Nocturnal Academy 6: The Da Vinci Codex

A supposedly routine visit to the Nocturnal Academy by a Department of Education public servant was actually instigated by the mysterious Church of the Stigmata, who have set up in Appleton. They are actively recruiting new followers, including the mother of Alice Dibble's friend Nick and her own father's girlfriend Janice Cooper. They appear to want to close the Academy down, but are really after something else, an extremely powerful tome of Magick hidden within the school.

When Alice returns to school for term 2, Professor Abbacus devises a plan to sneak her into the church by disguising her beneath a magically enhanced holographic projector. She sits through a bizarre sermon, but at the end a strange monk appears and she realises he can detect her. It seems he is a technomage who shares Abbacus's affinity for machines.

An old schoolmate of Alice's returns to Appleton and claims he can help. Believing he can redeem himself, this boy tries to sneak into the Church of the Stigmata but is captured by the priest Father Donelli and the monk, a formidable Jesuit half-elf known as Marco the Hunter.

When her friend fails to return, Alice tries to tell Professor Abbacus the truth. Unfortunately he loses his temper with her, and she decides to save the boy on her own. She runs into the church - and discovers the true, horrible secret behind the Church of the Stigmata.

Also available:
Nocturnal Academy
Nocturnal Academy 2 - Teacher's Pet
Nocturnal Academy 3 - Immaterial Girl
Nocturnal Academy 4 - The Supernatural Circus
Nocturnal Academy 5 - Mage Against the Machine
Nocturnal Academy 7 - School of Thought
Nocturnal Academy 8 - The Lonely House
Nocturnal Academy 9 - Mirror Mirror