Sophie raised her hand and waved to her twin. Without looking at the Sorceress, she said, “You planned all this, didn’t you?”

Perenelle did not reply.

Still not looking at the woman, Sophie continued. “That day when Josh went for the job in the bookshop and you met me in the Coffee Cup. The moment you learned that we were twins… you knew then, didn’t you, that we were…”

“… the twins of legend? I am the seventh daughter of a seventh daughter. I have the gift of foresight. The instant I saw you I knew you were special; the minute you stepped in the door I caught the faintest glimmer of your aura, just the hint of silver. When I discovered you were a twin, my suspicions were heightened, and when I saw Josh and saw the glimmer of gold on his skin, I knew for certain. I told Nicholas to employ Josh-he was just about to reject him,” she added with a wry smile. “Your brother did not have a good interview! I don’t think he really wanted the job.”

“He didn’t.” Sophie glanced at her quickly. “And you made Bernice hire me at the Coffee Cup.” It was a statement, not a question, but she wanted to hear the Sorceress admit the truth.

Perenelle’s head moved in the tiniest of nods. “I suggested that she needed you, that is true.”

“Suggested?”

“I can be very forceful.”

“When were you and Nicholas planning on telling us?” Sophie asked, a note of anger in her voice. The idea that she and her brother had been manipulated by the Flamels for months was chilling.

“Actually, we were going to break the news to you in a couple of weeks’ time: at the summer solstice.”

“Litha.” The name popped into Sophie’s head.

“Yes, the ancients called it Litha. And it is the time of year when your auras-the gold and silver-will be at their strongest. We thought that would be the best time to Awaken you with the least danger to yourselves.”

“But there would be dangers…”

“There are always dangers.”

Sophie looked into Perenelle’s cold green eyes. “And you would still have gone through with it?”

“Yes.”

Sophie felt sick. This woman, whom she had liked, admired, even respected, had just admitted that she’d been prepared to put her and Josh in terrible danger. Sophie saw the Sorceress in a new light. Perenelle’s cool beauty suddenly took on an almost threatening aspect.

“Do you smell that?” Perenelle asked suddenly.

“What?” Sophie said, drawing in a deep lungful of air. “Vanilla,” she answered. “It smells sour.”