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Back Into the Dying Light
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

Illya peered at him through the dark, silent and unmoving for a long moment. Anton could not read the expression on his face. Finally, he nodded. “Then let’s not waste any more time.”

He started down the tunnel, and after a beat, Anton followed, the Wanderer beside him. He’d risk her life and his own to save Jude. He’d do anything—even follow Illya straight into the jaws of his enemies.

BEFORE

In the end, it was the fear of what the god might do to Temara that persuaded Ananke. She kissed Temara goodbye in the hut at the edge of the world and went with Pallas.

Their journey lasted many weeks as they sailed across the Pelagos Sea and marched far into the Seti Plain. Ananke spent much of that time dreading what the other Prophets would say when she arrived. She was at turns sorrowful, repentant, and furious at their betrayal.

The other Prophets met them on the banks of the River of Mercy, on the outskirts of Behezda’s city.

“We don’t have much time,” Pallas warned them. “Once the god senses that Ananke has returned, it will come for her.”

“Then let’s be brief,” Nazirah agreed.

“Wait,” Ananke said. “I—I need to tell you how sorry I am for causing all this.”

Behezda put a hand on Ananke’s shoulder. “What you did was foolish. But we would be fools not to see that this is our only option.”

“There will be time for recrimination and redress later,” Tarseis replied. “Pallas, tell us what we must do to destroy the god.”

“The god speaks to us, and only us,” Pallas said. “We alone can hear the holy words of our Creator. Not the words of human speech, but the powerful voice of the god that would drive any other person mad. We alone can understand the language of esha.”

“And so?” Keric asked. “How do we defeat it?”

“By speaking back to it,” Pallas replied. “In each of us, there is a piece of the god’s esha. Alone, that piece of the god’s esha gives us the power to understand its message. But if we were to combine our powers, we could speak the language of esha—of the god—ourselves. Our esha could combine to speak a word that could destroy it.”

“Speak a word of god,” Nazirah repeated, shaking her head. “That is a dangerous plan, Pallas.”

“It is our only path if we want to save the world from the god’s wrath,” Pallas replied.

Uneasily, the others nodded their agreement.

The Seven Prophets let their esha call out into the world around them. Each one rang at its own divine frequency, and as the ripples of their esha spooled out, they began to layer together, resolving into a single wave of power.

A word that spoke in the voice of the god, the language of its creations.