didn't take the journal," I point out.

"Maybe he was trying to find out more about Simon. Would Baz have anything on his computer?" Agatha asks.

"Doubt it," Penelope says. "Baz is more the 'play morose music to deal with my feelings' than the 'Dear Diary' type."

I continue. "When he was done with my laptop, he put it in my bag and led me to the subway station. We stopped in a side alley and he pulled out a wand. I knew he was going to wipe my memory. If he was going to kill me, he would have just bitten me. That wouldn't have gone well for either of us." I touch the side of my neck remembering the bite I got in the desert.

"After that it's a bit hazy. I remember checking my email on my phone and seeing a reply from Jack about working on the translation later. And then the headache started to kick in and I made my way back to your place."

"Do you think this is the vampire mage that attacked Watford?" Agatha asks Penelope.

"Maybe. But I'm surprised he didn't ask Shepard about the journals or take the one he had on him." She turns to me as Baz's phone continues to ring over the speaker. "What did he say his name was again?"

"Christopher," I say.

Penelope's eyes widen "C!" she calls out.

Before I can respond, we hear someone pick up on the other end of the phone line.

"Baz? Are you with Simon? Are you ok?" Penelope shouts at the phone in her palm.

Baz's voice sounds like the life has gone out of it. "He's gone. Simon's gone."

"We're almost there. Hang on," Penelope says. She's trying to sound calm for Baz, but she looks as terrified as Baz sounds. The phone beeps indicating the end of the call.

Penelope stares at it a moment longer and then pulls herself together. "How much longer Agatha?"

"It's just up here," she says as she pulls the car over to park in an open spot on the curb. The car hasn't even stopped before Penelope rushes out. Agatha and I follow her.

Agatha grabs my arm when we get to Baz's door. Penelope is already inside. "Simon," she whispers as she looks down at the sword and blood on the floor.

"We'll find him," I say as I walk forward and pick it up.

Penelope

I find Baz sitting on the edge of his bed, his mobile resting next to him and his wand still clutched in his hand. I don't know if he even registers me walking in. He looks catatonic.

I stand in front of him and snap in front of his face. "Baz! Snap out of it. What happened?"

He shakes his head. "I went out. To hunt. I wasn't gone long, maybe a couple hours. When I came back he was gone."

"Did you see anyone? Find anything?" I ask, trying to keep him focused.

"The blood," he says grabbing my hand and looking into my eyes pleadingly. "It's his." I've never seen Baz look this terrified. He's usually the one doing the terrorizing.

Agatha and Shepard walk in to the room. Shepard is holding Simon's sword lightly against his side. "I didn't want to leave it outside," he says to me.

"Baz- Shepard met a man named Christopher today. He was asking him questions about Simon," I start.

"What?!" Baz nearly shouts. Before I can stop him he lets go of me and shoves Shepard against the wall. The sword clatters to the floor.

"I didn't," Shepard gasps, but Baz in increasing the pressure against his throat.

I raise my gem at both of them and yell "Time out!" Baz falls back and Shepard collapses on the floor, grasping his chest as he takes in big lungfuls of air. Baz goes to rush at Shepard again but I jump between them. "Stop- we'll tell you everything. We're here to help."

Shepard

I thought Baz might dive at me again, but instead he reaches his arm out to help me up. I take it.

Penelope starts filling him in on my meeting with Christopher as I catch my breath. I hear my cellphone buzz in my pocket and take it out. There's finally an email from Jack with the subject Here you go H.G. Wells.

I scan the email and feel my jaw drop open.

"Penelope," I interrupt.

"What?" she huffs looking back at me.

"Jack sent the translation," I say, holding my phone out to her and Baz. She takes it and Baz looks over her shoulder.

"It's a time travel spell!" Penelope exclaims.

Baz looks up at me. "Who is CSDef1980?"

I frown at him. "What?"

Baz takes the phone out of Penelope's hand and shoves it at my face. "The email," he says annoyed. "It's copied to someone else."

I meet Penelope's eyes and they are filled with dread. At the same time, we both whisper "Christopher."

Simon

When I come to, I have a hard time opening my eyes. There's a sharp pain over my left eye and my right one feels glued shut with something sticky. I pull my hand up to scrub it open when it stops about halfway to my face because of a sharp tug on my wrist. I open my good eye as wide as I can.

It's dark wherever I am, but I can see I'm handcuffed to a wooden beam. The chains holding my wrists are thick iron shackles I've only ever seen before in dungeon movie scenes. I scoot up to a sitting position and lean my head over to rub my eye off on my arm. It stains Baz's jersey red, but I can see better now with both eyes open.

I've had to fight my way out of so many dangerous situations throughout the years that I've developed an escape protocol. I start running through it in my head.

1- Analyze your surroundings.

I'm chained to a beam. The room around me is dark. The ceiling is black and there is soot and grime all over the floor. I don't hear anyone else around me. I really want to call out for Baz in case he's here, but I'm afraid my captor may be nearby, too.

2- Look for a weapon.

I wish I had my sword. I don't see it now which means either it's still sitting outside Baz's flat or the vampire who attacked me has it in his possession.

I didn't get a good look at him. The vampire. I had heard the doorknob rattle last night and figured it was jammed again (it does that sometimes). I went to go let Baz in, but when I looked through the peep hole, no one was there. I had a bad feeling. I knew it was probably a trap, but I wasn't about to let Baz walk into it on his way home. I grabbed my sword from the coffee table (it never shimmered away- almost as if it knew I wasn't done needing it).

I had just opened the front door and stepped over the threshold when a man with light brown hair had lunged at me from the stairs below. It must have been a vampire because I felt him sink his fangs into my arm moments later, which made me drop my sword because I was caught off guard. I swung my other arm to knock him back, which only worked for a second before we both darted for the sword on the ground. He got there first, but instead of stabbing me with it, he banged my head with the hilt.

I lean my head forward again now and lift my arm to rub my forehead as I remember the blinding pain I felt before blacking out.

I can't see more than 10 feet in any direction. There's nothing on the floor around me that I can reach except a small, green toy train. I look at it, puzzled. Where am I?

3- Assess your injuries.

My arm stings where I was bitten and my head is throbbing, but otherwise I think I'm ok. I wiggle my fingers and toes just to be sure.

4- Use your magic.

Step 4 was only used when I didn't have any other options. If I felt that cornered, it usually meant going off, which while effective, was a bit of a risk.

I close my eyes and try to pull my magic out without Baz here. I will it to reach my hands and set me free. But there's nothing. It's like trying to use an appliance that isn't plugged in.

I hear a sound like stones stacking on top of each other and get myself to a standing position with my arms still chained around the beam. I'm not sure how I'm going to get myself out of this one, but if I'm standing at least I can use my legs.

The sound stops and I hear a creak of a heavy door open and shut.

"Is he here Kit?" someone asks. I know that voice…

"Just woke up actually," says a voice from behind me. My attacker steps closer so I can see him. He has his arms crossed and a wand in one of his hands. This must be the vampire mage that attacked Watford! I try to take a step back, but the chains hold me in place like a dog.

A mobile pings in Kit's pocket. He pulls it out and grins at the screen. "Looks like the translation you wanted came through, too."

"Who are you?" I demand, speaking for the first time.

"Simon," the other man says gently, "this is your uncle. Christopher."

He sticks out a hand to me. "My family calls me Kit. Your mother started the nickname actually."

I am frozen to the spot. Not because I just met my uncle or the fact that he probably attacked Watford or even the fact that he's imprisoned me. It's because I know where I have heard the other voice before.

He steps forward and stands next to Kit. "We have a lot to talk about," the Mage says. The Mage.