Alice (29 page)

It fills my heart with sadness to have approached so close to the house of Old Gregory without being able to greet Tom. I have missed him so much . . . When Grimalkin guided me away from Chipenden, I thought my heart would burst with the pain of it.

But she is right. She has convinced me that we must use the
Doomdryte
. And this is something that we can tell neither Tom nor his master because they would strive to prevent it.

I believe my magic will enable me to bring sufficient concentration to bear upon the recital of the long spell so that I may complete it successfully. That done, I will use the power I have acquired to destroy the Fiend.

But I know that the consequences for me will be terrible.

The mark on my skin will quickly become a dark full moon.

I will be bound to the dark for ever, a thing without conscience, compassion or a shred of human feeling.

That is a more terrible sacrifice than to die at the hands of Tom Ward, but it is the course that I have embarked upon.

For now, the witch assassin and I are living in a ruined cottage not too far from the Spook’s house. It is the place where I once stayed with Lizzie while she plotted the death of John Gregory, hoping to free Mother Malkin from the pit in his garden. It is from that cottage that I once set out and met Tom for the first time.

Now it is the place where I will triumph or die in the attempt.

I must be brave.

I must do what has to be done.

My name is Alice.

Joseph Delaney is a retired English teacher. He has three children and nine grandchildren and is a wonderful public speaker available for conference, library and bookshop events. His home is in the middle of Boggart territory and his village has a boggart called the Hall Knocker, which was laid to rest under the step of a house near the church.

Most of the places in the Spook’s books are based on real places in Lancashire. And the inspiration behind the stories often comes from local ghost stories and legends.

BOOK ONE:

THE SPOOK’S APPRENTICE

BOOK TWO:

THE SPOOK’S CURSE

BOOK THREE:

THE SPOOK’S SECRET

BOOK FOUR:

THE SPOOK’S BATTLE

BOOK FIVE:

THE SPOOK’S MISTAKE

BOOK SIX:

THE SPOOK’S SACRIFICE

BOOK SEVEN:

THE SPOOK’S NIGHTMARE

BOOK EIGHT:

THE SPOOK’S DESTINY

BOOK NINE:

SPOOK’S: I AM GRIMALKIN

BOOK TEN:

THE SPOOK’S BLOOD

BOOK ELEVEN:

SPOOK’S: SLITHER’S TALE