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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

Kyphos smiled. ‘I am sure you can.’

The warrior from the frozen north suddenly rushed toward Dion and grabbed him. Pinned against the rail, Dion struggled to hold back his opponent’s powerful arms, but found himself off-balance. The two men wrestled, but despite his frame, Kyphos’s strength was overwhelming. The hunchback freed an arm to rip the silver necklace from Dion’s neck and threw it over the balcony. It was a long drop. Seconds passed before Dion heard the tinkle of metal striking the ground.

Kyphos’s nostrils flared as Dion tried to fend him off. Finally the hunchback gained the upper hand.

His face grim, Kyphos shoved Dion hard.

Dion found himself teetering backward uncontrollably. It was a drop of three stories – far enough to kill him if he struck his head on the paving stones. For a moment he wasn’t sure if he would fall, but then Kyphos pushed him again.

A heartbeat later he was in the air. His limbs flailed as his body turned over and over. He could sense the ground coming up to smash his body and, without meaning to, he felt his body . . . changing.

His scream became a piercing animal cry. His body thickened and elongated, mist enveloping him from head to toe. He realized what had happened only when he swept his wings down at the ground in time to arrest his fall. Two more sweeps of his wings lifted what was now a black-scaled dragon high. He flew up until he was eye to eye with the hunchback on the balcony.

He parted his jaws and roared in Kyphos’s face. But his enemy was undeterred.

Kyphos pointed out to sea. ‘To Malakai. Understand? Or we’ll cut your pretty bride’s throat.’

Dion roared again, a cry of pure rage and frustration, the sound shattering the stillness of the night. The barking of dogs and shouts of alarm filled the air, waking the citizens of Xanthos from their slumber.

Kyphos met Dion’s pale, almond-eyed stare and pointed again, out to sea.

The dragon snorted and lowered its head, and Kyphos climbed onto its back.

28

28

The lean galley pounded the waves. The sail pocketed the wind, sending the vessel leaping forward like a racehorse whipped at the gate. It was the same fast Xanthian ship that had carried Chloe to Phalesia, and she now stood in the very center of the vessel, legs apart, riding the motion of the sea.

Chloe’s jaw was clenched tightly as she clutched the staff in her hand. The silver cone glowed fiercely, summoning strange forces. She was channeling the wind, gathering it and throwing it at the sail, using it to make the ship ride the sea so fast that the hull was skimming over the waves, leaping from one set to the next.