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Nora RobertsHOT ICESACRED SINSBRAZEN VIRTUESWEET REVENGEPUBLIC SECRETSGENUINE LIESCARNAL INNOCENCEDIVINE EVILHONEST ILLUSIONSPRIVATE SCANDALSHIDDEN RICHESTRUE BETRAYALSMONTANA SKYSANCTUARYHOMEPORT
THE REEFRIVER’S ENDCAROLINA MOONTHE VILLAMIDNIGHT BAYOUTHREE FATESBIRTHRIGHTNORTHERN LIGHTSBLUE SMOKEANGELS FALLHIGH NOONTRIBUTEBLACK HILLSTHE SEARCHCHASING FIRETHE WITNESSWHISKEY BEACHTHE COLLECTORTONIGHT AND ALWAYS
SeriesIrish Born TrilogyBORN IN FIREBORN IN ICEBORN IN SHAMEDream TrilogyDARING TO DREAMHOLDING THE DREAMFINDING THE DREAMChesapeake Bay SagaSEA SWEPTRISING TIDESINNER HARBORCHESAPEAKE BLUE
Gallaghers of ArdmoreTrilogyJEWELS OF THE SUNTEARS OF THE MOONHEART OF THE SEAThree Sisters Island TrilogyDANCE UPON THE AIRHEAVEN AND EARTHFACE THE FIREKey TrilogyKEY OF LIGHTKEY OF KNOWLEDGEKEY OF VALORIn the Garden Trilogy
BLUE DAHLIABLACK ROSERED LILYCircle TrilogyMORRIGAN’S CROSSDANCE OF THE GODSVALLEY OF SILENCESign of Seven TrilogyBLOOD BROTHERSTHE HOLLOWTHE PAGAN STONEBride QuartetVISION IN WHITEBED OF ROSESSAVOR THE MOMENT
HAPPY EVER AFTERThe Inn BoonsBoro TrilogyTHE NEXT ALWAYSTHE LAST BOYFRIENDTHE PERFECT HOPEThe Cousins O’DwyerTrilogyDARK WITCHSHADOW SPELLBLOOD MAGICKeBooks by Nora
RobertsCordina’s Royal FamilyAFFAIRE ROYALECOMMAND PERFORMANCETHE PLAYBOY PRINCECORDINA’S CROWN JEWELThe Donovan LegacyCAPTIVATEDENTRANCEDCHARMEDENCHANTEDThe O’HurleysTHE LAST HONEST WOMANDANCE TO THE PIPER
SKIN DEEPWITHOUT A TRACENight TalesNIGHT SHIFTNIGHT SHADOWNIGHTSHADENIGHT SMOKENIGHT SHIELDThe MacGregorsTHE WINNING HANDTHE PERFECT NEIGHBORALL THE POSSIBILITIESONE MAN’S ARTTEMPTING FATEPLAYING THE ODDSTHE MACGREGOR BRIDESTHE MACGREGOR GROOMS
REBELLION/IN FROM THE COLDFOR NOW, FOREVERThe CalhounsSUZANNA’S SURRENDERMEGAN’S MATECOURTING CATHERINEA MAN FOR AMANDAFOR THE LOVE OF LILAHIrish LegacyIRISH ROSEIRISH REBELIRISH THOROUGHBREDBEST LAID PLANSLOVING JACKLAWLESS
SUMMER LOVEBOUNDARY LINESDUAL IMAGEFIRST IMPRESSIONSTHE LAW IS A LADYLOCAL HEROTHIS MAGIC MOMENTTHE NAME OF THE GAMEPARTNERSTEMPTATIONTHE WELCOMINGOPPOSITES ATTRACTTIME WASTIMES CHANGEGABRIEL’S ANGELHOLIDAY WISHESTHE HEART’S VICTORYTHE RIGHT PATHRULES OF THE GAMESEARCH FOR LOVEBLITHE IMAGES
FROM THIS DAYSONG OF THE WESTISLAND OF FLOWERSHER MOTHER’S KEEPERUNTAMEDSULLIVAN’S WOMANLESS OF A STRANGERREFLECTIONSDANCE OF DREAMSSTORM WARNINGONCE MORE WITH FEELINGENDINGS AND BEGINNINGSA MATTER OF CHOICENora Roberts & J. D.Robb
REMEMBER WHENJ. D. RobbNAKED IN DEATHGLORY IN DEATHIMMORTAL IN DEATHRAPTURE IN DEATHCEREMONY IN DEATHVENGEANCE IN DEATHHOLIDAY IN DEATHCONSPIRACY IN DEATHLOYALTY IN DEATHWITNESS IN DEATHJUDGMENT IN DEATHBETRAYAL IN DEATHSEDUCTION IN DEATHREUNION IN DEATH
PURITY IN DEATHPORTRAIT IN DEATHIMITATION IN DEATHDIVIDED IN DEATHVISIONS IN DEATHSURVIVOR IN DEATHORIGIN IN DEATHMEMORY IN DEATHBORN IN DEATHINNOCENT IN DEATHCREATION IN DEATHSTRANGERS IN DEATHSALVATION IN DEATHPROMISES IN DEATHKINDRED IN DEATHFANTASY IN DEATHINDULGENCE IN DEATHTREACHERY IN DEATHNEW YORK TO DALLASCELEBRITY IN DEATHDELUSION IN DEATH
CALCULATED IN DEATHTHANKLESS IN DEATHCONCEALED IN DEATHFESTIVE IN DEATHAnthologiesFROM THE HEARTA LITTLE MAGICA LITTLE FATEMOON SHADOWS(with Jill Gregory, Ruth Ryan Langan,and Marianne Willman)The Once Upon Series(with Jill Gregory, Ruth Ryan Langan,and Marianne Willman)
ONCE UPON A CASTLEONCE UPON A STARONCE UPON A DREAMONCE UPON A ROSEONCE UPON A KISSONCE UPON A MIDNIGHTSILENT NIGHT(with Susan Plunkett, Dee Holmes, andClaire Cross)OUT OF THIS WORLD(with Laurell K. Hamilton, SusanKrinard, and Maggie Shayne)BUMP IN THE NIGHT(with Mary Blayney, Ruth RyanLangan, and Mary Kay McComas)DEAD OF NIGHT(with Mary Blayney, Ruth Ryan
Langan, and Mary Kay McComas)THREE IN DEATHSUITE 606(with Mary Blayney, Ruth RyanLangan, and Mary Kay McComas)IN DEATHTHE LOST(with Patricia Gaffney, Mary Blayney,and Ruth Ryan Langan)THE OTHER SIDE(with Mary Blayney, Patricia Gaffney,Ruth Ryan Langan, and Mary KayMcComas)TIME OF DEATHTHE UNQUIET
(with Mary Blayney, Patricia Gaffney,Ruth Ryan Langan, and Mary KayMcComas)MIRROR, MIRROR(with Mary Blayney, Elaine Fox, MaryKay McComas, and R. C. Ryan)Also available . . .THE OFFICIAL NORA ROBERTSCOMPANION(edited by Denise Little and LauraHayden)
THE BERKLEY PUBLISHING GROUPPublished by the Penguin GroupPenguin Group (USA) LLC375 Hudson Street, New York, New York10014USA Canada UK Ireland Australia New Zealand India South Africa Chinapenguin.comA Penguin Random House CompanyThis book is an original publication of TheBerkley Publishing Group.Copyright 2014 by Nora Roberts.Excerpt from The Collector by Nora Robertscopyright 2014 by Nora Roberts.Penguin supports copyright. Copyright fuels
creativity, encourages diverse voices,promotes free speech, and creates a vibrantculture. Thank you for buying an authorizededition of this book and for complying withcopyright laws by not reproducing, scanning,or distributing any part of it in any formwithout permission. You are supportingwriters and allowing Penguin to continue topublish books for every reader.BERKLEY is a registered trademark ofPenguin Group (USA) LLC.The “B” design is a trademark of PenguinGroup (USA) LLC.NR is a registered trademark of PenguinGroup (USA) LLC.eBook ISBN: 978-0-698-14454-5Library of Congress Cataloging-inPublication Data
Roberts, Nora.Blood magick / Nora Roberts. — Berkleytrade paperback edition p. cm. —(CousinsO’Dwyer trilogy; book three)ISBN 978-0-425-25987-0 (paperback)1. Buisnesswomen—Fiction. 2. Witches—Fiction. 3. Magic—Fiction. 4. Ireland—Fiction. 5. Domestic fiction I. Title.PS3568.O243B5465 2014813'.54—dc232014012909PUBLISHING HISTORYBerkley trade paperback edition / November2014Cover design by Rita Frangie.Cover photographs: “House” by fotoedu /Shutterstock; “Irish wolfhound” by CaptureLight / Shutterstock; “Trees” by AndrewRoland / Shutterstock.
Interior cover images: “Flowers on a woodenbackground” by Malakhova Ganna /Shutterstock; “Wolfhound” by SushkoAnastasia / Shutterstock; “Chain” byAlexander Evstafyev / Shutterstock; “Vintagemetal pendant” by Taigi / Shutterstock.Text design by Kristin del Rosario.This is a work of fiction. Names, characters,places, and incidents either are the product ofthe author’s imagination or are usedfictitiously, and any resemblance to actualpersons, living or dead, businessestablishments, events, or locales is entirelycoincidental.Version 1
For Kat,one of the brightest lights inmy life
ContentsBooks by Nora RobertsTitle PageCopyrightDedicationEpigraphChapter 1Chapter 2
Chapter 3Chapter 4Chapter 5Chapter 6Chapter 7Chapter 8Chapter 9Chapter 10Chapter 11Chapter 12Chapter 13Chapter 14Chapter 15Chapter 16
Chapter 17Chapter 18Chapter 19Chapter 20Excerpt from The Collector
How far away the starsseem,and how far is our firstkiss,and, ah, how old is myheart.—WILLIAM BUTLER YEATSIt will have blood; theysay,blood will have blood.
—WILLIAM SHAKESPEARE
1Summer 1276ON A BRIGHT DAY ASSUMMER FADED,gathered herbs,flowers, foliage, all for salvesand potions and teas. Theycame to her, neighbors,BRANNAUGH
travelers, for their hopes andhealings. They came to her,the Dark Witch, as oncethey’d come to her mother,with aches in body, in heart,in spirit, and paid with coin orservice or trade.So she and her brother, hersister, had built their lives inClare, so far from their homein Mayo. Far from the cabinin the woods where they hadlived, where their mother haddied.
So she had built her life,more contented, more joyfulthan she’d believed possiblesince that terrible day theirmother had given them all butthe dregs of her own power,had sent them away to be safeas she sacrificed herself.All grief, Brannaughthought now, all duty and fearas she’d done what was askedof her, as she’d led heryounger brother and littlesister away from home.
They’d left love,childhood, and all innocencebehind.Long years. The first fewspent, as their mother had bid,with their cousin and her man—safe, tended, welcomed.But the time had come, astime does, to leave that nest,to embrace who and whatthey were, and would ever be.The Dark Witches three.Their duty, their purposeabove all else? To destroy
Cabhan, the dark sorcerer, themurderer of their father,Daithi the brave, of theirmother, Sorcha. Cabhan, whohad somehow survived thespell the dying Sorcha hadcast.But on such a bright day insummer’s end, it all seemedso far away—the terrors ofthat last winter, the blood anddeath of that last spring.Here, in the home she’dmade, the air smelled of the
rosemary in her basket, of theroses planted by her husbandon the birth of their firstchild. The clouds puffedwhite as lambs across theblue meadow of the sky, andthe woods, the little fieldsthey’d cleared, as green asemeralds.Her son, not yet threeyears, sat in a patch of sunand banged on the little drumhis father had made him. Hesang and hooted and beat
with such joyous innocenceher eyes burned from thelove.Her daughter, barely ayear, slept clutching herfavored rag doll whileguarded by Kathel, theirfaithful hound.And another son stirredand kicked in her womb.From where she stood shecould see the clearing, andthe little cabin she, Eamon,and Teagan had built near to
eight years before. Children,she thought now. They’dbeen but children who couldnot embrace childhood.They lived there still,close. Eamon the loyal, sostrong and true. Teagan, sokind and fair. So happy now,Brannaugh thought, andTeagan so in love with theman she’d married in thespring.All so peaceful, shethought, despite Brin’s
banging and hooting. Thecabin, the trees, the greenhills with their dots of sheep,the gardens, the bright bluesky.And it would have to end.It would have to end soon.The time was coming—she felt it as sure as she feltthe babe’s kicks in her womb.The bright days would giveway to the dark. The peacewould end in blood andbattle.
She touched the amuletwith its symbol of a hound.The protection her motherhad conjured with bloodmagicks. Soon, she thought,all too soon now, she wouldneed that protection again.She pressed a hand to thesmall of her back as it ached abit, and saw her man ridingtoward home.Eoghan, so handsome, sohers. Eyes as green as thehills, hair a raven’s wing that
curled to his shoulders. Herode tall and straight and easyon the sturdy chestnut mare,his voice lifted—as often itwas—in song.By the gods, he made hersmile, he made her heart liftlike a bird on the wing. She,who had been so sure therecould be no love for her, nofamily but her blood, no lifebut her purpose, had fallendeeper than oceans forEoghan of Clare.
Brin leaped up, began torun as fast as his little legscould manage, all the whilecalling.“Da, Da, Da!”Eoghan leaned down,scooped the boy up in thesaddle. The laugh, the man’s,the boy’s mixed, flew towardher. Her eyes stung yet again.In that moment, she wouldhave given all of her power,every drop given her, to sparethem what was to come.
The baby she’d named forher mother whimpered, andKathel stirred his old bones tolet out a soft woof.“I hear her.” Brannaughset down her basket, movedover to lift her wakingdaughter, snuggled her inwith kisses as Eoghan rode upbeside her.“Look here, would you,what I found on the road.Some little lost gypsy.”“Ah well, I suppose we
should keep him. It may behe’ll clean up fine, then wecan sell him at the market.”“He might fetch us a goodprice.” Eoghan kissed the topof his giggling son’s head.“Off you go, lad.”“Ride, Da!” Brin turnedhis head, beseeched with bigdark eyes. “Please! Ride!”“A quick one, then I wantme tea.” He winked atBrannaugh before setting offin a gallop that had the boy
shouting with delight.Brannaugh picked up herbasket, shifted young Sorchaon her hip. “Come, oldfriend,” she said to Kathel.“It’s time for your tonic.”She moved to the prettycottage Eoghan with hisclever hands and strong backhad built. Inside, she stirredthe fire, settled her daughter,started the tea.Stroking Kathel, shedoused him with the tonic
she’d conjured to keep himhealthy and clear-eyed. Herguide, her heart, she thought,she could stretch his life afew years more. And wouldknow when the time came tolet him go.But not yet, no, not yet.She set out honey cakes,some jam, and had the teaready when Eoghan and Brincame in, hand in hand.“Well now, this is fine.”He scrubbed Brin’s head,
leaned down to kissBrannaugh, lingered over it ashe always did.“You’re home early,” shebegan, then her mother’s eyecaught her son reaching for acake. “Wash those handsfirst, my boy, then you’ll sitlike a gentleman for yourtea.”“They’re not dirty, Ma.”He held them out.Brannaugh just lifted hereyebrows at the grubby little
hands. “Wash. The both ofyou.”“There’s no arguing withwomen,” Eoghan told Brin.“It’s a lesson you’ll learn. Ifinished the shed for thewidow O’Brian. It’s God’struth her boy is useless asteats on a billy goat, andwandered off to his owndevices. The job went quickerwithout him.”He spoke of his work as hehelped his son dry his hands,
spoke of work to come as heswung his daughter up, sether to squealing with delight.“You’re the joy in thishouse,” she murmured.“You’re the light of it.”He gave her a quiet look,set the baby down again.“You’re the heart of it. Sitdown, off your feet awhile.Have your tea.”He waited. Oh, she knewhim for the most patient ofmen. Or the most stubborn,
for one was often the same asthe other, at least wrappedinside the like of her Eoghan.So when the chores werefinished, and supper done,when the children tucked upfor the night, he took herhand.“Will you walk out withme, lovely Brannaugh? Forit’s a fine night.”How often, she wondered,had he said those words toher when he wooed her—
when she tried flicking himaway like a gnat in the air?Now, she simply got hershawl—a favorite Teagan hadmade her—wrapped it aroundher shoulders. She glanced atKathel lying by the fire.Watch the babes for me,she told
nora roberts hot ice sacred sins brazen virtue sweet revenge public secrets genuine lies carnal innocence divine evil honest illusions private scandals hidden riches true betrayals montana sky sanctuary homeport. the reef river’s end carolina moon the villa midnight bayou three fates birthright northern lights blue smoke angels fall high noon tribute black hills the search chasing fire the .
