01_-_The_Alchemyst

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
“Sophie. Wake up!”
Sophie Newman’s eyes snapped open. And then she squeezed them shut
again and pressed her hands against her ears. The lights were so bright, so
vivid, the sounds of battle so incredibly clear and distinct.
“Sophie. Wake up!”
The shock of hearing the voice again forced her to open her eyes and
look around. She could hear Perenelle Flamel as clearly as if she were
standing beside her, but there was no one there. She was lying propped
against the rough bark of an oak tree, with Josh standing beside her, a thick
branch clutched in both hands, desperately beating back terrifying creatures.
Sophie slowly pushed herself to her feet, holding on to the tree for
support. The last thing she clearly remembered was the bitter odor of rich
green wood burning. She remembered saying “Fire!” and then the rest was a
series of confused images—a narrow tunnel, creatures with bird heads and
cat skulls—that might have been dreams.
As Sophie’s eyes adjusted and she looked around, she realized that they
had not been dreams.
They were completely surrounded by birds and cats: hundreds of them.
Some of the cat-headed humans lurked in the long grass and attempted to
creep toward them on all fours or on their bellies, spitting and clawing.
There were birdmen in the branches of the tree overhead, maneuvering to get
close enough to drop down, while others kept hopping in, jabbing at Josh
with their evil-looking beaks.
On the opposite side of the field, the Yggdrasill burned. The ancient
wood snapped and cracked, plumes of white-hot sap boiling up into the
pristine air like fireworks. But even as the burnt wood fell away, new growth