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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

Alone, Lore took a deep, ragged breath. Despite the chill outside, the sun through the cracked window was warm on her skin. She rested her forehead against the glass and counted her breaths, an old trick from childhood to calm her heart, calm her nerves.

They’d still be looking for her. Lore knew that. And the longer she stayed in one place, the easier she’d be to find.

She could move in with Val and Mari again, if she wanted. That door was always open. But having someone who tried to control her comings and goings never sat well with her, after… after what her life had been like before.

So not with Val, then. But staying here wasn’t an option.

It’d be awkward to end things, with both her and Michal on Val’s team. Val would intercede where she could once she knew the situation, but it would be impossible for them not to see each other at all. Val had warned her as much, when Lore first took up with Michal. Lore had thrown it back at her, saying that Val and Mari had obviously made it work, so why couldn’t she? But both of them knew it wasn’t the same, that it was an argument for the sake of arguing. Lore wasn’t looking to be settled. Lore was always running, always moving. She just liked to rest sometimes.

She sighed, forehead still pressed to the glass. It’d be easiest if she could make Michal hate her, probably. And though the thought was an ice pick, she knew she could do it. She could make Michal glad she’d decided to leave, hurt him so badly that he’d never try to get close again.

That would be easiest.

Lore opened her eyes, straightened. She pushed aside the curtain that served as a door and walked down the stairs.

A flounce of tulle on the couch indicated that Elle had resumed her pre-breakfast position. Lore huffed a laugh. “Bye, Elle-Flower.”

Elle groaned in response.

At the threshold, Lore paused, placing her hand along the weather-beaten wood of the lintel. She’d stayed here longer than any of the previous places—with Michal, with Elle. He was a good man, one of the first she’d encountered. He cared about her.

She’d miss him more than the house, more than the safety. That was new.

Another pat against the doorframe. “Goodbye,” Lore murmured, then she slipped out to lose herself in Dellaire’s streets again.

A Preview of "The Stardust Thief"

if you enjoyed

THE BONE SHARD EMPEROR

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THE STARDUST THIEF

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The Sandsea Trilogy

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Chelsea Abdullah

Inspired by stories from One Thousand and One Nights, The Stardust Thief weaves the gripping tale of a legendary smuggler, a cowardly prince, and a dangerous quest across the desert to find a legendary, magical lamp.

Neither here nor there, but long ago….