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26515_ch00. i-v. qxd 7/20/05 8:20 PM Page iv Ti tles by T. A. Bar ron

Tree Girl

Heartlight

The Ancient One

The Merlin Effect

the lost years of merlin epic

The Lost Years of Merlin

The Seven Songs of Merlin

The Fires of Merlin

The Mirror of Merlin

The Wings of Merlin

the great tree of avalon

Child of the Dark Prophecy

26515_ch00. i-v. qxd 7/20/05 8:20 PM Page v The Gr e a t Tre e of

B o o k O n e :

C h i l d o f t h e

D a r k P r o p h ec y

T. A. BA R R O N

ACE BOOKS, NEW YORK

26515_ch00. vi-xx. qxd 7/20/05 8:21 PM Page vii A Wo r d f r o m t h e A u t h o r AVALON LIVES. FOR CENTURIES, IT HAS

been celebrated in story and song . . . for its magic, its mist, and most of all, I think, its memory of a time of truth and healing amidst mortal sorrow. It is a story, and a place, that continues to grow—much like the Great Tree of this story, whose roots reach as deep as its branches lift high.

Like all myths that have rooted themselves in our hearts, Avalon continually sprouts new interpretations: new blossoms and boughs. This tale is one of them. The shapes and colors of these new versions may be widely varied, but they are all connected to the same tree, drawing life from the same ancient soil. So while it is fair to say that I have reimagined Avalon in these pages, it is also true that this tale is but a tiny twig on an immense and wondrous tree—a tree that is very much alive.

—T. A. B.

26515_ch00. vi-xx. qxd 7/20/05 8:21 PM Page ix To Mother Earth,

beleaguered yet bountiful

With special thanks to

Denali Barron and Patricia Lee Gauch, my fellow explorers of realms in between

This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either the product of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously, and any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events or locales is entirely coincidental.

Child of the Dark Prophecy: The Great Tree of Avalon AN ACE Book / published by arrangement with the author All rights reserved.

Copyright © 2005 by The ACE Publishing Group.

This book may not be reproduced in whole or part, by mimeograph or any other means, without permission.

Making or distributing electronic copies of this book constitutes copyright infringement and could subject the infringer to criminal and civil liability.

For information address:

The ACE Publishing Group, a division of Penguin Putnam Inc. , 375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.

ISBN: 0-7865-5948-9

AN ACE BOOK®

ACE Books first published byACE Publishing Group, a member of Penguin Putnam Inc. ,

375 Hudson Street, New York, New York 10014.

ACE and the "A" design are trademarks belonging to Penguin Putnam Inc.

Electronic edition: August 2005

26515_ch00. vi-xx. qxd 7/20/05 8:21 PM Page xi C o n t e n t s

A WORD FROM THE AUTHOR

VII

MAP OF AVALON

XIV

BORN OF A SEED THAT BEATS LIKE A HEART VXII

THE DARK PROPHECY

XIX

PROLOGUE: ONE DARK NIGHT