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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

She grabbed Hashim’s hand, and the ground stopped opening. And in that instant she saw the same glowing symbols etched in the air that were carved into the stone in her hand. She saw Hashim see something, too. She watched him watch something invisible flying in the air, and saw him stare at his hand, as if that something had landed there.

She saw Nazir stare out in terrified rapture. He was nodding, as if responding to a voice.

She saw Julian’s bloodied eyes go white and sightless, as if what he saw had blinded him.

Then, she saw that they were all holding hands.

The sunlight disappeared as if vacuumed into the air.

Darkness came and thunder erupted.

An aftershock rumbled through the warehouse.

The walls crumbled.

Mustering all the strength he had, Julian yanked Dominique away from the falling mass of stone.

She saw Hashim help a wounded Nazir through the ruins and out through a narrow hall.

She watched Julian struggle to get his bearings.

He reached back to her and guided her through a breach in the wall.

8

8

Vincente had fallen asleep in a chair in his daughter’s hospital room. A warm breeze blew in through the opened window as morning light slipped its way in through vanishing night. Beneath Vincente’s hard exterior was a wounded heart that hid against the demands of everyday life. He’d wanted to leave his home since a young boy, but his father needed him to remain and help build homes for others. He could never find a way to tell his father he wanted to leave, to strike out on his own and explore the world. And so Vincente’s dreams died. But he loved his wife, and when his daughter was born he’d found his life had been renewed. To lose her would destroy him. She was his joy.

“Don’t worry, I’ll be all right, daddy,” he heard her say.

He awoke and he looked to the bed. She wasn’t there.

He rushed to the door and flung it open.

Nurse Arama Chavez was about to enter.

“Where’s my daughter?”

“It’s all right, Mister Salva. They took her for tests.”

“More tests? Why didn’t someone wake me?”

“You’d fallen asleep. You’ve been here all night. I thought it best you rested.”

“Where is she?”

“Downstairs with the doctors.”

“She’s out of the coma?”

“No,” Arama said.

“What do you mean, ‘no’?”

“Please, Mister Salva. Be calm.”

“Show me to my daughter.”

She led him out of the room, down colorless halls.