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Back Rosemarked
Chapters (58)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright
  3. Dedication
  4. Part One
  5. Chapter One
  6. Chapter Two
  7. Chapter Three
  8. Chapter Four
  9. Chapter Five
  10. Part Two: Three Months Later
  11. Chapter Six
  12. Chapter Seven
  13. Chapter Eight
  14. Chapter Nine
  15. Chapter Ten
  16. Chapter Eleven
  17. Chapter Twelve
  18. Chapter Thirteen
  19. Chapter Fourteen
  20. Chapter Fifteen
  21. Chapter Sixteen
  22. Chapter Seventeen
  23. Chapter Eighteen
  24. Chapter Nineteen
  25. Chapter Twenty
  26. Chapter Twenty-one
  27. Part Three
  28. Chapter Twenty-two
  29. Chapter Twenty-three
  30. Chapter Twenty-four
  31. Chapter Twenty-five
  32. Chapter Twenty-six
  33. Chapter Twenty-seven
  34. Chapter Twenty-eight
  35. Chapter Twenty-nine
  36. Chapter Thirty
  37. Chapter Thirty-one
  38. Chapter Thirty-two
  39. Chapter Thirty-three
  40. Chapter Thirty-four
  41. Chapter Thirty-five
  42. Chapter Thirty-six
  43. Chapter Thirty-seven
  44. Chapter Thirty-eight
  45. Chapter Thirty-nine
  46. Chapter Forty
  47. Chapter Forty-one
  48. Chapter Forty-two
  49. Chapter Forty-three
  50. Chapter Forty-four
  51. Chapter Forty-five
  52. Chapter Forty-six
  53. Chapter Forty-seven
  54. Chapter Forty-eight
  55. Epilogue
  56. Acknowledgments
  57. About the Author
  58. Keep Reading for a Sneak Peek at Umbertouched

I skirt the compound at a distance, trying to catch a glimpse of the guards. I’ve walked a quarter of the way around when I’m set upon by a flurry of wings. I bite down on an exclamation as a familiar weight settles on my shoulder. It’s Scrawny. Preener lands on the ground in front of me. And on my arm is…Slicewing?

“Slicewing, where’s Dineas?”

She stretches her wings at the name. I don’t know what that means.

“Slicewing, find Dineas.”

She takes off without hesitation, angling toward the city, and I call her back before she goes too far. And now, I start to feel a spark of hope. If her confidence is any sign, then perhaps I’ll be able to find him after all.

A guard rounds the corner of the compound, and I freeze. He is not in a hurry, nor does he look particularly alert. My heartbeat quickens. If I want to scale the wall, then this is my opening. I gather my skirts as he nears the next corner. When he disappears from view, I run for it. The three crows take flight silently behind me. I whisper for them to scout, and they fan out to the sides.

The wall is as high as my head, and my first jump isn’t enough for me to get a good grip. I back up and try again, and the second time I clamber over, scratching my already wounded arm in the process. In a few moments, I drop down onto the other side. There’s nobody in view, though I hear the occasional shout in the distance. I take off again, and the crows fly back and forth around me. At one point, I hear a caw to my left, so I turn right and continue that way for a while before circling back.

Finally, I see the walls of Mehtap’s villa. I know there are guards at the door to the courtyard, so I circle around to the kitchen on the other side. There’s a window here with broken shutters that don’t completely close, and I feel around the edges for the telltale opening. It’s there. I give the entire shutter a push. It pops open with a crack that sounds impossibly loud, and I freeze, my heart in my throat. But no one comes running, and I scramble inside. I can hear the snoring of servants sleeping next door. I waste no time hurrying up the stairs.