“In the world’s eyes, yes. It seems to protect you. Do this and you will be safe. Don’t do that or you will be in trouble. Run, hide, attack, defend. But that keeps you in fear of the monster you run from. So does judgment. You can only judge what you fear. In blindness, fear sounds godly, but it’s a false god. And that false god is the air most people breathe. Religion has given itself over to it. You understand this?”

His words set off a high-pitched ringing in my ears as he continued.

“Love, though . . . there is no fear in love. None. It’s the light in which there is no darkness. It’s the truth that makes no accounting of wrong, because that can only be done in fear. Until you awaken to this love, none of your confessions or beliefs mean anything. This was written thousands of years ago. It’s not new truth. It’s only been forgotten, you understand?”

I nodded, stupefied by the thought that if he was right, everything I had been taught was upside down.

Eli chuckled. “Yup. But if you have the courage to step beyond what you were taught, that can change.” He took my hand in his and stared at the valley. “It’s time.”

“No. No, we can’t go back down there.” The town was still smothered by the black wraith-filled fog. “You have to change this.”

“You mean close your eyes to the Fury?”

“I can’t go down there like this.” I grasped for more arguments to dissuade him. “And if I turn you over to Rose, she’ll kill you.”

“But I’m not afraid to die,” he said. “Why would anyone who knows themselves as the light be afraid of the death of their body? The body is beautiful, but only a temporary tent to live through. Come on.” He started down from the rock, giving my hand a gentle tug.

“Wait!”

He looked up.

“Can you just make the Fury go away?”

“That’s what we’re doing. But to do that, we have to go into it. Don’t worry, I’ll be right with you. Just remember that you’re the light. When you know that, the Fury vanish like shadows.” He paused, then added, “If it helps, call them shadows rather than Fury.”

The guardians would soon be looking for me. My mother was being held for my sin. I had to get back.

I gave Eli a tentative nod. “Okay. Stay with me.”

“I’ll never leave you, Grace.”

And then we were heading back down the declining game trail.

Chapter
Twenty-Nine

FEAR RAGED THROUGH ME AS WE HURRIED DOWN, my hand in Eli’s. And when he led me into the clearing where I could see the wraiths emerging from the trees, my heart was in my throat.

Shadows. They are only shadows. And I’m the light. The light of the world.