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Chapters (86)
  1. Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright
  4. Dedication
  5. Epigraph
  6. Contents
  7. Paris, June 1794
  8. PART ONE
  9. 1
  10. 2
  11. 3
  12. 4
  13. 5
  14. 6
  15. 7
  16. PART TWO
  17. 1
  18. 2
  19. 3
  20. 4
  21. 5
  22. 6
  23. 7
  24. 8
  25. 9
  26. 10
  27. 11
  28. 12
  29. PART THREE
  30. 1
  31. 2
  32. 3
  33. 4
  34. 5
  35. 6
  36. 7
  37. 8
  38. 9
  39. 10
  40. 11
  41. 12
  42. 13
  43. 14
  44. 15
  45. 16
  46. 17
  47. PART FOUR
  48. 1
  49. 2
  50. 3
  51. 4
  52. 5
  53. 6
  54. 7
  55. 8
  56. 9
  57. 10
  58. 11
  59. PART FIVE
  60. 1
  61. 2
  62. 3
  63. 4
  64. 5
  65. 6
  66. 7
  67. PART SIX
  68. 1
  69. 2
  70. 3
  71. 4
  72. 5
  73. 6
  74. 7
  75. 8
  76. 9
  77. 10
  78. 11
  79. 12
  80. 13
  81. 14
  82. Postscript
  83. A Ship in Le Havre Port
  84. Acknowledgements
  85. About the Author
  86. About Zephyr

Camille felt her throat close, horror overwhelming her. A groan rolled around the back of the stage, and it took Camille a moment to realise it hadn’t come from any of them. Sparks cascaded over them in a beautiful, sick imitation of rain. The gantry broke free from its burning supports and crashed down onto Guil, James and Dorval in a huge, unbroken wall of burning wood and metal.

She screamed, throat raw. Move, she told her legs, run. Help. Do something.

A hand caught her elbow.

‘Camille. Get up – we have to get out of here.’

It was Olympe, hooking her cool grey hand under her arm, and pulling her back into the passage with surprising strength.

‘No – wait,’ she cried weakly. ‘James and Guil – we can’t leave them.’

But Olympe ignored her and dragged her on.

‘You’ve saved my life enough times now. I have to return the favour.’

They staggered into the back alley. As Olympe kicked the door open, a huge tongue of flame tore up the corridor to lick over their heads. They tumbled into the street, shrieking in pain as the fire caught their clothes and hair.

Instantly, hands were on them, patting out the flames and pulling them further from the building.

‘Cam? Cam, can you hear me?’

She opened her eyes, feeling Ada’s familiar fingers stroking her face and fell apart in Ada’s arms. Hot tears burned her raw skin, and she shuddered against Ada’s chest.

‘Guil’s still in there. And James. They came for me but I couldn’t – I tried—’ She broke off. ‘I couldn’t save them. I failed.’

PART FOUR

Quickening

1

The Crypt at the Saints-Innocents Safe House

18 Prairial Year II, two days until the deadline

‘Keep the leg elevated! Don’t stop the pressure!’

They crashed into the crypt under the Saints-Innocents charnel house, hauling Guil’s limp body between the three of them. James had his hands under Guil’s arms and Al had his legs, while Ada desperately tried to keep her hands clamped over the wound that was gushing blood. Olympe followed, helping Camille, who was still struggling to breathe.

Clearing the top of a stone casket, they laid Guil down. James had emerged from the rubble of the theatre carrying Guil, and they had fled for the safehouse.

‘Get something for a tourniquet,’ James ordered.