Confusion gave way to fear, which quickly turned to anger. “What have you done to me?” Instinctively, Josh snatched Clarent from the table and slid off the stool, holding the sword in both hands. Instantly, he felt its familiar heat flow up his body, and his aura started to harden into gold-plated armor around his flesh. He looked around quickly, trying to get his bearings. “Where am I? Where’s my sister? What have you done with Sophie?”

Keeping the Codex pressed close to his chest, Dee stepped right up to the tip of the outstretched blade. “Do you remember the dream, Josh? The dream of the long drive?”

Josh took a step backward and nodded.

Dee stepped forward. “That was no dream.”

“What did you do-put a spell on me?” he said, horrified by the thought.

Dee shrugged. “I don’t like the word spell-it’s so old-fashioned. Technically, I asked Mars Ultor to call you. You are connected to him; you will remain connected to him for the rest of your life.”

“Where am I?” Josh asked, though he already had an inkling of the answer.

“You know where you are: in San Francisco, just below Coit Tower, in the offices of Enoch Enterprises, my company.”

Clarent was shivering in Josh’s grip. Golden gloves had formed around his hands and forearms, but the metal around his palms and fingertips where he held the sword was stained rust-red.

“So thank you for coming,” Dee continued, smiling as if nothing were out of the ordinary. He half turned. “This is my associate, Miss Virginia Dare.”

The woman nodded but didn’t smile. Josh noticed that she had a wooden stick-a flute?-in her hand.

“Miss Dare is, like myself, an immortal.” Dee turned quickly to Josh. “Would you like that, do you think? Would you want to become immortal?”

Josh blinked in surprise. Listening to Nicholas, then Scathach and Aoife talking about it, he’d vaguely wondered what it would be like to live forever, but he’d never actually thought about it seriously. “I’m not sure,” he said.

“I can’t make you immortal, nor can Virginia, but we know Elders who could grant you that gift,” Dee continued. “In fact, Mars would probably make you immortal if you asked.”

Completely confused now by the bizarre situation, Josh looked from the Magician to the woman. “I’m not sure I…”

“He’s too young to become immortal,” Virginia said abruptly. “He’s still a boy. He would be trapped as a boy forever. Ask him again in five years’ time.”

Dee smiled, gray eyes sparkling. “In five years. Yes, what a good idea. We’ll put that question to you then. Think about it,” he said lightly. “To be twenty-one forever.”

“I want to go,” Josh said, looking around for a way out.

“Of course.” The Magician pointed with the hand holding the Codex. “There is a lift over there, and a staircase in the corner.”