Book Read Free

Mark of the Wicked

Page 29

by Georgia Bowers


  “Matilda?” said Katrina. “Shall we find somewhere to sit so we can eat this pile of food your mom bought for us?”

  Matilda turned to her friends, trying to bury what she knew was an irrational fear. Oliver had disappeared after she’d threatened him with her ancestors’ wrath. After he’d gone, she’d checked his social-media accounts and found they hadn’t been updated, like they’d frozen in time, and Gravewick Academy was blazing with gossip about how he’d suddenly cleared out his bedroom and disappeared. She was satisfied that he was far away from those she loved, but every now and then at night she’d jolt upright, like someone had shaken her awake. Whether she liked it or not, she would remain connected to Oliver for as long as she needed to be, as her bloodline watched and waited in case he emerged from the gloom of his dark soul.

  Matilda knew that her fear came from growing close to people and having them in her world, but it also meant that she was ready to protect them if she needed to. She looked at her friends, full of excitement and possibility, then smiled as she noticed something curling by their feet at the bottom of the barrels.

  “Yeah, sure,” she said, turning to watch her family walk beneath one of the festival’s cloaked scarecrow figures holding a sign, an ivy vine lined with green star-shaped leaves curling around the post as they passed. “Let’s go.”

  ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

  A spell needs the right ingredients to make it successful, otherwise things can go awry. The same is true for writing a book, though instead of basil or belladonna, a book needs the right people.

  Kirk Seymour. Thank you for your unwavering belief in me and for encouraging me to be my own Annie Wilkes (minus the hobbling, obviously). I couldn’t have gotten to this point without your support, especially since we had our beautiful children, and definitely not through lockdown. You told me five years ago that you knew I was going to get published, and it turns out you were right.

  Mum, I know you’ll see these words somehow. Thank you for that time in the car when you pointed to the woods and told me that’s where the witches meet. You sparked something in my imagination that day, and I’ve never been able to shake it. Dad, obviously I need to thank you, too, for everything, but also because you were probably driving the car at the time.

  Cynthia Murphy. Cynthia, Cynthia, Cynthia. Thank goodness the universe brought our dark souls together when it did. I couldn’t think of a better person to share this incredible writing journey with, plus the not so great other things we’ve had to endure along the way. You’ve been there for every single step, and I’m so thankful for your friendship. Thank you for your always spot-on feedback, for loving my twisted ideas, and for being my fellow weirdo.

  Katherine Bowers, thank you for being the best bestie and the best SIL anyone could ask for. You’ve made so much time for me and for my writing, and I know how precious that time is. Your encouragement gave me the confidence I needed to pursue this dream, and your belief in me picked me up when I was down. I promise I’ll write a romance one day to give your nerves a break.

  Sue Shead. Thank you for being my office cheerleader and encouraging me to never give up whenever I got a rejection in my in-box. We can finally see my name on the catalog now! Also, I’d just like to let you know I’m available for library events.

  Rachel Diebel. How lucky am I to have you as an editor? You’ve held my hand as I’ve taken my first steps into the world of publishing, and you never made me feel like I was asking a silly question. I couldn’t have done this without your guidance and patience. Thank you for pushing me to make the ending better and for not letting me kill the horse. Also, thank you for the Buffy references in your notes; you truly know how to motivate me. Let us not have to change quotation marks ever again.

  The team at Swoon Reads, who I know have worked hard to make this book a reality. Jean Feiwel, Lauren Scobell, Trisha Previte, Starr Baer, and Celeste Cass. Also, the incredibly talented Marcela Bolívar, who created the most perfect artwork for the book cover. It’s honestly like someone reached into the dark depths of my imagination and painted what was lurking there in the shadows. It’s a thing of beauty and I still can’t stop staring at it.

  My friends and family, and everyone in the Swoon community who read and voted for this book. Writing can be a very solitary place, and seeing your comments made me feel like I wasn’t shouting into a void. I’m so lucky to have your support and enthusiasm, and I really can’t wait for you to read this book again.

  Public libraries and library staff. Where do I even start? I have so many memories of being nestled in the outstretched arms of bookshelves, the reassuring smell of shared books and muted sounds of others learning, enjoying, and inquiring. My mum took me to our local library as often as I wanted and probably watched proudly as I fell head over heels for books and reading. That love for books led me to a career as a librarian, and then a passion for writing. Every book I’ve written has been researched using library books or cuttings from the local studies section, the materials I read planting seeds and inspiring different scenarios. From devouring Point Horrors to sobbing over the dog in I Am Legend, I would not be the person or the writer I am today without access to those, and hundreds more, books through what has to be the greatest service on the planet.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  GEORGIA BOWERS lives in Bedford, England. When she got to the age where she had to decide what to do with her life, she was obsessed with two things: books and Buffy the Vampire Slayer. It seemed sensible to follow in the brogued footsteps of Rupert Giles, so she became a librarian, though sadly not the demon-fighting kind (but there’s still time!). Ever since her mum told her that witches used to meet in the woods near their village, she has been obsessed with witchcraft and the paranormal. After completing a course in writing YA fiction, she was a winner in the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators Undiscovered Voices. Since then, she has dabbled with stories of chosen ones and ghostly best friends until she conjured up the magical ingredients for her debut novel, Mark of the Wicked. You can sign up for email updates here.

  Thank you for buying this

  Feiwel and Friends ebook.

  To receive special offers, bonus content,

  and info on new releases and other great reads,

  sign up for our newsletters.

  Or visit us online at

  us.macmillan.com/newslettersignup

  For email updates on the author, click here.

  CONTENTS

  Title Page

  Copyright Notice

  Dedication

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Chapter Forty

  Chapter Forty-One

  Chapter Forty-Two

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Acknowledgments

  About the Author />
  Copyright

  Copyright © 2021 by Georgia Bowers

  A Swoon Reads Book

  An imprint of Macmillan Publishing Group, LLC

  120 Broadway, New York, NY 10271

  fiercereads.com

  All rights reserved.

  Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

  Names: Bowers, Georgia, author.

  Title: Mark of the wicked / Georgia Bowers.

  Description: First edition. | New York : Swoon Reads, 2021. | Audience: Ages 13–18. | Audience: Grades 10–12. | Summary: When sixteen-year-old witch Matilda grows closer to Oliver bizarre things begin to happen in their town, but as she faces blame for these strange occurences, Matilda sets out to discover the true culprit before anyone else turns up dead.

  Identifiers: LCCN 2020038387 | ISBN 9781250773890 (hardcover)

  Subjects: CYAC: Witches—Fiction. | Magic—Fiction.

  Classification: LCC PZ7.1.B686 Mar 2021 | DDC [Fic]—dc23

  LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020038387

  Our eBooks may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at (800) 221-7945 ext. 5442 or by email at MacmillanSpecialMarkets@macmillan.com.

  First hardcover edition 2021

  eBook edition 2021

  eISBN 9781250773906

 

 

 


‹ Prev