the living room to wait for the man to complete his call. The couch looked terribly inviting. He sat down.

Maybe he wouldn't even bother going upstairs. Maybe he'd just stretch out here. He heard a footstep

and looked up. The plumber was standing before him with a strange smile on his face. And then his eyes

started to glow.

the living room to wait for the man to complete his call. The couch looked terribly inviting. He sat down.

Maybe he wouldn't even bother going upstairs. Maybe he'd just stretch out here. He heard a footstep

and looked up. The plumber was standing before him with a strange smile on his face. And then his eyes

started to glow.

"What is it?" Merlin said, rushing into the room, and before the scene could fully register, Wulfgar spun

around, his eyes blazing, and twin bolts of searing thaumaturgic energy shot out from them, striking Billy's

body in the chest. He went flying backward, struck the wall, and slid down to the floor, smoke rising

from him.

Wulfgar turned quickly and seized Paul by the shoulders, his eyes blazing with thaumaturgic force. And

suddenly a wailing, banshee yowling filled the air as Gomez came leaping down from the balcony railing

on the second floor, landing on the necromancer's head. Wulfgar cried out and threw his hands up as the

blinding flurry of claws wreaked havoc with his face. He managed to grab hold of the hissing, spitting cat

and he flung it away from him with all his might. Gomez hit the front window of the living room and went

crashing through in an explosion of glass.

Paul was doubled over, moaning, his hands pressed up to his face. Wulfgar turned back to him, and then

suddenly became aware of a bright white light that was filling the entire room. He glanced toward the

body of the boy and saw that the light was emanating from it and growing brighter and brighter, like a

small star going supernova. His face took on a shocked expression.

"You!" he said with disbelief.

There was the sound of screeching tires outside and the slamming of car doors, followed by the sounds

of footsteps racing up the walk. Wulfgar quickly spoke a teleportation spell and disappeared just as

Wyrdrune and Kira came bursting in. The runestone in Wyrdrune's forehead was blazing and Kira had

her glove off, the sapphire in her palm glowing with brilliant fire.

"We're too late!" said Kira.

"Paul!" said Wyrdrune, rushing over to Ramirez, who was still on his knees, his hands pressed up against

his face. "Paul! Are you all right?"

"My eyes . . ." said Paul. "I—I can't see!"

"Oh, my God!" said Kira. "Billy!"

She went running over to him.

"Oh, Jesus," Wyrdrune said, leaving Paul and following her.

Kira stood over Billy's body, staring at him with her mouth open and her eyes wide. "What—what

happened to him?"

Wyrdrune also stared, stunned by what he saw. "I—I don't know," he said.

For a moment they were too shocked to move. There were still wisps of smoke curling up from Billy's