BooksBarbecue
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

“Jude, Jude, we have to go,” the specter said hurriedly. Jude felt the chains around his wrists fall away and without thinking, he raised a hand to touch Anton’s face.

The specter stilled.

“I dreamed about finding you,” Jude said hazily.

The specter let out a shaking breath, its dark eyes wide. Its hand cupped Jude’s, holding it against its cheek. “I know you did, Jude.”

The crash of steel rang out around them, and the specter blinked.

“Can you stand?”

Jude felt pressure at his side as the specter tried to lift him to his feet. Jude stumbled, his arms wrapped around the specter’s waist, staring up at it.

“Hector!” the specter cried, and a moment later there were more hands hauling Jude upright.

“He’s really out of it,” the specter said. “I think he lost a lot of blood.”

“Anton,” Jude said. There was something important to tell him, something Jude needed to say. He grasped for the words, but they dissipated like smoke.

He opened his eyes. For a moment Jude thought he was back in the burned-down mausoleum, abandoned by Hector, waking to find the most beautiful boy he’d ever seen kneeling over him.

“Hey, hey, don’t do this,” Anton’s voice said, close by Jude’s ear. “Stay awake, Jude. Stay with me.”

Tears spilled from Anton’s eyes as Jude reached up to touch the freckles scattered like stars across his cheeks.

And then Jude closed his eyes again and let everything slip away.

16

EPHYRA

The sea wind howled over Ephyra as she picked herself off the sand and took stock of her surroundings. She was on a small strip of beach, surrounded by Pallas’s other prisoners—there was Prince Hassan, being helped to his feet by the Herati girl, and just beyond them the fearful boy with blue eyes was sprawled in the sand beside the woman Ephyra had once known as Mrs. Tappan.

Down the beach, Ephyra spotted Beru. Heart leaping into her throat, she sprinted across the sand.

She’d done it. She’d gotten them all out of the citadel.

But something was wrong. In her relief, Ephyra hadn’t realized, but as she neared Beru, unease pitted her gut. The way her sister held herself, the blankness of her expression—Ephyra recognized it from that day in Behezda. From those first, terrible moments after she’d realized that she’d resurrected a god inside her sister.

The same fear and despair clutched at her heart now, only it was darkened by the knowledge of exactly what the god was capable of.

In front of her, Illya lay unmoving in the sand. With careful, measured motions, the god who wore Beru’s face raised a hand and lifted Illya’s limp body into the air.

“No. No, no, no,” Ephyra gasped. Illya remained suspended before her, his head lolling back, something clutched in his hands.

The Godfire collar.