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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

He just hoped they wouldn’t be too late.

A bolt of lightning whipped down from the sky, cracking one of the pillars that lined the steps.

“Hassan!” Khepri’s terrified voice shrieked.

It was the last sound he heard as the pillar came crashing toward him.

49

EPHYRA

Ephyra wasn’t used to waiting. That had always been Beru’s job—countless nights waiting for Ephyra to return from a kill, not knowing whether she’d come back hurt. Whether she’d come back at all.

Ephyra had never realized how excruciating those nights must have been for Beru. Not until she found herself in the same position—except now, Ephyra couldn’t hope that Beru would return to her. Because if Jude and Anton succeeded, then Beru would die. And Ephyra would have to figure out how to go on.

Illya had kept the promise he’d made the night before. He’d stayed at her side all through the morning, as the storm outside the Great Library raged harder with every passing minute. Occasionally, soldiers arrived carting their wounded and fallen comrades. Ephyra watched them hurrying through the corridors, but without her Grace there was little she could do to help any of them.

The storm outside reached a crescendo some two hours after Hassan and the others had left. Thunder boomed through the sky, so loud and persistent that at first Ephyra thought it was the sound of Zareen’s explosives, echoing all the way from the palace. But a glance out the atrium window showed a blood-red sky and blinding, silver bolts of lightning crackling through it.

The doors of the atrium burst open, and a cascade of hail and wind followed two figures inside.

It was Sefu and Chike, Khepri’s brothers.

“What’s going on out there?” Illya asked, hurrying toward them.

“The fighting’s over,” Sefu said. “But the storm—”

“She’s here,” Ephyra said. The god had arrived in Nazirah. The end was coming.

“It attacked the palace,” Chike said. “Ripped the roof clean off. Khepri, Hassan, and Hector were inside. We don’t know what happened to them.”

Ephyra was halfway to the door before she even registered she’d started moving.

“Where are you going?” Illya called after her, jogging to keep up.

“We can’t just stay here,” she said. “We have to help find them.”

Illya reached for her wrist, pulling her back to him. He didn’t say anything, just studied her face, his golden eyes dark with concern. She knew what he was thinking—that if the god was at the palace, Ephyra wouldn’t be able to handle seeing it. Seeing her.

Then he blinked, steeling himself, and nodded. “All right. Let’s go.”