Authors: Chris Michaels,Reema Farra
Bound
| Bound |
| Phantom Hearts [1] |
| Chris Michaels Reema Farra |
| Darke Media Group (2012) |
“Jason?” Her legs gave way.
There was no denying it anymore. No telling herself someone else had been shot down.
“Jason, you promised.” Her voice cracked. “You said forever.”
Airships, tanks and clockwork automatons chew through the Ilsa, threatening the balance between science and sorcery. Takers of the Dead clear more and more bodies. The Grey Wolves hunt anyone using Majick.
Hannah doesn’t care about anything besides Jason, her forbidden lover. Though she is a slave, and he an Ilsan noble, they meet at night and dream of the time they can run away together. Then the news comes. Hannah refuses to believe it. When she sneaks into his funeral, Hannah is unknowingly plunged into whirlwind of black-market majick and rogue spies. Then she meets Travis, a stranger with dark secrets, who promises to lead her to a secret cult of necromancers where she can bring Jason back.
In this steampunk-fantasy told in pictures and words, Hannah Blue will follow Travis anywhere, do anything, pay any price to find the outlawed majick to be with Jason again.
Table of Contents
Inside this book are hidden bonus features. Wherever you see
the ‘airship’ symbol follow it to see secret majick lessons, extra short stories, an interactive almanac and much more. If your device does not have internet capabilities, go to
www.phantomhearts.com
and type the word below the ‘airship’ in the bonus code box. This box is located at the bottom of the home page along with brief instructions, and on the header of all other pages.
And, yes, the links above lead to actual bonus features.
You’re welcome.
PROLOGUE
APOLLO
Once upon a time
SANITY
Once upon a time? That’s stupid!
APOLLO
Well, how would you start it?
SANITY
With explosions! And Bombs. And maybe things blowing up!
APOLLO
This isn’t that kind of story.
SANITY
What kind of story is it?
APOLLO
A love story
SANITY
Puh! Love Shmove. That’s not what people want.
APOLLO
Well you’re such an expert. What do they want?
SANITY
Big battles. And fights. And majick and monsters and evil spies. Mad scientists . . .
APOLLO
It has all that, too.
SANITY
Really? Well then – I’m listening.
APOLLO
It’s a time of firsts in Anadell: steam driven wonders giving way to modern movies, electric lights, clockwork automota and airships.
SANITY
Airships with bombs?
APOLLO
Can I get on with it?
SANITY
Of course. Why did you stop?
APOLLO
Hannah, a slave girl, couldn’t care less about any of this. As a Taker of the Dead, she’s always felt trapped. Alone. Useless.
SANITY
Useless like this story so far.
APOLLO
Jason is trapped inside his world of title and honor, expected to save the Republic in a brutal civil war.
SANITY
There we go. War!
APOLLO
Yes, a war. The first modern war. A terrible symphony of machine guns, poison gas, flame throwers . . .
SANITY
Yeah
APOLLO
. . . and trenches . . .
SANITY
Yeah!
APOLLO
. . . and flying machines . . .
SANITY
YES!
APOLLO
But it wasn’t always this way.
SANITY
No?
APOLLO
Ilsa was once the greatest city on Anadell. The mother of colonies and subject states, spreading science and culture and art
SANITY
And majick
APOLLO
No, never majick. For majick was outlawed in Ilsa. The fools arts to be despised and destroyed by the Grey Wolves
SANITY
I like wolves.
APOLLO
But not even these Wolves could save Ilsa from its enemies
SANITY
Where’s Chuck Norris when you need him?
APOLLO
Terrorists attacked Ilsa’s most prized city, Glass Waters, wreaking chaos across the country. Panic. Rebellion.
SANITY
Definitely some enemies
APOLLO
And not only enemies from without, but within
SANITY
What, like that bean burrito I had last night?
APOLLO
Slake Diamond, son of the most powerful Senator in the Republic, turned families on each other. “Ilsa has become weak,” he said. “Filled with mongrels and magicians. Fools and weaklings. We must be strong to save Ilsa!”
SANITY
Sounds like my kind of man!
APOLLO
You really are a terrible person, aren’t you?
SANITY
Eh, it’s a living. What did Diamond do?
APOLLO
Grabbed for power, led the people against the Senate and created The Family, a nation meant to rule the world and bring Ilsan Order to all corners of Anadell.
SANITY
You know round worlds don’t have corners, right?
APOLLO
But the Senate fought back. Five years of bloody fighting – countless dead, colonies and nations taking sides – a world at war.
SANITY
Isn’t that a video game?
APOLLO
Now, the Republic’s last hope stands in the bitter cold, fighting his own desire to be hidden away with the one he loves. But Hannah will be there when he returns.
SANITY
Ugh, get back to the flying machines and majick and stuff.
APOLLO
A single man. A secret mission. The last hope.
SANITY
Now you just sound like the movie trailer guy.
APOLLO
Jason will save the Republic. One more mission and then they will run away. Together forever . . .
