gate.
Machiavelli hit a button and the window rolled down. He raised his thumb and
nodded. Despite its decrepit appearance, it was the back gate to
Saint-Germain s house.
Each of the Disir reached into a leather pouch that hung from her belt.
Taking out a handful of flat stonelike objects, they tossed them at the base
of the door.
They re Casting the Runes, Machiavelli explained. They re calling
Nidhogg the creature you released, a creature the Elders themselves locked
away.
I didn't know it was trapped by the World Tree, Dee muttered.
I m surprised. I thought you knew everything. Machiavelli shifted in the
seat to look at Dee. In the gloomy half-light, he could see that the Magician
was looking pale and there was the faintest sheen of sweat on his forehead.
Centuries of controlling his emotions ensured that Machiavelli didn't smile.
Why did you destroy the Yggdrasill? he asked.
It was the source of Hekate s power, Dee said quietly, eyes fixed on the
Valkyries, watching them intently. They had stepped back from the stones
they d dropped on the ground and were talking quietly amongst themselves,
pointing out individual tiles.
It was as old as this planet. And yet you destroyed it without a second
thought. Why did you do that? Machiavelli wondered aloud.
I did what was necessary. Dee s words were ice. I will always do whatever
is necessary to bring the Elders back to this world.
But you didn't consider the consequences, Niccol Machiavelli said softly.
Every action has a consequence. The Yggdrasill you destroyed in Hekate s
kingdom stretched into several other Shadowrealms. The topmost branches
reached the Shadowrealm of Asgard, and the roots stretched deep into
Niflheim, the World of Darkness. He saw Dee stiffen. Not only did you
release Nidhogg, but you also destroyed at least three Shadowrealms maybe
more when you destroyed the World Tree.
I didn't know .
You made a lot of enemies, Machiavelli continued smoothly, ignoring him,
dangerous enemies. I have heard that the Elder Hel escaped the destruction
of her kingdom. I understand she is hunting you.
She does not frighten me, Dee snapped, but there was a quaver in his voice.
Oh, she should, Machiavelli murmured. She terrifies me.
My master will protect me, Dee said confidently.
He must be a powerful Elder indeed to protect you from Hel; no one has stood
against her and survived.
My master is all-powerful, Dee snapped.
I look forward to learning the identity of this mysterious Elder.
When all this is over, maybe I ll introduce you, Dee said. He nodded down
the alleyway. And that could be very soon.
The runestones hissed and sizzled on the ground.
They were irregular pieces of flat black stone, each etched with a series of
angular lines, squares and slashes. Now the lines were glowing red, crimson
smoke coiling into the still predawn air.
One of the Disir used the tip of her sword to move three of the runestones
together. A second nudged a stone out of the way with the steel toe of her
boot and then dragged another into place. The third found a single runestone
at the edge of the pile and eased it into position at the end of the string
of letters with her sword.
Nidhogg, the Disir whispered, calling the nightmare whose name they had
spelled out in the ancient stones.
Nidhogg, Machiavelli said very quietly. He looked over Dee s shoulder to
where Dagon sat staring straight ahead, apparently disinterested in what was
happening to his left. I know what the legends say about it, but Dagon, what
exactly is it?
My people called it the Devourer of Corpses, the driver said, voice sticky
and bubbling. It was already here before my race claimed the seas, and we
were amongst the first to arrive on this planet.
Dee quickly swiveled in the seat to look at the driver. What are you?
Dagon ignored the question. Nidhogg was so dangerous that a council of the
Elder Race created a terrible Shadowrealm, Niflheim, the World of Darkness,
to contain it, and then they used the unbreakable roots of the Yggdrasill to
wrap around the creature, chaining it for eternity.
Machiavelli kept his eyes fixed on the red-black smoke coiling from the
runestones. He thought he saw the outline of a shape beginning to form. Why
didn't the Elders kill it?
Nidhogg was a weapon, Dagon said.
What did the Elders need a weapon for? Machiavelli wondered aloud. Their
powers were almost limitless. They had no enemies.
Although he sat with his hands resting lightly on the steering wheel, Dagon s
shoulders shifted and his head turned almost completely around so that he was
facing Dee and Machiavelli. The Elders were not the first upon this earth,
he said simply. There were others. He pronounced the word slowly and
carefully. The Elders used Nidhogg and some of the other primordial
creatures as weapons in the Great War to completely destroy them.
A stunned Machiavelli looked at Dee, who looked equally shocked by the
revelation.
Dagon s mouth opened in what might have been a smile, revealing his
tooth-filled maw. You should probably know that the last time a group of
Disir used Nidhogg, they lost control of the creature. It ate all of them. In
the three days it took to recapture it and chain it in Yggdrasill s roots, it
completely destroyed the Anasazi people in what is now New Mexico. It is said
that Nidhogg feasted off ten thousand humani and still hungered for more.
Can these Disir control it? Dee demanded.
Dagon shrugged. Thirteen of the finest Disir warriors couldn't control it in
New Mexico .
Maybe we should Dee began.
Machiavelli suddenly stiffened. Too late, he whispered. It s here.
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
I m going to bed. Sophie Newman paused by the kitchen door, a glass of
water in her hand, and looked back to where Josh was still sitting at the
table. Francis is going to teach me some specific fire spells in the
morning. He promised to show me the fireworks trick.
Great, we ll never have to buy fireworks again for the Fourth of July.
Sophie smiled tiredly. don't stay up too long, it s nearly dawn.
Josh shoved another piece of toast into his mouth. I m still on Pacific
time, he said, his voice muffled. But I ll be up in a few minutes. Scatty
wants to continue my sword training tomorrow. I m really looking forward to
it.
Liar, liar.
He grunted. Well, you've got your magic to protect you all I have is a stone
sword.
The bitterness was clearly audible in his voice, and Sophie forced herself
not to comment. She was getting tired of her brother s constant whining. She
had never asked to be Awakened; she hadn't wanted to know the Witch s magic
or Saint-Germain s, either. But it had happened and she was dealing with it,
and Josh would just have to get over it. Good night, she said. She closed
the door behind her, leaving Josh alone in the kitchen.
When he finished the last of the toast, he gathered up his plate and glass
and carried them both to the sink. He ran hot water over the plate, then set