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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

It was dark, there on the roadside. But as Valkyrie stared at Samuel’s body, the patch of darkness she stood in seemed to brighten. At first, she thought she was caught in a beam of moonlight, but it just got brighter, and brighter.

Her hand. It was glowing again. Lit up from the inside with a silver light. Both her hands. And her face. Her neck. Beneath her clothes, her entire body was glowing. She stood up, fingertips burning. The magic churned inside her. Her hair stood on end. Energy crackled around her, forming a barrier that lifted her off the ground. Hissing in panic, she drifted sideways. The energy barrier kept her from colliding with a tree beyond the grassy verge. She didn’t know how to stand like this. She fell, but didn’t hit the ground. She turned over. Rolled. Tried to straighten up.

“What the hell are you doing?” asked Foe.

She turned, falling backwards again in this cocoon of energy. Foe stood there, staring, the confusion on his face beautifully illuminated by the light Valkyrie was giving out.

She managed to stand. She was unsteady, but she did it.

Foe threw a stream of energy. It hit the cocoon and flowed round it. It didn’t hurt her. It didn’t even touch her.

He threw another, and another.

Something was happening. Valkyrie could feel it. The magic thrashed inside her. It was building up to something.

“Run,” she said.

Foe poured all his strength into another energy stream. It proved just as useless as the others.

“Run,” she said again, but it was too late. The magic burst from her in a wave that turned the trees to splinters. It hit Foe and he was gone. Obliterated. She could feel the wave expand in all directions. She could feel it nearing the minivan. She grimaced, reached out with her mind, searching for control. She reached to the edge of the wave and snagged it, grabbed it, pulled it back, pulled it all the way back, and the magic returned to her and she dropped to her knees in the crater that had formed around her.

She was no longer glowing.

She stood up on shaky legs. She was exhausted. The roadside was dark again.

“Stephanie!”

Her mum ran to her, and Valkyrie slumped into her arms.

“Oh, God, Steph, are you OK? Please tell me you’re OK.”

“I’m good,” Valkyrie mumbled.

“Oh, thank God. Oh, thank God. What was that? You were glowing and it was hard to look at you, it was all so bright. What was that lightning? Where’s that man? Where is he?”

Valkyrie forced her eyes open. “Mum, I need you to help me into the van. Too tired to …”

Her mother pulled her up. “Shh. Don’t talk. You don’t have to talk.”

They got back into the minivan and Valkyrie fell asleep while her dad changed the tyre.

68

THE HOURGLASS