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Chapter 11: Good Luck

"Hail, Mars, the Lord of War," Dee said loudly.

The huge helmeted head slowly turned to look at Dee. The Magician's aura immediately snapped alight, sizzling yellow and vaporous around him. Within the god's helmet, red light glowed. The head turned again with the sound of grinding stone, and blazing crimson eyes looked at the boy. The two ghost-white satyrs, Phobos and Deimos, crept out of the shadows and crouched behind the stone pedestal, watching Josh intently.

"Great Mars, it is almost time," Dee said quickly, "time for the Elders to return to the world of the humani." He took a breath and announced dramatically, "We have the Codex."

At the mention of the Codex, the Elder's head snapped toward Dee, eyes blazing, wisps of red smoke drifting from the slit in the helm.

"The prophecy is almost fulfilled," Dee continued quickly. "Soon we will make the Final Summoning. Soon we will free the Lost Elders and return them to their rightful place as rulers of the world. Soon we will return the world to the paradise it once was."

With the sound of grinding stone, Mars swung his legs off the plinth and turned so that he was sitting facing the boy.

Dee's voice rose almost to a shout. "And the first prophecy of the Codex has come to pass. We have found the two that are one. We have found the twins of legend." He waved a hand toward Josh. "This humani possesses an aura of pure gold; his twin sister's aura is unblemished silver."

Mars tilted his head to look at Josh again and then stretched out a gloved hand. It was still a foot and a half away from the boy's shoulder when his aura bloomed silently around him, the bright glow lighting up the interior of the chamber, turning the polished bone walls golden, sending Phobos and Deimos scuttling for shelter in the deepest shadows behind the plinth. The dry air was suddenly rich with the scent of orange.

"The girl's powers have been Awakened," Dee continued, his voice echoing in the chamber. "The boy's have not. If we are to succeed, if we are to bring back the Elders, this boy's powers must be Awakened. Mars Ultor, will you Awaken the boy?"

The god planted his tall broadsword on the ground, the point sinking easily into the bone floor, wrapped both hands around the hilt and leaned forward to look at Josh.

"Twins."

It took a moment to realize that Mars had spoken. The god's voice was surprisingly soft and sounded incredibly weary. "Twins?" The question in his voice was unmistakable.

"Y—yes," Josh stammered. "I have a twin sister, Sophie."

"I had twin boys once … a long time ago," Mars said, his voice lost and distant. "Good boys, fine boys," he added, "Who is the elder?" he asked. "You or your sister?"

"Sophie," Josh said, lips curling in a sudden smile. "But only by twenty-eight seconds."

"And do you love your sister?" Mars asked.

Taken by surprise, Josh said, "Yes … well, I mean, yes, of course I do. She's my twin."

Mars nodded. "Romulus, my younger boy, said that too. He swore to me that he loved his brother, Remus. And then he killed him."

The bone chamber fell deathly silent.

"I had Awakened my sons' auras, gave them access to powers and abilities beyond those of the humani. All their senses and emotions were heightened … including the emotions of hate, fear and love." He paused, and then added, "They had been close—so close—until I Awakened their senses. That destroyed them." There was another, longer pause. "Perhaps it would be better if I did not Awaken you. For your own sake and the sake of your sister."

Josh blinked in surprise and looked over his shoulder at Dee, Machiavelli and Lily. The Italian's face was impassive, Lily looked almost relieved, but Dee looked as stunned as Josh felt. Was Mars refusing to Awaken him?

"Lord Mars," the Magician began, "the boy must be Awakened …"

"It will be his choice," Mars said mildly.

"I demand—"

The glow within the god's helm turned incandescent. "You demand!"

"In my master's name, of course," Dee said quickly. "My master demands—"

"Your master can make no demands of me, Magician," Mars whispered. "And if you speak again," he added, "I will loose my companions on you." Phobos and Deimos clambered over the god's shoulders to peer at Dee. They were both drooling. "It is a terrible death." He looked back at Josh. "This is your choice and yours alone. I can Awaken your powers. I can make you powerful. Dangerously powerful." Red eyes blazed brightly, the centers burning yellow hot. "Is this what you want?"

"Yes," Josh said without hesitation.

"There is a price, for everything has a price."

"I'll pay it," Josh said immediately, though he had no idea what that payment might be.

Mars nodded his great head, stone cracking and grinding. "A good response, the correct response. Asking me about the price would have been a mistake."

Phobos and Deimos cackled in what could only be assumed was a laugh.

"There will come a time when I will remind you that you are in debt to me." The god looked over Josh's head. "Who will mentor the boy?"

"I will," Dee and Machiavelli said simultaneously.

Josh turned to look at the two immortals, surprised by their response. Of the two, he thought he would prefer to be mentored by Machiavelli. He was a little surprised that Lily hadn't said something, she met his eyes and mouthed "I'm too new to it myself, other wise I would"

"Magician, he is yours," Mars said after a moment's consideration. "I can read your intent and your motives clearly. You intend to use the boy to bring back the Elders; I have no doubt of that. But you …," he added, his head swiveling to look at Machiavelli.

"I cannot read your aura; I do not know what you want. Perhaps because you have not yet decided." Lily looked at Machiavelli in surprise but said nothing and turned back to the scene before her.

Rocks snapped and creaked as the god stood. He was at least seven feet tall, his helmeted head almost brushing the ceiling. "Kneel," he said to Josh, who folded to his knees. Mars tugged his huge sword free from the floor and spun it until it was directly in front of the boy's face.

"What are your clan name and your parents' names?"

Josh's mouth was so dry he could barely speak. "The clan name? Oh, the family name is Newman. My father is Richard and my mother is Sara."

The timbre of the god's voice changed, becoming stronger, loud enough to feel the vibrations in their bones. "Josh, son of Richard and Sara of the Clan Newman, of the race humani, I will grant you an Awakening. You have acknowledged that this is no gift and there will be a price to pay. If you do not pay it, I will destroy you and everything you hold dear."

Lily smiled and whispered to Machiavelli "well that's one way to say you owe me"

"I'll pay," Josh said thickly.

"I know you will." The huge sword moved, first touching Josh's right shoulder, then his left before moving back to his right. The faintest outline of his aura winked into existence around his body. Wisps of gold smoke started to curl off his blond hair, and the scent of citrus grew stronger. "Hence-forth you will see with acuity …"

Josh's bright blue eyes turned into solid gold discs. Immediately, tears gathered and ran down his face. They were the color and texture of liquid gold.

"You will hear with clarity …"

Smoke coiled from the boy's ears.

"You will taste with purity …"

Josh opened his mouth and coughed. A puff of saffron-colored mist appeared, and tiny amber sparks danced between his tongue and teeth.

"You will touch with sensitivity …"

The boy brought his hands up to his face. They were glowing so brightly that they were almost transparent. Sparks leapt and curled between each finger, and his badly chewed fingernails were polished mirrors.

"You will smell with intensity …"

Josh's head was almost completely enveloped in golden smoke now. It trickled from his nostrils, making it look as if he were breathing fire. His aura had thickened, solidified around his shoulders and across his chest, becoming shiny and reflective.

The god's sword moved again, tapping lightly against the boy's shoulders. "Truly, yours is one of the most powerful auras I have ever encountered," Mars said quietly. "There is something else I can give you—a gift—and this I give freely. You may find it of use in the days to come." Stretching out his left hand, he rested it on top of the boy's head. Instantly, Josh's aura burst into incandescent light. Streamers and globes of yellow fire curled from his body and bounced around the room. Phobos and Deimos were caught by the blast of light and heat, and it sent them squealing and scrambling behind the stone plinth, but not before their pale skin had reddened and the tips of their snow white hair had darkened and crisped. The searing light drove Dee to his knees, gloved hands pressed against his eyes. He rolled over, burying his face in his hands as spheres of fire bounced off the floor and ceiling, spattering against the walls, leaving scorch marks on the polished bone.

Only Machiavelli and Lily had escaped the full force of the explosion of light. They'd turned away and ducked out of the room in the last instant before Mars had touched the boy. Lily feinted outside the room while Machiavelli curled up in a ball, and hid in the deep shadows outside the door while streamers of yellow light ricocheted off the walls and hissing balls of solid energy blazed out into the corridor. He blinked hard, trying to clear the streaked afterimages seared onto his retinas. Machiavelli had seen Awakenings before, but never anything this dramatic. What was Mars doing to the boy, what gift was he giving him?

Then, through his blurring vision, he saw a vague silvery shape materialize at the other end of the corridor.

And the scent of vanilla filled the catacombs.

Lily awoke too Niccolò shaking her and he dragged her into the room where Mars and Dee still were.

Niccolò Machiavelli and Lily looked into the chamber. In the center of the room, caught as he tried to rise from the floor, the two satyrs on his back, was Mars Ultor, frozen in bone.

"So the catacombs of Paris have yet another mysterious bone statue," the Italian said mildly. Dee turned away. "First you kill Hekate and now Mars," Machiavelli continued. "And I thought you were supposed to be on our side. You do realize," he called after Dee, "that we are all dead. We've failed to capture Flamel and the twins. Our masters will not forgive us."

"We've not failed yet," Dee called back. He was almost at the end of the corridor. "I know where this tunnel comes out. I know how we can capture them." He stopped and looked back, and when he spoke, the words came slowly, almost reluctantly. "But … Niccolò, Lily … we will need to work together. We will need to combine our powers."

"What do you intend to do?" Machiavelli asked.

"Together, we can loose the Guardians of the City."

Niccolò Machiavelli took a tentative step forward and looked down over the city of Paris. He was standing on the roof of the great Gothic cathedral of Notre Dame; below was the river Seine and the Pont au Double, and directly spread out before him was the broad parvis, the square. Holding tightly to the ornate brickwork, he drew in a deep shuddering breath and willed his thumping heart to slow. He had just climbed one thousand and one steps up out of the catacombs onto the roof of the cathedral, following a secret route Dee claimed he'd used before. His legs were trembling with the effort and his knees ached. Machiavelli liked to think that he kept himself in good condition—he was a strict vegetarian and exercised every day—but the climb had exhausted him. He was also vaguely irritated that the strenuous climb hadn't affected Dee in the slightest. Lily looked a little worn out but no more so when she finished a fashion show. "When did you say you were last up here?" he asked Dee.

"I didn't say," the Magician snapped. He was standing to Machiavelli's left, in the shadow of the south tower. "But if you must know, it was in 1575." He pointed off to one side. "I met the Morrigan right there. It was on this roof that I first learned of the true nature of Nicholas Flamel and the existence of the Book of Abraham. So perhaps it is fitting that it ends here too."

Machiavelli leaned out and looked down. He was standing almost directly above the west rose window. The square below him should have been thronged with tourists, but it was eerily deserted. "And how do you know Flamel and the others will come out here?" he asked.

Dee's small teeth flashed in an ugly grin. "We know the boy is claustrophobic. His senses have just been Awakened. When he comes out of whatever trance Mars left him in, he's going to be terrified, and his heightened senses will only add to that terror. For the sake of his sanity, Flamel will have to get him above ground as quickly as possible. I know that there is a secret passage leading from the buried Roman city into the cathedral." He suddenly pointed down as five figures stumbled out of the central door directly below them. "You see?" he said triumphantly. "I'm never wrong." He looked at Machiavelli and Lily. "You know what we have to do?"

The Italian nodded. "I know."

Lily nodded as well "I'm aware"

"Neither of you look too happy about it."

"Defacing a beautiful building is a crime." Machiavelli stated

"But killing people is not?" Dee asked.

"Well, people can always be replaced."

Lily smacked Machiavelli upside the head gently.

Over the centuries, Dr. John Dee had learned how to animate Golems and had also managed to create and control simulacra and homunculi. One of the earliest skills Machiavelli had mastered was the ability to control a tulpa. Lily had learned the same ability from Machiavelli. The process was surprisingly similar; all that really differed were the materials.

They could all bring the inanimate to life.

Now the Magician, the Italian, and the American stood side by side on the roof of Notre Dame and focused their wills.

And one by one, the gargoyles and grotesques of Notre Dame came to creaking life.

"They've spotted us," Machiavelli said about 5 minutes later. Huge beads of sweat rolled down his face, and his lips were blue with the effort of controlling the stone creatures. Lily was also sweating and feeling feint

"It is no matter," Dee said, peering over the edge. "They are powerless." In the square below, the five humans were standing in a circle as the crushing stone statues closed in.

"Then let us finish it," Machiavelli said through gritted teeth. "But remember, we need the children alive." He broke off as something slender and silver arced through the air before his face. "It's an arrow," he began in wonder, and then stopped and grunted as the arrow plunged deep into his thigh. His entire leg from hip to toe went dead. He staggered back and fell onto the cathedral roof, hands pressed against his leg. Surprisingly, there was no blood, but the pain was excruciating.

Lily knelt down by Machiavelli's side and bit her lip as she saw the wound

On the ground far below, at least half the creatures suddenly froze or toppled over. They crashed to the ground, and those behind tumbled over them. Rock shattered, weathered stone exploding to dust. But still the rest of the creatures pressed on, closing in.

Another dozen silver arrows arced up from below. They pinged and shattered harmlessly against the brickwork.

"Machiavelli!" Dee howled.

"I can't …" The pain in his leg was indescribable, and tears rolled down his cheeks. "I can't concentrate …"

"Lily!" Dee called, Lily concentrated harder and then called "I'm running out of Power!"

"Then I'll finish it myself."

"The boy and girl," Machiavelli said weakly. "We need them alive …"

"Not necessarily. I am a necromancer. I can reanimate their corpses."

"No!" Machiavelli and Lily screamed.

Dee ignored them. Focusing his extraordinary will, the Magician issued the gargoyles a single command. "Kill them. Kill them all."

The creatures surged forward.

And Lily could barely contain her joy when, soon after, the group of five were walking away.

On top of Notre Dame, Dee, Machiavelli and Lily watched as Flamel and the others picked their way through the smoking piles of masonry, heading in the direction of the bridge.

"We are in so much trouble," Machiavelli said through gritted teeth. The arrow had disappeared from his thigh, but his leg was still numb.

"We?" Dee said lightly. "This, all this, is entirely your fault, Niccolò. Or at least, that's what my report will say. And you know what will happen then, don't you?"

Machiavelli straightened and stood, leaning against the stonework, favoring his injured leg. "My report will differ."

"So will mine!" Lily snapped at Dee.

"No one will believe you," Dee said confidently, turning away. "Everyone knows you are the master of lies. And you Lily, while you might be spared, no one will believe you when you defend the Italian because it will be made clear that your desperately in love with him"

Machiavelli reached into his pocket and pulled out a small digital tape recorder. "Well then, it's lucky I have everything you said on tape." He tapped the recorder. "Voice activated. It recorded every word you spoke to me."

Dee stopped. He slowly turned to face the Italian and looked at the slender tape recorder. "Every word?" he asked.

"Every word." Machiavelli said grimly. "I think the Elders will believe my report."

Lily smirked at Dee.

Dee stared at the Italian for a heartbeat before nodding. "What do you want?"

Machiavelli nodded at the devastation below. His smile was terrifying. "Look at what the twins can do … and they're barely Awakened, and not even fully trained."

"What are you suggesting?" Dee asked.

"Between us, you and I have access to extraordinary resources and Lily has many contacts. Working together—rather than against one another—we should be able to find the twins, capture them and train them."

"Train them!"

Machiavelli's eyes started to glitter. "They are the twins of legend. 'The two that are one, the one that is all.' Once they've mastered all the elemental magics, they will be unstoppable." His smile turned feral. "Whoever controls them controls the world."

The Magician turned to squint across the square to where Flamel was just visible through the pall of dust and grit. "You think the Alchemyst knows this?"

Machiavelli's laugh was bitter. "Of course he knows. Why else do you think he's training them!"

Lily looked at where the group were and whispered, so low that neither man could hear her, and so she could barely hear herself "good luck Josh, I hope you find out what Flamel is keeping from you and your sister, and I hope for both your sakes, that your sister realizes that you can't trust the Flamel's… and I hope you realize you can't trust me or Niccolò either"

alright, so we have reached the end of the Magician and we move into the Sorceress lots of fun! so review please!