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Back The Ever After Save as PDF
Chapters (92)
  1. Cover
  2. TheEVERAFTER
  3. 1
  4. 2
  5. 3
  6. 4
  7. 5
  8. 6
  9. 7
  10. 8
  11. 9
  12. 10
  13. 11
  14. 12
  15. 13
  16. 14
  17. 15
  18. 16
  19. 17
  20. 18
  21. 19
  22. 20
  23. 21
  24. 22
  25. 23
  26. 24
  27. 25
  28. 26
  29. 27
  30. 28
  31. 29
  32. 30
  33. 31
  34. 32
  35. 33
  36. 34
  37. 35
  38. 36
  39. 37
  40. 38
  41. 39
  42. 40
  43. 41
  44. 42
  45. 43
  46. 44
  47. 45
  48. 46
  49. 47
  50. 48
  51. 49
  52. 50
  53. 51
  54. 52
  55. 53
  56. 54
  57. 55
  58. 56
  59. 57
  60. 58
  61. 59
  62. 60
  63. 61
  64. 62
  65. 63
  66. 64
  67. 65
  68. 66
  69. 67
  70. 68
  71. 69
  72. 70
  73. 71
  74. 72
  75. 73
  76. 74
  77. 75
  78. 76
  79. 77
  80. 78
  81. 79
  82. 80
  83. 81
  84. 82
  85. 83
  86. 84
  87. 85
  88. 86
  89. Epilogue
  90. GLOSSARY
  91. TheEVERAFTER
  92. By Amanda Hocking

Ur walked around until they stood right behind my head, and then they knelt on the floor. They brought their hands up to either side of my face, and I felt their fingertips—like ten cold pools of water pressing against my skin. The thumbs on my temples, the rest staggered down my cheeks.

“Ur needs you to try to remember something from—” Elof was saying.

But I was already there. And it wasn’t like I was remembering. I was there. Back in the Lost Month.

41

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Ablaze

I was cold and wet, my hair dripping in my face. A thick, stiff robe of elk fur was wrapped around me, but aside from that I was naked. I was in an octagon made of stone, with wooden benches around the edge. In the center, a bin of burning coals slowly warmed the room.

I was alone, but I could hear water running nearby. Somehow, I knew this was our weekly bath, when Noomi and our captors let us use the bathtubs and the sauna, assuming we behaved in the days between.

And I’d behaved, but I was here alone.

Until the door opened, and Pan came in. His dark curls were wet, and his robe was snug across his broad shoulders.

“Ulla,” he gasped when he saw me, and he rushed over. When he held me and we kissed, I knew from the way my skin trembled that it had been so long since we last touched.

“How are you here?” I whispered, and I held his face in my hands.

“I don’t know. They left me alone to bathe, and when I finished, I came in here,” he said breathily. “Maybe they forgot about me.” He put his hands over mine, but his thumbs brushed the raw skin of my wrists, and I winced.

“Sorry,” I said as I pulled my hands away. “The cuffs they use burn my skin.”

“My god, Ulla.” He sounded horrified as he gingerly took my hand to get a look at the red, swollen skin. “What are they doing to you?”

“I’ve been translating old documents from ancient Tryllic, but it doesn’t make any sense. It’s like a recipe for blood pudding but written in the style of a limerick. I’ve been stuck on several words that I can only translate into literal gibberish, but they’ve been bringing me these documents in Old Norse and Irytakki for reference.”

“They’re torturing you just to get you to work in the archives again?” Pan asked.

“Yeah, it seems that way,” I said with a thin smile.

His eyes were pained and his voice was husky. “I’m sorry.” He put his hand on my face, caressing my cheek gently with his thumb. “I wish I knew how to save you.”

“I wish I knew how to save us all,” I replied softly.