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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

Ephyra could feel the others behind her tense as they all came to the same realization—that once again they were at the mercy of a vengeful god.

Beru opened her mouth, and that ancient, terrible voice came out. “YOU SHOULD HAVE TAKEN MY OFFER WHILE YOU COULD, LITTLE MORTAL.”

It sounded as if it was talking to itself. To Beru.

“I WOULD HAVE SPARED YOUR FRIENDS.”

Ephyra went cold as the god slowly closed Beru’s fist. Illya’s body jerked in the air. His eyes flew open as he let out a terrible choking sound and began to thrash.

“No!” Ephyra cried, fear pumping through her blood as she reached out instinctively to Illya.

The god’s gaze snapped toward her.

“Beru, it’s me,” Ephyra said. Her voice shook, but she held her ground. “You have to fight it. You can fight it.”

“YOUR SISTER IS NOT IN CONTROL.”

“I know you can hear me, Beru,” Ephyra said. She darted a glance behind her at the others, willing one of them to understand what they needed to do. Get the Godfire collar while the god was distracted. “I know you’re in there, fighting.”

The god’s hand dropped. Illya plummeted back down into the sand. The god went still, Beru’s face warped as if in pain as she collapsed in on herself, trembling.

It was working. Beru was fighting, pulling at the god’s will to regain control.

“Listen to my voice,” Ephyra instructed. From the corner of her eye, she saw Hassan darting toward Illya’s crumpled form. “Listen to me.”

The god let out a terrible roar and waved a hand, batting the prince down into the sand.

“Hassan!” the Herati girl shrieked.

“YOU WILL NOT BIND ME,” the god raged. “I WILL NOT BE PUT IN CHAINS AGAIN.”

Ephyra trembled. “Beru—”

“SILENCE!”

Ephyra opened her mouth to speak again, but no sound came out. She tried to scream, but the god had taken her voice.

“Beru!”

It was Hector’s voice, calling from the top of a rocky outcropping that overlooked the strip of beach.

Ephyra turned and saw him lurching over the rocks toward them, Jude slumped between him and Anton’s smaller frame. The trio stopped, taking in the scene before them. Hector foisted Jude onto Anton, who stumbled under the weight, and took a careful step toward Beru.

And suddenly he was jerked off his feet, up into the air. Ephyra winced, waiting for him to be tossed to the ground as the prince had, but instead he hung there, suspended. Beru crumpled, hands clenched into fists, shaking.

“I can feel you in there, Beru,” Hector said, his voice rising above the wind. “I can feel you fighting.”

He dropped suddenly, plummeting toward the sand. Ephyra stifled a gasp, but before his body hit the ground, he stopped, hovering a few inches in the air.