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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

I SAID STOP!

The flames ceased falling. The fires went out in puffs of smoke. The Hall of Justice smoldered gently.

“Holy One,” Lazaros said, turning to the god. “What has happened? Are we not here to show these people that you are their god?”

The god did not answer him. Instead, it spoke to Beru.

WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?

It was angry at her. But she did not know why.

YOU HAVE DONE SOMETHING TO ME. YOU HAVE MADE ME …

Disdain, disgust, and helplessness swam through Beru like nausea.

WHY DO I FEEL THIS WAY?

The god’s confusion rose above the churning tide of its scorn. It turned to Lazaros. “WE ARE LEAVING.”

Sunlight blazed against the red rock as the god walked through the rubble of Behezda to where the Red Gate had once stood.

Lazaros waited a long time to speak, but when they reached the remains of the Red Gate, he finally asked, “Holy One, why have you taken us here? I ask not to question you, but because I am flawed and stupid as all humans are, and I want only to deepen my understanding of your greatness.”

The god did not answer for a long moment, one that stretched out as the sun sank beyond the red cliffs and the ruins cast long, jagged shadows across the earth.

Finally, it said, “THIS IS WHERE I BEGAN AGAIN.”

“It is a holy place,” Lazaros agreed.

“SOMETHING HAPPENED TO ME HERE. I WAS RESURRECTED. AND I WAS JOINED TO ANOTHER.”

“The girl?”

The god finally turned back to him. “YES. THE GIRL. WHEN THE NECROMANCER RESURRECTED ME, SHE PUT ME IN THIS BODY. BUT IT IS NOT JUST THIS BODY I AM BOUND TO.”

Beru understood before Lazaros did. The god had been in her body, in her mind, for so long. You have seen the world through mortal eyes. My eyes. You know pain and suffering now. You have felt them for yourself.

“I HAVE FELT HER HUMANITY. HER HEART.”

Hope flickered inside her, a light that Beru had thought long extinguished. She sheltered it from the dark weight of the god’s horror and anger and waited for what the god would say next.

“I WANT IT GONE.”

Her hope sputtered out, leaving her cold with certain dread. Her love, her heart, hadn’t changed the god. It had only made it despise her.

Lazaros bowed his head. “Yes, Holy One. I freed you from Pallas’s binding, and I will free you from the chains of humanity, too. Tell me what I must do.”

“THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO!” the god snapped.

Lazaros swallowed and slowly met Beru’s gaze. Something sparked in his cold gray eyes. “Perhaps not. But I may know of someone who can help.”

36

EPHYRA