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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

My hands shake as I fit the file into the groove in the head of one of the screws. The file slips and my knuckles graze the edge of the grate. I try again, managing to loosen all four screws until the grate slides away from the wall. The air inside the duct is musty and cold. I crawl in on hands and knees, wondering how I’ll navigate the ventilation system once I’m deeper inside, when the light trickling in from the apartment finally fades behind me. I’d give anything for a transmitter right now—to hear Jack’s voice in my ear, telling me where to go and how to find him.

My startled yelp echoes when I come face-to-face with a ghostly shadow.

The smaze darts ahead, waiting for me at the end of the first turn.

“Hang on, Jack. I’m coming,” I whisper as I crawl through the air duct after it.

36

Before I Sleep

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JACK

Two years ago, the prospect of hunting wouldn’t have been so daunting. It would have been as simple as drawing a breath. Now I don’t even know where to start.

“Where are we going?” Kai’s voice echoes through the tunnel, the toes of her shoes catching on my heels as I walk. I glare over my shoulder and she hangs back a bit. Just enough so she won’t keep tripping me.

“We’re going to my room.” In his letter, Lyon said I should go back to my beginning to find what I seek. My old dorm room was the first and only home I ever knew here.

“Are you crazy?” Kai squeezes alongside me, forcing me close to the wall. “Doug knows we’re here! He’s probably got Guards staking out your room. What makes you think he won’t be waiting for us inside?”

“You have a better suggestion?” I pause at a fork in the tunnel. Flashlight clamped between my teeth, I peel open Lyon’s hand-drawn map and hold it in front of me, comparing it against the two paths ahead. I turn left. After a few paces, the tunnel ends abruptly.

Kai huffs. “Give me the map.”

“Not on your life.”

“Clearly, we’re lost.”

“You’re lost. I know exactly where I am.” I shine the light at the wall in front of me, turning slowly in the confined space. The walls are solid, but there’s supposed to be some kind of stairwell here. Or at least, there was once. I run my fingers over the grooves in the stone, wondering if Chronos cemented over the whole thing years ago. That would be just my luck. I bring Lyon’s drawing close to my face, squinting to read the tiny lines.

“For Chronos’s sake, would you give me the damn map already? Why are men so reluctant to ask for help?”