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.
“The time for talking is over,” Perenelle said abruptly. “This is the time for action. Are you with us?” she asked.
“Do we have a choice?” Josh replied.
Perenelle opened her mouth to answer, but Nicholas tugged at her sleeve and shook his head slightly. Looking at the twins, he said, “There are always choices.” He held up three bony fingers. “You can fight with us, you can side with Dee, or you can do nothing.” The expression on his face turned cruel. “If you side with Dee, then this city and ultimately this world are doomed. If you do nothing, then this city and this world are still doomed. But if you fight with us, then there is a chance-a small chance, but a chance nonetheless-for humankind.”
“But-” Josh began.
Sophie reached out and caught her brother’s arm, pinching hard enough to silence his response. “We’re with you,” Sophie said. She looked at her brother and he nodded once. “We’re both with you.” She looked from Nicholas to Perenelle. “Now, what do we do?”
The Sorceress bowed her head slightly, but not before Sophie caught the hint of a smile. “Josh needs to learn at least one more Elemental Magic,” Perenelle said. “If we had time we could find someone to train him in Earth, Air and Fire, but we don’t. I think he will be able to learn one more magic in the time left for us.”
“But which one?” Josh asked.
Perenelle swiveled around to look at the Alchemyst, her fine eyebrows raised in a silent question. No words passed between them, but the Sorceress nodded and turned back with a smile on her face. “We will train Josh in the Magic of Fire,” she said.
Josh looked at Sophie and grinned. “Fire. I like that.” He turned back to Perenelle. “But who’s going to train me?”
Sophie knew the answer even before the Sorceress spoke. “We will go and see Prometheus, the Master of Fire.”