Here's the next chapter! Enjoy!

Shadowfire: . . .I like dots too. Lol Yep, Call Me When You're Sober is awesome! I also love Bring Me to Life. I can always picture cool things along with it (as strange as that sounds . . .you know what I mean!) Hmm, if I ever get the chance I'll have to check out this chipmunk song. Haha, thanks for the review!

Conception.creation: Thanks, I love OC badguys, too. They just fit in better than OC allies. Thanks for your review!

Nari: Thank you, I felt very in with Bartimaeus in that chapter, as opposed to the first chapter where I just couldn't get the feel of him.XD Thanks for reviewing!

Disclaimer: I don't own the Bartimaeus Trilogy or the title

Rated T for violence, language, torture, and general darkness

CH. 3

Kitty walked down the crowded streets of London, thinking. She had no clear destination in mind, and she simply brushed past people without looking at them.

She had tried to summon Bartimaeus three more times, all which were unproductive. She wondered why he didn't come, but knew the obvious answer already.

He'd been summoned by someone else.

She knew that was it, but she didn't want to believe it. That meant he could be anywhere. That meant she didn't know when she'd see him again. That meant she didn't know if he was all right or not.

Not knowing what else to do, she went to a café and ordered breakfast. She sat and ate in silence, and suddenly felt very lonely.

She wondered if there was a way she could locate him. She doubted it, but even that small piece of hope was comforting.

Once done, she went out to walk again. An early fall wind blew her brown-gray hair from her face.

Her thoughts were going in circles again when she heard screaming. She jerked her head up and saw people rushing around the corner ahead, towards the screams of others.

Kitty ran around the corner with everyone else and abruptly stopped short. Her jaw fell open and she froze.

Westminster Palace was on fire. Dark smoke rose around it, and it was crumbled in a few sections. Magicians were running out of it.

Who did this? Kitty thought.

She rushed further forward and saw another bright blast slam into the building. That attacker was just a silhouette against the flame.

A few of the magicians that ran out had their spirits with them. One in the form of a cyclops-looking thing sent a detonation at the attacker, who was thrown to the pavement.

Kitty pulled up short, shoes sliding a few more inches. Her voice stopped working, and she was pretty sure her heart did, too.

Bartimaeus picked himself up off the pavement and took up a ready stance, looking at the spirits that surrounded him.

Kitty noticed he still had Ptolemy in London clothes, which she briefly realized meant he hadn't expected to be in his current situation.

Then Bartimaeus relaxed and disappeared, having been re-summoned.

Everyone started taking action to try to save the building. Everyone except Kitty, whose mind had locked. People brushed past her as she stood, staring blankly at the flames.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

I was back in the dark room with Gaia, his fat little imp Jard flying about.

"Good," said Gaia.

Yeah, just swell. The charge he'd given me had been simple enough: go destroy Westminster Palace. I hadn't completely succeeded, but I knew he'd been watcing and decided to pull me out when it got dangerous.

He also gave himself plenty of safe guards. I couldn't tell anyone about him by any means, I couldn't revolt, I had to do exactly what he said . . .and so on. Basically, I was trapped.

But the big question was . . .why? Why was he so scared people would find out about him? I'd never heard of him during my time with Nathaniel. He certainly wasn't a new (and young) magician. And he knew what he was doing. This guy was all over everything.

I expected him to do some kind of follow-up attack, or march on London and tell them all how powerful he was. But instead he sat back in a black leather chair and made himself comfortable. He picked up a book and began to read.

I stood there, one eyebrow raised. "Um, what are you doing?"

"Reading," he replied, not looking up.

"Oh. Right. So, are you going to dismiss me?"

"No. That girl friend of yours may summon you. I can't take chances."

"Why so secretive?"

He raised his green eyes, giving me a look that said that wasn't a topic of discussion.

"Be quiet," Gaia sighed.

"You know, you're going to have to dismiss me sometime. I-"

A blast of magic knocked me into the pentacle barrier, which in turn threw me forward.

"I said be quiet!" Gaia snapped. "Now sit there and don't do anything. That's an order."

Glumly I sat cross-legged, staring into the shadows.

I'm going to Oklahoma City for the weekend, so there won't be any quick updates or responses to any PM's. Please review!