Nicholas Flamel 1 - The Alchemyst sotinf-1

by Michael Scott

  Dee fell sprawling in the dust.

  What now? Bastet growled. Have we lost, have they won? We have destroyed

  Hekate, but she has Awakened the girl.

  John Dee staggered to his feet and brushed off his ruined coat. There were

  scrapes and tears in the sleeve, and something had ripped a fist-sized hole

  through the lining. Carefully wiping Excalibur clean, he slid it back into

  its concealed sheath. It s not the girl we need to concentrate on now. It s

  the boy. The boy is the key.

  The Morrigan shook her head, feathers rustling. You talk in riddles. She

  glanced up into the clear morning skies, and almost directly overhead a wisp

  of gray cloud appeared.

  He has seen his sister s tremendous magical powers Awakened; how do you

  think the boy is feeling now? Frightened, angry, jealous? Alone? He looked

  from the Morrigan to the Cat Goddess. The boy is at least as powerful as the

  girl. Is there anyone else on this continent to whom Flamel could take the

  boy to have his talents Awakened?

  Black Annis is in the Catskills, the Morrigan suggested, the note of

  caution clearly audible in her voice.

  Too unpredictable, Dee said, she d probably eat him.

  I heard that Persephone was in northern Canada, Bastet said.

  Dee shook his head. Her years in the Underworld Shadowrealm have driven her

  insane. She is dangerous beyond belief.

  The Morrigan drew her cloak tighter around her shoulders. The cloud above her

  head thickened and drifted lower. Then there is no one in North America. I

  came across Nocticula in Austria, and I know that Erichtho still hides out on

  Thessaly

  You re wrong, Dee interrupted. There is one other who could Awaken the

  boy.

  Who? Bastet growled, frowning, her snout wrinkling.

  Dr. John Dee turned to the Crow Goddess. You could.

  The Morrigan stepped away from Dee, black eyes wide with surprise, pointed

  teeth pressing against the bruise-colored flesh of her thin lips. A ripple

  ran through her black cloak, ruffling all the feathers.

  You are mistaken, Bastet hissed. My niece is Next Generation, she hasn t

  got the powers.

  Dee turned to face the Crow Goddess. If he knew he was playing a

  dangerous possibly even deadly game, he showed no sign of it. At one time,

  perhaps that would have been true. But the Morrigan s powers are more, much,

  much more, than they were.

  Niece, what is he talking about? Bastet demanded.

  Be very, very careful, humani, the Crow Goddess cackled.

  My loyalty is not in question here, Dee said quickly. I have served the

  Elders for half a millennium. I am merely looking for a way to achieve our

  aim. He stepped up to the Morrigan. Once, like Hekate, you wore three

  faces: you were the Morrigan, the Macha and the Badb. Unlike Hekate, though,

  you and your two sisters occupied three bodies. It was your consciousnesses

  that were linked. Individually you were powerful, but together you were

  invincible. He paused and seemed to be taking a moment to gather his

  thoughts, but in actuality, he was ensuring he had a firm grip on Excalibur

  beneath his coat. When did you decide to kill your sisters? he asked

  casually.

  With a terrible screech the Morrigan leapt for Dee.

  And stopped.

  In a flash Excalibur s black stone blade had appeared at her throat, blue

  light fizzing and sparking down the blade. The serpent hilt came to life and

  hissed at her.

  Please Dee smiled, a chilling twist of his lips I ve been responsible for

  the death of one Elder today. I ve no wish to add a second to my total. As

  he spoke, he watched Bastet, who was moving around behind him. The Morrigan

  has the power to Awaken the boy, he said quickly. She possesses the

  knowledge and power of her two sisters. If we can Awaken the boy and turn him

  to our side, we have gained ourselves an extraordinarily powerful ally.

  Remember the prophecy: the two that are one, the one that is all. One to

  save the world, one to destroy it.

  And which one is the boy? Bastet asked.

  Whatever we make him, Dee said, eyes darting from the Morrigan to Bastet

  and back to the Crow Goddess.

  Abruptly, Bastet was beside him, her huge claw around his throat. She lifted

  him slightly, forcing him to rise on his toes and look into her chilling

  eyes. For a single heartbeat, he thought about swinging the sword around, but

  he knew that the Cat Goddess was faster, so much faster than he would ever

  be. She d see the twitch of his shoulders and simply snap his head clean off.

  Bastet glared at her niece. Is it true? Are Macha and the Badb dead?

  Yes. The Morrigan glared at Dee. But I did not kill them. They died

  willingly, and live inside me still. For a moment her eyes blazed yellow,

  then red, then solid black, the colors of the three ancient goddesses.

  Dee was tempted to ask how they had gotten inside her, then decided that he

  really didn't want to know the answer and now probably wasn't a good time to

  ask anyway.

  Could you Awaken the boy? Bastet demanded.

  Yes.

  Then do it, Niece, the Cat Goddess ordered. She turned her attention back

  to Dee. Pressing her thumb under his chin, she pushed his head back. And if

  you ever raise a weapon to one of the Elder Race again, I will see that you

  spend the next millennia in a Shadowrealm of my own special creation. And

  trust me, you will not like it. She released her grip and flung him away,

  sending him sprawling in the dirt. He was still clutching the sword.

  Tell me, Bastet commanded, towering over him. Where are Flamel and the

  twins now? Where have they gone?

  Dee climbed shakily to his feet. He brushed dirt off his coat, and discovered

  yet another tear in the soft leather; he was never buying leather again. He

  will need to start training the girl. Hekate Awakened her, but didn't get a

  chance to teach her any protective spells. SHe'll need to be taught to

  protect herself and control her powers before the stimuli from the physical

  world drive her mad.

  So where will they go? Bastet growled. She wrapped her arms around her body

  and shivered. The cloud the Morrigan had summoned had grown thick and dark as

  it drifted-lower, and now hovered just over the treetops. There was moisture

  in the air, and the hint of unidentifiable spices.

  He'll not stay in San Francisco, Dee continued, he knows we have too many

  agents in and around the city.

  The Morrigan closed her eyes and turned slowly, then she raised her arm.

  They re heading south; I can just about make out the silver traces of her

  aura. It s incredibly powerful.

  Who is the most powerful Elder south of here? Dee asked quickly. Someone

  proficient in elemental magic?

  Endor, Bastet answered immediately, in Ojai. The deadly Witch of Endor.

  Mistress of the Air, the Morrigan added.

  Bastet leaned down, her breath foul in the small man s face. You know where

  you have to go. You know what you have to do. We must have the pages of the

  Codex.

  And the twins? he asked tightly, trying not to breathe.

  Capture them if you can if not, then kill them to prevent
Flamel from using

  their powers. Then both she and the Crow Goddess stepped into the thickening

  cloud and were gone. The damp grayness swirled away, leaving Dr. John Dee

  alone on the isolated path.

  How do I get to Ojai? he called.

  But there was no response.

  Dee shoved his hands in the pockets of his ruined leather coat and set off

  down the narrow path. He hated it when they did that, dismissed him as if he

  were nothing more than a child.

  But things would change.

  The Elders liked to think that Dee was their puppet, their tool. He had seen

  how Bastet had abandoned Senuhet, who had been with her for at least a

  century, without a second glance. He knew they would do exactly the same to

  him, given the chance.

  But Dr. John Dee had plans to ensure that they never got that chance.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE

  I t was late in the afternoon when Josh finally turned the Hummer down the

  long, curving road that led into the small city of Ojai. The stress of

  driving four hundred miles in one long trip was etched onto his face, and

  although the computer had estimated that it would take around six and a half

  hours, it had taken close to nine. Driving the big Hummer on the highway was

  surprisingly easy: he d simply put on the cruise control and let it go. It

  was boring, but off the highway and on any other type of road, the Hummer was

  a nightmare to control. It wasn't like any of his computer games. It was just

  so big, and he was terrified he was going to run over something. The huge

  jet-black vehicle also attracted a lot of attention he d never thought he d

  be so happy to have tinted windows. He wondered what people would think if

  they knew it was being driven by a fifteen-year-old.

  The road curved to the right, and Ojai s long, straight main street appeared

  before him. He slowed as he passed the Psychic Boutique and the Ojai

  Playhouse; then the lights changed at Signal Street and he stopped, leaned

  across the steering wheel and peered through the smeared, bug-spattered

  windshield. His first impression as he looked down the empty street was that

  Ojai was surprisingly green. It was June in California, that time of year

  when most things had turned brown and withered, but here there were trees

  everywhere, contrasting with the white stone of the buildings. Directly in

  front of him, to his right, a low, ornate white stone tower rose over the

  post office into the brilliant blue sky, while on the left, a row of shops

  was set back from the road, sheltered beneath a row of white stone arches.

  Glancing in the rearview mirror, he was surprised to find Scatty s eyes on

  him.

  I thought you were asleep, he said quietly. Sophie, who had moved up into

  the passenger seat beside him after a few hours of driving, lay curled up

  asleep, and Flamel'snored gently beside Scatty.

  I ve no need to sleep, she said simply.

  There were a lot of questions he really wanted to ask, but instead, he just

  said, Do you know where we re going?

  She leaned forward, rested her arms on the back of his seat and her chin on

  her arms. Straight on, past the post office That'sthe building with the

  tower then turn right after Libbey Park at Fox Street. Find a parking space

  down there. She nodded to the left, toward a row of shops nestled under the

  white arches. We re going there.

  Is that where your grandmother is?

  Yes, Scatty said shortly.

  And is she really a witch?

  Not just a witch. She is the original Witch.

  How do you feel? Sophie asked. She stood on the sidewalk and stretched,

  standing on her toes and arching her back. Something popped in her neck.

  That feels good, she added, turning her face and closing her eyes against

  the sun, which was still high in the cloudless robin s-egg blue heavens.

  I should be asking you that question, Josh said, climbing out of the car.

  He yawned and stretched, rotating his head from side to side. I never want

  to drive again, he added. His voice dropped to little more than a whisper.

  I m glad you re okay. He hesitated. You are okay, aren't you?

  Sophie reached out to squeeze her brother s arm. I think so.

  Flamel climbed out of the car and slammed his door. Scatty had already moved

  away from the car to stand beneath the shelter of a tree. She d dug a pair of

  mirrored sunglasses from her pocket and popped them onto her face. The

  Alchemyst went to join her as Josh hit the alarm on the key chain. The car

  blipped once and its lights flashed.

  We need to talk, Flamel'said quietly, though the side street was deserted.

  He ran his fingers through his close-cropped hair, and strands came away on

  his fingers. He looked at them for a moment, then brushed them on his jeans.

  Another year was etched onto his face, subtly deepening the lines around his

  eyes and the semicircular grooves on either side of his mouth. This person

  we re going to see can be He hesitated and then said, difficult.

  You re telling me, Scatty muttered.

  What do you mean by difficult? Josh asked in alarm. After everything they

  had just encountered, difficult could mean just about anything.

  Cranky, cantankerous, irritable and That'swhen she s in a good mood,

  Scatty said.

  And when she s in a bad mood?

  You don't even want to be in the same city as her!

  Josh was puzzled. He turned to the Alchemyst. Then why are we going to see

  her?

  Because Perenelle told me to, he said patiently, because she is the

  Mistress of Air, and Can'teach Sophie the basics of elemental air magic, and

  because she can give Sophie some advice on how to protect herself.

  From what? Josh asked, startled.

  From herself, Flamel'said matter-of-factly, and turned away, heading back

  toward Ojai Avenue. Scatty moved out of the shadows and fell into step beside

  him. Wish I d brought sunscreen. I burn easily in this sunshine, she

  grumbled as they walked away. And wait till you see my freckles in the

  morning.

  Josh turned back to his sister; he was beginning to have some idea of the

  huge gulf of understanding that now separated him from his twin. Do you have

  any idea what he was talking about? Protecting yourself from yourself? What s

  that supposed to mean?

  I think I know. Sophie frowned. Everything around me is so loud, so

  bright, so sharp, so intense. It s like someone turned the volume up. My

  senses are so acute; you wouldn't believe what I can hear. She pointed to a

  battered red Toyota driving slowly down the road. The woman in that car is

  talking on the phone to her mother. She s telling her she doesn't want fish

  for dinner. She pointed to a truck parked in a yard on the opposite side of

  the street. There s a sticker on the back of the truck; do you want me to

  tell you what it says?

  Josh squinted; he couldn t even read the license plate.

  When we ate earlier today, the taste of the food was so overwhelming it

  almost made me throw up. I could taste the individual grains of salt on the

  sandwich. She stooped and picked a jacaranda leaf off the ground. I can

  trace each vein in the back of this leaf with my eyes cl
osed. But you know

  what s worst of all? The smells, she said, looking deliberately at her

  brother.

  Hey Ever since he d hit puberty he d tried every deodorant on the market.

  No, not just you she grinned though you've really got to change your

  deodorant, and I think you re going to need to burn your socks. It s all the

  scents, all the time. The stink of gas in the air is awful, the smell of hot

  rubber on the road, of greasy food, even the perfume from these flowers is

  overwhelming. She stopped in the middle of the street, and her tone abruptly

  changed. She looked at her brother, and the tears she had no idea were there

  started to leak from her eyes. It s too much, Josh. It s just too much. I

  feel sick and my head is pounding, my eyes hurt, my ears ache, my throat is

  raw.

  Josh awkwardly tried to put his arms around his sister to hug her, but she

  pushed him away. Please, don't touch me. I Can't bear it.

  Josh struggled to find words to respond, but there was nothing he could say

  or do. He felt so helpless. Sophie was always so strong, always in control;

  she was the person he went to when he was in trouble. She always had the

  answers.

  Until now.

  Flamel! Josh felt the anger flare again. This was Flamel's fault. He would

  never forgive the Alchemyst for what he d done. He looked up to see Flamel

  and Scathach turning back to them.

  The Warrior came hurrying over to them. Dry your eyes, she commanded

  sternly. Let s not draw attention to ourselves.

  don't talk to my sis Josh began, but Scatty silenced him with a look.

  Let s get you into my grandmother s shop; sHe'll be able to help. It s just

  across the road. Come on.

  Sophie obediently ran her sleeve across her eyes and followed the Warrior.

  She felt so helpless. She rarely cried she d even laughed at the ending of

  Titanic so why was she crying now?

  Awakening her magical potential had seemed like a wonderful idea. She d loved

  the thought of being able to control and shape her will, of channeling her

  aura s energy and working magic. But it hadn't turned out like that. It had

  left her feeling battered and exhausted from the stimulation. It had left her

  in pain. That was why she was crying.

  And she was terrified that the pain was not going to go away. And if it

  didn't, then what would she do what could she do?