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Back Dark Stars Save as PDF
Chapters (51)
  1. Cover
  2. Dedication
  3. Part One
  4. 1
  5. 2
  6. 3
  7. 4
  8. 5
  9. 6
  10. 7
  11. 8
  12. 9
  13. 10
  14. 11
  15. 12
  16. Part Two
  17. 13
  18. 14
  19. 15
  20. 16
  21. 17
  22. 18
  23. 19
  24. Part Three
  25. 20
  26. 21
  27. 22
  28. 23
  29. 24
  30. 25
  31. 26
  32. 27
  33. 28
  34. 29
  35. 30
  36. Part Four
  37. 31
  38. 32
  39. 33
  40. 34
  41. 35
  42. 36
  43. 37
  44. 38
  45. Part Five
  46. 39
  47. Acknowledgments
  48. About the Author
  49. Books by Danielle Rollins
  50. Back Ad
  51. About the Publisher

Dorothy scrubbed a hand over her face, standing. She tried to convince herself that none of this mattered, that she didn’t need these people, that she was better off without them.

But when she met Zora’s eyes, she felt a thrill of pain move through her. She couldn’t lie to herself anymore.

It mattered. They mattered. Without them, she was lost.

“You trusted me once,” Dorothy said, working hard to keep her voice steady. “You might not remember that, but I do. I wish you could trust me now.”

Zora gave her a strange look. “Trust you? I don’t even know who you are. Are you Quinn? Or are you Dorothy?”

Dorothy, quiet, realized that she didn’t know the answer to that question, either.

3

Back at the Fairmont. Dorothy was careful to keep to the shadows, peering carefully around corners and walking close to the walls so that the creaking floorboards wouldn’t give her up.

It was dangerous for her to be here. She couldn’t think of a single Cirkus Freak who wouldn’t give up her location on sight. But it looked like she was about to be on the run and, if that were the case, there were things she needed from the Fairmont. Supplies, money, food if she could scrounge up any. She would just have to be quick about it.

The hotel had the look of a place that had once been extraordinarily lovely but had long ago fallen into ruin. Ornately beautiful rugs covered the floors, but foot traffic had left them worn, the edges frayed where they met the walls. Dorothy touched one of the hotel’s mahogany doors and the once glossy wood was now dull and soft beneath her fingers. The scent of rot hanging in the air like a fog. Dorothy pressed her sleeve to her nose to block the smell as she turned a corner, the hallway opening into a cavernous room.

Her heart stilled as her eyes searched the shadows for movement. There was no one. Everyone would all be out searching for Ash.

Or for me, she realized, with a rush that left her head spinning. She walked a little faster.

Columns rose from the floor, and long-decayed chandeliers hung from above, cobwebs stretched between the bulbs. Murky water filled the courtyard below. If she squinted down into it, Dorothy knew, she could see a grand staircase, an old piano, and marble countertops.