Ghost and Bone Page 15

  The mention of Jones brought Oscar out of his panicked trance. Jones’s escape and disappearance lingered like a bad smell in the room.

  The villain had tried to kill Oscar three times. He’d brainwashed Oscar’s mum and tried to end the world.

  He needed to be stopped.

  “I’d like that,” said Oscar. “In fact, I’d love it.”

  “Yes, mate!” Sally pounded Oscar on the back. “We’ll start tomorrow.”

  Oscar’s mum was pouring boiling water from the kettle.

  “That all sounds very nice,” she said. “But what about school? Oscar’s got his exams coming up.”

  “His education would come first,” Mr. Mortis said smoothly. “Of course schoolwork takes priority!”

  School! Oscar had forgotten about school. A few weeks ago, the prospect of going back in September had been about as appealing as an egg-and-crushed-glass burrito, or a maggot bath, or a spritz in the eye with hydrochloric acid.

  But now, school didn’t seem too bad. All the inevitable jeering and sneering and snide little comments by Oscar’s classmates seemed rather pathetic. He didn’t think Gary Stevens would be giving him much trouble anymore. Oscar had bigger fish to fry. Hieronymus Jones was about to get turned into an omelet.

  Oscar grinned at Sally. Everything was much easier with a real friend, even if she was a ghost.

  And if things got bad, Oscar thought, he could just turn invisible whenever he wanted. That would be a good trick to pull in class.

  “I’ve still got a few more weeks of summer holiday,” he said. “Forget tomorrow. Let’s get hunting right away!”

  “That’s the ticket!” Sally said.

  Oscar’s mum was pouring steaming tea into his mug. Oscar took a big sip and felt the familiar warmth seep through his body.

  It tasted like victory.

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  Andrew Prentice is the author of two critically acclaimed YA historical novels, Black Arts and Devil’s Blood. Black Arts was shortlisted for the Branford Boase Award and longlisted for the Carnegie Medal. He has also written for comics and animation. Ghost and Bone is his first middle-grade novel.

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