01_-_The_Alchemyst

other lands. But only two of the Elders, Hekate and Odin, managed to nurture
their Yggdrasill seeds to life. Odin, like Hekate, had power over magic.”
Josh frowned, trying to remember what little he knew about Odin.
Wasn’t he the one-eyed Norse god? But before he could ask, Hekate
disappeared into an opening framed by knots of twisted roots. Nicholas
Flamel stopped and waited for the twins and Scatty to catch up. His pale
eyes were deeply shadowed, and a thin vertical crease showed between his
eyebrows. When he spoke, he chose his words with care, his nervousness
making his French accent even more pronounced. “I wish you did not have to
do this,” he said, “but you must believe me when I say that there is no other
way.” He reached out and put one hand on Sophie’s right shoulder and one on
Josh’s left shoulder. Their auras—silver and gold—flared briefly, and the
heavy air was touched with the scents of vanilla ice cream and oranges. “I’m
afraid that when you helped Perenelle and me, you placed yourselves in the
most dreadful danger. If—when Hekate Awakens your magical potential, I
will teach you some protective spells, and there are others I will take you to,
specialists in the five ancient forms of magic. I’m hoping they will complete
your training.”
“We’re going to be trained as magicians?” Sophie asked. She guessed
she should be more excited, but she kept remembering Scatty’s words, that
once Hekate Awakened their powers, they would be in grave danger.
“As magicians and sorcerers, as necromancers, warlocks and even
enchanters.” Flamel smiled. He glanced over his shoulder, then turned back
to the twins. “Now go inside and do whatever she tells you. I know you are
afraid, but try not to be. Let me tell you, there is no shame in fear.” He
smiled, his lips curling upward, but the smile never reached his troubled
eyes. “When you come out of that room, you will be different people.”
“I don’t want to be a different person,” Sophie whispered. She wanted
everything to be just as it had been a couple of hours earlier, when everything
was ordinary and boring. Right now, she would give anything to go back to a
boring world.
Flamel stepped back from the doorway and ushered the twins inside.
“From the moment you laid eyes on Dee, you started to change. And once