I should be awarded a gold star for 3 chapters in 1 night! I'm just kidding, the real gold star goes to all the awesome people who really own this world! Thanks for letting me borrow them :)

The next morning, Balthazar awoke and turned his head to look at his beautiful Veronica. She was still asleep. Sunlight danced in her dark hair, and her peaceful face put a smile on his face. He leaned over and stroked her cheek lightly with his finger, before carefully getting out of their bed without waking her.

He used a quick cleaning spell to get the blood off his clothes, and picked up a few things here and there in the lab including pop, pizza, and tea packets.

He half expected Dave to be there already, but he shrugged it off. After all, Dave was with Becky, and the boy was careless at best.

Balthazar quickly prepared breakfast, and set up a table for the two of them to eat at. As soon as the smell of pancakes permeated the air, Veronica awoke.

"Balthazar- you did not have to go to so much trouble," she admonished. He merely smiled and handed her a plate.

It was a companionable silence, until Dave showed up, shouting. "Balthazar! Balthazar!"

Balthazar stared up at Dave, who was looking around frantically. "I'm right here, Dave. What is it?" Balthazar asked, annoyed. But annoyance became alarm when he saw Dave's eyes- they were a smoky ice blue, unlike his normal brown.

"Balthazar! Where are you?" Dave shouted as he ran down the stairs. Veronica stepped towards the scared apprentice. "David! What is wrong?" she demanded as she held the boy by his shoulders.

Dave met Veronica's eyes. "I... Veronica, Balthazar's missing! I just saw Horvath leaving here, and Balthazar's not here, and I have to find him! I have to!"

Balthazar stepped toward Dave and said, "Dave! I'm right here!"

Dave never looked away from Veronica. "Please, Veronica! What did Horvath do?"

"Listen to me, David. Balthazar is standing right next to you. You can't hear, feel or see him for some reason, but he is right here. Horvath cast a spell on you, but he was never in here. Please calm down!"

Dave didn't look convinced, but he took a deep breath. "Why would he do that?"

Veronica glanced at Balthazar, but then said, "I would think that he has placed an impulse or other spell upon you in order to accomplish a yet unrevealed goal."

Dave blinked, and said, "How do I know you're not an illusion?"
Balthazar said, "Tell him to focus on searching the room with his mind. Tell him to concentrate on feeling nothing."

Veronica nodded and repeated Balthazar's instructions. Dave still look nervous, but closed his eyes and concentrated.

"I... I can feel two lives in the room," the apprentice said after several tense seconds. Veronica nodded. "That's really good, David. Now, I know I have not known you that long but you must trust me that Balthazar is here."

Dave nodded again, and leaned against the tesla-coil cage, taking deep breaths. Veronica pulled her beloved aside and dragged him to Balthazar's Incantus.

"How can we reverse the spell?" Veronica asked urgently. Balthazar flipped through the ancient book, but found nothing.

"Maybe I could call the circle with him inside and renew our oath..." Balthazar mused, "But that may only work temporarily. Long term? I have no idea."

Veronica nodded and glanced at the door before asking, "Why would Max- Horvath want to confuse David so utterly?"

Balthazar shrugged. "We can find out later... after Dave's recovered. I want to test our oath before I ask you to enter his mind and see what's causing the disturbance."

"A classic diagnostic may be in order, Balthazar," Veronica agreed, "But I think we should consult with your apprentice before attempting any remedy."

Balthazar glanced at his apprentice before gesturing for his beloved to proceed.

"David? Balthazar wants to try renewing your Oath. Could you please step into the circle?" Veronica asked. Dave looked up at her, startled.

"Yeah, sure. Should I call it up?" he asked as he moved into position. Veronica shook her head and said, "No, Balthazar will do that once he enters, as he did when you first took the Oath."

Dave nodded, and waited impatiently until Veronica inclined her head and Balthazar raised his arms at once, calling green fire from the circle. With that flash of light, Dave turned suddenly, and face Balthazar, calling out the older man's name.

Balthazar nodded, and said, "I'm going to release the cirlce, Dave. Hold on."

And just as the fire died, so did Dave's eyesight. The brown eyes clouded up rapidly, and Dave crumpled to the floor with his head in his hands.

"What the heck is going on?" the apprentice moaned. Veronica sat on a stool and said, "We are going to figure it out, David. Now, Balthazar and I want to try an old spell that I learned back when I was first apprenticed. I am going to enter your mind as a foreign body and look clinicly to see what is causing the problems you are experiencing. Do I have your permission, David?"

Dave nodded uncertainly, and before he knew it he wanted to gag and shove away and do anything to remove the wrongness he felt in his brain. He wanted to claw at his skull until he removed it, but he held very still for ten seconds, and the presecence was gone.

"You did very well, David. I know that it is not a comfortable means of diagnosing a spell, though it is an effective one. Horvath has not placed a spell on your eyes, but on your mind. Balthazar's life force is being warped by a slight change in the electromagnetic impulses of your brain. I do not feel comfortable attempting to right the wrong, because somehow Horvath has used a signalling spell to tell the impulses when to, ah, skip a beat. Balthazar will have to go in and fix it, because it recognizes him. It is dangerous, because we are not sure what it is, precisely. Are you willing to go forward with this procedure?" Veronica asked Dave quietly. Balthazar's grim face told her all she needed to know about how dangerous the spell could be, and she had an urgent tone in her voice as she spoke.

Dave nodded at once. "Whatever you have to do, do it."

Balthazar knelt in front of Dave and touching his head for skin contact, not that Dave felt it. And then they both passed out.

Please remember to R&R to make a young fanatic happy!