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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

Anton looked back toward the river. “Find the Prophets,” he repeated quietly.

“This was your plan,” Hassan reminded him, frustration bleeding through his voice. “Now isn’t the time to lose faith. And these people—you have helped them, Anton. You told them who you are.”

Anton scratched at the wooden post. “How does that help them?”

“Because now they have hope,” Hassan said. “That’s a powerful thing, more powerful than you think.”

“And what if it’s false hope?” Anton asked. “What if…”

Hassan looked at his pale, freckled face, the bruised-looking bags beneath his eyes that only seemed to grow more pronounced, and knew that he, Hassan, was probably the only person in the world who understood the weight that had been laid on Anton’s shoulders. Even if Hassan hadn’t turned out to be the Prophet, those few days where he’d thought he was had been some of the hardest of his life.

Even after he’d learned the truth, he hadn’t been able to put down that burden. It would always be part of him.

“That’s what happens,” he said to Anton, “when people put their faith in you. You become responsible for them.”

“This is why…” Anton shook his head. “I never wanted this, never wanted to be this.”

“You should have gotten a choice,” Hassan agreed. “But few people do.”

They were quiet for a moment.

“I’m not strong enough,” Anton said suddenly. “I know I’m not. Jude could do it, Beru could do it, you could do it, but I’m…”

“Thank you for that,” Hassan said. “But you’re wrong. I don’t think a single one of us is strong enough to do this.”

“Then we’re doomed, aren’t we?”

“No,” Hassan said, his heart swelling for a moment. “No, we’re not, because none of us is doing it alone. That’s why we were brought together.”

Anton peered up at him, his gaze oddly calculating, like there was something he was holding himself back from saying.

“Come on,” Hassan said, when it was clear Anton was going to remain silent. “We shouldn’t keep the others waiting.”

Anton nodded, and they set off toward the citadel, turning their backs to the rest of the city.

29

JUDE

“Where do you think he went?” Ephyra asked as she and Jude walked the stone streets of Anvari.

Jude shook his head, trying to think. “I don’t know. Are there gambling halls in Anvari?”

Ephyra snorted. “Remind me to tell you about the time I found him in one in Pallas Athos, about to get ground into a pulp.”

Jude swung his gaze toward her, alarmed. “What?”

“Don’t worry, I rescued him,” she said. “So, you two had an argument?”

He didn’t answer, jaw clenching as he recalled the impasse they’d come to the night before.