The trolley bell rang three times, signaling its soon departure. There was a trolley ride into town every hour on the hour until seven, and Sophie knew if she ran fast enough, she would catch the last one. She held her hat tightly as she ran toward the car, the conductor waving at her to hurry. The second she jumped onto the step, the trolley started moving along the tracks.

Sophie dropped the change in the money box, then searched for a seat. Everyone sat shoulder to shoulder with a few people holding onto the rails, so she joined those standing. She turned to look out the large car window, watching the shadows of the buildings grow larger and darker.

She assumed she would spend the night at Lettie's - if Howl wanted to fix this, he needed to come to her.

. ❀ 。• * ₊ ° 。❀ ° 。

Howl paced back and forth between the couch and Calcifer. Kenta sat with one leg resting on his knee as Heen curled up next to him, wheezing with pleasure when he rubbed his ear the right way. It was nearly dark, and Kenta repeatedly looked to the front door, hoping Sophie would return and fix things with Howl.

Kenta had only met Sophie that day, yet even in that short time he could already see what Howl liked about her. She wasn't afraid to stand up for herself, and the fact that she went to Suliman and stood her ground was actually impressive, even to him.

Careless, he thought, but still impressive.

"We need to find out where she's holding our magician friends. If I were her, I would want to be able to keep a close eye on them." Howl said, his hand tapping his chin to the beat of his pacing.

"Howl, we don't have to do this now." Kenta said with a significant amount of concern. "Don't you think we should look for Sophie?"

Howl breathed in heavily, letting his head hang low. As much as he wanted to go after her when she left, it wouldn't solve anything. They needed to be apart for now. He still felt betrayed; he couldn't believe she had been so reckless by talking with Suliman.

Though he had made some mistakes himself, Howl relied on Sophie's wisdom to make the right decisions. What she did was the complete opposite of herself.

As much as he hated lying to her, he only withheld the truth to protect her. Sophie usually worried about the smallest things, but Suliman's hunt to put him in jail was far from the little things. It was better that Sophie was kept in the dark if it meant she was happy – even if it meant he dealt with the fears of Suliman's power on his own.

Howl sighed. "We don't have any time to lose. Those are our friends imprisoned by that evil sorceress, and I will not sit here and waste time."

Kenta closed his eyes. He remembered how stubborn Howl could be, and it was best to let him deal with his problems in his own way.

Calcifer sighed as he watched Howl ignore the situation. "Howl, remember what I said to you earlier." He worried for his companion, especially now as he let Sophie walk away so easily. She had every right to be angry, but Calcifer knew their love in the same way he knew Howl's heart. They were inseparable, even amongst a string of lies.

What frightened the fire demon the most, however, was witnessing Howl let her go as if they had ended things permanently.

Howl turned to him. "I remember. And I say we have more important issues to address."

Calcifer shook his head. Sometimes he felt like he knew Sophie better than her own boyfriend. Sophie needed him the same way he needed her, yet it always looked like a one-way street. Howl didn't realize how lucky he was to have someone as consistent and caring in his life as Sophie. Everyone Howl had known in his life had either left him or were left by him at some point. Sophie was the first who for certain would stay forever.

If Calcifer ever had a love so faithful and true, he would never let such a woman walk away without giving it his all.

"All right, do as you wish." Calcifer said in submission.

Howl nodded. "Now, Kenta, I need you to tell me everything about what you saw and heard from Suliman."

Kenta cringed when he heard her name, but he cleared his throat and fought through it. He had a new mission, and he wouldn't let his former teacher dictate his mind any longer. "I can't remember much, unfortunately, but I do know she's looking for a new, powerful source of magic."

Howl chuckled. "Is that why she's looking for me?"

"She needs an innocent turned evil."

Howl frowned. "Then I don't know why she's hunting me down. I've never been innocent a day in my life."

"Howl, that's not true." Calcifer said.

"How is it not?" He looked at the fire demon, his eyes cold in a stark contrast from his friend. "Ever since I began training with my uncle, I've been nothing but selfish and narcissistic. It's always been about me."

"You saved my life." Calcifer retorted. "When I almost died as a falling star, you chose me to carry your heart. You chose me to be your companion. And when Markl's parents abandoned him, you welcomed him as your apprentice."

"For selfish reasons." Howl said. "All of them. I wanted to distance myself from my feelings, so I saved you to carry that burden. I wanted someone to help with my dirty work, so I took in Markl. None of what you are saying has ever been for the good of someone else."

"That was you before." Kenta said. "You've changed; I can tell. Sophie must be special because I've never seen you care so much for someone the way you do for her. Even though you let her walk out tonight, I know it's breaking your heart."

Calcifer nodded. "And ever since she returned your heart, you've shown great compassion for others - not just yourself."

Howl raised the corner of his mouth, but quickly reverted back to a melancholic state. "I'll still never be the person she needs."

Kenta held his shoulder. "Then you should go to her right now and talk to her. Fix this by being the person she needs."

Howl imagined what she was doing at that moment. She said she was going to Lettie's, so they were most likely talking about him and how much of an idiot he had been. Sophie wasn't one to cry. He couldn't remember if he ever had seen her shed a tear, not even for their most wounding arguments. Still, he wondered if he had pushed her limits.

He shook his head. "One thing I know is that Sophie knows how to take care of herself. She's strong; she can handle whatever comes her way. Even this."

"Howl–"

"We need to focus on this - this task. I'm making this my last mission if I have to strip away all ties to magic myself." Howl went to the bookshelf to get his spell books. Calcifer and Kenta shared a look of concern. They knew he wanted to go looking for her, but his ego wouldn't let his heart win this time.

. ❀ 。• * ₊ ° 。❀ ° 。

Sophie's mind relived the moments just before she left: how Howl immediately turned from caring boyfriend to completely enraged. When Suliman sent her through the portal that brought her home, she didn't realize that would expose their hideaway. To be honest, Sophie hadn't thought much about the consequences of her actions lately.

All she needed was a shoulder to cry on and someone to listen. Lettie lived in the apartments above the bakery, and a distant trolley ride into the main part of the city was worth it to get away from home for a while.

Sophie wondered why Lettie did the heavy lifting. She wasn't the eldest, yet she seemed to take on more of the sisterly duties than Sophie. She wanted to be able to teach Lettie about things like boys and makeup and what kind of clothes to buy, but Sophie never had any experience in any of those areas.

Howl was the first man she ever felt confident being with. From the time she was a young girl, Sophie had already been arranged to marry another, so dating wasn't an option for her. However, she never felt a true connection with her future husband, and that solidified her skeptical feelings of beauty and worth. She was overwhelmingly relieved when she heard that the arrangement was called off.

Sophie managed a chuckle. She went from a proper, arranged marriage to living with a man to another constantly proposing to her. She thought her love was for the hatter shop, but that changed the day she met Howl. She thought her love was for Howl alone, but now Justin's words rang through her head like a beating gong.

I will not give up on you, my dear. Not until you and Howl have finally made the decision to commit to marriage.

She wondered if Howl had even thought of the idea. Though she loved him more than anyone, she wondered how much of himself he would give to her. Once he regained his heart and was able to feel emotions again, his most difficult was expressing true love.

He was accustomed to lusting over a woman, but seeing Sophie every day and always having her by his side was different, and she saw it in him. He waited until about three months prior to say I love you, which Sophie had wanted to say the day he saved her life from the bomb raid. She was too scared to say it, afraid he would walk out on her.

Sophie stared out the window and exhaled a long, exhausting sigh. She didn't want to lose him, but if that would make her happy again-

Maybe it was worth it.

. ❀ 。• * ₊ ° 。❀ ° 。

"I remember a dark prison - that's where she kept us." Kenta tapped his scruffy chin. "But the whereabouts of that prison, I couldn't be too sure."

"Do you remember seeing the Palace when you escaped?" Howl asked, hoping to jog his hazy memory. "Or being anywhere in Kingsbury?"

Kenta shook his head. "I'm sorry, I don't remember if I was in Kingsbury. I broke free from my prison cell and just ran. Eventually, I hid myself in a nearby forest, which is where I found the dove and ultimately where you found me."

"You mean the one who gave me this letter." Howl held the paper in his hand. It had been thinned and worn down from all the times he read it. He had to be absolutely sure before he made his move.

"This may sound strange, but I thought the dove that sent you my letter was... waiting for me."

Howl blinked. "Why do you say that?"

Kenta cleared his throat. "The bird was just perched atop a tree branch. It looked me dead in the eye and flew down to land on my shoulder. I swear, it knew I needed help."

"That forest is about ten miles outside of the Palace, between Kingsbury and Market Chipping." Howl said. "My guess is that everyone is trapped in the Kingsbury Palace."

"I'm not so sure," Calcifer said. "She would be crazy to lock them away there."

"I agree. How could she have?" Kenta asked. "There are hundreds of people who go in and out of the Palace every day. How could she lock away an entire race – of magical beings, mind you – in one of the most populated cities in Ingary?"

Howl snapped his fingers, and instantly a map floated in the middle of the three. Kenta sat forward to see the map more clearly as Heen immediately dropped the floor and ran up the stairs. It was an overview of the Kingsbury Palace. Kenta wasn't impressed, since the Palace sold them for a small profit just outside the gates to draw in visitors.

Kenta raised his eyebrow. "This in no way helps us."

"Yes it does." He waved his hand over the map, whispering a spell over the thin paper. The straight lines and detailed descriptions from the paper gradually extended outward and became a three-dimensional overview of the Palace.

Kenta blinked. "Well then."

Howl smirked. "This isn't some cheap version the royal court wants you to think the Palace looks like. This allows us to see what is currently going on in the Palace - even what people are doing in real time. And since we're not actually there spying, there's no way she could figure this out."

Kenta placed his hands together over his mouth and shook back and forth. This was the edge they needed to get ahead of Suliman. She had a mastery level of magic, but all magic has its limits.

Howl zoomed in on the long, extravagant staircase leading to the entrance of the Palace. The guards all stood in place, one on each end of the step. He moved the visual through the front doors, passing more guards and a few of those on the royal court. The Ambassador and the Minister of Defense were walking through the halls toward the Throne Room, where the King sat lazily on the center throne, enjoying a servant washing his feet.

Howl rolled his eyes. He despised King Roland, a man who never took his responsibilities seriously - only when it came to which town he wanted to blow up next. Everything else he left to Suliman, and she managed to make things worse.

In the gardens, Howl and Kenta came across Prince Justin and Suliman. They walked along a stone path lined by geometrically shaped shrubs. The disadvantage of this spell was that they couldn't hear what they were saying; they could only see a miniature version of the people and contents of the Palace.

Kenta leaned in closer. "What do you think they're talking about?"

"Probably something else that will ruin the country." Howl said coldly.

Kenta sighed. He knew the horrible things of which Suliman was very capable, and hearing Howl's certainty of her corruption didn't soften his view of her.

Kenta squinted as he tried reading Suliman's lips, but he only saw a chuckle and a smile. Watching the way she smiled sent chills down his spine. She waved Justin off, and they went their separate ways.

Howl focused on Justin instead, watching him walk into the Throne Room. He didn't trust him; even with his proposal to Sophie's sister, Justin always seemed a little off. He knew Justin loved Sophie, so the fact that he proposed to the closest person in her life didn't seem like coincidence. It was baffling that Sophie still spoke to him in a friendly manner after she saved him with that stupid kiss.

Justin waved his brother off and walked through to the main hallway. Howl wanted to keep watching, but Kenta stopped him.

"Suliman's gone."

Howl darted his eyes to the gardens. "What?"

"She's gone. She disappeared." Kenta looked up at Howl. "We lost her."

Howl groaned in defeat. He wouldn't know where to begin if he could read Suliman's mind. She was such a complex sorceress that by the time he understood one part of her mind, she would find a way for him to second guess himself. Suliman knew how to mess with his mind; she even knew how to control it sometimes.

Howl shook his head and began pacing again. He still had nightmares of being Suliman's student. She reeled in her pupils by offering powers unimagined by even the most horrifying magicians alive. Once under her jurisdiction, she had the power to do whatever she wanted – like create an army for war.

Howl returned his gaze to Justin. He had gone to the Grand Library, sitting in a desk chair and reading a heavy novel. He was stagnant, just sitting there and turning the page every so often. It made Howl enraged, just watching him and not knowing exactly what was going through his head. Justin was waiting; Howl knew he and Suliman were up to something. He could only hope he had the power to stop it.

"Howl." He turned to Calcifer, whose eyes were wide with fear of the unknown. "She could be coming here."

Howl froze. Suliman knew where they were. She knew where he was and at any moment, she could come and take control of him all over again. She had the power to ruin him.

He shook his head. "No. No, I won't let her. She's not getting the best of me this time." Howl kept his eyes on Calcifer, and they nodded in unison. "Markl!"

In an instant, the young boy rushed down the stairs, wand already in hand and cloak wrapped around his neck. He stood by Howl, clutching his wand with a wide smile on his face. "Are we training again?"

"Something very similar." Howl bent down and held his shoulders. "You're going to help us cast a spell on the castle."

Markl awed and – if it was possible – smiled even wider. "Are we on the run again?"

Howl sighed. "Something like that. Suliman is after us again."

"And I get to help this time?" Howl blinked, surprised at the child's excitement. He would have thought Markl would be scared, timid even, but instead he was jumping and waving his wand, spells already shooting out through the room. He was the most innocent, gleeful child.

"Howl, he's practically your kid." Calcifer said just as Markl tried casting a spell on him. "Control him!"

"All right." Kenta placed a hand on his shoulder. "We'll show you the ropes."

Markl stood upright, his shoulders back and chin held high. "I'm ready."

Howl smiled. "I think it's time, then." Calcifer nodded. Howl placed the spell book on the ground and the three wizards stood in a half-circle around the fireplace. Howl would do anything to protect this place, to protect his family. As much as he wanted Sophie to be a part of this, he knew this was something she couldn't help with.

Sophie would just have to wait until this madness was over.

. ❀ 。• * ₊ ° 。❀ ° 。

At the third stop, Sophie departed, waving goodbye to the conductor who waited for her. The trolley rode along the tracks as Sophie walked down the stone pathway that people and cars shared. She walked toward the bakery, her mind floating between thoughts of Howl, Justin, and the advice her younger sister could hopefully provide.

She clutched the blue stone wrapped around her neck. She needed guidance, someone to help her through these troubles. Though she'd hardly been a Hatter these last few months, Lettie was good on forgiveness and acceptance. Sophie needed that, more than anything she needed to be a part of her family once more.

Howl would just have to wait for her to heal.