Dee shrugged. “It is true I am going to need something extraordinary, something powerful, to draw her and then distract her while I bind her in spells.” He touched the swords under his coat. The answer flowed through his fingers and the air was suddenly filled with the sharp citrus scent of orange. His smile turned savage. “I will offer her a pure golden aura.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

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…”