The Enchantress (The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel)

upper arms and wrists. Gold rings winked on every finger. Two of the cat-faced girls followed her, the bells on their toes tinkling with every movement.
    Osiris bowed. He turned his head to look at the twins. “You should bow, children.”
    “To our own mother?” Josh demanded. “Why? We’ve never bowed before.”
    “That was then. This is now,” Osiris said simply. “Everything has changed.”
    “I’m not bowing. That’s just too weird,” Josh said firmly. Sophie nodded in agreement.
    The Elder looked at Virginia Dare and opened his mouth to speak.
    The immortal met his gaze and held up her hand. “Don’t even think about asking me to bow,” she said.
    Isis had crossed the courtyard and stopped before them. She acknowledged Osiris’s bow with the merest nod and then looked the children up and down. The faintest moue of disappointment curled her lips. “Jeans and T-shirts? You could have chosen something more appropriate to this place and time,” she murmured. “Remember when you accompanied us on our travels on the earth we always tried to dress respectfully in local costume. There are linen shirts and robes in the wardrobe. I am sure you would be more comfortable in them.”
    “I’m comfortable like this,” Josh said, his voice hard. He looked at his sister. “What about you?”
    She nodded. “I’m good.”
    There was an awkward moment of silence while Isis looked at Osiris as if she was expecting him to say something. “This has been a very difficult week for Sophie and Josh,” he said eventually. “No doubt they are more comfortable wearing their own clothes; it is, after all, why we filled the wardrobes for them.”
    Sophie and Josh looked at one another. They both realized that in that moment something significant had altered in their relationship with their parents. Only a week ago, they would have returned to their rooms and changed with no questions.
    “We will eat,” Isis said firmly.
    “Then you’ll excuse me,” Virginia said. “I don’t want to intrude on this happy family moment. I’m sure you have a lot of catching up to do.”
    Without turning to look at the immortal, her gaze still trained on the twins, Isis waved a hand dismissively. “The servants have prepared a room for you at the other end of the house,” she said. She sniffed quickly. “There is hot water if you wish to bathe, and I’ll see to it that fresh clothes are laid out for you.”
    “We will send some food to your room,” Osiris added, in a more pleasant voice. He smiled, trying to take the sting out of his wife’s words and manner.
    Virginia’s smile was icy. “There’s no need. I think I’m going to rest for a while. I’ve had quite the day too. Maybe you’ll ask your people not to disturb me. No servants in or out, no food, no clothes, thank you. I’m fine with these. I just need my beauty sleep.”
    “None of the servants will intrude on your rest,” Isis said. “If you’d like we could even post a guard on the door to ensure your privacy.”
    Virginia’s laugher trailed behind her as she turned and walked away. “Oh, that won’t be necessary. Why, it might even make me think I was a prisoner. And I wouldn’t like that idea.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
    TSAGAGLALAL MOVED EASILY through the stinking fog-locked streets.
    Although it was still relatively early in the evening, San Francisco was almost completely deserted. The power outage had shut down the already quiet city. The initial surge of security alarms clanging dully across the city was starting to fade as batteries died. The whoop of emergency sirens sounded very small and distant, and Tsagaglalal’s enhanced senses caught the tang of burnt rubber and gas on the air. There had been an accident. A big one. Maybe more than one. The Dark Elders were closing off the city.
    It was uphill all the way to Jackson Street; then the street dipped and rose again. She turned right off Scott Street onto Broadway, where all the trees dripped water.
    The streetlights on each corner were out, and traffic lights on Gough blinked a muted red. The only illumination came from the few cars still attempting to move through the streets. On Van Ness, taxis and busses crawled by in shimmering globes of light and SFPD cruisers crept slowly down the streets, hazard lights flashing. The police used their loudspeakers to advise people to get off the streets and remain indoors until the fog cleared.
    Tsagaglalal’s armor adapted to the surroundings,