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

Tossed in the relentless motion of the open sea, she kept her head down so that her dark hair could ward off the worst of the sun’s rays. She wanted to lick her lips, but her tongue was so swollen that it filled her mouth like a lump of dry wood. A throbbing headache pounded at her temples. She felt both nauseated and starved.

She was drifting, and to try to kick in one direction or another would serve no purpose other than to exhaust her. Now and then she lifted her head and scanned the horizon, but it was never anything but empty. The ocean was vast, and there was next to no chance that a passing ship would pick her up. She was beginning to believe that this was it; this was how her life was going to end.

She thought about the life she’d led, once filled with so much love and hope. Her greatest regret was clear. Liana was right: the moment her father had suggested marriage to Nikolas, she should have told him no. She should have gone to the Wilds and helped Dion come to terms with who he was. Together, they could have been happy.

She hadn’t sought out magic; the power had found her. She’d always wanted to be a healer and maybe even a leader, someone who showed the world that women could make a difference just like men. Yet when she’d been betrothed to Nikolas, and promised the life of leadership and prestige she’d thought she always wanted, she’d known that it wasn’t enough. Meeting Dion had opened her heart to love.

Bitterness filled her as she drifted. Her father. Dion. The gods took everyone she loved away from her. And now they were going to take her life.

Squinting against the bright sun, she looked at the wrist-thick length of polished wood tangled in her arms. It was increasing the difficulty of holding onto the plank, and she stared at it for some time before realizing that it was her staff. As she grew weaker, she decided to let it go. It wasn’t much effort to release it, and soon she was watching it drift away.

Her eyes were still on the floating staff as it rose and fell on the waves, when she heard a piercing shriek.

She lifted her head and recoiled. A dragon flew toward her. With another loud cry it saw her and swooped down. Lithe and lean, with glossy scales of shining silver and wings tucked in close to its body, it was ready to snatch her out of the sea and devour her.