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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

Anton lifted the Stone, warm in his palm, and held it out to her. She touched it reverently, closing her eyes.

The Stone began to glow, and Anton felt a surge of power, like the ringing of the Circle of Stones, wash over him. Nazirah stepped away, her arm dropping to her side, but the ringing didn’t cease. Endarra was next, smiling at Anton and cupping her hand over the Stone to add her own power. The ringing grew louder, brighter, more layered. Keric followed, giving Anton a conspiratorial wink before he added his. Tarseis gave Keric a vaguely disapproving look before following.

Behezda was last, adding her own power to the harmony. When she was done, and the thread of her Grace had joined the others, she leaned toward Anton and placed a kiss on his forehead.

“Go,” she said. “Go and see it done.”

52

JUDE

Lightning split the sky as Anton collapsed. Jude dove toward him, bracing his fall.

Anton’s eyes fluttered open. His grip tightened around the glowing Oracle Stone.

“What happened?” Jude asked.

Anton reached up to touch his face, his expression dazed.

“Did you see them?” Hector asked from behind them.

“I spoke to them,” Anton said softly as Jude helped him sit up.

“To the Prophets?” Hassan asked.

Anton held up the glowing Oracle Stone. “They gave me their power. They gave us their power.”

Jude opened his mouth to ask one of the thousand questions running through his mind. Questions like How? And What did they say? But what came out was, “So it’s really possible? You can make us into Prophets?”

Anton nodded.

“Well,” Hassan said grimly. “Let’s not waste any more time. What do we need to do?”

“Just stay where you are,” Anton replied. “I can—”

“Wait,” Jude said sharply, grabbing Anton’s wrist. “Let me go first. It should be me taking the risk. If something goes wrong, you can still unleash the Sacred Word.”

Anton looked like he wanted to argue, but instead he met Jude’s gaze and nodded. His eyes closed again and Jude let go of his wrist. He watched as Anton breathed in deeply and then, on the exhale, the Oracle Stone glowed brighter. Anton held the Stone in one hand, and with the other seemed to pull out a thread of light. Not light—Grace. Jude heard a faint ringing sound, and as Anton touched his palm to Jude’s chest, it grew louder, until it blocked out all other sound except the beating of Jude’s own heart.

Light shattered the air around Jude like an explosion. Jude fell to his knees as it enveloped him. The first brush of it against his esha left Jude gasping. The Grace burned through him. It felt almost like Godfire flames, except it was the opposite. Where Godfire had hollowed him out, this Grace filled him, like water bursting from a dam.

“Jude!”