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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

“Through here,” he said, grabbing hold of the windowsill and hoisting himself up. He toppled through to the other side, knees banging against the hard wood of the library’s floor. Khepri and Hector followed much more gracefully.

“Hear anyone?” Hector whispered.

Hassan shook his head. They crept out of the library and into the adjoining corridor. It was ominously empty.

“Which way to the throne room?” Hector asked.

Hassan led the way through the halls and up the stairs. As they approached the interior entrance to the throne room, they saw the first sign of a guard presence inside the palace. Six of them, posted along the hallway.

“Hassan,” Khepri said warningly as her hand went to the sword at her belt.

Just beyond the guards, Hassan could see the doors to the throne room.

He turned to Khepri. “Can you two hold them off?”

She briefly hesitated and then nodded.

“I’m going in alone,” he said. “Just keep the guards from entering.”

Khepri stared at him, a fierce look in her eyes, and then moved forward, kissing him briefly. “Fix this, Hassan,” she said against his lips. “I believe in you.”

Without another word, she spun away and mounted the stairs with Hector, bolting toward the guards.

Hassan waited until he heard the sound of clashing swords and then followed. Khepri had half the guards engaged in a melee, Hector the other half. As Hassan sprinted up the stairs, he heard the guards calling attention to him, but he just tucked his head low and kept running, trusting that Hector and Khepri could keep them at bay.

They had cleared a path to the door, and Hassan charged at it with all his strength.

The moment he reached it, though, he hesitated. He knew what lay on the other side. Lethia, the throne. The chance, at last, to seize his rightful place as king.

This time, he would not fail.

47

ANTON

The sea battered the barren rock where the lighthouse had once stood. The wind was ferocious today, the surf swollen with rain.

Anton hadn’t slept at all the night before. He’d barely closed his eyes. Jude had drifted off for an hour or so, tucked beside Anton, his body warm, his heartbeat steady under Anton’s palm. Anton had thought about the first night they’d spent together like this, Jude’s sweet, awkward inexperience yielding to eager confidence with every encouragement.

I found you. That means I get to keep you, Jude had said.

It isn’t fair, Anton thought. I should get to keep you, too.

He had held Jude’s hand all the way from the palace, and he didn’t let go as they stood at the perimeter of the lighthouse ruins, facing the sea. It was strange to recall that he and Jude had been on the tower itself when it fell. That they had crashed down with it, together.