Jane shrugged and said, “He’s done what he wanted since he was born—I’m not gonna interfere now. Whatever Mark wants, I’m cool with that.”
Mr. Wyndham turned once more to the boy and said, “How about it, Marcus? How would you like to complete your education at Marland Abbey School?”
“Is it a boarding school?”
“Yes, you’ll be boarding.” He turned to Jane and explained. “We feel it’s best for him to make a complete break, at least to begin with.”
Jane nodded. She imagined she’d probably miss having him around the place, but she couldn’t see him going off to some expensive school and coming back to Heston every night in a weird uniform.
“Okay, I’ll go.”
“Excellent,” said Mr. Wyndham, looking thoroughly delighted. “You know, Marcus, I think you’re exactly the kind of young man the Trust has been looking for. I just know you’ll achieve everything we want you to achieve in your time at Marland Abbey.”
Marcus didn’t respond, but idly traced his finger along the faint white scar on his cheek—sometimes the scar bothered him, and this was one of those times. He knew why, too. He’d known something was coming, he’d sensed it for days, and he guessed this was finally it.
As for Mr. Wyndham, he knew exactly what potential Marcus Jenkins possessed and was convinced that he’d make a trusty foot soldier in the struggles to come. He was also certain of another thing—that the time of those struggles was undoubtedly at hand.
He’d waited patiently for two hundred years, but the prophecies were finally being fulfilled. Evil was at large in the world, and it was his duty to seek it out and destroy it wherever it was to be found. The forces of good had to triumph, and above all, he would not rest until he had destroyed the devil-child himself, that thing of darkness, seat of evil, William of Mercia.
Coming from Egmont USA in Fall 2012
Book Two in the Mercian Trilogy
Table of Contents
Front Cover
Half Title Page
Title Page
Copyright Page
Contents
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
25
26
Coming from Egmont USA in Fall 2012
Blood Page 19