"Jennifer Fallon - Demon Child 03 - Harshini" - читать интересную книгу автора (Fallon Jennifer)

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 Harshini

suggestions, particularly in relation to Tarja's fate, all of which I happily ignored . . .

I must again thank the awesomely talented Stephanie Pui-Mun Law for her wonderful covers, and the
remarkable character sketches that she has provided for this series.

A special thank you, too, must go to Elle, Stephanie, Woody, Alison and Ryan, the gang from Whitley
College, for their input, their friendship and their all-night proofreading session.

To my children, Amanda, Tracey (TJ) and David, my thanks for their support, their faith, the inspiration
they have provided, and for making me feel that I haven't completely failed as a mother.

And finally, to my good friend Harshini Bhoola: it's been a long time coming, but this one's for you.




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PART 1

RETREAT INTO
DANGER

CHAPTER 1
Korandellan te Ortyn, the last King of the Harshini, waited until the end of the concert before he left the
natural amphitheatre in the centre of Sanctuary to return to his apartment. But first, he congratulated the
performers. He admired the clever scenery they had devised, which used a mixture of magic and
everyday objects, and graciously thanked them for their efforts. He moved among them, smiling and
waving, as the glimmering twilight, that was as close to night as it came in this magical place, descended
over the valley. Sanctuary's tall, elegant white spires towered over the hidden city, touched with silver as
evening closed in. The people were trying so desperately hard to be happy. He did his best to seem
happy for them in return.

There was a brittle edge to the serenity of Sanctuary these days. An edge that Korandellan, more than
any other Harshini, could feel. The happiness here was fragile; the cheerfulness an illusion. The Harshini
were running out of time. Quite literally. Only Korandellan knew how close they were to the end.

Perhaps Shananara suspected. She fell in beside him, dressed in the long loose robes that most of the

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Harshini favoured, which surprised him a little. Shananara had been in and out of Sanctuary a great deal
of late, and he was more used to seeing her in Dragon Rider's leathers. His sister had always been more