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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

She’d known what he wanted to do—tell Jude where they were. She had been cautious, explaining gently that once Anton knew the full truth, once he saw what she planned to show him, he wouldn’t want Jude there anymore. Anton hadn’t believed her, hadn’t thought it possible. Since that day on the lighthouse, he’d never imagined that he would have to do any of this—be the Prophet—without Jude.

But now he understood that the only way to keep Jude safe was to leave him behind.

“You haven’t changed your mind, have you?” the Wanderer asked.

Anton shook his head. He wouldn’t tell Jude where they were heading, no matter how much he wanted to. Anton had only learned to dreamwalk so that he could tell Jude that he was alive and safe. Somehow, though, it had turned into these near-nightly visits, where Anton lost himself in Jude’s closeness, only to wake missing him more than ever.

It was a new sensation, to miss someone like this. He’d protected himself against it for so long that he couldn’t help but feel angry—at himself, at Jude—for letting cracks form in the walls around his heart.

“You know how that all ended for me,” the Wanderer said to Anton.

“Dreamwalking?” he asked, being purposely obtuse.

She gave him an indulgent smile. “The other thing.”

She meant love.

And he did know how that had ended for her. He knew because she had shown him. Because his third and most important lesson had been how to reach back into the past and see with his own eyes who the Seven Prophets were and the mistakes they had made.

The Wanderer had shown him everything he’d wanted to know. But the answers he’d gotten from the past weren’t the answers he’d wanted.

“Well, I won’t let it end like that for me,” Anton said firmly. He would do everything in his power to ensure history didn’t repeat itself. It was the very reason they were on this journey. Why they’d left the Wandering City, bidding the people who’d sheltered them farewell and journeying half a world away, to Kerameikos. To find the only other people who knew how to defeat the god.

BEFORE

The sky shivered with color. Gold and pink and violet lights chased one another across the stars. The air seemed to pulse with it.

And then, as Pallas watched from the steps of the Temple of the Holy Creator, six drops of light fell to the earth. Pallas alone could hear the words ringing from the sky, the message of the Creator.

“AS THERE WAS ONE PROPHET TO DELIVER MY MESSAGE, SO NOW THERE WILL BE SEVEN. SEVEN PROPHETS TO HEAR MY WORDS, CHOSEN FOR THEIR VIRTUES. NAZIRAH THE WISE. KERIC THE CHARITABLE. ENDARRA THE FAIR. BEHEZDA THE MERCIFUL. TARSEIS THE JUST. AND ANANKE THE BRAVE.”