Read Fall of Sky City (A Steampunk Fantasy Sci-Fi Adventure Novel) (Devices of War) for Free Online Page B

get the rope off, but it continued to drag me across the deck.
    The man in the long coat followed me at a sedate walk, his pistol in hand.
    I couldn’t free myself, couldn’t see the knot, if there was one, and I couldn’t tell where I was being dragged. I twisted around, but could see nothing. I scrambled to my feet, both hands on the rope, scanning its length, mapping the destination.
    There was a single mast, and this rope originated at its peak.
    I was in trouble.
    Running, I pulled out my knife and hacked at it.
    It was metal.
    Who made a metal rope?
    The pistol cracked again.
    Pain shot through my arm. I howled, but didn’t stop working at the rope. It jerked one more time.
    I flew high into the air, over the pointed roof of the cathedral. The rope jerked again. The knife fell from my hands, and I was released. Air was the only thing between me and the deck. A lot of it.
    I covered my face with my arms and prepared for the landing. The impact jarred my ankles, knees, hips. I immediately dropped to a roll and rose a little unsteadily to my feet.
    Before I could remove my swords, men were on me, holding me down, stripping me of my weapons. There was a new pyre standing next to the larger ones, all of them aflame. I searched frantically. Where was Father? He couldn’t be dead.
    Saqr screeched high above us, his lizard tail swinging wildly. He was frantic as he tucked his wings in and dove. His talons clawed at a guard, who beat at the bird.
    The flames broke on the pyre next to me, showing me a body, writhing in pain. Father!
    I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t believe what I saw.
    His eyes met mine, his face twisted with pain, his jaw clenched.
    Defeat.
    Saqr screeched again, fighting to gain the air.
    Sorrow.
    I blinked. My head pounded as the guards tied my hands to the pole at my back and set the dried sea flax on fire.
    Anger.
    A fierce roar of pain rose at the same time Saqr twisted in the air. His talons clawed at nothing as his wings folded and he fell.
    No!
    The howl of pain died. Father’s spitfyre falcon burst into flames. Burning feathers drifted with the currents and rose with the updrafts.
    Grief.
    Flames leapt at me, eating their way to my feet. There wasn’t enough flax to create smoke. I knew that. The fire would get me long before the smoke did, but my lungs still burned.
    Rage.
    My head pounded uncontrollably. I looked to Father. His body was still.
    It was so hot! Sweat broke out over my skin. Flax popped and crackled.
    Anger. Grief. Rage.
    I took in a deep breath and looked to the sky.
    Rage. Rage. Rage. Rage. RAGE!
    I let out a roar as the fire found my feet and raced up my pant legs, overtaking my coat. The whisper of its power swept through my ears. I was consumed, feeling nothing but the grief, the loss, the sorrow, the defeat, the anger…and the rage.
    Then the fire was gone.
    I stood unbound atop a pile of ember riddled flax, naked except for scraps of cloth that had been burned into my flesh. Fire laced through my veins, across my skin.
    I stumbled, too exhausted to keep my feet under me.
    The guards stepped away, sounding an alarm through their ranks.
    I heard her footsteps before I saw her black boots.
    Rough hands pulled me to my feet. I didn’t have the energy to resist. Shouldn’t I be in the spirit world?
    Nix’s black eyes raked my face. “Synn Kadar El’Asim,” she said, her voice a velvet purr. “What a quandary you are.” She stepped away. “Take him below. He’s been Marked by the House of Wands. We take him to Sky City.”
    Sky City? Marked? What wa—
    Something crashed into my head and the world went gratefully blank.

CHAPTER 4

    A REMINDER FOR THE PEOPLE
    I woke freezing, my teeth chattering.
    I tried to sit up, but my head was throbbing so hard, it made me nauseous.
    “Lay back,” a soft voice murmured. Gentle hands pressed down on my bare shoulders. “Be at ease. You are safe now, Synn Primus.”
    I shook my head, falling back onto the soft pillows. My back