BooksBarbecue
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 turned, following Hector’s gaze to a few figures in the distance, standing at the crumbling gate of the temple. He spotted Lazaros, with his gruesome scars, who seemed to be staring directly back at Anton. He shivered.

“We should go,” Jude said in a hard voice. And then, to Anton, softer, “We need to go.”

But what was the point of running?

“Why not stay a little while longer?” a familiar voice drifted over them. And there, from behind one of the Prophets’ tombstones, Pallas emerged, his white and gold robes flapping in the wind. “After all, you only just arrived.”

31

BERU

Beru watched as Pallas stepped out into the ruins, flanked by six Witnesses. The god’s power lit up like a fire inside her, its voice booming out in fury.

LET ME KILL HIM, it begged. LET ME—

Beru wanted to obey and strike Pallas down in a storm of lightning.

But the tiny scrap of her that she still recognized held firm. If she gave in, if Pallas died, then it was all over. The seal would break. The god would be free.

She squeezed her eyes shut, breathing in and focusing on Hector, standing somewhere near the entrance of the tomb behind her. She felt his horror and fear ripple through her, grounding her.

“Pallas,” Anton said, staring across the stone platform at the other Prophet. “How did you find us?”

“You think I didn’t know where you were heading the moment I felt you scrying at the Circle of Stones?” Pallas asked, in that soft voice that sent chills down Beru’s spine. “I’m sorry to say you’re too late. Much, much too late.”

“What happened to the other Prophets?” Anton demanded.

Pallas paced a wide circle before turning back to Anton. “I killed them, of course.”

Anton flinched. “But why?”

BECAUSE, the god snarled in Beru’s mind. HE NEVER WANTED TO SHARE HIS GLORY. HE WAS THE FIRST PROPHET TO RECEIVE THE POWER OF SIGHT, AND WHEN I GAVE IT TO THE OTHERS HE COULDN’T ABIDE BY IT. HE WANTED TO BE THE ONLY CHOSEN MESSENGER OF GOD.

The god’s fury clouded Beru’s mind, shrouding her own feelings in its dark fog.

“Because they were nothing but frightened children,” Pallas spat. “They wanted to stop me from doing what needed to be done to finally purge the world of our mistakes and return it to order. When we made the prophecy of King Vasili, we had no idea what we would unleash. Vasili wanted to best us, to prove our prophecy wrong. He pushed the Grace of Sight to its limit, a limit only we Seven had ever breached before. And while it did not give him the gift of foresight, it did allow him to speak to the god we had vanquished two millennia ago. And in doing so, he released a little bit of the god’s esha.”