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Contents ( 50)
  1. CONTENTS
  2. PROLOGUE
  3. CHAPTER ONE
  4. CHAPTER TWO
  5. CHAPTER THREE
  6. CHAPTER FOUR
  7. CHAPTER FIVE
  8. CHAPTER SIX
  9. CHAPTER SEVEN
  10. CHAPTER EIGHT
  11. CHAPTER NINE
  12. CHAPTER TEN
  13. CHAPTER ELEVEN
  14. CHAPTER TWELVE
  15. CHAPTER THIRTEEN
  16. CHAPTER FOURTEEN
  17. CHAPTER FIFTEEN
  18. CHAPTER SIXTEEN
  19. CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
  20. CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
  21. CHAPTER NINETEEN
  22. CHAPTER TWENTY
  23. CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE
  24. CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
  25. CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
  26. CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
  27. CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
  28. CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
  29. CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN
  30. CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT
  31. CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
  32. CHAPTER THIRTY
  33. CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE
  34. CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO
  35. CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE
  36. CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR
  37. CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE
  38. CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX
  39. CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
  40. CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT
  41. CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE
  42. CHAPTER FORTY
  43. CHAPTER FORTY-ONE
  44. CHAPTER FORTY-TWO
  45. CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
  46. CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR
  47. EPILOGUE
  48. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
  49. Also by Liz Flanagan:
  50. COPYRIGHT

He rounded a corner and halted, stunned.

He stood in a massive cavern reaching away in every direction, bigger than the great dining hall at the palace. He couldn’t even see the roof, but it must have a hole in it, high above him, because a shaft of light fell down, piercing the darkness. He could hear rushing water too. A stream ran through the cavern, bubbling into a pool on the far eastern side before surging away out of sight. Joe went over and dipped one finger into the water. He sniffed, then licked it. The water tasted clean, with its usual metallic tang and a slight taste of sulphur. He cupped his hand and drank a mouthful, so cold that it hurt his teeth.53

He took his time exploring the cave, finding it dry and roomy, dappled with light filtering down from far above. It was like a dragonhall underground, he realised with a painful wrench. He took a wavering breath in, accepting all he’d lost – and what he’d found. This secret place would be his alone. A home for a monster. A hidden kingdom beneath Arcosi. He could live here while he rebuilt his life. He could live down here for ever.

53

CHAPTER EIGHT

Joe slept in the huge underground cavern for the rest of that day. When he woke, he was freezing cold and utterly alone, and both those things took his breath away. For a moment he couldn’t move. His clothes were wet. His knees and shins were covered in bruises, and now his burned fingertips were also bloodied and bashed, throbbing in a way that worried him.

He climbed awkwardly back through the tunnel and peered outside. Heavy rain blurred the beach into a grey smudge. Joe needed salt water to keep his wounds clean: Milla had taught him that years ago. Ignoring the stiffness in his legs, he threw himself outside, blinking hard, slipping down the steep hillside and onto the beach, heading for the sea. He took his shoes off, rolled up his trouser legs and shirt sleeves and walked right in, plunging his arms into the waves.

He gasped at the deeper cold and the sting of the salt 54water. Soon his burns were entirely numb – along with the rest of his arms and both feet. His teeth started chattering. His wet clothes clung to him and the rain plastered his hair in his eyes.

He was ravenously hungry. Maybe one day he’d be able to catch fish or snare a rabbit, but not today, not in this state. He had no choice: he’d have to go back into the city to find food.

He waited until it was dark. The storm seemed to have passed, or at least the rain had finally paused for breath. Joe retraced his steps over the western beach, past the ware­houses and into the shadowy streets of Arcosi, looking for signs of life and the chance to steal some food. He followed the smell of woodsmoke and roasting meat until he came to a tall building that sounded full of people. If there was a party going on, they might not notice an uninvited guest.