The Painted War [antikvár]

Chapter One Colours swirled in the air like ink dropped into clear water. Thin trails of pigment leaked from the surface of every painting in the throne room of La Luminosa. A beat seemed to pulse behind each one, as if some enormous heart was pumping out the colours. The courtiers who'd been waiting for an audience with Duchess Catriona stared in amazement, muttering and clutching their fans. Even the palace guards' faces were full of wonder. But Bianca di Lombardi felt nothing but dread. Somewhere behind those paintings there was another world - Oscurita, the Dark City, where there was no sunlight. And from where the Duchess Edita was about to invade. Bianca forced herself to turn away from the hypnotic, swirling colours and face her own Duchess. 'They're coming through, right now!' Please believe me, she added, to herself. Duchess Catriona rose from the throne and turned to the Captain of the Guard. 'Captain Raphaeli, call your forces together,' she announced in a clear, fearless voice. 'We must prepare for war.' 1