01_-_The_Alchemyst

toothed tiger reached them first. Its gleaming skeletal head was massive, and
the two downward-jutting teeth were at least eight inches long. Flamel
placed himself between Sophie and the creature.
“Hand over the pages, Nicholas, or I will loose these undead beasts on
the town.”
Nicholas frantically hunted through his memory for a spell that would
stop the creature. He bitterly regretted now not studying more magic. He
snapped his fingers and a tiny bubble of light popped onto the ground in front
of the tiger.
“Is that all you can manage, Nicholas? My, you’re weakening.”
The bubble burst and spread across the ground in a cool emerald stain.
“He’s close enough to see us,” Nicholas said. “All I need is one
glimpse of him.”
The skeletal tiger’s massive right front paw stepped into the green light.
And stuck. It attempted to lift its leg, but thick strands of sticky green threads
connected it to the road. And now its left paw stepped into the light and
stuck.
“Not quite so weak, eh, Dee?” Flamel shouted.
But the press of bodies behind the saber-toothed tiger kept pushing it
forward. Suddenly, its bony legs snapped off, sending the huge beast lunging
forward. Flamel managed to throw up his arms before the monster collapsed
on top of him, jaw gaping, teeth wide and savage.
“Good-bye, Nicholas Flamel,” Dee called. “I’ll just take the pages from
your body.”
“No,” Sophie whispered. No, it was not going to end like this. She had
been Awakened, and the Witch of Endor had imbued her with all her
knowledge. There had to be something she could do. Sophie opened her
mouth and screamed, her aura blazing with silver incandescence.