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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

The Sacred Word called out from the Prophets.

A dark shadow covered the sun. Wind whipped through the plain.

Shadow and light coalesced into a swirling mass.

The god had come.

It roared over the land, descending upon the Prophets like a great, unknowable beast.

And the Seven looked up. Saw the god’s destruction coming for them.

They reached up. And with the Sacred Word reverberating between them, they touched the god.

Light and fire.

Pale flames crackled through the air as the pattern of the god’s esha ripped apart. Its body, built of light and shadow, fell to the earth.

14

BERU

Beru knelt on the cold marble floor beside Ephyra.

“I’m glad you attempted to rescue your friends,” Pallas said, walking slowly down the line of prisoners. “Now I have more valuable hostages. The Prince of Herat.” He touched his palm to the back of the prince’s head, just firmly enough to push it down. “And the boy with a curious connection to my favorite pet.”

Beru hated the idea of Pallas using Hector against her, almost as much as she hated how he used Ephyra. But they were all at his mercy now. The Witnesses had already dragged the other swordsman, Jude, away. Beru feared to think who might be next.

She glanced at Hector as Pallas stroked his fingers over the back of his neck. Hector shuddered, straining against the Godfire chains on his wrists. A wave of fear and fury washed through Beru. She realized she had missed feeling Hector’s emotions, which had been absent these past few months. Their connection strengthened the closer they were to each other.

She’d gotten so used to feeling the god’s emotions instead. But Hector’s feelings were different—they didn’t feel unnatural, obliterating, absolute. Instead, they were steadying. Familiar. She took in his profile, the stiff set of his jaw, and focused on his feelings as the god’s voice rang in her head.

LITTLE MORTAL, the god hissed. NOW IS YOUR CHANCE. STRIKE HIM DOWN.

I’m bound, she reminded it. Her neck stung beneath the cold metal of the Godfire collar.

NO, I AM BOUND, the god replied. YOU COULD BE FREE, IF YOU WEREN’T SO AFRAID. CHAINS CANNOT HOLD A GOD FOR LONG.

Beru shivered. She knew the god spoke the truth, and while it meant the collar, the same was true of the seal binding. It wouldn’t hold the god’s will forever.

YOU LET THEM CONTROL YOU, EVEN WHEN WE ARE SO MUCH MORE POWERFUL THAN THEY CAN IMAGINE, the god taunted. YOU CONDEMN YOUR FRIENDS TO SUFFER BECAUSE OF YOUR OWN WEAKNESS.

“And you,” Pallas said, cupping Ephyra’s face. “I think you need to learn your place here.”

“Don’t,” Beru said. “Don’t punish her. Punish me. It was my plan.”

“Oh, but I am punishing you,” Pallas said. He had never made her watch before.