Fury of the Seventh Son (Book 13) by Joseph Delaney

Author:Joseph Delaney
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 0101-01-01T00:00:00+00:00

TENDRILS OF GREEN MIST

WAS she dead? I wondered in horror. Had the shock of the silver pin killed her?

After all, what could be worse for a witch than to have a piece of silver, that most deadly of metals, inside her own body?

Grimalkin lay perfectly still; it was as if her soul had fled. I touched her forehead and found it ice cold. But there was nothing I could do. She was beyond the help of doctors.

What if I were to remove the pin? First I would have to turn her onto her other side. There were surely various tools in Grimalkin’s forge. Maybe among them I could find a pointed piece of metal and strike the pin out from the opposite side?

But as I came to my feet, I shook my head. It was not that it could not be done—it should not be done! Even if Grimalkin started breathing again and eventually recovered her strength, that leg would never heal properly without the silver pin. She would never again be the deadly witch assassin of old. She would never be able to perform the dance of death. I felt certain that she would rather die.

I started to walk away, intending to tell the Spook what had happened. But at that moment, Grimalkin sucked in a huge breath. When I turned round, I saw that her eyes were open, her face twisted with pain.

“Leave me now!” Her voice was hardly more than a whisper. “I will do the rest alone.” Then she reached for the sack and clutched it to her.

So I went back into the house and climbed the stairs to my room. It took me a long time to fall asleep. I kept thinking of what I’d just done and the agony that Grimalkin must be enduring. She was prepared to suffer in order to continue her work as a witch assassin.

The following day was bright and mild for October. During breakfast, I told the Spook what I had done to help Grimalkin. “She must truly be in agony,” he said, shaking his head sadly. Then he fell silent, apparently deep in thought.

After breakfast I headed for the southern garden to see how Grimalkin was doing. She was lying on her back on one of the boggart stones, her eyes closed again. With her left hand, she still grasped the neck of the sack. I thought she was asleep.

I was wrong.

She spoke to me without opening her eyes. “Leave me! Go away! Leave me alone!” she hissed.

I turned on my heel without a word and did as she commanded. Would she learn to live with the pain? I wondered. Would she ever regain her former strength?

Later my master sent me down to collect the week’s provisions from the village.

At the grocer’s, I got a surprise. A letter from my eldest brother, Jack, was waiting for me. I went back out into the street and leaned back against the wall to read it.

Dear Tom,

I have some good news at last.

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