Josh shook the thought from his head. When he looked back to the road, however, a woman had appeared. The instant he saw her, Josh knew she was there to meet him, and he was already slowing and turning into the curb as she raised a hand and smiled. He stopped and hit the switch that rolled down the window. She was young and pretty and was dressed in jeans and a fringed black suede jacket. A thick mane of jet-black hair flowed to the small of her back. And when the woman leaned in the window and smiled at him, Josh noticed that her eyes were the same color as his aunt Agnes’s, the same color as Dr. John Dee’s. He took a deep breath and was overwhelmed by the distinctive odor of sage.

And because this was a dream, the woman knew his name. “Hello, Josh Newman. We’ve been waiting for you.”

“Virginia Dare,” Prometheus said grimly. “The killer.”

Sophie was the only one not to turn to look at the Elder. She focused on the woman’s face, seeing it through Josh’s eyes.

“Her master was a friend of mine,” Prometheus continued. “Because of her, he is dead.”

Nicholas looked at his wife. “Wasn’t Dare once associated with Dee?” he asked.

“A long time ago, but I don’t believe they’ve seen one another in centuries. Still, it cannot be a coincidence that she is here.”

“I agree,” the Alchemyst answered grimly. “There are no such things as coincidences.”

The images were flickering wildly now, fading in and out like a badly tuned television set. “I’m losing the connection,” Sophie whispered. She turned her head to look up at Aoife. “Help me. Please.”

The warrior’s strong hands tightened on the girl’s shoulders, holding her upright, pouring strength into her.

Josh followed the woman up to a smoked-glass door with the words Enoch Enterprises in fancy gold script on the glass. He saw her reach for the intercom button, but the door swung open wide before she had a chance to press it. And because this was still a dream, he was unsurprised to find a smiling Dr. John Dee waiting for him.

“Josh Newman, it is good to see you again. You’re looking well, and I understand you’re a Master of Fire now.” Dee stepped back. “Enter freely and of your own will.”

Without hesitation, Josh stepped through the door.

Nearly seventy miles away, in the last flickering ghostlike images, the silent watchers heard Dee ask, “So, Josh, how would you like to learn one of the most powerful of all the magics-something not even the legendary Nicholas Flamel could teach you?”

“That would be cool,” Josh said.

And then the door clicked shut and the image died.