BooksBarbecue
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

Given its own space apart from the other artifacts, it was big enough to dominate the far wall. Twelve feet high and eight feet wide, it was fashioned from metal, braided from four strands, each a different hue. Kyphos and Zara exchanged glances, then approached the arch in awe, no longer hurrying, their eyes on the mysterious relic. They stopped in front of it, and the hunchback realized that the thick strands that made up the braids were the yellow of gold, white of silver, red of copper, and black of iron. The arch stood on its two feet, supported by circular pedestals.

Kyphos heard mutters and gasps and glanced back to see that the soldiers had entered the chamber and were looking around, taking in the artifacts with wide eyes. He suddenly remembered that they didn’t have long.

‘The chains,’ he called. There were dozens and dozens of them. ‘Each of you, take command of a group of slaves. Get them all. Quickly now!’

‘No!’ Zara countermanded, glaring at Kyphos, daring him to disagree. ‘The arch.’ She reached out a hand and touched it gingerly, obviously fascinated as she examined it up close. ‘Take this first.’

47

47

From her shelter on Widow’s Peak, Chloe saw that the slaves and the soldiers who commanded them were exiting the tower. This time the slaves were burdened.

A dozen bare-chested men struggled with an immense arch, obviously heavy. Even the soldiers lent a hand, navigating the best path through the shattered streets of the ruined city, helping them with its bulk as they climbed over the rubble. Following behind were more porters carrying lengths of chain over their shoulders, chains that glinted red in the bright sunlight.

Chloe remembered the painting Dion had shown her in his palace. The sky had been filled with dragons, their scales the color of blood. The copper chains and the arch were linked somehow. She didn’t know what the arch did, but it couldn’t be anything good.

‘Chloe?’ Liana’s wide eyes betrayed her anxiety.

More artifacts came from the tower, carried in the arms of the slaves: weapons, staffs, metal chests, even pieces of armor. The last of them left the structure even as the burly men with the arch exited the city and began to cross the pathway between the towering walls of water, heading for the higher ground at the cape.

Chloe nodded. It was time. If she could break the spell, here and now, the wind would become a storm. The waves would break. Chaos would ensue. The slaves were lightly clothed, but the armored warriors would sink to the bottom in their chain shirts. Zara and the hunchback were from a land of ice. They wouldn’t be able to swim.