Jasper had returned only a couple hours after Rameses and I had fought, apparently he could feel our emotions but without any context he had come running thinking we were under attack. Jasper and Rameses had of course gotten into another fight as soon as we had explained we had been in an argument with each other rather than fighting something. This time though rather than letting them sort it out I quickly laid down the new rules with Jasper which where simple, No private telepathic communications either all three of us were included or we could say it out loud, Rameses and Jasper had to at least try to get along we couldn't fight outside threats if we were fighting with each other, but what got an actual flash of hurt from Jasper was that the bond was temporary and wouldn't continue without Rameses being okay with it. Jasper had wanted to argue but my response of if he didn't like my rules he didn't have to stay had made him go quiet.

Thankfully he hadn't shut me out instead he just adjusted to the new rules which was good since the last week we had been traveling had been tense enough expecting Cas to attack us. It was stressing all of us out but there was nothing not a sign or sniff of Cas, Danny had been combing the internet trying to track where she had gone but no attacks fitting a wendigo could be found it was as if she had vanished.

Since Jasper had led the police west we opted to head north, avoiding major roads and towns instead we camped in the heavily wooded mountains. This had led to a few encounters including with a bear which Jasper had scared off with a burst of flame to it's face, a pack of coyotes that Rameses had scared off just by changing into his larger form and roaring, and a thieving raccoon that Danny had taken too much joy in dispatching to be fair it had been stealing only his food. The isolation also gave us the space and time to practice working together and working on our skills, Jasper and Rameses worked on fighting together instead of against each other, Danny did target practice using small metal marbles I was practicing making float with electricity as his targets while I tried to keep them in place.

"Jasper can You get the fire going?" Danny asked from where he was preparing dinner, a couple of fish we had caught earlier and some fruit bars. Our camp was set up in a clearing alongside a creek, Jasper went to start the fire with a sigh. Once the fire got going, it only made this sweltering heat from the sun beating down on us worse.

As soon as I was finished with my own chore of dealing with the laundry, I made a beeline for the shade where Rameses was already resting. I pulled out my bag of metal marbles I had gotten at a truck stop and used a trio of them to circle above my palm. Balancing the electricity to create a magnetic force to keep them moving still took me quite a bit of focus but practice makes perfect.

The marbles hit the rocks we had been sitting on with a light tinkling sound as every hair on my body stood on end and a static buzz danced over my skin. Jasper whipped around, abandoning his task while Rameses jumped up, his head swiveling back and forth as my own dread hit them both like a freight train.

What had caused such dread was what I could only describe as an aura that washed over me, even the birds had fallen silent. What hit me wasn't easy, if at all possible to put into words. It was the uncanny valley of a doll that was far too real to be comfortable. No, it was far more than that. It was the seconds that seemed to stretch in a minutes as cars were about to crash. It was a toxic chemical cloud as it billowed down the hill, suffocating all before it. It was the dark, towering wave of building tsunami preparing to collide with the sand washing away all in its wake. It was the tornado coming ever closer in its destructive swirling dance that would trample and erase all in its path. This was the silence as a nuclear bomb fell from the sky, promising to melt the skin from your bones in a flash of light, leaving only your shadow behind. The aura was all this and more, what was worse was it was heading straight for us.

"Morgan, what is it?!" Rameses demanded as Jasper ran over to us, with Danny taking the hint and falling right behind. But I couldn't speak. I had no idea how to explain what it was coming our way.

"I certainly hope you pathetic losers didn't think this was over." Cas' voice rang out from where she was sitting, perched on a tree branch high above the ground.

"Cas! What did you do to Morgan?" Danny interrogated angrily.

"Me? I didn't do anything. OH, you mean why you're a little friend looks like a deer in headlights? That's because of my boyfriend, warlocks tend to have that effect on witches if they've never encountered one before. You don't need to worry yourself though, she'll shake it off in a couple minutes." Cas replied, amused.

"Your boyfriend?" Jasper asked.

"Yeah, he wasn't exactly chuffed that you lot decided to wail on his girlfriend and now he wants the wisp even more. So, he came to deal with you himself." Cas replied with a snicker.

"Are these the ones you were telling me about, Cassandra?" A man asked as he walked into the clearing. He was an older man with hair cut short that blended into a beard and mustache peppered in black and grey. He wore a black three-piece suit, but what stood out the most were the gauntlets he wore. They were black leather underneath brass machinery and clear tubes with long brass needles lying over the fingers. Honestly, if you had asked me to describe Jack the Ripper, I would say he was right in front of me.

"Yes darling, this is them." Cas replied, leaping down and cuddling into the man's side.

"I see. Allow me to introduce myself. I'm Doctor John Cunning, and it seems you have something of mine. If you return the wisp to me on my word as a gentleman, no harm will come to any of you." The man told us, his London accent dripping with false gentility.

"But..." Cas trailed off, anger igniting on her face.

"Not now, Cassandra." Dr. Cunning hissed as cold as steel, shutting Cas up as she looked away.

"I thought you seemed familiar. Dr. Cunning, the mad Doctor of Stepney. A real Doctor Knox were, except you were also Burke and Hare." Jasper said, as if hit by an epiphany. Although given the face he made Dr. Cunning didn't appreciate the recognition.

"I don't care who you are, you're not taking Jasper" Rameses hissed as I felt the familiar pull on my magic, a request which I granted immediately as Rameses took on his larger form ready for a fight.

"If that's the way you want it, fine." Dr. Cunning replied, with a wave of his hand, Rameses was sent flying back, crashing through trees before landing in a black heap of fur several yards away. Danny levelled his gun at Dr. Cunning, only for it to become a massive Python that through coils around his neck with another wave of Dr. Cunning's hand.

"Well, isn't this interesting?" Dr. Cunning said as he was suddenly in front of me, his fingertips resting just under my solar plexus. I didn't have time to react as pain shot through me as the needles of his gauntlet launched forward into me like nails. The pain only got intensified as Dr. Cunning used the needles like meat hooks to lift me up, my feet leaving the ground. I desperately tried to pull away but could only scream as my magic was forcibly pulled out by the needles. My magic racing through my veins like molten metal as it moved through tubes connected to the needle like glowing liquid copper.

"STOP!!! Just let them go and I'll come with you. Just let them go." Jasper pleaded, grabbing onto Dr. Cunning's arm that was holding me up. Dr. Cunning looked twice between Jasper and I before shrugging and lowering me to the ground. Dr. Cunning held open the glass case Cas had had before towards Jasper, who with a deep breath turned into a wisp and flew into the case that was closed with an audible snap.

I collapsed to the ground as Dr. Cunning's needles left my flesh. With a snap of Dr. Cunning's fingers the Python uncoiled itself from Danny who was struggling to breath before turning back into a gun and Rameses was set down beside me. I couldn't even turn my head, but I could feel his ragged breaths and fur against my back and arms. The last thing I heard was footsteps walking away as darkness crept in and I had no choice but to surrender to unconsciousness.