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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

Dion smiled slightly as he turned to Chloe, and now it was as if he were speaking to her. ‘She made it out on her own. Your daughter is a strong woman.’

‘That she is,’ Aristocles said. His expression then turned grave. ‘What news from Xanthos?’

Dion hesitated. ‘My brother took back the city. I last saw him yesterday. He remains there as king.’

Aristocles was stunned. ‘He is not coming to our aid?’

‘No, First Consul,’ Dion said sadly. ‘I’m afraid he is not. He lost his whole family. Father, wife, son . . . And all because of a close friend’s betrayal. The shock is too much; he’s withdrawn into himself.’

‘But’—Aristocles struggled to comprehend the news—‘our alliance. Surely he knows the Ilean attack was none of our doing?’

‘First Consul!’ the officer with the indigo crest on his helmet cried. ‘The enemy approaches!’

Chloe heard a chorus of gasps; her father went rigid. Everyone’s eyes turned to the sea.

It was time.

A long line of Ilean warships filled the horizon, evenly spaced and approaching the harbor with speed. Oars rose and fell, their tempo increasing with every sweep. Soldiers swarmed on every deck.

Chloe watched the line of warships loom larger in her vision as they grew ever closer to the wall of Phalesian galleys.

‘So many ships,’ she whispered.

Her heart sank as she saw sinuous serpents lunge out of the water before plunging back into the sea – a deadly force of Triton’s eldren. She swiftly counted; there were two dozen biremes facing the Phalesian fleet of fourteen war galleys. With the serpents aiding them in the sea, the defeat of the Phalesian fleet was guaranteed.

‘First Consul.’

Aristocles tore his eyes away from the harbor as Zachary spoke.

The eldran indicated the others with him. ‘We have all decided we will fight in the sea. The more ships we sink, the fewer soldiers will reach the land.’

Aristocles swallowed. ‘Do what you can but no more,’ he said. ‘Don’t push yourselves too far. We all know the risks you are taking, not only to your lives but also to your sanity. Remember, the eldren fighting for the sun king will also suffer the same fears, and our navy will fight with you.’

Zachary nodded. As he led his people to a cleared space in the agora away from people, Chloe saw the eldren meet one another’s eyes.

And then smoke clouded the air around them.

57

57

The Nexotardis was just in front of the line of biremes, leading the charge. The drum pounded so quickly that the oarsmen could barely keep up. At ramming speed the ships traveled in a direct line for the Phalesian fleet arrayed against them.