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

She thrust the thought to the side. She needed anger, not fear, but anger was easy to come by. These people had captured her friend and enslaved her, keeping her in a cage like an animal.

Closing her eyes, Chloe put her hand around the iron hoop and fed the fire inside her mind.

She drew on her anger, at the same time imagining a fire without light, without wind, without sound. It was as black as coal and filled her from head to toe with heat. Her skin prickled, the sensation strongest where her fingers gripped the iron. The fastening felt warm in her hands and then searing hot. The dragon whimpered, and Chloe gasped as she felt an explosion of flame inside her. Heat came to her cheeks, but then suddenly the collar fell open.

Chloe threw the circle of black iron to the ground. As Finn shouted at her to hurry and men’s shouts grew louder, she knew there was only one way for them to escape. ‘Liana, can you stay in this form, for just a little longer?’

The dragon gave Chloe a surprisingly determined expression. Without warning, the silver dragon hurtled past Chloe toward the open door of the cage and spun in a tight turn, forelegs scratching at the ground, wings crackling like a sail catching the wind.

Chloe ran out of the cage. She saw Finn standing guard, peering into the corridor. ‘Finn!’

Hoisting her staff, Chloe pulled herself up onto the dragon’s back as Finn rushed over, awkwardly climbing on behind her. The silver dragon put her head down and started to run.

Immediately four running soldiers came into view. Chloe held on tightly with one hand and pointed her staff up the tunnel. She fed the fire inside and felt the power of the materia rush to the surface and travel into the metal spiral. She drew on every reserve, even as exhaustion threatened to crush her and pain spiked through her temples. With a cry she sent a burst of wind through the tunnel powerful enough to blow them tumbling out of sight.

Liana gathered speed as they climbed the tunnel, and then Chloe saw bright light. They raced through the archway leading to the vertical shaft and Liana’s wings opened up. A piercing shriek of joy bounced off the walls as they flew up and out of the tower, heading in the direction of the rising sun.

‘Well,’ Finn called. ‘I suppose that’s the end of Fustalonious.’

43

43

Dion stumbled, the whipcord tied to his collar pulling tight. The sudden tension pressed the iron band against his skin, choking him before he managed to keep moving and create some slack.