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Back Seasons of Chaos Save as PDF
Chapters (70)
  1. Dedication
  2. Prologue
  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. Epilogue
  66. Acknowledgments
  67. About the Author
  68. Books by Elle Cosimano
  69. Back Ad
  70. About the Publisher

“I only finished what you and Sommers started. And now you and I are going to fix it.” His voice is strained. He presses a palm to his breastbone and shoves me away from him. Drawing thin breaths, he claws at his tie, dragging down the knot as he lumbers to the decanter. Clutching his chest, he turns over a glass, filling it to the brim with a shaking hand and sucking down the water in huge, greedy gulps.

“What’s wrong?” I ask, darting a hopeful glance at the door.

“Nothing. So don’t get any stupid ideas about leaving.” His voice is hoarse. He sets down the glass and wipes his mouth on his sleeve.

My own mouth is too dry to even salivate. I lick my lips, trying to remember the last time I had any water, and my stomach growls. Doug turns at the sound, dragging his tie over his head and tossing it over the arm of the sofa. He juts his chin to a set of double doors behind him.

“You’re bleeding on my carpet. There’s a first-aid kit in the bathroom. Clean that mess up. Then we’ll get started.”

I open my mouth to protest, but he gestures to the broken leaf wilting on the table in front of him. “You’ll stay here with me and we’ll work round the clock. You have until Jack gets here to show me how to control the earth magic. I suggest you make your last moments on this earth count.”

He turns his back on me, letting me know this conversation is over.

I stare at him, unable to move. How long until Jack comes looking for me? How many days until Doug kills us both?

“You’ve tied my hands before,” I remind him. He turns, and when his eye meets mine, I dredge up a memory—the day of my Reconditioning when he tied me to a chair, the satisfying snap of my head against his nose. “How well did that work out for you?”

A muscle tightens in his jaw.

I storm into the bedroom and close the doors behind me, falling back against them and holding them shut.

22

Night Falling Fast

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JACK

The portal to the Summer wing is just south of Greenwich Park. Kai and I duck behind a row of hedges beside the two-story house in Blackheath. The windows are dark and the porch lights are out. A low brick wall shields us from passing traffic as Kai readies her bow. I grip my flashlight and lockpick set, searching for signs of movement in the house.

“You think they’ll bother posting Guards in a house with no power?”

Kai nods. “They’d be foolish not to guard a portal, especially one without power.”

“How long will I have to get through the locks?”