The Mage

"Simon," I say carefully as I reach out. He's clearly in shock, but he still jerks away from me before I can touch him. That's when I notice his arm.

I turn to Kit. "You bit him?" It comes out more like an accusation than a question.

"He came at me with that bloody sword," Kit says defensively. "I didn't turn him if that's what you're worried about." He looks between me and Simon and then turns and walks towards the door. "I'll give you two some time to catch up."

I hear the heavy oak door open and shut and return my attention to Simon. I reach out to touch his arm where the blood has dried over the fang marks, but he turns away from me again glaring. I grab for my wand instead.

"Stay put!" I call out with my wand pointed at Simon's feet. He tries to shift, but his feet are firmly planted to the ground now. I move and point my wand at his wrists. "Into thin air!" I command.

The shackles around Simon's wrists disappear and the chains fall with a clang against the ground. Simon tries to move again, but he's still stuck in place. He balls his fists up and drops them to his sides. I can see him looking around the room for a way to fight back. I trained him to think like that. I put my wand back in my jacket.

"How?" Simon finally asks. "How are you here? How are you alive? I thought I-"

"No," I say calmly. "You didn't kill me."

"But we saw your body. You weren't breathing!" He looks at me and I see a small glimmer of pain behind the anger in his eyes.

"The last thing I remember was you saying 'Stop hurting me!' that day in the Chapel. Had you wanted me to die in that moment, I wouldn't be standing in front of you now. But I don't think that was your intent."

Simon closes his eyes and faintly shakes his head. "No," he says quietly.

"In that moment, I couldn't have stopped hurting you. I was out of my mind," I say as I remember the urgency and paranoia I felt hovering over Ebb's bleeding body. "The spell sort of paralyzed me. I don't remember anything that happened after you said those words. I woke up in an unmarked grave almost a year later."

Simon doesn't say anything, but he's listening so I continue.

"I sought out Kit. Your uncle and I became friends in my late years at Watford. I taught him magic in secret. Your mother didn't even know. He's helped keep me hidden since then," I say.

"How long has he been a vampire?" Simon asks.

I hesitate to answer that question, but the only way I am going to get Simon to agree to my plan is to be honest with him. "Since 2002."

"Baz's mum," Simon begins to say, the rage flaring up again in his voice. "He helped you with the attack!"

"Yes," I say evenly. Simon tries to lunge for me and nearly topples over since his feet are still frozen in place.

"You poisoned her!" he shouts at me. I carefully stay out of his reach.

"Since you know that, you must also know that the plan was never for her to die or for her son to be turned," I offer. "I would never have chosen that path if I had a different option."

"What about Ebb? What about my mother? Were you forced to kill them as well?" His jaw is clenched in fury, but I see tears stinging his eyes. They remind me of Lucy's.

I turn away from Simon and walk a few steps. "I always thought I was supposed to be the hero in this story, but instead I became the villain."

Simon

"What?" I ask. He sounds like he's quoting a Batman movie I saw when I was still in the children's home. While he's looking away from me, I try to pull my feet off the floor again. My trainers feel like they're filled with concrete.

"I've made a lot of mistakes Simon. I went about this all wrong, and I didn't realize how much I was losing myself as the years went by," the Mage begins as he turns around again to face me. "I kept thinking it was a means to an end. Lucy had to die so you could truly become the greatest mage. Natasha had to die so I wouldn't be found out about the vampire attack. They would have locked me away or worse, and then no one would be able to protect you. And Ebb had to die so I could have enough power to defeat the Humdrum. But then you…" he trails off.

I expect him to look guilty, but he's looking at me like a proud father. I grimace. "Why am I here? What do you want from me? I don't have any magic to give you if you haven't noticed." I put my arms out as if to emphasize how normal I am.

"I've been honest with you Simon. I have not told you a single lie today. I'd like the same respect," he says as he looks me straight in the eye. "I know you can access your magic again through the Pitch boy."

My face falls. I was betting on him not knowing that. I try to recover my resolve and challenge him again. "That still doesn't explain why I'm here- wherever here is. What do you want?"

"As I told you, I became the villain. I lost my way. I want to fix it. I can fix it." He looks at me hopefully.

"How?" I ask. "You lost any support you had in the world of mages as soon as they found out you sent the vampires to attack Watford. Even if you became the most powerful mage to walk the earth, no one would follow you."

"You misunderstand me. I can't fix it now. But I can fix it then. I can save everyone."

"What do you mean by you can fix it then?" I ask because I have no idea what he's talking about. I'm trying Baz's diplomatic tactic of keeping him talking to avoid being killed. I don't have many other options without magic, a weapon, or the ability to move my legs.

He responds with a question. "Think Simon. Why did you go to Watford this week?" He says it like he already knows the answer.

"There was an attack and someone- you or Christopher- was trying to get something out of your office. I assumed it might have been your journals since there was a burn mark by the secret panel." I say, not sure where he is going with this.

"Exactly. You are the only one who has seen me open that compartment in all my years at Watford. I couldn't get on the grounds without raising an alarm, so I sent Kit in my place," he explains.

"But he isn't part of your bloodline. He couldn't have opened-" I stop. The Mage's mouth begins to curl up in a smile.

"You knew I'd go." I say aloud.

"Yes Simon. I knew Ms. Bunce would have to get involved if her mother was in danger, and if you knew what the target was, you'd go with her to investigate in my office. I didn't know Mr. Pitch would be accompanying you as well, but I've learned a lot of interesting things about your relationship since I've been back."

"The spell Shepard was translating…" I begin as the pieces fall into place.

"Kit said he's quite interesting for a Normal. He was very useful in telling us about you and your recovered magic," the Mage continues.

"Where is Shepard?" I demand.

"He's fine. I may have become the villain in your story, but I don't want to be. That's what I am trying to tell you," he pleads.

I remember Christopher's words earlier about getting the translation.

"What does the spell do?" I ask, not sure I even want to know the answer.

He turns away from me again, but continues. "It's an old spell that only works once. The ancient Watford oracle created it. It allows the user to go back in time and fix one mistake."

I let this information sit in my mind, thinking which mistake the Mage would fix. But deep down I know. He already told me the last time we spoke.

If I could go back, there's nothing I'd change. Nothing. Except you.

"It's me. I'm the mistake," I say, confirming a fear I've held onto almost my entire life.

The Mage turns around again. There are tears on his cheeks. "I tried for so long to fix you Simon. To find the right words to keep you whole and thriving. That's why I raided all those homes. But you were never strong enough to be the vessel."

My body feels the weight of this truth and I sit down on the floor. The Mage sits down across from me.

"What are you planning to do?" I ask quietly. I can't look him in the eye, so I stare at the toy train laying on the floor to his right.

"I am going to go back to the day your mother-" he doesn't finish his sentence. "I have the words now to take your power from you. You'll be normal, like you were after the Chapel, only this time it will be permanent. I will wipe your mother's memories and send both of you to California to live out the life she wanted away from everything here."

"We'll be safe, but what about Headmistress Pitch and Baz? What about the Humdrum? And Ebb? You said you could save everyone."

"If I have your power from the beginning, the Coven will have no choice but to listen to me. I won't need to stage an attack to become the hero. I'll already be one. And I've looked into the research on the Humdrum since I've been back. It started the night your mother died. You went off because you were cracked- it was too much magic for a baby. But I'm stronger- I can contain it. No more murders. Just reforms that help usher us into a new era where magic is accessible to more than just the old families." His eyes sparkle the same way they did when he used to talk about what we would accomplish together when the Humdrum was defeated.

"But Penelope, Agatha, and Baz- I won't ever meet them." I say as a pain rises in my chest.

"I know this is hard to hear Simon, but they'll be better for it. How many times has Ms. Bunce gotten hurt or gave up a part of her life to be there for you? She didn't even finish her Watford degree." He sighs.

"And how many times was Ms. Wellbelove put in danger because of the Humdrum going after you?" I don't answer him as I let his words suffocate me.

"Baz…" I start to say. I close my eyes thinking about our kiss in the bathroom. I shouldn't have let him leave.

I hear the Mage stand up. When I open my eyes, he has his wand out and is pointing it into the darkness. "If my memory serves me well!" he shouts.

The room starts changing, like at the cottage when we relived my own memories. The Mage points his wand at my feet and says "Release." He motions for me to move with him towards the far wall. I go because I feel like my will to fight back is draining out of me.

Light streams in through the high windows and the blackness erases from the ceiling as a mural shines through of a rabbit. A few cradles appear along the back wall, and the door I've heard a couple times tonight comes into view. It's made of thick wood with carvings of rabbits and badgers. The green train I had been staring at earlier is now on a track with little toy buildings and villagers standing around it. A boy with dark hair is sitting near it, watching it circle around the track. My heart swells when I realize it's Baz.

"It's the nursery," I whisper. The Mage doesn't say anything. He is watching the door.

Headmistress Pitch walks in with a younger version of the Mage trailing behind her.

"Did you have a chance to look over my proposal?" he asks her hopefully.

"Not now Davy," she brushes him off. Her face lights up when she sees Baz. "Basilton!" she cries out as she squats and reaches her arms towards him.

His face breaks into a huge smile. His skin looks warmer here- no hints of gray. I watch him run over and embrace his mother as she scoops him up.

"Do you want to come up and play in my office little puff?" she asks Baz as she tickles him under one arm. He shakes his head up and down at her eagerly.

"But Headmistress Pitch," the Mage tries again.

She puts a hand up at him and sighs. "Later Davy. I don't get time with Basilton very often." And then she walks out. As soon as the memory of the Mage exits behind her, the room around us fades to the bare blackened walls I woke up to not long ago.

The Mage puts his hand on my shoulder. I don't shrug it off.

"Simon," he says gently. "I know you care for him. Your magic wouldn't anchor to him without a strong bond. But I'm giving you an opportunity to save him. To give him a life where he is truly alive and where he can watch his mother grow old instead of being taken away from him so young."

I pull away when he says this, remembering who took Baz's mom away. I take a few steps forward.

"I still don't know why I'm here," I say. I lean over and pick up the toy train that Baz was marveling at just minutes ago.

"The spell requires great power. I need yours to do it," the Mage says quietly.

"Then why didn't you just take it? Why did you bring me here and talk to me?" I ask.

"The spell you cast at the Chapel. I can't hurt you anymore. I don't want to hurt you anymore, but there's something that prevents me from actually harming you, too. If you agree to it, then I'll be able to perform the ritual and change the past. You'll be free," he finishes explaining.

"How do I know you won't just make all the same choices again? That my mum and Headmistress Pitch and Ebb won't end up dead?" I turn to look him in the eye when he answers this question.

He pulls out his wand and reaches out his hand. I hesitate to take it.

"I need your hand to make the vow," he says. I look down at the toy train I'm still holding and then toss it on the floor. I reach out and grasp the Mage's hand.

"When I go back in time, no one you love will get hurt. They will be safe. Cross my heart, and hope to die!" Our hands glow for a moment, and then he releases me.

The Mage

"Is that a yes?" I ask Simon carefully. He looks like he's carrying the weight of the world again. It's not fair, but that's why I need to change the past so he'll never be burdened with any of this.

He turns to the side, looking where young Basil was playing with the train in the memory I shared. He closes his eyes and nods. "What do you need me to do?"