01_-_The_Alchemyst

nose; sharply defined chin; lips so thin they were almost nonexistent. Her
pupils were the color of butter. She was wearing a long, simple gown made
of a shimmering material that moved gently in a wind that didn’t seem to
touch anything around her. As it shifted, rainbow colors ran down its length,
like oil on water. She wore no jewelry, though Sophie noticed that each of
her short blunt fingernails was painted a different color.
“Doesn’t look a day over ten thousand years old,” Scatty muttered.
“Be nice,” Flamel reminded her.
“Who is it?” Sophie asked again, staring hard at the woman. Although
she looked human, there was something different, something otherworldly
about her. It showed in the way she stood absolutely still and in the arrogant
tilt of her head.
“This,” Nicholas Flamel said, a note of genuine awe in his voice, “is
the Elder known as Hekate.” He pronounced the name slowly, “HEH-catay.”
“The Goddess with Three Faces,” Scatty added bitterly.