into mirrors. When Dee attacked my shop and snatched the Codex, I realized
that I had nowhere else to go.
You should have gone south, the old woman said, her dress almost completely
black now, the red threads looking like veins. You would have been more
welcome there. I want you to leave.
When I began to suspect that the prophecy was beginning to come about, I
knew I had to come to you, Flamel continued, ignoring her. The twins, who
were following the exchange closely, noticed how his eyes had flickered
briefly in their direction.
The old woman turned her head and looked at the twins with her butter-colored
eyes. Her wizened face cracked in a humorless smile that showed her tiny
yellow teeth. I have thought about this; I am convinced that the prophecy
does not refer to humani and especially not humani children, she added with
a hiss.
The contempt in the woman s voice made Sophie speak out. I wish you wouldn't
talk about us as if we weren t here, she said.
Besides, Josh said, your daughter was going to help us. Why don't we wait
and see what she has to say.
The elderly woman blinked at him, and her almost-invisible eyebrows raised in
a silent question. My daughter?
Sophie saw Scathach s eyes widen in surprise or warning, but Josh pressed on.
Yes, the woman we met this afternoon. The younger woman your daughter? Or
maybe she s your granddaughter? She was going to help us.
I have neither a daughter nor a granddaughter! The old woman s dress flared
black and red in long sheets of color. Her lips drew back from her teeth and
she snarled some incomprehensible words. Her hands curled into claws, and the
air was suddenly filled with the citrus scent of lime. Dozens of tiny
spinning balls of green light gathered in the palms of her hand.
And then Scathach slammed a double-edged dagger into the center of the table.
The wood split in two with a thunderous snap that spewed splinters into the
air, and the bowls of food shattered on the ground. The old woman reared
back, the green light dribbling from her fingers like liquid. It ran hissing
and spitting down the branch before sinking into the wood.
The four Torc Allta were immediately behind the old woman, curved, scythelike
swords in their hands, and three more of the creatures in their boar shape
burst through the undergrowth and raced up the branch to assume positions
behind Flamel and Scatty.
The twins froze, terrified, unsure what had just happened. Nicholas Flamel
hadn't moved, he merely continued to cut and eat the apple. Scathach calmly
sheathed her dagger and folded her arms. She spoke quickly to the old woman.
Sophie and Josh could see Scathach s lips moving, but all they could hear was
a tinny, mosquito-like buzz.
The old woman didn't respond. Her face was an expressionless mask as she
stood and swept away from the table, surrounded by the Torc Allta guards.
This time neither Flamel nor Scathach stood.
In the long silence that followed, Scathach stooped down to gather some of
the fallen fruits and vegetables from the ground, dusted them off and popped
them into the only remaining unbroken wooden bowl. She started to eat.
Josh was opening his mouth to ask the same question Sophie wanted an answer
to, but she reached under the table and squeezed his arm, silencing him. She
was aware that something terribly dangerous had just occurred, and that
somehow Josh was involved.
I think that went well, don't you? Scathach asked eventually.
Flamel finished the apple and cleaned the edge of the black arrowhead on a
leaf. It depends on how you define the word
Scathach munched on a raw carrot. We re still alive and we re still in the
Shadowrealm, she said. Could be worse. The sun is going down. Our hostess
will need to sleep, and in the morning, sHe'll be a different person.
Probably won t even remember what happened tonight.
What did you say to her? Flamel asked. I ve never mastered the Elder
Tongue.
I simply reminded her of the ancient duty of hospitality and assured her
that the slight to her was unintentional and made through ignorance and was,
therefore, no crime under the Elder Laws.
She is fearful , Flamel murmured, glancing toward the huge tree trunk. The
Torc Allta guards could be seen moving inside, while the largest of the boars
had remained outside, blocking the doorway.
She is always fearful when the evening draws in. It is when she is at her
most vulnerable, Scathach said.
It would be nice, Sophie interrupted, if someone told us exactly what just
happened. She hated it when adults talked among themselves and ignored any
children present. And that was exactly what was happening now.
Scathach smiled, and suddenly, her vampire teeth looked very long in her
mouth. Your twin managed to insult one of the Elder Race and was very nearly
turned into green slime for his crime.
Josh shook his head. But I didn't say anything , he protested. He looked at
his twin for support as he quickly thought over his conversation with the old
woman. All I said was that her daughter or granddaughter had promised to
help us.
Scathach laughed softly. There is no daughter or granddaughter. The mature
woman you saw this afternoon was Hekate. The old woman you saw this evening
is also Hekate, and in the morning, you will meet a young girl who is Hekate
as well.
The Goddess with Three Faces, Flamel reminded them.
Hekate is cursed to age with the day. Maiden in the morning, matron in the
afternoon, crone in the evening. She is incredibly sensitive about her age.
Josh swallowed hard. I didn't know .
No reason why you should have except that your ignorance could have gotten
you killed or worse.
But what did you do to the table? Sophie asked. She looked at the ruin of
the circular table: it was split down the middle where Scatty had cut it with
her knife. The wood on either side of the split looked dry and dusty.
Iron, Scatty said simply.
One of the surprising side effects of the artificial metal, Flamel'said,
is its ability to nullify even the most powerful magics. The discovery of
iron really signaled the end of the Elder Race s power in this world. He
held up the black stone arrowhead. That'swhy I was using this. The Elders
get nervous in the presence of iron.
But
