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Back Copper Chain Save as PDF
Chapters (62)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Page
  3. Dedication
  4. CONTENTS
  5. MAP
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. 48
  54. 49
  55. 50
  56. 51
  57. 52
  58. 53
  59. 54
  60. 55
  61. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  62. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

‘That’s enough,’ Kyphos ordered. ‘Leave her. We have what we came for.’

The swordsman glared at him, but Kyphos was undeterred as he met the man’s stare. ‘You heard me.’ He nodded in the direction of the sea. ‘It’s time to go.’

The warrior nodded, but he kicked the girl once more in the head before they regrouped to take their struggling captive away.

Kyphos waved an arm and with a glare commanded his men to silence, but there was no quieting the writhing, moaning young woman and the soldiers’ grunts as they hauled her down the steps leading from the temple to the agora. Fortunately the area was devoid of people, and he kept them moving with speed as they crossed the paved square and reached the sloped embankment that loomed over the shore.

He glanced back at the city, checking in all directions, motioning for his men to descend the diagonal stairway, before following them down. He was the last to leave the steps, his boots crunching on the pebbled stones of the beach. Small waves crashed on the shore. A stiff breeze whistled, covering the sound of Isobel’s muffled cries.

Walking down to the sea, Kyphos peered into the darkness and finally saw a small sailing boat pulled up, half in and half out of the water. He gathered his group and led them to the slender figure standing by the vessel.

‘You have her?’ Zara asked.

‘We do.’

‘I’ll take her from here. You know what to—’

‘It was my plan,’ Kyphos growled. ‘Yes, sorceress. I know what happens next.’

Kyphos ordered his men to board the boat and get it moving. Soon it was drifting away, leaving him standing alone on the shore, watching as the sail caught the wind, until eventually it was gone from sight.

25

25

The rising sun filled the sky with pink and pale gold as the sleek galley approached the pebbled shore. Chloe was finally home.

She took in the sights of her homeland. She lifted her eyes to the high summit of the Temple of Aldus, remembering the battle to save Phalesia from the Ilean invasion, and then her gaze traveled down the steps carved into the cliff to see the white stones of the beach below the embankment. She’d walked with her father on that shore. Her homecoming was tinged with sadness.

The central agora was empty so early in the day, but she continued to scan right to the lyceum, library, and the temples of Aeris and Edra. The sight of the Temple of Aeris made her stomach clench with worry. The galley’s bow had barely scraped against the pebbles before she’d jumped ashore, landing lightly on her feet.