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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

‘Good, good.’ Kargan clenched his jaw. ‘Send a fast messenger to General Rhian. Tell him to make all speed for Lamara. By the time the army returns, I’ll have every bireme ready to depart. We’ll soon end this once and for all.’

37

37

Chloe gazed up at the tall, circular tower, wondering what its purpose was. She glanced at Liana, walking beside her. There was a tightness around her friend’s eyes: Liana was anxious, echoing Chloe’s own mood. They were both strangers here, and if Malakai was truly where they’d taken Dion and Isobel, then they were in a city ruled by people whose intentions were clearly hostile.

Together they took in the sights of a city that was dirty and grand, dilapidated and beautiful. Many of the walls were crumbling, made of rust-colored mud brick, but others were well made and clad with venous marble, smooth to the touch and glistening in the midday sun. Sagging shop fronts in market squares faced proud statues that would impress the master craftsmen of Phalesia. The streets were filled with a greater variety of people than anywhere she’d been except Lamara: desert clansmen wrapped in cloth, dark-skinned traders with small armies of personal guards, swarthy slaves carrying nobles in covered litters, and commoners in bright-colored tunics.

Chloe was glad that the streets generally followed a simple grid. She could pretend to walk with purpose; she didn’t want her and Liana to be singled out as foreigners. She still carried her staff, but she’d removed the silver device from the top, keeping it in her satchel, and now the staff simply looked like a traveler’s walking stick.

Despite the wide variety of people in Malakai, she was worried about Liana. Again she glanced at her friend. Dressed in a dusty, plain chiton the same gray color as the paved avenue, the slight eldran had dyed her shoulder-length hair red with henna, as she’d once done to disguise herself in Phalesia. But like Chloe, Liana wasn’t wearing a necklace, and glancing at the passing city folk, Chloe could see that this singled them out.

‘Which way?’ Liana murmured.

Chloe scanned ahead, deciding to travel where the city appeared to be denser. ‘Right.’

‘What are we looking for?’

‘We need necklaces. Have you seen? Not a soul without one.’

They turned into a broad avenue with wide gates at the far end revealing the distant sea; this road appeared to lead to the harbor, with rows and rows of tightly packed structures on both sides, enclosed by the looming walls. Markets lined both sides of the boulevard, and seeing a row of craft stalls, Chloe moved to the side of the street and paused at the junction to a side alley. She unfastened the belt holding her chiton and slid out three silver coins from the inside fold.

‘Hold these?’

Liana shook her head. ‘I can’t.’