Nicholas Flamel 1 - The Alchemyst

And stopped.

The interior of the tree was hollow. From just inside the entrance, they

could look straight up to where wispy clouds gathered inside the tree. A

gently curving staircase curled up along the inside of the trunk, and every

few steps brought them to an open doorway spilling out light. Dozens of tiny

waterfalls spouted from the walls and splashed down onto the floor far below,

where the water gathered in a huge circular pool that took up most of the

foyer. The interior walls were smooth and unadorned, except for the twists

and knots of vines that broke through the surface. Josh thought they looked

like veins.

And it was completely deserted.

No one moved within the tree, nothing human or inhuman climbed the countless

stairs, no winged creature flew in the moist air.

Welcome to the Yggdrasill, Nicholas Flamel'said, stepping back and allowing

them to enter. Welcome to the World Tree.

Josh held up his phone. The screen was blank. And have you noticed, he

asked, there are no power sockets?

There have to be, Sophie said decisively. She walked over to the bed and

dropped to her knees. There are always sockets beside the beds .

There were none.

The twins stood in the center of Josh s room and looked around. His room was

a mirror image of his sister s. Everything around them was composed of a

honey-colored blond wood, from the highly polished floors to the smooth

walls. There was no glass in the windows, and the door was a wafer-thin

rectangle of wood that looked and felt like the papery bark of a tree. The

only item of furniture in the room was the bed, a low wooden futon covered

with heavy fur throws. A thick fur rug lay on the floor beside the bed. It

was dappled with an intricate pattern of spots that resembled no animal

either of the twins had ever seen.

There was also a tree growing out of the center of the floor.

Tall, thin and elegant, the red-barked tree rose straight out of the wooden

floor. No limbs protruded from the trunk until it came close to the ceiling,

and then the branches burst out into a canopy that covered the roof. The

leaves were a deep, luxuriant green on one side, ash white on the other.

Every so often, some spiraled to the floor, and covered it in a soft, almost

furry carpet.

Where are we? Sophie asked finally, unaware that she had spoken the thought

aloud.

California? Josh said softly, but in a voice that suggested he didn't quite

believe what he was saying.

After all we've seen today? Sophie asked. I don't think so. We re inside a

tree. A tree big enough to house the whole University of San Francisco

campus, a tree so old it makes the Methuselah Tree look like it was just

planted. And don't try to tell me it s a building shaped to look like a tree.

Everything here is made from natural materials. She drew a breath and looked

around. Do you think it could still be alive?

Josh shook his head. Can't be. The whole inside is scooped out. Maybe it was

alive a long time ago; but now it s just a shell.

Sophie was not so sure. Josh, there is nothing modern and nothing artificial

in this room, no plastics, no metals, no paper; everything looks hand carved.

There aren't even candles or lanterns.

It took me a while to realize what those bowls of oil were, Josh said. He

didn't tell his sister that he d been about to drink what he thought was some

sort of sweet-smelling fruit juice when he d seen the wick floating in it.

My room is identical to yours, Sophie continued. She lifted her phone

again. There s no signal, and look she pointed you can actually see the

battery draining away.

Josh brought his head close to his twin s, their blond hair mingling, and

stared at the rectangular screen. The battery indicator on the right-hand

side was visibly falling, bar by bar. You think That'swhy my iPod has no

power either? Josh asked, pulling it from his back pocket. It was fully

charged this morning. And my computer is dead. He suddenly looked at his

watch, and then he lifted his arm to allow his sister to see it. The face of

the chunky military-style digital watch he wore was blank.

Sophie looked at her own watch. Mine is still working, she said in

surprise. Because it winds up, she said, answering her own question aloud.

So something is draining the power, he muttered. Some energy in the air?

He d never heard of anything that could draw energy from batteries.

It is this place, Scathach said, appearing in the doorway. She had changed

from her black military-style combats and T-shirt into green and brown camo

pants, high-top combat boots and a cut-off camo T-shirt that exposed her

muscular arms. She was wearing a short sword strapped to her leg and there

was a bow over her left shoulder, with a quiver of arrows just visible over

the top of her head. Sophie noticed that there was a Celtic-looking spiral

design etched into Scatty s right shoulder; Sophie had always wanted a

tattoo, but she knew her mother would never let her get one. You have gone

beyond your world into a Shadowrealm, the Warrior added. The Shadowrealms

exist partially in your world and partially in another time and space. The

Warrior remained standing by the door.

Are you not going to come in? Sophie asked.

You have to invite me, Scatty said, with a peculiarly shy smile.

Invite you in? Sophie turned to her twin, eyebrows raised in a question.

You have to invite me in, Scatty repeated, else I'll not be able to cross

the threshold.

Just like vampires, Josh said, abruptly feeling as if his tongue were too

thick for his mouth. After today, he was quite prepared to believe in

vampires, though he really didn't want to run into one. He turned to his

twin. The only way a vampire can enter a house is if he or she is invited.

Then they can drink your blood . He turned to look at Scatty, eyes suddenly

wide. You re not a

I don't like that term, Scatty snapped.

Scathach, please enter, Sophie said, before her brother could protest

further.

The Warrior hopped lightly over the threshold and entered the room. And

yes, she said, I am what you would call a vampire.

Oh, Sophie whispered. Josh tried to stand in front of his sister to protect

her, but she pushed him out of the way. Although she loved her brother, there

were times when he could be too protective.

don't believe everything you've read about my race, Scathach said, moving