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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 sighed, pacing away from him. “It’s not that.” She had to do this before she lost her nerve. “I don’t even know how to say this.” She stared down at her hands. “Hector, your feelings for me aren’t real.”

He stared at her, dumbfounded for a moment. Then he let out a snort of laughter.

Beru took a step back, stung.

“What—You’re serious?” he said, the mirth draining from his face. “What … explain what you mean.”

“The connection between our esha,” Beru said with a wave. “It sort of … transferred my feelings to you. That is, my feelings for you spilled over to you, the same way fear and anger and everything else does. The feelings you think you have for me? Those are my feelings. How I feel when I’m with you. I made you fall in love with me. I mean, it wasn’t on purpose but still—I’m the one who put those thoughts in your head.”

His expression grew increasingly more troubled, his lips pressed tightly together, his eyes narrowing. Finally, he said, “Beru. That is … the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard.”

“Think about it,” she said tersely. “Why would you ever have cared about me if it wasn’t for that? What reason would you have? I—I’m the reason your family is dead, and I’m the reason Ephyra killed you. I’m—”

“Hey,” he said, cupping a broad hand over the side of her neck where it met her shoulder. “You think I haven’t thought about this? You think I just started feeling this way one day and didn’t question it?”

“So you did question it,” Beru said. “You thought that it was wrong somehow, that you would never—”

“That’s not what I’m saying,” Hector broke in. “It wasn’t … I didn’t wake up one day with feelings I couldn’t explain. They were always there. On the train to Tel Amot, when we were in Medea. They were already there.” He let go of her abruptly, dragging a hand through his hair. “I couldn’t accept it, at first. That day when I found you on the train you were so—different from what I thought you’d be. It made me furious. At myself, mostly. That I could feel anything for the person responsible for my family’s death.”

“Hector—”