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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

“Jude, no!” Anton’s terrified scream pierced the air.

Jude fought to stay conscious, pressure building in his chest and inside his head. His vision went black. After everything, after the others had all risked their lives for him, Jude was still going to die.

From somewhere nearby, he heard Hector’s voice. “Beru, I know you can hear me.”

Suddenly, Jude was plummeting to the ground. He crashed against the rock.

“THE MORTAL HEART INSIDE ME WILL NOT STOP ME FROM KILLING YOU,” the god said. “MAYBE ONCE, BUT NO LONGER.”

Jude sucked in a deep lungful of precious air.

“Jude,” Anton’s soft, urgent voice murmured.

He felt Anton’s hands cup his face. Jude blinked open his eyes with a groan. Pushing himself up on shaking arms, his gaze found Hector.

“I know you’re still in there, fighting,” Hector called to Beru, stepping toward her.

In a swirl of wind and light, the god raised Hector off the ground.

“THIS ONE. SHE LOVES THIS ONE. RIGHT NOW, SHE IS PLEADING WITH ME NOT TO KILL HIM.”

Terror distorted Hector’s features. Jude watched as he kicked his legs, like he was trying to swim through the air as the god lifted him higher.

“SHE WOULD DO ANYTHING TO SAVE HIM.”

“Hector!” Jude bellowed.

“BUT THERE IS NOTHING SHE CAN DO,” the god said. “NOTHING YOU CAN DO. I AM GOD. AND YOU CANNOT DESTROY ME.”

Jude couldn’t look away. Not as the god held up Beru’s hand. Not as Hector’s expression turned panicked and a scream tore from his throat. Not as a beam of bright white light pierced through Hector, and the scream abruptly cut off.

A dull roar filled Jude’s ears, and it was a moment before he realized it was the sound of his own voice, a wail that seemed to break around him.

Hector was dead.

Impassive, the god turned to him. “YOUR WORLD IS COMING TO AN END. AND THERE IS NOTHING YOU CAN DO TO SAVE IT.”

Jude closed his eyes and braced his hands against the stone ground. He could still feel the Sacred Word thrumming through him, but it felt muted, dissonant as the god’s voice surrounded them.

“IN ITS PLACE I WILL BUILD A BETTER ONE. A MORE BEAUTIFUL ONE, FILLED WITH CREATIONS THAT WILL NOT BETRAY ME. CREATIONS THAT WILL HEED ME AND LIVE IN HARMONY AS YOU HAVE FAILED, TIME AND AGAIN, TO DO.”

Grief crashed over Jude, drowning his last spark of hope. They had been here before, facing a vengeful god as it rained destruction down on them. But this, he knew, was the very last time. Their very last failure.

“THIS IS YOUR END.”

The end of the world was here and just like Anton had predicted, they could do nothing to stop it.

53

EPHYRA

Ephyra watched, horror turning her body to stone, as Hector fell to the ground.