the curly fries and had the extra-large root beer?
Josh grinned. And you finished off my buffalo wings.
Sophie smiled at the memory, but her grin quickly faded. Although the
temperature that day had risen into the hundreds, she d started shivering,
icy beads of sweat running down her back as a ball of iron settled into the
pit of her stomach. Luckily, she hadn't fastened her seat belt before she d
thrown up, but the results had still been spectacularly messy, and the car
had been unusable for at least a week afterward. That s how I feel right
now: cold, shivery, aching all over.
Well, try not to throw up in here, Josh murmured. I don't think Roux, our
cheerful server, would be too impressed.
Roux had worked in the caf for four years, and in that time he had been
robbed twice and threatened often but never hurt. The all-night caf saw all
sorts of strange and often dangerous characters come through the doors, and
Roux decided that this unusual quartet certainly qualified as the first sort
and maybe even both. The two teenagers were dirty and smelly and looked
terrified and exhausted. The older man maybe the kids grandfather, Roux
thought was not in much better shape. Only the fourth member of the group the
red-haired, green-eyed young woman wearing a black top, black trousers and
chunky combat boots looked bright and alert. He wondered what her
relationship was to the others; she certainly didn't look as if she was
related to any of them, but the boy and girl were alike enough to be twins.
Roux had hesitated when the old man had produced a credit card to pay for the
two hot chocolates. People usually paid cash for something so small, and he
wondered if the card was stolen. I ve run out of euros, the old man said
with a smile. Could you ring up twenty and give me some cash? Roux thought
he spoke French with a peculiar, old-fashioned, almost formal lilt.
It is strictly against our policy , Roux began, but another look at the
hard-eyed red-haired girl made him reconsider. He attempted a smile at her as
he said, Sure, I think I can do that. If the card had been reported stolen,
it wouldn't scan in the machine anyway.
I would be very grateful. The man smiled. And could you give me some
coins?
Roux rang up eight euro for the two hot chocolates and swiped the Visa for
twenty euro. He was surprised that it was an American credit card; he would
have sworn by his accent that the man was French. There was a delay and then
the card went through, and he deducted the cost of the two drinks and handed
over the change in one-and two-euro coins. Roux went back to the math
textbook hidden under the counter. He d been wrong about the group. It wasn't
the first time and wouldn't be the last. They were probably visitors just off
one of the early-morning trains; they were nothing out of the ordinary.
Well, maybe not all of them. Keeping his head down, he raised his eyes to
look at the red-haired young woman. She was standing with her back to him,
talking to the old man. And then she slowly and deliberately turned to look
at him. She smiled, the merest curl of her lips, and Roux suddenly found his
textbook very interesting.
Flamel stood at the caf counter and looked at Scathach. I want you to stay
here, he said softly, slipping from French into Latin. His eyes flickered to
where the twins sat drinking their hot chocolate. Watch over them. I ll go
find a phone.
The Shadow nodded. Be careful. If anything happens and we get separated,
let s meet back in Montmartre. Machiavelli will never expect us to double
back. We ll wait outside one of the restaurants maybe La Maison Rose for five
minutes at the top of every hour.
Agreed. But if I m not back by noon, he continued very softly, I want you
to take the twins and leave.
I will not abandon you, Scathach said evenly.
If I don't come back, it s because Machiavelli has me, the Alchemyst said
seriously. Scathach, even you would not be able to rescue me from his army.
I ve faced down armies before.
Flamel reached out and laid his hand on the Warrior s shoulder. The twins
are our priority now. They must be protected at all cost. Continue Sophie s
training; find someone to Awaken Josh and train him. And rescue my dear
Perenelle, if you can. And if I die, tell her my ghost will find her, he
added. Then, before she could say anything else, he turned and strode out
into the chilly predawn air.
Hurry back , Scatty whispered, but Flamel had gone. If he was captured, she
decided, no matter what he said, she was going to tear this city apart until
she found him. Taking a deep breath, she looked over her shoulder and found
the shaven-headed assistant staring at her. There was a spiderweb tattooed
onto the side of his neck, and the entire length of both of his ears was
pierced with at least a dozen little studs. She wondered how painful that had
been. She d always wanted pierced ears, but her flesh simply healed too
quickly, and she d no sooner had the piercing done than the hole closed up.
Something to drink? Roux asked, smiling nervously, a metal ball visible in
his tongue.
Water, Scatty said.
Sure. Perrier?
Tap. No ice, she added, and turned away to join the twins at the table. She
spun a chair around and straddled it, leaning her forearms across the top of
the chair and resting her chin on her arms.
Nicholas has gone to try and get in touch with my grandmother to see if she
knows anyone here. I m not sure what we re going to do if he cannot get
through.
Why? Sophie asked.
Scatty shook her head. We ve got to get off the streets. We were lucky to
get away from Sacre -Coeur before the police threw up a cordon around it. No
doubt they have found that stunned officer by now, so their search will have
moved outward, and the patrols will have our descriptions. It s only a matter
of time before we re spotted.
What will happen then? Josh wondered aloud.
Scathach s smile was terrifying. Then they ll see why I am called the
Warrior.
But what happens if we re caught? Josh persisted. He still found the idea
of being hunted by the police nearly incomprehensible. It was almost easier
to imagine being hunted by mythical creatures or immortal humans. What would
happen to us?
You would be turned over to Machiavelli. The Dark Elders would consider you
pair quite a prize.
