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Back The Bone Shard Emperor Save as PDF
Chapters (68)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Map
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. 13
  17. 14
  18. 15
  19. 16
  20. 17
  21. 18
  22. 19
  23. 20
  24. 21
  25. 22
  26. 23
  27. 24
  28. 25
  29. 26
  30. 27
  31. 28
  32. 29
  33. 30
  34. 31
  35. 32
  36. 33
  37. 34
  38. 35
  39. 36
  40. 37
  41. 38
  42. 39
  43. 40
  44. 41
  45. 42
  46. 43
  47. 44
  48. 45
  49. 46
  50. 47
  51. 48
  52. 49
  53. 50
  54. 51
  55. 52
  56. 53
  57. 54
  58. 55
  59. 56
  60. 57
  61. Acknowledgements
  62. Discover More
  63. extras
  64. meet the author
  65. A Preview of "The Foxglove King"
  66. A Preview of "The Stardust Thief"
  67. BY ANDREA STEWART
  68. Praise for Andrea Stewart

And when had Phalue ever backed down from a confrontation? “It’s not about that. When we agreed to a truce, you laid out your terms. None of that involved you having a say in how I govern Nephilanu. You wanted the caro nut shipment halted? It’s halted. That’s all I owe to you, Gio.”

He glowered at her from beneath his hood, his one black eye like a sinkhole in the crags of his face. “Deny the visit,” he said again.

“I will not.”

For a moment, she thought he might attack her. She would have welcomed that – the clash of blades, his strength matched against hers, the simple arena of a physical fight. Let that decide the matter.

But he took a step back, his lip curled as though he’d tasted something bitter. “I won’t break the truce. But you’re making a decision you’ll come to regret. And it won’t be me making you regret it. The Sukais have never been a peaceful people. They have never in their long history looked out for the interests of others. They murder those that oppose them, they hoard their magic and they seek out power no matter the cost.

“A Sukai might convince you they care, that they have some grander motives, but they are always lying. Always.”

20

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Jovis

Somewhere in the Endless Sea

I’m surprised to find Ylan is good company as he recovers. I keep mostly to myself, but having someone else around is comforting, and I find we have much to talk about. He is a scholar, and well-read. He walks with me sometimes as I tend to my island, and we speak on the natures of beasts and men. He has made the study of ossalen (??) his life’s work, and I add my own thoughts to his observations. But we don’t always get along. He says the Alanga are too powerful. What counts as a small squabble (conflict?) between our people can upend boats and flatten farms. When I point out that the Alanga pay a damage price (restitution), he snaps that some of us do. (Mephi was unclear on the wording in the next lines. Something to do with doubt and questioning and guilt.)

I ask that we speak on other subjects and he relents, but always we end up circling back.

What if – he asks me – there was a way to keep my brethren in check?

—Notes from Jovis’s translation of Dione’s journal

Unta was gone.