Blood War

by Russell Moon

  I feel, finally, the gentle throb of the arteries as life courses again through the warming body of Eartha.

  Color rises in her cheeks. She begins breathing. My mother seizes me from behind with a hug around my ribs every bit as strong and debilitating as the one I just gave her.

  “My god,” Eleanor whispers in my ear.

  “I do learn,” I say, to anyone who cares.

  Eartha comes to consciousness. She is expressionless as she takes it in, focuses. Then, she sees me, sees Eleanor, absorbs it all. Her expression of astonishment tells the tale.

  Her eyes go huge, wide and flooded. She opens her mouth.

  I put a finger to her lips.

  “Don’t say a word,” I say. I leave my finger across her lips as I speak.

  “Know this, Eartha: I can kill you again. But I can’t bring you back again.”

  I keep my finger there long enough to know she will not answer. Then I remove it, pull back, and get to my feet.

  I take my mother’s hand, pull her up, hold on, and the two of us begin the long, long, long trip back home.

  About the Author

  The Witch Boy trilogy is Russell Moon’s first contribution to the world of young adult fantasy literature. He lives in Britain and has a deep interest in Celtic magic and mythology.

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  Credits

  Cover © 2003 by HarperCollins Publishers Inc.

  Cover illustration by Greg Spalenka

  Cover design by Jennifer Blanc

  Copyright

  WITCH BOY: BLOOD WAR. Copyright © 2002 by 17th Street Productions, an Alloy, Inc. company, and Russell Moon. All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on-screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins e-books.

  Adobe Digital Edition May 2009 ISBN 978-0-06-195488-7

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