The Magician

CHAPTER TEN

S cathach brought her leg up, pressed the sole of her foot against the seat

of a chair and shoved hard. The wooden chair skipped across the floor and

slammed into the two police officers as they pushed through the door. They

crashed to the ground, a radio flying from the hand of one, a baton from the

hand of the other. The squawking radio skidded to a halt at Josh s feet. He

leaned over and poured his hot chocolate on it. It died in a fizz of sparks.

Scathach surged to her feet. Without turning her head, she raised an arm and

pointed at Roux. You. Stay right where you are. And don't even think about

phoning for the police.

Heart hammering, Josh grabbed Sophie and pulled her away from the table,

toward the back of the shop, shielding her with his body from the police at

the door.

One of the officers raised a gun. And Scatty s nunchaku struck it in the

barrel with enough force to bend the metal and send the weapon spinning from

the man's hand.

The second officer scrambled to his feet, pulling out a long black baton.

Scathach s right shoulder dipped and the nunchaku reversed direction in

midair, the twelve-inch length of hardened wood striking the police baton

just above its short handle. The baton shattered into ragged splinters.

Scathach flipped the nunchaku back and it dropped into her outstretched hand.

I m in a really bad mood, she said in perfect French. Believe me when I

tell you that you really do not want to fight me.

Scatty , Josh hissed in alarm.

Not now, the Warrior snapped in English. Can t you see I m busy?

Yeah, well, you re about to get busier, Josh shouted. A lot busier. Look

outside.

A police riot squad, in black body armor, full-face helmets and shields,

armed with batons and assault rifles, were racing down the street, straight

for the caf .

RAID, the shop assistant whispered in horror.

Just like SWAT, Scathach said in English, only tougher. She sounded

almost pleased. Glancing sidelong at Roux, she snapped in French, Is there a

back door?

The shop assistant was shocked into immobility, staring at the approaching

squad, and didn't react until Scathach whipped out the nunchaku and the

rounded end whistled past his face, the breeze making him blink.

Is there a back door? she demanded again, but in English.

Yes, yes, of course.

Then get my friends out.

No , Josh began.

Let me do something, Sophie said, a dozen wind spells flickering into her

consciousness. I can help .

No, Josh protested, and reached for his twin just as her blond hair

crackled, sparkling silver.

Out! Scatty shouted, and suddenly it was as if the planes and angles of her

face had altered, cheekbones and chin becoming prominent, green eyes turned

to reflective glass. For an instant, there was something ancient and

primeval and totally alien in her face. I can take care of this. She

started spinning the nunchaku, creating an impenetrable shield between her

and the two policemen. One officer picked up a chair and flung it at her, but

the nunchaku turned it to matchwood.

Roux get them out now! Scatty snarled.

This way, the terrified clerk said in American-accented English. He pushed

past the twins and led them down a narrow chilly corridor and out into a

small foul-smelling yard piled high with trash cans, bits of broken

restaurant furniture and the skeleton of a long-abandoned Christmas tree.

Behind them came the sound of breaking wood.

Roux pointed to a red gate and continued in English. His face was the color

of chalk. That leads to the alleyway. Turn left for the Rue de Dunkerque;

right will bring you down to the Gare du Nord Metro station. Behind them

there was a tremendous smash, followed by the sound of breaking glass. Your

friend, she is in so much trouble, he moaned miserably. And RAID will wreck

the shop. How am I going to explain that to the owner?

There was another crash from inside. A slate tile slid off the roof and

crashed into the yard.

Go, go now. He spun the combination lock and tugged the gate open.

Sophie and Josh ignored him. What do we do? Josh asked his twin. Go or

stay?

Sophie shook her head. She glanced at Roux and lowered her voice to a

whisper. We have nowhere to go we don't know anyone in the city except

Scatty and Nicholas. We don't have any money and we have no passports.

We could go to the American embassy. Josh turned to Roux. Is there an

American embassy in Paris?

Yes, of course, on the Avenue Gabriel, beside the H tel de Crillon. The

shaven-headed youth cringed as a colossal thump shook the whole building,

filling the air with minute particles of dust. The glass in the window beside

them cracked from top to bottom and more tiles slid off the roof, to rain

down into the yard.

And what do we tell the embassy? Sophie demanded. They ll want to know how

we got here.

Kidnapped? Josh suggested. And then a sudden thought struck him and he felt

sick. And what do we tell Mom and Dad? How are we going to explain it to

them?

Crockery tinkled and shattered, and then there was a tremendous crack.

Sophie cocked her head to one side and brushed her hair off her ear. That

was the main window. She took a step back toward the door. I should help

her. Wisps of mist curled off her fingers as she reached for the handle.

No! Josh snatched her hand, and static crackled between them. You can t

use your powers, he whispered urgently. You re too exhausted; remember what

Scatty said. You could burst into flames.

She s our friend we can t abandon her, Sophie snapped. I won t, anyway.

Her brother was a loner and had never been good at making or keeping friends

in school, whereas she was intensely loyal to hers, and she had started to

think of Scatty as more than just a friend. Although she loved her brother

deeply, she had always wanted a sister.

Josh caught Sophie s shoulders and turned her to face him. He was already a

head taller than she was and had to look down into the blue eyes that

mirrored his own. She s not our friend, Sophie, his voice low and serious.

She s never going to be our friend. She s a

two-and-a-half-thousand-year-old something. She admitted to us that she s a

vampire. You saw the way her face changed in there: she s not even human.

And and I m not sure she s all Flamel makes her out to be. I know he isn't!

What do you mean? Sophie demanded. What are you trying to say?

Josh opened his mouth to reply, but a series of rattling thumps vibrated

through the entire building. Whimpering with fear, Roux darted out into the

alley. The twins ignored him.

What do you mean? Sophie asked again.

Dee said

Dee!

I talked to him in Ojai. When you were in the shop with the Witch of Endor.

But he s our enemy!

Only because Flamel says he is, Josh said quickly. Sophie, Dee told me

that Flamel is a criminal and Scathach is basically just a hired thug. He

said that she was cursed for her crimes to wear the body of a teenager for

the rest of her life. He shook his head quickly and hurried on, his voice

low and desperate. Sis, we know next to nothing about these people Flamel,

Perenelle and Scathach. The only thing we do know is that they ve made you

different dangerously different. They ve taken us halfway across the world,

and look where we are now. Even as he was speaking, the building shook, and

then a dozen more tiles slid off the roof and crashed into the yard, sending

razor-sharp fragments flying around them. Josh yelped as a chunk stung his

arm. We can t trust them, Soph. We shouldn't.

Josh, you have no idea what powers they ve given me . Sophie caught her

brother s arm, and the air, which was foul with the stink of rotting food,

was touched with the odor of vanilla, and then, a moment later, the scent of

oranges as Josh s aura flared briefly golden. Oh, Josh, the things I could

tell you. I know everything the Witch of Endor knew .

And it s making you sick! Josh yelled angrily. And don't forget, if you

use your powers one more time, you could literally explode.

The twins auras flared gold and silver. Sophie squeezed her eyes shut as a

flood of impressions, vague thoughts and random ideas slammed into her

consciousness. Her blue eyes blinked, momentarily silver, and she suddenly

realized that she was experiencing her brother s thoughts. She wrenched her

hand away from him and the thoughts and sensations immediately faded.

You re jealous! she whispered in amazement. Jealous of my powers.

Color touched Josh s cheeks, and Sophie saw the truth in his eyes even before

he spoke the lie. I am not!

Suddenly, a black-clad police officer burst through the door and out into the

yard. There was a long crack running down the front of his face visor, and he

was missing one of his black boots. Without pausing, he limped past them and

ran into the alley. They could hear the pat of his naked foot and the slap of

the leather sole fade away.

Then Scatty strolled out into the yard. She was twirling her nunchaku as if

she were Charlie Chaplin swinging a cane. There wasn't a hair out of place or

a mark on her body, and her green eyes were bright and alert. Oh, I m in a

much better mood now, she announced.

The twins looked past her into the corridor. Nothing and no one moved in the

darkness beyond.

But there were about ten of them , Sophie began.

Scathach shrugged. Twelve, actually.

Armed , Josh said. He glanced sidelong at his sister, then back at the

Warrior. He swallowed hard. You didn't didn't kill them, did you?

Wood snapped and something collapsed in the shop

No, they re just sleeping. Scatty smiled.

But how did you Josh began.

I am the Warrior, Scatty said simply.

Sophie caught a hint of movement and opened her mouth to scream just as the

shape appeared out of the corridor and a long-fingered hand fell on

Scathach s shoulder. The Warrior didn't react.

I can t leave you alone for ten minutes, Nicholas Flamel said, stepping out

of the shadows. He nodded at the open gate. We d better go, he added,

ushering them toward the alleyway.

You missed the fight, Josh told him. There were ten of them .

Twelve, Scathach corrected him quickly.

I know, the Alchemyst said with a wry smile, only twelve: they didn't

stand a chance.