The staff stood perfectly still. No-one dared move a muscle. All eyes were on the dapper-looking man in the suit, who stood in the middle of the grand entrance hall, below the enormous chandelier that sparkled in the candlelight.

“See that the children are sent to their chambers.” Madame Rose said, without breaking eye contact with the man in front of her.

The staff bustled away in different directions and disappeared behind doors and up and down staircases, leaving the two alone. It was so quiet that you could almost hear the flickering flames of the candles that lined the walls.

“How did you get in here?” Madam Rose said eventually. “How did you get past the wards?”

“Now, now, I couldn’t possibly tell you that, Madam Rose.” the man said, his lip curling slightly. “That would be no fun. Especially if I want to visit again.”

So he knew her name. That wasn’t much of a surprise, though. There wasn’t a witch or wizard in the realm who didn’t know her name. The question was, who was *he?*

“And you are?”

“Oh come now, you don’t remember me?”

Madam Rose lifted her chin up a little higher. “Am I meant to?”

“I guess most know me as Thanatos. Surely you remember our little meeting all those years ago?”

Madam sucked in a breath and froze, her eyes wide. Surely not. Surely not here, in the entrance hall of her school?

Thanatos gave a light chuckle, clearly enjoying the spectacle of the whole thing. He put on a brown leather glove using exaggerated, almost theatrical movements. “I require three of your students, Ravena. Just on loan. I promise they will not be harmed.”

Madam Rose snorted. “Absolutely not. This school is not a place for hire!”

“Oh, but I think you *will* loan me them.”

He reached into his pocket with his gloved hand.

Madam Rose lifted her hand in reflex, a golden glowing orb suddenly appearing a couple of inches away from her outstretched palm. “Stop!” she said, directing her hand towards him.

He chuckled again. “Oh please. I do have some sense of decorum, Ravena. Look,” he said, slowly pulling out a clear, glass-like sphere. “See? It’s just my Lunar Sphere. I’d like to show you something.”

He held the hand-sized sphere out towards her. “Come. Don’t be shy.”

Madam Rose took a careful step closer and lowered her eyes to look at it, hand still stretched out towards him just in case. Her eyes locked onto the sphere and she sucked in a breath. Without thinking, a small cry escaped from her lips as she took an involuntary step back. “No!”

“Oh, *yes,* my dear Ravena.” Thanatos said with a smug grin as he returned the sphere to his pocket. “Such a delight, this little contraption. Nothing like a Luna Sphere to dissolve any doubts. I must thank that student of yours, for inventing it. What was he called? Derek? Such a mundane name for such a talented wizard.”

He sighed and gave her a smile. “Well, I’ve love to stay but… things to do. I think that concludes our little meeting. It’s been a pleasure.”

With that, he turned on his heel and went back out through the front doors. “Prepare them, Ravena. I’ll be back in two full moons.” he called back over his shoulder.

She stood there, mouth open, as she watched the front doors swing back and forth in his wake.

Moments passed, maybe minutes, as her mind reeled from what had just happened. She jumped at the sound of Professor Heary’s hesitant voice.

“Is… is anything the matter, dear? Who *was* that?” the tiny professor asked, craning her neck as she looked up at Madam Rose.

Madam Rose swallowed, eyes still fixed on the doorway through which Thanatos had exited the building.

“That was the god of death. And he wants our children.”