She hurried to catch up with Flamel and her brother.

“Stay close, Sophie,” Nicholas said. “You have no idea of the danger we’re in.”

“So you keep telling us,” she muttered, though right now she couldn’t figure out how things could get any worse.

“Where are we going?” Josh asked. He was still dizzy after the adrenaline rush, and now he was starting to feel shaky as well.

“Just down here,” Nicholas said, nodding toward a white stone church on their left.

Sophie caught up with her brother and noticed that he was pale and there was a light sheen of sweat on his forehead. She gripped his arm and squeezed lightly. “How are you doing?” She knew what he was going through: the noise, the smells, the sounds of the city were starting to overwhelm his recently Awakened senses. She’d experienced the same shocking sensory overload when Hekate had Awakened her. But while the Witch of Endor and Joan had helped her control the wash of emotions and sensations, there was no one to help her brother.

“I’m fine,” Josh said quickly. “OK, not so well,” he admitted a moment later, seeing the look of disbelief on his sister’s face. She’d been through the same transformation; she knew what he was feeling. “It’s just that everything…” He struggled to find the words.

“It’s just too much,” Sophie finished for him.

Josh nodded. “Too much,” he agreed. “I can even taste the car exhaust.”

“Everything adjusts,” she promised, “and it gets easier. Or maybe you just get used to it.”

“I don’t think I could ever get used to this,” he said, dipping his head and squinting against the brilliant sunshine breaking through the blue-black clouds. Sunlight sparkling on the wet streets sent painful daggers into his eyes. “I need sunglasses.”

“That’s a good idea.” Sophie trotted ahead a few steps. “Nicholas, wait up,” she called.

But though the Alchemyst glanced over his shoulder, he didn’t stop. “We cannot delay,” he snapped, and continued at a brisk pace.

Sophie stopped in the middle of the street and pulled her brother to a halt with her. Nicholas had walked half a dozen paces before he realized that the twins were no longer behind him. He stopped and turned, waving them forward. They ignored him, and when he strode back to them there was something dark and ugly about the set of his face. “I’ve no time for this nonsense.”

“We need sunglasses for Josh, and for me too,” Sophie said, “and water.”

“We’ll get them later.”

“We need them now,” she said firmly.