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Ash Mistry and the City of Death
Sarwat Chadda
Rick Riordan did it for Greece. Now Sarwat Chadda does it for India… Book two in the incredible action-adventure trilogy about Ash Mistry, reluctant hero and living weapon of the death goddess Kali.Ash Mistry is leading a pretty complicated life. There’s school, his unrequited crush on girl-next-door Gemma… and then there’s the fact that he’s the reincarnation of the great Indian hero Ashoka, not to mention the small detail that he died last year, and came back as an agent of the goddess of death.So when the demon servants of the evil Lord Savage come after Gemma in order to get to Ash, you’d think he’d be ready to take them on.But Lord Savage still has some tricks up his sleeve. And with Gemma out of the picture, the English villain is closer than ever to finding a magical aastra of his own, and the power to rule the world. It’s time for Ash to go up against his enemy once again. Luckily, as the human embodiment of the kali-aastra, Ash can find the weak points in any living thing and kill it. But the key word there is ‘living’. And little does Ash know that Lord Savage has mastered another branch of magic – one which allows him to create whole armies out of un-living stone…
For my parents
When the stars threw down their spears,
And watered heaven with their tears,
Did he smile his work to see?
Did he who made the Lamb make thee?
“The Tyger” by William Blake
Contents
Dedication (#ub11089a9-f5fe-589e-8cb0-afd5ab0b53f9)
Epigraph (#u3e2267c8-8df8-5912-86ec-7a2bbcdcb25e)
Chapter One (#ulink_6c88c0f2-7f60-5390-ba54-ea10af068336)
Chapter Two (#ulink_ce596dd3-8a32-5fd6-85d4-c842e88d3b59)
Chapter Three (#ulink_11af5889-75fe-52bf-99e4-5ebd8f0aafec)
Chapter Four (#ulink_aafd6a79-974a-50ba-8e60-4a2afff501da)
Chapter Five (#ulink_bd4fd960-4df1-584e-9b21-94a7ef7b8a96)
Chapter Six (#ulink_8c3c93d7-285c-5b47-8433-a9dec2e59b1f)
Chapter Seven (#ulink_48e68044-1753-5f89-b01f-14dbb91994f0)
Chapter Eight (#ulink_63943dda-b374-5b16-ac9c-021e4983f5e2)
Chapter Nine (#ulink_4907677d-911f-5e99-9441-72596d7cf383)
Chapter Ten (#ulink_3f5faa5a-55a5-51cb-950c-d573fbdc8d4b)
Chapter Eleven (#ulink_df3e3896-5255-50a4-b6c1-8d03c5242bdb)
Chapter Twelve (#ulink_f60e21de-4003-5be2-9ca3-85b2c0fc280e)
Chapter Thirteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Fourteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Fifteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Sixteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Seventeen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Eighteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Nineteen (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Twenty (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Twenty-one (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Twenty-two (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Twenty-three (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Twenty-four (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Twenty-five (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Twenty-six (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Twenty-seven (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Twenty-eight (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Twenty-nine (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Thirty (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Thirty-one (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Thirty-two (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Thirty-three (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Thirty-four (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Thirty-five (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Thirty-six (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Thirty-seven (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Thirty-eight (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Thirty-nine (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Forty (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Forty-one (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Forty-two (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Forty-three (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Forty-four (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Forty-five (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Forty-six (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Forty-seven (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Forty-eight (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Forty-nine (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Fifty (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Fifty-one (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Fifty-two (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Fifty-three (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Fifty-four (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Fifty-five (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Fifty-six (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Fifty-seven (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Fifty-eight (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Fifty-nine (#litres_trial_promo)
Chapter Sixty (#litres_trial_promo)
Also in the ASH MISTRY series (#litres_trial_promo)
Copyright (#litres_trial_promo)
About the Publisher (#litres_trial_promo)
(#ulink_26f1790b-3ace-57ce-b9a3-fd7ae826d043)
“
can’t do it,” said Ash. He’d beaten a demon king. He’d faced down an immortal sorcerer. He’d saved the world. He shouldn’t be scared of anything. But now fear grabbed at his chest with icy fingers. “It’s suicide.”
“C’mon, Ash,” said Akbar. “It’s now or never.”
Josh murmured in agreement.
“Fine. I’ll do it.” That’s if he didn’t die of heart failure first. “How do I look?”
Akbar grimaced. “Honestly? A bit sick.”
“Yeah,” added Josh. “Sweaty.”
“That’s so helpful,” Ash snapped back. His friends should be backing him up, not digging his grave. He swallowed and waited for his legs to stop shaking. “I’m going to do it. Now.”
Akbar swept his long, straggly black hair away from his face and peered past Ash. “Whenever you’re ready,” he said.
Josh did his tongue-wagging grin. Along with Sean, who was somewhere in the science block earning extra credit, the four of them were the Nerd Herd. The smartest, hardest-working, most socially inept and physically clumsy students to grace the hallowed halls of West Dulwich High.
Josh slapped Ash’s shoulder. “Just go.”
“Right. Now,” said Ash. “I’m off.”
He looked across the vast space of the crowded school canteen.
What’s the longest distance in the world?
That between you and your heart’s desire.
Gemma sat with her friends. She was laughing at something Anne was saying, and Ash watched as she brushed her golden hair from her face. Was it his imagination, or was it especially shiny today?
“Stop that, Ash,” said Josh. “You’re sighing again.”
“I’m not actually asking her out. You know that, don’t you?” Ash took another sip of water. How could his throat be so dry? “I’m just asking if she’s got plans for tonight.”
“Nope. Not asking her out at all,” said Josh.
“Though I hear she and Jack are no longer together. Jamie’s best friend, Debbie, heard it from her sister’s boyfriend,” added Akbar.
“Then it must be true. The golden couple have split.” Josh leaned closer, eyes darting across the canteen. “So, if you were asking her out, which you are not, now would be the time. Or wouldn’t, if you weren’t.”
“Whatever.” Ash stood up. The chair’s metal legs screeched as they scraped across the floor. It was strange how something as automatic as, like, walking, could suddenly become so difficult. Left, right, don’t trip over anything or crash into a table. Why were there so many tables in here? And chairs? And people? He’d never make it over there!
Oh God, she’s seen me.
Be cool. Remember who you are.
Ash Mistry. Eternal Warrior. The demons of hell wet their pants when they hear your name.
