Bartimaeus

It wasn't the most glamorous reunion, to be honest. But then again, I've never had a glamorous reunion with a magician before. It was just the worst possible timing. After leaving Nathaniel behind, I decided that I was going to complete this mission in my own way. A much faster way. The boy always somehow slowed me down and the speed we were going with the mission was taking a toll on my essence. I also needed to get away far from him and back to the Other Place. It only took half a day to find the very few magicians that lived in Prague. I figured there still must be around, just in hiding. After blending in with the few commoners, and prying some information out with some smooth talking, I discovered the names of the magicians and their location.

Arriving at their place, I spent the rest of the day acting as a traveling magician from London. Like the idiots that all magicians were, they immediately took me in. The amount of bullshit that I strung together in detailed stories to keep them entertained could clog the sewer system of Rome. They ate it all up, fascinated with every remark I made. Eventually, after a few careful prodding, the conversation then switched from late wives to commoners. Troublesome commoners, to be exact. From what I gathered, commoners were not as hostile as they are in London. In fact, there was no violence. Instead, they were much more sneaky with their actions. They reported to Prague's armed forces who would quickly arrest the unsuspecting magician. The same folks that chased Nathaniel and I across the city a few years ago. So, it was all just arrests. No explosions or attempted assassinations.

Because of this, the few magicians living in Prague were often moving place to place. Every few months, their address would change. They would change their names and don a whole new identity. They also very rarely summoned spirits. I questioned on why they would stay in Prague, but they never gave me a straight answer. Something about pride. A stupid answer, frankly. Despite all the stupidity that were pouring out of their mouth, I was still getting the answers I wanted and needed. I was one step closer to freedom. Just as the youngest magician bent down to whisper his most recent but troubling commoner, Nathaniel walks in. As with most things with him, chaos followed.

He was only there for a few minutes and yet - he ruined everything. The whole mission just went belly-up. In a span of half an hour, three magicians chocked in their own blood to death and it wasn't even planned. It was astounding really. I really need to check if that counts as a world record. Not even I could pull that off. But, I digress. To make matters worse, Nathaniel started arguing with me. My patience was at an all-time low. Usually, I participate in these arguments. I never miss a moment to spit out straight facts at him. But I was not in the mood and I made sure he knew that.

The drugs were laced, that much was obvious. Alec deliberately gave Nathaniel laced drugs, knowing the effect it would lead. Before their unfortunate and untimely death, the magicians did mention something interesting. An Abraham. Whoever he is, he seemed important enough to have some kind of an assistant and he knew of the magicians. If Alec is Abraham's assistant, I'm assuming Alec was taking his orders on killing these poor folks. Perhaps Abraham works closely with Hopkins Hopkins or the mercenary. Either way, it was another person I needed to meet. Another step closer.

Dawn was now nearing. The gentle tapping of the raindrops against the cobblestone pavement were picking up in speed. I tossed the hood of my coat over my head to shield my face. I was back in Ptolemy's form. It was risky changing my form but it had to be done. I took a quick glance at Nathaniel and noticed fat raindrops seeping into his coat. The bitter wind picked up and he shivered, letting out a small curse. We picked up the pace, head down. Small puddles splashed beneath our feet as he led me directly to Alec's domain.

"Did Alec say anything about coming back?" I asked after several minutes of quiet walking.

"No."

He took a sharp turn to the left and ducked underneath an abandoned wooden fence that had once closed off the alleyway. Without glancing behind, he kept walking. I followed, keeping up with his pace. The stony walls seemed to close in, towering over us in an unsettling manner. I kept an eye on the many windows of the buildings, searching for any movements.

"Very creepy here. It would be a lot better if I could fly us to his place. Much faster that way. It seems that Prague does suck ass."

He said nothing. A large dumpster sat in the center of the narrow alleyway, blocking our path. He squeezed past it with his back against the wall while I did a somersault over it, landing neatly on my feet.

"Did you see that? Parkour."

He wiped the rain off his face with a soaked sleeve. He kept walking, hands stuffed in his coat's pocket. I stayed where I was, watching him stalk away. By this point, the rain was pouring mercilessly. His coat was beginning to drip and his shoes squelched with every step.

"Hey!" I called out.

He was already halfway down the alleyway before he slowed down. Upon realizing I wasn't following him anymore, he turned and faced me. He looked at me and I looked at him. A low rumble of thunder could be heard in the far distance. He was shivering underneath his soaked coat but he didn't show any discomfort. In fact, he showed no emotion. His face was a blank slate. I couldn't quite read his mood, which was a first.

"Why aren't you talking? You're not even complaining about your soaked socks. Half of London knows about your hatred of wet socks. What gives?"

"Damn it," he hissed through his teeth as if his jaw were wired shut. "Now you want to talk?"

He jabbed his finger at my direction. "Why is it that when I need us to talk, you evade me? But when you want to talk, its not okay for me to be quiet!"

I rolled my eyes and held up my hands up. "Shit, man. Forget I asked."

"No! You wanna talk? Let's talk. We're discussing this right now."

He stomped towards me, his sneakers making a comedic squelching sound. It really didn't help him look serious. Not that I ever took him seriously.

"Why did you leave me?" He challenged, jabbing his finger sharply onto my chest. I smacked it away as if it was a bug.

"Clingy much?"

Lightning flashed, followed by a loud rumble of thunder. It could have been my imagination, but during the few seconds in which the sky lit up, I could have sworn I saw his cheeks go red. I felt my essence stir. I quelled it down.

"My day was absolute shit because of you. All of this could have been avoided if you were just there!" He shouted, one fist clenched at his side and the other wiping the raindrops that fell across his face. He looked pathetic.

"So are you admitting that you fucked up the mission? That if I were there, none of this would have happened? Wow, Nat. Didn't think you could admit your own faults and flaws. While we're on this topic, let me list some more of these flaws of yours."

"Shut up!" He growled as he shoved me. It was a clumsy shove but he still managed to almost make me lose my balance.

"Do that again and I'll express mail you to Hopkins in a cardboard box," I snapped.

"No! You're an ass. You're the cause of my confusing feelings!"

"I'm not your therapist but, please, for my sake, go see one."

"Am I interrupting a lover's spat?" A familiar voice drawled on.

Nathaniel jumped and let out a small shriek. Before he could run, I grabbed him roughly by the collar of his coat, shoving him behind me, away from the direction of the source of the voice.

"Who's there?" I snarled.

From within the shadows of the alleyway, Alec stepped out with a grin on his face. Got to hand it to him, it was a very theatrical entrance, albeit a bit cheesy. But if the lighting and the dreary atmosphere was there, anyone would take that as an opportunity in a heartbeat. Nevertheless, I made sure to keep my distance from Alec. After all the shit he pulled, I don't exactly trust him. Not that I ever did, mind you.

"You really shouldn't sneak up on people like that," I advised. "Could get yourself killed one day."

Nathaniel peeked over my shoulder. "Oh, it's just Alec."

The tall teen made no indication that he heard us. From his pocket, Alec pulled out a cigarette and offered one to me. I declined. Shrugging, he lit it and inhaled the grey wispy stench. As he spoke, smoke puffed out from his lips.

"We missed you earlier, Ptolemy. Long night?"

"How'd you find us?" I asked, my eyes narrowing. He didn't seem to have anything on him. No phone, no scrying glass, nothing. Just a simple black leather jacket that squeaked as he moved.

"I was getting worried about Nathan since he hadn't come back yet. Decided to look for him myself. Speaking of which…" Alec took another drag and exhaled, watching the smoke drift up into the wet air and disappear. "How'd it go Nathan?"

"You miserable cunt!" Nathaniel shouted. He stepped from behind me angrily, gesticulating wildly. I pulled him back by the arm to keep him by my side. "You could have fucking warned me. What the hell is your problem!?"

Alec doubled over and burst into a loud harsh cackle of laughter. "What's the deal, Nathan? I thought you were used to this. Aren't the Resistance killing magicians up in London?"

"YES! But I'm not killing them! I don't want to be a murderer."

He was still laughing. Nathaniel stood there with irritation in his anger. His mouth was rigid and his hard staring eyes never blinked. I sensed fury about to be unleashed. Nathaniel was never the kind to laugh at the dead. He was always very strict about showing the dead the upmost respect. Especially if they were magicians. I learned my lesson when I once made a dark joke over some poor old bloke's death a few years back. I got an earful that day. Alec's laughter seemed to have triggered a fuse within him. I nudged him.

"Don't do anything stupid," I hastily whispered.

"Oh, this is great!" Taking one last drag, Alec tossed the cigarette into a nearby puddle. The small fire snuffed out, a faint smoke rising. "How'd they go out? Did they choke in their own blood? Was there a lot? I bet the fat one rolled all over the place when he fell over, huh?"

He was finding this way too amusing. Nathaniel was seething in his anger now. I could almost see the steam blow from his ears as if he was some kind of train engine. Before Nathaniel could answer, I stepped in.

"Are you part of the Resistance?"

Alec lazily appraised me for a few seconds. "Maybe. Maybe not. Depends on why you're asking."

"Who's Abraham?"

I saw a glint of suspicion in his eyes. His smile faltered, and his brows furrowed. For almost a minute, Alec and I regarded each other silently. Neither of us moved. The rain was lessening now and the first evidence of dawn was finally faintly peeking through the heavy, dark clouds.

"How do you know about him?" He finally asked, his mouth twisting.

I gave him a small shrug. "Wouldn't you like to know."

"This isn't a game, Ptolemy."

"I sure hope its not," Nathaniel interrupted, scoffing. "Murdering people isn't exactly what I would call a favored past time."

Alec kicked a loose pebble. "I wouldn't call it murdered, exactly. Just removed. Exterminated. As you would with a roach infestation in your own home."

"I think I recall Adolf Hitler using the same language," I pointed out. "Whatever word you use, it's all the same to me."

Alec gave a small smile, eyes glancing back and forth between Nathaniel and I. He chuckled lightly. "That's pretty apparent, actually. An apologist for the magicians. Honestly, it's fascinating. I thought, out of everyone here, you would be the one jumping for joy. I was a little disappointed but perplexed at your motives. But, after what I just witnessed between you and Nathan… Well, I understand now. And it's vile." He spat the last word out, eyes burning with pure hate piercing me down.

I shifted uneasily. "What are you talking about?"

"Wouldn't you like to know?" He mocked. "There's no point in hiding it now, then. Do you want to meet Abraham? I suppose I should introduce you two to him. You can ask all your burning questions to him."

"You never answered our question," Nathaniel remarked. "Are you part of the Resistance?"

"No, I'm not. But I don't mind doing the work. Sometimes I get asked to do the dirty work. Sometimes I accept them. Only if it benefits me, of course. I'm just a kid with a small growing business."

"You mean that drug business in that shit hole?"

Alec sniffed. "My patience is wearing thin now. If you want to talk to Abraham, you're going to have to meet him this coming evening. He's holding a large feast for the people here in Prague to celebrate Gladstone's death. It'll be held at the Old Town Hall. Dress sharp. Otherwise, you'll stick out. Now, I've only came to collect the payment that you took from the magicians."

"Tough shit," I goaded. "If you want the money, you can get it yourself. The bodies are all stuffed in a tight closet. Might wanna be careful opening it as they might all topple over and land on you. You especially don't want the big one to fall on you."

"Oh, so you were there too, Ptolemy? How'd it feel? Watching those magicians squirm helplessly?"

I waved a hand. "I'm not answering your questions. You're fucked in the head."

He gave a lazy shrug. "Fine. If you two ever need anything, you know where to find me. And I hope you enjoy Abraham's feast tomorrow. There's a rumor that some special guests will arrive, so he's bringing out the fanciest cooks for the fanciest dish. He even told me of a special ingredient. I don't think you want to miss out on that."

With that said, Alec turned on his heels and walked away, his leather jacket billowing in the bitter wind. Only the scent of burned nicotine was left lingering in his place. The constant pattering of the rain had ended long ago but the atmosphere was still damp. Nathaniel let out a wet sneeze and wiped his nose. His soaked clothes provided no heat from the cold. I offered to dry it off with a bit of fire but he refused as it will only attract unwanted attention and the stink of magic will linger heavily around us. Instead, shivering and with every squelching step of our soaked shoes, we made the miserable trip back towards the direction to his hotel room. It was time to go back and recollect ourselves.