Hi! I'm going to keep this short and sweet, as I'm 5 minutes away from falling asleep on top of my keyboard. Sorry that I didn't update last month. Chapter 21 was giving me a migrane. But anjumstar is a sweetheart and told me to stop being an idiot about it. She's the best, guys.

Chapter 20

of fires bright and burned away

Bartimaeus

The moon was high and waning when an improbable group of three walked out of a car—a boy, a bear, and a bison. And there really ought to be a joke there, but I had dropped my sack of fucks in the Thames on the way over.

Not to mention that the boy would ruin it by saying: "You do realise you're calling a lot of attention to yourselves with those guises, yes? At least four people have stopped to look and then ran way."

"Yes, but they ran away. Effective."

"Maybe we should place some sort of ward so that humans feel compelled to turn away," suggested the bear.

"So the Amulet can absorb it within seconds? Very smart, buddy."

"Why don't you provide a solution?" Mandrake asked, craning his neck to give me an annoyed look. We were standing by the river, and the only thing keeping me from throwing him in was Shubit's bear bulk.

The bison snorted and shrugged, even though Mandrake probably couldn't tell due to the dark. Because among many, many other faults, humans have terrible sight. "I genuinely don't care."

"Why did you come along, then?"

"The entertainment value."

Mandrake's nostrils flared and I smiled insolently at him, daring him to try and order me to do anything. Shubit looked between the two of us, rubbing a claw against his chin nonchalantly. "Should we begin?"

"Hold on a moment," I said. "I want to take a look at it before you tear the entire bridge down. It wouldn't be the first time you misinterpreted something that was right in front of you."

Shubit's deadpan expression didn't let up, but I saw his eye twitch a little. Figures he wouldn't say anything, however. He had to keep up this polite and composed façade for his master's benefit.

This is the right moment to remind you, dear reader, that sticking your nose where it doesn't belong is never a good idea. There are so many better things to do with your time, like getting some kip. Naturally, I didn't have much choice in the matter—you can't leave important detective work to mere amateurs, can you?—but whenever Mandrake, Kitty or myself decided to stray away from the blissful path of ignorance… Well, I'm sure you don't need a reminder of my many glorious deeds.

So there I was—in gargoyle form because wings on a bison might be a bit much—using my superior intellect to examine this hole in the foundation I'd heard so much about, and very happy that this wasn't Southwark Bridge with its ridiculous amounts of iron. (1) There was indeed an ancient Seal under the stone, and every time it flashed from my attacks there was a pattern underneath that resembled the pebble's. They truly were shields, which Shubit probably got from looking at the Seal up close. But were they those twelve shields? If Mr Button were to be believed, yes, but it'd been so long, and not all legends were true.

(1) We get it, London. You're ironclad. Pity that didn't help with the hybrids.

Alas, I didn't have much time to crack the mystery.

No, I had perhaps tried a combination or two or ten to get the Seal to budge when the air shifted. I looked up in time to see an unmistakeable pair of bronze angel wings and fiery hooves shoot past me. Shubit had noticed—he was already shooting Detonations at Asmodeus with such ferocity I had trouble reconciling this with his fake, polite self. Asmodeus effortlessly spun out of the way and dove straight at him, tackling Shubit out of my field of vision.

I flew up just in time to see Asmodeus throw Shubit at a building—leaving a bear-sized dent that would be difficult to explain—and turn to Nathaniel, who was three shades paler than usual and uselessly gripping the Amulet. Asmodeus lunged, but I was already there to shove him back up the street.

"Bartimaeus," snarled Asmodeus from a few metres away, getting up and daintily dusting off his shoulders. "Out of my way."

The gargoyle spread its granite wings, keeping Nathaniel out of sight. "Get in line. This one's mine."

I moved before he could, aiming a Detonation at his right wing to destabilise him. Asmodeus's attack flew right past me, shattering something in the distance. Then Shubit leaped over my head, shooting a Convulsion that grazed Asmodeus's hoof and left a crater in the cobblestones.

"I see you got an upgrade," Asmodeus said, using his three tails to yank on Shubit's legs and topple him. The Detonation intended for Asmodeus shot up towards the sky. It was a pity it had missed Asmodeus's mouth before he could spout such nonsense, but maybe patrolling spirits would figure out something was wrong and send reinforcements.

"I see you haven't," I countered. "Still a sheeple."

Asmodeus frowned and punched the ground, creating a small earthquake with the ripples of a Convulsion. Shubit, Nathaniel and I fell to the ground like dominos. Asmodeus took advantage of the situation to pounce onto me, pinning me by the wings and wrists.

"Why must you always interfere, Bartimaeus? Wasn't it enough to kill your siblings alongside that magician? Don't you understand that once I'm done with him, you'll be free?" He seemed truly confused, blinking down at me with his four eyes. All the human flesh was gone now, leaving only scales in gold and red down to his hooves. "When I'm done, we'll all be free."

"It's you who doesn't understand, just like the others didn't," I said, squirming and trying to push Faquarl out of my mind and Asmodeus off with my knees to no avail. "I am free. Free to go home and free to change into whatever I please once I'm done with you."

Asmodeus's indulgent smile disappeared when a pair of bear claws went through his shoulders, pulling him back and making him howl. I took the opportunity to roll out from under him and steal a glance at Nathaniel, who'd remained conspicuously silent throughout all this nefarious business. He was breathing hard, still clutching the Amulet.

That glance was a mistake.

While Shubit struggled to contain him, Asmodeus used my split-second distraction to fire a Detonation so fierce it propelled me into the river's wall. A second one hit before I could think to move, breaking the wall and sending me flying into the river.

"Bartimaeus!"

Nathaniel. Now he regained his voice.

He was soon drowned out by the frigid waters of the Thames. I was trashed and spun by the current, and every time I tried to break surface, my weight pulled me down. I tried to sink my feet into the sand below, but the riverbed was metres and metres away. Changing tactics, I desperately tried to move closer to the wall to sink my claws onto it, but the current seemed to be purposefully keeping me away, coiling around me and buffeting me as soon as I broke surface.

I hated water.

My essence must have got utterly drenched, because I could swear someone was calling my name and getting closer. But then I went under again, and through the dirt and the bubbles I could make out a pair of legs.

He reached me in no time, roughly colliding with my shoulder and grunting at the forceful reunion. I grabbed his arm before the current tore us apart, and he used his free hand to try to pull me up by the armpit.

"What. The actual. Hell." Admittedly, being pulled under by the treacherous waters of the stinky Thames stole the momentum from my intonation, but I was stymied. This was the best of the best at the time.

"Is that… what you say… to the person… saving you?" Nathaniel was similarly hindered; he kept having to pause to cough and hopelessly tread water.

We were quite the eloquent pair in that moment.

"Who's. Saving me?" I demanded, fighting every instinct that seemed appallingly happy to see this trouble-magnet in one piece. "More work. For me."

"Change guises," Nathaniel panted. "This one's… too heavy."

What a genius, isn't he? The brightest bulb in the box. The finest mind of today's London. Honestly, like I hadn't thought of that! All this water was disrupting my essence, and I couldn't change for fear it would be swept away in every direction. (2)

(2) Oil and water have nothing on djinni essence and water. And you might be thinking that it's fine since they don't mix, but have you ever seen oil stay in one single bubble? I did not think so.

"Can't. Too much water."

Nathaniel nodded, or at least it seemed like he did. And the next thing I knew, he dove, slipping through my fingers.

"Nathaniel!" This actual bastard. He'd drown and somehow this would end up being my fault. I could see it now, him coming back as a ghost, defying all laws of nature just to bloody spite me.

Then I felt a pressure on my thighs, pushing me up and out of the water.

Oh. Right.

I didn't have the time to be impressed by Nathaniel's physical prowess. As soon as I had the tips of my wings out, I started to change little by little—stone for feathers, stone for flesh. I opted for the winged youth from the hospital, just to give Asmodeus a chance to relive his nightmares. And once I'd changed completely, I shot up, made a sweet arc, and plunged back into the water.

Nathaniel gasped for air when a fine Hurricane of my creation ejected us from the river. He held on to me for dear life, trembling all over, as I manoeuvred us out. I pulled him closer, cradling his head in one hand as he expelled the remainders of the Thames from his lungs.

We descended gently onto the pavement and I settled him against the wall so he could catch his breath and I could recover from my little trip in the Thames. He wouldn't let go. Nathaniel had grabbed two fistfuls of my drenched tunic when we were in the air and hadn't let go since.

The river had taken us quite a way away from the action. I could still smell the magic in the air, but I couldn't see Asmodeus or Shubit anymore, and was confident they wouldn't be able to see us from this distance. That didn't mean we had much time, however. Shubit certainly hadn't been putting up a great fight. Still, I couldn't bring Nathaniel back into battle in his state.

"You're an absolute moron, do you know that?" I told him softly, begrudgingly impressed, as I put a palm over each of his ears, massaging them and using a little magic to heat them up. It was hard to stay angry at someone who had just risked their life to save you. "Can't believe you jumped into a bloody river like a mad person."

Nathaniel started when his ears popped and the water lodged there came out. He looked up at me, eyes huge and a little greyer than usual, bloodshot from the river. His nose was red, his mouth was purple. I slid one hand to the back of his neck, knowing that was an important spot to keep warm.

Nathaniel blinked and then seemed to remember himself. He gave me an annoyed look. "Should I have let you drown instead?"

"The world couldn't take the loss," I chimed with a grin. Nathaniel made his expression the blankest it would go, but I was unfazed. "It was still very stupid."

"Just be thankful I had the forethought not to bring the Amulet."

"I am," I said. "I am very thankful you kept your two brain cells for that. Now shut up and come here. We need to get you dry and warm."

"Come where?" Nathaniel demanded, suspicion laden in his voice as I tried to move closer and he backed up against the wall.

"Oh, for Pete's—Just come here."

I pulled him into my arms, tucking his head under my chin and slipping my hands between the back of his drenched coat and shirt to rub some heat into his skin. Nathaniel didn't resist at first—he was either too surprised or too cold. But then he started wiggling.

"Aren't you getting a little handsy?"

I grinned in spite of myself. He would complain about this method. "Wasn't diving into the Thames after being attacked by a lunatic enough for you? Do you want to cross hypothermia off your list too?"

"Obviously not. And I do not have any such list."

"Could've fooled me. This doesn't fill me with joy either, but it's the quickest way."

"The stuff of nightmares," he mumbled into my neck, chest rumbling against mine, and I reckoned I was definitely imagining the affection there.

"Would rather fight Asmodeus again," I retorted, and a pang of dread settled in my essence, reminding me that we weren't safe yet, that there was still much to do. But Nathaniel was beginning to relax, so I closed my eyes as he snuggled further into my embrace, his breathing evening and the trembling ceasing.

When I thought he'd finally stopped resisting, Nathaniel shoved me back and gasped. "Kitty!"

"Kitty?" Of all the things to say in that moment. I sat back up and grabbed one of his hands to warm it too, finding his nails bloodied and broken.

"And Adamastor." He frowned. "And a wolf."

"Nat, did the water get into your brain?" I wasn't even trying to be funny that time; it wasn't like I had to try, after all. Nathaniel still didn't look right and I barely dared check his other hand. Had he done this trying to cling to the wall? Wasn't he in pain?

"We have to go now." He jumped up, finally letting go of me, and started unsteadily marching upstream. Gravity won most battles against humans, but Nathaniel was nothing if not determined.

"Nat." I pulled him back by the wrist and he nearly fell into me, further proving my point. I couldn't believe what I was about to say. "I'll go. You get help."

His eyes barely met mine before he averted them to my stomach. I really didn't like the look in his eyes—they were hollow and clouded, reminding me of his episode back in Hyde Park. He'd completely frozen when Asmodeus had shown up, and now he seemed unable to stop moving. It was like he was forcibly detaching himself from his pain and this situation.

"No, we have to help Kitty and Shubit. I can't just leave them."

I sighed and turned my eyes to the chilly skies above for inspiration. Nothing came.

Knowing Nathaniel, there was no stopping him once he'd made up his mind. And if Kitty truly were there, I supposed I had yet another reason to throw Asmodeus into the Thames, give him a taste of his own medicine.

"Fine. But we're flying."

Kitty

"Nathaniel!" Kitty shrieked before she knew what she was doing.

Nathaniel had just jumped into the Thames. She had just witnessed Bartimaeus being blasted into the river, and Nathaniel throwing something at Shubit before diving in after Bartimaeus. She was too late.

"Ms Jones, please don't move so much," wheezed Adamastor, trying to steer them right in the air. In their state, it was a miracle Adamastor could fly at all.

"Sorry," she mumbled, trying to obey as she returned her attention to the approaching scene below.

The hiss of fire and flashes of light came from the riverbank. The light danced in her eyes, making it hard to see who was winning. They were lucky they hadn't been noticed yet—Kitty reckoned that Asmodeus would open fire on them as soon as he did. Bless Shubit for keeping him busy. Shubit and someone else. A brown wolf.

Of course, give The Troublesome Two an hour unsupervised and they'd find themselves in all sorts of situations.

"That's the wolf…"

"That's been chasing you?"

Adamastor nodded, arms trembling. "I need to land."

"Over there, behind that building. We should be able to land without being seen."

Kitty heard the whooshing of a Detonation before she saw it—a bright green ball of energy coming straight at them. "Adamastor, look—"

Adamastor turned too late. The Detonation caught their wing and sent the two of them plummeting to the ground. Kitty screamed. Adamastor grabbed her closer, encaging her with their body as the ground rapidly approached.

They hit the cobblestones with a merciless thud and Kitty's lungs emptied. Her fall had been cushioned by Adamastor's bruised body, but then she'd rolled off them, ending up about a metre away.

Everything hurt. The impact had scrambled her thoughts and rattled her bones, but at least nothing felt broken. For a minute she just lay there, trembling and breathing as the world spun and her body throbbed and throbbed.

Once she'd managed to swallow enough oxygen, she tried to lift her head to look at the battle raging before her. Shubit was still keeping Asmodeus busy with the help of the mysterious wolf. She squinted and caught sight of something green glinting in Shubit's chest—the Amulet. That was what Nathaniel had tossed.

Adamastor whimpered, and Kitty turned to them, dragging her uncooperative body in Adamastor's direction. The bleeding was worse. She didn't know if any of the wounds had closed, but if they had, now they'd probably been reopened. Kitty looked on helplessly as the shimmery substance pooled around Adamastor. There were so many wounds.

"Adamastor," she whispered, trying not to sound too desperate. "What can I do? How do I stop it?"

Adamastor shook their head. "Mandrake…"

Right. The pentacle. Nathaniel probably had a car waiting. She just needed to get them all into the car so they could drive back home and prepare the pentacle. Or maybe they could go to Southwark Cathedral—

A loud whine sounded behind her, and she turned just in time to see Asmodeus kick the wolf on the side. Shubit took the opportunity to jump at Asmodeus, yanking on a wing and bending it at an odd angle. Asmodeus howled, grabbing Shubit by the neck and tossing him on top of the wolf.

He turned around then, catching her looking. Asmodeus smiled.

Kitty scrambled to her feet as Asmodeus rushed over with impossible speed. He had her by the throat before she was even up. She choked. Her hands reflexively flew to his, trying and failing to loosen the hold.

"Why so quiet? You were so spirited back at the hospital."

With all the strength she could muster, Kitty spit in his face. "Crawl in a hole and die, arsehole!"

Asmodeus's cruel smile only grew, as did the pressure around her throat. Her vision blurred, turning black at the edges. She could see little more than Asmodeus's hideous smile. Was this how she was going to die? Choked to death by a spiteful scumbag who wanted to kill one of her friends and had thrown another into the Thames?

No. Not like this. She couldn't go like this, not without a fight. She had a silver dagger hidden beneath her jumper. If only she could reach it—

Suddenly there was a flash of green coming from behind her and the hold around her throat loosened. Kitty didn't think—she just reacted. Slipping her hand under the back of her jumper, she unsheathed the dagger and plunged it into Asmodeus's arm with as much strength as she could muster. Kitty didn't let go even as Asmodeus released her and yelled, using the momentum to drag it down his scaly elbow and arm, pulling it out as she reached the back of his hand. A pink substance poured out from the large cut—blood mixed with essence, she assumed.

Asmodeus roared and kicked her face with his hoof, making her fall on her back. A hot, blinding wave of pain crashed into her as she rolled onto her side and whimpered. Tears rushed to her eyes, blood trickled down her nostrils. Her nose was broken. Her nose was definitely broken. Kitty bit back a scream, knowing from experience that it would only make the pain worse.

She was expecting Asmodeus to keep going, finish her there, but when she looked up, the wolf had sunk its teeth into one of his legs and was growling and yanking on it. Shubit had placed Asmodeus in a choke hold and was trying to pull him back and away from her. A few paces away, Adamastor was leaning on their side, face contorted in pain as they formed another Detonation to launch at Asmodeus.

But Asmodeus was made of rage.

He bent over, bringing Shubit with him, and placed a hand at the wolf's back, silencing it with a close-range Detonation. The wolf plopped to the ground and didn't get up again. Kitty had barely the time to wonder if it was dead when Asmodeus yanked on the Amulet around Shubit's neck, snapping the string. Shubit jumped off immediately, narrowly missing being absorbed.

"Thanks for this," Asmodeus said loftily, and lunged at Shubit.

Someone shouted the dismissal words. Shubit vanished right before Asmodeus reached him.

It was Nathaniel and Bartimaeus, flying towards them at top speed with murder in their eyes. Kitty had never been happier to see them.

"Ms Jones, the Amulet," called Adamastor.

Kitty caught his meaning—Bartimaeus wouldn't be able to properly fight Asmodeus while he had the Amulet. Sensing Asmodeus's hesitation to fly and remembering his injured wing, Kitty forced herself to get up again.

She knew what she had to do.

Kitty rushed Asmodeus, protected by Adamastor and Bartimaeus's constant stream of Detonations, which naturally did not hit him thanks to the Amulet. What they did, however, was blind him enough for Kitty to slice his wrist with her dagger and grab the Amulet as Asmodeus's shocked hand released it. With her hair smoking from the Detonations but not satisfied with the results, Kitty raised her hand and sunk the dagger right into Asmodeus's chest. He howled and lashed out, but Kitty had already backed up to the riverside, hoping to lure Asmodeus there and give him the same treatment he'd given Bartimaeus.

Seemingly understanding her reasoning, Bartimaeus and Nathaniel landed beside her as she caught her breath. Asmodeus was furiously trying to remove the dagger little by little, cursing and pacing all the while. A few metres away, Adamastor was attempting to sit up for the final strike.

Bartimaeus snorted. "Kitty, you are officially my favourite grandma."

"I have another dagger," she said nasally. Right. Her nose. This was going to be annoying.

"I'm a lot more worried about that Amulet."

"Maybe we should discuss this when we aren't all about to die?" Nathaniel suggested.

He looked a little manic, with his wide eyes and tousled hair, but oddly dry for someone who'd just taken a swim in the Thames. There was something green sticking out of his hair and dirt all over his face. He was still in one piece, however, and not under tonnes of glass and iron, so she would count her blessings.

"Hey, Ass-modeus!" called Bartimaeus just as the hybrid finally managed to yank out Kitty's silver dagger with a growl.

"What did you just call me?" Asmodeus squinted and pointed the dagger right at Bartimaeus.

"Was it really the time to provoke him?" Kitty whispered.

Nathaniel sighed. "Honestly? I've learned to just go with it."

"You should be flattered, you know. The English language seems to have been created just for this purpose!"

"Now you've done it," said Nathaniel as Asmodeus lit a ball of fire in his hand.

Kitty jumped in front of them at the same time as Bartimaeus lifted a Shield. Everything was absorbed by the Amulet, which seemed to be pulsing faster than usual. But Kitty didn't have the time to think about that. Asmodeus had to be stopped, preferably for good. Even if she'd wanted to use Nathaniel's pentacle to force him back to the Other Place, they didn't have the tools. And she wasn't particularly sorry about that.

After firing that last attack, Asmodeus had paused, seeming to consider the three of them. Was he coming to the realisation that he couldn't beat them with fire power? That was a bit slow of him. Maybe Bartimaeus was right in saying that some afrits weren't very bright. Or maybe he was calculating the distance and wondering if he'd be able to jump at Nathaniel before—

Asmodeus turned around and set the pavement on fire, engulfing Adamastor in a sphere of blue flames. Kitty stood there for a second, shocked and disbelieving as Adamastor's screams filled her brain.

"Your choice, Bartimaeus?"

Bartimaeus caught her arm before she could move.

"What?"

"He's drawing us out. If we leave, John's next."

Kitty stole a glance at Nathaniel, who looked as horrified and haunted as she felt, and then looked back at Bartimaeus. His face was pinched, and she could tell this was torture for him too. But above all else, she could tell that he didn't want to relive what had happened with Ptolemy.

Kitty understood, she did. Nathaniel's life was non-negotiable.

But so was Adamastor's.

"Get him up in the air," she told Bartimaeus urgently, already turning back towards Asmodeus, feet ready to run. "I don't think he can fly, so maybe—"

The screaming stopped and the fire followed.

The silence that ensued was dead and heavy. It hung over them like lead, making it hard to breathe. The Amulet, hot and buzzing, weighed a tonne in her hand. And when Asmodeus turned back towards them with his four devil eyes and heinous smile, she knew she was too late.

She hadn't saved Adamastor.

Her hesitation had killed him.

There was a loud scream then. It was so loud and yet sounded so far away it took her a moment to realise it was her. Huddled on the floor, cradling the Amulet, Kitty went back to the coldness of Gladstone's tomb. She could hear Honorious's voice overlap with Asmodeus's as he muttered something degrading about the weak, hear all of her companions' last screams in Adamastor's.

Burning from the inside with a fury that reddened her vision, Kitty Jones got up by no will of her own. As her legs marched her towards certain death, her hand grasped the Amulet of Samarkand like a weapon. She could feel the Amulet's pulses quickening, feeding off her rage. In that moment, they were one.

Asmodeus wasted no time in firing multiple attacks at her, but none truly reached her. The Amulet devoured almost every spell, brightly burning in Kitty's hand. And those that it didn't absorb, Kitty did. Fire had never felt so cold and trivial against her skin, like a mere shuffle of wind against her shoulder.

Kitty saw fear in the hybrid's eyes then, just enough hesitation. But it was too late. She had no more mercy to give that day. With a guttural cry, Kitty plunged the Amulet of Samarkand into the open wound on Asmodeus's chest. The hybrid gasped, then choked. Kitty didn't let go.

As the Amulet shook violently, so did Asmodeus. There were snaps and cracks which Kitty would relate to bones breaking, but which couldn't possibly be. After all, Asmodeus had ceased to be human a long time ago.

The Amulet shone brighter and brighter, forcing Kitty to close her eyes.

And then it exploded.

The impact was such that Kitty went flying back. Her legs hit the wall separating the pavement from the Thames, and she toppled over. She barely registered Bartimaeus and Nathaniel following suit, rushing to grab her. Kitty readied for impact as her mind started clearing all thoughts.

But water never engulfed her, only darkness.

Nathaniel

"Any luck over there?"

"No. It seems the Seal's as strong from the inside as it is from the outside. And I still don't understand how we got in, so fat chance of getting out through here. How's she?"

"Still unconscious, but her breathing and pulse are steady."

Bartimaeus knelt down beside him, checking Kitty over for himself. With a look of pained resignation, Bartimaeus adjusted the coat underneath her head. It was Nathaniel's. As soon as it became clear that Kitty was out cold, Nathaniel had folded it and offered it to Bartimaeus so he finished drying it between his palms. They'd first tried to clean the blood around Kitty's broken nose, but it had already dried. They also couldn't do much about the burns on her hand, or the very real possibility that she was concussed. Again.

They were inside a cave of all things—in a small chamber imbedded in London Bridge's foundation—and this cave potentially lead to a long-lost magical artefact, if Mr Button was to be believed. Rocks of all sizes stretched on downwards on the left side, making up a path that coiled inward and hid behind a wall of stalactites and stalagmites. The right side ended in a half-circle wall made of a smooth rock that was probably limestone. Stalactites hung from the irregular ceiling, the tips glistening with new drops of water every few seconds. Nathaniel realised that he'd been hearing waterdrops fall since they'd arrived, but he'd been too preoccupied to truly pay attention. If he really focused, he could hear the sound of moving water coming from further down.

"Did you see her with the Amulet?" whispered Nathaniel. "It was like she was possessed."

"I've never seen anything like it," murmured Bartimaeus. "I'm not even sure this thing works anymore."

Nathaniel sighed and grabbed the Amulet from Bartimaeus's hand. He thumbed the cracks in the middle of the gem. Under the beam of moonlight that came from the opening, it looked dulled, like the spirit had vanished completely. If it was truly gone, Nathaniel hoped that it had at least taken Asmodeus with it.

"What do you think happened to Adamastor?"

Bartimaeus sighed and sat down on Kitty's other side. "I'm not sure."

Nathaniel nodded for lack of a better response, feeling a new weight settle over his chest.

They hadn't been able to save Adamastor. The screams had transported Nathaniel back to the Glass Palace and he'd been rendered useless once again. That was twice in one night. Now Adamastor was probably dead because of it, and Kitty needed medical attention after being blown away by that explosion. Which they couldn't get her because they were stuck inside this godforsaken cave.

Nathaniel could barely remember what had followed the explosion. One moment he was watching Kitty face Asmodeus, and the next she was being propelled into the river. He remembered Bartimaeus immediately grabbing him, putting a Shield around them, and flying after Kitty. The next thing they knew, they were inside the cave.

Nathaniel shot up to his feet and walked over to the opening, stubbornly pressing the Amulet against the Seal only for his hand to be buffeted back.

"I've already tried—"

"I can't just do nothing!" he snapped and huffed, annoyed with himself. He heard Bartimaeus huff back and shift on the ground. Nathaniel sighed. Adrenaline was leaving him, and in its stead remained a merciless exhaustion and the beginnings of a throbbing headache. "Sorry, I didn't mean to snap at you. I know you're worried about her too."

"Kitty's strong and endured much worse. I'm sure she'll be fine."

Nathaniel didn't reply. He could see the outline of Bartimaeus's face under the moonlight, the unnatural glint of his dark eyes. As his vision adjusted and he was able to make out more of Bartimaeus's face, Nathaniel recognised the guise from their training session that morning. He fervently hoped he wasn't blushing. Now really wasn't the time to be thinking about that or the hug or…

Or that he'd jumped into the Thames to save Bartimaeus.

Nathaniel wasn't entirely sure what had come over him—his body had moved before he could think. The only thing in his mind in that moment had been Bartimaeus. Seeing him fall into the Thames, knowing how djinn were affected by water, knowing that the gargoyle guise would put him at a further disadvantage, and knowing he'd probably never see Bartimaeus again…

He shivered and hugged his legs closer to his chest.

It really was best not to think about it. Because if he thought too much about it, he might conclude that he was more relieved that Bartimaeus was safe than that he wouldn't die of hypothermia.

"There. I sent down a Pulse," Bartimaeus said with more determination than the situation called for, in Nathaniel's opinion. "Soon we'll know what we're dealing with. And who knows? Maybe there's more than one way out of this blasted cave."

Nathaniel didn't want to know the answer to his next question, but he had to ask: "Any idea what's down there?"

Bartimaeus answered without missing a beat: "Nothing good, that's for certain. When has it ever been anything else for us?"

Nathaniel sighed, knowing he was right. The artefact had to be guarded somehow, and it had to be a powerful guardian. Nathaniel could feel it too somewhat—the air was denser here, charged. It reminded him of the moments before a thunderstorm. He knew they'd have to face it eventually, and then…

And then he didn't know if they'd make it.

"I'm sorry about your memories," Nathaniel whispered suddenly, almost too quietly for his own ears to catch. "I truly didn't mean to pry. I was in a coma, and I couldn't control it. I couldn't even tell they were your memories at first."

Nathaniel heard rocks clunking together from Bartimaeus's general direction. "I know," he said softly.

"You do?"

"I know you didn't mean to see them. Or I guess I do now. It wouldn't make sense that you jumped after me if your plan was to use my memories against me, would it? Which I still think was a terrible idea, by the way."

"We've been over this—"

"But we've just made a pact and you still hid this from me, so what was I supposed to think? You have to understand that my memories—they're mine. They are all that's truly mine."

Nathaniel didn't know what to say. He wasn't sure that he had anything that was truly his anymore, not even his own memories. Physical possessions were just that—they served their purpose and nothing else. But his memories? He couldn't really rely on them these days. He couldn't even rely on his mind.

He missed being able to.

"Well, you also didn't do your part of the pact. You didn't stay and talk to me about it. You just left and acted moody for the rest of the week."

"…I guess that's a fair point."

The sound of coughing had Nathaniel nearly flying into the ceiling of the cave.

"She lives!" Bartimaeus exclaimed, and although there was undeniable sarcasm imbued into his voice, he looked genuinely relieved to see Kitty move.

They got Kitty on her side as she started to retch violently. Nathaniel pulled the hair out of her face as Bartimaeus rubbed her back, both whispering soothing words as she emptied her stomach. Well, Nathaniel whispered soothing words; Bartimaeus commented on the colour of her vomit and encouraged her to do better.

Halfway through, Bartimaeus stood up and walked away, much to Nathaniel's annoyance. He bit his tongue, reluctant to get into it with Kitty in that state, and moved slightly to hold Kitty's head and make sure she didn't faint. As he did, he realised her face was wet.

"It's alright, Kitty. We'll get you out of here, you'll see."

She shook her head helplessly, not saying anything. Nathaniel wished he had a tissue to offer her, or better yet—he wished he could call his driver and get them home so Kitty could have some peace. Unsure what else to do, Nathaniel twisted his head to look for Bartimaeus, finding him only a few steps away. He was about to call Bartimaeus when he noticed what was in his hands.

A marble-sized ball the deepest shade of indigo Nathaniel had ever seen.

He blanched. Indigo was the worst possible outcome for a Pulse, reserved only for the strongest magic. Nathaniel had known that nothing good could be waiting for them in the depths of the cave—Bartimaeus had said so himself too—but having confirmation put the final nail in the coffin.

Bartimaeus caught him looking and dismissed the Pulse with a flick of his hand. He held Nathaniel's gaze for another moment, and Nathaniel thought he saw a flicker of fear in Bartimaeus's eyes. But it was gone as quickly as it'd appeared, and the next thing he knew, Bartimaeus was kneeling beside Kitty again.

They tried catching her up on recent events while gauging her reaction to check for lapses in her memory. Kitty didn't participate much, especially as they moved on to tell her about the Seal and the cave, merely blinking and nodding along, saying she remembered the explosion but nothing after that. Kitty even let them guide her further into the cave, away from the smell and admittedly closer to the danger. She didn't complain or question their choice; she just tagged along. However—and much to Nathaniel's relief—her eyes finally cleared a little when Bartimaeus gave her the Amulet and explained it wasn't working.

"Do you have a plan?" he whispered to Bartimaeus after they'd settled Kitty against the wall and moved a few steps away to talk.

"Did I give that impression?" Bartimaeus asked breezily.

"You keep walking deeper into the cave, so excuse me for thinking so."

"We can't break the Seal, and there are no other openings here. If we try to blast the ceiling, you'll either drown or get your necks broken by the water pressure or the rocks or impaled by the many, many stalactites."

"And it doesn't matter that you can fly because we don't know how deep the cave is and the river will most likely flood it anyway," Nathaniel concluded Bartimaeus's thought as the djinni nodded along. "Plus, we won't be able to fly through the opening while there's water pouring in, right? Do you think—"

"No, I don't have another Hurricane of that magnitude left in me. I'm too tired right now, and this cave is making me indisposed. I think we'll just have to wing it."

Nathaniel frowned. "Wait—indisposed how?"

Bartimaeus shifted uncomfortably, casting a wary glance at the walls and crossing his arms over his chest almost protectively. "It's hard to explain. We are underground, which you know djinn are not particularly fond of. There's water everywhere, including right above us and probably below as well, and there's, well… I didn't need a Pulse to tell me that there was something big lurking down there, but there is something else..."

"What?" Nathaniel urged, very worried now. Bartimaeus looked positively squeamish and he was never fazed in the face of danger—if Bartimaeus wasn't letting out colourful quips, he was recounting a random memory that often had little to do with the situation at hand.

Unnerved, Nathaniel stepped closer to Bartimaeus, touching his elbow for absolutely no good reason besides the fact that it seemed like the right thing to do. Bartimaeus blinked at his hand but didn't pull away.

"It gets colder as we move closer, like there is a lot of silver or iron down there."

"But that doesn't make sense, does it? Why would there be silver or iron in the same place as a spirit? Wouldn't it be best to keep the spirit relatively healthy?"

"I don't know. But I don't like it."

Nathaniel didn't like it either. He gave Bartimaeus's elbow an encouraging squeeze. He wasn't sure what he wanted to convey—that they could get through this? That Nathaniel understood his uneasiness? That he wouldn't let Bartimaeus get hurt?

He couldn't make any of those promises, even though he really wanted to. But Bartimaeus seemed to understand. He put a hand over Nathaniel's and gave it a squeeze back.

"Are you two going to stay huddled over there and come up with a plan without me?" Kitty called. Her voice was hoarse, nasal and tired, and she hadn't moved a muscle—she was still sitting with her legs stretched out before her and the back of her head pressed against the wall. "Because it's bound to be a shit plan."

Bartimaeus's lips quirked up, and witnessing that immediately made some of the pressure ease off Nathaniel's chest. "You're the one whose plans always exploded in her face."

"Fair, but the three of us always came up with better plans together."

"Did we? And here I thought we were just improvising."

"Potayto, potahto."

"And this non-plan may involve a lot of danger," Nathaniel warned.

"Probably a lot of bargaining for our lives," Bartimaeus added.

"Sounds like a shit plan. Let's do it."

And this was how the three of them found themselves journeying deeper into the cave without a plan. The further they moved, the thinner the path got, something which alarmed Nathaniel but hardly seemed to bother Bartimaeus. At some point, he cast a few tiny flames around them, so Nathaniel and Kitty stopped constantly tripping over the rocks. And when he was asked about this blatant display of magic, Bartimaeus said that the spirit had probably already felt their presence this close, and that they would get nowhere if one of them fell and got impaled. Seeing as there were more and more stalactites and stalagmites the deeper they went, Nathaniel didn't argue.

Kitty yelped. Bartimaeus and Nathaniel immediately stopped and turned to her, alert and ready to fight. "What is it?" Nathaniel hissed.

"A water puddle, and…" Kitty trailed off with a grimace. She bent down to pick up a sharp piece of metal from the puddle, making Bartimaeus immediately step away. "Iron?"

Bartimaeus nodded. "Definitely iron." He looked around, nodded to himself and cut two thin stalactites to the length of baseball bats. He handed one to Nathaniel and the other to Kitty.

"What—"

"To stab things with," he supplied, restarting their careful march. "Just don't lose an eye. Human vision is already such a flimsy thing."

"Don't see how this will help us fight a spirit," Nathaniel said, examining his weapon dubiously, testing the weight. He was suddenly very thankful for Bartimaeus's training sessions.

Kitty shrugged and tossed her stalactite in the air before catching it again. "Better have a weapon than not."

"Fine. Let's keep going. I can see light up ahead."

"Usually I'd say not to walk towards the light, but…"

"Ha. Hilarious, Bartimaeus."

"I try."

The three of them emerged at the end of the tunnel, where the cave opened into a large, shimmering lake. Confused by the change in lighting, Nathaniel stepped closer to the margin, squinting to try and find its source. His eyes caught something else instead.

"Is that—"

"A round platform in the middle of the lake?" Bartimaeus asked. "That would be a yes."

"Can you see anything else?" Kitty asked Bartimaeus, who had changed into a bat to inspect their surroundings better.

"Yes."

"What is it?" Nathaniel asked.

Bartimaeus sighed. "Another round platform standing over the bigger one, some would call it a table."

Nathaniel nodded—in wonder, in astonishment, in utter disbelief. "And let me guess—there are twelve symbols?"

"Definitely shields and not runes."

Kitty gasped at the news and Nathaniel felt for the marked pebble in his pocket, tracing one of the twelve odd, tiny shields inscribed there.

"Is that it?" Kitty asked when Bartimaeus didn't elaborate further.

Nathaniel didn't have to look at Bartimaeus or wait for him to go on, and he suspected Kitty didn't either. He knew what Bartimaeus's next words would be.

"And there's a sword."

Don't mind me, I'm just practicing my manic laughter for Halloween.