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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

Palemon tilted his head, considering as he slowly looked Finn up and down. He saw before him a slight, reedy man, with fine features, long hair, and thick eyelashes. He carried no weapon, and nor did he look like the kind of man who knew how to use one. But his hair was fashionably cut, and his fine crimson cloak was made of thick silk dyed with the most expensive of pigments.

‘You may return tomorrow,’ the king said finally. ‘But let it be known, chronicler, that I will have scribes read your account back to me, and if I’m displeased . . .’

Finn bowed. ‘You will not be, Great King.’

‘And I have just one rule.’

‘Of course, anything—’

‘Keep your fluttering mouth shut. For a man who claims to listen and record, you talk far too much.’

40

40

Liana was terrified. She was standing on a stone ledge, and a soldier was forcing her to the edge. Staring down into the tower’s shaft, through the wide gaps between the iron chain that formed a net, she saw the hard stone floor far below. Barely able to breathe, she swallowed when she saw the crimson blood stains at the bottom.

She tried to reach out to someone, anyone, but the collar around her neck interfered with her abilities. She pictured Eiric’s face, but when she attempted to touch his mind, her senses hit a wall.

She screamed as the soldier pushed her from behind.

At the same instant, she felt the collar around her neck open. For a few seconds she tottered, arms waving wildly.

Eiric! Help me! she cried out with her mind.

But then the soldier gave her a second hard shove and she fell down into the deep central shaft of the tower.

She plummeted through the net of iron chain in an instant. The encircling stone wall passed by in a blur. As her limbs clawed at the air, her body tumbling, the ground rushed up at her.

Just a moment before, she’d seen a slave girl’s head shatter on the stone. Utterly terrified, wailing in fear, staring up at the sky and watching the circle of blue sky grow smaller and smaller, she was unable to prevent her instinctive response.

She imagined halting her flight, growing wings that would prevent her fall. With every fiber of her being focused on fleeing this terrible place, the shift was dramatic and instantaneous.

Suddenly she felt the familiar sensation of changing, her body elongating and wild thoughts overwhelming all others. A gray cloud whitened her vision. Relief flooded through her, as just before striking the ground, she became a dragon.

Her powerful wings beat away the last shreds of mist. A few sweeps arrested her motion as she rolled. She stared up at the circle of blue sky overhead, thoughts confused, filled only with a desire to escape. She put on as much speed as she could, climbing the shaft again.