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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

‘Dear gods!’ she whispered. Tears ran down her cheeks and she stifled a wracking sob. ‘Please . . . Dear gods!’

‘Rest in the knowledge that you did this to him, girl,’ Solon said, his low voice sounding somehow self-satisfied. ‘His pain is your doing.’

‘Please—’ Chloe said. She turned her moisture-filled eyes on the tall man beside her. ‘Please . . . Let me go to him. Let me say goodbye.’

Solon tugged on his pointed beard as he mused. He finally nodded to the guards on both sides of her. ‘Take her down to him. Let her see from a closer vantage.’

Chloe was barely aware of being led from the terrace and back through the throne room. Her guards took her outside, near the palace gates, and down a set of steps. Her feet were leaden as she walked, horror in every tread. She passed through a section of palace more functional than beautiful and emerged out into the open once more.

She approached the impaled man and looked up at him.

‘I’m so sorry,’ Chloe said.

Tomarys couldn’t speak; he couldn’t even turn his head to look at her, but she knew he could hear.

Glancing up to where Solon watched from above, she pushed the guards away. She walked forward until just a few paces from her friend.

Chloe knew what she had to do.

She wrapped a hand around her amulet and looked down as if praying. With a click the small throwing knife came free.

Chloe prayed then. For the first time in her life, she prayed to Balal, the god of war, for her aim to be true. She prayed to Aeris to grant her this one act of compassion.

With her eyes fixed steadily on his exposed neck, she drew in a breath. Chloe’s arm whipped down and she released the knife when the point was right on target.

The triangle of sharp steel flew through the air. It sliced into her bodyguard’s jugular and then fell back to the ground with a clang of metal on stone.

Chloe watched, stone-faced and red-eyed, as bright, fresh blood pumped out of the man’s neck, gushing in a torrent. Tomarys’s head stopped moving. His body became entirely still.

She was dimly aware of shouting men, running forward and holding her fast. She kept her eyes on her bodyguard until they dragged her away.

Solon snarled. ‘Throw her into one of the cells beneath the palace while I decide what to do with her.’ He then called out again. ‘My last gift to you, girl. I am assembling the navy. Do you hear me? We sail to war. Soon it will be your beloved father who writhes on the stake.’

39

39

‘Dion, can you hear me?’

Dion heard Roxana’s gravelly voice. He groaned and tried to nod, but nearly blacked out with the effort.

‘He is very hurt,’ Anoush piped.