Baz walked toward the fireplace, holding his hands up to the heat. Simon followed.
There it is, Baz said.
Where? Simon looked into the fire.
Above you.
Simon looked up, then turned back to face the room. On the ceiling above him was a richly painted mural of the night sky. The sky was deep blue and dominated by the moona white rabbit curled tightly in on itself, eyes pressed closed, fat and full and fast asleep.
Simon walked out into the middle of the room, his chin raised high. The fifth hare, he whispered. The Moon Rabbit.
Now what? Baz asked, just behind him.
What do you mean?
I mean, now what ?
I dont know, Simon said.
Well, what did you do when you found the others?
Nothing. I just found them. The letter just said to find them.
Baz brought his hands to his face and growled, dropping into a frustrated heap on the floor. Is this how you and your dream team normally operate? Its no wonder its always so easy to get in your way.
But not so easy to stop us, Ive noticed.
Oh, shut up, Baz said, his face hidden in his knees. Justno more. No more of your drippy voice until youve got something worth saying. Its like a drill youre cranking between my eyes.
Simon sat down on the floor near Baz, near the fire, looking up at the sleeping rabbit. When his neck started to cramp, he leaned back on the rug.
I slept in a room like this, Simon said. In the orphanage. Nowhere near this nice. There was no fireplace. No Moon Rabbit. But we all slept together like this, in one room.
Crowley, Snow, was that when you joined the cast of Annie ?
There are still places like that. Orphanages. You wouldnt know.
Quite right, Baz said. My mother didnt choose to leave me.
If your family is so grand, why are you celebrating Christmas with me?
I wouldnt call this a celebration.
Simon focused again on the rabbit. Maybe there was something hidden in it. Maybe if he squinted. Or if he looked at it in a mirror. Agatha had a magic mirror; it would tell you if something was amiss. Like if you had spinach in your teeth or something hanging from your nose. When Simon looked at it, it always
asked him who he was kidding. Its just jealous, Agatha would say. It thinks I give you too much attention.
It was my choice, Baz said, breaking the silence. I didnt want to go home for Christmas. He leaned back onto the floor, an arms length from Simon. When Simon glanced over, Baz was staring up at the painted stars.
Were you here? Simon asked, watching the light from the fire play across Bazs strong features. His nose was all wrong, Simon had always thought. It started too high, with a soft bump between Bazs eyebrows. If Simon looked at Bazs face for too long, he always wanted to reach up and tug his nose down. Not that that would work. It was just a feeling.
Was I here when ? Baz asked.
When they attacked your mother.
They attacked the nursery, Baz said, as if he were explaining it to the moon. Vampires cant have children, you knowthey have to turn them. They thought if they turned magical children, theyd be twice as dangerous.
They would be, Simon thought, his stomach flopping fearfully. Vampires were already nearly invulnerable; a vampire who could do magic
My mother came to protect us.
To protect you, Simon said.
She threw fire at the vampires, Baz said. They went up like flash paper.
How did she die?
There were just too many of them. He was still talking to the sky, but his eyes were closed.
Did the vampires turn any of the children?
Yes. It was like a puff of smoke escaping from Bazs lips.
Simon didnt know what to say. He thought it might be worse, in a way, to have had a mother, a powerful, loving mother, and then to lose herthan to grow up like Simon had. With nothing.
He knew what happened next in Bazs story: After the headmaster, Bazs mother, was killed, the Mage took over. The school changed; it had to. They werent just students now. They were warriors. Of course the nursery had closed. When you came to Watford, you left your childhood behind.
All right for Simon. He had nothing to lose.
But for Baz
He lost his mother, Simon thought, and he got me instead. In a hiccup of tenderness or perhaps pity, Simon reached for Bazs hand, fully expecting Baz to yank his arm from its socket.
But Bazs hand was cold and limp. When Simon looked closer, he realized that the other boy was asleep.
The door flew open then, and for once, Cath thought, Reagans timing was perfect. Cath closed her laptop, to let Levi know she was done reading.
Hey, Reagan said. Oh, hey. Christmas cups. Did you bring me a gingerbread latte?
Cath looked down guiltily at her cup.
I brought you an eggnog latte, Levi said, holding it out. And Ive been keeping it warm in my mouth.
Eggnog. Reagan wrinkled her nose, but she took it. What are you doing here so early?
I thought we could study before the party, Levi said.
Jacob Have I Loved ?
He nodded.
Youre reading Jacob Have I Loved ? Cath asked. Thats a kids book.
Young adult literature, he said. Its a great class.