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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

It whirled away from the Wanderer’s body, back toward Ephyra, who was staring in shock, the Chalice still clutched in her hand.

“KEEP GOING,” the god urged. “FREE ME.”

Ephyra stared in horror, hesitation written all over her face.

“DO IT.”

Ephyra’s eyes snapped closed, and she trembled. The Chalice began to glow, and once again Beru felt her sister’s power tugging at the god.

It felt like being torn in two.

Light poured from Beru’s hands and eyes, spilling out of her. Searing through her.

They were too entwined, had spent too much time trapped together. Wrenching the god from her body would kill her.

And the god would kill everyone else in the sanctum.

Stop! She wanted to scream. She struggled, frantic, against the tendrils of the god’s control.

Hector, she thought. His feelings had centered her before. She sought them, beneath the god’s rage, beneath her own hopelessness.

And felt … resolve.

“Ephyra,” Hector said from beside her. “You have to do what I asked. Now, before it’s too late.”

Their eyes met as he stepped toward Ephyra. Beru’s confusion slotted into understanding.

Ephyra wasn’t going to let the god go free. She was going to put it in Hector.

No.

No, she said again. They’re trying to trick you. They’re trying to trap you again.

SHE IS FREEING ME FROM YOU.

You are a fool, Beru said scornfully. This was all a trick. They will trap you in the other revenant.

She felt the god hesitate.

Why would I lie? Beru asked. I don’t want you here. You know that.

YOU WOULD RATHER BE CAGED BY ME THAN LET ME BE FREE.

Yes. Stay here. Stay with me.

Ephyra clutched the Chalice tighter, the glow of its power washing her in light. Beru reached for the bright coils of the god’s power and tried to hold on.

She gasped in a deep, desperate breath, as if breaching the surface of water. Her lungs heaved. She could feel it, the barest gap in the god’s control as it left her body.

She opened her mouth and screamed as loudly as she could. “Ephyra, stop!”

Ephyra froze, her eyes widening and her mouth going slack. In a second, she was at Beru’s side, touching her face.

“Beru, is that you?”

Streaks of light cascaded from Beru, spooling out like ribbons. The god, still trying to break free.

“It’s me,” Beru confirmed, clutching Ephyra’s shoulder. “You have to listen to me. You have to stop. Don’t—don’t do this.”

“But—”

“You want to save me,” Beru said, shaking her head. “You’ve always wanted to save me. But I never asked you to. So for once in your life, stop trying and do as I say.”

Ephyra lifted her tearstained face. Beru saw all the remorse and pain that Ephyra had kept bottled up for so long.