The second thrilling book in Sally Green's Half Bad trilogy, the inspiration for the Netflix series The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself
"An enthralling fantasy in the Harry Potter tradition."—Time magazine on Half Bad
Kept in a cage for two years by the Council of Fairborn Witches, Nathan was trained to kill his father, the most violent and feared of the Blood Witches. Now Nathan has escaped, and he dreams of a quiet life of freedom with Annalise, the girl he loves—but Annalise is a prisoner, wasting away in a deathlike sleep. Nathan’s friend, Gabriel, is missing, likely dead, and although Nathan has found his unique magical Gift, he can’t control it. The Council's Hunters are on his trail, so he is always on the run. Nathan's only hope of survival is to join with new allies and old enemies in an alliance to bring down the Council, and they want Nathan's help: they, too, want Nathan to be a killer. Maybe that is the only way out. Maybe that is just who he is now…
Set in modern-day Europe, the second book in the Half Bad trilogy is more than a story about witches. It's a heart-poundingly visceral look at survival and exploitation, the nature of good and evil, and the risks we take for love.
Now streaming on Netflix as The Bastard Son & The Devil Himself.
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Sally Green lives in northwest England. She has had various jobs and even a profession, but in 2010 she discovered a love of writing and now just can't stop. She used to keep chickens, makes decent jam, doesn't mind ironing, loves to walk in Wales even when it's raining, and will probably never jog again. She really ought to drink less coffee. Sally is the author of the Half Bad trilogy and the Smoke Thieves trilogy.
A New Day
a crossbill calls
another bird replies, not a crossbill
the first bird takes over again
and again
the crossbill—
shit, it’s morning
i’ve been asleep
it’s morning, very early
shit, shit, shit
need to wake up need to wake up
can’t believe i’ve been asl—
c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h
SHIT!
the noise is here. HERE!
c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h
that level of noise means, oh shit, someone with a mobile is close. very close. i can’t believe i’ve been asleep with hunters on my tail. and her. the fast one. she was close last night.
c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h
THINK! THINK!
c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h
it’s a mobile phone, for sure it’s a mobile phone. the noise is in my head, not in my ears, it’s to the upper right side, inside, constant, like an electrical interference, pure hiss, mobile hiss, loud, three-or-four-meters-away loud.
c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h
ok, right, lots of people have mobiles. if it’s a hunter, that hunter, and she could see me, i’d be dead by now.
i’m not dead.
she can’t see me.
c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h
the noise isn’t getting louder. she’s not moving closer. but she’s not moving away either.
am i hidden by something?
i’m lying on my side, face pressed into the ground. totally still. can’t see anything but earth. got to move a little.
but not yet. think first.
stay calm and work it out.
c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h
there’s no breeze, no sun, just a faint light. it’s early. the sun must be behind the mountain still. the ground is cool but dry, no dew. there’s the smell of earth and pine and . . . there’s another smell.
what is that smell?
and there’s a taste.
a bad taste.
it tastes like . . . oh no—
don’t think about it
don’t think about it
don’t think about it
don’t think about it
think about something else
Think about where you are.
c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h
You’re lying on the ground, in the early morning, and the air is cool. You’re cold. You’re cold because . . . you’re naked. You’re naked and the top half of you is wet. Your chest, your arms . . . your face are wet.
And you move the fingers of your left hand, the tiniest of movements, and they’re sticky. Sticking together. Like they’re coated with drying, sugary juice. But it’s not juice—don’t think about it don’t think about it don’t think about it don’t think about it
DON’T THINK ABOUT IT!
THINK ABOUT SOMETHING ELSE!
c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h
THINK ABOUT STAYING ALIVE!
You’ve got to move. The Hunters are on your tail. That fast one was close. She was very close last night. What happened last night?
what happened?
NO! FORGET THAT.
c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h
THINK ABOUT STAYING ALIVE.
WORK OUT WHAT TO DO.
You can look, move your head a fraction to see more. The ground by your face is covered with pine needles. Brown pine needles. But the brown isn’t from the pine. It’s the color of dried blood. Your left arm is extended. It’s streaked in it. Crusted with dried brown. But your hand isn’t streaked in it, it’s thick with it.
Red.
c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h
You can find a stream and wash. Wash it all off.
c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h
You need to go. For your own safety you have to get out of here. You need to get moving. Get away.
c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h
The mobile phone is close, not changing. It won’t be coming closer.
But you have to look. You have to check.
Turn your head to the other side.
You can do it.
It looks a bit like a log. Please be a log please be a log please be a log please
It’s not a log . . . It’s black and red. Black boots. Black trousers. One bent leg, one straight. Black jacket. Her face is turned away.
She has short light-brown hair.
It’s sopping with blood.
She’s lying as still as a log.
Still wet.
Still oozing.
Not fast anymore.
The mobile phone is hers.
c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h c h
And as you raise your head you see the wound that is her throat, and it is jagged and bloody and deep and
red
Waiting
I’m back in Switzerland, high in a remote valley—not the one where Mercury’s cottage is but close to there, half a day’s hike away.
I’ve been here a few weeks now and I’ve gone back to Mercury’s valley a couple of times. The first time I retraced my steps, looking for the stream where I lost the Fairborn, the magic knife I stole from the Hunters. That Rose stole. I found the stream easily enough, and it wasn’t too hard to spot blood and some yellow stains on the ground. No Fairborn, though. I trailed up and down the stream, and all around that stained central spot: peering into bushes, looking under stones. It was getting ridiculous—I mean, looking under...
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