Nicholas Flamel 1 - The Alchemyst

noticing that he was leaning forward, staring intently at the webs spinning

around Sophie s arms. It is concentrated air mixed with my own aura. All my

knowledge, my experience, even my lore is gathered in this web of air. Once

it touches Sophie s skin, she will begin to absorb that knowledge.

Sophie breathed deeply, drawing the wood-scented air deep into her lungs.

Images flashed impossibly fast in her head, times and places long past,

cyclopean walls of stone, ships of solid gold, dinosaurs and dragons, a city

carved into a mountain of ice and faces hundreds, thousands of faces, from

every race of mankind, from every time period, human and half human,

werebeast and monster. She was seeing everyone the Witch of Endor had ever

seen.

The Egyptians got it wrong, Dora continued, her hands now moving too fast

for Flamel to see. They wrapped the dead, she continued. They did not

realize I wrapped the living. There was a time when I put a little of myself

into my followers and sent them out into the world to teach in my name.

Obviously someone saw this process in the ancient past and tried to copy it.

Sophie suddenly saw a dozen people wrapped up like her, and a younger-looking

Dora moving among them, dressed in a costume from ancient Babylon. Somehow

Sophie understood that these were the priests and priestesses in the cult

that worshipped the Witch. Dora was passing on a little of her knowledge to

them so that they could go out into the world and teach others.

The white weblike air now flowed down Sophie s legs, binding them together.

Unconsciously, she brought her hands up across her chest, right hand on her

left shoulder, left hand on her right shoulder. The Witch nodded approvingly.

Sophie closed her eyes and saw clouds. Without knowing how, she knew their

names: cirrus, cirrocumulus, altostratus and stratocumulus, nimbostratus and

cumulus. All different, each type with unique characteristics and qualities.

She suddenly understood how to use them, how to shape and wield and move

them.

Images flickered.

Flashed.

She saw a tiny woman under a clear blue sky raise a hand and make a cloud

grow directly overhead. Rain irrigated a parched field.

Flashed again.

A tall bearded man standing on the edge of a huge sea raised his hands and a

howling wind parting the waters.

And flashed again.

A young woman brought a raging storm to a shuddering stop with a single

gesture, freezing it in place, then ran into a flimsy wooden house and

grabbed a child. A heartbeat later and the storm ate the house.

Sophie watched the images and learned from them.

The Witch of Endor touched Sophie s cheek and the girl opened her eyes. The

whites were dotted with silver sparkles. There are those who will tell you

that the magic of Fire or Water or even Earth is the most powerful magic of

all. They are wrong. The magic of Air surpasses all others. Air can

extinguish fire. It can churn water to mist and can rip up the earth. But air

can also bring fire to life, it can push a boat across still water, can shape

the land. Air can clean a wound, can pluck a splinter from a fingertip. Air

can kill.

The last of the white cobwebbed air closed across Sophie s face, completely

encasing her, wrapping her like a mummy.

This is a terrifying gift I have given you. Within you now is a lifetime a

very long lifetime of experience. I hope some will be of use to you in the

dire days ahead.

Sophie stood before the Witch of Endor completely encased in the white

bandagelike air. This was not like the Awakening. This was a gentler, subtler

process. She discovered that she knew things incredible things. She had

memories of impossible times and extraordinary places. But mixed with these

memories and emotions were her own thoughts. Already she was beginning to

find it hard to tell them apart.

Then the smoke began to curl and hiss and steam.

Dora suddenly turned to look for Scatty. Come and give me a hug, child. I

will not see you again.

Gran?

Dora wrapped her arms around Scathach s shoulders and put her mouth close to

her ear.

Her voice dropped to little more than a whisper. I have given this girl a

rare and terrible power. Make sure this power is used for good.

Scathach nodded, not entirely sure what the old woman was suggesting.

And call your mother. She worries about you.

I will, Gran.

The mummylike cocoon suddenly dissolved into steam and mist as Sophie s aura

flared brilliant silver. She stretched out her arms, fingers splayed wide,

and the merest whisper of a wind rattled through the shop.

Careful. If you break anything, you pay for it, the Witch warned.

Then, suddenly, Scathach, Dora and Sophie turned to look out into the

darkening afternoon. An instant later Nicholas Flamel'smelled the

unmistakable rotten-egg odor of sulfur. Dee!

Josh! Sophie s eyes snapped open. Josh is out there!

CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN

D r. John Dee finally arrived in Ojai as the last light was fading in

spectacular shades of pink over the surrounding Topa Topa Mountains. He d

been traveling all day; he was tired and irritable and looking for an excuse

to hurt someone.

Hekate's Shadowrealm had drained his cell battery, and it had taken him over

an hour before he could find a phone to contact his office. He d then been

forced to sit, fuming, by the side of the road for another ninety minutes

while a team of drivers scoured Mill Valley s backroads looking for him. It

was close to nine-thirty before he finally returned to his offices at Enoch

Enterprises in the heart of the city.

There he d learned that Perenelle had already been moved to Alcatraz. His

company had recently purchased the island from the state and had closed it to

the public while restoration work was being carried out. There was talk in

the papers that it was going to be turned into a living history museum. In