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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 furrowed his brow as both Kyphos and Zara waited for him to come to a decision. Their position in Malakai was precarious. Back in Necropolis, people were starving. While Ilea’s soldiers were no match for Palemon’s cold bloods, a hundred and fifty men could only face so many. He needed a fleet, and to get it he needed power. He remembered the awe he’d felt gazing up at the statue depicting his ancestor, an ancestor who had dominated the world from the back of a dragon.

‘Do it,’ Palemon said. ‘Make this your priority. Go to Xanthos. Find his weakness. He must have a child or a wife. Use someone he loves to bend him to your will.’

‘Sire . . .’ Kyphos tried again. ‘We would be risking the wrath of Xanthos. Surely there is an easier target? Perhaps we could raid Sindara—’

Palemon shook his head as he interrupted. ‘Kings have more weaknesses than other men. Sindara is far away, and the eldren are more dangerous than the Xanthians; it takes time for men to mobilize to wage war, whereas the eldren could be on us in moments. No, this is the path we must follow. We need a single subject, one who can be controlled. We must find out what the chains are capable of. Then, and only then, can we consider seizing any eldren from their homeland.’

Zara nodded, while Kyphos’s scowl only deepened.

‘There will be no more discussion. I want you both to leave for Xanthos,’ Palemon ordered. ‘Work together. I’m counting on you.’

12

12

Chloe stood on a tall cliff, facing the sea, with Zedo beside her. They both held staffs in their hands, crowned with silver spirals, the pale metal twisted into a conical shape.

She kept her mind calm and concentrated on the feel of the wind against her cheeks. She thought of wind without sound. She felt the fire inside her roar, and the tongue of silver flame rose up. This time, unlike the last, she was clutching a wind staff, clenched fingers pressed to the base of the metal.

She closed her eyes as she felt the silver flame leave the confines until it suddenly sizzled throughout her body, making her gasp. Opening her eyes again, she released it, and the whitened flame inside her now left the fire completely, directed through her hand into the matching silver twist. The device glowed brightly, fairly humming with power. She then swept her staff from left to right.

Out on the surging sea, a sudden gust of wind blew across the tops of the waves, shattering the crests into spray. The smaller waves joined to form a growing breaker that rose up as the wind pressed against the water. It became bigger and bigger, traveling in the same direction as her movement. Soon the wave was several feet high and swelling, with a crest of white foam on its summit as it threatened to tumble.