Michael Scott - The Sorceress

De Ayala floated up. "And what of the ice you used against the sphinx? That was successful; how about sealing the entire corridor in solid ice?"

"That might be a little trickier," the Sorceress admitted, turning and heading purposefully back toward the wharf, past the bookshop. A wicked smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. "However, there is something I can do that will most certainly upset them."

"Which is?" de Ayala asked eagerly.

Perenelle pointed with the wooden spear. "I'm going to steal their boat." The ghost looked so disappointed that the Sorceress laughed for the first time in days. int green light blazed through the barn's warped walls, incandescent shafts and bars lighting up the interior in solid beams.

Outlined by the light, its antlers huge and terrifying, was the Archon, Cernunnos. Shadows of wolves' heads danced on the walls.

Sophie woke up with a scream, shining silver armor winking into existence around her body as her aura sparkled over her flesh. Josh's eyes snapped open and he scrambled to his feet, his left hand automatically reaching for Clarent. The stone sword hummed and hissed as his fingers closed around the hilt, the blade crackling, a sheen of colors running along its length.

Palamedes' smooth black armor grew over his body and he dragged his enormous claymore sword off his shoulder and positioned himself in front of the twins. Gilgamesh silently reached over and pulled the curved shamshir sword from the knight's belt. "Where's the Alchemyst?" Palamedes demanded.

"I can smell mint," Sophie said quickly, breathing deeply. The distinctive odor permeated the night air. She was aware of the solid thumping of her heart, but even though she knew what was outside, she was not frightened. They had defeated the Archon once already, and that was before they had the Magic of Water.

"That light is the same color as Nicholas's aura," Josh added. "He must be outside."

"We need to get out," Palamedes said urgently, "we can't be trapped in here." He turned and launched himself at a wall. Rotten wood gave way in a burst of splinters, sending him crashing out into the field.

"Go!" Gilgamesh shouted, catching Sophie's arm and pushing her through the ragged opening ahead of him. "Josh, come on!"

Josh was turning to follow when the barn doors were ripped off their hinges. Cernunnos ducked its head to peer into the barn, only its huge rack of antlers preventing it from coming through the doorway. The beautiful face smiled and the voice buzzed and trembled in Josh's head. "So, we meet again, boy. I've come for my sword."

"I don't think so," Josh said through gritted teeth.

"I do. And I came prepared this time." Cernunnos drew back its right arm, and Josh saw that the Horned God had a bow and arrow in its hand. Josh heard the twang of a bowstring and he caught the flicker of an arrow arcing through the air directly toward him.

Clarent moved, coming up and across Josh's body, blade flat over his heart.

The bone-tipped arrow shattered harmlessly against the stone blade, but with enough force behind it to send the boy staggering back. Cernunnos bellowed in frustration. He notched another arrow and fired.

Clarent shifted in Josh's hand, blade singing as it cleaved the arrow in two.

Two of the huge human-faced wolves pushed past the Horned God and slunk into the barn. They spread out to come at Josh from either side, and he backed up until his legs hit the ancient tractor. He could go no farther. Planting his feet firmly, holding the sword in both hands in front of him, he stood and watched the wolves of the Wild Hunt creep toward him, and saw the Archon ready another arrow.

"How fast are you, boy?" Cernunnos bellowed. It shouted an unintelligible word as it loosed the arrow and the two wolves launched themselves, jaws wide.

Gilgamesh came out of the shadows, the heavy curved Persian sword whistling as it cut through the air. The first wolf didn't even see the immortal, but the moment the cold steel touched its flesh, it dissolved to dust.

The second wolf darted at Josh. Clarent moved, stabbing outward, and the creature exploded into grit. "Gilgamesh!" Josh shouted. "Look out!"

But the Archon's arrow took the immortal high in the chest, spinning him around, dropping him to the ground. Cernunnos grabbed another arrow, leveled it at the king and fired.

Sophie's scream was terrifying: fear and loss and rage wrapped up in one sound. Jerking away from the Saracen Knight, she pushed back through the broken wall, silver aura hard and shining around her flesh as she raced to the fallen king and threw herself on top of him. Cernunnos's arrow hit her in the center of the back, its flint head shattering to powder against her armor, but the force of the blow broke her concentration and her aura faded and fizzled out, leaving her defenseless.

The Archon flung the bow aside; it had no more arrows. Then it started to rip the front of the barn apart with its huge hands, bellowing, stamping and roaring in delighted rage.

Sophie knelt beside Gilgamesh, lifting his head off the floor, cradling it. Josh placed himself between the Archon and his sister, eyes darting, looking for an attack. He planted his feet and his body automatically moved into a battle stance: weight shifted slightly to one side, sword in both hands, tilted up and across his chest. He felt a sudden sense of peace settle over him, and he knew that this was nothing to do with the sword buzzing and sizzling in his hands. It was the recognition that there were no choices, no decisions to make. There was only one thing he could do: he would stand and fight the Archon, and he was prepared to die defending his sister.

Gilgamesh's lips moved, and Sophie bent her head to hear his words. "Water," he whispered, his breath warm on her face.

"I don't have any," she said tearfully. She knew she should be doing something, but she couldn't think, couldn't focus. All she could see was the old man in her arms, the terrible black arrow protruding from his chest. She wanted to help him; she just didn't know how.

The king's lips moved in a painful smile. "Not to drink," he rasped. "Water: the ultimate weapon."

Before she could respond, the Archon tore away the entire front of the barn. She spun around, and through the gaping hole she could see what was happening outside. Nicholas Flamel, his aura green and glowing, was battling with Dr. John Dee, who was wrapped in smoking sulfurous yellow. Dee fought with a long whip of sallow energy while the Alchemyst tried to keep him at bay with a solid spear of green light. Palamedes was surrounded by the remainder of the Wild Hunt, the huge wolves darting in to snap and claw at him, threatening to overwhelm him as he slashed and cut with the longsword.

"Josh." Sophie was calm. "The king said we should use water."

"Water?" Her twin glanced down. "But I don't know how…"

"Remember what I said about instinct?" She stretched up her right hand and her twin reached down with his left to take it.

Cernunnos finished demolishing the front of the building and pulled a savage-looking stone-headed club out of its belt. "You cannot defend yourself and the girl," it grunted.

"I only have to defend the girl," Josh whispered.

Cernunnos took a step forward… and then the ground opened up beneath it. What had been hard-baked earth turned to a sticky quagmire, swallowing its ankles. Water, thick and muddy, bubbled up from beneath the ground. A tiny geyser squirted from a fissure, and then a whole section of the earth cracked and suddenly dissolved into muck. The Archon lurched forward, the club falling from his hand. Another patch of earth turned to soupy marsh and the creature sank up to its knees, then its hips. Grimly silent now, its oval amber eyes fixed on the twins, blazing with hate, Cernunnos dug its huge hands into the ground and attempted to heave itself up.