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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

‘What are we waiting for, sire?’ Zara cried. ‘We should attack!’

Palemon’s dragon, the same fiery color as the blood dripping from his sword, kept its place in the sky beside Zara’s. There were more dragons behind and below him, dozens and dozens of them, each carrying an armored soldier or a skilled magus. The air was filled with the sound of beating wings.

Clutching the reins of copper in his left hand, Palemon shifted in his seat, rotating slowly, until he was gazing down at the vessels he’d seized from the Ileans. He counted them to himself. There were exactly a dozen seaworthy vessels. The crews had been plucked off their top decks like weeds from a garden, but the oarsmen, no doubt slaves to a man, would be cowering at their benches, ready to serve.

He glanced at Kyphos on his other side. ‘Kyphos!’

‘Sire?’

‘How many ships do we need to rescue our people from Necropolis?’

‘About a dozen, sire.’

‘So we have what we need?’

Kyphos hesitated, scanning, and then nodded. ‘I believe we do.’

Palemon narrowed his eyes at the eldren blocking the Chasm. He longed to take the battle to them, but there would be losses, and risk to the ships he’d captured. More than anything, he had to save the people he’d left behind in Necropolis.

‘Then let’s get these ships back to Malakai.’ He raised his sword into the sky.

‘But, sire—’ Zara protested.

‘You heard me, sorceress. Our people need us!’ Palemon growled. ‘Let our enemies lick their wounds. We are now unstoppable. Another day will come.’

He issued a command, and his dragon left the formation. A second command made the creature put on speed, and a moment later the rest of the red dragons fell in around him.

Palemon swooped down toward the sea. He flew over his new fleet, smiling in grim satisfaction.

54

54

Chloe climbed the familiar steps leading up to her father’s villa. She couldn’t believe how little had changed. Her favorite rose bush was blooming. A step was cracked that hadn’t been before. There was a new statue on the side of the winding path, a life-sized pony carved out of a single block of white marble. She smiled. Sophia had always liked horses.

She gazed up at the villa as she neared. For a time it was occupied by Nilus, but now someone new was living at the home of Aristocles, who had been one of Phalesia’s longest-serving first consuls, a man who lived on in memory if not in life.