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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

The loose stone I’d been working to free wobbles and shakes. With a last kick, Julio knocks it clear, and the rest of the barrier tumbles down around it. Julio and I rush to move the stones away until we can see each other over the top. His eyes narrow on Kai as he digs.

“You’re a goddamn saint. Or a fucking idiot,” he says through a grunt as he strains to hold the water in check. “I can’t decide.” He hauls the last stone from the pile, opening a space big enough for me to pass through as another rumble builds in the walls. “Let’s get out of here.”

He shoves me down the tunnel as his dam bursts, and the water chases us toward daylight.

52

His Besetting Fears

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DOUG

There’s something stuck in my eye. Something’s pulling me. Tugging me. An arm around my waist. Lilies in my face. And smoke. A shrill voice, yelling at me.

“Doug, get up! You have to get up!”

Gaia. She’s there. Upside down.

No. I’m upside down. Hanging from my seat belt. Blood spatters the roof of the car. Firelight catches on a broken bottle. The smell of spilled liquor and smoke fills the air.

Gaia leans in the broken window, reaching for me. She’s beautiful. The most beautiful woman I’ve ever seen, her silver hair reflected in the fuel slick on the pavement, her voice like an angel’s. “Come with me now and live forever by my rules. Or die tonight.”

One eye opens, the other stubborn, refusing. I blink away something viscous and red, swearing quietly when the back of my hand cuts my face. My coat sleeve shimmers.

Glass. I’m covered in it.

Orange flames dance through the cracks in the windshield. Black clouds billow from the crushed hood of an unfamiliar car.

The car I stole . . . The kid’s key ring dangles from the ignition.

“Come with me now, or we’re both going to die!” Fleur tugs at my seat belt, struggling to unhook it. Blood drips down her temple from a cut on her head, staining the ends of her hair.

“Damn it, Doug! Get up!”

My hands are clumsy as I grope for the latch. It’s stuck.

“There’s a knife . . . in my pocket,” I mutter, hardly able to form a coherent thought. She reaches for the pocket closest to her. “Left. The left pocket.”

With a muttered swear, she wedges herself between me and the steering wheel. I lift my arm, giving her room, groaning as pain explodes behind my rib. Fleur winces, sucking in a sharp breath as if she feels it, too. She flips open the blade, sawing through the thick fabric of the seat belt. When it finally snaps free, she grabs my arm and hauls me out, both of us screaming as my rib shifts.