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Back The Dying of the Light Save as PDF
Chapters (115)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright
  3. Dedication
  4. Epigraph
  5. Table of Contents
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. 13
  19. 14
  20. 15
  21. 16
  22. 17
  23. 18
  24. 19
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. 31
  37. 32
  38. 33
  39. 34
  40. 35
  41. 36
  42. 37
  43. 38
  44. 39
  45. 40
  46. 41
  47. 42
  48. 43
  49. 44
  50. 45
  51. 46
  52. 47
  53. 48
  54. 49
  55. 50
  56. 51
  57. 52
  58. 53
  59. 54
  60. 55
  61. 56
  62. 57
  63. 58
  64. 59
  65. 60
  66. 61
  67. 62
  68. 63
  69. 64
  70. 65
  71. 66
  72. 67
  73. 68
  74. 69
  75. 70
  76. 71
  77. 72
  78. 73
  79. 74
  80. 75
  81. 76
  82. 77
  83. 78
  84. 79
  85. 80
  86. 81
  87. 82
  88. 83
  89. 84
  90. 85
  91. 86
  92. 87
  93. 88
  94. 89
  95. 90
  96. 91
  97. 92
  98. 93
  99. 94
  100. 95
  101. 96
  102. 97
  103. 98
  104. 99
  105. 100
  106. 101
  107. 102
  108. 103
  109. 104
  110. 105
  111. 106
  112. 107
  113. 108
  114. Also by Derek Landy
  115. About the Publisher

Darquesse shrugged. She hated spoilers. “I shouldn’t be spending this much time with them,” she said. “I should go back to Tanith and Sanguine and the Remnants. None of them have a conscience, and none of them want to do nice things for anybody. Skulduggery and the others are infecting me with, like …”

“Decency?” said Vector.

She snapped her fingers. “Yes. That. Exactly. You’re not so stupid, after all, are you?”

“Please.”

“Stop begging. Unless I have a personal interest in seeing you beg, it’s boring.”

“I – I can help you.”

“How could you possibly help me?”

“There’s a … thing. A creature. Found in the Caves of the Void.”

It took Darquesse a moment to access that memory. The Caves of the Void were what people called the caves beneath Gordon’s house.

“It’s resistant to magic,” Vector continued. “A group of scientists managed to capture it when it was young, and they transported it over here to study. They call it a Gnarl. It’s waiting for your friends.”

“It’s free?”

“I think so. I mean, that was the plan. I only caught a bit of it, and I wasn’t supposed to even hear that. But I picked up a lot of other things. I eavesdropped on the deal Kerias tried to make with you. She was going to betray us. She promised us refuge and then she offered to hand us over. You can’t trust that woman. You didn’t go for her deal so she’s sent you down here, where the Gnarl is waiting. She’s going to say it was an unfortunate accident, but really it’s to teach China Sorrows a lesson.”

“Zafira thinks one creature will be enough to kill everyone I came in with?”

Vector swallowed. “From what I heard? Yes.”

Darquesse grunted. “Must be an impressive creature.” She chewed her lip. “Wonder what it’s like.”

27

THE GNARL

Image Missinghe took the stairs down. The concrete walls became rock. The electric lighting gave way to the occasional lamp hanging overhead. She reached the bottom of the steps and walked till she came to a cavern. A viewing window had been cut out of the rock wall. Behind it, a narrow tunnel, barely wide enough to squeeze through. There was an intermittent breeze, but it wasn’t coming from the tunnel. And it was hot. It was hot like breath.

Darquesse ventured forward. She could hear the creature breathing, but she still couldn’t see it, even when she shifted through the visual spectrum only available to her. Every living thing had its own energy signature. She could see sorcerers through walls by focusing on their magic, but she couldn’t see this Gnarl thing. That was … unsettling.