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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

“That’s bullshit. If you really believed all that, you’d be forced to admit that Fleur doesn’t need you.” I jolt to a stop as those words slide deep under my skin. “Everyone needs someone to look out for them, Jack. Even you. I can help you find her. And if your magic is down here, I can help you find that, too.”

My fists flex at my sides. Maybe it’s this room. The smell of it. Maybe it’s that hole in the floor or his damn leather chair. Maybe it’s his letter in my pocket, all those carefully chosen words so fresh in my mind. But I can practically feel Lyon’s presence here. I know exactly what he would say. He’d tell me to take help where I can find it, to take others’ strength when it’s offered. That there’s a reason he gave her this map all those years ago and never gave it to me. That there’s a reason he never told Kai what happened to Névé. I just haven’t figured it out yet.

Glancing up at the empty space on the wall where Lyon’s poster used to hang, I whisper, “You’d better be right about this,” hoping a part of him is still here. That a part of me is still here. And that somehow, we’ll be able to find it in time.

35

Trusting Feathers and Inward Fire

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FLEUR

I dress quickly, zipping on a fresh jumpsuit and dragging one of Gaia’s wool sweaters over my head, uncertain how much time I have left alone. I remove the key card from the pocket of the bathrobe without looking at it and tuck it inside my sock, concealing it against the sole of my foot. I slipped it from Doug’s coat pocket as he knelt beside me in the shower. All I have to do is find a way out of his suite and come up with a plan.

Doug’s mastered the basics—feeling his way past boundaries, stretching his mind inside a plant as deeply as it will go until the connection to the host is deep and stable. Like sliding his fingers into a snug leather driving glove, any movement the hand makes, the glove is sure to follow.

I didn’t think he’d learn so fast. I thought I’d have more time. Now that he’s had a chance to practice, it won’t be long before he tries to take Gaia’s magic again. If he fails like he did before, he’s likely to bring the entire Observatory down on our heads. And if he succeeds? Assuming the magic doesn’t tear him apart first, the next thing he’ll do is go after Jack. I can’t let that happen.