BooksBarbecue
Back Seasons of Chaos
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’d as soon let you take my smaze as let you take this map.”

“I’d never take someone else’s magic.”

I’m grateful she can’t see my wince in the dark. “You’d be surprised what you might do if you thought someone you loved was going to die.”

“What you’re doing isn’t the same, Jack. That smaze belonged to you. Reclaiming something isn’t the same as stealing it,” she says thoughtfully. “Besides, I can’t take anyone’s magic. I’m human.”

“So am I.”

“But your magic is part of you. It has a connection to you. It should be drawn to you. And Lyon already said it was possible for you to reclaim it.”

“He never said it would be easy.” I scratch the back of my neck, finding it hard to look her in the eyes. “What about yours? It must be in the Observatory somewhere.”

She shakes her head, resting her weight against the tunnel wall. “The orbs were all smashed in the quake. It was lost during the Dismantling.”

“I’m sorry.”

“It’s okay,” she says with a tight smile. “I’ve made my peace with it.”

“How do you make your peace with something like that? Doug promised you he’d help you and he lied through his teeth. Because of him, you’ll never have it back.”

“Maybe I don’t deserve it,” she says quietly. “I didn’t have to help him. I made that choice. And now I have to live with the consequences. It’s too late to save my magic. The only part of me left here that matters now is Ruby.” She pushes off the wall and shifts her bow higher on her shoulder. “I guess we’re kind of like you and your smaze. . . . Ruby and I haven’t been together in a long time, but we’ll always be connected. I have to believe I’ll find her. That when I do, she’ll come with me.”

Guilt lodges in the back of my throat as she turns to walk back the way we came.

“Kai, wait. There’s something I need to tell you—”

A low rumble starts under my feet. The ground begins to shake. I brace my hands against the sides of the tunnel as dust and pebbles clatter over us. Kai ducks, her eyes wide with panic.

“What’s happening?” she asks. The ground shudders once more, then goes eerily still.

“Pretty sure that’s Fleur.” An awed smile tugs at my lips. “And I’m guessing she’s pissed.”

Kai watches the ceiling, swallowing hard. “Maybe when you find her, you can ask her not to do that again.”