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Back A Burning Sea
Chapters (54)
  1. CAST OF CHARACTERS
  2. PART ONE
  3. CHAPTER ONE
  4. CHAPTER TWO
  5. CHAPTER THREE
  6. CHAPTER FOUR
  7. CHAPTER FIVE
  8. CHAPTER SIX
  9. CHAPTER SEVEN
  10. CHAPTER EIGHT
  11. CHAPTER NINE
  12. CHAPTER TEN
  13. CHAPTER ELEVEN
  14. CHAPTER TWELVE
  15. PART TWO
  16. CHAPTER THIRTEEN
  17. CHAPTER FOURTEEN
  18. CHAPTER FIFTEEN
  19. CHAPTER SIXTEEN
  20. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
  21. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
  22. CHAPTER NINETEEN
  23. CHAPTER TWENTY
  24. CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
  25. CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
  26. CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
  27. CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
  28. CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
  29. CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
  30. PART THREE
  31. CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
  32. CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
  33. CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
  34. CHAPTER THIRTY
  35. CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
  36. CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
  37. CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
  38. CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
  39. CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
  40. CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
  41. CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
  42. PART FOUR
  43. CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
  44. CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
  45. CHAPTER FORTY
  46. CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
  47. CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
  48. CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
  49. CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
  50. CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE
  51. CHAPTER FORTY-SIX
  52. CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN
  53. HISTORICAL NOTE
  54. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

All the while, Ramedios and the bidder were conversing in Greek, too fast for him to understand. At last the buyer pulled his hand down the length of his beard and rummaged in the folds of his robe till he produced a fat leather purse and dumped it on the table. Erlan saw no scales. Instead of weighing out silver, the man counted out a number of small round pieces of gold.

Thirteen of them. Erlan knew not whether to be flattered or insulted, only that it was an oddly precise number to be valued at. But Ramedios scraped the gold into his own leather pouch, apparently satisfied. There was another quick exchange. This time Erlan caught the word spathí.

Sword.

Erlan’s heart rose in his chest when, a moment later, Wrathling was produced from somewhere. The newcomer looked it over for barely a few seconds, affecting indifference to the intricate metalwork of its hilt. He nodded, then tossed it to a big man standing nearby and threw down another three gold pieces on the table.

Ramedios gave a flick of his hand. ‘You’re his now.’ The sailor gripping his chain tossed it to the oversized servant, who gave it a tug. Erlan didn’t move.

‘Watch your back, Ramedios,’ he growled. ‘One day I’m going to be there.’

Ramedios gave a derisive snort in reply. ‘You brainless barbarian. You think you’re the first man I’ve sold who’s threatened me? But I’m still here, aren’t I?’ He spat at Erlan’s feet. ‘Devil take you, cripple.’

And with these words, it seemed his fate was sealed.

CHAPTER TEN

Illustration

By Lilla’s count it was four weeks since they had left Dunsgard and every day she wondered whether she had made the right decision. But right or wrong, she didn’t regret leaving Osvald behind, nor his offer. And now other words filled her thoughts. The king of kings. Miklagard. . . Erlan.

Perhaps they were nothing but phantom hopes she was chasing which would mock her in the end. But she refused to settle for the mediocrity of Dunsgard and its slithering lord. If there was a greater alliance to be made with a greater king, she would find it. After which, she would return, and her revenge on Thrand would be cold and furious.

‘You’ll come back here, vagabond queen,’ Osvald had jeered when she gave him her refusal. ‘There’ll always be a place here among my bed-slaves when you do.’ She had swallowed the insult and made her choice.