BooksBarbecue
Back Copper Chain
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

‘I’m here, Sophia. How do you feel? Try not to move too much. You’ve taken some injuries to the head. I’ve cleaned the wounds, and I think you’ll be all right, but you need to rest. Do you remember what happened?’

Sophia tried to think. She gained the impression that there were several people standing around her besides Amos and Chloe, listening to her words. ‘Men came to the temple. They killed Philippos and took Isobel.’ She sucked in a sharp breath. ‘High Priestess Marina? Is she all right?’

‘She’s dead,’ Amos said. ‘I’m sorry, Sophia.’ He leaned in closer. ‘These men. Do you remember what they looked like?’

Sophia would never forget the hunchback’s dark eyes. As she fitted the pieces together, connecting Eudora’s story with the events of the previous night, she gasped. ‘Nilus! He was behind it.’

She forced her good eye open and stared up at her sister, seeing Chloe’s concerned face hovering over her. It was true. Chloe was alive and kneeling beside her. It really is her.

Chloe and Amos exchanged glances.

‘Nilus? How do you know?’ Chloe asked.

‘I’ve had someone watching him. Eudora, one of his servants. A few days ago she saw a hunchback with Nilus, and then last night a hunchback came to the temple and killed Philippos and took Isobel.’

‘Nilus killed Father,’ Chloe said.

Sophia looked up into her sister’s eyes. ‘I . . . I suspected . . . but . . .’

‘It was Nilus and three others. Nilus held the blade himself.’ Chloe turned to someone. ‘Have you sent word to King Dion?’

‘Yes, a fast messenger.’

‘Send two more. By sea and by road.’ Chloe then turned to Amos. ‘In the meantime, Amos, do you still have friends among the soldiers?’

He nodded. ‘A few.’

‘Sophia, what was the servant’s name? The one who saw Nilus with the man who killed Philippos?’

‘Eudora.’

‘Where can I find her?’ Chloe’s eyes narrowed. ‘It’s time to deal with Nilus once and for all.’

26

26

The Assembly of Consuls was in session at the lyceum. The men sitting on the raised tiers surrounding the central floor were shouting, angry and red-faced. As first consul, and – after Lord Philippos’s murder – the man now certain to be re-elected, Nilus was speaking, but struggling to be heard over the din.

‘Not only is this sacrilege,’ he thundered from the speaking floor, despite the fact that half the seated men around him weren’t listening, ‘but it is also an outrage, an assault on our very institutions and the people we most hold dear. It is sacrilege. Sacrilege! Any attack on a consul is an attack on our entire Assembly. And the capture of Lady Isobel, well, that – that! – is an affront to all of our sons and daughters.’