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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

Lin drew her engraving tool from her sash. “Kill the shamblers. Keep them at bay,” she said to me. “I know how to deal with war constructs.”

She leapt away aboard Thrana, and it felt like my heart was leaping away with her. I tore my gaze from the monstrous constructs, focusing on the army of shamblers climbing their way up the hill.

I sent another quake toward them, trying my best to direct it down the path and away from the soldiers behind me. The shambling constructs fell, their feet giving way, some pitching over the slope and onto the switchback below. Mephi darted forward, harrying the ones that made it through. He was the size of a large dog now, and used his horns to his advantage, plowing through constructs as though they were brush.

Something cold and sharp came to rest on my collarbone. “Ah, Jovis. You always should check, you know. Even when you’re busy. Alanga are notoriously difficult to kill.”

46

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Nisong

Gaelung Island

Every blow she struck, every kill she made had a name. For Shell, for Frond, for Grass and for Leaf. Nisong waded into the thick of battle, surrounded by war constructs, putting the force of her anger behind each blow of her cudgel. They should have been here with her. Lin, the Empire, the world had conspired against her. Things would have been different with her friends at her side. Shell would have cooked something filled with hot peppers the night before battle. Frond would have finished his bird carving by now and would be whittling something new. Grass would have gone over her battle plans, sucking at her lip as she read them, age-spotted hands pointing out where improvements could be made. And Leaf would have been at Nisong’s side, helping carry out her orders.

Lin spoke of peace, but she’d struck the first blow. Shiyen might have sent them to Maila, but Lin had put the bounty on their heads. The Emperor thought she could slap the constructs across the face and then hold that same hand out to be clasped in friendship. There was only one way this could have ended. Nisong had to remind herself the constructs from Maila had chosen to follow her; they’d chosen this path too.

She slammed her cudgel into a soldier’s helmet, denting it and sending him tumbling to the ground. Blood spattered across her lips. For Leaf, with the thin, gentle hands and the narrow face.

She pushed through the soldiers on the plateau, trying to find a weakness in their lines. Already the war constructs were scattering them, sending some tumbling down the hill. They just needed to make it to the gates.

Several fell beneath her war beasts’ claws and teeth. Another fell to Nisong’s cudgel. For Shell. He would have led the way.