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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

Was he… taunting it? The sea serpent struck out at him and Phalue understood then – by bringing the creature’s head closer to the ground, Tythus could get a better shot at the rider on its neck. He rolled to the side as the serpent’s jaws snapped shut, narrowly missing him. He couldn’t know that taking out the rider would make a difference, but as he’d said before, it was a fair guess. Tythus recovered and swung his sword at the rider, the soldiers behind him rushing in. But all of them were too late. The serpent lifted its head, taking the rider out of range. It readjusted and slammed its body against the gates again.

Phalue shook the rain from her eyes, the taste of blood in her mouth. “Strike at the rider,” she said to the guards with her. “Down here!” she called to the sea serpent. She thrust at the leg closest to her. The creature whipped its head about.

The focus of its flashing yellow eyes made her knees weak. Its head lashed out. She threw herself to the side, barely in time. Gravel crunched below her, water soaking through the back of her cloak. She heard its strike behind her. Its teeth snapped shut, barely missing her ankle. Phalue lifted her head. Her guards had run forward, but none of them had managed to get there in time.

Tythus was suddenly there at her side, lending her a hand up.

“What happened to flanking?”

“The rider is whispering commands to the serpent. We need to take them out. You and me – we can do this together,” he said. Before waiting for her response, he rushed in. He shouted and thrust his sword at the sea serpent’s shoulder. Phalue darted in after him. She had to be ready. The serpent struck and Tythus dodged. Phalue lifted her sword. The rider came into view. A woman, her head bent toward the serpent’s neck. Phalue was bigger, stronger – she was going to make it.

The serpent’s head diverted to the side at the last moment, its jaws closing around Tythus’s torso.

Phalue’s world stopped. She was screaming something, she wasn’t even sure the words. All she could hear was her voice – a wrenching, wailing sound. The serpent’s head lifted away, leaving a broken body behind on the gravel path. It swept past the guards and slammed into the gates for a third time.

With a crack, the gates gave way.

50

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Lin

Gaelung Island