"Checkmate", Lottie said finally as she hit over Ravi's king on the chessboard. She looked rather triumphant, even if she cheated. But Ravi didn't know that, so she was counting it as a win.

"Aw. That's the third time in a row", he sighed, disappointed. "You must be a chess master or something".

"Well, what can I say?" She cleared off the pieces on the board and rubbed her eyes. It had been a long day. "Fancy another game?"

"I can't. Olalla said she wanted me for something". He looked at the grandfather clock that had been ticking away steadily for the duration of the game, and then his eyes widened at the time. "Oh dear. I think I'm in the doghouse".

"Late?"

"Yes, you could say that. Sorry, I've got to go", he said, grabbing the Jezequel book from the bookshelf. "I'll see you later. I hope". She chuckled to herself, and she didn't really know why. It was probably just out of tiredness. Looking at spines of the dusty novels on the bookshelf, she slid further into her chair, and just felt like nodding off. However her doze was interrupted by Garson walking through the door.

"Oh, hello Lottie", he exclaimed. "What you doing back here?" She had taken an hour of refuge away from the craziness of everyday life in the room behind the laboratory. It had meant to be an escape route and hideout for Henry Jekyll's potions, but for Lottie, it was just a quiet place. The walls were made of such thick brickwork hardly any noise could break through.

"Just... chilling".

"Well, if you want to 'chill', then you might want to go outside. The snow still hasn't cleared".

"It's only been a few days. At least it's not snowing actively". He noticed the untidy chessboard in front of her and shuffled at the sight of it. She was sure he had OCD or something.

"I can't remember there being a chessboard in here. Or a bookshelf".

"Yeah, I've made it into my Winter snug".

"Winter snug, eh? Much different to what it used to be".

"Robert said there was a letter for me this morning. Anything interesting?"

"I don't know. It's your mail to read".

"Yeah, tell Olalla that", she sighed. Lottie was sure Olalla thought she didn't know that she opened her mail. She never got anything interesting anyway. "I better go and see what it is. Before anyone else does".

In the laboratory Ravi and Olalla were in a deadly stare off across the room. Ravi looked utterly terrified, and was clutching his book to his chest. They didn't blink, didn't say 'hello' when she walked past, just continued their silent encounter. In the living room, on the mantelpiece was a large brown envelope with messy, italic handwriting on it reading 'Miss Lottie Jekyll, 18 Cedar Grove, London'. She recognised the handwriting from somewhere, but couldn't place it. Inside there was no letter, just a thin blade, entwined with roses dyed black. She dropped the letter in shock and it clattered on the floor. Was somebody threatening her? The blade and roses was an ancient symbol for a coming curse or death in revenge. She picked the envelope up again, and written on the inside of it was the word 'Shadows'. Tenebrae had sent it. They wanted revenge for the sword, but she swore she would protect it with her life. Her father had made her promise and she was protecting it. Well, not her personally, but all the same.

Wait, Renata. Would they really hurt her for it? Of course they would, they were evil, they were malicious. What more could you suspect from the offspring of a demon? Because this wasn't the work of Keres, or Lord Protheroe, or Silas. They may have been cold-hearted, or in Lord Protheroe's case, just damn pathetic, but this had thought put into it. Dance had failed to bring anything back to Keres, but it could have possibly been him. Though it seemed rather 'more threat and less action' than what he would usually do. It filled her with anxiety to think of Renata lying lifeless in the same place the woman she was named after lay. "I must write a letter", she thought to herself, and tore a piece of paper from a notebook. Quickly she grabbed her quill pen and, in a fit of increasing panic, knocked over the black ink pot near her.

"Cam down, calm down", she said to herself quietly. "It's going to be okay".

"What is?" a voice said from the doorway. It was Robert.

"I think Renata might be in danger. And I can't think straight". She rubbed her forehead in a mixture of frustration over the pool of ink that was spreading across the table, and fear.

"Right, don't worry", he cooed, sitting in the chair opposite.

"One of the most powerful items known to the demon world might have been taken by someone who doesn't know how to use it properly. I'm worrying!"

"And what do you think a letter's going to do?"

"I don't know. I just thought thought that someone would reply quicker than I can travel there".

"How far away do you think it is?!" he asked in a rather sarcastic tone. "Come on, get in the car. We'll go and have a look". He grabbed the car keys and trilby from the pegs and threw on his coat.

"Olalla, Ravi!" he called down into the laboratory. A few moments later they both came up the stairs, squabbling over the Jezequel book. Lottie rolled her eyes at her bickering siblings and plucked the book from their hands, leaving it on the chair.

"That's enough of that", she scolded, and Ravi shied away.

"Come on", Robert lilted, ignoring the situation. "We're going to the Jezequel house. But I need to pick a few people up first". Maggie walked past, slightly oblivious to her grandchildren congregated in the living room, but had been obviously listening from the next room.

"You coming?" Ravi asked.

"It's not for me dear. Me and Garson will look after the house, you go off on your adventures. I've got a date with Pride and Prejudice", she exclaimed, holding up a green covered novel.

"Let's go then".