Nicholas Flamel 1 - The Alchemyst sotinf-1

by Michael Scott

  honey, burned the creatures, it had no effect on the wood. He knew he should

  be paying more attention, but all his concern was focused on his sister. She

  was breathing quickly, and behind her closed eyelids her eyes were dancing.

  Scatty scrambled to her feet and darted back to Flamel and Josh. Very

  impressive, I m sure, she muttered. I didn't know you could do that.

  Flamel'spun the staff like a baton. This focuses my power.

  Scatty looked around. We seem to be trapped.

  Hekate went this way, Nicholas said, turning to the right and pointing to

  what looked like an impenetrable barrier of knotted roots. I saw her come

  running out of the chamber and walk straight through this. He stepped up to

  the knotted wood and stretched out his arm. It disappeared right up to the

  elbow.

  I'll go first, Scatty said. Josh noticed that although she had been

  fighting the deadly combination of birds and cats, there was neither a

  scratch on her body nor a hair out of place. She wasn't even breathing

  hard though if she really was a vampire, then maybe she didn't need to

  breathe at all, he thought. Scatty darted forward, and in the last moment

  before she reached the wall of roots, she dived straight into the opening,

  swords crossed over her chest.

  Flamel and Josh looked at one another in the brief moment that followed and

  then Scatty s head poked through the solid-looking tangle of roots. All

  clear.

  I'll take the rear, Flamel'said, stepping back to allow Josh to go ahead of

  him. I'll deal with anything that follows us.

  Josh nodded, unwilling to trust himself to talk to Flamel. He was still

  furious with the Alchemyst for endangering his sister s life, but he also

  recognized that Flamel was now fighting for them, placing himself in very

  real danger to protect them. Josh stepped up to the wall of twisted roots and

  packed earth, closed his eyes and walked right through. There was an instant

  of damp chill and then he opened his eyes to see Scatty directly in front of

  him. He was standing in a low, narrow chamber created entirely from the

  Yggdrasill s gnarled roots. Clumps of green moss leaked a dim green light

  into the chamber, and he could see that Scatty was standing at the bottom of

  a set of narrow, irregular steps that led upward into the gloom. Scatty s

  head was tilted to one side, but before Josh could ask what she was hearing,

  Flamel'stepped through the wall. He was smiling, and the top of his staff

  emitted traces of green gas. That should hold them for a while.

  Let s go, Scatty called as soon as the Alchemyst appeared.

  The stairway was so narrow that Josh was forced to move in a sideways

  crab-crawl, head ducked low, with Sophie held close to his body to prevent

  her head and legs from cracking against the rough wooden walls. He tested

  every step before he took it; he didn't want to risk falling and dropping his

  sister. He suddenly realized that these steps were cut into the space between

  the inner and outer bark of the great tree, and couldn t help wondering if a

  tree the size of Yggdrasill was riddled with secret passages, hidden rooms,

  forgotten chambers and lost stairways. It must be, he decided. Did Hekate

  even know where they all were? And then, his mind racing, he wondered who had

  created these steps. Somehow he could not imagine the goddess carving them

  out of the living wood herself.

  As they climbed, they could smell the bitter stench of burning wood, and the

  sounds of battle came clearer. The cat shrieks became even more human, the

  bird screeches were completely terrifying, and they mingled with the

  bellowing roars of the boars and the hissing of the nathair. Now that the

  group was no longer underground, the heat and smoke intensified and they

  began to hear another sound a deep bass groaning rumble.

  We need to hurry. Scatty s voice drifted back out of the gloom. We really

  need to hurry now . And somehow the forced calm in the Warrior s voice

  frightened Josh more than if she had screamed. Careful now; we've reached an

  opening. We re at the end of a thick root, about thirty yards away from the

  main body of the tree. We re well clear of the fighting, she added.

  Josh rounded a corner and discovered Scatty standing bathed in shafts of

  early-morning sunshine that shone through a curtain of vines directly ahead

  of her. She turned to face him, sunlight turning her red hair golden and

  running along the blades of her short swords, and in that moment, Josh saw

  her as the ancient and terrifying Warrior she was. The sounds of battle were

  all around them, but louder than all the other noises was the groaning rumble

  that seemed to vibrate deep in the ground. What is that sound? he asked.

  The cries of the Yggdrasill, Scatty answered grimly. Hekate's enemies have

  set light to the World Tree.

  But why? He found the very idea horrifying this ancient living tree had

  harmed no one. But the action gave him an insight into the contempt with

  which the Dark Elders held life.

  Her powers are inextricably linked to it; her magic brought it to towering

  life, its life force keeps her strong. They believe that by destroying it,

  they will destroy her.

  Flamel came panting up the steps to stand behind Josh. The Alchemyst s thin

  face was bright red and beaded with sweat. Getting old, he said with a wry

  smile. He looked at Scatty. What s the plan?

  Simple, she began, we get away from here as quickly as possible. Then she

  spun the sword in her left hand so that the blade was lying flat against the

  length of her arm. She pointed with the hilt. Flamel and Josh stood close to

  her and peered out through the curtain of vines. On the opposite side of the

  field, Dr. John Dee had appeared, moving cautiously through the undergrowth.

  The black-bladed short sword that he held in both hands glowed and flickered

  with a cold blue light.

  Dee, Flamel'said. Never in my life would I have imagined being delighted

  to see him. This is good news indeed.

  Both Scatty and Josh looked at him in surprise.

  Dee is human which means that he came here via human transportation, the

  Alchemyst explained.

  A car Scatty nodded in agreement that he would probably have left just

  outside the Shadowrealm.

  Josh was about to ask how she knew he would have left it outside when he

  suddenly realized he knew the answer. Because he knew if he drove it in

  here, the battery would be drained.

  Look, Scatty murmured.

  They watched one of the huge, boarlike Torc Alltas emerge from the long grass

  behind Dee. Although it was still in its beast shape, it rose on its hind

  legs, until it reached nearly three times the height of the man.

  It s going to kill him, Josh murmured.

  Dee s sword flared bright blue, and then the small man threw himself

  backward, toward the Torc Allta, bringing the sword around in a short arc.

  The sudden movement seemed to surprise the creature, but it easily batted

  aside the blade and then it froze. Where the blade had touched it, a thin

  sheath of ice grew up the beast s arm, tiny crystals sparkling in the

  early-morning sunshine. The ice coate
d the Torc Allta s chest and flowed down

  its massive legs and up his shoulders and head. Within a matter of heartbeats

  the creature was encased in a block of blue-veined ice. Dee picked himself up

  off the ground, dusted off his coat and then, without warning, hammered on

  the ice with the hilt of his sword. The block shattered into millions of

  tinkling pieces, each one containing a fragment of the Torc Allta.

  One of the elemental swords, Scatty remarked grimly, Excalibur, the Sword

  of Ice. I thought it was lost ages past, thrown back into the lake when

  Artorius died.

  Looks like the doctor found it, Flamel murmured.

  Josh discovered that he wasn't even surprised to hear that King Arthur had

  been real, and he found himself wondering which other legendary figures had

  really existed.

  They watched as Dee hurried back into the undergrowth, heading for the other

  side of the huge tree house, where the sounds of battle were loudest. The

  smell of smoke was stronger now. Sharp and bitter, it curled and twisted

  around the tree, carrying with it the reek of ancient places and

  long-forgotten spices. Wood snapped and cracked, sap boiled and popped and

  the deep bass thrumming was now strong enough to set the entire tree

  vibrating.

  I'll clear the way, Scatty said as she darted through the vines. Almost

  immediately a trio of the birdmen came winging toward her, followed by two of

  the cat-people, running on all fours.

  we've got to help her! Josh said desperately, though he d no idea what he

  could do.

  She is Scathach; she doesn't need our help, Flamel'said. SHe'll lead them

  away from us first .

  Scathach raced into the undergrowth, running lightly, her heavy boots making

  no sound on the soft earth. The birds and cats followed.

  SHe'll back herself up against something, so that they can only come at her

  from one side, then sHe'll turn to face them.

  Josh watched as Scatty spun and faced her attackers, with her back to a

  gnarled oak tree. The cat creatures reached her quickly, claws flashing, but

  her short swords were quicker, and struck sparks from their claws. A

  bird-creature swung in low, huge wings flapping, talons extended. Driving the

  sword in her left hand into the ground, she caught the creature s extended

  wrist and yanked it out of the air, then tossed it into the middle of the

  snarling cats. The bird instinctively lashed out at the cats, and suddenly,

  the animals were fighting among themselves. Two more bird-people immediately

  dropped onto the cats with a hideous squalling. Scatty yanked her sword out

  of the ground and used it to beckon to Flamel and Josh.

  Flamel tapped Josh s shoulder. Go. Get to Scathach.

  Josh turned to look at the Alchemyst. What about you?

  I'll wait a moment, then follow and protect you.

  And even though Josh knew Flamel had placed them in terrible danger, he had

  no doubts that the Alchemyst would watch his back. He nodded, then turned and

  burst through the curtain of vines and ran, clutching his sister tightly to

  his chest. Away from the shelter of the tree, the noise of battle was

  incredible, but he concentrated on the ground directly ahead of him, watching

  for roots or other irregularities in the earth that could trip him. In his

  arms, Sophie stirred; her eyes flickered, and she started to move. Josh

  tightened his grip. Stay still, he said urgently, though he wasn't sure if

  she could hear him. He shifted direction, moving to the right, away from the

  struggling creatures, but he couldn t help noticing that when they were badly

  injured, they reverted to their original bird and cat shapes. Two

  bemused-looking cats and three ragged crows picked themselves out of the dirt

  and watched him run past. Josh could hear Flamel running behind him, could

  smell the mint on the morning air as the Alchemyst worked his magic. Another

  ten or fifteen footsteps would take him to Scatty, and Josh knew that once he

  was with her, he was safe. But when he reached Scatty, he was just in time to

  see her eyes widen in horror. He looked over his shoulder and saw a tall

  woman with the head and claws of a sleek feline, wearing the robes of ancient

  Egypt, leap at least twenty feet and land squarely on Nicholas Flamel's back,

  driving him into the ground. A curved, sicklelike claw shot out and sliced

  his short staff neatly in two, then the creature threw back her head and

  hissed and spat triumphantly.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

  P erenelle Flamel was moved from her tiny underground cell by four small

  guards dressed entirely in black leather, their heads and faces concealed

  behind motorcycle helmets. She wasn't entirely sure they were human certainly

  she could detect no trace of an aura, a heartbeat or even breathing from the

  figures. As they crowded around her, she caught the faintest hint of

  something old and dead, like rotten eggs and overripe fruit. She thought they

  might be simulacra, artificial creatures grown in vats of putrid bubbling

  liquid. Perenelle knew that Dee had always been fascinated by the idea of

  creating his own followers and had spent decades experimenting with Golems,

  simulacra and homunculi.

  Without saying a word, and with jerky gestures, the four figures ushered her

  out of the cell and down a long, narrow, dimly lit corridor. Perenelle

  deliberately moved slowly, giving herself time to gather her strength and

  absorb impressions of the place. Jefferson Miller, the ghost of the security

  guard, had told her that she was in the basement of Enoch Enterprises, west

  of Telegraph Hill, close to the famous Coit Tower. She knew she was deep

  underground: the walls ran with moisture, and the air was so cold that it

  plumed in clouds before her face. Now that she was out of the cell and away

  from its protective spells and charms, she felt a little of her strength

  begin to return. Perenelle desperately tried to think of a spell she could

  use on the guards, but contact with the ghost of Mr. Miller had left her

  exhausted, and she had a headache pulsing at the back of her eyes that made

  it hard to concentrate.

  A shape suddenly flickered into existence directly ahead of her. Her breath,

  a foggy white in the chilly air, had briefly formed a face.

  Perenelle glanced at her guards on either side, but they hadn't reacted. She

  drew in a deep lungful of breath, held it, allowing her body to warm it, and

  then breathed out in a long, slow exhalation. A face formed in the white

  mist: that of Jefferson Miller.

  Perenelle frowned; his ghost should be long gone by now. Unless unless he had

  come back to tell her something.

  Nicholas!

  Instantly, she knew her husband was in danger. Perenelle breathed in another

  great lungful of air and held it. She concentrated hard on Nicholas, seeing

  him clearly in her mind s eye, with his narrow, rather mournful-looking face,

  pale eyes and closely cropped hair. She smiled, remembering him when he d

  been younger and his hair, thick and dark, had been longer than hers. He d

  always worn it tied back at the nape of his neck with a purple velvet ribbon.

  She breathed out and the air turned i
nto a white cloud that instantly formed

  into Jefferson Miller s face again. Perenelle stared into the ghost s eyes,

  and there, reflected in his pupils, she could see her husband trapped beneath

  the paw of the cat-headed goddess.

  Rage and terror blossomed within her, and suddenly, her headache and

  exhaustion left her. Her silver-threaded black hair rose from her head as if

  blown in a strong breeze, sparks of blue and white static snapping along its

  length. Her ice-white aura flared around her body like a second skin. Too

  late the guards realized that something was wrong. They reached for her, but

  the moment their hands touched the glowing edges of her aura, they were

  catapulted away as if they d received an electric shock. One guard even threw

  himself onto her body, but before he could lay a finger on her, Perenelle s

  aura caught him and propelled him high into the wall with enough force to

  knock the motorcycle helmet off his head. The figure slid down the wall, arms

  and legs twisted in awkward positions. When Perenelle looked at his face, she

  realized that the creatures were indeed simulacra. This one was unfinished:

  his face and head were simply smooth flesh, bald, without eyes, nose, mouth

  or ears.

  The woman raced down the corridor, only pausing when she came to an

  oily-looking puddle on the floor. Crouching over the puddle, she concentrated

  hard and touched the murky water with her index and little fingers. Her white

  aura sizzled when it touched the liquid, and the water briefly smoked before

  it cleared and Perenelle found she was looking at the scene she had briefly

  glimpsed in the ghost s eyes. Her husband was lying under Bastet s claws.

  Behind them, Scatty was struggling to hold off the attacking cats and birds,

  while Josh stood with his back to a tree, awkwardly clutching a branch like a

  baseball bat, striking out at anything that came too close. Sophie lay at his

  feet, moving slowly, blinking in confusion.

  Perenelle glanced up and down the corridor. She could hear noises in the

  distance, footsteps against stone, and she knew more guards were approaching.

  She could run and hide or she could fight the guards; she had a little of her

  strength back. But that wasn't going to help Nicholas and the children.

  Perenelle looked back into the puddle. In the distance she could see Hekate