The Pyramid of Souls Read Online Free PDF Page B

downhill and taking her hands off the handlebars, wind whipping through her long hair. The massive Siberian tiger pounced across the stage as if running after a tasty wild boar on the Siberian plains. Nick saw Sascha's muscles rippling, animating the thick, furry stripes. Then the tiger halted as it faced the elephant. Penelope rose up on her two hind legs and let out a deafening trumpet call that shook Nick's knees. She raised her trunk in the air, then danced nimbly on her hind legs as if she were a ballerina.
       Not to be outdone, Sascha rose up on her hind legs as Isabella wrapped her arms around her tiger's throat. Sascha roared fiercely, showing off her gleaming pointed teeth.
       Penelope, as if obeying the command of the tiger, then returned to all fours and slowly lowered herself toward the stage floor.
       Together, as one, Sascha and Isabella leaped onto Penelope's back. Isabella climbed down from Sascha. The tiger then scampered down Penelope's back and landed on the stage floor on all four paws.
       Isabella balanced on Penelope, pirouetting, before sitting astride the giant gray animal. She grabbed tight to the jeweled halter, which glittered brightly in the stage lights.
       All eyes now turned to Nick. This part of the new show was supposed to be simple, according to Damian (whose definition of "simple" was usually a lot different from Nick's). All Nick had to do was levitate through the air, landing directly in front of Penelope and Isabella. Then he would make the two of them disappear before calling for Maslow, climbing on his horse, and galloping across the stage. Finally, he would act as if he had second thoughts about his decision, wave his hand, and bring elephant and girl back.
       Nick stared deep into Penelope's eyes. I can do this, I can d o this…he breathed to himself. He felt the familiar electricity inside him: butterflies in his stomach, only more fierce. Bats i n his stomach, beating against his rib cage as if wanting to escape. In his mind, he pictured the magic exactly as he wanted it to happen. But then his thoughts flashed—a distraction—and all of a sudden, he saw the raven inside his head. He tried to shut out the picture, but when he tried to move Penelope with his magic, nothing happened. The elephant was a brick wall.
       He opened his eyes. Penelope was staring at him, batting her lashes. Her eyes were enormous black globes, and now that he was face to face with her—or nose to trunk—he could see that General Tom Thumb had been right. Penelope's eyes seemed ancient, knowledgeable. As if she knew secrets going back to the dawn of time.
       Isabella cleared her throat. "Ahem," she said, peering down at him expectantly.
       He looked over his shoulder. Damian was scowling. Nick shut his eyes and tried again. He pushed with his mind. It almost hurt—like something punching him in the gut and knocking the breath out of him.
       He decided to stop trying to do magic his way, because it wasn't working. Sir Isaac Newton was a brilliant guy, h e thought to himself. Maybe he knew a thing or two about magic. So Nick instead tried to think of all those confusin g numbers in Sir Isaac Newton's formula. The numbers and strange figures and symbols represented the elements of magic: time, space, power, joy, love, despair, triumph, loyalty, belief. In a way, they represented the very roots of the Magickeepers.
       Nick tried to move Penelope once more. Again, his lungs shuddered; again, he felt an invisible punch. He inhaled and concentrated. Still, nothing happened.
       When he opened his eyes, the hot breath of Penelope was blowing in his face through her trunk.
       "Stop it!" he snapped and slapped away Penelope's trunk with his hands. "Come on, Penelope! Are you trying to embarrass me in from of everyone? Huh? Because I don't appreciate it. You have to feel me trying to move you, Penelope! You're not cooperating."
       Behind him, Nick heard the