The Enchantress (The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel)

once said. She accused me of being an uncaring monster. She told me that I would die lonely and alone because I did not care for anyone.” He smiled sadly. “I realized that she was probably right on both accounts. And then Black Hawk asked me a question. He wanted to know if I had ever done anything purely for the thrill of it. I told him I had not, not for a very long time, at least. And then he told me that he pitied me, and that I was wasting my immortality. He said I was not living, that I was just surviving. And you know something—he was right.”
    “I sometimes think the immortal do not truly appreciate the wonderful gift of immortality,” Nicholas said.
    “It is not always a gift,” Perenelle said very quietly.
    “And then I fell in with Billy,” the Italian continued. “He is young, exuberant—irritating, yes, but he has a big heart. He reminded me what it is to be human. To enjoy life and living. And when it came right down to it, we decided—he and I—that we did not want monsters in the streets of San Francisco, we did not want the deaths of many thousands on our hands or consciences. Not when we could do something about it.” The immortal stopped suddenly. “Do you know: I believe that is the longest speech I’ve given in a century. Maybe two.”
    There was a whistle followed by the scrape and clatter of approaching hooves on stone.
    “Quetzalcoatl’s twin brother, Xolotl, controls the monsters on the island,” Nicholas quickly explained to Machiavelli. “He is a little upset because we sank a boat of his monsters. He swore revenge.”
    “You mean there are more creatures?” the Italian asked, a note of despair in his voice.
    “Many more,” Perenelle answered with a grim smile. “The cell blocks only housed the smaller monsters. The really big ones were kept in the Powerhouse and the Quartermaster Warehouse by the shore.”
    “We’d best get this open, then,” the Italian said.
    The three immortals turned back to the mud ball and placed their hands on its shell, pouring their energies into it. The room came to life with their auras, green and white sparks hissing and snapping from every metal surface.
    Nicholas slumped first, then Machiavelli. Both men collapsed with their backs to the ball. Perenelle looked down at them. “We will try one more time,” she said. “If we fail, then we’ll leave it: we cannot afford to expend any more energy.” She knelt beside Nicholas and traced the new lines on her husband’s face. “Already we are dangerously weakened.”
    Black Hawk suddenly raced through the open door. “We have incoming,” he said breathlessly. “A hundred anpu and some real ugly unicorns are heading this way.”
    “What color are their horns?” Perenelle asked quickly.
    Black Hawk shook his head. “I didn’t hang around to find out.”
    “Think! You saw them!”
    “White . . . black . . . red at the tip,” he blurted.
    “Monokerata. Their horns are poisonous, avoid them at all cost.”
    Red-faced and panting, Billy the Kid ran into the room. The two spearheads in his hands were black with blood. “Forget the anpu and the unicorns,” he gasped. “We’ve got a bigger problem. There’s a giant crab out there.”
    “How big?” Machiavelli asked.
    “Real big!” Billy snapped. “Like as-big-as-a-house big. One of those bull-headed guys got in its way and it snapped him clean in half. Well, not quite so clean, actually.”
    “Karkinos,” Flamel and Machiavelli said simultaneously.
    “Does that mean a big crab?” Billy asked.
    “No. It means a giant crab,” Machiavelli said.
    “And . . .” Billy drew in a deep breath. “And they’re being led by a skeleton with a dog’s head,” he finished dramatically. “A real mangy, ugly-looking dog.”
    “Oh, we’ve already met him.” Perenelle smiled. “We chatted earlier.”
    “That is Quetzalcoatl’s twin brother,” Machiavelli said.
    Billy blinked in surprise. “That old monster has a brother!” Then he grinned. “I’m guessing they’re not identical.”
    “They were once,” Hel said, from her position by the doorway. “This is Xolotl. This is the evil twin.”
    Mars and Odin hurried in through the empty doorway. “Decision time,” Mars announced. “We can either make our last stand here,” he said, looking around at the space, “or we can run, maybe try to find another place to hole up in.”
    “We stay here,” Flamel said firmly. He tapped the mud ball. “You must