Half Lost (The Half Bad Trilogy #3) - Sally Green Page 0,63

bottle. If the bottle was broken open and the amulet removed, you’d be vulnerable again. But if the bottle is safe you are protected. The bottle could be used against you. If it was heated up, you’d burn; if it was frozen, you’d freeze. But I will keep it safe. You will have to trust me, Nathan. That is the price for my help. I’ll keep the bottle safe until it’s no longer needed. When you’ve killed Soul, I’ll break it open and you’ll be vulnerable again. Then I’ll keep the amulet and you can have your finger back.” He pauses before asking, “Is that a deal?”

I want the amulet but I don’t like the idea of a witch’s bottle. The thought that I’m giving myself over to using something that Wallend wanted to use makes me uncomfortable. But I guess I don’t have a lot of choice. I nod.

“Good,” Ledger says, looking from me to Gabriel. “So, who’s got a knife?”

I don’t want to use the Fairborn—somehow I feel its magic will be bad luck or may interfere—so I pull out the knife Gabriel gave me. I always carry it on my belt, even though I rarely use it.

My right hand is flat on the table. I’ll have to cut the little finger at the base, at the knuckle, and I position the knife but it’s awkward and I want to do it quick and clean.

“Shall I do the honors?” Ledger asks, reaching for the knife.

But Gabriel says, “No.” And he puts his hand on mine, our fingers overlapping round the hilt of the blade. He says, “You sure?”

I nod and he pushes the knife down.

Blood seeps out on the table and my finger looks tiny and strange. I wait for the pain to hit. And now it does. I heal my hand and the bleeding stops and the wound scabs over and then heals completely to a white scar, not even a stub of my finger left as the cut has been made so close to the palm of my hand.

Ledger picks my finger up and carefully places it on top of one of the amulet halves and then rolls the finger up and wraps the other amulet half round that. Blood stains the paper but Ledger doesn’t seem bothered and I think possibly it’s a good thing.

“Now tie it up.” He holds the finger and I take the string and carefully wrap it round and round the bundle, making sure it’s tight and securing it with a knot. I tie another piece of string the other way to make sure that the finger can’t slide out. Ledger drops the little bundle into the bottle and puts the cork in. Then he lights a candle. He holds the block of red wax over the flame and lets the wax dribble onto the top of the bottle, sealing the cork in place.

Ledger glances up at me, then back at the bottle to admire it.

“So that’s it?” I ask.

“Well, I think it would be sensible to test it.” And he turns to Gabriel, saying, “Would you like to go first?”

Gabriel smiles at me and reaches for the knife.

“Hold on. This isn’t a game!” I say to them both. “I don’t want to find out it doesn’t work seconds before I die!”

“I won’t stab you in the heart, maybe just try to cut your skin,” Gabriel says. He looks to Ledger, asking, “The amulet will protect against any injury, won’t it?”

“That’s the idea.”

And before I can object Gabriel pulls the knife across the back of my hand. Normally I’d have a deep cut from that, but there is no wound and I felt nothing at all, as if the blade didn’t touch me.

“Try stabbing my hand. Gently.”

“Stabbing gently? I’ll do my best.”

Gabriel stabs at my right hand. The knife slides off it and again I feel nothing and there’s no mark on my skin.

“Try again, harder,” I say. “With this.” And I give him the Fairborn.

Gabriel rises out of his chair and quickly brings the Fairborn directly down onto my hand but it doesn’t connect at all. The Fairborn slides past me and embeds itself in the table.

“OK. So knives, even the Fairborn, don’t seem to hold much of a problem for you. But Hunters generally use guns.” And Gabriel pulls his gun from his jacket and twirls it round his finger, smiling.

“I don’t see why you find this so amusing.”

Gabriel says, “Well, I could try strangling you instead. Always wanted