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

She could feel it always, like the embers of a fire that only needed fuel to be added in order to become a raging inferno. Her objective was to keep it stilled. Meditation helped, and she hadn’t had any headaches for at least a month. If she remained calm and at peace – something that came easily on Athos, a place where she had few people to talk to and little changed from one day to the next – she would remain in control.

It was early in the day and the sun’s rays were warm on her skin. A gentle breeze carried the smell of salt from the sea, blowing her long, dark hair around her face. Now that winter was past, she spent as much time as possible outdoors, keeping herself fit by running up and down the hills, and she was strong and lean, glowing with health and vitality. Her back was straight as she breathed in and out, feeling time stand still, but knowing that when she opened her eyes she would look at the sun and be surprised at how much of the day had passed.

As always, thoughts tried to bubble to the surface. Dion’s face came to her vision; he was smiling, regarding her with warm, brown, intelligent eyes. He wasn’t as she’d last seen him, in the Wilds north of Xanthos, caught between his eldran heritage and human upbringing, torn between his feelings for her and the fact that she was destined to marry his older brother. Instead he was smiling and at ease, handsome and well fed, his strong jaw cleanly shaven and his flaxen hair neatly combed, wearing a regal, expensive tunic. This was how she always pictured him, for Dion was now the king of Xanthos. Nikolas was dead, said to have taken a bad wound during the battles with Ilea. Chloe was now free to love Dion, but in all likelihood, he thought she was dead. Bitter remorse welled up inside her. He might have already found a wife, a new queen of Xanthos, a woman to bear him an heir. Meanwhile she was far away, trapped on this remote island.

Her training came to the fore, and as the fire inside her spiked she acknowledged the painful thoughts but pushed them away. Instead she concentrated on the regular pulsing rhythm of the waves as they were drawn in and out by the breath of Silex the sea god. She focused on the smell of the air, and the sensation of the cool breeze against her skin. Regaining her inner peace, her power slowly stilled.

When she was finished, she opened her eyes and stretched before climbing to her feet. She swept her gaze over the sea, taking one last look at the ocean.

Chloe’s eyes widened.