Christopher

I should have escaped when I had the chance. I should have ran as far away from Watford and Davy as I could. But something told me to stay.

I heard what Baz told Simon about the prophecy. And I think he's right- about all of it. I let Davy steer me one way for so long that I never saw there were other paths.

I can tell they love each other. I felt that way once about Daniel before I had to leave to save him from what I'd become. I was afraid to even say goodbye at the time so I just left. It was that hardest thing I had to do until today.

I didn't want my nephew to go through the same pain.

When I saw Davy rise, I started moving. I didn't make it in time to stop the dagger.

But I did save Baz from the fire.

As the flames burn through my skin, I feel a warm hand grasp mine.

Lucy, I think as I close my eyes.

And then the pain is gone.

Baz

It takes me a few seconds to realize I'm not the one burning, and then a few more to realize what Christopher did to save me.

I hear Simon screaming, but I can only see the Mage through the flames. He's looking satisfied with his work and then turns his attention back to Simon.

I won't give him the chance to start his spell again. I yank the blade out of my shoulder and throw it with my good arm through the last of the flames as Christopher burns out. It's not like I'm a champion at throwing daggers, but my strength compensates for my aim and the Mage doubles over when it hits him in the chest.

I run over to Simon. He looks at me like a ghost. "You- you were dead! The fire!" He's shaking so badly the shackles by his wrists are rattling loudly against the platform.

My right hand is clamped over my shoulder to try and stop the bleeding, so I place my left hand on Simon's chest over his heart. "Your uncle," I say quietly.

Simon looks around me at the charred remains on the floor in disbelief. I see grief in his eyes, too. If Christopher was willing to sacrifice himself to save me, he must have cared about Simon.

Pain shoots down from my shoulder and my fingers involuntarily clench against Snow's chest.

Simon's eyes move away from the floor and focus on my shoulder. He must be channeling his magic through me because the shackles burst open by his wrists. He quickly sits up and pulls my hand away from my shoulder, replacing it with his own.

The blood stops flowing from my shoulder almost instantly. I feel the wound close under Simon's palm.

He lifts his hand tentatively, as if afraid his magic didn't hold, and then sighs with relief when he sees the skin is closed.

He looks like he might kiss me when we hear the Mage begin to cough. Blood is seeping out the corners of his mouth. His arms are grasping at the dagger in his chest, but he's too weak to remove it. He probably has minutes left to live.

Snow takes my hand and we walk around the platform so that we're both standing over him.

"Simon," the Mage coughs again, "we can still save…."

"No," Simon says firmly. "I thought you had changed. That you wanted to do things differently. But my uncle is dead because of you." His voice falters on this last sentence. I squeeze his hand tightly and he continues. "You won't save the World of Mages. You'll destroy it."

I see the light going out of the Mages eyes. And then I hear Daphne scream. I turn to look through the window in the wall I created for Snow and see my stepmother trying to keep a merwolf from mangling my father.

I turn back to Simon. "We need to go. They need us."

"Can you even fight right now?" Simon asks. It's a fair question. He may have healed my arm, but my body is still weak from the injury as if it's still there. Fighting with Christopher before has drained my magic, too. I try to start a fire in my free hand but can only manage a few sparks at the moment. Snow, on the other hand, looks fine. It's as if deciding to fight back has given him the strength to do so.

"It doesn't matter," I say. "I still have to try."

Simon looks back at the Mage. The wall behind him starts to curve over his arms, forming stone cuffs holding him in place.

"I don't think he'll last…" I start to say, but Snow cuts me off.

"I'm not taking any chances," he says, and then we make our way to the front door.

When we get outside, he lets go of my hand and stands in front of me with his back to my face. He reaches behind himself and pulls my arms around his neck.

"I have an idea, but you're not going to like it," he says to me over his shoulder. "Just don't let go, ok?"

"Ok," I say and notice for the first time Simon is taller than me. "What are you…?" I start to say, but I figure it out when the blue wings stretch out wide from his back.

Shepard

One of the merwolves ripped my leg open with its claws earlier, and I'm having a hard time staying on my feet. I hear Baz's stepmother scream and look over to his dad trying to wrestle a merwolf off his chest. We were doing well at the beginning, but with Nicodemus and Agatha's dad sidelined and the rest of the group running out of magic reserves, the tide is shifting quickly.

I guess the good news is that we are still here to keep fighting. Which means the time travel spell hasn't been cast.

I swing my sword to block a merwolf lunging at Penelope, but the forward movement causes me to stumble on my unsteady legs and I pitch forward, hitting the ground with a thud.

I roll onto my back quickly so I don't get crushed by the merwolf I slashed and then I see it.

There's a blue dragon standing outside the nursery door with its wings outstretched, ready to take off.

"Uh, Penelope" I say, loud enough so that she'll hear me over the noise. "Is Baz fighting a dragon?"

Penelope throws back another merwolf with her magic and whips around. Baz's arms are grasping hard around the dragon's neck as it pushes up off the ground and starts flying towards us. I scramble to my feet and hold my sword up, standing in front of Penelope to protect her (though I basically feel about as powerful as if I were holding a toothpick up to a tiger).

Penelope reaches her hand around me and pulls my arm down. She's grinning excitedly. "It's Simon!" she shouts.

Penelope

I told Basil that Simon must have been thinking about that dragon when he conjured those wings and tail the first time!

Simon is surprisingly graceful in this form. Baz just looks like he's holding on for dear life.

We all tried to fight alongside Simon as he began using his fire and talons to take out the rest of the merwolves, but we found we were getting in his way more than we were helping. So we started pulling back towards Nicodemus and Dr. Wellbelove instead. I think the merwolves would have retreated back to the moat by now if it weren't for the Mage's spell telling them to fight to the death.

"Can you all turn into dragons?" Shepard asks in amazement, not able to take his eyes off Simon. He's sitting in the grass next to me while I try to heal the gashes on his leg.

My mother answers. "We don't teach transfiguration anymore. Not many mages could master it, and those that could ran the risk of their mind being overtaken by the creature they changed into." She looks over at Simon as he breathes fire down on a cluster of merwolves by the Chapel.

"But Simon will change back," I say. "His magic relies on Baz. When he breaks contact, Simon will be back to his usual self."

My mother considers this but looks at me skeptically. "While I am thankful for the assistance tonight, I'm going to advise this be the last time he tries it."

When I glance back at Simon, he looks like he's about to land and change back. He doesn't notice the final merwolf running up behind him. He doesn't see it lunge at Baz's leg. Its teeth snag sharply on Baz's ankle and it pulls him off Simon's back before I can warn them.

Simon

I fall as soon as Baz does. Luckily I was flying low.

I hit the ground face first, immediately back to my human self (Thank Merlin my body returned to itself with clothes). I push myself up and immediately start looking for Baz. I didn't see the merwolf before it pulled him off me, but it's running straight at me now and I have no way of defending myself. I instinctively cross my arms over my face as a last resort.

But before the merwolf reaches me, it lets out an ear-piercing shriek and falls dead at my feet.

Mr. Grimm is standing a few meters behind it, his wand in hand.

I slowly drop my arms. "Thanks," I say.

He nods at me, and I think I almost see the corners of his mouth turn up. But then I hear Baz call my name behind me.

I take off running. Baz moves towards me, too, but his leg is hurt so he's limping. I close the distance between us in seconds, throw my arms around his neck, and kiss him. His arms encircle my back and he pulls me tight against his chest.

"Are you mad Snow?!" Baz yells at me between kisses. "What if you had stayed a dragon forever?"

I pull my head away from his, but keep my arms around his neck. "I didn't. I knew you wouldn't let me."

He kisses me this time, and it isn't until Penelope whispers "For f-'s sake Basil. Our parents are here," that he stops.

Penelope

Simon and Baz lead the rest of us into the nursery. Simon looks very weak, and Baz won't let go of his hand. He used his magic to heal everyone as best he could and I'm sure turning into a dragon was no small feat. But to be fair, we're all pretty knackered.

The Mage is slumped against the far wall, held there in place by stone cuffs. My parents move closer to inspect him.

"He's dead," my father finally says.

"We should burn the body this time," Simon says. I see a tear slide down his cheek. Even though the Mage was evil, he was still his father.

My mother nods. "I think that would be wise," she agrees. She and my father back away from the Mage, and Fiona and Baz move forward, mumbling the words to draw fire to their palms. Nicodemus stands next to Fiona, holding two candles he pulled off the wall. He hands one to Simon who is still holding Baz's hand.

"This is for Natasha," Fiona says, her voice filled with emotion as she moves the fire from her palm to the Mage's left hand. It starts to burn.

"For Ebeneza," Nicodemus says, his mouth a straight line as he lights one of the Mage's feet aflame with the candle.

"For my mother," Simon says quietly, lighting the Mage's other foot.

"And for Christopher," Baz says gently, moving the flame from his hand to the Mage's.

We all quietly watch the Mage burn until there's nothing left. Shepard has his arm around me while I lean into his side. My parents stand together next to me, too.

Dr. Wellbelove has a hand on Agatha's shoulder as she watches the scene quietly, one of her hands holding steady over her heart.

Baz's father is crying silently as Daphne holds his hand and rests against his shoulder. I think it's hard for him to be in the place where his wife died.

It must be hard for Baz, too. But he just takes Simon into his arms and holds him until all that's left of the Mage is ash.

Simon eventually lets go of Baz and turns to my mum. "What now?"

"Well," my mother sighs. "I believe Basil promised to tell us about how you all killed vampires in America if we succeeded in saving you. Why don't you start there while we clean up the mess outside?" She begins walking out of the nursery and the adults follow her.

Agatha jumps in front of the rest of us before we can do the same.

"Ok, just so we're all in agreement- let's blame everything that happened in America on Ginger," she says as she widens her eyes at us.

"Well, you did tell her you wanted to go to Burning Lad instead of the retreat," I say.

"Exactly," Agatha says smiling.

"Can we also tell them I told you guys not to trust Lamb?" Simon asks playfully as he raises one eyebrow at Baz.

"No!" Baz groans, but he's having a hard time not smiling back at Simon.