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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

Twinkling lights drift around my magic like fireflies. The way they move reminds me of the magic in Gaia’s orb. I tug the thread of my magic, backing my mind slowly out of the cavernous room. I don’t know where this place is, but I know I shouldn’t be here. As I retreat, the lights swarm me, agitated and buzzing. I pull, but my magic doesn’t budge.

“What are you doing?” Doug’s voice seems to reach me in stereo, both inside and outside my head. I give my magic a hard jerk, and Doug roars. “Knock it off!”

My thoughts slam back into my body. I recoil against the side of the desk, shielding my eyes as a flame ignites in Doug’s palm. He shines it over me. “What are you doing in my head?” he yells.

“Your head?” Oh, Gaia, no! I cast out my thoughts, feeling for the place where my magic ends and Doug’s begins, but I can’t untangle the two.

“Get out!” he snaps.

“Believe me, I would love nothing more than to be anywhere other than trapped inside your screwed-up, sadistic mind, but I can’t. I’m stuck. Stop messing around and let me go!” I yank hard on my magic.

Doug lurches and swears, clapping a hand over his forehead. My knees buckle and I drop like a stone, as if a cold hand is holding me down by my head. I kneel, frozen, unable to move. “What the hell did you do to me?” he roars.

“What did I do? This isn’t my fault.” My heart hammers. It’s like my knees are glued to the carpet.

“This is your affinity! Your magic. You taught me, remember?”

“I never taught you this. I can’t even do this! This isn’t . . .” My breath stills as all the pieces come together. My magic is trapped inside Doug, but those lights I saw were Gaia’s magic. Doug’s using it to manipulate me. “This is your fault. You took Gaia’s magic. You’re holding on to too much power. You can’t control it. Neither could Lyon.”

Suddenly he’s in my face, his glittering eye wild. “Don’t you ever compare me to him.” His magic releases its hold on me with a shove. But no matter how hard I pull it back, my magic can’t break free.

My hand closes around a thick shard of glass. I swing it into the side of Doug’s leg. Pain rips through my thigh as we both scream, and he drops to one knee in front of me.