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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

He hoped Zara appreciated the efforts he’d made to keep hold of her precious book.

50

50

Cob scoured the sea, tightening the sail to send the Calypso leaping over the wild waves. The hull smacked against the water, making his teeth jolt together. Time and time again the vessel’s bow threatened to plunge under the sea when it dipped into a hollow. His arm was tight and sore, the tiller shuddering in his hand.

‘Faster!’ Finn called back to him.

‘I’m doing all I can! In this wind, you’re lucky I’m keeping us heading in the same direction!’

Appearing from nowhere, a wave was suddenly coming at the boat from behind, which made no sense at all. Water crashed over the stern, swamping the interior and soaking Cob to the skin. Another wave struck them from the port side, tilting the boat precariously before it righted itself. A series of smaller waves rocked the vessel to and fro.

‘Do something useful and start bailing!’ Cob bellowed.

‘Look!’ Finn pointed.

Closer to Widow’s Peak the sea was more than frenzied, filled with towering waves and spinning tornadoes, mountains of foam and gusting wind.

‘What in the names of all the gods is happening out there?’ Finn cried.

‘How should I know?’

Cob held the tiller with a white-knuckled grip, angling the Calypso directly toward Widow’s Peak and the worst of the ocean’s fury. A powerful geyser of foam rose up to momentarily envelop the sharp peak of rock before falling back down again. The Calypso was a tough vessel, but she’d already been nearly swamped, and they had yet to approach the isle.

‘What now?’ Finn’s eyes were wide with fear.

‘We follow the plan,’ Cob said grimly. ‘We sail for the peak.’

If they’d been in dangerous seas before, a mile from the isle they realized that what they’d experienced was nothing in comparison to what they felt now. Cob had sailed his entire life, but at least the storms he’d survived followed rules.

He took them in one direction then another, doing everything he could to face the waves as the boat climbed one face and then tumbled into the next. He prayed to Silex, his heart hammering in his chest. The onslaught was terrifying. The Calypso heeled to the side as a squall slammed into the sail, threatening to capsize the small vessel. Finn bailed constantly, his face as white as a sheet. Fighting the unpredictable wind and navigating the waves that came from all directions, Cob’s arm ached so much that he had to focus all his concentration on holding fast. The boat was half-full of water, and if another wave rushed in, they would sink.