“And what about those Elders who refuse to leave the earth to fight Coatlicue in the Shadowrealms?” Virginia asked. “And the immortals who are not allied to the Dark Elders? They will fight the monsters.”

“Oh, I’m counting on it,” Dee muttered. Two of the cords fell away from the object he was fumbling with, but he could not undo the third knot. He looked at the woman. “Would you…?”

“I’m going nowhere near it,” Virginia said. She slipped a short flat-bladed knife from a hidden sheath in her sleeve and tossed it to the Magician. He deftly caught it and sliced open the last knot.

“I know the locations of most of the Elders, Next Generation and immortals here on earth. Once they come out of hiding, I can pick them off one by one. When I’m finished, you and I will be the last two immortals on this planet. My Elder masters once promised me this planet: now I’m taking it on my terms.”

“And sharing it with me,” Virginia reminded him.

“And sharing it with you,” he agreed.

“You still haven’t told me what you want me for,” Dare said.

“Why, my dear, you are central to my plan.” He stopped and looked up, smiling slyly. “I always knew we would end up together.”

“Did you, now?”

“We are alike, you and I.”

“I’m sure we are,” Virginia Dare muttered. She dipped her head and said nothing. Dee had known her for most of his life and still had no idea just what she was, or what she was capable of. He had grown up in the Elizabethan Age and his opinions of women had been shaped by that age. Dare was convinced it was one of the many reasons he-and Machiavelli, too-had consistently underestimated Perenelle Flamel.

Dee carefully unfolded the green leather to reveal a twin of the first sword.

“A twin blade,” Virginia Dare said, surprised. “It must be Joyeuse, Charlemagne’s sword.”

“The first sword I ever owned,” the Magician said. “And now I have the complete set.” Dee laid Excalibur and Clarent alongside the first two swords.

Now that the swords lay together on the glass-topped table, the similarities between them were obvious-they were all about twenty inches long and carved from a single piece of stone. Of the four swords, only Clarent was dull and ugly-the rest were polished to a high shine. Virginia noticed subtle differences in the patterns of their hilts, but had she not watched Dee lay them out, she doubted she would have been able to tell them apart-except for Clarent, of course.

“Once I have located and killed any remaining Elders, Next Generation and immortals on this world, I am going to use the swords to destroy the entrances to the Shadowrealms here on earth. Then this will truly become our world.”

“Very clever, I’m sure,” Dare said. “I have just one question…”

“Just one?”

“Why me?”