The Magician dipped his head to hide a smile. With that single question, Dee knew that the Elder would give him exactly what he wanted. The Englishman had always prided himself on his imagination-it was part of what made him one of the most powerful magicians and necromancers in the world-but even he could not comprehend what it must be like to be trapped for centuries in a hard stone shell. He had heard the desperation in the God of War’s voice the previous day when he had pleaded with Sophie to lift the curse, and it had given him an idea.

“You know that I am a man of my word,” Dee began.

Mars said nothing.

“True, I have lied, cheated, stolen and killed, but all with one single intention: to bring the Elders back to this world.”

“The end justifies the means,” Mars grumbled.

“Just so. And you know that if I give you my word, my oath, then I will carry through with my promise. Yesterday, you said you could read my intent clearly.”

“I know that in spite of your faults-or possibly even because of them-you are an honorable man, though it is a peculiar definition of honor,” Mars said. “So yes, if you give me your word, I will believe you.”

Dee stood up quickly and walked around behind the statue, so that Mars could not see the triumphant grin on his face. “The Witch of Endor will never lift your curse, will she?”

Mars Ultor remained quiet for a long time, but Dee made no move to break the silence. He wanted to give the Elder time to think through what he’d just said; he needed him to admit that he was doomed for all eternity to wear the stone shell.

“No,” the god finally admitted in a ghastly whisper. “She will not.”

“Maybe someday I will learn what you did to earn such punishment.”

“Maybe. But not from me.”

“So you are trapped… or maybe not.”

“Explain yourself, Magician.”

Dee started walking counterclockwise around the frozen Elder. He kept his voice low and unemotional as he outlined his plan. “Yesterday, you Awakened Josh, the sun twin. You touched him; you are connected to him.”

“Yes, there is a connection,” Mars agreed.

“The Witch touched the moon twin, gifted her with the Magic of Air, and also poured her complete compendium of knowledge into her,” Dee continued. “Yesterday, you said that the girl must know the spell that would free you.”

“And she said she did,” Mars whispered.

Dee slapped his hand off the statue’s shoulder as he spun to crouch in front of it. Electrical energy snapped around the room. “And she refused you! But would she refuse you if her brother’s life-wait, better still, her parents’ lives-were in danger? Would she? Could she?”