Review Responses:
Crystal Music: I tried to capture the characters as well as I could – I know how much it annoys me when writers don't. I found it quite hard to write Christopher's character at first and that's probably why it's mainly Millie talking about him so far, but I've tried to put a little more of Christopher himself in this chapter and I hope it works.

Lightning Bug and Tori: Thankyou. I have been trying to write faster, but it doesn't seem to working that well so far. The next chapter should be up a bit more quickly though.

Demonprincess81: I'mglad to hear you liked the first scene – I thought you would. You're about to find out what happens in series 10 – enjoy!

Skribe: I really wish there were more Christopher/Millie stories. There's so much Howl/Sophie in comparison that it hardly seems fair. We really need more people to start writing them – come on guys! I like the idea of Millie and Christopher just waking up and realising they're in love, but I think it'll take something a little more dramatic, in this story at least.

Chapter Four

When the sun had reached its highest point in the sky and the heat in the city had started to become even more suffocatingly unbearable Millie and Christopher began to make their way back through the narrow, confusing streets to the Asheth Temple.

Somehow, Christopher seemed to know without being told how apprehensive she was feeling about going back there, or it might simply have been that he was feeling the same way. She rather hoped it was the latter, as she would have hated to think that her behaviour was as predictable as Christopher's could sometimes be. Remembering his obvious fear at the thought of meeting the Arm of Asheth again (she didn't really blame him as she rather felt the same), she had immediately vetoed the idea of going through the public part of the Temple - she didn't really know her way around that part after all. So it was Christopher's turn to lead the way – to the Alley and the high, spiked wall he used to go through to get into the Temple on his spirit travels all those years ago. This time, however neither of them had any trouble sliding through and they were in the blazingly hot and bright cat-filled courtyard in a second.

It was strange, Millie thought – she had grown up so much in the time since she had left the Temple that she would have expected it to have completely changed as well. But it hadn't – it still looked exactly the same as it had when she herself was the Living Asheth, which she supposed was comforting in a way.

She jumped as she heard Christopher's voice in her ear, surprisingly close. "Look over there – I think it's Throgmorten the Second!" He pointed to a ginger cat, which did look a little like the cat he had taken from the Temple, and was certainly behaving in a Throgmorten-like manner, currently being busily engaged in bullying a few of the smaller cats into submission. Millie smiled – it was true that Christopher's continual joking could be annoying, but it always seemed to cheer her up.

"Throgmorten the second, what a frightening thought! I think we'd better keep well away. One perfectly vile cat is enough, thank you," she answered, suddenly finding herself fighting the urge to laugh. Christopher seemed to be having the same problem.

"Oh I couldn't agree more. Think of the carnage if they ever took a dislike to each other. And another Throgmorten! Now that's something Gabriel would never forgive me for! So whereabouts would Mother Proudfoot be?"

"In her chamber, I suppose. She always used to…" Millie broke off as a familiar figure emerged from the nearest creeper covered archway with an equally familiar stern look on her face, although she could tell that the priestess was really enormously pleased to see her.

"Hello, my Asheth daughter. I sensed that you had arrived here, although I didn't quite believe it. You have grown up! So what brings you here? And who's this?" With this last question she gave Christopher a strange, considering look that almost seemed to be one of protectiveness towards Millie. But that was silly, of course - why could she possibly need protecting from Christopher? It didn't make any sense. Christopher looked equally taken aback - he was shifting in a way that she would have thought of as nervous had it been anyone else, and he seemed to be waiting for her to speak for once.

"This is my friend Christopher – you probably remember him. He was there when you came to find me in series 12. He's Gabriel de Witt's heir, you know"

"Ah yes, the boy who used to visit you in the Temple. Oh, don't look so surprised," she added, noticing Millie's stunned look at this, "not much gets past me you know. Well its nice to know you're still good friends. Much as I am glad to see you, there must be a reason you decided to come," she looked at them expectantly, clearly waiting for an answer.

Millie swallowed. She had forgotten how observant Mother Proudfoot could be, although it did seem that she had got the wrong end of the stick about her and Christopher. From the awed look on Christopher's face at seeing the priestess again and being back in the Temple it was clear that she'd have to do it. She took a deep breath and began.

"Well, it's all down to Christopher really. It started when…"she went onto tell her everything, about the strange atmosphere at the Castle, the spell, and even how they had managed to get to Series 10 without Gabriel realising. She listened with a thoughtful look on her face, and waited until she was sure that Millie had finished before responding.

"I can't say I know what to tell you. I haven't really noticed anything unusual here. I do think the spell must have called you here for a reason though – are you sure it was the one you thought?"

Millie frowned as she thought about this. She was fairly sure she knew why, but she had learned that it never did to be too certain of anything when there was magic involved. Christopher was frowning too, but in pure annoyance.

"What do you mean, another reason? It's simple. Gabriel can't solve this problem, and Millie and I are supposed to do it for him, and that's all there is to it." His tone was as final and haughty sounding as Millie could ever remember it being, and clearly he wasn't about to stand for anyone interfering in his plans.

"And you think you can do better than de Witt, I suppose, with all his years of experience?" From Christopher's somewhat smug and complacent smile it was clear that he did, and he pretended not to notice any sharpness in the elderly priestess' tone.

"And you don't think that that might be a little unrealistic?"

"As a matter of fact I don't," he replied hotly. Gabriel was still one of his thorniest subjects, and he really hated it when he thought someone was questioning his abilities.

"Calm down, Christopher, she didn't mean anything by it," Millie hissed in his ear, pinching him on the arm warningly. The last thing she needed was for Christopher to start an argument. She wanted him top get on with Mother Proudfoot and besides, the long silver spears of the Arm of Asheth still loomed frighteningly in her memory. The thought of Christopher getting hurt because of her terrified her.

Mother Proudfoot was going on. "I really wish I could help you, but of course the sort of things that would worry de Witt aren't really my concern." Christopher's face visibly fell at this, and he looked so disappointed that Millie felt truly sorry for him.

"But there must be something else! We can't have just reached a dead end." She said, suddenly as desperate for there to be another way as Christopher obviously was.

"The obvious thing to do would be to return to Series 12. De Witt probably didn't tell you for a reason, and unlike you Millie has only one life." Christopher looked aghast at the idea that he was somehow putting Millie in danger. "However I can see that you are both utterly determined. I'll help you in any way I can of course."

"Thankyou," Christopher said in his perfectly polite voice, while giving Millie a look that seemed to convey what a waste of time he thought their visit to the Temple had been.

"If you stay a bit longer I may be able to think of something else." Christopher didn't look too hopeful but he nodded nevertheless, while Mother Proudfoot went on briskly, "you can't stay in the Temple of course, but there should be plenty of places to stay. You shouldn't have any problems, but make sure you stay together. I can trust you to keep her safe, can't I?"

"Of course you can trust me," Christopher sounded shocked that she would say such a thing, but at the same time his voice had an air of complete authority, as though what he was saying was an indisputable fact. "I'd do anything for my friends and Millie's one of the best ones I have. I'd lose every one of the rest of my lives before I'd let anything happen to her."

Although Millie felt exactly the same about Christopher but she was still somewhat surprised that he felt so strongly about her and was willing to say so out loud – it was impossible to tell what he was really feeling most of the time after all.

"I'm very glad to hear it," Mother Proudfoot's reply seemed innocuous enough, but she looked uncannily like someone who had just had something they knew all along confirmed once and for all. "Very well. I'll see you both at noon tomorrow," and to Millie, "I'm truly glad to have seen you again Asheth daughter – you were always my favourite Living One. Goodbye." With that, she turned and clinked away, leaving both Millie and Christopher with rather puzzled looks on their faces.

As soon as they had left the blazing courtyard for the narrow shady alley Millie sank down and sat on the dusty ground leaning against the high muddy coloured wall of her childhood home. Christopher followed with a distinctly disappointed look on his face, for once not seeming to care if he got his clothes dirty.

"I'm sorry that was such a waste of time. I knew you really didn't want to go and I made you anyway. That was unfair. And I suppose I could have been nicer to Mother Clubfoot." Millie didn't think he had anything to apologise for, but he seemed genuinely contrite. He moved closer so they were almost touching and looked at her closely, obviously waiting for her to respond.

"Mother Proudfoot , Christopher. Honestly, I'll turn you into a toad the next time you get someone's name wrong. It's really rather annoying you know." She tried her hardest to sound intimidating but didn't manage very well at all as she was trying not to laugh.

"Oh, I'm afraid, believe me. You've always been a formidable opponent, ever since you first stuck my feet to the floor in there." He pointed back towards the Temple, laughing as well, knowing she hadn't been serious for a minute. They had always been like this, but it didn't mean they liked each other any less, quite the opposite in fact. Christopher seemed to sober up though, and the smile disappeared from his face, disappointing Millie a little. "Seriously though, what are we going to do next?"

"I honestly have no idea."

"Me neither," he paused, frowning anxiously, "you were alright though? Going back to the Temple, I mean. They were supposed to sacrifice you after all." The look on his face was as worried as she could ever remember it being, and he put his arm round her shoulder as though to comfort her.

"I'm fine. Really." She meant it - she had been a little frightened, but it hadn't seemed as bad with Christopher there somehow. He looked at her for a few seconds longer, as though he wanted to ensure that she was telling the truth, and then sat back against the wall, looking a great deal happier. She did think about moving his arm but decided against it. It felt nice, and it wasn't as though it meant anything of course. Although she thought it might not be an entirely bad thing if it did.

"Millie, did Mother Proudfoot think…"Christopher's voice brought her out of her reverie, and she looked up, almost too eager to hear the rest of his sentence to notice that he had got the priestess' name right for once. Perhaps he lost courage at the last minute, or perhaps what he was going to say wasn't important at all but he abruptly changed the subject. "We should probably walk around a bit more, until I faint from the heat at least. I don't see how sitting around here will do us much good." He got to his feet, turning around at once to help Millie up. "Come on." He then walked a few feet before turning around and asking, "I'm not too dusty am I?" Millie just laughed.

Only half an hour had passed since they left the alley by the Temple to Asheth, but both Christopher and Millie were already heartily sick of the heat. The city was getting hotter with every second, and the crowds of people just made it worse. Every step seemed to take three times as much effort as it would have done in the garden of Chrestomanci Castle in Series 12. "Maybe we should find some shade." Millie murmured, barely able to concentrate long enough to say that much. She spotted a narrow street between two tall buildings that was entirely in shadow and led Christopher towards it.

"Oh thank the Lord. I can't believe anywhere could be this hot. What I wouldn't give for a nice English torrential downpour now..."

He went on but Millie didn't really hear. Where had she seen the building at the end of the street before? The parade on the day of the Festival never came this far. Then she remembered.

"Christopher! I saw that building just before the spell cut off. I just know it's important."

"It looks as though we have another lead." Christopher's voice sounded calm, but it was clear from the look on his face that he'd cheered up considerably. It looked as though he might get a chance to teach Gabriel that lesson after all.

A/N: Whatever you do, don't forget to review!