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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

“—not say the name of the heretic and traitors,” Tuva was saying as I blinked.

“It’s dangerous,” I said in a strained voice. “What you’re doing. Lives will be lost.”

“You don’t know what you’re talking about, Ulla,” Illaria snapped. “You are just a stupid, spoiled girl.”

“Our time for talking is done.” Ragnall looked to Tuva, and she put the weapon to my throat again, pressing hard enough that I could hear it grinding against my trachea.

Ragnall straightened up, rebuttoning his jacket as he did. “It is over, Ulla. It’s too late to stop any of this, and I have no reason to ever see you again.” He looked down at me. “If I do, I will kill you. I have no more time or patience for these childish games.”

54

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Exile

My head throbbed as I ran down the steps. Somewhere, I heard a door slam, and I glanced back over my shoulder. By the time I reached the Inhemsk Project main offices, I was out of breath, but I never slowed.

“Ulla!” Pan jumped up from his desk when I came in. “What happened?”

“Are you okay?” Dagny asked at the same time as Pan.

“Get your stuff.” I leaned over, resting my hands on my thighs, and tried to catch my breath.

“You’re bleeding!” Dagny gasped.

She stepped toward me, like she meant to inspect the wound on the back of my head, and I straightened up to deflect her concern.

“I’m fine, but we gotta go now,” I said more authoritatively. “I’ll explain later. But make sure you grab everything you want to see again. Shit. And Elof. He should come with us.”

“Wait, are we being kicked out?” Dagny asked.

I shook my head and winced at the pain in my skull. “I don’t know.”

Pan, for his part, had been gathering up his stuff, and he came over to join me.

“Well, why else wouldn’t we come back?” she asked.

“Because it’s not safe!” I shouted, in fear and frustration. “Ragnall’s the leader of the Älvolk, Tuva is his daughter, and they’re working with Illaria to cross the bridge.”

Dagny opened her mouth, then thought better of it and went over to shove her laptop in her bag. She got all of her things together in a hurry, and the three of us walked very quickly out of the Mimirin. I glanced back at the ancient building looming behind us, and I wondered if I’d ever see it again.

Pan took my hand, holding it as we walked through the winding streets.

“What are we going to do?” Dagny asked.

“I don’t know. Ragnall said he’d kill me if he saw me again, and he and Illaria are dead set on crossing that bridge,” I said. “I have to get out of Merellä, and we have to warn somebody that has the power to stop this.”