Part 9 (1/2)
”A fool,” she snapped. ”How do you hope to achieve all this?”
”Yesterday I saw an Archon.”
Virginia blinked in surprise. ”I've never seen one. I thought they were myth.”
”I saw Cernunnos, the Horned G.o.d. I stood as close to it as I am standing to you. And then later, it came to me: it sent a thoughtform, a being created, controlled and held together entirely by the power of its imagination. Its power was incredible... and yet Cernunnos is one of the minor Archons.”
Virginia started to shake her head. ”And what has this got to do with you taking control of this Shadowrealm?”
”I have the four Swords of Power. I intend to raise Coatlicue, the greatest of all the Archons. She will serve me.”
Virginia Dare drew in her breath in a quick gasp. ”John, this is insanity,” she said urgently. ”And even if you could raise the Archon, why should she serve you? What have you got to trade that would even remotely interest her?”
”Coatlicue despises and loathes the Elders. Millennia ago, they sentenced her to an eternity of suffering-I would imagine she will want her revenge.”
”Revenge drives us all,” Virginia murmured. ”But I still don't see how...”
The doctor's smile was terrifying. ”I know the entrance to Xibalba here on earth. If she serves me, I will give her that location.”
”And once she is in Xibalba...,” Virginia whispered.
Dee nodded. ”She will have access to the countless Shadowrealms. She can ravage her way through them, feasting off everything she finds.”
The woman's laughter was shaky. ”I have always admired your ruthless streak, John, but this is breathtaking. Even you, as powerful as you are, will not be able to raise an Archon. Especially the Mother of All the G.o.ds. As soon as she steps into this world, she'll feed off the first things she sees.”
Dee shrugged. ”It is true I am going to need something extraordinary, something powerful, to draw her and then distract her while I bind her in spells.” He touched the swords under his coat. The answer flowed through his fingers and the air was suddenly filled with the sharp citrus scent of orange. His smile turned savage. ”I will offer her a pure golden aura.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX.
Sophie and Josh walked side by side on the quay in Sausalito, past the gently rocking houseboats. Each one was different, some small and squat, others tall and long. Most had small dinghies tied to the side, and one even had a seaplane moored off one end.
The twins had left Nicholas and Perenelle arguing with Aoife back on Niten's houseboat. The Swordsman remained silent, only occasionally stepping in to place his hands on the vampire's shoulder when her temper grew heated.
”What do we do now?” Josh asked.
Sophie looked at him. ”Do? About what?”
”I mean, do we go home?”
”And then what? What are we going home to?”
Josh dug his hands in the back pockets of his jeans and walked on. He had no answer to that. ”You know, it was only when I was leaving the house earlier to look for the Flamels that I realized how much we've lost,” he said.
”What do you mean lost?” Sophie was confused.
”These last few days we've spent with the Flamels has cost us everything,” Josh continued. ”Everything we thought we knew-all the history, the mythology, even the archaeology-it all turns out to be a lie. Even our futures have been wiped out.”
Sophie nodded. She'd already had the same thoughts, but wasn't surprised that it had taken her brother a little longer to come to them.
”So where do we go?” Josh stopped to look back toward Niten's houseboat. Although it was over a hundred yards away, he lowered his voice to little more than a whisper. ”What do we do, sis? I don't trust Flamel.”
”Neither do I,” she admitted.
”But we're sort of stuck with him.”
Sophie nodded. ”And I think we need to see this out to the end.”
”What does that mean?” her brother asked desperately. ”You've heard them-they're talking about attacking Alcatraz. That's just crazy!”
”But if they don't, then the creatures on the island will attack San Francisco.” Sophie reached out to touch her brother and the air was suddenly filled with the sweet smell of vanilla. Her bright blue eyes flickered silver. ”Have you ever thought that this is exactly where we're supposed to be? This is what we're supposed to be doing.”
Josh took a step back, suddenly frightened of the intensity in his sister's voice. ”What are you talking about?” he asked.
”Josh, ten thousand years ago, Abraham wrote about us...”
Josh shook his head quickly. ”No. He wrote about twins... and there have been lots of twins.”
”None like us.”
”Lots like us,” he insisted. ”Remember? The Flamels have been collecting gold and silver twins for generations. And none of them survived their Awakening.”
”We did,” she reminded him.
”Barely.”
”Josh, I've been trained in Air, Fire and Water magics and you've been Awakened and trained in Water magic. We can't just ignore those skills. We have an opportunity now to use them, to protect the city.”
”Have you ever wondered,” Josh asked suddenly, ”if we're fighting for the right side? If maybe Flamel is the enemy and Dee is the good guy?”
They both caught the flicker of movement at the same time and whirled around to face Niten. Even though the early afternoon was still and quiet, they hadn't heard the Swordsman approach. He bowed slightly. ”They are calling for you,” he said, glancing back at the boat. He turned and walked away, then stopped to glance over his shoulder, and the light washed over his face, turning his brown eyes into mirrors. ”I could not help overhearing your last question. I am immortal, and though I have not lived as long as Nicholas or Perenelle, I am now, and have always been, a warrior. And if that life has taught me anything, it is that in every war, both sides believe they are in the right.”
”And what about us, Niten?” Josh asked. ”Are we on the right side?”
”You are on a side, and that is important. You don't have to stay on that side. Often the greatest act of courage is admitting that one has made a mistake.” He paused, then added, ”Follow your hearts. Protect one another, trust one another, because, at the end of the day, all of these people want something from you, or want you to do something for them, or be something that you are not. Your only responsibility is to one another.” Then he turned and walked away.
Nicholas and Perenelle were waiting on the dock. Sophie felt Perenelle's eyes searching their faces, almost as if she were reading their thoughts. The Sorceress stepped forward and Sophie realized with a sudden clarity that Perenelle-and not Nicholas-was in charge. It dawned on her that the woman had probably always been the boss.
”It is decision time,” Flamel said with a wry smile.
”Well, we've been talking about-” Josh began.