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Back The Occurrence Save as PDF
Chapters (117)
  1. Cover
  2. Title
  3. Copyright
  4. Contents
  5. PART ONE: Up From Buried Light
  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. PART TWO: Re-Entry
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. 21
  28. PART THREE: Convergence
  29. 22
  30. 23
  31. 24
  32. 25
  33. 26
  34. 27
  35. 28
  36. 29
  37. 30
  38. 31
  39. 32
  40. 33
  41. 34
  42. 35
  43. 36
  44. 37
  45. 38
  46. 39
  47. 40
  48. 41
  49. PART FOUR: Surrender
  50. 42
  51. 43
  52. 44
  53. 45
  54. 46
  55. 47
  56. 48
  57. 49
  58. 50
  59. 51
  60. 52
  61. 53
  62. 54
  63. 55
  64. 56
  65. 57
  66. PART FIVE: The Tablets
  67. 58
  68. 59
  69. 60
  70. 61
  71. 62
  72. 63
  73. 64
  74. 65
  75. PART SIX: The Trial
  76. 66
  77. 67
  78. 68
  79. PART SEVEN: The Cave of Memory
  80. 69
  81. 70
  82. 71
  83. 72
  84. 73
  85. 74
  86. 75
  87. 76
  88. 77
  89. 78
  90. 79
  91. 80
  92. 81
  93. 82
  94. 83
  95. PART EIGHT: Guardians
  96. 84
  97. 85
  98. 86
  99. 87
  100. 88
  101. 89
  102. 90
  103. 91
  104. 92
  105. 93
  106. 94
  107. PART NINE: Into Buried Light
  108. 95
  109. 96
  110. 97
  111. 98
  112. 99
  113. 100
  114. 101
  115. 102
  116. 103
  117. Acknowledgments

And like the Elohim of The Bible, or “those who came from the sky,” the Djinn were the spirits in the land of Allah. Qadir had always felt protected by them, even in the face of the destruction his grandson had wrought as a result of his misreading of the holy text.

Qadir felt sorrow at the road Hashim had taken, but there were more things at work than what he could know.

He watched as the drone ricocheted away from their little village and disappeared into the sky.

7

7

Two of the insurgents dragged Julian’s broken body next to Dominique in the middle of the blood red, sandy floor, as Hashim resumed the televised execution.

Dominique wanted to say something to Julian, but his swollen eyes were searching elsewhere.

That’s when she heard the sound.

They all froze at the metallic screech.

The jihadists panicked. Hashim tried to calm them, but they ran for cover, leaving the Americans unguarded.

Julian called to Dominique to follow him and move to a corner of the room. They scrambled as best they could.

From beneath the sand, something jagged jumped into Dominique’s hand as she reached the wall and pressed close to Julian.

She let the sand slip through her fingers, uncovering a sharp fragment of stone carved with symbols. It throbbed in her palm.

The screech shattered the air.

The drone plunged through the warehouse roof and sent a concussion through the building, rocking walls, and blasting out the remains of the already half-broken windows.

Crouched in the corner of the room next to Julian, Dominique stared at the artifact in her hand.

The air filled with dust like fire.

Dominique remembered reading of the deaths of desert armies engulfed in simooms like blood rain. Sandstorms, which blotted out the horizon, and sheets of death that engulfed all living things.

She was unable to look away from a tornado of sunlight emerging from the dust and smoke.

They were all unable to look away.

A sound penetrated into her, and her heart pulsed in rhythm with the air.

There was no space between her and the energy that had entered the warehouse.

When the air cleared, Dominique saw all the insurgents were dead—all except for Hashim and Nazir. She also saw that she and Julian were no longer bound. She looked down at the fragment of stone in her hand. It was glowing.

The ground beneath them began to cave.

Hashim held on to Nazir and reached out his hand to Julian, who struggled to stand.

Dominique saw Julian’s eyes fire with all the reasons to not reach back.

In the flicker of Julian’s doubt Hashim reached out to Dominique.