The Secret of the Alchemist — John Ward

What would you do if your father sent you a key that could unlock the most powerful secret of the ancient world? Would you get involved, at the risk of bringing its terrible magic back to life? In this novel that pits Good, Love, and Nature against Evil, Hate and Artifice, two teenagers, Jake and Helen, meet as contestants at a literary festival in Florence, Italy. When Helen's father, an art dealer, leaves her a mysterious note asking her to recover a key, she and Jake find themselves in this very dilemma. The Secret of the Alchemist weaves magic, literature and the exhilarating power of friendship into a story unlike any other.