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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

“Maybe you should ask Jack and his friends, since they were the last ones to see her alive.”

“You’re lying,” she says in a strained voice.

“What would be the point?” I lean my hip against the desk. “I’m curious . . . did Jack forgive you for shooting him before or after you told him who your sister was?”

“Stop saying that.”

“Saying what?”

“You’re talking about my sister like she’s dead.”

“You really don’t know, do you?” I push myself off the desk and come closer, the staff tucked in the crook of my arm as I twirl the dead leaf between my fingers. I crush the leaf and let the pieces fall. “Névé’s in the wind. Jack and his friends killed her eighteen months ago. A week before you failed to kill him in Cuernavaca. And Lyon never told you.”

Her throat bobs, and her eyes well with tears. “I don’t believe you.”

She turns and sprints for the door. I snag her by the hood, dragging her backward, the blade of the scythe dropping like a guillotine in front of her face. Her wide eyes reflect back at me in the blade, her staggering breaths fogging the steel.

“Amber Chase murdered Névé. She destroyed your sister’s transmitter, then snapped her neck. But do you want to know the real kicker?” A tear slides down Kai’s cheek. “Jack Sommers took her magic. He stole it as it left her body. He’s a liar and a thief. Why do you think he gave you those picks for the lock? He knew she wouldn’t answer the door.”

She sags against me, chest heaving, as her knees give out. I hold her upright, whispering against the cold, shocked shell of her ear, “That smaze you’ve been hunting . . . do you think it’s only Jack’s soul inside it? Weren’t you the one who said stolen magic is cursed? That it comes with weaknesses? What if Jack’s weakness is Névé?” Kai goes deathly still. “Jack stole your sister’s magic. And now he’s here, faced with the possibility of reclaiming it. But maybe that smaze has a connection to someone else.” She lifts her head, understanding dawning. “Who do you think that smaze was protecting when Lixue attacked you?”

Her breath hitches. She jerks free of my arms and staggers away from me. “The smaze . . . You think a piece of Ruby is inside it?”

I kick her quiver toward her, spilling arrows over the floor. “There’s only one way to find out.”

43

Fire for Form

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JACK