The Magician

CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

I ll take care of this, Joan said, sounding almost pleased at the

prospect. She touched Flamel' s sleeve and nodded to where the Warrior was

still wrapped in Nidhogg's claws. Get Scathach. The monster was now less

than six feet from the edge of the quay and edging ever closer to the safety

of the water.

The tiny Frenchwoman grabbed her sword and leapt out of the car.

More humani with swords, the Disir spat, blade falling toward the woman.

Not just any humani, Joan said, easily turning the weapon aside, her own

sword then flicking out to clink against the remains of the rusted mail on

the Disir's shoulders. I am Joan of Arc! The longsword in her hands twirled

and twisted, creating a spinning wheel of steel that drove the Disir back

with the ferocity of its attack. I am the Maid of Orl ans.

Sophie and Nicholas moved cautiously toward Nidhogg. Sophie noted that its

entire tail was coated with heavy black stone, which had now started to creep

up its back and down its hind legs. The weight of the stone tail anchored the

creature to the ground, and Sophie saw its huge muscles bunching and rippling

as it tugged itself toward the water. She could see where its claws and

dragging tail left deep indentations in the pavement.

Sophie, Flamel shouted, I need some help!

But Josh , she began, distracted.

Josh is gone, he snapped. He swooped in to snatch Clarent off the ground,

hissing in surprise at the heat of the weapon. Darting forward, he slapped at

Nidhogg with the sword. The blade bounced harmlessly off the stone-sheathed

skin. Sophie, help me free Scatty and then we ll go after Josh. Use your

powers.

The Alchemyst hacked at Nidhogg again but without any effect. His worst fears

had been realized: Dee had gotten his hands on Josh and Josh had the last two

pages from the Codex. Nicholas looked over his shoulder. Sophie was standing

still, looking frightened and completely bemused.

Sophie! Help me.

Sophie obediently raised her hands, pressed her thumb against her tattoo and

tried to call on her Fire magic. Nothing happened. She couldn't concentrate;

she was too worried about her brother. What was he doing? Why had he gone

with Dee and Machiavelli? It didn't look as though they had forced him

to he d been driving them!

Sophie! Nicholas called.

But she knew he d been in danger real and terrible danger. She d felt the

emotion deep within her, recognized it for what it was. Whenever Josh was in

trouble, she knew. When he d nearly drowned off Pakala Beach on Kauai, she d

woken up breathless and gasping; when he d broken his ribs on the football

field in Pittsburgh, she d distinctly felt the sharp pain in her left side,

felt the sting with every breath she took.

Sophie!

What had happened? One moment he was in mortal danger and the next ?

Sophie! Flamel snarled.

What? she snapped, turning on the Alchemyst. She felt a quick surge of

anger; Josh was right he d been right all along. This was the Alchemyst's

fault.

Sophie, he said more gently. I need you to help me. I can t do this on my

own.

Sophie turned to look at the Alchemyst. He was crouched on the ground, cool

green vapor puddling around him. A thick emerald cord of smoke wrapped around

one of Nidhogg's huge legs and disappeared deep into the earth, where it

looked as if Flamel had attempted to trap it. Another rope of smoke, thinner,

less substantial than the first, was loosely wrapped around one of the

creature's hind legs. Nidhogg inched forward and the green cord snapped and

dissolved into the air. Another few steps and it would carry Scathach her

friend into the river. Sophie wasn't going to let that happen.

Her fear and anger lent her focus. When she pressed her tattoo, flames popped

alight on each finger. She splashed silver fire across Nidhogg's back, but it

had no effect. Then she peppered the monster with tiny fiery hailstones, but

it didn't even seem to notice. It continued to edge nearer to the water.

Fire didn't work, so she tried wind. But the miniature tornados she threw

bounced harmlessly off the creature. Scouring the Witch's memories, she tried

a trick Hekate had used against the Mongol Horde. She whipped up a sharp wind

that drove stinging grit and dirt into Nidhogg's eyes. The creature merely

blinked and a second, protective eyelid slid down over its huge eye.

Nothing's working! she screamed as the monster dragged Scatty ever closer

to the edge. Nothing's working!

The Disir's sword slashed out. Joan ducked, and the heavy blade whistled over

her head and sliced into the Citron, turning the windshield into white

powder, popping off the tiny windshield wipers.

Joan was furious; she loved her 2CV Charleston. Francis had wanted to buy her

a new car for her birthday, in January. He d given her a pile of glossy car

catalogs and told her to pick one. She d pushed the catalogs aside and told

him she d always wanted the little classic French car. He d searched all over

Europe for the perfect model and then spent a small fortune having it

restored to its original pristine condition. When he d presented it to her,

it had been wrapped in three thick ribbons of blue, white and red.

Another wide slash from the Disir scored a rent on the hood of the car, and

then another cut off the small round headlight that perched over the right

front wheel arch like an eye. The light bounced away and shattered.

Do you know, Joan asked, her huge eyes dark with fury, renewing her attack

on the Disir, every word matched by a hammer blow from her sword, how

difficult it is to find original parts for this car?

The Disir fell back, desperately trying to defend herself from Joan's

whirling blade, pieces of her rotting chain mail flying away as the small

Frenchwoman's sword struck closer and closer. She kept trying different

fighting styles to defend herself, but nothing was effective against the

ferocious onslaught.

You will notice, Joan continued, pushing the warrior back toward the river,

that I have no fighting style. That is because I was trained by the greatest

warrior of all. I was trained by Scathach the Shadow.

You may defeat me, the Disir said grimly, but my sisters will avenge my

death.

Your sisters, Joan said, with a final savage cut that snapped the Disir's

blade in two. Would they be the two Valkyries currently frozen into their

own personal iceberg?

The Disir faltered, swaying on the edge of the wall along the river.

Impossible. We are undefeatable.

Everyone can be defeated. The flat of Joan's blade clanged against the

Disir's helmet, stunning her. Then Joan darted forward, her shoulder catching

the swaying Disir in the chest, knocking her backward into the Seine. Only

ideas are immortal, she whispered.

Still clutching the broken remains of her sword, the Valkyrie disappeared

into the murky river in a huge splash that drenched Joan from head to toe.

Sophie was puzzled. Her magic had failed against Nidhogg but how had Josh ?

He had no powers.

The sword: he had the sword.

Sophie snatched Clarent from Flamel's hand. And instantly her aura snapped to

life, sparking, crackling, long streamers of icy light spinning around her

body. She felt a rush of emotions, a swirling mess of thoughts, ugly

thoughts, dark thoughts, the memories and emotions of those men and women who

had carried the sword in ages past. She was about to fling the weapon away in

disgust, but she knew it was probably Scatty s only chance. Nidhogg's tail

was wounded, so Josh must have cut it there. But she d seen the Alchemyst

hack at the tough hide with no result.

Unless

Racing up to the monster, she plunged the weapon point first into its

shoulder.

The effect was immediate. Red-black fire burned along the length of the

blade, and the monster's skin immediately started to harden. Sophie's aura

blazed brighter than it had ever been before, and instantly her brain was

filled with impossible visions and incredible memories. Then her aura

overloaded and winked out in an explosion that picked her up and sent her

sailing through the air. She managed to scream once before she came crashing

down onto the canvas roof of Joan's Citron, which slowly and gently ripped

along its seams and deposited her neatly in the front passenger seat.

Nidhogg spasmed, great claws opening as its flesh hardened.

Joan of Arc darted through the monster's legs, grabbed Scatty around the

waist and jerked her free, oblivious to the creature's huge feet stamping

inches from her head.

Nidhogg bellowed, a sound that set house alarms clanging across the city.

Every car alarm in the parking lot burst to life. The beast attempted to turn

its head, to follow Joan as she dragged Scatty away, but its ancient flesh

was solidifying into thick black stone. Its mouth opened, revealing its

daggerlike teeth.

Abruptly, a huge section of the quayside cracked; rock pulverized to dust,

crumpling to powder beneath the creature's weight. Nidhogg tilted forward and

crashed down through the moored tourist boat, snapping it in two,

disappearing into the Seine in an enormous explosion of water that sent a

huge wave racing down the river.

Lying on the quayside, close to the water's edge, soaked through, Scathach

came slowly, groggily awake. I haven t felt this bad in centuries, she

mumbled, attempting but failing to sit up. Joan eased her into a sitting

position and held her tightly. The last thing I remember Scatty's green

eyes snapped open. Nidhogg Josh.

He tried to save you, Flamel said, limping up to Scatty and Joan. He

snatched Clarent from the quayside. He stabbed Nidhogg, slowed it down long

enough for us to get here. Then Joan fought the Disir for you.

We all fought for you, Joan said. She put her arm around Sophie, who had

staggered from the wrecked car, bruised and battered, with a long scrape

along her forearm but otherwise unharmed. Sophie finally defeated Nidhogg.

The Warrior slowly got to her feet, turning her head from side to side,

working her stiff neck muscles. And Josh? she asked, looking around. Her

eyes went wide with alarm. Where s Josh?

Dee and Machiavelli have him, Flamel said, his face gray with exhaustion.

We re not sure how.

We have to go after them now, Sophie said urgently.

Their car's not in good shape, they cannot have gotten far, Flamel said. He

turned to look at the Citro n. I m afraid yours has taken a battering as

well.

And I did so love that car , Joan murmured.

Let's get out of here, Scatty said decisively. We re about to be inundated

with police.

And then, like a shark erupting from the waves, Dagon exploded out of the

Seine. Rearing up, more fish now than man, gills open on his long neck, round

eyes bulging, he wrapped webbed claws around Scathach and dragged her

backward into the river. Finally, Shadow. Finally.

They disappeared into the water with barely a splash and didn't reappear.