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It has been four weeks since Baz went missing. At least, that’s what I assume. Term started four weeks ago, and he still hasn’t shown up. Penny told me to shut up about what Baz was doing wherever he is. That’s the thing. I’m starting to fear he isn’t off plotting something and that something is actually wrong.
“Pen. I know I said I would stop bringing him up-” she holds her hand up to stop me.
“Then stop bringing him up,” she says flatly.
“I know, but I’m starting to think something is wrong. Like actually wrong Pen. Baz wouldn’t give up top of class for anything,” I argue. Pen looks at me and narrows her eyes.
“Second,” she says. I just stare at her. We both know that Baz is, was, the top of the class.
“Okay. But what are we supposed to do about it?” She concedes. I shrug. Penny was always the one to come up with plans. She rolls her eyes and turns to look at Dev and Niall, Baz’s minions. I stare at them too, trying to see whatever Penny sees. I don’t know what she is looking for. She stares until they turn to look at her.
“Dev and Niall might know something; they are his best friends.” I wonder if they are Baz’s friends. Can monsters have friends? Is Baz a monster? I shake my head, clearing those thoughts.
“They look kind of sad.” Penny continues. I nod, pretending that I saw what she did. Penny sits for another minute before she abruptly stands up and starts making her way towards Dev and Niall. I scramble to follow. Agatha watches us from across the room, frowning. She broke up with me again, at the beginning of term. Baz would have a field day insulting me. Thinking about him sends a pang to my heart. I think I might miss him. I don’t bring this up to Penny.
Both boys watch us approach. Dev has his eyebrow raised; it doesn’t look as good on him as it does Baz. Niall frowns as Penny plops down across from them and tugs me down to sit as well. I can’t help but feel other students staring at us. I ignore them.
“Bunce. Chosen One. To what do we owe the pleasure?” Dev asks. Penny rolls her eyes.
“Where is Baz?” Penny is always straight to the point. She doesn’t like beating around the bush. Even I notice that they both flinch.
“Official Pitch business. You know, plotting the downfall of the Mage.” Niall quickly says. Penny doesn’t look like she buys it. Two weeks ago, I would have, but right now, I don’t.
“Bullshit. Where is he,” I growl. All three of their gazes snap to me. I lock into a staring match with Dev. He breaks first.
“Fine. We don’t know,” I open my mouth to argue but he keeps going, “honestly. The whole family is freaking out. He’s been gone for six weeks. They found his Porsche, but not him.” Dev scratches at the back of his neck.
Six weeks. He’s been gone six weeks and I thought it was four. I feel like I am going to throw up. My magic rises, smoke filling the dining hall. Some students start to cough, and Dev, Niall, and Penny look sick.
“Simon,” Penny says, putting her hand on my shoulder. I pull my magic back in, but I can still feel it simmering underneath the surface, looking for an outlet. Normally Baz would tease me until I got angry with him, and the energy went to fighting him with my fists instead of my magic. Its how I broke his nose. Penny turns back to Dev and Niall.
“Who is looking for him?” She asks.
“Malcolm has everyone he can out looking for Baz. Even his Aunt Fiona is looking for him. I heard if they don’t find him in the next few days, they are going to the Mage. He can’t leave a student missing, even if it is Baz,” Niall whispers across the table. Penny nods.
“Why not tell him now? It would be more people looking,” I say. Dev scoffs.
“The Pitches don’t want anyone to know that he is missing. They are going to have to be desperate to go to the Mage.” Niall nods along with Dev’s reasoning.
“Well then, I’ll just tell the Mage.” I go to stand, but Penny grabs my arm and pulls me back down.
“Si, you can’t. You don’t know what the Mage would do if this information came from you. You have to trust Baz’s dad.” I huff. I don’t want to do that. I want Baz to come back and be here, insulting me. Our room is starting to lose every trace of him. It hardly smells like his posh soap anymore. His side looks painfully bare. It’s a reminder of what is missing from our room.
“Pen-” I start to protest but she shakes her head.
“No Si. It would cause major problems. If the Mage went to Malcolm, he could think the Mage had something to so with it.” I bristle at that. The Mage would never do something like that. I keep my mouth shut though.
Another two days passes before the Mage comes in during lunch. I have a sinking feeling in my stomach as he moves to the front of the room and motions for everyone to stop talking. Miss Possibelf is standing next to him. They both look grim.
“It has come to my attention that Basilton Pitch has been missing for six and a half weeks. In the best interest of students, please do not leave school grounds and know that we are doing everything we can to locate Mr. Pitch.” After he leaves, nobody talks. Some students look scared, and Dev and Niall look pale. Penny also looks troubled. I leave the dining hall before I even eat. I can’t even eat right now.
Another month goes by, making it over two months since anyone has seen Baz. I’m going crazy. The room doesn’t smell like him anymore. People can’t stand to be around me because my magic is constantly spilling out, smoking everyone out. Even Penny can barely stand to be around me.
I’m sitting alone at our table. Penny is sitting with Dev and Niall, working on trying to figure out where Baz would have gone, and because she can’t sit near me long enough for breakfast. I’m picking at a sour cherry scone when the Mage walks into the dining hall again. I drop the scone in my hand and watch as he walks up to the front of the room. It is exactly like a month ago when they told us Baz was missing. Everyone freezes as the Mage makes his way up to the front of the room, no one dares to make a sound. His voice booms through the room.
“As of this morning, Basilton Pitch has been presumed dead. Malcolm Grimm requests that the search for his missing son cease. There will be a funeral held in Basilton’s honor tomorrow and classes are cancelled for today and tomorrow. We understand if this is a shock to any of you. Know that we did everything we can and that we do not believe the rest of the student body to be in danger.”
I barely comprehend the Mage’s words. Presumed dead. It’s the only words that rattle around my head. Penny’s eyes are wide, and tears are streaming down her face. Dev is staring at the floor, but his body is shaking like he is crying, and Niall has an arm wrapped around him. Agatha’s face is pale, and she held one of her hands to her mouth. I stand up, sending my plate clattering to the floor, the Mage stops and turns towards me.
“No. You can’t give up on him. You can’t,” I insist. Tears are streaming down my face too. I’m not sure why. The Mage’s eyebrows shoot up.
“Simon. Malcolm Pitch has requested the search be given up so his family can have some time mourning Basilton. There is nothing I can do,” he says. I shake my head. He can’t just give up.
“Look for him anyways. He can’t be dead,” I shout, and my magic starts to smoke more. The Mage takes a step back.
“Simon calm down. It has been far too long, and Malcolm believes that his son is dead. He assumes someone kidnapped Basilton for a ransom, which went unpaid. Malcolm doesn’t believe his son could be alive any longer.”
“Why didn’t anyone pay the fucking ransom?” I shout.
“According to Malcolm, ‘Pitches don’t pay ransoms.’” The Mage moves towards me. I turn and run out of the dining hall, ignoring Penny shouting after me. I run all way up to Mummer’s tower and into our room. I slam the door shut and slide down against it. A sob makes its way out of my mouth. I slam my hands up to my mouth to try to stop them. It doesn’t help. I can’t help the sobs that force their way out or the tears that pour down my cheeks. Penny bangs on my door, calling for me to open it, but I don’t. I can’t move from my spot on the floor. I sit there for the entire day, not caring how my body goes numb or demands for food. I can’t move. I can’t do anything. He’s gone. Baz is gone. I slump over, laying on the floor. Life just doesn’t feel right without him in it. How can he be gone? How could this have happened? My sobs stop, but my tears don’t. I fall asleep on the floor.
When I wake up again, I forget why I’m on the floor before it all slams back to him. Baz is dead. More tears slide down my face. I don’t know if I will ever stop crying for him. I know everyone thought that I would kill Baz or Baz would kill me, but I always knew that I would never have been able to kill him. I was never going to be able to take a blade to Baz. I would have let him kill me.
The sunlight is gold, pouring through our open window. My window. I left it open in hopes that it would somehow bring Baz back to our room, if only for him to grumble about me leaving it open. I abruptly stand up and my vision swims and I feel dizzy. Once the feeling passes, I march over to the window and slam it close. I wonder if I had just been more considerate to Baz if we could have been friends. I look over to my bed, but I grab my blanket off of it and I flop into Baz’s bed. Somehow, it makes me feel a little bit better. I have nightmares about Baz begging me to find him. Of blood running down his face as he begs me to save him. I don’t sleep well.
The next morning comes with Penny knocking on my door. She loudly demands that I let her in. I feel bad for yesterday, so I drag myself up and let her in. She takes one look at me before her face falls. She hands me a plate with a sour cherry scone and butter on it. I take one look at it before setting it on my nightstand. Penny looks around the room and her eyes linger on his bed. I know she knows that I slept there last night. She turns to look at me and notices that I haven’t touched my scone.
“Si, you gotta eat. You didn’t eat yesterday. You’re gonna be sick if you don’t.” Her voice is scratchy, and her eyes are puffy and red. I think she spent all night crying. I bet I look like a mess. I shake my head no.
“Simon so help me if you don’t eat right now-” her threat breaks off with a sob- “Si please. I can’t bear if something happens to you too.” It hits me how much this must hurt Penny too. She may not have been roommates or really friends with Baz, but they used to argue against teachers together. There were a few times when I noticed when one of them would get a hard question right, the other would nod towards who got it right. I think if it wasn’t for me that Penny and Baz could have been friends. They would have been scary smart together. I nod and pick and eat a bit of the scone.
She sits on my bed and watches me eat. It’s a little unnerving, but I don’t say anything. Her eyes finally stop watching me, instead she stares at the room again. Her eyes are glazed over. I think she is remembering all of the times that she was in here and her and Baz would go at it. He used to try to get her to tell him how she managed to get into Mummers. She never did tell him.
“His funeral is today. They are burying an empty coffin with his mother down in the catacombs,” she says staring at him wardrobe. There isn’t anything in it. I ripped apart the room last night looking for something he might have left behind. There was nothing. My cross was also abandoned on my bed. I threw it last night after I woke up from a nightmare about burning Baz with it. I don’t think I’ll ever wear it again.
“I know. When?” I ask.
“In an hour,” she responds. I nod. We sit for the rest of the time in complete silence, each staring off into space. I don’t change uniforms to go to his funeral.
It’s awful. Knowing that they are burying just an empty coffin. That there isn’t anything they could bury. I worry about his ghost. I don’t say anything to anyone at the funeral. I just stare at the empty box and let my tears fall down my face. I don’t think I’ll ever run out of tears. I fear if I do that, I’ll stop remembering him. Students gather for him. Even though he always thought he was better than everyone, they came for him. His father clears his throat and all eyes turned to him.
“I never thought I would have to bury my son. It was a nightmare when I buried my wife here. I hope Basilton finds his mother in the afterlife.” Baz’s stepmum hands Malcolm something.
“I couldn’t bear for his coffin to be completely empty, so I decided that in place we would bury his violin.” I can’t look away from the sleek wood of his violin. He used to play it in our room to bother me. I wish I could hear him play it one more time. I wish I would have appreciated it when he was around. A little girl that kind of looks like Baz stands up.
“My big brother was the best. He taught me so much.” Her voice breaks as she hands Baz’s wand to her father. He places the wand with the violin before shutting the case.
“I miss you Bazzy,” she cries. Baz’s stepmum pulls the girl into her lap and cuddles her. Her sobs ring out loudly. Everyone is crying. I wish I could just bring him back. I glance around at all of the people standing here. If only Baz could see this. I think he would finally be flustered.
The funeral ends and people start to leave. I turn to follow Penny but a heavy hand on my shoulder stops me. I turn to find the Mage. I notice that he hasn’t been crying.
“Simon, please head up to my office and wait for me there.” I nod and walk off to wait for him. I sit down in one of the chairs when I remember this used to be Baz’s mum’s office. I wonder if I will ever look at anything and not think of him. He’s been a constant in my life for the past seven years and now he’s gone. Gone and never coming back. Finally, the Mage comes back and sits down behind his desk.
“I must say Simon, that was quite the show you put on.”
“Sir?” I don’t understand what he is talking about.
“It was incredibly believable that you were broken up over that Pitch boy. I just can’t believe you took him out, and to make it look like a kidnapping. I didn’t know you had it in you Simon. And here I was, thinking about paying numpties and just having them kidnap the boy. Great minds think alike I suppose.” My mouth drops open, I vaguely think about Baz calling me a mouth breather.
“Excuse me Sir? I didn’t do this.” He looks shocked.
“Oh. I assumed that you did. It was why I didn’t put much effort into looking for that Pitch boy. Our job is much easier with the Old Families grieving and him out of the way.” I push back out of my chair and storm out of the office. I hear him call after me, but I don’t stop. I don’t stop until I find Penny. My magic is pushing out, so Penny notices me coming.
“Simon?” Her voice is soft.
“I am going to kill him,” I growl.
“Who?” She looks past me, trying to see if someone is following me.
“The Mage thought I killed Baz, so he didn’t put much for resources for looking for Baz. He apparently wanted to kidnap Baz.” Penny gasps.
“Did he tell you that?”
“Yes! How could he think I would kill Baz?” Penny opens her mouth but doesn’t saying anything. She coughs instead.
“Your magic, Simon.” I close my eyes and try to pull my magic in. It doesn’t really help. I leave Penny sitting on the Great Lawn and go back to our room. I take one step inside before I turn to leave again. I head to the catacombs. I walk quietly down into the catacombs, trying to hear if Baz’s family is still here. I find his grave, thankfully his family has already left. I sit down next to his headstone.
“Baz, I don’t understand. How could this have happened? How could you just be gone?” My voice sounds like a freight train in here even though I whisper.
“I miss you Baz. I can’t help but look across the room and hope you’re there. Or look where you are supposed to be in class. I’m haunted by everything you did. I can’t stop thinking about you. I just want you back Baz,” I cry. When it’s dark I stumbled out of the catacombs and make my way back to our room. My room. Our room. It will always be our room. I lay down in my bed and a while later I hear something.
“Tyrannus?” Her voice is soft, and I sit up in my bed. A visiting. I forgot that someone mentioned the veil was thinning.
“Hello?” I call out to her. She turns to me. She looks sad.
“Tyrannus?” She cocks her head and moves towards me. I shake my head no.
“No ma’am. I’m his roommate,” I say.
“Tell him he must find my killer. The one who sent the vampires. A give him this for me.” She bends down and presses a cold kiss to my forehead. I start to tell her that Baz is dead, but she is gone.
“My rosebud boy.” I hear whispered through the veil before everything is quiet again and nothing moves. I cry again. I can’t keep doing this. It feels like the hit never stop coming.
I was right. The hits don’t stop coming. I wake up, I slept in his bed again, and there is a burning sensation in my arm. I pull up my sleeve and notice there is neat black writing where it burns.
Tyrannus Basilton Grimm-Pitch is inked in Baz’s slanted handwriting. I stare at the writing for a few minutes before I launch out of his bed and throw on clothes. My buttons are skewed but I don’t care. I run all the way to the dining hall. Penny is sitting at our table when I burst through the door. I don’t stop when everyone turns towards me. I don’t say anything as I thrust my arm towards her. She stares at me before she looks down at my arm. She gasps and her eyes widen.
“I did not get his named tattooed on my. I swear Pen,” I rush out. She nods, still focused on the writing on my arm. She traces a finger over it. It sends shivers up my spine.
“Penny I swear,” I insist again. She snaps out of whatever trace she was in. Her eyes are wide, and her mouth is hanging open. She is stilling holding my arm from where she is sitting.
“Soul mark,” she whispers before she stands up, keeping a hold on my arm and drags me over to Dev and Niall. I tumble along after her. She thrusts my arm at the two and Dev goes to protest before he looks at my arm. Both him and Niall gasp. I feel like I am missing something.
“I didn’t tattoo his name on my arm. I promise,” I say again in the silence. Penny shakes her head.
“Simon, did no one tell you about soul marks in all this time?” She asks. I shake my head.
“Crowley Simon. Okay. Soul marks. Mages don’t talk about it all that much. It is something we are just taught when we are kids.” Penny starts.
“Mages get them at random times. Normally it isn’t under after we turn eighteen. It can happen if a mage needs to know something about their soulmate though.” She stares at me. I still feel like I’m not getting something.
“If a soulmate dies before the other person gets their soul mark, then it appears slashed through,” she urges. I stare at her for a solid minute before it clicks. My make isn’t slashed through.
“Penny. You need to say it clear for me because if this means what I think it does.” My words get choked up with tears. She nods.
“Baz isn’t dead. Your mark confirms that he isn’t dead. He’s out there somewhere.” A loud sob is ripped from my chest, and I sink to the floor cradling my arm where his works are etched. Students stare at me.
Soulmates. It kind of makes sense. I always needed to know where Baz was at all times, to the point of stalking him. I always noticed how fit he was. He was downright attractive no matter what he did. I came to watch him play on the pitch because he was ruthless. I was always drawn to Baz. I couldn’t keep my eyes off him. I think I’ve been covering my feelings with hatred. I don’t think I really hated him. I think I have always been in love with him. It makes me sob harder. Baz is alive. I just have to find him.
Dev and Niall haul me off the floor and help me walk out of the dining hall and to the library. Penny disappears for a moment, but she meets us in the library with a plate of scones. I know you aren’t allowed food in the library. I wonder how she is getting away with it. Dev and Niall sit my down and Penny hands me food. I didn’t even think about eating scones this morning. I start devouring them.
“How do we find him?” I ask in between scones.
“There should be a spell that we can cast that basically makes your soul mark a compass for your soulmate,” Penny says as she walks away, looking for a book. She comes back with a huge book. She points her ring at it and says, “fine tooth comb”. The book pages quickly flip until they come to a stop. She quickly scans the page and smiles when she finds what she is looking for.
“Here it is!” She exclaims. Dev and Niall look at the spell and urge her forward. She points her ring at my arm and says, “My soul belongs to one.” As her magic washes over me I feel a pull.
“Follow the pull Simon,” she says with wonder in her voice. I nod and run out onto the great lawn. I can feel the way the spell is pulling me. I can’t run all the way to him. I barely have time to think before I am suddenly in the air. I’m flying. I have red wings and a tail. I follow the pull, flying as fast as I can to get to him. It feels like hours pass. No matter how hard I push my wings, I can’t seem to get there fast enough. Finally, the spell pulls downwards, and I swoop and land in a heap. I’m on my feet in seconds following the pull to him.
It pulls me up to a house in shambles. I slam the door open and summon the Sword of Mages. I thunder down the stairs into a basement. My eyes first focus on Baz, slumped on the floor, but breathing. The second thing I notice is the three men standing the basement. I raise my sword and slash through them as they come at me. Nothing is going to keep me from him. Once the men are dead, I throw my sword to the floor and skid to a halt in front of him. I fall to my knees and tip his head up. His eyes crack open, and he stares at me. He blinks slows.
“Baz,” I whisper. He slumps forward into my arms. There are chains keeping him bound to the floor. I tug on them, but I can break them. I growl and push my magic into them. They shatter. There are bruises and cuts across his face and what skin I can see of him. I’m scared to cast a healing spell. I hold him close to my chest and will my magic to flow and heal him. In the same way my wings appeared, his wounds stitch close. I pick him up and notice he is much too light. He should weight more for a boy of his size. That’s just what he is. A boy. My soulmate. I carry him out of the house and hold him tight as I take to the air. I wonder if Penny, Dev, and Niall have told anyone. I wonder if everyone is waiting for me to bring him back. I wonder if I should bring him home or Watford. I’m drawn out of my thoughts by Baz shifting in my arms. I hold him tight, but I am careful to not hurt him. His grey eyes crack open and stare at me again.
“Snow?” His voice is like gravel. His eyes gain a bit more of clarity before they widen. He starts to struggle in my hold.
“Put me down Snow.”
“I’ve got you Baz. It’s okay,” I whisper. He doesn’t stop struggling.
“I need to feed Snow. Put me down.” My eyes widen and I swoop down to land. His hands tighten around my arms, and he tucks his face into my chest as I descend.
I set him down on the ground and let go. He tries to take a step but can’t hold himself up. I catch him as he falls. I help him down and he tries to push me away.
“Go away Simon. Please,” he begs and pushes my arms again. I don’t budge. I pull up my sleeve and show him the writing there.
“Look Baz. I’m sorry for everything. I shouldn’t have done anything that I have to you. We’re soulmates.” Baz stares at his handwriting on my hand. He lifts a shaky hand and traces his name.
“I felt a burning pain on my back, but I didn’t think anything of it,” he whispers. His voice is still hoarse. He needs some water. I wish I would have brought some with me.
“Will you look?” He quietly asks. I nod and move behind him. I slowly and carefully lift his shirt and look at his back. On his pale skin its written.
Simon Snow
I smile and let his shirt back down.
“It’s my name.” I watch as he grins for a moment before his fangs drop and he covers his mouth with his hand. My eyes widen and so do his.
“Please go,” he whispers again. I shake my head.
“Wicked,” I murmur.
“Snow I need to hunt. Go,” he insists.
“You called me Simon before.” I smirk at him before I turn and holler “Doe, a deer” towards the forest. My magic burns and it only takes a few seconds before a deer trots over.
“I did not and please turn away.” I smile at him and turn. When I turn back Baz has blood dripping down his face and on his shirt. I move back towards him and wipe it away.
“Let’s get you some food and some water. Then you can decide whether I take you home or to Watford.” He nods and I pick him up again. This time when he is in my arms and he tucks his face into my chest, I notice he is blushing.
Once Baz has eaten food and drank water, I ask him where he prefers to go.
“How long has it been?” He asks.
“Two and a half months.” I can’t lie to him. It wouldn’t matter, he would find out.
“Watford please. I will have someone send a message to my family and they can see me there.” I nod. I don’t want to argue with him. The flight back to Watford seems to take no time at all. When I land in back in the great lawn, Penny is there waiting for me. She takes one look at Baz before she throws her arms around him.
“I’ll help you catch back up.” I hear her whisper to him. He chuckles softly.
“Also, Dev and Niall went to fetch your family. They should be back soon.” He nods as Penny leaves. Baz turns back towards me.
“So, what now Snow?” He gestures towards my arm. I pretend to think about it for a moment before I pull him to me, and I kiss him. It finally feels like everything is where it is supposed to be. I know things are going to be hard. I have to tell him about his mother visiting, about the Mage planning a kidnapping that didn’t happen. We have to figure out about the war, and the Humdrum is still lurking, but right now everything feels right. I pull back to stare into his eyes. He quirks up an eyebrow and smirks at me before he pulls me back into another kiss.