It was the same design as the other entrances; we climbed the steep stairs and pushed out the grate. I guided Ryko and Lady Dela through the small hole, then crawled out behind them into a clump of concealing bushes. We were by the river, outside the Dragon Circle. Dark clouds obscured the moon, or perhaps it
was the smoke from the battlefield, The air smelled of fire and fear. To our right was a small jetty moored with the royal barges — waiting for the
Ryko nodded at a small spit of kind on the left, almost hidden by a copse of elegant water trees. We hobbled towards it, Kyko wet his parched lips and made the low bud signal he had used to call Solly. A figure emerged from the cover of the thick trailing branches.
'Tozay?' Ryko whispered.
The stocky man hurried up to us, catching Ryko's limp form as he staggered forwards. 'There, I've got you.'
With astounding ease, he turned the islander towards a small rowboat waiting in the water, manned by another shadowy figure. 'Come,' he whispered. 'We must move swiftly or lose the tide.'
I pulled Lady Dela's arm across my shoulders and took her tired weight against my side. We slipped and skidded down the shallow embankment.
As Master Tozay delivered Ryko into the hands of his assistant, the moon finally broke from the clouds and gave me a clear view of the man I had met by the road a lifetime ago. The last few weeks had carved even deeper lines into the master fisherman's stern face. He steadied Lady Dela as she stumbled towards him, and half lifted her into the small craft. Then he turned to me and gently took the swords from my tense hold, passing them to his man. I smoothed back my hair and met his silent scrutiny.
'Greetings, Master Tozay' I said.
He bobbed his head in a bow. 'Lord Eon.' I caught the flash of a smile as he held out his hand to help me onto the boat, his foot holding the vessel still. 'So, a dragon had the sense to choose you after all, my lord.'
'She did,' I said.
I lis eyes widened. 'She?'
'Yes.' 1 took his hand and stepped into the boat. 'But I am not Lord Eon. Not any more. I am Eona, the Mirror Dragoneye.' I looked up at the black smoke that hung over the palace and Dragon Halls then turned my attention back to the startled man beside me. 'And I want to join your Resistance.'
The struggle for the Empire of the Celestial Dragons
will conclude in The Necklace of the Gods
Coming soon
The Necklace of the Gods
Eon is now Eona, the Mirror Dragoneye, on the run with Ryko and Lady Dela, and hunted by High Lord Sethon's army.
Needing time to recover from their injuries, Eona, Ryko and Dela take refuge in a fishing village. However, Ryko's terrible wounds are too much for him: the big islander is dying.
Facing the loss of her friend, Eona is also struggling to bear the anguish of the ten bereft dragons, who are mourning the brutal slaying of their Dragoneyes by Lord Ido. As the dragons grieve, they focus their power through Eona and she becomes a dangerous conduit for their pain.
When Sethon's relentless search turns towards the coast, Eona and Dela know they must leave Ryko and find the black folio, stolen by the drug-ruined Dillon. They must also find Kygo, the young Pearl Emperor, who needs Eona's power and the black folio if he is to wrest back his throne from the self-stvled Emperor Sethon.
In a last desperate attempt to help Ryko, Eona forges a connection with the Mirror Dragon, and together they heal the islander. However, with the Mirror Dragon focused on Ryko, Eona is left at the mercy of the ten bereft dragons, who almost kill her with their sorrow. Eona must find another Dragoneye to help her suppress the dragons or she will be torn apart.
But there is only one other Dragoneye still alive: Lord Ido.
Rumoured to be held by Sethon in the conquered palace, Lord Ido is Eona's only chance of survival. But is Ido captive or collaborator?
Together with Emperor Kygo and tjhe Resistance, Eona and her friends must attempt to rescue Lord Ido, find the black folio and stop Sethon from creating the String of Pearls, the terrible weapon that combines the force of all twelve dragons.
In the terrifying race for ultimate power, Eona finds herself on the same destructive path as her disgraced ancestress, Kinra. Caught between the love of two powerful men, can Eona throw off the past and face the heartbreaking truth about herself, the Mirror Dragon, and the String of Pearls? Or is she doomed to play out a centuries-old tragedy that could destroy everything in its path?
AUTHOR'S NOTE
The Empire of the Celestial Dragon is not a real country or culture. It is a fantasy world that was at first inspired by the history and cultures of China and Japan, but rapidly became a land of imagination with no claim to historical or cultural authenticity Nevertheless, I did do a great deal of research which I used as a springboard to create the Empire and the dragons. If you are interested in the research road I travelled, I have detailed some of my favourite findings and listed some of the books I used on my website at www.alisongoodman.com.au ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
With sincere thanks to:
Ron, my wonderful husband.
Karen McKenzie, my best friend and writing soul sister.
Charmaine and Doug Goodman, my ever supportive parents.
My fabulous agents Fran Bryson, Jill Grinberg and Antony Harwood and their associates.
The lovely Simon Taylor and the excellent team at Transworld UK. Larry Rostant for the beautiful cover illustration, Claire Ward for the brilliant design and Sakiko Takada for the elegant Kanji.
Lisa Berryman, Nicola O'Shea and Anne Reilly for their editorial expertise.
Simon Higgins for teaching me how to handle a sword, checking my battle scenes, and his unstinting support and friendship.
My writing group, who generously read and commented: Karen, Judy, Carrie, Jane and Paul.
Pam Horsey for her friendship, staunch support, not to mention her excellent taste in jewellery.
Caz Brown for her stylish website design.
And, of course, Xanderpup and Spikeyboy
Table of Contents
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 20
CHAPTER 21
CHAPTER 22
CHAPTER 23
CHAPTER 24
Indice
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
CHAPTER 14
CHAPTER 15
CHAPTER 16
CHAPTER 17
CHAPTER 18
CHAPTER 19
CHAPTER 20
CHAPTER 21
CHAPTER 22
CHAPTER 23
CHAPTER 24
Eon - 01 Eon Page 42
