Crow Hall by Benjamin Hulme-Cross Read Free Book Online Page B

frame. Mary looked in the mirror and saw something coming, behind them.
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    â€œLook out!” cried Mary. The two stone crows were flying through the air towards them. Mr Blood raised his spear and Mary threw herself to the floor. As she fell, the rope that tied her to Mr Blood pulled him over too.
    The crows screeched overhead and smashed into the mirror. Glass and stone pieces tumbled to the floor and then the corridor was silent again.
    In place of the broken mirror, they now saw a set of narrow stairs.

    Mr Blood led the way up to a door at the top of the stairs. He opened it and they both stepped through into a large, cold room.
    Edgar lay on a slab of stone in the middle of the room. He wasn’t moving.

    A huge crow sat on his chest. Blood dripped from its beak. There were wounds to Edgar’s neck. The screech of the crow grew louder and louder.

    Mr Blood and Mary dropped their spears and fell to their knees, covering their ears to block out the evil sound. The crow opened its beak wider and wider. Mary felt that the screeching sound was drilling right into her brain.
    She reached down for her spear. The crow’s great, black eyes seemed to grow wider. Mary hurled the spear.

    It flew at the crow’s open beak and went down its throat. The screech stopped at once.
    The candles blew out and the sound of wings came back. Mary felt feathers on her face. She screamed until the sound of wings stopped.
    Mr Blood lit his candle and Mary held her breath.
    The floor was covered in black feathers and black blood. The crow was dead. And Edgar was slowly sitting up.

    â€œWhy did the house send you the letter?” asked Mary as they walked away from Crow Hall.
    â€œI fear it had evil plans. It wanted more victims,” said Mr Blood.
    â€œAnd it nearly had one,” said Edgar rubbing his neck.
    â€œBut how can a house become evil?” asked Mary.
    â€œSometimes, when terrible evil has taken place in a house, the house itself becomes a force for evil,” said Mr Blood.

    â€œSo the crows were just the form the evil took?” asked Mary.
    â€œYou are wise,” said Mr Blood smiling at her. “And you are brave,” he said to Edgar. Edgar gave a broad grin.
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First published 2015 by
    A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
    50 Bedford Square, London, WC1B 3DP
    www.bloomsbury.com
    Bloomsbury is a registered trademark of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc
    Copyright © A & C Black 2015
    Text copyright © Benjamin Hulme-Cross 2015
    Illustrations © Nelson Evergreen 2015
    The moral rights of the author have been asserted.
    All rights reserved
    No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise, without the prior permission of the publishers
    A CIP catalogue for this book is available from the British Library
    ISBN: 978-1-4729-0816-2
    ePub: 978-1-4729-0817-9
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