Michael Desjardins



MIchael Desjardins is the secondary antagonist of Rick Riordan's novel The Red Pyramid, and a supporting character in The Throne of Fire. He is a magician of French descent who works for the House of Life. After Iskander's death, Desjardins is now the most powerful magician and becomes the new Chief Lector.

The Red Pyramid
Desjardins first appears when Zia Rashid takes Carter and Sadie to see the Chief Lector. Desjardins, suspecting the Kanes of hosting gods, wishes to kill them, but Iskander convinces him not to. Later that night, Iskander dies and has Desjardins takes his place.

Desjardins and his servants in the House of Life spend the majority of the book preparing to battle Set, while hoping to capture the Kanes. Carter suspects Desjardins of being Set's host.

Zia believes she and Desjardins can cooperate with the Kanes to defeat Set. Zia arranges a rendezvous for them at Las Cruces, New Mexico. However, Desjardins opts to attack Amos. Zia summons a pillar of fire to distract Desjardins so they can escape. While Carter and Sadie are fleeing with Zia, Desjardins summons Sekhmet to chase down and kill them.

At the Red Pyramid, Desjardins tries to stop Set from placing the golden capstone on top of the pyramid, but is defeated by Set. He, along with all of the other magicians in the area, is teleported to Washington D. C. by Sadie. After Carter and Sadie bargain with Set, Desjardins reluctantly lets them go.

The Throne of Fire
In the second book, Desjardins gives Vladimir Menshikov permission to hunt down Carter and Sadie Kane and prevent them from awakening Ra.

Later, Desjardins goes with Menshikov to Zia Rashid's tomb and encounters Carter there. Desjardins tries to stop Carter and Menshikov from fighting, to no avail. Desjardins, along with Menshikov, is drove off by Bes.

Desjardins meets with Menshikov and agrees to let him go into the Duat to stop Carter and Sadie. Desjardins expresses doubts about Menshikov recruiting rogue magicians to assault Brooklyn House, but is swayed by Menshikov's spells of convincing.

Desjardins follows Carter, Sadie, and Menshikov into the Duat, meeting up with them at Apophis' prison. Desjardins fights Menshikov while Sadie reads the Book of Ra and reawakens Khepri. Menshikov defeats Desjardins and is possessed by Apophis. Desjardins regains his strength and performs an execration spell on Apophis. The spell banishes Apophis deeper into the Duat, but it saps Desjardins' life. On the boat ride out, Desjardins admits Carter and Sadie were right about following the path of the gods, before he dies.