Chapter 13: The Awakening

By Conception.Creation

Disclaimer: The Bartimaeus Trilogy is the property of Jonathan Stroud

A/N: Reviewers, you are fabulous! Thank you for taking the time to tell me what you think of the story! By the way guys, next chapter is the big finale. After that there will be a short epilogue. I can't believe I've made it this far, and I know I couldn't have done it without you all!

Kitty awoke to the pale gold swirl of the late afternoon sunlight drifting through the dust motes in the air above her. She let her head fall to the side, noting with detachment that her left arm was pinned under a remarkably heavy heap of rubble. She blinked.

Rubble and grime shot up Kitty's nose as she took a breath. She fell into a fit of painful coughing, raising the dust on her face and clothes. Her chest burned like fire. She slowly stood to her feet, bits of rubble and dirt sliding off her and skittering across the ground. She took an experimental step, lurching like a drunkard in her dazed state.

Finally, gaining her bearings, she glanced around her. What had for a short time been her holding cell was now no more then a heap of rock in a shallow crater. Kitty remembered the blast of the Elemental Sphere. It must have been a particularly strong one to have caused this much destruction. Despite the throbbing pain in her arm, Kitty supposed she had been lucky to be buried in the wreckage, as it appeared that her captors had failed to notice her because of it.

So then, where were Bartimaeus and Rebecca? Had they been captured? Buried? Did they escape? Kitty climbed over the fallen stones, desperate for a familiar face.

A bright gleam caught her eye. An ancient, dusty stone structure stood a little to her left. In olden times it must have served as some sort of storage area for the Temple of the Oracle, but now it was decrepit and grey, its wooden door worn and notched. Yet embedded into the door's weathered surface was a decidedly modern-looking lock. Large, brass, and quite garish, it stood out like a polar bear on a tropical beach.

Kitty crept up to the building, immediately suspicious. What on Earth had Werfel decided to lock up in here? Should she dare free it?

The enemy of my enemy is my friend. She reminded herself.

Kitty selected a heavy stone from the gravely path beneath her feet, and brought it down hard on the door fastening. The cheap metal lock snapped easily and fell to the ground. She cautiously pushed the door open, squinting as she peered into the darkness.

In the dark, she could just make out the blurry outline of some indistinct shape. It stirred, roused by the sudden influx of light from the doorway. Kitty crept up to it cautiously. A pained moan sounded in the darkness. The sound of it was vaguely familiar.

"Mr. Button?" Kitty whispered. The shadowy lump squirmed in affirmation.

She groped in the darkness, her fingers brushing across a knot of fabric. A gag. She fumbled with the cloth, finally managing to pull it away from the elderly magician's face.

"Ms. Jones? Is that you?" Mr. Button whispered, his voice hoarse with disuse.

"Yes! Yes, it's me!" Kitty replied, overcome with relief, "I though you were dead!"

"I've almost been thinking that myself," he said faintly, "It feels like I've been here forever."

"It's been nearly two days," Kitty replied. She placed her hand gently on his shoulder, "I'm glad you're alright. Now we need to get out of here right away."

"I'm tied up."

Sure enough, thick coarse rope wound itself around Mr. Button's midsection, pinning his arms behind his back. Kitty paused for a moment. She'd brought nothing sharp with her to use as a weapon.

"I'll be right back," She said.

Kitty poked her head outside the door, eyes squinting against the light. All seemed clear. She stepped out cautiously, then turned her gaze to the ground. She needed something sharp and jagged.

A shard of stone lay near her feet. Kitty lifted it up and inspected its edges. It seemed to have broken off during the explosion. Kitty smiled. It would do nicely.

She promptly put the rock fragment to work sawing laboriously through Mr. Button's bonds. At last they were cut through. Mr. Button slumped over, free at last.

"Let's go," Kitty prompted.

The magician rose ponderously to his feet, then fell flat on his face.

"Are you alright?" Kitty asked, helping him up.

"Yes, yes," He wheezed, "Might need a spot of help, though."

With the support of Kitty's steady shoulder, Mr. Button was finally able to hobble out of his makeshift prison. He blinked like an owl in the afternoon light. Kitty glanced around the deserted area.

"Where has Bartimaeus gotten to?" She wondered out loud.

"Bartimaeus?" Asked Mr. Button, his brow wrinkling at the unusual name.

"Um, a djinni. He's an… ally of mine." Kitty fiddled nervously with a strand of hair. Mr. Button raised a bushy brow, but made no comment.

Kitty began to lead Mr. Button up the path. Perhaps from higher ground they would be able to locate their companions.

Suddenly, a hand shot out from nowhere, clamped around Kitty's arm, and yanked her back behind a pile of masonry. Kitty bit back a scream. She lost her grip on Mr. Button, who, knocked off balance, tumbled to the ground with a startled cry.

"Shh, Kitty, it's me," a voice whispered. Her captor released the death grip on Kitty's arm. Kitty spun around, coming face to face with a pale-as-death Rebecca Piper.

"Rebecca!" Kitty exclaimed with delight. So Piper had managed to loose Samir. Kitty felt a deep relief suffuse her. Behind her, Mr. Button let out a pained moan. Suddenly Kitty noticed Rebecca's stricken expression.

"What's the matter," She asked, "You look like you've seen a ghost."

Rebecca shook her head, as though to clear it.

"No, no," She said, "I'm just glad to see you, that's all. I thought you'd been captured." Rebecca scratched her head perplexedly, "I swear I saw you being carried to the temple while I was hiding in the grass. I thought you were a goner."

"Gee, thanks for the help," Kitty said, raising an eyebrow.

"Seriously, have you been here the whole time?"

"Yes, of course I have. I've been lying unconscious for who-knows-how-long."

Rebecca's eyes darted back and forth.

"Well… if it wasn't you…"

Suddenly, it dawned on her.

"Bartimaeus!" Kitty cried, "They have him!" Kitty hopped over Mr. Button, sprawled out on the rocky footpath, and began to sprint towards the temple enclosure. Behind her she could hear Rebecca calling her name, but all in vain. She could see the square stone structure ahead. Somewhere inside, Bartimaeus was in danger; there wasn't a moment to loose.

Before she was more than halfway there, Rebecca caught up, jerking her backwards. Harold Button hobbled far behind, crying out miserably for them to wait.

"Kitty, what are you doing?" Rebecca hissed, "You can't just rush headlong into danger. You don't even know for certain if that was Bartimaeus. We should take this chance to escape!"

"If it wasn't Bartimaeus, then who was it?" Kitty cried, "Know any other shape shifters?"

"Why would Bartimaeus take your form?" Said Rebecca, "It doesn't make sense."

"Of course it does!" Said Kitty, "He was drawing them off our trail–giving us a chance to escape! He's going to end us dying for us if we don't do something now!" Kitty was frantic.

"Well, isn't that what you were about to do for Harold?" Rebecca pointed out, "Just accept his sacrifice and get out of here! What can the three of us do against Werfel that a djinni can't?"

"Wait," Said Kitty slowly, the wheels in her head beginning to turn. Suddenly she turned tale and dashed back down the path away from the temple, blazing past the limping Mr. Button and hopping over fallen rocks in her path.

"Where are you going?" Rebecca cried.

"Go back to the temple and hold them off," Kitty called over her shoulder, "I have an idea."