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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

Beru could feel breath as it moved through her lungs. She rose to her feet. When she looked down, she could see the rock below her had been scorched a bright white in the pattern of a many-pointed star, with her at the center.

And at her feet, Ephyra lay crouched on the ground, her arms over her head, shielding herself.

Beru reached out and touched her shoulder. Ephyra flinched, but then her arms came away from her head and she gazed up at Beru, eyes filling with tears.

“Beru?”

“It’s me,” Beru confirmed. “And also … not me.”

“The god, is it—is it gone?” Ephyra asked.

Beru shook her head. “It’s … part of me, now.”’

“What does that mean?”

“It means that it won’t hurt you. I won’t hurt you.” She swept her gaze over the others, who were frozen, staring at her with expressions of horror and wonder. “Any of you.”

Her gaze found the place where Hector’s body lay. Hassan and Khepri knelt over him. She walked toward him, noting how Hassan flinched as she neared.

She felt the tug of her mortal heart in her chest, felt the pain of this loss acutely, even knowing that she—or at least a part of her—had killed him. But the pain felt different than it had when she was just human. She could feel his esha, that sacred energy that had been, uniquely, Hector, as it dispersed into the air, returning to the earth. Returning to her. And for a moment, she glimpsed what would become of it—re-forming itself, reshaping into new life.

She turned back to face everyone. Anton stared at her, exhaustion written plainly on his pale face. Beside him was Jude, grief and hope on his. Illya, assessing Beru carefully. Khepri, awed and a little fearful, but not without the spark of courage that always lingered in her eyes, like she was ready to face down the world if she had to. And Hassan, suspicious and thoughtful.

And last, Ephyra, who looked at Beru with love. Always with love.

“I am not the girl you wanted to save,” she said to Ephyra. And then, to the others, “Nor am I the ancient god you wanted to slay. The god is dead. So is the girl.”

“Then what are you?” Anton asked.

She told them the truth. “I don’t know.” She wasn’t mortal anymore. Yet her mortal heart still beat. “But you can trust that I will not harm you. Or any human.”

“How can we trust that?” Hassan asked.

“I suppose you must have faith.”

And she would prove that their faith was deserved.

55

ANTON

Anton watched as a bright light enveloped Beru—or what had once been Beru. He raised an arm to shield his eyes, and when the light faded, she was gone.