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Back Golden Age Save as PDF
Chapters (70)
  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. 56
  62. 57
  63. 58
  64. 59
  65. 60
  66. 61
  67. 62
  68. 63
  69. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  70. ABOUT THE AUTHOR

A newcomer ran at Tomarys with sword held high. He must have been hiding around the curve of the lane. Tomarys was unarmed and crouched on the ground. She knew he would be killed.

Glancing up and seeing the danger, Tomarys shot to his feet and spun on his heel as the sword speared the air where he’d been a moment before. His hand was suddenly on the hilt of his enemy’s sword, and then as Chloe watched wide-eyed she saw the point come around until it was in the air. The swordsman cried out in pain.

And then the sword was in Tomarys’s hand.

He didn’t hesitate to strike, thrusting in a practiced way that told Chloe this wasn’t his first time holding a sword. He pushed hard, bringing the blade up into his opponent’s chest, holding grimly until he yanked the weapon out. Blood gushed from the man’s mouth and Tomarys stood back as he fell face forward, sprawling on top of his friend.

Tomarys threw down the sword and turned to Chloe. ‘We need to leave. Now.’

Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she shook her head. ‘We can’t.’

‘Did you hear me? This is their place. More will come.’

‘Tomarys, we can’t go. I need the flowers. Please,’ she implored. ‘I need your help.’

He hesitated, aware that every second was precious. ‘All right. Come.’

Stepping past the four bodies, Chloe followed him to the end of the alley, where previously they had seen little more than an opening. They came to a crossroads, an intersection between four lanes, where sunlight overhead revealed a small square and a row of rickety shacks against the longest wall.

Tomarys entered the first of the huts and came out a moment later, shaking his head. ‘Roof fallen in.’

‘That one,’ Chloe said, pointing to the most structurally sound of the huts.

This time she followed close behind him as he entered. She knew she’d come to the right place when she saw tables with strips of tar drying on leaves. Tomarys looked at her inquiringly.

‘Keep moving,’ she said.

At the back of the shack she lifted the lid of a large ceramic urn. Inside were flower pods, dozens of them. Chloe searched the dark interior until she found a sack. Her heart raced as she tossed pod after pod into the sack while Tomarys stood guard outside. She’d only half filled the sack when he called out. ‘Voices. Quick. We need to go now.’

He held her by the arm as they left the way they’d come.

They made the journey back to the palace in silence.

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