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Back Into the Dying Light Save as PDF
Chapters (72)
  1. Copyright Notice
  2. Dedication
  3. I
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. BEFORE
  10. 6
  11. 7
  12. BEFORE
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. BEFORE
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. BEFORE
  25. II
  26. 18
  27. 19
  28. 20
  29. 21
  30. 22
  31. 23
  32. 24
  33. 25
  34. 26
  35. 27
  36. 28
  37. 29
  38. 30
  39. 31
  40. 32
  41. III
  42. 33
  43. 34
  44. 35
  45. 36
  46. 37
  47. 38
  48. 39
  49. 40
  50. 41
  51. IV
  52. 42
  53. 43
  54. 44
  55. 45
  56. 46
  57. 47
  58. 48
  59. 49
  60. 50
  61. 51
  62. 52
  63. 53
  64. 54
  65. 55
  66. 56
  67. 57
  68. 58
  69. AFTER
  70. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  71. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  72. Newsletter Sign-up

Beru was exhausted, but she couldn’t sleep. Careful not to disturb Khepri and Ephyra, she clambered out of the tent and crept into the trees. She paused in the shelter of their low-hanging boughs, closing her eyes.

You are Beru of Medea, she told herself. You can fight this. You will fight this.

NO, LITTLE MORTAL. YOU CAN’T.

“Beru?”

Beru whirled, the god’s power surging through her before she had a chance to stop it.

No! Beru pulled in a breath and tensed her whole body, clamping down on the god’s power. It sparked at her fingertips, sizzling through the air.

“Ephyra!” Beru shrieked.

With a deafening crack, the bough of one of the trees splintered and crashed to the ground. Ephyra dove out of the way, clearing the branch by inches.

Beru flung herself to her sister’s side. “Are you all right?”

Ephyra just stared at Beru, eyes wide and dark in the soft moonlight.

“Are you hurt?”

Ephyra slowly shook her head. “Was that you?”

“It was an accident,” Beru said, breathing hard. “You surprised me.”

Ephyra edged away from Beru, still staring at her with an expression akin to horror. “It was the god, wasn’t it?”

Beru bowed her head. She couldn’t lie to Ephyra.

“Is it taking control?” Ephyra asked, her voice so careful Beru almost didn’t recognize it.

Beru looked up. “No,” she said forcefully. “It was a mistake. A reflex.” She could still feel its power humming through her, and the burn of the Four-Petal Seal keeping it at bay. “I’m fine.”

She could see in Ephyra’s eyes that she didn’t believe her. It was what they always said to each other, as if by saying the words out loud they could make them true.

“Come here,” Ephyra said, winding an arm around Beru and drawing her close.

Beru wanted to resist, afraid that she might hurt Ephyra again, but in the end she relented, huddling against Ephyra’s side and dropping her head against her shoulder. The two of them breathed quietly in the dark, and Beru let herself pretend that this was something her big sister could protect her from.

“I’m fine,” she said again. She had to be, because they still had the rest of this journey ahead of them. And if Beru lost control, if she faltered even for a moment and let the god break through, then it would all be for nothing.

24

JUDE

Jude and Hector searched for a place to lure the Witnesses in their desperate flight through the dark tunnels. They already knew they would be woefully outnumbered—Anton had estimated at least two dozen Witnesses on their tail—so their only hope of gaining the upper hand was to use the terrain to their advantage.