Fireblood

Начало книги

Basket hooked on one arm, I browse the fruit display of a vendor’s stand in Town Square, trying to ignore the white towers of Castle Karm just past the rolling hills of the gated royal village. It’s become a constant presence in my weekly errands. An affecting reminder, a monstrosity to be feared and obeyed, even more so than the knights of the Force patrolling the cobbled roadways.

The day is overcast, and the faint blue lines of the sky are distinct, contrasting against the dark clouds. The grid veils the market in a blue-gray hue. The rows of apples are a sea of bright blue stars, their glassy skins reflecting the dome’s gleam.

A chill prickles my skin, and the hairs on the back of my neck lift up.

I’m being watched.

“Pick one and let’s move on, Zara,” Hadley says, talking over the creaking wheels of carriages and shouts from bidding customers. She wipes the moisture of the humid day from her forehead, her dark skin strikingly beautiful against her olive tunic. “We don’t have time for your daydreaming today. You may care nothing for the king’s transmission, but I’d like to be home in time for this one.”

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