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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

But when it was his own life in the balance, Jude’s first instinct was to do what he had been brought up to do—sacrifice in order to serve.

He had done away with that instinct, he thought. He had done away with it in that taverna in Tanais, taking Anton into his arms and kissing him like he’d wanted to for weeks. He had done away with it in Behezda, facing Lazaros with the Pinnacle Blade singing in his hands.

Lazaros had claimed that the Godfire flames had remade him, transformed him into something new. Maybe they had done the same to Jude after all. Maybe he had become something new the moment he had reached for Anton on the parapet of the lighthouse.

And maybe what he was, what he was still becoming, was more than what the Prophets had planned.

30

ANTON

The sky was growing light by the time Anton felt Jude’s esha approaching camp.

Anton had barely moved since Jude had stalked off into the night hours ago. He felt numb, paralyzed by grief and guilt as he sat perched at the edge of the rock overlooking the springs, knees pulled to his chest.

He didn’t even turn around when he felt Jude stop at his side, only inches away.

“Just tell me,” he said without looking up. “Tell me what you’re going to do.”

Jude sat down beside him and asked softly, “What do you want me to say?”

Anton turned to him. “I want you to say you believe in me enough to save you.”

Jude met his gaze, his expression one of grief rather than anger. “I do believe in you. I always believe in you, Anton. I just don’t understand why you don’t believe in me.”

Anton blinked back the tears that threatened to fall. “What?”

How could Jude think that?

“You just thought I would do it,” Jude said. “You kept this from me for months because you thought I’d make up my mind the moment you told me.”

Anton felt gutted and raw beneath the tempest of Jude’s gaze. He didn’t want to hear what Jude would say next.

“You didn’t want to let me make a choice because you thought you knew what it would be,” Jude said. “But you’re wrong.”

Anton lifted his head, the faintest spark of hope flaring in him.

“We still have a chance. Find the other Prophets and kill the god. I don’t think it will be easy, but I think we can do it.” He reached for Anton’s hand, folding it in his own. “If, that is, we do it together.”

Anton sucked in a shaking breath that turned into a sob. He sagged against Jude, aching with relief as tears spilled down his cheeks. He hadn’t let himself hope for this, not once. It was too painful.