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Back The Bone Shard Emperor
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

It was better this way – when we didn’t get along. But somehow, I couldn’t shake the feel of fighting the assassins with her at my back, when it felt like for a brief moment we’d both set aside our roles. It had felt like we could take on an army and come out unscathed. I shook my head and went to the railing.

Mephi and Thrana swam alongside the boat, chasing one another in the wake. I called to them and waved them up. We’d be making landfall soon.

They scrambled onto the deck and I had to leap back to avoid getting drenched as they both shook off seawater. Mephi bounded to me, demanding his cheeks be scratched. I obliged with a laugh. Thrana hung back, her head low, ears back. She didn’t quite trust me. Lin had said her father had experimented on the creature, and this torture had left its mark.

It was strange to return to Nephilanu. The last time I’d been here I’d been a smuggler, searching for my lost wife. Now I was Captain of the Imperial Guard, a lofty position I wasn’t even sure I wanted. And I knew something about the island that Lin did not. The Shardless Few had helped depose the prior governor, and even now they were probably strengthening their foothold on the island. In the jungle to the east of the city was their hideout, where I’d found the Alanga book. I pushed away the trickle of guilt. By all rights, I should have told her. I was her Captain of the Imperial Guard and she was setting foot on an island with a significant Shardless Few presence. But I was also a Shardless Few spy.

I needed to go back. The more I thought about it, the more I knew there had to be other hidden doors in that dark hallway. The hideout had once been home to Alanga, their murals gracing the stone walls. What better place to find answers about the Alanga than in a place they’d once lived?

We docked at the main city and I caught a glimpse of the palace on the hillside above the rooftops. Ranami knew well enough she should pretend not to have met me – we’d met while she’d been working for the Shardless Few. Hopefully she had briefed Phalue.