Bagsy Beetlehorn and the Vampire Affairs (The Bagsy Chronicles 4)

An Aftermath

Doppelgangers were magical beings, but even amongst magical beings they were special. Some articles theorised doppelgangers were one of the oldest, if not the first, species of magical beings to exist. Bobbibty Hairgrow, a historian from long ago, had written in one of his books that he believed many magical being's lineage could be traced to doppelgangers. Hairgrow had clearly been a little obsessed with doppelgangers. In his writing he fondly called them 'the most adaptable' and raved about their impressive ability to survive.

Knowing that the doppelgangers would be wiped out by the Ministry a few hundred years later, Mezrielda grimaced at that.

According to a few sources, Hairgrow included, doppelgangers were born in the floating fields of invisible pewter in Australia. They theorised that a hovering clump of pewter gained consciousness. From there, legend tells that more doppelgangers sprang out of the metal, which they considered to be their mute siblings.

They evolved in the pewter fields, their eyes adapting to see past the pewter's illusion, and to track and predict the fast-moving metal to navigate the fields safely. From there, it was believed the doppelgangers spread across the country, and then across the globe.

This was all very interesting to know, but none of it helped Mezrielda explain to Bagsy that she was a doppelganger and that she didn't need to be ashamed of it.

Every now and then Mezrielda had worried that maybe, just maybe, the real Bagsy had been replaced by a doppelganger. But when she'd thought this she'd simply look at her friend, biting her tongue and frowning in concentration as she scribbled messily in her notebook, and know that this was the same Bagsy she'd met at the start.

Trapped in the wall of the acting troupe's castle, having only her thoughts for comfort, Mezrielda lamented on how little her knowledge was now. Pepsini had tried to kill Bagsy – had forced her to drink a potion that would've made her over-shift to death – and all Mezrielda could do was listen. Hearing her dearest friend die was unthinkable. The only worse fate she could conceive of was having to watch Bagsy's demise, helpless to prevent it.

Then she'd seen a flash of green through the stone, and her breath had left her in the fear that Bagsy was gone.

But then she'd heard Philip and Bagsy speaking. Bagsy was in denial. Of course she was, but Philip was getting through to her and, as he did, Mezrielda felt something awful in the air. When Bagsy and the acting troupe had spoke in unison, it had shuddered right through the stone and into Mezrielda's bones.

Then there was silence, and Mezrielda was left to her thoughts, unable to escape. She recounted the events in her head. If that flash of green had been a killing curse, then who had it killed? Pepsini had been quiet ever since the light. If it had been him who'd died then Mezrielda was in luck – his spell to trap her against the wall would begin to weaken, and she could get out.

But what would she do once she got out? If Pepsini had been killed, Mezrielda knew it wouldn't have been Bagsy who'd done it. That meant the acting troupe were happy killing whoever they needed to.

Nothing would stop them from killing Mezrielda.

There was certainly nothing Mezrielda could do would stop them, either. She had to think. She couldn't rush in to get Bagsy back. They'd stolen her, taken her mind, and controlled her from the sounds of things. If she wanted Bagsy back, she would have to be smart about it.

The first plan she settled on was to tell everyone what had happened. The acting troupe couldn't kill an entire hall of people. At least, Mezrielda hoped they couldn't.

Wishing she had Bagsy's strength, Mezrielda tried to push her arms out of the stone. With grim satisfaction, she noticed the stone holding her in place crumble. After a while of wriggling, one arm came free. Dust and rubble clattered to the floor with soft thuds as Mezrielda, covered from head to toe in white specs of broken brick, freed herself.