Michael Scott - The Alchemyst

Perenelle looked back into the puddle. In the distance she could see Hekatewithstanding the combined attack of the Morrigan and her birds and Bastet scats. Perenelle also spotted Dee moving around behind Hekate, the sword inhis hand glowing bright, poisonous blue, while behind them the Yggdrasillburned with fierce red and green flames.

There was one other thing she could do. Something desperate and dangerous,and if it succeeded, it would leave her utterly exhausted and completelydefenseless. Dee s creatures would simply be able to pick her up and carryher away.

Perenelle didn t think twice.

Crouching over the puddle of dirty water, she placed her right hand, palm up,in her left hand and concentrated fiercely. Perenelle s aura began to shiftand move, flowing down her arms like drifting smoke, gathering in the palm ofher hand, running like liquid along the creases and lines in her flesh. Atiny speck of silver-white light appeared in the folds of skin. It solidifiedinto a perfect sphere and then it started to spin and grow, and now the icewhite threads of her aura flowed more swiftly down her arms. Within aheartbeat the sphere was the size of an egg, and then Perenelle suddenlyreversed her palm and thrust the ball of pure auric energy into the water.She uttered three words.

Sophie. Wake up!

S ophie. Wake up!

Sophie Newman s eyes snapped open. And then she squeezed them shut again andpressed her hands against her ears. The lights were so bright, so vivid, thesounds of battle so incredibly clear and distinct.

Sophie. Wake up!

The shock of hearing the voice again forced her to open her eyes and lookaround. She could hear Perenelle Flamel as clearly as if she were standingbeside her, but there was no one there. She was lying propped against therough bark of an oak tree, with Josh standing beside her, a thick branchclutched in both hands, desperately beating back terrifying creatures.

Sophie slowly pushed herself to her feet, holding on to the tree for support.The last thing she clearly remembered was the bitter odor of rich green woodburning. She remembered saying Fire! and then the rest was a series of confused images a narrow tunnel, creatures with bird heads and catskulls that might have been dreams.

As Sophie s eyes adjusted and she looked around, she realized that they hadnot been dreams.

They were completely surrounded by birds and cats: hundreds of them. Some ofthe cat-headed humans lurked in the long grass and attempted to creep towardthem on all fours or on their bellies, spitting and clawing. There werebirdmen in the branches of the tree overhead, maneuvering to get close enoughto drop down, while others kept hopping in, jabbing at Josh with theirevil-looking beaks.

On the opposite side of the field, the Yggdrasill burned. The ancient woodsnapped and cracked, plumes of white-hot sap boiling up into the pristine airlike fireworks. But even as the burnt wood fell away, new growth appeared,fresh and green, in its place. Sophie was conscious of another sound too, andrealized she was listening to the Yggdrasill. And now, with her incrediblysensitive hearing, she thought she could make out phrases and words, snatchesof songs and fragments of poems within the agonized cries of the burningtree. In the distance, she could see Hekate desperately trying to put out thefires, but she was also fighting the Morrigan, the cats and the birds at thesame time. Sophie also noticed that there were no more nathair in the skies,and very few of the Torc Allta remained to guard their ancient mistress.

Closer, Sophie spotted Scatty s bright red hair. She, too, was surrounded bydozens of birds and cats. The Warrior was moving in what looked like anintricate dance, twin swords flashing, sending the creatures howling backfrom her. Scatty was trying to fight her way over to where Nicholas Flamelwas lying facedown on the ground beneath the claws of the most terrifyingcreature Sophie had ever seen: Bastet, the Cat Goddess. With her incrediblysharp eyesight, the girl could make out the individual whiskers on Bastet sfeline face, and she actually saw a droplet of saliva gather on the overlargefangs and drip onto the man below.

Flamel saw Sophie looking in his direction. He tried to draw a breath, but itwas difficult with the heavy creature standing on top of him. Run, he

Sophie, I only have a few moments Perenelle s voice echoed inside the girl s head, shocking her to full alertness. This is what you must do. Youmust let me speak through you.

Josh became aware that his sister was climbing to her feet, swaying slightly,hands pressed to her ears as if the sounds were too much, eyes squeezedtightly shut. He saw her lips move, as if she were talking to herself. Helashed out at a pair of humans with mockingbird heads as they darted forward.The heavy branch caught one of the creatures squarely on the beak, and itstaggered back, dazed and stunned. The other continued to circle Josh, whorealized that it was not coming for him it was trying to get to Sophie. Heturned and lashed out at it, but at that moment, a tall, slender man with atabby cat s head came bounding toward him. Josh tried to swing the branch,but he was off balance and the catman ducked under the blow. Then it leaptinto the air, mouth gaping, claws extended. With a sour taste at the back ofhis throat, Josh admitted to himself that he and Sophie were in desperatetrouble. He needed to get to his sister, he had to protect her and in thatinstant, he knew he was not going to make it. He closed his eyes at the lastminute as the savage cat-headed creature slammed into his chest, expecting tofeel the sting of its claws, to hear its squalling roar in his face but allhe heard was a gentle purring. He blinked his eyes open and found he washolding a fluffy kitten in his arms.

Sophie! He turned around and stopped in awe.

Sophie s aura had flared pure silver around her body. It was so dense inplaces that it even reflected the sunlight, making it appear like a medievalsuit of armor. Silver sparks crackled through her hair and dripped from herfingers like liquid.

Sophie? Josh whispered, elated. His sister was fine.

And then Sophie slowly turned her head to look at Josh, and he experiencedthe shocking, sickening realization that she did not recognize him.

The birdman that had been moving in to attack the girl suddenly dartedforward, beak stabbing at her eyes. Sophie snapped her fingers: tiny dropletsof silver spun away from her hands to splash against the creature. Instantly,it folded and twisted in on itself and became a disorientated hermit thrush.

Sophie walked past her brother and stepped toward Bastet.

No farther, little girl, Bastet commanded, raising a clawed hand.

Sophie s eyes opened wide and she smiled, and Josh suddenly found that, forthe first time in his life, he was frightened of his own sister. He knew thatthis wasn t his Sophie; this terrifying creature could not be his twin.

When the girl spoke, her voice was a harsh croak. You have no idea what I can do to you.

Bastet s huge feline eyes blinked in surprise. You can do nothing to me,little girl.

I am no girl. You may be ancient, but you have never encountered anythinglike me. I possess the raw power that can nullify your magic. I can use it toreturn the birds and cats to their natural forms. Sophie s head titled toone side, a gesture Josh knew well; his sister did it when she was listeningintently to someone. Then she stretched out her hands toward the Dark Elder.

What do you think would happen if I were to reach out and touch you?

Bastet hissed a command, and a trio of huge catmen raced toward the girl.Sophie flung out her arm, and a long, whip-like, snaking coil of silverenergy flowed from her hand. It touched each of the cats, crackling acrosstheir haunches and shoulders, and they immediately came to stumbling halts,rolling and twisting on the ground as they transformed into ordinary everydaycats, two shorthairs and a ragged-looking Persian. The cats bounded to theirfeet and streaked off, howling piteously.