‘Very well,’ he said, standing up. ‘That was my last offer. Everything that happens next – every terrible thing that happens to you and your mum and everyone you have ever cared about – is your fault, boy. Yours.’ He pulled himself up to his full, impressive height. ‘What do you say to that?’
   I felt my skin tingle with electricity. The power soared and swam through my insides, flowing smoothly, like the workings of a perfectly balanced machine. My abilities were growing. They wouldn’t take over next time, I would make sure. I could control them. I could make them do anything.
   ‘Good luck,’ I told him. And then I yawned, turned over, and happily surrendered to the welcoming arms of sleep.
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   First published in paperback in Great Britain by
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