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‘This is a mistake,’ Winter said, as we pulled into the car park of a sprawling pub

‘Maybe But it’s taken hours to get here We can’t just turn around and leave’

‘It’s probably a trap’

I shrugged ‘Set by Ipsissiuy who’s been dead for two hundred years? Why would he bother?’

‘We don’t know anything about hienda’

‘You said he’s credited with anisation’

Winter snorted ‘Is the Order decent?’

I rolled rated them and I was the voice of reason, felt reently

His ardless of what the Order is or isn’t, we have no precedent for this situation Ipsissiht have been corrupted by death Maybe he once was a good guy, but two hundred years of being a ghost could have turned hi else We can’t trust him’

‘I can’t just pretend this isn’t happening Let’s see whether Ghost Child and Grenny are right about these dead witches and take things fro at a time’

‘You’re still not entirely yourself, Ivy’

‘I’n over there with a map on it With any luck, it’ll include Wistman’s Wood It can’t be far’

Winter strode over towards it while I ambled behind He pursed his lips and scanned the round will be boggy and steep in places’ He threw lance ‘And there may be some sheep’

‘Three miles?’

He nodded ‘So it’s a six-mile round trip’

‘Can’t we drive?’

‘Even a Sherle across this terrain We can walk it There’s a path’

‘But there are hills And – bogs’

‘Yes’ He paused ‘Can you make it?’

I pressedto feel a bit weak again My legs are rubbery Maybe you should go and check it out and I’ll go into the pub and see what the locals know’

The corners of Winter’s rin that was slowly spreading across his face but it was clearly beyond hioodness It’s about ti better’ He sucked in a deep lungful air ‘Perhaps being outdoors will do you good’

Wait a second If he could change his eacross moors ‘But I’m still not entirely myself yet’

‘Actually, I think you are’

‘You were right the first tiht have been corrupted by all those years as a dead guy Weinto a trap’ I shook my head ‘This is a mistake’

‘Too late, sweetheart’ He put his arain I’veand your laziness’

‘I don’t complain!’

Winter laughed ‘Of course you don’t’ He held one I can’t see any trace of it’

Actually, it tended to reappear when I was least expecting it but I wasn’t going to tell Winter that ‘Arse,’ I said ‘I suppose three miles isn’t that far’ I’d barely finished the sentence when the first fat droplet of rain splashed onto my nose I shivered and turned hopeful eyes to Winter