Scott Mariani - The Martyr’s Curse

Published by Avon

An imprint of HarperCollins Publishers Ltd

1 London Bridge Street

London SE1 9GF

www.harpercollins.co.uk

First published in Great Britain by HarperCollins 2015

This ebook edition published by HarperCollinsPublishers in 2018

Copyright © Scott Mariani 2015

Cover photographs © FooTToo

Cover photographs © Shutterstock

Cover photographs © Henry Steadman

Cover design © Henry Steadman 2018

Scott Mariani asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work.

A catalogue copy of this book is available from the British Library.

This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental.

All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright Conventions. By payment of the required fees, you have been granted the non-exclusive, non-transferable right to access and read the text of this e-book on screen. No part of this text may be reproduced, transmitted, down-loaded, decompiled, reverse engineered, or stored in or introduced into any information storage and retrieval system, in any form or by any means, whether electronic or mechanical, now known or hereinafter invented, without the express written permission of HarperCollins.

Source ISBN: 9780007486182

Ebook Edition © JUNE 2015 ISBN: 9780007486373

Version: 2018-08-17

Join the army of fans of Scott Mariani’s Ben Hope series …

1.1 million copies sold in the UK alone – and counting!

‘For those who are yet to meet Ben Hope, beware – he is highly addictive!’

‘Another grippingtale’

‘Just when you think Ben Hope has settled into some kind of normality his life spins apart. Amazing twists and turns… plenty of action. Never a dull moment!’

‘Once again Scott Mariani has hit the bullseye!’

‘Yet again Ben Hope – the man we’d all secretly like to be– triumphs in the end!’

‘Scott Mariani is a storyteller of the highest quality’

‘Thank you, Scott, for keeping me so well entertainedand enthralled’

‘Isn’t it about time Mr Mariani lets Ben Hope settle down?… I hope not! I am enjoying the series too much!’

‘ Heart-stopping!’

‘Ben Hope is the hero we all need’

‘One of the best thriller series of our time!’

‘Just keeps getting better and better!’

‘Only one word to describe it – AWESOME!’

‘Loved every single page: the styleof writing, the detailof plot, history, geography, technical knowledgeand romantic tension. Thank you, Scott!’

‘Constant twists and turnsurging you to read the next page to reach the final thrillingconclusion’

‘Ben Hope at his best’

‘ Five stars are not enough’

‘Full of action and fast-paced thrills, these books are just fantastic’

‘Makes you regret that you read it too fast’

‘Thrills, spills, terrorand excitement’

‘Another crackerfrom Scott Mariani’

‘Once again, Scott Mariani has delivered a superb, action-packed, edge-of-the-seat adventurethat leaves you just wanting more. Bring it on!’

‘Probably the best Ben Hope yet!’

‘I read it in one day’

‘Anyone who has not read this series of books should do so straight away!’

‘My heart is still beating furiously’

‘Ben Hope is a thinking Jack Reacher’

‘ Fast and furiousas ever’

‘ Action-packedand forward-thinking suspenseand thrillsthroughout … great for technology, history and action fans and those looking for a comfortable and intelligentread’

Table of Contents

Cover

Title Page

Copyright

Praise

Prologue

Chapter One

Chapter Two

Chapter Three

Chapter Four

Chapter Five

Chapter Six

Chapter Seven

Chapter Eight

Chapter Nine

Chapter Ten

Chapter Eleven

Chapter Twelve

Chapter Thirteen

Chapter Fourteen

Chapter Fifteen

Chapter Sixteen

Chapter Seventeen

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Twenty

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-Two

Chapter Twenty-Three

Chapter Twenty-Four

Chapter Twenty-Five

Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Chapter Thirty

Chapter Thirty-One

Chapter Thirty-Two

Chapter Thirty-Three

Chapter Thirty-Four

Chapter Thirty-Five

Chapter Thirty-Six

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Chapter Thirty-Nine

Chapter Forty

Chapter Forty-One

Chapter Forty-Two

Chapter Forty-Three

Chapter Forty-Four

Chapter Forty-Five

Chapter Forty-Six

Chapter Forty-Seven

Chapter Forty-Eight

Chapter Forty-Nine

Chapter Fifty

Chapter Fifty-One

Chapter Fifty-Two

Chapter Fifty-Three

Chapter Fifty-Four

Chapter Fifty-Five

Chapter Fifty-Six

Chapter Fifty-Seven

Chapter Fifty-Eight

Chapter Fifty-Nine

Chapter Sixty

Chapter Sixty-One

Chapter Sixty-Two

Chapter Sixty-Three

Chapter Sixty-Four

Chapter Sixty-Five

Chapter Sixty-Six

Chapter Sixty-Seven

Chapter Sixty-Eight

Epilogue

Keep Reading…

About the Author

By the Same Author

About the Publisher

France

January 1348

The crowd looked on in awed silence as the pall of smoke drifted densely upwards to meet the falling sleet.

Four attempts to light the pyre had finally resulted in a dismal, crackling flame that slowly caught a hold on the pile of damp hay and twigs stacked up around the wooden stake at its centre. So thick was the smoke, the people of the mountain village who’d huddled round in the cold to witness the burning could barely even make out the figure of the man lashed to the stake. But they could clearly hear his frantic cries of protest as he writhed and fought against his bonds.

His struggles were of no use. Iron chains, not ropes, held him tightly to the thick wooden post. Rope would only burn away, and the authorities overseeing the execution wanted to make sure the job was properly carried out – that the corrupted soul of this evil man was well and truly purified in the cleansing flames.

He was a man of indeterminate age, thin, gaunt and known locally as Salvator l’Aveugle – Blind Salvator – because he had only a right eye, the left a black, empty socket. The robed and hooded traveller had first turned up in the village in late November. He’d declared himself to be a Franciscan priest on a lone pilgrimage to Jerusalem, where almost for the first time since its fall to the Muslim forces of Salah al-Din in 1187, Christianity was re-establishing a lasting foothold. Salvator’s mission was to join his fellow Frenchman and Franciscan, Roger Guérin of Aquitaine, who had managed to purchase from the current Mamluk rulers parts of the ancient city, including the hallowed Cenacle on Mount Zion, and was in the process of building a monastery there.