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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

His mind trails me as I go, but he seems more interested in snooping through Gaia’s office than following me. Gaia’s bedroom door is cracked, and I push it open, feeling like an intruder as I step inside. A long fissure streaks across the drywall over a four-poster bed, probably a remnant of my breakdown earlier. A trickle of water seeps through the crack, soaking the floral pillow shams.

I move quickly through the room, scanning the walls and peering behind furniture, searching for the secret panel Jack mentioned.

When I don’t see it, I throw open the closet door, shoving hangers across the rack hard enough to make them screech. My hand stills as a rectangular panel appears in the wall. I grab the ornament from my pocket and the pen from my sleeve, using the open closet door to shield myself from view as I scratch out a note to Jack.

KAI IS HERE.

SHE KNOWS.

BE CAREFUL.

—F

The ballpoint pen cuts into the soft wood, clumsy and barely legible, but it’s the best I can do. I dress hurriedly, stripping off the torn, bloody jumpsuit. The cut in my leg stings as I free the fabric from the healing wound. I layer on warm clothes and choose a long, heavy coat from the closet. Slipping the ornament over the hanger in its place, I position it just over the opening, where Jack’s certain to find it. I leave the pen on the floor, tucked between a pair of shoes.

Doug’s mind scratches impatiently against mine. I take a pair of gloves, a scarf, and a hat from the shelf and slam the closet shut, then meet him at the threshold as he reaches for the door. He gives me a distrusting once-over. I try not to think about Jack.

“What?” I snap, sliding my arms into Gaia’s coat. “So it doesn’t match. What do you expect? You told me to hurry.”

His thoughts circle suspiciously around mine. I look him straight in his eye as I remember him on his knees, trapped in the arms of a tree, shouting as I ran from him when I dispatched his Guards in Greenwich Park.

Doug snags me by the collar and shoves me out the door.

47

“Come Out! Come Out!”

image

JACK

I sit in the tunnel beside the panel to Gaia’s room, the walls of this place closing in around me as I read the message from Fleur.

This is all I have, the only information Fleur left me. She used her one shot to communicate with me to warn me about Kai. But how did Fleur figure out Kai is here? And more importantly, what does Kai know?