BooksBarbecue
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

I grab Fleur, turning and tugging her by the hand as the throng surges closer. She nearly trips, craning her neck to see over her shoulder, probably looking for her friends in the mob. I pull her across the street and up the steps to the row house.

Water streams down my face as I bang on the door. A Guard peers through the sidelight, her eyes widening when she sees us. Muffled voices shout as the locks slide open and the door swings inward. I drag Fleur across the threshold. She runs straight to the parlor window, hands pressed to the glass.

“Lock the portal down,” I shout back to the Guard. “No one gets inside. Am I understood?” I storm into the parlor and snap the drapes closed. There are too many of them. My head’s splitting. I can’t think.

“You can’t just leave them out there,” Fleur cries. “They need help. They’re your Seasons. You’re supposed to protect them!”

“They abandoned the Observatory. They know the rules.”

“What about that boy? The one you murdered and turned just now? Did you bother explaining the rules to him?” She follows me to the kitchen, close on my heels. “You felt that quake. Those Seasons had no choice but to run!”

I feel them coming. Feel their feet on the street before they even reach the front porch. They pound on the door, their faces pressed to the sidelights, shouting my name.

“There’s always a choice.” I take Fleur by the arm and shove her to the cellar door. “No one gets in!” I call over my shoulder, slamming the door behind us.

I shut my eye, listening to the muted thumps of fists against the portal door, the muffled pleas. Fleur paces at the foot of the stairs, her fear and adrenaline rioting inside me.

I shrug off my wet coat, biting back a groan of pain as I peel off the sleeves and sit down on the top step. My side throbs, and I tip my head back against the door. This is it. The end of the Observatory. The end of everything. Lyon is probably laughing in his grave. And Michael . . . I hope wherever he is, he isn’t witnessing my failure.

I bury my bleeding head in my hands.

“Chronos?” the Guard asks through the door. “There’s someone trying to make radio contact. He says Jack Sommers is asking for you.”

53

To Seize the Earth by the Pole

image

JACK