Crown Of Fire Read Online Free PDF

take you. Ingrained habits, such as that confidence, proved how deeply he had relied on his own powers, instead of the One he served.
    Uri covered a spot near the gate with his own blazer. No one's close enough to assist, he subvocalized into Brennen's mind.
    "Who was it?" Firebird demanded. On the pair bond, he felt her tension as she peered out of the car's second door.
    "Can't tell," he muttered, scooping up the small blazer. "Uri, Shel. Recognize him?"
    "No," Uri answered. "We'll see if we can get him to follow."
     
     
     
     
CHAPTER 2
    CITANGELO fanfare
    a short melody for brasses, used as a ceremonial signal
     
    Firebird tingled with adrenaline as she slid across the seat, making room for Brennen. Tel's chauffeur slammed the car's first door. Tel lumped in front, too, then climbed between seats into the rear lounge. Shel eased around Firebird to take a window seat while Brennen pressed against her side. She hoped she'd acted her role as well as he'd played his. He'd almost convinced her he was helpless.
    Uri took another back-facing seat while Danton's men joined Tel's driver up front. "Home," Firebird told the driver, "but not too quickly. We want him to follow." As if he could lose this monstrosity in traffic! Danton's plainclothes people would come about half a klick back.
    The chauffeur, a lumpish man with shoulders too narrow for his indigo jacket, steered out the base's main gate and turned north on Port Road. Firebird heard a soft trill from the control panel as Central Guidance took over. She almost asked Uri to confirm that the Netaian driver could be trusted, then changed her mind. Tel surely screened his staff. 1 ven if he'd missed a sleeper, Uri knew his job. He'd guarded several high-ranking Federate dignitaries.
    She did feel slightly cheated, denied a good view of Citangelo, but she had to get used to moving inside a guarded circle. "Anyone following?" she muttered.
    Uri frowned. "No."
    One chance lost. Disappointed, Firebird studied Uri's face a little longer. He was Brennen's second cousin, and she saw a resemblance in their fine chins and cheekbones. He had been raised in political circles, which explained his impeccable manners.
    Tel fingered a touchpanel on the side console, and the glasteel panel separating them from his driver darkened. "We're privacy shielded now," he said. "What can you tell me?"
    Firebird glanced at Uri, then Shel. Shel paused a moment, eyeing her hand-held scanner. "Go ahead," Shel said gruffly. "The car's not transmitting, and the driver didn't react when Prince Tel asked."
    Firebird drew a deep breath. "You've probably heard that the Shuhr are raiding again."
    "Did Governor Danton show you the Codex simulation?" Tel asked.
    Firebird nodded grimly. "Of course. And you do know that the Fed-eracy just announced its new RIA technology."
    Tel frowned. "Why?" Tel had gone with her to Three Zed, helping to run an RIA apparatus. Tel already knew most of what the Federacy just revealed—that Remote Individual Amplification would enable a Sentinel to influence other minds from planetary distances, instead of the traditional room's width. It had passed its first combat test when Firebird and Brennen escaped Thyrica, pursued by a Shuhr attack force. Later, it enabled Brennen, then Firebird, to land undetected at Three Zed.
    "But RIA was top secret." Tel sounded plaintive'. He'd even submitted to voice-command before he left sanctuary, to ensure he wouldn't inadvertently reveal RIA's existence.
    Firebird glanced aside at Brennen and caught a glint of keen blue eyes, sober under dark eyebrows. Do you want to explain, she thought at him, or shall I? Their deep pair bond didn't let them send words, but they were learning to communicate from context and emotional clues.
    He opened one hand, gesturing her to go ahead.
    She leaned forward on the cushioned seat. "Sentinels have policed the Shuhr for decades," she said. As recently as two years ago, most Netaians hadn't even heard of the