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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

‘Ah . . .’ He wiped a hand over his face and let out a mighty sigh. ‘If you could know, Chloe, how it feels, not only to be exiled from your home, but to be the only one to carry a terrible secret. If you could know how it feels to experience just two emotions: guilt, the worst guilt imaginable, and an overpowering desire for revenge.’ He was shaking, struggling to control himself. ‘And then . . . to have someone else know the truth.’ Again his eyes were glistening; he turned his head and wiped them.

‘The magi at Athos taught me some of their magic . . . Amos, I want to confront Nilus. And Sophia needs me. That’s why I’m here. I know that Nilus and three other consuls murdered my father.’ Her mouth tightened. ‘But that’s all I know. What happened?’

‘I left him. Your father.’ He coughed, his voice quavering. ‘When we returned to Phalesia I thought we were safe, and I left him. He asked me to find you, and I wasn’t there to protect him. After all we went through together, when he needed me most, I wasn’t there.’

‘Amos, listen to me. I wasn’t there for him either, and I’ve cried myself to sleep more than once. You can’t blame yourself.’

‘Nilus told everyone that your father’s heart failed. The first I knew about it was when I saw a procession of priests carrying a body covered in cloth through the streets, the very night we returned. I’d just been speaking with him!’ He bit his lip. ‘I was stunned . . . Too shocked to do more than stare. Your father was always a strong man.’

‘He was,’ she murmured.

‘Then the next night, one of my men, Patros, came to me. He told me the truth and said he was scared out of his mind, because the only other soldier to witness what happened was murdered in the street, and he didn’t think it was thieves who did it. I couldn’t believe it. Nilus, of all people! But I was determined to do something.’ His eyes were unfocused as he relived the events. ‘I was taking Patros to meet some of your father’s friends, but Nilus’s men found us first. I barely escaped with my life. Patros was killed. I fled Phalesia and I haven’t been back since.’

Amos reached into a pocket and took out a small flask that sloshed. Removing the stopper, he put it to his lips and drank deeply.

‘I wasn’t there for him,’ he said. ‘Your sister was away and everyone thought you were dead. Now . . . Now Nilus surrounds himself with soldiers, always jumping at noises in the night. I thought if I could save up enough silver I could do something . . . Though I don’t know what exactly, so I came here and started working as a guard.’