Hailey Turner's Blog - Posts Tagged "haileyturner-comingsoon-excerpt"
The Emperor's Bone Palace Excerpt
“I’m Delani,
governor of the Warden’s Island,” she said in a raspy voice. “It’s rare we get
a request for citizens to want entry here, especially on such short notice.”
“I don’t
believe the Poison Accords ban citizens from the island,” Honovi said
carefully.
“It
doesn’t.” Delani stared at him for a long moment before her gaze slipped away
to focus on Caris. “But you’re not here as tithes, nor are you here as oversight,
are you, princess?”
Blaine
bristled beside her, and Caris tried not to flinch at that title. “I’m no
princess.”
Delani
raised an eyebrow, expression clearly disbelieving. “That’s not what the
broadsheets out of Ashion are saying.”
“Do you
get many here?” Blaine asked sharply.
“Wardens
send reports in every day through telegraph machines and telephones. I’m well
aware of what has occurred in Amari over the last few weeks. I am not the one
who named you princess, who espouses you can be queen. That is your public.”
“They
aren’t mine,” Caris said. “My name was never written down in the royal
genealogies.”
“You
wield starfire” was Delani’s blunt reply. “That’s mark enough of royal blood,
especially in Ashion.”
Blaine
stepped forward, edging partway in front of Caris, as if he could hide her how
he had with his silence all these years. “She isn’t why we are here.”
“Somehow,
I doubt that.”
“Governor—”
“Peace.
I’m a warden. We have no say in your politics and don’t want any. Our duty is
to the borders and always has been.”
Amazon: https://readerlinks.com/l/3273764
Barnes & Noble: https://readerlinks.com/l/3273765
governor of the Warden’s Island,” she said in a raspy voice. “It’s rare we get
a request for citizens to want entry here, especially on such short notice.”
“I don’t
believe the Poison Accords ban citizens from the island,” Honovi said
carefully.
“It
doesn’t.” Delani stared at him for a long moment before her gaze slipped away
to focus on Caris. “But you’re not here as tithes, nor are you here as oversight,
are you, princess?”
Blaine
bristled beside her, and Caris tried not to flinch at that title. “I’m no
princess.”
Delani
raised an eyebrow, expression clearly disbelieving. “That’s not what the
broadsheets out of Ashion are saying.”
“Do you
get many here?” Blaine asked sharply.
“Wardens
send reports in every day through telegraph machines and telephones. I’m well
aware of what has occurred in Amari over the last few weeks. I am not the one
who named you princess, who espouses you can be queen. That is your public.”
“They
aren’t mine,” Caris said. “My name was never written down in the royal
genealogies.”
“You
wield starfire” was Delani’s blunt reply. “That’s mark enough of royal blood,
especially in Ashion.”
Blaine
stepped forward, edging partway in front of Caris, as if he could hide her how
he had with his silence all these years. “She isn’t why we are here.”
“Somehow,
I doubt that.”
“Governor—”
“Peace.
I’m a warden. We have no say in your politics and don’t want any. Our duty is
to the borders and always has been.”
Amazon: https://readerlinks.com/l/3273764
Barnes & Noble: https://readerlinks.com/l/3273765
