Michael Scott - The Alchemyst

Twins, Josh said tightly. You mean twins in general or specifically to dowith Sophie and me?

The Codex speaks of silver and gold twins, the two that are one, the onethat is all. It is no coincidence that your auras are pure gold and silver.So yes, I am convinced the Codex is referring to you and your sister. He leaned forward to look at Josh. And if you are asking me how long I ve knownthat, then the answer is this: I began to suspect only yesterday, when youand Sophie came to my aid in the shop. Hekate confirmed my suspicions a fewhours later when she made your auras visible. I give you my word thateverything I ve done has been for your protection.

Josh started to shake his head; he wasn t sure he believed Flamel. He openedhis mouth to ask a question, but Scatty put her hand on his shoulder beforehe could speak. Let me just say this, she said, her voice low and serious,her Celtic accent suddenly pronounced. I ve known Nicholas Flamel for a verylong time. America was barely even colonized when we first met. He is manythings dangerous and devious, cunning and deadly, a good friend and animplacable enemy but he comes from an age when a man s word was indeedprecious. If he gives you his word that he s done all this for yourprotection, then I am suggesting that you believe him.

Josh eased on the brake and the car slowed as it rounded a corner. Finally,he nodded and let out his breath in a deep sigh. I believe you, he said aloud. But somewhere in the back of his mind, he kept hearing Hekate s lastwords to him Nicholas Flamel never tells anyone everything and he had the distinct impression that the Alchemyst still wasn t telling everything heknew.

Suddenly, Nicholas tapped Josh s arm. Here stop here.

Why, what s wrong? Scatty demanded, reaching for her swords.

Josh signaled and pulled the Hummer off the road to where a roadside dinersign had flickered into life.

Nothing s wrong. Flamel grinned. Just time for some breakfast.

Great. I m famished, Scatty said. I could eat a horse. If I weren t a vegetarian and liked horse, of course.

And you weren t a vampire, Josh thought, but kept his mouth shut.

Sophie woke up while Scatty and Flamel were in the diner ordering breakfastto go. One moment she was asleep, the next she sat bolt upright in the

backseat. Josh jumped and was unable to prevent a little startled cry from

escaping his lips. He swiveled around in the driver s seat, kneeling up to lean over the back. Sophie? he asked cautiously. He was terrified that something strange and ancient would look through his sister s eyes again.

You don t want to know what I was dreaming about, Sophie said, stretching her arms wide and arching her back. Her neck cracked as she rotated it. Ow. I ache everywhere.

How do you feel? Well, it sounded like his sister.

Like I m coming down with flu. She looked around. Where are we? Whose car is this? Josh grinned, teeth white in the shadows. We stole it from Dee. We re

somewhere on the road out of Mill Valley, heading back into San Francisco, I think.

What happened what happened back there? Sophie asked. Josh s smile broadened into a wide grin. You saved us, with your newly Awakened powers. You were incredible: you had a silver whip energy thing, and every time it touched one of the cats or birds, it changed them back into their real forms. He trailed off as she started to shake her head. You don t remember anything?

A little. I could hear Perenelle talking to me, telling me what to do. I could actually feel her pouring her aura into me, she said in awe. I could hear her. I could even see her, sort of. She suddenly drew in a deep, shuddering breath. Then they came for her. That s all I can remember.

Who did? The faceless men. Lots of faceless men. I watched them drag her away. What do you mean, faceless men? Sophie s eyes were wide and terrified. They had no faces. Like masks? No, Josh, not masks. Their faces were smooth no eyes, no nose, no mouth,

just smooth skin.

The image that formed in his head was deeply disturbing, and he deliberately changed the subject. Do you feel different? He chose the word carefully. Sophie took a moment to consider. What was wrong with Josh, why was he so

concerned? Different? How? Do you remember Hekate Awakening your powers? I do. What did it feel like? he asked hesitantly.

For a moment Sophie s eyes flickered with cold silver light. It was as if someone had flipped a switch in my head, Josh. I felt alive. For the firsttime in my life I felt alive.

Josh felt a sudden inexplicable pang of jealousy. From the corner of his eye,he spotted Flamel and Scatty leaving the diner, arms piled high with bags.

And how do you feel now?

Hungry, she said. Extremely hungry.

They ate in silence: breakfast burritos, eggs, sausage, grits and rolls,washed down with soda. Scatty had fruit and water.

Josh finally wiped his mouth with a napkin and brushed bread crumbs off hisjeans. It was the first proper meal he d had since lunchtime the day before.

I feel human again. He glanced sideways at Scatty. No offense.

None taken, Scatty assured him. Believe me I ve never wanted to be human,though there are, I believe, some advantages, she added enigmatically.

Nicholas bundled up the remains of their breakfast and shoved them into apaper bag. Then he leaned forward and tapped the screen of the satellitenavigation system set into the dashboard. Do you know how this works?

Josh shook his head. In theory, I guess. We put in a destination and ittells us the best way to get there. I ve never used one before, though. Mydad s car hasn t got one, he added. Richard Newman drove a five-year-oldVolvo station wagon.

If you looked at it, could you make it work? Flamel persisted.

Maybe, Josh said doubtfully.

Of course he can. Josh is a genius with computers, Sophie said proudly fromthe backseat.

This is hardly a computer, her twin muttered, leaning forward and hittingthe On button. The large square screen flickered to life, and an incrediblypatronizing voice warned them about typing addresses into the system whiledriving, then instructed Josh to hit the OK button, acknowledging that he dheard and understood the warning. The screen blinked and immediately showedthe position of the Hummer on an unnamed backroad. Mount Tamalpais appearedas a little triangle at the top of the screen, and arrows pointed south toSan Francisco. The little track that led to Hekate s Shadowrealm wasn t shown.

We need to go south, Flamel continued.

Josh experimented with the buttons until he got the main menu. Okay. I needan address.

Put in the post office at the corner of Signal Street and Ojai Avenue inOjai.

In the backseat, Scatty stirred. Oh, not Ojai. Please tell me we re notgoing there.

L.A. is south, Mexico is south, even Chile is south of here. There are lots of nice places that lie to the south.

Perenelle told me to take the children to the Witch, Flamel said patiently.And the Witch is in Ojai.

Sophie and Josh looked quickly at each other, but said nothing.

Scatty sat back and sighed dramatically. Would it make a difference if I told you I didn t want to go?

None at all.

Sophie crouched between the seats to stare at the little screen. How longwill it take? How far away are we? she wondered out loud.

It s going to take most of the day, Josh said, leaning forward to squint atthe screen. Where his hair brushed his sister s, a tiny spark crackledbetween them. We need to get to Highway One. We go across the RichmondBridge His fingers traced the colored lines. Then to I-580, whicheventually turns into I-5. He blinked in surprise. We stay on that for overtwo hundred and seventy miles. He hit another button, which calculated sometotals. The entire trip is just over four hundred miles, and will take atleast six and a half hours. Before today, the farthest I ve ever driven isabout ten miles!