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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 don’t,” Jude said. “Everyone dies eventually. Everything comes to an end. But if I have to die, then I’d rather die knowing that I gave my life everything I could. That I wanted. That I loved and was loved. That I was afraid, and I didn’t let fear hold me back. That I leapt from the top of a lighthouse without knowing what lay below. That I walked down a path darker and stranger than the one set out before me, with only the faith of the boy I love to guide me.”

He covered Anton’s hand with his own.

“You gave that to me,” he said. “All the things I wanted for myself, things I didn’t even know I could want. Whatever happens when we get to Nazirah, whatever happens to me, you can’t forget that.”

Anton turned his hand palm up below Jude’s and laced their fingers together, knuckle to knuckle.

“All right,” he said into the wind. “I won’t.”

41

BERU

Most of the acolytes of the Temple of Endarra fled when the god arrived.

Beru stood on the steps of the temple, looking out at the river where the acolytes had piled into boats to row themselves into the city.

But some of them remained, lowering themselves to shaking knees in supplication.

The god didn’t try to stop the ones that fled. It had no need to.

It would show these people that they had been worshipping false idols these last two millennia. Building monuments like this temple to the god’s murderers. Letting their beliefs corrupt them, spreading lies like invisible poison.

It was then that the god knew what it would do.

“THIS WAS THE CITY NAMED FOR ENDARRA THE FAIR. ITS BEAUTY DISGUISES THE SICKNESS THAT FESTERS INSIDE IT. BUT NO LONGER—NOW THAT SICKNESS WILL BE EXPOSED FOR ALL TO SEE.”

It closed Beru’s eyes and summoned a plague. An invisible cloud of infection rose above the temple, and the god let its poison waft toward the fleeing acolytes until it filled the very air they breathed. It would be hours before the sickness took hold, and by that time they would have spread it across the city. And when the people called out to their Prophets, there would be no answer.

From within her shackles deep in the god’s mind, Beru fought against the god’s will.

I am Beru of Medea, she told herself. Sister of Ephyra. A revenant.

WHY ARE YOU SAYING THIS?

Because I don’t want to forget, Beru replied. I can’t forget.

IT WOULD BE BETTER IF YOU FORGOT. IT WOULD BE EASIER.