The Enchantress (The Secrets of the Immortal Nicholas Flamel)

encourage the people to rise up.”
    “And if the people don’t?”
    “They will,” Marethyu assured him. “I have given them a voice. Someone to speak for them. The only real variables are the twins. Where will they stand?”
    “During times of turmoil, it is the nature of children to side with their parents,” Aten said.
    “That would change if they were to discover that Isis and Osiris are not their parents,” Marethyu said.
    “And they are being offered an empire,” Aten reminded him. “That is enough to tempt anyone.”
    “But they are not just anyone. They are the twins of legend.”
    “The boy will have the swords,” Aten whispered, “and that is dangerous.”
    “The pyramid will dampen its powers,” Marethyu said quietly, and tapped the edge of his hook against the bars, cutting a chip from the stone.
    “And the boy is strong?” Aten asked. An enormous bubble of lava popped, turning the air briefly unbreathable, and the Elder coughed.
    “Stronger than he thinks. Also, he will be carrying Excalibur. The two swords tend to neutralize one another.”
    “What happens now, Death?” Aten asked.
    “The Ruling Council gathers. Every Elder that can walk or crawl is here. Bastet and Anubis are waiting, convinced that Anubis will be acknowledged as your successor. And Isis and Osiris are on the way with the twins.”
    Aten shook his head. “I’d love to be a fly on the wall for that meeting.”
    “I think you’ll get your wish.” Marethyu smiled. “The first order of business is your trial. It will be left to the new ruler—Anubis or the twins—to carry out your execution.”
    “My brother will have no problems with that.” He raised a brow. “I wonder how he’ll react to the appearance of the twins?”
    “Not well, I would imagine. And Bastet will be livid!”

CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
    MIST SWIRLED AND the Spartoi closed in on the defenseless Niten. Lightning fast, one lashed out at him, catching him a blow on the thigh, and he fell to the bridge with a grunt of pain. He lay flat on his back, looked up at the lizardlike creatures and realized that he was going to die. The immortal felt just the vaguest pang of regret: he had always wanted to die in his beloved Japan. And he had made Aoife promise that if he fell in some foreign country or Shadowrealm, she would bring his body back to Reigando in the southwest of his country. But Aoife was gone. He would never be able to fulfill his promise to rescue her. And he would never rest in his home soil.
    “We will kill you slowly,” one of the creatures said, in his young boy’s voice. He stepped up to the immortal and looked down, jaws gaping, ropes of evil-smelling saliva dangling from his teeth.
    At that moment a Toyota Prius sailed out of the foggy night and crushed two of the creatures against the bridge. The entire metal structure shook and rang like a bell.
    The Spartoi looming over Niten spun in surprise. The immortal pressed his back to the bridge and kicked upward with all his might. Both feet caught the creature beneath the chin. Its jaws closed with a click and it dropped its club, hissing in pain. Niten caught the weapon before it struck the ground and slammed it down on the creature’s toes. The Spartoi screamed like a boiling kettle as it hopped on one foot. Niten brought the club down on the other foot and heard something crunch. The creature keeled over, its screams now so high-pitched, they were inaudible.
    A second car, an ancient VW Bug, bounced across the bridge, spraying sparks, and crashed into two more Spartoi.
    Prometheus appeared out of the night, a massive long sword held before him in a two-handed grip. Two of the crocodile creatures darted toward him and the enormous blade keened through the air. One Spartoi lifted its shield. The sword rang off it in a detonation of sparks, driving the creature to the ground. The second tried to block the blow with its club. The sword ripped the club from its hands and sent it sailing over the side of the bridge into the water far below. Weaponless, both creatures scrambled back into the fog.
    The Elder took up a position over the fallen immortal. “Are you hurt?”
    “Give me a moment. Let me heal.” Niten climbed slowly to his feet. The air around him shimmered blue and the fog was touched with the odor of green tea. Niten’s aura thickened around his waist and in the center of his chest, coating his wounds. “All I need now is a couple of days’ bed rest and I’ll be