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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

“I don’t know how to stop it,” I amended. “But there has to be a way. There has to be something we can do.”

“Maybe the thing we can do is step aside and let the humans go after the dragons with their bombs,” Loki said quietly.

Finn scoffed. “They would blow us all up along with the dragon!”

“Then we run and hide!” Loki yelled. “But we don’t know how to stop the wyrm, and it’s already taken out so many of us. We can’t defeat it if we’re dead!”

“Guys?” Sumi said. “Tove isn’t doing so well.”

He was awake—ish. His eyes were open, and he rubbed at them with the palm of his hand.

“Tove?” Finn asked.

“He’s been mumbling nonsense,” Sumi said, sounding concerned.

“No, it’s just head dizzy,” he said. “Once I get two feet, it’s on the fine.” He started pushing himself up, and Loki rushed over to catch him before he fell.

“It’s okay, I got you, buddy,” Loki said, and put his arm around Tove. Then he looked solemnly at the rest of us. “We need to get to the tent. We can decide whether to fight or evacuate from there.”

Sumi got up and started back the way we’d come, around the barn and to the base camp at the southwestern side of Áibmoráigi. Finn followed a step behind her, and Loki half carried Tove to keep with Sumi’s fast pace.

I went after them more slowly, staring into the dank smoke and listening to the animalistic groans and nearby screams. The ruins were crawling with monsters I couldn’t see, and I had broken my sword.

A burnt Älvolk corpse lay across the path, his sword still gripped in his hand. I pried the hilt from his stiff fingers, snapping two of them off in the process.

A kuguar roared, sounding much too close, and I lost sight of Loki and the others in front of me. I held my sword out, and I wanted to charge on ahead, but the ground was littered with bodies. They were bloody and torn up, some completely eviscerated. They had been mauled to death.

As I stepped over a body, I heard whimpering. A girl lying facedown in front of me moved slightly, crawling away from the body of a child. Her dark hair shifted colorings, changing to a pale yellow-green.

“Do you need help?” I asked her softly, so none of the nearby predators could hear me, and I crouched beside her.

She finally looked up at me, and I recognized her as Ulla’s álfar sibling, Eliana.

“Eliana, are you all right?” I asked, and she nodded meekly. “Come on. Let’s get you to the base camp.” I took her hand and hoped I was leading her toward somewhere safer.

74

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Escape

Wendy