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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

“This way,” Ephyra said, ducking around the corner, away from the sightlines of the watchtower that flanked the front gate, Beru’s hand clutched in hers.

There was a flat pavilion roof ahead. If they could climb up, they’d be hidden from anyone passing by below. Ephyra raced toward it, Beru on her heels.

Then, from nowhere, a high-pitched screech shattered the air. The world exploded into white.

For a moment, Ephyra was certain she was dying. She couldn’t hear anything, couldn’t see anything, could only feel Beru’s hand clutched in hers. A second later, her hearing wavered back.

“Ephyra,” she heard Beru say, her voice sounding far away. “Ephyra, I can’t see.”

Ephyra couldn’t see anything, either. She was completely blind, drowning in bright light.

“There! It’s them!” she heard someone call.

“Where? I can’t see anything!” another voice answered.

At least they weren’t the only ones running blind. Ephyra tugged Beru, and they both stumbled forward, in what she hoped was the direction of the pavilion. But before she could take another step, someone seized her by the arms.

“Cuff her!” someone called out.

Whoever had taken her arms wrenched them behind her back.

“I’ll kill you,” she snarled, thrashing in their hold. “Let go of me or I’ll kill you.”

She started to draw the esha from her attacker, felt his grip weaken, and then she felt someone else slap a cold cuff around her wrist. Fire and ice shot through Ephyra’s veins as her Grace strained against the Godfire cuff.

“No,” she whispered. “No.”

She still had to revive Illya, or his body would be taken to burn. She still had to get them all out of here.

“Take them to the courtyard,” a voice ordered. “And round up the others.”

Others? What others?

She felt someone press her into the ground and heard Beru’s panicked breathing as the Witnesses dragged them away.

12

HASSAN

“Close your eyes!” Hassan cried over the shriek of the flash bomb. Behind his eyelids, the world was lit in white.

He felt Hector—he assumed it was Hector—reach out and grab his shoulder as the flash bomb faded. Hassan blinked open his eyes and saw the surrounding Paladin shielding their vision against the fading blast. But it was too late for them—the flash bomb had done its job. Even with their Graces, the Paladin couldn’t see as long as the flash bomb’s effects lingered. It would buy Hassan, Hector, and Jude a few minutes—long enough to flee the amphitheater.

“I don’t get it,” Jude said, looking around. “Beru was supposed to be here. Where did she go?”

Hassan shook his head. “I don’t know. We need to get out of here and come up with a new plan.”