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Back The Fell of Dark Save as PDF
Chapters (46)
  1. Title Page
  2. Copyright Notice
  3. Dedication
  4. Epigraph
  5. CAST OF CHARACTERS
  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. 23
  30. 24
  31. 25
  32. 26
  33. 27
  34. 28
  35. 29
  36. 30
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. LITTLE WHITE PICKET FENCES
  44. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
  45. ABOUT THE AUTHOR
  46. Newsletter Sign-up

“I’m not sure they’re being honest with me.” Ximena gives her granddaughter a meaningful look. “They’re very secretive, and provide information only when they deem it necessary, and … I’ve come to realize that they’re not above telling me what I want to hear in order to gain my cooperation.” Finally, she gets to her feet again, pacing back to the window and then spinning around. “The fact of the matter is that, even if what they’ve told me is true—even if they once lost control of a spell meant to banish Azazel and sacrificed their humanity so they could prepare for a rematch—it means they’ve been undead for thousands and thousands of years.”

“That’s a long time,” I mumble, my dry mouth making gross, sticky noises.

“Much longer than they were ever human, of course.” She smiles with her lips pressed tightly together. “Long enough to have changed their minds about finishing what they claimed they started. It bothers me that they won’t explain the details of the ritual when we’re running out of time to perform it. It bothers me that they won’t say why they won’t explain the details.”

“Abuela, there’s no way you can keep training with them!” Adriana practically screeches. “What if they’re dangerous?”

“Don’t worry about me, mijita.” Every inch of Ximena exudes a confidence I wish I’d ever felt. “Believe me when I say I can protect myself—even from these women. Right now I’m worried about Auggie.” Both of them turn to look at me, and I feel the color drain out of my face. “Because there are no written accounts that exist, I only have the witches’ word that they were human when they dealt with Azazel the first time. For all I know, the ritual they botched—the one they want me to assist them with now—wasn’t meant to stop him. They might have been trying to help him Ascend.”

23

In the movies, this would be the big moment where the hero decides to take matters into his own hands. Some cockamamie plan would come together, he’d find an unexpected ally, and together they’d snatch victory from the jaws of defeat. But I’ve got no plan, and no allies I haven’t tried. All the information I have about the Corrupter comes from people with reasons not to tell the whole truth, and there’s nowhere I can think of to look for more allies.