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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 recall a time when her trust in Ephyra had been automatic. Above reproach. When Ephyra was her big sister, who made everything all right just by being there.

When had she lost that? When was the first time she’d looked at her sister, the only person in the world who truly loved her, and wondered whether a monster stared back at her?

She studied Ephyra’s face now. The desperate gleam in her dark eyes. The scar that sliced down the left side of her face, a reminder of what she’d done to Hector.

“Beru,” Ephyra said. “Please.”

Maybe Ephyra was a killer. Maybe there was a monster inside her, as sure as there was one inside Beru.

But she was still her sister.

Her cheeks wet with tears, Beru nodded her assent and darted toward Ephyra.

“Clear the way!” Ephyra yelled to the crowd.

People dove to get out of their way, as if afraid that Ephyra would suck out their esha the way she had Illya’s.

Bile rose in Beru’s throat at the thought of him, but she gritted her teeth and forced it down. Ephyra shoved Pallas, her hostage, in front of her as she made her way across the platform. She reached back for Beru with her other hand.

“Come on,” she said. “I’m getting us out of here.”

Trust Ephyra. Beru stumbled to her side and took her sister’s hand.

10

JUDE

Jude waited until the morning guard shift change to make his move.

It had been a brutal four days in the prisoners’ tower, imprisoned alone with nothing to distract him from his thoughts. He’d run through their plan so many times he was sure he could recite it without missing a beat.

The first step, getting himself into the prisoners’ tower, had been easy enough. He’d entered the citadel dressed in a Sentry uniform, and then changed back into plainclothes and locked himself inside a holding cell. The next morning, he’d staged a breakout, and they moved him into the more securely guarded prisoners’ tower.

Jude could only hope the rest of the plan went as smoothly. He palmed the small vial that Hector had slipped into his dinner the night before. A thimbleful of dark green, viscous liquid sloshed inside. The Lost Rose’s alchemist had sworn it would be enough.

Holding the vial as far away from his body as he could, Jude uncorked it and splashed it onto the far wall of his cell. The liquid immediately began chewing through the stone until it formed a hole about one arm span across, through which Jude could see gray sky. The edges of the hole were smoking slightly.