The Rising (The Alchemy Wars) (46 page)

Anastasia said to her, “I’m so sorry you had to hear that. I apologize for my language. I’m usually not so coarse. Truly, I’m not. Please don’t think less of me.”

Why do I still plead for her affection? She thinks I’m the devil incarnate.

Malcolm blinked. His lips moved, like a goldfish blowing bubbles. Anastasia gave him a closer look. The dash across the gardens had left him flushed, his fading pink cheeks at odds with the rest of him, which had gone pale. His pupils were dilated.

Malcolm found his voice. “But, Tuinier… it
is
the end of the world.”

The din from the distant pier swelled again. But its quality had changed. It sounded no longer like people cheering.

More like people screaming.

T
HE
A
LCHEMY
W
ARS

T
HE
M
ILKWEED
T
RIPTYCH

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The characters and events in this book are fictitious. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author.

Copyright © 2015 by Ian Tregillis

Excerpt from
The Alchemy Wars: Book Three
copyright © 2015 by Ian Tregillis

Excerpt from
Snakewood
copyright © 2015 by Adrian Selby

Cover design by Wendy Chan

Cover illustrations © Shutterstock

Cover © 2015 Hachette Book Group, Inc.

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First ebook edition: December 2015

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ISBN 978-0-316-24802-0

E3