BooksBarbecue
Back Into the Dying Light
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

The hand that was holding the Chalice went slack, and the Chalice clattered across the marble floor. Beru closed her eyes as she felt the god flood back into her, its scorching light filling her from head to chest to feet. She gritted her teeth against the onslaught and focused on Ephyra, on her own pride and heartbreak. Beru had to maintain control, just a moment longer.

“Anton!” Illya’s voice cried. “The Relics!”

Anton hesitated a split second before sprinting back up the platform, toward the chest that held the other Relics. Lazaros whirled after him, but Anton reached them first. He seized the Oracle Stone and dove out of the path of Lazaros’s Godfire sword.

“No!”

As Lazaros took another swing at Anton, Jude leapt back onto the platform to parry the blow.

Anton clutched the Oracle Stone and staggered toward Beru as Jude held off Lazaros.

The Relics. Of course. They were trying to reseal the god and give Beru control again.

Only Beru knew it wouldn’t work. The god was much too strong now.

But maybe it would buy them time.

NO! the god roared, fighting for control. I WILL NOT BE BOUND AGAIN.

“Do it,” she said to Anton.

The Oracle Stone glowed in his right hand as his left touched Beru’s forehead. She felt the god’s esha jolt violently. The more power Anton poured into binding it, the more the god struggled. White-hot stars burst behind Beru’s eyes.

“In the name of the Holy Creator!” Lazaros’s voice rang out through the sanctum.

Beru turned. Lazaros stood at the base of the altar, a font of chrism oil overturned at his feet. The oil had spilled out into a glistening river across the marble floor, pooling around the chest of Relics. Lazaros’s gaze was locked on Beru, his Godfire sword raised high above him.

It took Beru a split second to understand what he was about to do. And another split second to act.

Summoning every last tattered scrap of control, Beru threw out her arms. Ephyra, Anton, Illya, Jude, and Hector vanished from the sanctum just as Lazaros brought the Godfire blade down, igniting the chrism oil.

The temple exploded into flame.

A shower of rubble and fire crashed down around her.

The god’s power surged through Beru, overtaking her. The Relics were destroyed. The blackened, charred corpse of Lazaros lay crumpled beside them in the ruins.

Flames licked at her back as the god stepped out onto the temple’s portico, hundreds of dead Witnesses spread out around it in the agora.

It wasn’t enough. The god’s rage only burned brighter.

It wanted this city to bleed.

It flicked Beru’s hand and blood rose from the Witnesses’ bodies in a fine mist. The god thrust out her arms and the mist coalesced into a towering wave of dark blood.