Josh swallowed hard, then pinched his nose shut, forcing himself to breathe through his mouth as the smoke from the building drifted around them. Already sickened by his Awakened senses, he knew that he had to get away from the smell of smoke and grease or he was going to throw up. He saw his sister looking at him, eyes wide with concern, and he jerked his head to one side. She nodded, then coughed, eyes watering as more smoke eddied around them. Stepping carefully, avoiding the booby-trapped potholes in the muddy ground, the twins quickly moved away from the dilapidated metal building. Josh rubbed the heel of his hand across his lips. He could actually taste the cooking oil and grease on his tongue. “Whatever it is,” he muttered, “I’m not eating it.” He glanced sideways at his sister. “I guess there are a few disadvantages to having Awakened senses.”

“Just a few.” She smiled. “I thought I was getting used to it,” she added.

“Well, I’m not,” Josh sighed. “Not yet, anyway.” The Elder Mars had Awakened him only the previous day-though it felt like a lifetime ago-and he was still completely overwhelmed by the assault on his senses. Everything was brighter, louder and a lot smellier than it had ever been before. His clothing felt harsh and heavy against his skin, and even the air left a bitter taste on his lips.

“Joan told me that after a while, we’ll be able to blank out most of the sensations and only concentrate on what we need to know,” Sophie said. “Remember how sick I was when Hekate first Awakened me?”

He nodded. Sophie had been so weak that he’d had to carry her.

“It doesn’t seem to have hit you so hard,” she said. “You look pale, though.”

“I feel sick,” Josh said. He nodded toward the hut, where a plume of gray-black smoke was curling from the crooked chimney, leaking the stink of bubbling fat and rancid oil into the air. “And that’s not helping. I wonder, would it smell as bad if our senses weren’t Awakened?”

“Probably not.” She attempted a joke. “Maybe this was why human senses dulled over time. It was all just too much to handle.”

Flamel suddenly looked over at the twins and raised an arm. “Stay close; don’t wander off,” he called. Then, followed by Palamedes, he climbed the remainder of the steps and jerked open the door. The two immortals disappeared into the gloomy interior and slammed the door behind them.

Sophie glanced at her twin. “Looks like we’re not invited.” Although she kept her voice carefully neutral, Josh could tell she was angry; she always sucked in her lower lip when she was irritated or upset.