Michael Scott - The Alchemyst

But the world dissolved too quickly. It swallowed birds and cats, it took theancient trees and rare orchids, the magical creatures and the mythicalmonsters. It consumed the last of Hekate s magic.

Then the void claimed the sun and the world went dark and was no more.

T he Morrigan and Bastet burst through the tangled hedges, carrying John Deebetween them. In the next instant the wall of foliage vanished and one of themany winding paths leading to Mount Tamalpais appeared. They stumbled, andDee fell sprawling in the dust.

What now? Bastet growled. Have we lost, have they won? We have destroyedHekate, but she has Awakened the girl.

John Dee staggered to his feet and brushed off his ruined coat. There werescrapes and tears in the sleeve, and something had ripped a fist-sized holethrough the lining. Carefully wiping Excalibur clean, he slid it back intoits concealed sheath. It s not the girl we need to concentrate on now. It sthe 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 wispof gray cloud appeared.

He has seen his sister s tremendous magical powers Awakened; how do youthink 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 thegirl. Is there anyone else on this continent to whom Flamel could take theboy to have his talents Awakened?

Black Annis is in the Catskills, the Morrigan suggested, the note ofcaution 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 herinsane. She is dangerous beyond belief.

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

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, pointedteeth pressing against the bruise-colored flesh of her thin lips. A rippleran through her black cloak, ruffling all the feathers.

You are mistaken, Bastet hissed. My niece is Next Generation, she hasn tgot 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 ouraim. He stepped up to the Morrigan. Once, like Hekate, you wore threefaces: you were the Morrigan, the Macha and the Badb. Unlike Hekate, though,you and your two sisters occupied three bodies. It was your consciousnessesthat were linked. Individually you were powerful, but together you wereinvincible. He paused and seemed to be taking a moment to gather histhoughts, but in actuality, he was ensuring he had a firm grip on Excaliburbeneath 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, bluelight fizzing and sparking down the blade. The serpent hilt came to life andhissed at her.

Please Dee smiled, a chilling twist of his lips I ve been responsible forthe 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 Morriganhas the power to Awaken the boy, he said quickly. She possesses theknowledge and power of her two sisters. If we can Awaken the boy and turn himto 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 Bastetand back to the Crow Goddess.

Abruptly, Bastet was beside him, her huge claw around his throat. She liftedhim slightly, forcing him to rise on his toes and look into her chillingeyes. For a single heartbeat, he thought about swinging the sword around, buthe knew that the Cat Goddess was faster, so much faster than he would everbe. 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 diedwillingly, 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 hereally didn t want to know the answer and now probably wasn t a good time toask anyway.

Could you Awaken the boy? Bastet demanded.

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 youspend the next millennia in a Shadowrealm of my own special creation. Andtrust 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 discoveredyet 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 achance to teach her any protective spells. She ll need to be taught toprotect herself and control her powers before the stimuli from the physicalworld drive her mad.

So where will they go? Bastet growled. She wrapped her arms around her bodyand shivered. The cloud the Morrigan had summoned had grown thick and dark asit drifted-lower, and now hovered just over the treetops. There was moisturein the air, and the hint of unidentifiable spices.

He ll not stay in San Francisco, Dee continued, he knows we have too manyagents 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 heraura. 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 theCodex.

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

Capture them if you can if not, then kill them to prevent Flamel from usingtheir powers. Then both she and the Crow Goddess stepped into the thickeningcloud and were gone. The damp grayness swirled away, leaving Dr. John Deealone 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 offdown the narrow path. He hated it when they did that, dismissed him as if hewere nothing more than a child.